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21 October 2009 Was sent a TV script today containing the sinister-sounding stage direction 'Lucy does not wash for a week'. Hummmmm. 18 October 2009 Interviewed by Reuters on Henry VIII and Hampton Court: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE59F3KQ20091016 16 October 2009 Been sent some photos from the 'England's Past For Everyone' conference in Bristol a couple of weeks ago. It was a great event, lots of interesting people, and some very freaky archaeological dancing at the Friday night disco. 7 October 2009 General Sir Richard Dannatt was 'installed' last night as the 159th Constable of the Tower. It was Quite A Do involving ceremony, soldiers, an audience of 600 and pouring rain. For some strange reason Brucie and Tess turned down the chance to host the live webcast, so Tom Sharp, the last Chief Yeoman Warder, and I did it instead. You can see/hear at www.constablesinstallation.org. 2 October 2009 Last night the 'Great Henry VIII Debate' at Hampton Court. I had to argue the proposition that 'Henry VIII Was A Good King But A Bad Man'. ('The most dangerous and cruel man in the world', as the French ambassador said.) Rather brilliantly there was a retired psychiatrist in the audience. During the discussion she prescribed Prozac for Henry but said she would not section him under the Mental Health Act. 28 September 2009
We saw the shirt that Charles I wore to his execution, with stains of (possibly) his blood. But the highlight was the entire drawerful of Tudor codpieces. (Listed by a prudish Victorian curator in an early catalogue as 'shoulder pads'!) 10 September 2009 Last night I went to the launch of my friend Allan Mallinson's excellent new book, The Making of the British Army (Bantam Press). The Cavalry Club was chock-full of generals, field marshals, etc. There were so many generals, in fact, that I rather embarrassingly mistook one of them for the cloakroom attendant and tried to hand him my coat. 30 August 2009 At Historic Royal Palaces we are all heaving a SIGH of relief that the anniversary of Henry VIII is nearly over. What a year of trauma and triumph! The old monster has nearly been the death of us. But it’s time to get going, all over again, on our next project which is to re-present Kensington Palace. Which reminds me, I have finally finished my book about Kensington Palace, and people are now doing things to it. Poor little unborn book being tickled into shape by strangers! I came across an Elizabethan prayer by one Thomas Bentley the other day, which might be useful for it and all other books as yet unborn: ‘Grant we beseech thee to all infants [books] yet unborn, that knit together with their due veins and members, they may come forth into this world sound and perfect without fault or deformity’. |
