I'm a bit late with my four happy things this week but my excuse is that I've been waiting for news that had the potential of making me very happy indeed. That news came through at 10a.m. this morning.
It is of course the confirmation that the bones found under the Leicester County Council Social Services car park were those of King Richard III.
1. The finding of the remains of Richard III
You all know from many of my posts over the years of my interest in Richard III and when we visited the dig in the car park in Leicester on my birthday last year I had high hopes of the bones being found and they were. Once found there has been the wait whilst essential tests have been done and now we have the confirmation. I find all this so exciting and am looking forward to seeing the documentary about the findings on Channel 4 this evening.
2. Meeting Louise
On Tuesday we were visited by Louise who came for lunch after which we visited the Potteries Museum in Hanley to look at the Staffordshire Hoard exhibition which we followed with a visit to Emma Bridgewater's factory shop and cafe where we sat is squishy sofas drinking hot chocolate. It was lovely to see Louise again and we were both surprised to realise that is two years since we last met. Where does the time go?
3. Visting Buxton
On Thursday we drove over to Buxton to walk in the country park near Poole's Cavern and Solomon's Temple. First we visited the Pavilion Gardens where in the hot house we saw a wonderful display of dinosaurs amongst the spring flowers or should it be a wonderful display of spring flowers amongst the dinosaurs? Either way it was a happy experience.
4. Finding Snowdrops
On Saturday we had a lovely walk at Loynton Moss where we found loads of snowdrops (see my previous post) - they were such a cheerful sight.
Link to the blog where '52 weeks of Happy' started. Each week you find just four things that have made you happy to share.
When I heard about the remains of Richard III I immediately thought of you Rosie!!! You must be thrilled at this positive news. Lovely for you to spend time with Louise and get out and about again too. Enjoy the documentary this evening! x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Simone - I did enjoy it - except for all the adverts!:)
DeleteI thought of you when I heard that the results would be announced today. It is so interesting, I'll have to watch the documentary.
ReplyDeleteI thought you might visit Buxton to see the dinosaurs again after I mentioned them! I do love those sculptures and I thought they looked great in the hot house!
What did you think of the documentary? I thought the dinosaur sculptures looked better in the hot house than in the museum:)
DeleteI just read the article about the bones being Richard III, it's so exciting, but I wish they'd bury him in York not Leicester.
ReplyDeleteWhat a dilemma! I can understand the burial being in Leicester as it is apparently the accepted archaeological protocol for any bodies found on digs to be reburied as close to where they were found as possible, but York was the place Richard loved best:)
DeleteThe Richard III is so exciting, I'll try and catch the documentary too. I've been snowdrop hunting and failed!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoyed the documentary! I also hope you find some snowdrops soon:)
DeleteDidn't realise there was a documentary on tonight.Thanks for mentioning it.It is a "must see".
ReplyDeleteI thought it was fascinating! I could have done without so many advert breaks though:)
DeleteYou've been busy. I didn't realise that there was an Emma Bridgewater factory shop. I must put that on my 'to do' list! Jx
ReplyDeleteThe factory shop sells seconds and perfect wares at the factory itself, you can book tours around that too and also paint a pot parties. It is on the canal side close to the city centre:)
DeleteI knew the Richard III thing would make you happy - Ive been thinking about you all day! I wish I could have joined you and Louise - although the Emma Bridgewater shop might have been fatal for my bank balance! xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteThat would have been wonderful, Diane - we must try for later in the year perhaps? The EB shop is very tempting:)
DeleteHow lovely to meet up with a bloggy friend!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to meet up with a bloggy friend of mine in London in 2 weeks :)
x
It is lovely to meet up with bloggy friends and I hope you have a wonderful visit to London:)
DeleteOh lucky you, having the Emma Bridgewater shop close by. I think I would be spending a lot there too!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the documentary. Jx
The shop is about 35/40 mins walk from where we live, we occasionally pop in for coffee and a look around and I did get two or three Christmas present from there:)
DeleteI remember your blog post about visiting Leicester and hoping to discover that Richard III was buried there. How remarkable science is that they can trace back through his descendants DNA.
ReplyDeleteJune
I think the tests they have been able to carry out to prove it is Richard are amazing also to think there are descendents still around too:)
DeleteIt's great news isn't it. I can't wait to see the facial reconstruction. I hope to pick up the tv programme on demand later.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed by the facial reconstruction! I'm so used to the portrait where he looks quite careworn and so used to seeing older actors playing Richard that to see him looking so young, which indeed he was, was quite startling but very realistic:)
DeleteThe programme on Richard 111 was interesting wasn't it? Like you I am very pro Richard and am so glad he's been found. I hope they'll re inter him in York eventually - it seems the appropriate place to me. The facial reconstruction was very impressive, I thought he looked both handsome and a nice person - exactly like the man who was so well liked and respected before the Tudors did a hatchet job on his character!
ReplyDeleteOne or two records say he was quite handsome. I thought the reconstruction was stunning - a younger version of the portrait with that firm chin. They are going to do more tests on his skeleton apparently to find out what types of food he ate as he was growing up - isn't it amazing what can be done with modern methods - quite the best time for him to be found I think:)
DeleteI have been following the news on this discovery and when you see that crooked bone structure you get chills just trying to imagine that history! His teeth look so preserved...and to think he has relatives living today to trace back to him...UK history is wonderful. I can't get enough of it!
ReplyDeleteIt is very exciting isn't it? I hope you get to see the documentary that has been shown over here on how and why they found him and the tests to prove it was him plus the facial reconstruction was fascinating:)
DeleteThat would be wonderful. I'll keep an eye out for it. By the way what is the chance he'll be interred in Westminster? Also, the big debate on whether he was good versus evil? Guess I have not heard much on this topic.
DeleteI doubt very much that he will be interred in Westminster but you never know. I think the main contenders are Leicester and York. I'm a little biased towards Leicester as it is where I was born. Apparently it is also accepted procedure to re-bury any human remains in consecrated ground as near as possible to where they were found which is Leicester Cathedral but having said that he was a Man of the North and his city was York, they loved him there and he did intend to be buried there. I think he was neither exceptionaly good or evil by the standards of his own time. There were huge power struggles at the time and holding on to any kind of power and creating stability was almost impossible. Shakespeare was living in Tudor times so would written in a way to please his benefactors thus the exageration of Richard's life, his other detractor Sir Thomas More was also dependant on the Tudors for his livelihood. I expect we will never know if he did order the deaths of his nephews after they were declare illigitimate or if the elder sickly one died and the other was taken abroad, which is what I'm inclined to believe. That is the next piece of the puzzle no doubt:)
DeleteI've been super busy this week but like others caught a bit of the news and thought of you. A lovely Happy post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amanda. I can't believe that the bones have been found after all these years and in my lifetime! Glad you like the happy post:)
DeleteYes I've read they've finally found the remains on paper's too, can't believe them. Another yes for those lovely snowdrops. Got my eye on your next posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks, glad you like the snowdrops. The finding of the remains does seem quite unbelievable doesn't it, but it is true:)
DeleteHi Rosie,
ReplyDeleteThe sight of snowdrops is enough to bring joy to any day. It will be many weeks before we see such a joyful sight.
We've been following the news about Richard III with interest. I understand that the descendent from whom they obtained a DNA match is a Canadian.
I see from your blog that there is a new Elly Griffiths' book. I will have to look out for it.
Marie x
Hi Marie, I really enjoyed the new Elly Griffiths book. Yes, I think I read that one of the two decendents tested came from Canada, the other was from London:)
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