Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Glou

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

What a wonderful account, Sandra. I really must read some of your books!
So glad you had such a good evening. It sounds a really interesting exhibition. I only wish I could have been there. Nice to see such enthusiasm for Richard in Gloucester.

Jess

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

From: SandraMachin <sandramachin@...>;
To: <>;
Subject: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sent: Wed, Mar 19, 2014 8:41:40 AM

 

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.   Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!   Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.   The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.   Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.   I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.   So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>   Sandra =^..^=

Yes thank you Sandra...I am relieved to hear that the Head is actually better in the flesh, as it were, and how interesting that you say you picked up on the delicacy of it because I don't think that is showing up in the photos. I will be going to Sudely to see it for myself..much closer than Gloucester. I really hope it is not at the same time as the ghastly Weir woman who is apparently doing some sort of talk there.
Eileen

Thank you Jessie and Eileen. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And I now feel that I have actually seen him'. Stupid, I know, but true all the same. And Eileen, if you do manage to get to Sudeley, please let us know how The Head came over to you. Um, no, I think I should rephrase that, because it was very stationary! Please let us know if its delicacy struck you as well. And the hollowed cheeks, which weren't haggard by any means, just concave enough to catch my attention. Those aspects were quite remarkable to me, having seen only photographs previously. Sandra =^..^= From: cherryripe.eileenb@... Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 11:17 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Yes thank you Sandra...I am relieved to hear that the Head is actually better in the flesh, as it were, and how interesting that you say you picked up on the delicacy of it because I don't think that is showing up in the photos. I will be going to Sudely to see it for myself..much closer than Gloucester. I really hope it is not at the same time as the ghastly Weir woman who is apparently doing some sort of talk there. Eileen

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end. Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM To: Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: [Richard III Society Forum] Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

Hi, Sandra,
When my husband and I visited Gloucester in 1983, the charter was on loan to another place. Bad luck.
On the other hand, when I was in London in 1980, I marched rather boldly into the British Library and talked my way into seeing, first hand, that scrap of vellum with the signatures of Richard, Buckingham, and young Edward. I must have looked really pathetic; there was some quiet debate, then a gentleman who resembled the late Alistair Cooke OK'd my request. It was one of the high points of my life, and I took notes in pencil (provided - no ink was permitted). Even as you saw the hollowing of the cheeks on the Head, I noted faint brackets next to each name and motto, and I thought: these three were wagering, and this was the score card :-) ). I left the library with this lovely image of the three shuffling cards...but some spoil-sport came in and told Edward: "Bedtime, your Grace...".
Judy Loyaulte me lie

On Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:36 AM, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end. Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM To: Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture! From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: [Richard III Society Forum] Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

I just went on Google to find the Gloucester Museum. There is a link to the Richard III Exhibition. Here is the link&..I hope the link transfers. I would so love to attend some of the events.

http://venues.gloucester.gov.uk/Freetime/Museums/events/Richard-III-Festival.aspx

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of Judy Thomson
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 10:40 AM
To:
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Hi, Sandra,

When my husband and I visited Gloucester in 1983, the charter was on loan to another place. Bad luck.

On the other hand, when I was in London in 1980, I marched rather boldly into the British Library and talked my way into seeing, first hand, that scrap of vellum with the signatures of Richard, Buckingham, and young Edward. I must have looked really pathetic; there was some quiet debate, then a gentleman who resembled the late Alistair Cooke OK'd my request. It was one of the high points of my life, and I took notes in pencil (provided - no ink was permitted). Even as you saw the hollowing of the cheeks on the Head, I noted faint brackets next to each name and motto, and I thought: these three were wagering, and this was the score card :-) ). I left the library with this lovely image of the three shuffling cards...but some spoil-sport came in and told Edward: "Bedtime, your Grace...".

Judy

Loyaulte me lie

On Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:36 AM, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:

I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end.

Sandra

=^..^=

From: Pamela Bain

Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM

To:

Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

Thanks for the report, Sandra. I saw the exhibition while it was in York and, yes, the head does look much better in person.
Gilda


On Mar 19, 2014, at 4:41 AM, SandraMachin wrote:


Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra=^..^=

Thank you very much Sandra for such a lovely report. Very pleased that the reconstruction was at eye level. And that you and everyone had a very pleasant evening.
Kathryn x

Judy, thank you for sharing this.It's nice to have such intimacy amidst all the suppositions.Many thanks to you and Sandra both .
Kathryn x

Judy....I think your right you know....I've often wondered about the signatures...were they perhaps helping young Edward practice his signature...but your explanation sounds much more plausible .it also implies that things were on a friendly level with the two men seeking to put Edward at ease and this would suggest they were reasonably successful..why has no one suggested it before....Eileen

Jan here.Sandra, thank you for the report & for the photos. Gloucester have arranged a much better exhibit than the British Museum did. I never spotted the hollows because the head was set quite low, apparently so that children & wheelchair users could see it straight on. The lighting was dull too.

Sent from my iPad
On 19 Mar 2014, at 14:36, "SandraMachin" <sandramachin@...> wrote:

I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end. Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM To: Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: [Richard III Society Forum] Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

Jan, I think you've hit it. The way he was lit, together with the height, just picked out the cheeks as no other picture I've seen. I'm not saying there aren't any others, just that I haven't seen one. It made such a difference, giving him a fineness that was hinted before but never quite seen, except in his skeletal remains, and also lending him an air of fragility he did not really have in life, in spite of his slender build. He looked like porcelain, but was really more like ironstone. It was certainly an Epiphany moment for me, because suddenly I had this completely new impression of him. I really do look forward to hearing someone else's reactions. Are you there, Eileen? Of course, the lighting, height and so on at Sudeley may not be the same, and the effect may be lost. And I love Judy's strong sense of there having been a bit of gambling going on when those signatures were written. Well, there was, of course, just not solely with cards. Buckingham's wild scrawl has always been of interest to us all, so---with this new insight---I'm led to wonder if, because it was a relaxed occasion, he wasn't guilty of anything much just yet, just dangerously disgruntled thoughts, so he'd had a few too many and was in an expansive mood. Or whether he might have had a few too many simple to steady his jitters...and resolve, because he was into treachery up to his aristocratic neck---which was soon to be neatly sliced at Salisbury. Either way, he was a creep. I hope he lost with the turn of the cards, just as he did with the turn of fate. I have this awful impression of the three of them there, with Richard unaware of anything underhanded---except from the Woodvilles, but he was ready for them. He wasn't ready for Harry Stab-in-the-Back Stafford. So Richard would have laughed, smiled, joked and been comfortable, enjoying an initial victory against the Woodvilles. He was Lord Protector and had won possession of the little king he was to protect. He was in for a cruel shock. And so was his nephew, of course. Neither of them deserved the selfish mess Edward IV had left behind. Guess I just don't like Big Ed. Or HS. In fact, now I come to think of it, I loathe them both. Sandra =^..^= From: Jan Mulrenan Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 6:28 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Jan here. Sandra, thank you for the report & for the photos. Gloucester have arranged a much better exhibit than the British Museum did. I never spotted the hollows because the head was set quite low, apparently so that children & wheelchair users could see it straight on. The lighting was dull too.

Sent from my iPad
On 19 Mar 2014, at 14:36, "SandraMachin" <sandramachin@...> wrote:

I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end. Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM To: Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

Hi Sandra,
Thank you for your report of the Gloucester exhibition.It is amazing how your photos look different
from all others I have seen till now. As if it was another head altogether. There are some pictures, probably made by professionals, that were really ugly, taken from very odd angles and with strange lighting. Your pictures could almost make me take a more lenient view of the reproduction, if there was not the strange posture of the head-stretched forward, the terrible hat, that has nothing in common with hats worn in the1480ties; the straight hair and last not least the eyebrows. By the way, did you see a slight squint? On
some pictures it really looks that way. But I was told that there was no squint. What do you say?
Eva

Thanks Sandra, nice report.
Slip of the typing on your original post though told us about the Richard II exhibition!
I changed it for this...
Paul


On 19/03/2014 08:41, SandraMachin wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I’m not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5’ or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12” away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard’s lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard’s skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we’ve seen. It is so realistic that it’s difficult to remember it’s not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I’m afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard’s charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn’t see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard’s advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the ‘explanations’ concerning documents told that while Richard’s responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can’t say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren’t pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier’s bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that’s Richard. He doesn’t relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

--
Richard Liveth Yet!

Thank you Paul. I have Richard II on my brain as well, you see, and not the David Tennant version. Anyway, you have the right Richard. Sorry about that, folks. Sandra =^..^= From: Paul Trevor Bale Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 8:25 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Thanks Sandra, nice report.
Slip of the typing on your original post though told us about the Richard II exhibition!
I changed it for this...
Paul


On 19/03/2014 08:41, SandraMachin wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

--
Richard Liveth Yet!

Hello Eva. I didn't see a squint, exactly, merely that odd look the eyes have when their owner is looking at something quite close. For instance, if you hold your forefinger up in front of you, as far away from your eyes as possible, and then bring it slowly in, your eyes will gradually take on a squint' as they follow the movement of the finger in order to focus. It's not a true squint, just the way the eyes fix on something quite close. That's the best way I can describe it. I looked at him and felt he was looking at something that caught his attention quite nearby. Maybe he had something in his hand, a document, and he was unsure of the writing so he looked closer. That sort of thing. Or, has the squint effect come about because the lady who made the reconstruction had to work very close to him with all the detail. Maybe it just ended up that she set his eyes looking directly at her because she was no close to him? Just a thought. My young granddaughter suggested a wasp is just about to land on the end of his nose! <g> Sandra =^..^= From: eva.pitter@... Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 8:04 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Hi Sandra,
Thank you for your report of the Gloucester exhibition.It is amazing how your photos look different
from all others I have seen till now. As if it was another head altogether. There are some pictures, probably made by professionals, that were really ugly, taken from very odd angles and with strange lighting. Your pictures could almost make me take a more lenient view of the reproduction, if there was not the strange posture of the head-stretched forward, the terrible hat, that has nothing in common with hats worn in the1480ties; the straight hair and last not least the eyebrows. By the way, did you see a slight squint? On
some pictures it really looks that way. But I was told that there was no squint. What do you say?
Eva

Sandra I have to say that they are much better than any others that I have seen. It looks more natural and you can certainly see the hollowing of the cheeks. Thank you very much.Mary

Hi Sandra,
Thank you for your detailed reply. It seems there is something strange in the look when he is accomodating
his eyes on something close, unusual for bust I think. Let's hope it was a fly and not a wasp or else he was in danger of getting a swollen tip of the nose in the end.
Eva

I've just rumaged through my trash and found this!!! A million thanks Sandra. What a shame it couldn't come to Warwick. H

On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

I lurked there amid the spam, in hope of discovery, Hilary. But I was clearly in the wrong exhibition anyway. As Paul pointed out, I have it titled Richard II: Duke of Gloucester! <g> Clang. There are a lot of towns/cities with Ricardian connections that would have been delighted to have the exhibition, I think, but Warwick especially. I'm just grateful that Gloucester has had a look-in. Sandra =^..^= From: Hilary Jones Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 9:52 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

I've just rumaged through my trash and found this!!! A million thanks Sandra. What a shame it couldn't come to Warwick. H

On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. etc. etc.

Here is more proof that the Head has hollowed cheeks. This is Gloucester's larger-than-life Town Crier. http://www.thememan.co.uk/up-close-with-richard/ The picture also shows how delicate Richard is. Admittedly the Crier is a big man, but even so... Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 2:36 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end. Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM To: Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: [Richard III Society Forum] Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

Were any Cathedral chapter dignitaries in evidence, Sandra, suggesting a rival bid for burial?
N.


On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra=^..^=

That is a great photo, and definitely better than we have seen!
On Mar 21, 2014, at 2:34 AM, "SandraMachin" <sandramachin@...> wrote:

Here is more proof that the Head has hollowed cheeks. This is Gloucester's larger-than-life Town Crier. http://www.thememan.co.uk/up-close-with-richard/ The picture also shows how delicate Richard is. Admittedly the Crier is a big man, but even so... Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 2:36 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

I have now looked at the lousy photographs I managed to take at the exhibition. Most were less than successful, but I have posted two of the better ones in the Society Portraits album that show the shadows on Richard's cheek. Probably the wrong album, but it's done now. I hope they give some idea of what I'm on about. When I was there, the cheeks seemed a little more concave than these pictures show. You'll find them at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups//photos/albums/1745914889. At the moment they're pics 1 and 4  titled Richard III  Gloucester  18th March 2014 and same again with - 2 at the end. Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:03 PM To: Subject: RE: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Oh thank you for the lovely description. Somehow this makes me feel better about Richard's future. I would have loved to have been there, but you pain a fine word picture!

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of SandraMachin
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons.

Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken!

Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too.

The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw.

Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it.

I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury.

So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g>

Sandra

=^..^=

Afraid not, so I think Leicester and York have only each other to square up to. Wistfully Sandra =^..^= From: marcodubnos@... Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 10:06 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Were any Cathedral chapter dignitaries in evidence, Sandra, suggesting a rival bid for burial? N.


On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

At last! The Duke of Gloucester has been to see the exhibition at Gloucester city Museum! The item isn't on line yet and my scanner won't play ball, so this is what it says:- <<<Duke of Gloucester, meet the Duke of Gloucester. His Royal Highness, Prince Richard, arrived in the city to view an historic display of his most famous predecessor yesterday. Prince Richard visited the head of the former Duke of Gloucester, Richard III, which is on display at Gloucester City Museum. Although he had the chance to see it in London, Prince Richard wanted to see it in Gloucester, because of the historic title. Posing for pictures, Prince Richard commented on the nice hair on the head. He said, It is very encouraging to see so many people support this significant display. He is well worth evaluating. Richard III might have been dead for more than 500 years, but he is certainly pulling in crowds during the festival marking Gloucester's stop on the reconstructed head's national tour. More than 700 people have already seen the head, which is on display until March 30.>>> There is also a good picture of Duke + Duke. Hopefully it will be online later, and I'll post the link. It's worth seeing. Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 12:00 PM To: Subject: Re: [Richard III Society Forum] Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Afraid not, so I think Leicester and York have only each other to square up to. Wistfully Sandra =^..^= From: marcodubnos@... Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 10:06 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Were any Cathedral chapter dignitaries in evidence, Sandra, suggesting a rival bid for burial? N.


On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 8:12 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

At last! The Duke of Gloucester has been to see the exhibition at Gloucester city Museum! The item isn't on line yet and my scanner won't play ball, so this is what it says:- <<<Duke of Gloucester, meet the Duke of Gloucester. His Royal Highness, Prince Richard, arrived in the city to view an historic display of his most famous predecessor yesterday. Prince Richard visited the head of the former Duke of Gloucester, Richard III, which is on display at Gloucester City Museum. Although he had the chance to see it in London, Prince Richard wanted to see it in Gloucester, because of the historic title. Posing for pictures, Prince Richard commented on the nice hair on the head. He said, It is very encouraging to see so many people support this significant display. He is well worth evaluating. Richard III might have been dead for more than 500 years, but he is certainly pulling in crowds during the festival marking Gloucester's stop on the reconstructed head's national tour. More than 700 people have already seen the head, which is on display until March 30.>>> There is also a good picture of Duke + Duke. Hopefully it will be online later, and I'll post the link. It's worth seeing. Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 12:00 PM To: Subject: Re: [Richard III Society Forum] Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Afraid not, so I think Leicester and York have only each other to square up to. Wistfully Sandra =^..^= From: marcodubnos@... Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 10:06 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Were any Cathedral chapter dignitaries in evidence, Sandra, suggesting a rival bid for burial? N.


On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

Thank you for all the news fit to print!
On Mar 22, 2014, at 8:43 AM, "SandraMachin" <sandramachin@...> wrote:

The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 8:12 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

At last! The Duke of Gloucester has been to see the exhibition at Gloucester city Museum! The item isn't on line yet and my scanner won't play ball, so this is what it says:- <<<Duke of Gloucester, meet the Duke of Gloucester. His Royal Highness, Prince Richard, arrived in the city to view an historic display of his most famous predecessor yesterday. Prince Richard visited the head of the former Duke of Gloucester, Richard III, which is on display at Gloucester City Museum. Although he had the chance to see it in London, Prince Richard wanted to see it in Gloucester, because of the historic title. Posing for pictures, Prince Richard commented on the nice hair on the head. He said, It is very encouraging to see so many people support this significant display. He is well worth evaluating. Richard III might have been dead for more than 500 years, but he is certainly pulling in crowds during the festival marking Gloucester's stop on the reconstructed head's national tour. More than 700 people have already seen the head, which is on display until March 30.>>> There is also a good picture of Duke + Duke. Hopefully it will be online later, and I'll post the link. It's worth seeing. Sandra =^..^= From: SandraMachin Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 12:00 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Afraid not, so I think Leicester and York have only each other to square up to. Wistfully Sandra =^..^= From: marcodubnos@... Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 10:06 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Were any Cathedral chapter dignitaries in evidence, Sandra, suggesting a rival bid for burial? N.


On Wednesday, 19 March 2014, 8:41, SandraMachin <sandramachin@...> wrote:
Well, the Richard III: Duke of Gloucester exhibition is up and running in Gloucester city Museum, and I had the pleasure of being there last night at the preview evening. I dragged my husband along too. The Town Crier was out in the street making his presence known, and the queue went all down Brunswick Road and around the corner to the entrance of the multi-storey car park. It was icy cold on that corner, I can tell you. Why does a cold wind always always have to get colder and windier on a corner? At which point the queue stops moving, of courser. Anyway, we were all admitted at last, and it was deliciously warm and bright inside. Plenty of nibbles and drinkypoos in the museum shop, lots of chatter and excitement. Like a particularly noisy cocktail party. All the bigwigs of the county present, gold chains glittering, and plenty of Richard mementos on sale, books, mugs, trinkets, you know the sort of thing. No one of Ricardian note that I recognised, but I'm not the most observant of persons. Then, at last, we were allowed up to the first floor and the exhibition itself. And as we entered the room, the first thing we saw was The Head. Everyone gravitated to it, and luckily it is very accessible. It stands about 5' or so high, on a pedestal, with a glass case around it. You can go all around it and be only about 12 away, so the detail is all there to see. The first thing I thought was how very much better it is to actually see, than it is in photographs. You see the slight hollowing of his cheeks, for instance, which I had not picked up on before. The second thing that struck me was how delicate he looked. With all the talk of gracile bones and so on, well, you can definitely say that his face (which has to be reasonably accurate if it has been created around an exact copy of his skull and chin) is fine-boned, graceful and arresting. But very strong too. Perhaps it is the angle of the head...or perhaps that we know for a fact that he was strong, and in armour on a horse could beat the living daylights out of any opponent. Haul yourself up again, Sir John Cheyne. The mere thought of Richard whamming such a fit, experienced giant from his saddle is astonishing. And Richard's lance was already broken! Another exhibit is a mock-up of Richard's skeleton, looking exactly as it does in all the photos we've seen. It is so realistic that it's difficult to remember it's not the real thing. And as a consequence it is not an easy sight for a dedicated Ricardian. Very moving. And very unsettling. I did not linger long, I'm afraid. Much better to look at the original 1484 charter that Richard granted to Gloucester. It is a very beautiful thing, one could only marvel at the precision and regularity of the tiny, close-packed writing and the magnificence of the illustrations. The seal was suspended as well. There were other documents, including a Henry VII item in which he confirms Richard's charter. His seal was there too. The walls displayed various bits and pieces, portraits, family trees, photographs of original documents, a constantly playing video of how The Head was made, samples of handwriting and so on. The NPG portrait was there, and a modern likeness. There was also a lot about the movement of the opposing armies around Gloucester just before Tewkesbury in 1471. Gloucester closed its gates to Margaret and the Lancastrians, forcing them to go on to Tewkesbury (only a few miles away) and the bloody confrontation. I didn't see anything about the Severn keeping faithless, cheating Buckingham on the wrong side of its banks, which was so much to Richard's advantage in 1483. The Severn is occasionally good for something when it floods! One of the explanations' concerning documents told that while Richard's responses to the city were couched in the usual flowery tone of the time, there are exceptional statements here and there that suggest he really was fond of Gloucester. Gloucester (city and county) wants it to be so, of course.. No, I can't say what the exceptional terms were, because they weren't pointed out in detail. At least, not that I saw. Then the Town Crier's bell rang out and he shouted an introduction to the speechifying. He was heard in that crowded room, you have my word on it. The speeches, from persons wearing or associated with the glittering collars, were all in favour of Richard, with whom Gloucester is justifiably proud to be associated. His twenty-two years as our duke cannot be ignored. Plus, of course, there were regrets that he will not lie at rest here. Well, it was always an outside hope, but many of us would have liked it. I have to say that the number of people attending (100-150) and their enthusiasm was very pleasing. There was a mix of ages and about equal male and female. Young girls (teenagers) wanted their photograph taken beside The Head, and it was clear that the interest in Richard is very strong here in Gloucester. The exhibition goes on until 30th March, when it moves on to Sudeley Castle, which also has associations with Richard, not least because he once owned it. He also stayed there before Tewkesbury. So, that was my experience last night. We left before the end, because there are only so many times you can walk around and jostle through a scrum to see everything. But it was worth it, and I came home feeling even closer to Richard than I had been before. My husband remains bemused that a king who died over 500 years ago can still arouse such passions in this modern age. But that's Richard. He doesn't relinquish his hold...as we all know so well. Rob should know that by now! <g> Sandra =^..^=

Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah... I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century. Sandra =^..^= From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

I add my thanks too for all the links, & I await your book when Amazon's ready!Looking forward to it.Jan.


On 22 Mar 2014, at 16:46, <justcarol67@...> wrote:

Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Sandra, which books are you talking about? Because the fiction library book list on the website shows that the library has Less Fortunate Than Fair, The Queen's Sister, and The Lady Cecily. Also, Wife to the Kingmaker. They've been part of the collection since before I took over the job, and that was in 2007.
Gilda

On Mar 22, 2014, at 1:34 PM, SandraMachin wrote:


Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah... I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century. Sandra=^..^= From: [email protected]: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PMTo: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Sandra wrote :


"Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah..." Carol responds:

Hi, Sandra. Thanks for the link. I had your last name wrong based on your user ID. Excellent price, so I'll probably buy it because I'm interested in Cecily (though I must admit that the premise disturbs me--sorry!). What's the premise of the earlier novel ("The Lady Cicily")? (I see that we spell her name differently--possibly, she spelled it inconsistently, too.) Do you bring her first marriage (to Ralph Scrope) into either novel?

On rechecking the Ricardian fiction section of the American Richard III Society website, I see that it lists your trilogy on Cecily. Only the last of the three seems to be available through Amazon, which is why I thought (above) that it was a stand-alone novel.

Carol

Yes, that's them, Gilda. I looked and couldn't see them anywhere. They will have been in the library since the 70s. There was a mistake with my name  I was called Alice Wilson, but Alice was the title of another book I wrote (set in time of Edward II and Gaveston). It was put right, but I haven't looked since then. I apologize for thinking they'd gone awol. I'll donate the new ones as I get them, and I think my publisher is sending a copy for (hopefully) a review. The original trilogy is SO out of date now that I cringe. Hey, I've just looked at the library and can't understand how I missed them in the first place! Duh. Sandra =^..^= From: Gilda Felt Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 6:54 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra, which books are you talking about? Because the fiction library book list on the website shows that the library has Less Fortunate Than Fair, The Queen's Sister, and The Lady Cecily. Also, Wife to the Kingmaker. They've been part of the collection since before I took over the job, and that was in 2007. Gilda On Mar 22, 2014, at 1:34 PM, SandraMachin wrote:


Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah... I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century. Sandra =^..^= From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Hi, Carol. The marriage to Ralph Scrope is included. At least, my version of it. <g> In the original trilogy Cicely was only in love with Richard's son, John of Gloucester, not with Richard himself. And she was forced into marriage with John Welles. In the second book of my new series she marries John Welles willingly enough because he is gallant and offers her the protection of his name. It becomes a very loving marriage...in spite of a lot of jealous, self-interested interference from Henry Tudor. Believe me, there is no comparison between the first series and the new books. She's called Cicely in the books because back when the original were written, Cicely was the accepted way of spelling it. I just preferred not to change it. In the only example I've seen of her signature she signs herself Cecyl the king's daughter'. Or so the caption said. I've seen her called Cecily, Cecille and Cecil. Please don't be put off by the premise. Give it a whirl, and see how I've treated it. If you dislike it then, fair enough...... Yes, copies of the original books are pretty rare beasts now. Sandra =^..^= From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 7:01 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra wrote :
"Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah..." Carol responds:

Hi, Sandra. Thanks for the link. I had your last name wrong based on your user ID. Excellent price, so I'll probably buy it because I'm interested in Cecily (though I must admit that the premise disturbs me--sorry!). What's the premise of the earlier novel ("The Lady Cicily")? (I see that we spell her name differently--possibly, she spelled it inconsistently, too.) Do you bring her first marriage (to Ralph Scrope) into either novel?

On rechecking the Ricardian fiction section of the American Richard III Society website, I see that it lists your trilogy on Cecily. Only the last of the three seems to be available through Amazon, which is why I thought (above) that it was a stand-alone novel.

Carol

Sandra wrote:
My book is up at Amazon.com.
I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon.de. and I am looking forward to getting it as soon as it comes out!
Eva

Thank you, Eva. I do hope you enjoy it. Sandra =^..^= From: eva.pitter@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 7:35 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra wrote:
My book is up at Amazon.com.
I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon.de. and I am looking forward to getting it as soon as it comes out!
Eva

I have as well......
On Mar 22, 2014, at 2:35 PM, "eva.pitter@..." <eva.pitter@...> wrote:

Sandra wrote:
My book is up at Amazon.com.
I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon.de. and I am looking forward to getting it as soon as it comes out!
Eva

Thank you too, Pamela. I'll be gutted if everyone loathes it! Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 7:50 PM To: mailto: Subject: Re: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

I have as well......
On Mar 22, 2014, at 2:35 PM, "eva.pitter@..." <eva.pitter@...> wrote:

Sandra wrote:
My book is up at Amazon.com.
I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon.de. and I am looking forward to getting it as soon as it comes out!
Eva

I doubt you will have to face that! I find it very exciting to buy a book written by someone, I know, at least via cyberspace!
On Mar 22, 2014, at 2:54 PM, "SandraMachin" <sandramachin@...> wrote:

Thank you too, Pamela. I'll be gutted if everyone loathes it! Sandra =^..^= From: Pamela Bain Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 7:50 PM To: mailto: Subject: Re: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

I have as well......
On Mar 22, 2014, at 2:35 PM, "eva.pitter@..." <eva.pitter@...> wrote:

Sandra wrote:
My book is up at Amazon.com.
I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon.de. and I am looking forward to getting it as soon as it comes out!
Eva

Well, I have just pre-ordered a copy, Sandra. I could do no less!

Jess

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

From: SandraMachin <sandramachin@...>;
To: <>;
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sent: Sat, Mar 22, 2014 5:34:44 PM

 

Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah...   I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century.   Sandra =^..^=   From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester  

Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Thank you so much, Jess. I have been thinking that I would very much like to be able to sign books that people on the forum are kind enough to buy, but that will be impossible. However, I could send something that is signed. Hale are supposed to be doing some publicity postcards, so I'll see that I get some and sign them to whoever with a personal message, whatever anyone wishes. If anyone would like me to do this, just let me know. With an address to send it to. You can always contact me off list to give addresses. Sandra =^..^= From: Jessie Skinner Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 10:30 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, I have just pre-ordered a copy, Sandra. I could do no less!

Jess

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

From: SandraMachin <sandramachin@...>;
To: <>;
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sent: Sat, Mar 22, 2014 5:34:44 PM

Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah... I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century. Sandra =^..^= From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Oh that would be fabulous!
On Mar 22, 2014, at 6:02 PM, "SandraMachin" <sandramachin@...> wrote:

Thank you so much, Jess. I have been thinking that I would very much like to be able to sign books that people on the forum are kind enough to buy, but that will be impossible. However, I could send something that is signed. Hale are supposed to be doing some publicity postcards, so I'll see that I get some and sign them to whoever with a personal message, whatever anyone wishes. If anyone would like me to do this, just let me know. With an address to send it to. You can always contact me off list to give addresses. Sandra =^..^= From: Jessie Skinner Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 10:30 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Well, I have just pre-ordered a copy, Sandra. I could do no less!

Jess

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

From: SandraMachin <sandramachin@...>;
To: <>;
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sent: Sat, Mar 22, 2014 5:34:44 PM

Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah... I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century. Sandra =^..^= From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Sandra wrote :


"Hi, Carol. The marriage to Ralph Scrope is included. At least, my version of it. <g> In the original trilogy Cicely was only in love with Richard's son, John of Gloucester, not with Richard himself. And she was forced into marriage with John Welles. In the second book of my new series she marries John Welles willingly enough because he is gallant and offers her the protection of his name. It becomes a very loving marriage...in spite of a lot of jealous, self-interested interference from Henry Tudor. Believe me, there is no comparison between the first series and the new books. "She's called Cicely in the books because back when the original were written, Cicely was the accepted way of spelling it. I just preferred not to change it. In the only example I've seen of her signature she signs herself Cecyl the king's daughter'. Or so the caption said. I've seen her called Cecily, Cecille and Cecil. Please don't be put off by the premise. Give it a whirl, and see how I've treated it. If you dislike it then, fair enough......"
Carol responds:
Hi, Sandra. Given the scarcity of information on Cecily, I'd say that any interpretation is fair game. If I were writing the novel, I'd be more inclined toward your original interpretation of Lord Welles, but he's not high on my list of good guys. I think it's significant that she chose to leave the court and marry a man with no title and no connection to the Tudors. As for Ralph Scrope, he would have faced Richard's displeasure if he failed "lovingly to love her," as Richard himself put it in his agreement with EW (which I have no doubt you've included in your well-researched book).

Anyway, I'll give it a shot--and the older book, too, if I can find it. I've never checked out a book from the RIII library. Maybe I'll give it a shot after I get back from England in August and am suffering from Richard deprivation.

Carol

Poor John Welles, not to be on your list of good guys, Carol. Even in my original books I had his marriage to Cicely being a happy one, eventually. Definitely not so in the beginning. But since then I've read his will, in which he refers to her as his dear beloved lady and wife Cecille' and leaves her everything. He quite clearly thought of her as dearly beloved. IMHO anyway. When he died she was described as incontinent'  which I take to be in the distracted, beside herself with grief' sense. (I heartily trust so!) HT's pleasir was express' to have his (Welles') bodye buried at Westmynster in our Lady chappelle where his Grace entendeth to be. It was one heck of a funeral. I was once told at Westminster Abbey (way back when) that Welles been lost. I remember the visit well. But then, final resting places do have a habit of being mislaid at Westminster. Even queens, as I recall. As for Ralph Scrope, well, I'm not too kind to him, and he is disposed of in a way that is an outright fabrication, but I do apologise for the invention in the Author Note. And, of course, I have an explanation for the third marriage to Thomas Kymbe, about which HT, absolutely livid, took real exception. Hard to imagine the chilly fellow in such a lather, but apparently he was. No common brother-in-law-by-marriage for him! MB managed to calm him (a little, and to protect Cicely and Thomas in the meantime at Collyweston). MB and Cicely had become close, which I cannot imagine if John Welles and his wife had loathed the sight of each other, because MB was partial to her half-brother. So there must have been a good personal friendship between the two women if MB was prepared to really put herself out to help his widow in a low marriage. But this is still well in the future (I haven't written about it yet) and the first book ends with the immediate aftermath of Bosworth. The second deals with Cicely's troubles with HT, and the third with her strong but secret support for her much-loved cousin John de la Pole. It's still only the end of 1487 by the last page of the third book, and she is still only 18. The original trilogy ended with Cicely and her new husband, Thomas Kymbe, setting off for their life together on the Isle of Wight. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new Cicely, even if she is a little naughty. She goes way beyond the closed door and dot-dot-dots, so be prepared. But you can always skip those passages. <smile> Sandra =^..^= From: justcarol67@... Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 1:01 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra wrote :
"Hi, Carol. The marriage to Ralph Scrope is included. At least, my version of it. <g> In the original trilogy Cicely was only in love with Richard's son, John of Gloucester, not with Richard himself. And she was forced into marriage with John Welles. In the second book of my new series she marries John Welles willingly enough because he is gallant and offers her the protection of his name. It becomes a very loving marriage...in spite of a lot of jealous, self-interested interference from Henry Tudor. Believe me, there is no comparison between the first series and the new books. "She's called Cicely in the books because back when the original were written, Cicely was the accepted way of spelling it. I just preferred not to change it. In the only example I've seen of her signature she signs herself Cecyl the king's daughter'. Or so the caption said. I've seen her called Cecily, Cecille and Cecil. Please don't be put off by the premise. Give it a whirl, and see how I've treated it. If you dislike it then, fair enough......"
Carol responds:
Hi, Sandra. Given the scarcity of information on Cecily, I'd say that any interpretation is fair game. If I were writing the novel, I'd be more inclined toward your original interpretation of Lord Welles, but he's not high on my list of good guys. I think it's significant that she chose to leave the court and marry a man with no title and no connection to the Tudors. As for Ralph Scrope, he would have faced Richard's displeasure if he failed "lovingly to love her," as Richard himself put it in his agreement with EW (which I have no doubt you've included in your well-researched book).

Anyway, I'll give it a shot--and the older book, too, if I can find it. I've never checked out a book from the RIII library. Maybe I'll give it a shot after I get back from England in August and am suffering from Richard deprivation.

Carol

On Mar 22, 2014, at 3:06 PM, SandraMachin wrote:


Yes, that's them, Gilda. I looked and couldn't see them anywhere. They will have been in the library since the 70s. There was a mistake with my name  I was called Alice Wilson, but Alice was the title of another book I wrote (set in time of Edward II and Gaveston).
**We have that one, too. :-)
It was put right, but I haven't looked since then. I apologize for thinking they'd gone awol. I'll donate the new ones as I get them, and I think my publisher is sending a copy for (hopefully) a review.
**That would be lovely!
The original trilogy is SO out of date now that I cringe. Hey, I've just looked at the library and can't understand how I missed them in the first place! Duh. Sandra=^..^=
**That may be the way the list is set up that threw you, because right before the three Cecily books is your book "Alice."
Gilda

Thank you, Gilda. That'll teach me to read my screen properly. I'm suitably ashamed of myself for ever having doubted. <g> Sandra =^..^= From: Gilda Felt Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 10:13 AM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

On Mar 22, 2014, at 3:06 PM, SandraMachin wrote:


Yes, that's them, Gilda. I looked and couldn't see them anywhere. They will have been in the library since the 70s. There was a mistake with my name  I was called Alice Wilson, but Alice was the title of another book I wrote (set in time of Edward II and Gaveston). **We have that one, too. :-)
It was put right, but I haven't looked since then. I apologize for thinking they'd gone awol. I'll donate the new ones as I get them, and I think my publisher is sending a copy for (hopefully) a review. **That would be lovely!
The original trilogy is SO out of date now that I cringe. Hey, I've just looked at the library and can't understand how I missed them in the first place! Duh. Sandra =^..^= **That may be the way the list is set up that threw you, because right before the three Cecily books is your book "Alice." Gilda

That is so incredibly kind Sandra. Let me know when they are ready and I will send you a note of my address. Thank you so much.

Jess
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

From: SandraMachin <sandramachin@...>;
To: <>;
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sent: Sat, Mar 22, 2014 11:02:17 PM

 

Thank you so much, Jess.   I have been thinking that I would very much like to be able to sign books that people on the forum are kind enough to buy, but that will be impossible. However, I could send something that is signed.  Hale are supposed to be doing some publicity postcards, so I'll see that I get some and sign them to whoever with a personal message, whatever anyone wishes. If anyone would like me to do this, just let me know. With an address to send it to. You can always contact me off list to give addresses.   Sandra =^..^=     From: Jessie Skinner Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 10:30 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester    

Well, I have just pre-ordered a copy, Sandra. I could do no less!

Jess

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

  From: SandraMachin <sandramachin@...>;
To: <>;
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester
Sent: Sat, Mar 22, 2014 5:34:44 PM

  Hello Carol. My book is up at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Cicelys-Richard-Sandra-Heath-Wilson/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507277&sr=8-1&keywords=sandra+heath+wilson as well as Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cicelys-King-Richard-Cicely-Plantagenet/dp/071981233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395507373&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=sansdra+heath+wilson. If you look down the page on the Amazon.com site, you'll see one of the original 1970s Cicely Plantagenet books I wrote as Sandra Wilson. Totally different from the new ones, which bear no resemblance, except for the main characters and events. To begin with, we know so much more these days than I did then. And styles have changed so much. You couldn't write things then that you can now, and vice versa. Oh, I feel like Methuselah...   I did donate the original books to the Society library, but they seem to have gone awol. I don't know about Wife to the Kingmaker, which was another of my early efforts set in the 15th century.   Sandra =^..^=   From: justcarol67@... Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM To: Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester   Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Sandra wrote :

"Poor John Welles, not to be on your list of good guys, Carol. [snip]"

Carol responds:

Call it prejudice, I suppose, but he organized one of the attempts to "rescue" the "Princes" from the Tower (which could not have boded well for them whether he knew it or not), and he was in deep with MB in the plot to make Tudor king. I don't see how Cecily could have come to love him, assuming that she knew that Richard was a good man and the rightful king (regardless of the fact that his claim made her a bastard). And I can't imagine Richard marrying her to a bad or unattractive man, so I have no antipathy toward Ralph Scrope. I've read that MB and Cecily were close, but to me it makes no sense. She (MB) was behind the Tudor plots (along with Morton). Did she protest when little Edward of Warwick, who was in her care, was put in the Tower? If Vergil is to be believed, she celebrated when she heard that Edward's sons were dead. More likely, she started the rumor herself.

Anyway, to make a long story short, MB and Welles were Richard's enemies and Ralph Scrope was his loyal man. If Cecily loved Richard (as king, man, or uncle) and believed that he was the rightful king (it was her father, not her uncle, who had wronged her and her family), or at least believed that he did not kill her brothers, I can't see her rejecting Ralph Scrope and becoming close to Welles and MB. Not that you're wrong; just that I would have written the story differently.

Carol

ÿ And nice to see that the present Duke has Richard's boars on his tie! Anyone else notice that? Sharon ----- Original Message ----- From: justcarol67@... To: Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

No, not till you pointed it out!Thanks,Jan.



On 22 Mar 2014, at 22:51, "Sharon Feely" <43118@...> wrote:

ÿ

And nice to see that the present Duke has Richard's boars on his tie! Anyone else notice that? Sharon ----- Original Message ----- From: justcarol67@... To: Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 4:46 PM Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sandra wrote:
"The article is up on line now, and here's the link http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Historic-display-draws-Duke-pay-visit/story-20839782-detail/story.html"
Carol responds:

Thanks, Sandra. Love the photo (also the one of the town crier and Richard that, if I recall correctly, you also provided). I'm glad to see that HRH is providing favorable publicity to his namesake.

By the way, I think I remember your mentioning when your book comes out, but, of course, I can't find the post. Can you remind me of the publication date and the title? I didn't see it at Amazon (though, admittedly, it was the American Amazon that I checked).

Carol

Sharon wrote:
ÿ"And nice to see that the present Duke has Richard's boars on his tie!"

Carol responds:

Thanks for pointing that out. I never would have noticed othewise. As those of you who are British would say, "Well spotted!"

Carol

EAGLE EYES&..

From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of justcarol67@...
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2014 12:21 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Impressions of the Richard II: Duke of Gloucester exhibition in Gloucester

Sharon wrote:

ÿ

"And nice to see that the present Duke has Richard's boars on his tie!"

Carol responds:

Thanks for pointing that out. I never would have noticed othewise. As those of you who are British would say, "Well spotted!"

Carol