Our latest branch meeting was held on a chill and windy Saturday, 11 June 2011, which also marked the 555th birthday of Richard’s Lady Wife, Queen Anne Neville.  The Sydney Mechanics’ Institute’s smallest meeting room was filled to overflowing with members happy to be warm indoors.

Opening remarks were made by our Chairperson Judith, who then invited Judy to deliver her first report as our new Treasurer.

In her Secretary’s report, Julia talked about forthcoming meetings and also covered some future social events as Social Secretaries, Jane and Xavier, were unable to attend and offered their apologies.  She was pleased to confirm the venue for the 2012 Branch Ricardian biennial conference, which is to be held next May, in the Mittagong RSL.  Details will be distributed closer to the time.  You can find exact times and other information on future meetings and events in our Upcoming Events section. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Anne Neville, London, NSW Branch

Our next general meeting on this coming Saturday, 11 June 2011, promises to be a real treat.

First our member, respected historical novelist Isolde Martyn, will speak on ‘Medieval London’.  Isolde’s talks are always highly appreciated for her thorough research and entertaining presentation.

The day marks also the 555th birthday of Richard’s queen, Anne Neville, so make sure that you come and join us for the party.

The meeting will take place at our normal time and venue, 14h00 at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Tags: Anne Neville, London, NSW Branch

Today the website of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society is celebrating its second birthday.  We asked our members to share their thoughts about Richard III, the Society or the branch or all of them.  Following are some of their replies.  Celebrate with us and read their experiences.

From Narelle Bartley (QLD):

In the early eighties I read an historical novel which gave Richard a pretty good image but it was a very small statement at the bottom of a page that really intrigued me.  The statement simply advised the reader that “this document is extant”.  That statement led me to investigate the truth about Richard by reading books written by professional historians.  What I actually discovered was the truth about historians and historical chroniclers i.e. that like lawyers in criminal trials only the facts that support their particular view are used to make their argument.  Also, many of them, both for and against Richard, employ extraordinary feats of extrapolation about his motives with phrases such as “he must have” or “this meant”.  There is, in reality, so little actual evidence about Richard’s motives and thought processes that extrapolation at a personal level is futile.  And that’s why I thank goodness for the Richard III Society whose aims include the promotion of research into the life and times of Richard III.  The truth may emerge yet!

From Julia Redlich (Secretary, NSW Branch):

I’m one of the NSW Branch members who talk to various groups on a variety of Ricardian and medieval subjects.  Admittedly a fair percentage of each audience is there mainly to have a chat with friends, enjoy a cup of tea and maybe find the guest speaker interesting.

How rewarding it is when people come up afterwards – and want to know more.  And they are not just being polite!  This echoes the excitement I felt, aged 10, after watching a stage production of Stevenson’s The Black Arrow and realising that the Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was portrayed as someone quite different to the monster in my history book.  I became determined to learn more about “the real Richard”.

Now, when I answer questions about his life and times, explain the connections of obscure characters on the family tree during a tea break or talk about the achievements of his short reign, I recognise the same spark of interest I felt so many years ago.  I hope they continue on the same path I did, that brings fresh ideas and logical explanations – and the pleasure of meeting friends on the same voyage of discovery, and enjoy the loyalty that binds us all.

Happy birthday to our website that brings us so many friends from around the world!

From Isolde Martyn (Former Chairperson of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society and author of two published novels set in the Wars of the Roses):

In this age of ultra-communication when information, public and private, significant or trivial, is spinning across the globe like invisible cobwebs, often there is no time to stop and say, ‘Wait a minute…’, ‘How?’ or ‘Can this be really true?’

The existence of the Richard III Society is a continual reminder that historical events can be — and should be — seen from many angles.  The right to be open-minded, to evaluate the facts in discussion, is a precious liberty that is lacking in many countries of this world.  Five hundred years on, it doesn’t really matter whether a fifteenth century king murdered his nephews when he seized the crown, but isn’t it wonderful for those of us who are members of the Richard III Society to have a present day society (both with a small ‘s’ and a big ‘S’) to discuss it?

From Leslie McCawley (NSW):

Discovering Richard III

My husband, Doug, follows the lovely Victorian custom of reading aloud to me every evening for an hour or two, as we wind down from our busy days apart. In our 14 years of marriage we have, in this way, shared hundreds of wonderful books, and we share the memories of them as other couples recall their shared journeys – for, of course, that is what they are.

One such book was an old favourite of his, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, that he was pleased to introduce me to one winter several years ago. We would lose ourselves every evening into the quest for the historical truth about King Richard and the tragic fate that befell his nephews.  Who was truly to blame?  After we finished that excellent volume, we decided to seek out more books about Richard III who we now agreed had been unfairly maligned by the conquering Tudors.  We were hungry for more.

Doug’s next selection was The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman, and we enjoyed immensely being immersed in the cultural milieu of the War of the Roses.  It also had the effect of making us yearn for yet more information about this historical underdog.  It was during a search for biographical information on the internet that I came across the website of the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society.

I was both astonished and thrilled that other people actually had the same interest in, and the same sense of indignation about the maligning of a good man, even though it had happened many centuries ago.  Seeing the posted titles of the upcoming Branch programs, we couldn’t wait to go along and learn all we could.  Until then though, I could enjoy the website’s riches:  wonderful book reviews, articles of interest, information about meaningful anniversaries such as birthdays or battles.  I learned a lot in the interim waiting for the first meeting we could attend.

What a nice group of people we encountered at the meeting room at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts!  True history buffs with a profound love of books, ideas, and learning.  It was like coming home to find so many fascinating people who shared our, we had thought, rather arcane interests!  We joined the Branch on the spot and have not missed a meeting since.  That was several years ago.

Membership in the Richard III Society has greatly enriched our lives, offering us intellectual stimulation through excellent programs and the fun companionship of a wide range of personalities.  And our reading list is now so full of books recommended by fellow members that we shall never get through them all in this lifetime!  But what a joy it is to open another volume about Richard III and hear once again the tales of 15th century England.

From Judy Howard (Treasurer, NSW Branch):

Being a member of the Richard III Society, I have access to like-minded people and a wealth of knowledge regarding King Richard III, the House of York and this fascinating period of mediaeval history.  The website is great and I often marvel at how convenient and easy it is to keep up to date and in touch with people with the internet and websites such as ours.  The quarterly Ricardian Bulletin and the annual Journal are also a wonderful source of information which provides up to date knowledge of the latest thinking and discoveries regarding all things Ricardian.

From Denise Chambers (QLD):

I became of member of the Richard III Society after reading Sharon Penman’s famous novel The Sunne in Splendour.   Up until that time I had not the slightest interest in medieval history and had only vaguely heard of Richard III.  I now read any book or article on medieval history I can find (or afford!).  The excellent journals published by our local branch and our “head office” in England keep me informed on so many topics regarding people and events from this fascinating period in time.  Now, being retired, I’m so happy to have lots of time to spend doing something I love.

From Margaret Shaw (NSW):

In July 1990 while on a tour of the UK I visited Bosworth Field.  When I saw the well from which it is claimed Richard had drunk just before his death I decided I would like to know more about the life and times of Richard III.

I visited the shop on the site and bought some souvenirs, then I saw a notice that in England there was a Richard III Society.  I thought at the time I am sure Richard III has been unfairly treated through history thanks to the Tudors and Shakespeare.  I certainly did not know that there was a Society in Australia.

Some years later my friend Christena Dawson found out through a friend that we had a branch of the Society in Sydney, we joined and have been members ever since.

Over the years I have enjoyed the many meetings I have attended, conferences and other functions.  I have learnt a lot about Richard and other historical events and made some wonderful friends.

Being a member of the Richard III Society is one of the best things in my life.

Tags: NSW Branch

The speaker at our meeting on April 9 was Dorothea Preis, whose report on the “Blood and Roses” special interest weekend held at Christ Church College, Oxford, at the end of March features elsewhere on our website. Luckily for those many members attending we heard about the enlightening papers in much more detail and enjoyed the excellent choice of illustrations and photographs that brought the weekend to colourful life.  When it comes to colour, I suspect most of us were green with envy at what was obviously a time of special interest to Ricardians and Dorothea’s good fortune in participating and meeting other Ricardians from the USA, Canada and the UK. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: NSW Branch, Oxfordshire, Wars of the Roses

The special gathering to remember Richard’s Queen Anne was held on Sunday, March 20th,  ably organised by our Social Secretary Jane Roberts.  Unfortunately there were only a few of us who gathered at North Sydney Leagues Club.  Dorothea was willing, but was already winging her way to London for the Blood and Roses conference, Pat Tomkins was confined to bed by her doctor and Rosemary Burgess was so drenched in the downpour on her way to catch the bus, she decided to abandon the elements and return home.

Those of us who made the venue all right showed that quality not quantity counts on some occasions, and when has any Ricardian event not proved interesting and entertaining?  The Club did us proud with a beautifully decorated table in the raised section of the Bistro.  We might have wished for murrey and blue table napkins, but the red and black of the North Sydney Bears looked striking.  Many thanks to Jan Robson who brought an attractive centrepiece of white roses and Ricardian coloured ribbons.  The food was the Bistro’s best and the desserts were to die for and certainly not to be included in any diet!  What luck that the immense size of the helpings  meant easy division of the spoils to share.

As we left, the sun had come out and blue skies were overhead to cheer us on the way home, our minds still filled with the inspiring and interesting ideas that had been such an important part of the day.

Tags: NSW Branch

The Queen Anne Lunch will be held on Sunday, 20 March 2011, at the North Sydney Leagues Club in the Eatwell Bistro from 12.30 pm.

We have not arranged a set menu as it seems preferable to allow each person to choose their own meal.

Would you kindly RSVP to me at this email address by Wednesday, 16 March 2011 so I can confirm numbers with the Club.

Tags: Anne Neville, NSW Branch

Our first branch meeting of the new year was held on Saturday, 12 February 2011. The Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts meeting room was once again filled to capacity with old members and new. Judith’s husband Don Hughes was present for the first time since meetings were held in North Sydney (2007), so was able to meet people who had joined since then. Several of the regular members not in attendance were instead at the Plantagenet 1-day course held at the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Medieval Life, NSW Branch

We are looking forward to welcoming Dr Penny Bishop to our General Meeting on Saturday, 12 February 2011, at 14h00.  Penny will talk on “Plagues and Pestilences in the Middle Ages”, which promises to be a fascinating and informative talk.

Don’t forget, our meetings are not just for members, but visitors are always more than welcome.

Tags: Medieval Life, NSW Branch

Although it wasn’t a special date on the Ricardian calendar for us, it was decided it would be a good idea to replace our old January Picnic in the Park with another informal social event. Because we all enjoyed our Ricardian Birthday Lunch last October at the Sutton Forest Inn, a small group of members headed back there, meeting up with a welcome Canberra contingent as well as members and friends from the Southern Highlands.

After meeting the train at Bowral for the Sydney members, David Chandler took us on the scenic route to Sutton Forest via Berrima, stopping at a lookout over Bowral, old Berrima Gaol and the lovely church where his and Ann’s daughter will be married in mid February.

We loved our special table in the sunny bistro and as usual it was conversation, frequently about Richard and his life and times of course. Other catch-up stories and laughter were interspersed with appreciative murmurs of the delightful menu choices, and pauses for agonising decisions whether to give in to the temptations of home-made desserts. Some yielded and voted the penance they would have to pay was well worthwhile.

Naturally we didn’t forget the reason why the gathering was taking place was because of our interest and loyalty to the Richard III Society. The toast to King Richard was strong affirmation.

Tags: Canberra, NSW Branch, Sydney