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The shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral was one of the most popular pilgrim destinations in medieval Europe, as well as the focal point for the liturgy of the cathedral's monastic community. In 1428 the keepers of the shrine composed a customary detailing its day-to-day operation, including the opening hours, decoration, maintenance, and staffing. This unique survival offers a rare glimpse into the realities of organizing a pilgrimage site in a major medieval church, and the Latin text with facing English translation is provided for the first time. A comprehensive introduction and extensive notes set the Customary within the context of the cathedral, its liturgy, and pilgrim practice more widely.

This article examines the history of Becket's name from his birth to c. 1800, through detailed corpus analysis, with a particular focus on the varying popularity of the 'Becket' and 'a Becket' forms from the 16th to 18th centuries. The analysis goes beyond positivist attempts to decide on the 'correct' name to look instead at naming conventions in the context of their use. There is some evidence to suggest that, until his ordination at least, Thomas was known by the family surname 'Beket' during his lifetime, and this name for him occurs in some medieval chronicle traditions. Yet for the most part he was 'St Thomas of Canterbury', and the 'Becket' surname was revived by Protestants at the Reformation as a slur to emphasise his unworthiness. The form 'a Becket' was invented by the satirist Thomas Nashe in the 1590s to turn the archbishop into a figure of fun, and by the 1700s may have been the predominant form in popular, verbal, use, largely thanks to its more appealing rhythmic form. By the 1760s the 'a Becket' form had also become the academically accepted 'correct' form. This in turn gave rise to debate, continuing to this day, about the correct nomenclature and to a host of theories about the etymology of both 'types'.Banner image: The earliest known portrayal of Thomas Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral, unknown author, c.1200. Original in the British Library: Harley MS 5102, f. 32; image from Wikimedia Commons.

This article reflects on the turmoil in the states of the Levant, particularly seen in the context of broader tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Particular regard is given to the radical challenge of Sunni and largely Salafi jihadism; the disabling of large parts of the Middle East state system in the wake of the Arab Spring; the dramatic fall in global energy prices; the fraying of traditional alliances between Saudi Arabia, the US and other powers. The increase in sectarianism and conflicts over authority in Islam are also discussed. (Asian Aff/GIGA)

This paper reports on selected aspects of a recent study of non‐resident fathers' leisure with their children. The settings and context for non‐resident fathers' contact with their children are described and the methodology comprising interviews with eighteen non‐resident fathers is briefly explained. The fathers who participated were a diverse group.Leisure is a vital aspect of most non‐resident fathers' engagement with their children. Nevertheless, for non‐resident fathers to be fully‐integrated in their children's lives they need to participate in a range of everyday activities that allow them to function as parents rather than as regular visitors. Policy and legislation must better recognise the qualitative aspects of parent's engagement with their children.