Richard III Society, Mid Anglia Group Newsletter May 2015
Welcome to the first edition of our Mid Anglia Group newsletter! The emphasis is very much on ‘our’ because your contributions are very welcome and will add extra dimension and interest to the newsletter.
So, if you have any interesting research projects you are currently working on or you have attended an interesting Ricardian-related event then here is the place to share your news, photographs, articles and more!
Don’t be shy! This is very much a work-in-progress and will, hopefully, grow and develop over the months. At present, a quarterly edition is envisaged although this could change. If there is enough content and demand it could become more frequent.
I hope you enjoy the edition and look forward to meeting you at the various events planned over the coming months.
Janine Lawrence (Secretary)
Huge thanks must go to Stephen who has worked long and hard with great dedication to resurrect the Mid Anglia Group from a silence of some years. And, thanks to his tenacity, we can now look forward to meetings, talks, visits and social occasions within our own locality as well as joining with main Society events. Here is his first letter as interim chairman:
Chairman’s Letter
I am, naturally, very pleased to see our Group re-established last September. Since then, we have walked through Ipswich, Colchester and Sudbury, seeing Pykenham’s Gatehouse and the Sun Inn in Ipswich, the Red Lion and Town Hall in Colchester and a number of churches in the three towns, of which St. Gregory’s in Sudbury, replete with the preserved head of Simon Theobald, the Archbishop and Lord Chancellor, is perhaps the most notable. Many thanks to those members who attended and those, such as Ian Fitzlyon who made the visits possible. In addition, a few of us met up during reburial week in Leicester, a city with several historical surprises for the first-time visitor, including a small church on the site of the Saxon Cathedral.
In the immediate future, Annette Carson will be addressing us on 27 June at Pickwicks, a suitably historic café in Ipswich town centre, on “Six months in 1483”. Please confirm your interest with Janine or me, as the venue is quite small. Those of you who arrive by car will be able to park in Cromwell Square, which is also close at hand. After this, we will visit Moyse’s Hall Museum in Bury St. Edmunds on 12 or 13 September and an AGM, with a speaker, is being planned for the late autumn. We can then be a little more ambitious with regard to visiting rural locations next year and we do have some ideas in this respect.
On a personal note, my small book on the siege of Colchester is now out, published by Bretwalda Books and hopefully demonstrating the marvellous fluidity of the town’s history, particularly in the two centuries including and following Richard’s time.
Stephen Lark
Leicester
I think we’re probably all in a state of exhaustion after the events happening in and around Richard lll’s re-interment in March. In fact, the time since Richard was found has been a rollercoaster of emotion, what with court cases, arguments on the tomb design and even where he ‘would have liked’ to have been buried!
How many of you managed to travel to Leicester for Re-interment Week? Stephen and I were there and have each written a blog on the Group’s WordPress page (https://richardiiisocietymidanglia.wordpress.com/) describing just how wonderful it was.
Many of us will be having the inevitable ‘what happens now?’ thought. The following is an extract from the Society outlining the way forward:
“As we have done for the past 90 years, the Society will continue to seek a reassessment of King Richard’s life and character. For this to have substance it must be based on the evidence that can only be found in the surviving contemporary records. To find, access, transcribe and interpret these records in the proper context of the time and circumstances in which they were written, requires a considerable range of skills. Foreign archives, aside from the language issues, present a considerable challenge in this regard. So a focused and skills‐based approach is essential to any archival research.
The finding and honourable reburial of Richard III has created new opportunities for the study of his life and reign, to take advantage of these we need to channel our limited resources to where they can have real impact, and the Richard III Society will continue to do this with renewed vigour through its own research programme and through collaboration with others.”
The Executive Committee
So, there are still exciting times waiting to happen, especially as Philippa Langley has pledged to look further into My Lords Bastard in an effort to lay certain stories to rest!
Post Leicester Blues?
Have a look at http://kingrichardinleicester.net for lots of photographs, news, reports etc. There’s also an online shop for those who wish to answer the call of the plastic!
Richard III Society Website
Found at www.richardiii.net and a brilliant site to dip into, find information, check dates etc. It’s there for all to use and has up to date information and contact details of all branches and groups within the Society. The Society shop is a work in progress and worth a visit while you’re there!
The Battle of Towton Commemoration
Usually my and husband and I attend the battle re-enactment at Tewkesbury each July, but this year we decided to have a change and visit Towton instead.
The battlefield is a joy to walk and we did this two years ago in the full heat of a sweltering summer. This visit on Sunday March 29th was as different as it could be! Freezing cold, grey skies and, at times, driving rain. At least we were spared the weather of 1461 when blizzards and three foot deep snowdrifts were the order of the day!
This commemoration takes place on the actual anniversary of the battle, so it is very special in that regard. As yet, it appears to be a fledgling event, but is no less interesting for all that. The living village (much like those at Tewkesbury and Bosworth but on a much smaller scale) were an insight into medieval tented life and watching someone clambering into meticulously accurate armour is a sight to see!
The main barn was home to a number of stalls, amongst them the Society’s Yorkshire Branch, Tewkesbury Battlefield Society, The Battlefields Trust and Graham Turner and his marvellous paintings. Wondering around, chatting to the stallholders and saying hello to fellow Society members is a lovely way to pass time before heading out into the elements to watch the falconry display, or the archery or the armed combat!
Towton is a long way for us to travel from East Anglia, but if you’re thinking of having an early break I can heartily recommend a visit next Palm Sunday. And don’t forget, Towton is only a few miles away from the joys of York…!
Palm crosses and red and white roses, Towton Battlefield
Living History Village, Towton Battlefield
Society Triennial Conference, Loughborough
Did anyone attend this year? Perhaps you would like to share your experience and write something for the newsletter? Please email copy to me on Janine.frances8@gmail.com
Our June Meeting
Annette Carson’s talk ‘Six Months in 1483’ is on 27th June at Pickwick’s, Dial Lane, Ipswich. Meet for lunch (if wanted) at 1pm with the talk following at 2pm.
As space is very limited I need to know who will be attending to enable me to keep an eye on numbers. It will be first-come-first-served and members only in the first instance. If there is space nearer the date then guests will be permitted. Entry fee £3.00
Please email notice of attendance to me on Janine.frances8@gmail.com as soon as possible.
What’s On – Diary Dates
- 13th June – Requiem Mass at Fotheringhay Church. Postponed from last year. Details in March Bulletin
- 27th June – ‘Six Months in 1483’ talk by Annette Carson, Pickwick’s, Ipswich 1pm
- 11/12th July – Tewkesbury Medieval Festival. Free event and an annual highlight of the re-enactment calendar. Definitely one to catch if you can!
- 18th July – London Branch trip to Cambridge. Visits to Duxford Chapel and the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge. Details in March Bulletin
- 22/23 August – Bosworth Weekend. Main Society visit on Sunday 23rd with a service at Sutton Cheney Church followed by a trip to the battlefield. Details will be in the June Bulletin with a booking form.
A Final Plea…
At the risk of repeating myself… Please make this newsletter your own and send in items you think will interest other members. Suggestions for visits and speakers plus venues you know and can recommend can keep our Group vibrant and alive! Are there any medieval or Ricardian-related events in your locality? If there are, we want to know please! Email to Janine.frances8@gmail.com
I will post this newsletter on our various social media sites, but would prefer too, to email it to MAG members directly. Please could you email me on Janine.frances8@gmail.com as before.
Loyaulté me Lie
Mid Anglia Group, Richard III Society 
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