Author Archives: sparkypus

The beautiful and irreplaceable Merlina… It was sadly reported on the 13 January 2021, that one of the famous Tower of London ravens has gone missing and presumed she had passed away. Merlina or Merlin as she was first known arrived at the Tower in 2007 after being found by the side of a WelshContinue reading “THE RAVENS OF THE TOWER OF LONDON”

  Ancient Gateway at Astley Castle.  Photo tysallsphotography.org.uk Astley Castle, Warwickshire, was the marital home of Sir John and Elizabeth Grey nee Wydeville.  Sir John has somewhat been cast in the shadows by the eminence of his wife.   He fought and died for Lancaster at the Second Battle of St Albans in 1461 and hisContinue reading “ASTLEY CASTLE – HOME TO SIR JOHN AND ELIZABETH GREY nee WYDEVILLE.”

The Empress from the Eton Wall Paintings.  Her eyes have been deliberately damaged.  If you should happen to visit Eton College and enter the chapel there you will find the glorious range of medieval murals now known as the Eton Chapel Wall Paintings.  Painted between 1479-87 and thought to  be the work of at leastContinue reading “THE ETON CHAPEL WALL PAINTINGS – A PORTRAIT OF QUEEN ANNE NEVILLE?”

Stained glass image of Edward V.  Coldridge Church, Devon,   This wonderful old church in Devon contains some little gems including a charming portrait of the young Edward V (b.1470) in a stained glass window,  king for such a short while.  This portrait has recently been restored and verified as being early 16th century andContinue reading “A Portrait of Edward V and Perhaps Even a Resting Place?- St Matthew’s Church Coldridge”

Durham Cathedral in the moonlight.. A familiar sight to both medieval royalty and commoners alike our Cathedrals soar above us, centuries old,  constant, enduring, and kind of  reassuring.   There is nothing more thrilling as you approach a cathedral city than the first glimpse of their cathedral appearing on the horizon.   So to all thatContinue reading “The English Medieval Cathedral”

The glorious ceiling of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court.  Photo James Brittain . Historic Royal Palaces.  The main reason, and perhaps the only reason,  why the bones in the urn in Westminster Abbey supposedly to be those of the sons of Edward IV known as the Princes in the Tower, Edward of Westminster and Richard of ShrewsburyContinue reading “ROYAL PECULIARS AND THEIR PECULIARITIES”

Possible portrait of Elizabeth Talbot, Viscountess Lisle c1468 Petrus Christus of Bruge Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.  Note the gleam of the pearls, the pattern of the brocade gown and the little gold pin used for pinning the fine lawn partlet onto the bodice.  How delicious! Could this charming portrait  be of Elizabeth Talbot, Viscountess Lisle –  LadyContinue reading “ELIZABETH TALBOT, VISCOUNTESS LISLE, LADY ELEANOR BUTLER’S NIECE”

The two QCs prepare to do battleFollowing on from my earlier post.  The day had dawned – the trial commenced.  Because of the length of the trial I only give snippets here which stand out and which I think are the most pertinent/funny/excruciating. The judge addressed the jury as to whether  Richard III was  responsibleContinue reading “THE TRIAL OF RICHARD III – PART TWO”

The statue of Justice, Old Bailey, London. Way back in  1980 the late Jeremy Potter,  Chairman of the Richard III Society,  and producer Richard Drewitt discussed King Richard III at length and an idea was born.    That was to put Richard  on trial for a heinous murder he had been  held responsible for overContinue reading “THE TRIAL OF RICHARD III, PART 1”

THE ANCIENT OAK TREE KNOWN AS THE ‘ELIZABETH’ OAK.  With thanks to Spitalfieldlife for this photo.   In the words of Sir John Howard,  Duke of Norfolk, Richard III’s loyal friend, I get  as ‘wode as a Wilde bullok‘  when I read yet another tedious reference to Henry VIII stayed here, Elizabeth I stayed there,Continue reading “THE ANCIENT TREES OF GREENWICH PALACE HUNTING GROUNDS”