Towton Battlefield Society
THE CHAIRMAN'S BLOG
JULY 2008
Unfortunately I was unable to attend to attend our “Meet the Society” but was very pleased to hear that the hard work put into the planning, the leaflet posting and the communication was crowned by a successful evening which really engaged the local community. I am grateful to Graham Darbyshire for the following account of the events of the evening,
On Monday 7th July, a rainy evening, our “Meet the Society” evening got off to a good start with around 45 guests coming along to find out what the Society is all about. Again the Society did not disappoint as it put on a number of themed tables and stalls to entice our visitors and there was more than enough to keep them interested. The tables and stalls ranged from Jill Thorley and Anne Forshaw’s butter and cheese making demonstrations, a craft display by Mark Harrison, to a display of highly polished medieval arms and armour thanks to Frances Perry, Paul Bennett and Steve Clegg. Helen Doggett manned the information table and bookstall to name but a few. Peter Hetherington was on hand to deal with all the historical questions and as one of our more knowledgeable members, I am sure he was able to answer all the questions put to him. Neville West and Mick Doggett were on hand with the refreshments, which included medieval biscuits supplied by Jill, Anne and Barry and Pat Constantine. We also had our own Barber Surgeon in the house in the form of Neil Wilson.
This event is set to be a regular feature of the calendar and next year we aim to move the date into the summer holidays to allow more engagement with the younger people within the community.
Our next meeting is on 4th August and it is to be held at the Crooked Billet in Saxton commencing at 7.30pm. This is set to be a great night as we will be hosting the skilled swords men of the European Historical Combat Guild. It may be advisable to bring a deck chair or rug (we will provide limited seating), grab a glass of ale and sit in the evening sun and marvel at some amazing skill, equipment and demonstrations. This will be a good family night (no pun intended) and all are welcome. In the unlikely event of poor weather we will retreat to Saxton Village Hall where we will be able to enjoy a more limited display.
After much demand and much searching for a quality supplier we pleased to announce that our famous Society cloth badges are back on sale. They are priced at an inflation busting £7.00 (the same price as 10years ago!) and they are selling really quickly. We will bring them along to all meetings and if any members from further afield would like to purchase one, please let me know. We are also hoping to produce an enamel pin type badge in the very near future and we are also looking into the possibility of embodied sweatshirts and Polo Shirts.
The much awaited Richard III Foundation conference is to be held on 27th Sept at Market Bosworth and a few members have already purchased tickets. For further information please check out their website or give me a call. We will try and car share where possible to cut down on transport costs.
Mark Taylor
CHAIRMAN
JUNE 2008
It has been sometime since I have been able to update you with our progress. This has been due to a combination of the closeness of meetings, bank holidays, and our great volume of activities and exasperated by my changing of work locations. Please accept my apologies and be assured that the regular updates are back on track.
On May 12th 70 members attended a great presentation by Jonathan Tummons upon the subject of the reign of Richard II. Jonathan has been a regular speaker for some years and again we were not disappointed as we enjoyed an informative and entertaining evening.
The following meeting June 2nd saw a return of Jonathan as he spoke about the medieval systems of law and justice. Another packed Hall of 68 members heard Jonathan describe the origins of the justice system peppered with interesting and illuminating anecdotes. Over the years Jonathan has become a firm favourite within the Society and we are pleased to announce that again he has agreed to conduct a series of presentations in 2009.
On Wednesday 11th June 20 members attended an evening walk around the village of Ledsham led by Barry Bennett, the churchwarden. The party had an enjoyable evening as they toured this interesting village taking in the historic church, the original school, the orphanage and some historic cottages. The assembled members also viewed a recently produced DVD of the opening of the burial vault of Lady Betty Hastings. The Society has a long association with the village as frequent participants at the annual Gala which raises funds for the church. A very pleasant evening was