Friday the thirteenth and the Templar curse….

Today is 13 March 2024, but thankfully it’s a Wednesday, not a Friday. Why thankfully? Well, we all know the old belief that Fridays which fall on the thirteenth day of a month are considered to be very unlucky. It occurred in October 2023, and will happen again in September and December this year, then… Continue reading Friday the thirteenth and the Templar curse….

Marc Morris on mediaeval television programmes and films …

… programmes and films about the Middle Ages, not actually made during them – which would require an even greater advance that the Viking discovery of America before Columbus … Here he discusses: The Game of Thrones (2013), Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (1991), Ironclad (2013), The Last Kingdom (2015), Vikings (2013), Braveheart (1995)

TWO ANGELS, TWO BUCKINGHAMS

A nice little pre-Christmas break took me to two towns of interest, Buckingham and Grantham. I wanted to see Buckingham museum which is currently hosting a Richard III display featuring the gold Half Angel found in the fields nearby. It was a nice little collection and the info panels were mercifully free of too many… Continue reading TWO ANGELS, TWO BUCKINGHAMS

Wars of the Roses Delights in Suffolk

After over a year, I have finally been able to go on another holiday in which to indulge in my passion of church and castle crawling. I haven’t spent much time in Suffolk before–it’s just a little too far–but there were some places I really wanted to visit, so off we went, braving a crazed… Continue reading Wars of the Roses Delights in Suffolk

Silent meals, a buddy system, and wine ‘in moderation.’….

This is an article about the Templars. Its sub-heading is Silent meals, a buddy system, and wine ‘in moderation‘. All very well and good, bon appetit and so on, but celibacy was mandatory. Why? Was a life of so-called chastity really necessary? I say this of the Church in general, and any other religion/organisation that… Continue reading Silent meals, a buddy system, and wine ‘in moderation.’….

THE EARLS IN THE TENNIS COURT: A VISIT TO BISHAM ABBEY

Bisham Abbey was the burial place of the Earls of Salisbury, and also Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, the ‘Kingmaker’ and his unfortunate grandson Edward of Warwick, executed on a trumped-up charge by Henry VII. The Abbey was destroyed in the Reformation, and on the grounds now stands the National Sports Centre, where many professional… Continue reading THE EARLS IN THE TENNIS COURT: A VISIT TO BISHAM ABBEY

History in Peril: The Carved Cave at Royston

Beneath the street in the little town of Royston lies an unusual cave filled with medieval carvings that appear to date mainly from the 14thc, although some may vary. Discovered only in the late 18th century, Royston Cave has been ascribed to pagan cults and to the Knights Templar–however, I think, much more prosaically, it… Continue reading History in Peril: The Carved Cave at Royston