The speaker at the general meeting on June 13 was one of the Branch members, Lynne Foley. She spoke on Architecture and Excavations at Medieval Battlesites. Much of this reflected the amazing amount of recent work on the site of the Battle of Towton which employed recent forensic techniques that told us so much about the men who fought there – and whose skeletons provided information about the method of their deaths. Illustrations showed the excavation in progress (thanks to the generous owners of Towton Hall who lived with the work for 10 years) and the various weapons and other items that were uncovered.
Many of the old battlefields are disappearing under housing developments, such as Barnet and Tewkesbury, and research is ongoing as to the actual site of the Battle of Bosworth, likely to be confirmed as Dadlington. It is this threat to historic sites that worried Lynne. She felt a balance needed to be struck between the needs of the living and the importance of our heritage.
Lynne was thanked for her interesting and well researched talk – confirmed by everyone with much applause – with the presentation of a bottle of Plantagenet wine.
Kevin reported on the production of Shakespeare’s Richard III at Eveleigh in May which had been impressive with the standard of production and acting, surprisingly effective with a cast of only six people.
People in England were interested in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of The Wars of the Roses, the high cost of the tickets unfortunately had precluded most members from attending. The few who had made it commented that it was a bit “curate’s egg” – that is, good in parts. Two guests at the June meeting also had mixed feelings, enjoying the Richard II and Henry IV sections, but not the latter part. One of them had missed the second evening performance, the other had left before the end. Something that those of us who, several years ago, had been to The Bell Shakespeare Company’s The Wars of the Roses (a different adaptation and only one evening) would never have done!
Tags: NSW Branch, Towton
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