Chairperson’s Report October 2015

The Richardian Year 2014-2015 has proved a very exciting one for all members of the New South Wales branch of the Richard III Society Publicity concerning the discovery and the reburial has resulted not only in a boost to our membership but also greatly increased interest from many people outside the Society.

Several of our members were able to travel to Leiceister to participate in the celebrations to mark Richard III’s reburial in and around the city. Our Treasurer, Judy Howard, was fortunate enough to be selected to the Compline Service in the Cathedral when Richard’s remains were brought from Bosworth to lie in state. As close to this time as possible on 21st March many of our Sydney Richardians were able to commemorate Richard’s life and his achievements in a beautiful moving service at the Anglican Church of St James at King Street where in August we remember those who died with Richard at the Battle of Bosworth.

Upon their return from the United Kingdom, Dorothea Preis, Judy Howard and David Johnson presented a fascinating review of their time in Leiceister. During the discussion which followed, other members added their contributions which proved very enjoyable.
Particular thanks must go to our members who show such positive support to our hard-working committee but friendship to each other which ensures the smooth and enjoyable running of the Society. Our venue so centrally located at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts with its proximity to public transport has proved very convenient to most people to access some even coming from as far as Brisbane and Armidale.

Throughout the year, members have been encouraged to learn more about Richard III and the world in which he lived. This has been capably encouraged not only by the very excellent Website presided over by Dorothea Preis but also with an array of wonderful guest speakers all of whom are experts in their particular fields. They have entertained us, inspired us to follow up their talks with research of our own and enriched our knowledge of Richard and his world. All talks have been presented in a well researched and scholarly manner, each subject being lavishly illustrated.
Wendy Schmit the President of the New South Wales Embroiderers Guild brought many beautiful examples of embroidery styles some of which have been practised since Medieval Times.
Almis Simans who has written a number of books about his extensive walks in the English countryside was able to illustrate his talk using contour maps and photos of physical features of the countryside where Richard would have ridden explaining the myths and legends associated with the land.
Maggie Patton, a well known curator from the State Library of New South Wales drew on the wonderful collection of delicately coloured maps held in the library to illustrate the “MappaMundi” how people in the fifteenth century would have perceived the wider world.

Another of our members the former parliamentarian, Chris Puplick, a self-styled medievalist, presented a lecture on the Garter Knights of Richard III
Margaret Rogerson an Associate Professor from Sydney University presented a wonderfully illustrated talk on the Medieval PlayCycle of York even supplying us with notes and references to study further.
We are very proud of the enjoyment our very own authors, Isolde Martyn with her medieval romances and Felicity Pulman who specialises in adult fiction have brought to us and the book reading public.

Some of our members, particularly Kevin Herbert and Julia Redlich contribute to the general community by giving talks about Richardian subjects to groups such as National Seniors, University of the Third Age and various Probus Clubs. Maureen Gray continues to make her delightful white rose jewellery which members enjoy wearing . Sadly, our former committee member Johanna Visser passed away during the year. Several members were able to attend her funneral in the Southern Highlands where Kevin Herbert and Janice Ratter presented eulogies. Our bouquet of splendid white roses was much appreciated by her daughter.

Our hard working committee has earned our sincere gratitude. Rachel Allerton continues as Secretary while Christine Field has taken over as Treasurer from Judy Howard who is now more fully engaged in tertiary studies.
Dorothea Preis has handed over her role as Webmaster to Timothy and Lawrence Osborn. Unfortunately Dorothea’s excellent magazine Chronicles of the White Rose will probably not continue for the time being. We thank Dorothea most sincerely for the very hard work which she has undertaken for the Society for several years and wish her well for her committee work for the Society in England.
Thanks to Lesley McCawley ably assisted by her husband Doug for editing our newsletter Affinity.
Lynne Foley has kindly offered to continue as membership and sales officer.
Jacqueline Turner hands over her chairpersonship to Joan Hansen who also presides over afternoon tea.
We are most grateful to these people who keep our Society running so smoothly contributing their time and effort in such a selfless way and look forward to another worthwhile year.

Judith Hughes,
Chairperson and
programs organiser,
10 October 2015

The 10 October 2015 Annual General Meeting

of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society

The Annual General Meeting of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society was held on Saturday, 10 October 2015, at the Sydney Mechanics’ Institute. Chair Judith welcomed all members and visitors. Concern was expressed for members who have been facing illness and injury recently, with the sincere hope for their successful treatment, full recovery, and swift return to our meetings. Kevin was back after a year’s absence, and it was wonderful to see him looking well.

Judith gave a summary of our busy Ricardian year with the excitement of the reinterment ceremonies for Richard III in Leicester, the lineup of excellent speakers we were privileged to hear, the annual service, at St James Anglican Church to commemorate the Battle of Bosworth and remember Richard’s life and reign. Thanks were expressed on behalf of the branch members, for the hard work by the committee members throughout the year; the committee members then officially stepped down. Special thanks and a round of applause went to Dorothea for her 8 years’ service as a very active and dedicated webmaster and publications officer who attracted many international readers to our website.

Carole then facilitated the annual elections for the 2015-2016 committee positions. A number of officers returned unopposed to their roles, including Judith as Chair, Rachel as Secretary, Lynne as Sales Officer, Leslie as Affinity Newsletter Editor, and Joan as the afternoon tea lady. Newly elected committee members included Tim and Lawrence as webmasters, and Christine as Treasurer, with Joan expanding her duties to include Deputy Chair.

Our featured speaker was Mr Christopher Puplick AM, a long-time member of the NSW branch and a keen medievalist. His topic was “The Garter Knights of Richard III”, these being the various men that Richard selected for the honour of being made knights of the garter, that ancient order of chivalry. Hopefully a transcript of this interesting presentation will be posted on the website soon.

After the raffle was drawn, members enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea provided by Joan. The next meeting will be on Saturday, 12 December 2015. Our guest speaker will be Judith Mee, speaking on the topic of “Spoken and written English in Richard III’s time”. There will also be a Bring & Buy table, with proceeds going to the branch. It will be a good opportunity to recycle books and other items of interest. Please be prepared to take home anything that does not sell, however, as there is no provision for storage on site.

Tags: NSW Branch, Order of the Garter, Richard III

A good-bye and a welcome – a personal note

After eight years as webmaster of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society, I have decided it was time to let others have a go.  Therefore I did not stand again for the post at our AGM yesterday.

These eight years were a very interesting and rewarding time and I will remember them with a lot of pleasure.  I would like to thank all who contributed for their time and effort, the regulars like Julia, Leslie and Kevin, but also all the others.

However, now it is time for me to move on to other projects and to let go of my “baby”.  Of course, my interest in medieval history and my involvement with the Richard III Society remains.

We all welcome Rachel and Lawrence to the position of webmasters.  This blog will be in good hands. We are wishing them all success and lots of fun.

Visiting the St Ives Medieval Faire, 19 and 20 September 2015

This post is by Tamar Lawson, who attended the recent St Ives Medieval Faire.

The ground is muddy, covered with straw (probably to mop up some of the excess water), the rain is lightly falling and there is a faint smell of manure and food cooking on an open fire. This is what meets us as we enter the medieval village via the castle gates.  Before entering the gates we find a village market selling everything required for period dress including jewellery, hat, cloaks and gowns, as well as non-medieval hot food & beverages. Also there is stage that has been erected for the performance of courtly entertainment including music, circus acts and a variety of dances.

The medieval village is divided into three eras, the Templar Camp, the Early Village and the 14^th century village. Each camp within each village is set up and run by a direct medieval re-enactment group. Many of the camps are sent up to replicate a specific year and people group or occupation. Reenactors are by nature enthusiasts of the subject they’re replicating and are highly knowledgeable on their area of interest but are also just as enthusiastic to share their knowledge to anyone who’s interested.  Throughout the day there are also scheduled village talks conducted by reenactors including medieval cosmetics, medieval surgery and Byzantine urinalysis.

As the faire is meant to represent a working castle there is also a medieval marketplace, a village green, main arena and tavern. The main arena is where the jousting, birds of prey demonstration, Viking battle and knights tournament took place.  The jousting was presented with the sort of fan-fare that would have been attributed to historical jousting when it became spectator sport. I suspect medieval jousting would have been an all-day event, particularly if the horses were as unco-operative as was one of the rider’s horses, after two rounds it balked.

Aside from jousting, which is only reserved for the nobility (or in this case, professionals), there were other demonstrations where men could show off their prowess.  Out on the trebuchet field there was a Kingdom of Heaven tournament, the archery demonstration and a musket and pike drill.

Aside from the re-enactments, weapons being fired and the live animals, the biggest drawcard for faire-goers is the opportunity to dress in costume for a day. It is important to lending authenticity to an event such as this to set aside a portion of the festivities to a best-dressed competition. The male and female winners are given a faire flag and entry into the VIP tent, which provides the best view of the jousting.

The best way to experience the faire is to immerse yourself in the festivities. Even if you don’t get to come in costume, get involved in activities by learning to make cloth buttons or finger-loop cord braiding. Talk to a reenactor; ask them about their camp and their area of research.

A friend of mine shared a link to a video clip about the making of the tomb of King Richard III on Facebook.  I’d like to share the link here with you as I know that some of our readers are not on Facebook, but would also be interested.

Having seen the tomb face to face, I have to admit I never realised how much detailed and fine craftmanship was involved in bringing out the beauty of the stone so impressively.

Don’t miss this video!

Tags: Church, Leicester, Richard III

Annual General Meeting of the NSW Branch

Saturday 10 October 2015  –  2:00 PM

The NSW Branch Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, 10 October 2015, at the Sydney Mechanics Institute. Please plan to attend this meeting, to help elect the new committee for 2015. If you have any items for the agenda or wish to stand for the committee, please contact branch secretary Rachel.

Chris Puplick speaking at the 2013 Australasian Convention of the Richard III Society

Our featured speaker will be Mr Christopher Puplick AM, a long-time member of the NSW branch. Chris served as the Liberal Senator for New South Wales in the Commonwealth Parliament from 1978-1981 and 19841990, and was Shadow Minister for the Environment, Arts and Heritage from 1987 to 1990. He also served as the President of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board and was the State’s first Privacy Commissioner.  In 2001, he was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, for contributions to Australian politics and public policy, particularly in relation to human rights and social justice. He is the author of five books and over ninety other publications and broadcasts. His topic will be “The Garter Knights of Richard III”.

Please note:

Membership renewals are due.  If renewing by post please ensure that they are received no later than Friday 9 October, 2015, or made in person at the AGM on Saturday, 10 October, 2015.

Even if you are not renewing your membership for 2016, it is requested that you inform the Secretary or Treasurer in writing, as a courtesy.

Tags: NSW Branch, Order of the Garter, Richard III

St Ives Medieval Faire – live the history in Sydney

Keep the coming weekend, 19 and 20 September 2015, free for the event of the year: the St Ives Medieval Faire. Last year the Fair, the first time it was held, was a huge success and this year promises to be even better.

Jousting Tournament

The trebuchet will be firing again, the birds of preys will show what they can do and much, much more is being planned. I expect the highlight to be Jousting Tournament, where knights in shining armour on magnificent horses display their skills. And for those who wish to venture outside of the medieval period, the Routiers will present a Pike and Musket Drill.

Bring the kids, who will enjoy an extensive offer of medievally themed entertainments. It really is a great day for families to experience the past in real time. The Jousting Tournament is very real and spectacular action, beating any video game of today.

After all the excitement and a walk through the Medieval Village you might feel thirsty. The Tavern caters for the adult thirst. What about a 4 Pines “Sir Andrews Gruit” or maybe a “Mad Monks Mead’?

Of course attending all the attractions of the St Ives Medieval Faire is exhausting, so for the first time on Saturday evening there will be a feast as a unique opportunity to enjoy a full dining experience of medieval food and entertainment into the evening.

While sometimes in Australia, these medieval events can be rather kitsch, this one stands out for offering a real inight into the middle ages.  Looking at the Medieval Village, visitors can understand how people lived then.  And the displays of various aspects of warfare and jousting show the grimmer side of the times.

For the full programme and to order your tickets, go to http://stivesmedievalfaire.com.au/.

Tags: Fair, Jousting, Medieval Life, Sydney

Thanks to Philippa Langley and John Ashdown-Hill the phrase “Looking for Richard” became part of our lives and enthralled us through the search, discovery and final result. Then came the pride and emotion as we witnessed the re-interment – and acknowledgement of King Richard’s life in Leicester.

But what happens if you aren’t looking for Richard and he – and some historical connections – suddenly turn up when you least expect them, usually through a brief reference is a totally unexpected book.

I changed my mind about Richard’s character at the ripe old age of ten. I’d read the junior history books, seen the Millais’ portrait of those innocent little boys and even accepted the fact that in a pantomime The Babes in the Wood (at the Bournemouth Pavilion for the Dorset Group’s info) the wicked uncle wore black and had a hunchback. Hmm.

Then my sister and I saw a production of The Black Arrow at London’s Old Vic theatre and this was the cue for a major switch. This novel is subtitled A Tale of Two Roses and is set during the Cousin’s War. The young hero, Richard Shelton fighting for the Yorkists, becomes aware of a fierce encounter taking place. One of a small group of fighters is “so active and dexterous … so desperately did he charge and scatter his opponents … but so icy was the ground, one slip and his life would be forfeit.”

Young Richard of course comes to this man’s aid, the fight is won and he is “surprised to find in one who had displayed such strength skill and energy [was] a lad no older than himself – slightly deformed, with one shoulder higher than the other … The eyes, however, were very clear and bold.”

This is his first meeting with the young Duke of Gloucester, and after more fighting, Richard is knighted by the Duke for his valour, and finally, with the Duke’s royal consent, marries his love Joanna. RLS may well have been an early Ricardian …

A few years later, when reading one of English author Angela Thirkell’s delightful novels in which she picks up the descendants and places of Anthony Trollope’s Barchester novels, and sets them in the mid-1900s, I rejoiced to find Mrs Morland praising The Black Arrow.

“Why Stevenson thought so poorly of that book I shall never understand. All my boys loved it … And it was the only thing that made me really interested in Richard Crookback, until I read that book by that clever woman with three names, who proved that Richard didn’t murder the little Princes in the Tower and was a hero all the time and not a villain.”

Well, we all know the name of that book, don’t we? It’s probably on everyone’s bookshelves even after all the years since it was published in 1951.

Another book I loved at about the same age was Maddy Alone, by Pamela Brown. Twelve-year-old Maddy, an aspiring actress, learns about a film being made about a castle near her home. The kindly Bishop who is a family friend, takes her for lunch (with meringues) to soothe her misery at being left behind while her sister and older friends start at drama academy. Afterwards they go for a walk near the castle and he tells her that the film is about the daughter of Arthur, Prince of Wales, and Catherine of Aragon. He has just found some old papers that reveal that “at twelve years old away she fledde, forsook her crown but saved her hedde”. Apparently there was a plan to put her on the throne after Henry VII died, but naturally Henry VIII would have none of it.

There are some pretty valid comments about the undesirability of this particular Tudor and his propensity for an axe and a block to dispense with those he no longer needed in his life!

Richard isn’t mentioned, but I liked the Tudor reference. And, of course, our 12-year-old finds out that the daughter of Arthur is being played by a well-known and glamorous actress and chaos inevitably ensues. Now guess who plays the role at the right age …

Ricardians who are also die-hard fans of detective novels will be familiar with the Inspector Lynley novels, by the American author Elizabeth George, a self-confessed supporter of the last Plantagenet king. Her references to him in many of her books give us enormous pleasure – as does the investigation through to pages to find his name! These are some of my favourites.

The Evidence Exposed:

This is a collection of three novellas, in one of which – I Richard – an interesting theory as to what happened to the Princes and, indeed, whodunit, is presented. With Philippa Langley’s new quest to discover an answer to the age-old mystery, you could appreciate the idea.

Well-Schooled in Murder

Sergeant Barbara Havers asks Lynley why the statue of Henry VII outside a school faces north, not south, towards the school entry.

“He wants us to remember his moment of glory. So he’s looking to the north, in the direction of Bosworth Field.”

“‘Ah. Death and treachery. The end of Richard III. Why does it always slip my mind that you’re a Yorkist… Do you spit on Henry’s tomb whenever you get the chance to slip down to the Abbey?”

He smiled. “Religiously. It’s one of my rare pleasures.”

Missing Joseph:

Lynley speaks to Deborah and Simon St James about the power of tourism: “Don’t people pay to see the Queen of Scots death mask?”

“Not to mention some of the grimmer spots of the Tower London,” St James said. “The Chapel Royal, Wakefield Tower.”

“Why bother with the Crown Jewels when you can see a chopping block?” Lynley added. “Crime doesn’t pay, but death brings them running with a few quid.”

“Is this irony from the man who’s made at least five personal pilgrimages to Bosworth Field on the twenty-second of August?” Deborah asked blithely. “… where you drink from the well and swear to Richard’s ghost that you would have fought for the Yorks?”

“That’s not death,” Lynley said with some dignity, lifting his glass to salute her. “That’s history, my girl. Someone’s got to be willing to set the record straight.”

The Girl in the Photograph, by Kate Riordan, is a recent publication I enjoyed. Set in an old, crumbling English manor, the heroine, living a lonely life there, is convinced that one night the resident ghost is around. The sound of footsteps, drifts of perfume and so on. According to local legend this is none other than Margaret of Anjou who stayed there on her way to join young Edouard, Lancaster Prince of Wales, at Tewkesbury, unaware that his death is imminent. It seems that the author assumed her readers would know exactly who Margaret was as there is no further reference to her back story, the Cousins’ War, or the fact that her companion would have been Anne Neville , the future queen and wife of Richard III.

The uncertainly and mystery about Richard has obviously struck a chord with many authors. One of those in the Golden Age of English Crime Writing was Dorothy L. Sayers who, in Have His Carcase has her noble detective Lord Peter Wimsey on the hunt for the killer of a young man whose body was found stranded on a rock off the Cornish coast. His quest takes him to the offices of theatrical agents where the photograph of the victim reminds one agent of someone who would have made “a good Judas”. “Or a Richard III,” says the other.

Then follows an interesting discussion of the guises Richard portrays in Shakespeare’s tragedy. The man who plots, the man who flies into tempers that, according these two, are as artificial as his love-making to Anne. As he leaves, Wimsey asks the Inspector who is with him what made them think of Richard III.

“Wasn’t he the fellow who made up his mind to be a villain?” to which Lord Peter confesses that he has “something on his mind and can’t seem get it out”. A nice cue to let you read on!

A further visit to a theatrical connection occurs in one of the other-authored sequels to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. In Sally Beauman’s Rebecca’s Tale we meet one of those seeking to find the secrets of Rebecca’s life, and an obscure reference leads him to the memoirs of legendary actor manager Sir Frank McKendrick, who recalls the charming young actress Isabel Devlin who had died shortly after leaving his company.

“I grieved for her. I should add that Miss Devlin’s daughter was also at this time a member of our little “band of brothers” … she was a most unusual and wicked Puck at a very early age and was of great use to us in boys’ roles. I remember her as a swaggering but subtle young Princeling to my Richard III … but we heard no more of her after her mother died.”

Unusual, wicked, swaggering and subtle could all apply to the later mistress of Manderley.

And Shakespeare’s Edward V recalls another childhood book, Noel Streatfield’s Ballet Shoes in which young Pauline’s portrayal of the role leads her on to the fortune that helps her family.

How many other books are there to prove that their authors found him just as significant as Ricardians? Information welcome!

The Black Arrow, by Robert Louis Stevenson, published 1888.

Three Score and Ten, by Angela Thirkell, Hamish Hamilton, 1961

Maddy Alone, by Pamela Brown, Nelson, 1945

The Evidence Exposed, by Elizabeth George, Hodder & Stoughton 1999. ISBN 0 34 075 063 0

Well-Schooled in Murder, by Elizabeth George Bantam, 1990. ISBN 0 553 401 167

Missing Joseph, by Elizabeth George, Bantam, 1993. ISBN 0 553 402 382

The Girl in the Photograph, by Kate Riordan, Michael Joseph, 2014. ISBN 978-0-718-17928-1

Have His Carcase, by Dorothy L. Sayers, Gollancz 1932.

Rebecca’s Tale, by Sally Beaumont, Little Brown, 2001. ISBN 0 316 858 137

Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfield, Dent 1936.

Tags: Books, Bosworth, Margaret of Anjou, Princes, Richard III, Wars of the Roses, Yorkists

Book Review:  Digging for Richard III

Mike Pitts, Digging for Richard III: How Archaeology Found the King. Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2014

 Note (2 September 2015):

This review of the first edition of  Digging for Richard III was originally posted in August 2014.  I have reposted it now, as a new paperback edition of this excellent book has just been published.  For this new edition, the text has been revised and it has been extended, too.  More about the paperback edition on Mike Pitts’ blog.  Highly recommended!

Please note this book had come out before the results of further research were published, and therefore does not contain any information on these issues.

Unlike many other recent books about the Greyfriars Dig, which led to the discovery of Richard III’s remains, Digging for Richard III was written by someone who was not himself involved in the project, which gives it a certain amount of impartiality.

Like a play the book is organised in five acts, the narrative building up to the dramatic climax in Act V. The first act sets the scene for Richard’s death in battle and burial at the Grey Friars in Leicester with a short review of the Wars of the Roses. Act II ‘Looking for Richard III’ tells the story of what led to the archaeological dig and giving background information on the key players like Philippa Langley and the research staff from ULAS. While some details of Philippa Langley’s pre-dig life have been circulated widely, the information about the archaeologists was new to me. It confirmed them to be an experienced team, who knew what they were doing.

Act III looks at the actual excavation resulting in exhuming the skeleton, which was found on the first day and would be shown to be that of Richard. It ends with the van carrying the remains leaving the car park.

Up to that point this was a co-project of the Richard III Society/Looking for Richard Project and the University of Leicester. Act IV marks the beginning of a new research project, one that will be exclusively carried out by scientist. The results of this research are then represented in Act V.

Mike Pitts also includes an analysis of the costs and who paid what. Considering how much misinformation is circulating on this issue, this is highly welcome. The original budget had been £33,000, of which the Richard III Society and its members had contributed a little more than half. However, once remains had been found that warranted further examination –examination, which was necessary to prove that the remains were those of Richard III – the budget had risen (by 31 December 2012) to £142,000. The additional funding came from the University of Leicester, which means that they paid for about 80% of the entire project.

The book closes with an Epilogue, which covers the actual site of the Battle of Bosworth and some of the other battles, which have since been fought over Richard. He also differentiates between history and archaeology, with archaeology making “the concept of history tangible and present, part of our lives.” [p.189] To be honest, I don’t see how any serious history is possible without evidence, be it archaeological or from old records.

This brings me to the one criticism that I have with this book. The author seems to have a rather undifferentiated view of the membership of the Richard III Society. For him, they are bunch of sentimental loonies, who won’t let any facts stand in the way of their pre-conceived idea of perfect Richard. While I can’t deny that some members do think like that, and possibly they are even the most vocal, they do not represent the membership as a whole, which is – like any group of people – very varied.

However, apart from this little niggle, I found Digging for Richard III a highly enjoyable and an informative summary of the facts of the project, without the speculation and assumptions, which some of the other books on the topic cannot leave behind. It tells the whole incredible story in a lively manner, without sacrificing the facts in the quest for readability. Sir Tony Robinson’s quote on the cover sums it up nicely: “An entertaining, knowledgeable and forensic examination of one of the most extraordinary archaeological digs ever!”

Listen to an interview with Mike Pitts about Digging for Richard here.

Tags: Books, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III