Events
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I have used the above illustration as an example of the sorts of shapes that seemed to appear to humankind in centuries ago. According to the picture’s blurb here it is a “…Color enhancement of a 16th century woodcut called Nuremberg UFO by Hans Glaser. At sunrise on the April 14, 1561, the citizens of…
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Over a weekend in mid-July 2023 there was an archaeological event at Powis Castle during which visitors could participate in The Festival of Archaeology, “….a national, annual programme of events which runs over two weeks. Events in the series include activities, talks, guided walks, exhibitions, excavations, activities and more. The theme for this year is…
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I was quite enjoying this article until I came to: “….‘Kings whose claims were disputed were accordingly anxious to be consecrated as quickly as possible,’ writes Zaller. ‘Both Edward IV and Richard III rushed to be crowned, and the Yorkist kings claimed to have been anointed with chrism conveyed directly to Thomas á Becket by…
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In the course of seeking the date when Henry Percy, Baron Percy, became the 1st Earl of Northumberland (it was 15 July 1377, the eve of the coronation of the boy king Richard II), I came upon the website of Alnwick Castle. The section about the history of the castle is very well illustrated…
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I didn’t know how perilously close Shakespeare’s great work came to complete and utter obscurity, if not to say oblivion. But it seems that this year is the First Folio’s 400th anniversary. And if you read here 400 Years of the First Folio (shakespeare.org.uk) you’ll find the story of its miraculous survival….although I imagine the…
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Richard II was certainly the royal connoisseur of food. His famous book of recipes (well, he didn’t actually write it!) the Forme of Cury, is constantly resorted to as a record of just how well our 14th-century ancestors were provided for when they sat down to eat. How often are we told that they…
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The news has broken that the Book of Hours belonging to Thomas Cromwell is here which appears in the Holbein portrait above, has been recognised (by Hever Castle curator, Alison Palmer) as the Hardouyn Hours, held today at Trinity College, Cambridge. You can view the Hardouyn Hours page by page at the Wren Digital…
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For those of you who listened to Paddy’s Christmas Cracker on Radio Four during Christmas morning, the host really did announce that the King’s Message that day would be delivered by Charles the SECOND!
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It’s always amusing to ponder things concerning people from the past, and in this article the idea is to imagine a Secret Santa doling out gifts to specific figures. For instance, Alfred the Great should be given an air fryer, to solve his cake-baking hang-ups. And King John would surely benefit from a snorkel…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 