An Exhibition

On Thursday morning we had an appointment up in the city centre in offices across the road from the Potteries Museum.  After the meeting finished we went across to the museum for a cup of coffee and a look at the latest temporary exhibition.

 It had opened on 29th April just a week before King Charles III's Coronation weekend.  The exhibition is called 'Dressing the Royals' and features costumes made for films and television by Cosprop Costumeries and covers styles from the 16th to the 20th centures.  Also featured are lots of celebratory china and pottery items from the museum's own collections.

Let's take a closer look, I've tried to put the costumes in chronological order.

Elizabeth I.  

Gown worn by Cate Blanchet in the 1989 film Elizabeth.

Charles II

Worn by Rufus Sewell in a televison series of 2003 called Charles II - the Power and the Passion.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Costumes worn by Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes in the television series Victoria first shown in 2016.

Queen Victoria 

Two piece costume worn by Gemma Jones as Queen Victoria in the 2003 film Shanghai Knights. 

 

Queen Alexandra

Worn by  Maggie Smith in the film All the King's Men, 1999.

Queen Mary

 

Costume worn by Eileen Atkins in The Crown, Series One,

2016.

Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother)

copy of the wedding dress she wore at her wedding to the future King George VI. 

 

 

 Worn by Juliet Aubrey in the film Bertie and Elizabeth 2002.

 

Queen Elizabeth II

Dresses worn by Princess Elizabeth (Freya Wilson) and Princess Margaret (Ramona Marquez) in the film The King's Speech 2010. 

 

Coronation robes worn by Lord and Lady Bagot of Blithfield Hall, Rugeley, Staffordshire

at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

 

The exhibition is on display until the third of September this year.

 

Bluebells

 Last week, on one of the sunnier days, we visited Hem Heath woods hoping to find bluebells.  We weren't disappointed.  Hem Heath Wood is cared for by the Staffordshire Wildlfe Turst and is about a ten minute drive from home. 

We parked in the car park at the Wedgwood factory and walked into the woods where the woodland floor was awash with blue.

It's hard to capture the intensity of the blue.

 You certainly can't capture the scent and atmosphere of the woods.

 They felt warm and sheltered.

 The perfume of the Bluebells was delicate but ever present as we walked amongst them.

 

With the sun shining through the trees and the blue of the flowers shimmering in the light I decided that it as one of my favourite times the of year.

The other being when Cow Parsely is frothing on the verges wherever you go along roads, along woodland paths and by running streams.

 Thank you Bluebells for being there again this year and for making my heart sing.

 After our woodland walk we popped into Josiah and Co for a coffee and a look at the local craft work on show.  there were lots of beautiful things for sale.

 There is a small area for coffee - from a machine - but very nice and a treat of a lemon muffin.

There was just time to pop into the V&A Wedgwood Museum to look at something else that makes my heart sing.

Designs for Wedgwood Pottery by Eric Ravilious (1903 - 1942)

Incuding 'The Garden' and 'Travel'

 

 Eric Ravilious was an artist, book illustrator, designer and wood-engraver.  He was also a war artist during the early part of the second world war and was presumed dead when the plane he was in was lost at sea close to Iceland.

 The Travel Series was started in 1939 but production was held up by the war and finally went into prouction in 1952 ten years after his death.

His 'Garden' series was from 1938

I love the steam train on the plate below.

All for now.  Take care.

 

Rhuddlan Castle

We were based in Rhuddlan so could walk out in the evenings from our hotel to the small nature reserve across the road.  There was a lovely view from there across the fields to the castle which you can also see as you drive into the small town.

We walked into the town a few times over the footbridge across the River Clwyd.  

The parish church of St Mary taken from the footbridge.  We didn't walk up there but it looks an interesting church.

View of the castle from the footbridge,  We walked up to the castle from the town centre.

 

The impressive West gatehouse which was a show of strength and power.  The castle was one of the first commissioned by Edward I following the first Welsh war.  The building work was overseen by master mason James of St George.  Completed in 1282 it cost around £9,000 which must have been millions in those days.

The castle withstood many attacks from the outside world including during the Welsh rising in 1294 and from Owain Glyndwr in 1400.  It was finally breached by Parliamentarian troops in 1646 at the height of the civil war.  It was partially demolished in 1648 to prevent further use.

The castle has a unique diamond shaped layout and is protected on three sides by the moat and by the river on the fourth side.

The stairs lead up to the top of the East gatehouse.  Paul went up to the top, I stayed firmly at ground level.  

Footbridge across the castle moat.

The information board (a bit faded by sun the sun) shows how the moat was accessed from the river.  The River Clywd was diverted and canalised for a distance of two miles so that it would flow by the castle and the town. 

It meant that goods and supplies could be brought up the river from the sea.  Gillot's Tower (above) was a lookout tower and protected ships dropping off goods at the dock.

Before we went into the stone castle we walked a short distance to find an earlier motte and baily castle. 

 

In 1063 Rhuddlan was the royal seat of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn who was forced to flee there by King Harold I the last Saxon king before he was killed, three years later, at the Battle of Hastings.  It was at the orders of the new King William I (the Conquerer) that the motte and bailey castle was built c.1073 by Robert of Rhuddlan, a former squire at the court of Edward the Confessor.  The new castle was built on or near the site of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn's palace.

The mound can be accessed by following a footpath which runs at the back of the present castle.

 

What a lot of history in one place. I'll be back with bluebells in our local woods.

Castles and Dragons

We've been into Wales, just for a short break.  It only rained once and that was during the night.  We could feel the air gradually warming up as the wind dropped and each day got a little brighter.

A few photos below of some of the sights we've seen.  I'll be back with more about some of the places later.

Ruithin -  Post box topper

Denbigh Castle

Rhuddlan Castle

Twithill ancient castle mound or motte just behind the 'newer' castle in Rhuddlan.

 

Sculpture in Rhuddlan by Mike Owens

 

Rhuddlan Nature Reserve.  Sculptures by Mike Owens

 

RSPB Conwy - refreshing tea after a walk around some of the site.

 

Rhyl -taken from near the Lifeboat Station.

 

St Asaph Cathedral

 

When I got back to writing here I found loads of comments from way back had been put in spam. I've gradually reinstated them.  Some of them were my own replies to comments.  I see from reading other blogs that some of you are having the same problem. All very strange.

I'll be back with more on Rhuddlan Castle later this week.