Another Richard III musical?

This one (Digging up Dick) was being written by the late Anthony Newley and is being resumed by Tara, his daughter with Joan Collins. As you will have observed, a lot has happened since Newley’s death in 1999, not least finding Richard’s real grave and reburying him.

Does the name Jack Broom indicate the hero of a new children’s book is one of the princes…?

Well, my title is guesswork, of course, but surely Broom is a reference to Plantagenet (a name taken from planta genista, the Latin for the yellow broom flower). The story (the first in a series by author Andrew Beattie) is about the boys in the Tower, but is Jack Broom one of them? Or is…

Another Greyfriars in another city beginning with “L”….

Now another Greyfriars in another cathedral city beginning with “L” is in the news. Greyfriars in Lincoln is to have £3 million of funding to be restored and re-developed. It’s thought to be the oldest surviving Franciscan friary building in the country, and there’s much more of it extant than the Greyfriars of Leicester. Re-developed…

Ranulph Lord Dacre of Gilsland – The Lord who was buried with his horse.

Reblogged from A Medieval Potpourri @sparkypus.com The monument in All Saints Church, Saxton over the grave of Ranulph Lord Dacre and his horse. Photo Mary Emma1@Flkir Ranulph/Ranulf/Randolph/Ralph, Lord Dacre of Gilsland’s precise date of birth is lost to us – as is his exact Christian name it would seem -but has been suggested as c.1412 although…

The fireworks display at Richard’s reinterment….

Fireworks used to be associated with Bonfire Night, 5th November, but nowadays they are employed for many occasions, not least of which (for Ricardians) was the week-long celebration of Richard’s reinterment at Leicester Cathedral. The reinterment was on 26 March 2015, and ended with a spectacular fireworks display around the cathedral. This link is to…

The story of Richard’s discovery, and a virtual tour of the Visitor Centre….

The story of how Richard III’s remains were discovered is a fascinating one, almost a fairy story, and happening upon a website that tells it properly is a bonus. If you go here you will arrive at the Seeing the Past website, which I thoroughly recommend. Credit is given where credit is due, i.e. with…

How many English pubs are named after monarchs….?

  Well, obviously a lot of our pubs bear the names of kings and queens, with Queen Victoria heading the list above. I’m surprised to find Kings George III, George IV and William IV galloping up behind her, while all the rest are far more thinly spread. Why are these four monarchs, who all reigned…

Another “Mary Rose” is found….

  I well remember all the excitement when Henry VIII’s Mary Rose was found and brought to the surface for the first time since his reign. The event was broadcast live and we watched as she reappeared inch by slow inch. Yes, it was quite a story. But then, Henry VIII (love him or hate…

Some of Leicester’s precious heritage needs saving….

According to this article Heritage Britain there are apparently sixteen buildings/sites in Leicester that are at risk from disrepair or plain neglect. They include the church of St Mary de Castro: “….‘St Mary of the Castle’, this church once served Leicester Castle. King Henry VI was knighted there at the age of four, as was…

Not what you expect with a water bill!

I also received this from Anglia Water about the “Rutland Sea Dragon”, an ichtyosaur found near Rutland Water. It featured in episode four of Digging for Britain, the latest series of which was shown over two weeks in January. As ever, Alice Roberts was the main presenter, alongside Dr. Onyeka Nubia and Dr. Cat Jarman.…