Flodden

I'm quite surprised that nobody has yet mentioned the start of what is
turning out for me to be a terrific new BBC series that leaves C4's "Time
Team" with an awful lot of ground to make up (pun intended!).
The second of the "Two Men In A Trench" series was about Flodden and was
fascinating. These two guys, one Tony Pollard (no NOT THAT Tony Pollard) and
Neil Oliver, are so enthusiastic about everything except the breakfast they
have to take on the battlefield having camped out there the night before! As
that is only cornflakes I don't blame them.
A rave review for the generalship of Richard III's Earl of Surrey, whose
victory here finally won the Howard clan the Dukedon of Norfolk again after
Bosworth had removed it from the family. Must admit, I was also impressed.
How do you move an entire army round to the back of the foe without them
knowing?
Wandering through a wood they find a bump in the ground that turns out to
have been a Scottish artillery battery; a shard of red pottery shows us that
this is where the gunners "had their tea and dinner"; and then one of them
asks "where do you put all those damn horses the night before a battle?"
I've bought the book, I might even get the T shirt if one comes out, but I
will definitely be glued to my tv set every Tuesday evening for the next few
weeks. Barnet's coming up, which would be a challenge to anyone. I get the
feeling in the company of these guys it will be great fun, and may even be a
little iluminating!
Paul