Richard III Society, and Nervously Going Visited As Many Places Associated with Richard III As We Could
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Dickon Independent Issue 90 Richard III From the Editor Sadly this issue says goodbye to our founder Janet Long, without whom there would be no Worcestershire Branch. Her long and happy association with the branch is remembered on pages 3 - 7. Society Happy Christmas everyone! What a fantastic year it has been with the discovery of the remains of King Richard III. Next year will be just as exciting when he is finally laid to rest in a tomb befitting his status as a King of England. There’s a definite Yorkshire flavour to this magazine with reports from Judy Jacobs, Ashley Mantle and Lindsay Gibson on the Ricardian delights of that county. Contents Magazine of the Worcestershire Branch Janet Long . 3 - 7 Book Reviews . 8 - 10 Middleham Castle & The King’s Grave . 11 - 13 My Ricardian Holiday . 13 - 17 Richard III Museum In York .. 18 - 19 Branch Meetings. 19 - 27 Visit To Knowle Parish Church And Temple Balsall - September 14 . 19 - 21 Sir Thomas More - October 12 . 22 - 24 Tedstone Wafre And The Mortimer Connection - November 9 . 24 - 27 Latest News . 27 Cover Illustration A montage of images from Bosworth composed by Judy Jacobs. Illustrations Janet Long And Other Members . 5 Middleham Castle (Judy Jacobs). 11 Richard III In The Dock (Ashley mantle).. 14 Barnard Castle Boar (Ashley Mantle). 16 & 17 Issue 90 December 2013 2 Dickon Independent Issue 90 Dickon Independent Issue 90 On October 30th 1987 the Malvern Gazette and Ledbury Reporter Janet Long contained an article about the group. At the 1989 AGM Janet became chairman. We were still meeting in people’s houses in those days and remember getting a letter asking if I would like to join a Hereford Janet frequently welcomed us all to her home. The rest of the time we and Worcester Group of the Richard III Society, and nervously going visited as many places associated with Richard III as we could. Ialong to the first meeting at Janet’s house. I needn’t have worried Jane Tinklin worked with Janet for Commercial Union in the Kay’s as I liked her immediately and she made us all feel very welcome. building and Janet persuaded her to join the group in 1988. Let Janet now take up the story: Janet takes up the story again: “In 1986 five of us decided to try to get a local Ricardian group off the “By 1990 our small band had grown considerably and it was agreed to ground. We were given permission for a ‘one-off’ letter to all members apply to the society for branch status as we now felt that we met the within the Hereford and Worcester area, calling an inaugural meeting for criteria. It was decided to ‘divorce’ the two counties thereby leaving any 12 April 1986. As the day drew nearer panic set in - what if no-one came; future Hereford members free to start their own group should they wish what if there were too many people to fit into the room; whose barmy idea to do so. Thanks must go to Lesley for all her hard work at this time, so was this anyway!! All my fears were unnecessary as we had a very good that our being accepted as a branch went through without a hitch. meeting with an excellent turnout. I found myself elected as secretary. Janet and Lesley were featured in an article in the Worcester Evening The first year we decided to go as a group to Bosworth. We had only News on January 11th 1990, with Janet saying: “I had always thought that met four times but nevertheless off we went, fourteen of us on a fifty-two Richard had been hard done by. I believe that he was very brave; that seater coach - plenty of room for luggage! Our first Christmas dinner was Henry was the coward.” held at the Bear and Ragged Staff, Bransford, a name we thought most Four of us attended Kevin Down’s weekend course in Ludlow in 1991 appropriate as a venue until we discovered that the restaurant was called entitled ‘Richard III - Good or Bad’. We had a wonderful weekend and did ‘Cobblers’. our best to fight our corner, not believing him for one moment when he In 1987 we had our first weekend in York, travelling to Middleham via told us he had joined the society!” Jervaulx on the Sunday. As I had never visited any of these places before I found everything new and exciting, but one memory must remain The first issue of Dickon Independent coincided with King Richard’s and that is of Vi Roberts (of the Gloucester Branch - two of whose birthday in October 1991. Amongst other outings we attended the re- members came with us) dodging the cow pats at Jervaulx in her slippers, enactment of the battle of Tewkesbury, and visited Bosworth and York as she had walked too far round York the day before then gone to the again. Janet arranged for us to see Sheriff Hutton castle this time, and banquet and ended up with dreadful blisters. Alan her husband also joined the party, as he did many other outings. Also in 1987 Ros and I went to talk to the Worcester Probus club. It In 1993 Janet organised another article in the Worcester Evening didn't bode well when their chairman introduced us by saying that we News which appeared on August 21st, together with a black and white were going to talk about: “Richard III, the humpy back king who did away picture of a group of us in Janet’s garden with a portrait of Richard and a with the princes in the Tower”. Full of righteous indignation we set forth bunch of white roses. Next day, the anniversary, we were visiting to put the record straight.” Bosworth again. At the 1994 AGM Janet stood down and Ralph Richardson took over 3 4 Dickon Independent Issue 90 Dickon Independent Issue 90 as chairman. On the 17th November the Worcester Evening News had abbey in 1536. Then to the abbey to see a modern memorial stone to another article about Richard III, to publicise Michael S. Bennett’s book Llewellyn as it is believed he was buried there following his murder by Richard III - On Trial for Murder. Michael is the founder of the Richard III English forces in December 1282. Then on to Cilmeri to see the Museum in York. This time the paper used the same photo from 1993 but monument to Llewellyn close to where he was slain. in colour: In 1997 we started to hire halls for meetings as there were too many members squashing into people’s homes, such was the success of the group started by Janet back in 1986. I had various articles over the years from her for Dickon Independent. Janet also spent much time researching her family tree and was horrified to discover that her great, great, great grandfather came from Lancashire and moved to Wales! In 2001 she had an operation and spent a long time convalescing at home, but was back with us to visit Great Malvern Priory in April 2002, and wrote a very funny verse about it for the magazine. Fortunately being ill never affected her wicked sense of humour, and the week before she died she was exchanging naughty emails with Lesley. Until about 2006 I was regularly picking up Janet and Lesley to take to meetings. Lesley was the best at map reading. When Janet and I went to Belbroughton without Lesley in 2008, we got hopelessly lost trying to get home and had to ask in a garden centre for directions! Justin her son confirmed how frustrated she was at having to miss meetings: “There were so many times when Mum asked me if I would give her a lift to the meeting, then when it came to the day in question, her health let her down.” I am just glad that she lived long enough to know King Richard’s remains had been found, that he wasn’t a hunchback, and Margaret Gregory, Janet Long, Jean Edwards, Jan Reynolds, Pat Parminter, Mary to see his reconstructed head. Friend, Jane Tinklin, Pam Benstead in Janet’s garden August 1993 I have a lovely white rose brooch given to me by Janet, and also a mug with a white boar on it which she’d donated as a raffle prize. Janet then produced her tour de force in honour of her other historical The last meeting attended by Janet was a talk by Steve Goodchild on favourite, Llewellyn the Last, the last native Prince of Wales. On 16th July the battle of Tewkesbury at Upton Snodsbury, on 12 June 2010. 1995 a convoy of cars set out for Wales. Janet did a brilliant job Unfortunately she wasn’t well enough to attend our 25th anniversary organising it all on what was a very long but fascinating day out. banquet but she had been at the 10th and 20th celebrations. Llewellyn married Eleanor de Montfort in Worcester Cathedral before taking her home to Wales. We went to Llanidloes Church, to see the arches from Cwmhir Abbey, moved there after Henry VIII dissolved the 5 6 Dickon Independent Issue 90 Dickon Independent Issue 90 From Lesley Scott: Book Reviews One of my fondest memories of some years ago was coming back from a Ricardian meeting with Janet, Pam and Jean discussing who Richard III: A Small Guide To The Great Debate By Annette Carson would play which character if Sharon Penman's book Sunne in Splendour was turned in to a film.