Dear Friends,
Another August is upon us with all the roses blooming in the castle grounds and the lavender is intoxicating and humming with bees.
The re-pointing at the castle is now drawing to an end and a grand new window is going in on Tuesday which is causing much excitement as that can be followed by re-decorating when the pointing is fully dried out. Running a Norman Castle does have the sensation of the Forth Bridge about it as when one part is fixed there is usually something else to be done and it has to be cared for in a special way as it is a scheduled monument. However, it is a privilege and a joy to work here and I am grateful every day and so are my team who are marvellous. Do come and meet them when you have the chance.
We have had some beautiful weddings in July and the sense of families and friends being together is still not being taken for granted. Bookings for Christmas weddings are now coming in – imagine our Great Hall just full of traditional decorations. Call 01283 812129 and speak to Annette to find out more.
At the end of August we have one of our top events which is the Fairytale bank holiday weekend which we have held for many years and families come to take part from all over the Midlands. Our glamorous Princesses are hugely popular and other fairytale characters including pirates. The fairground will be here and the Parrot tent where rescued birds are much admired – they also go well with the pirates! There is a wider range of food available for this event, in fact all our main events and that is working really well as stallholders are dotted around the grounds.
We are selling tickets online for this event and children under five are still free so we are doing what we can to make sure people can afford to come for the last of the summer sunshine. If you want to be sure of coming do get your tickets well in advance.
The same applies to our Bonfire night celebrations which is over two days and yes, the Vikings are back in the moonlight and spectacular fireworks – as usual. I would like to wave to the guests who come each year just for this event from Scotland and the South Coast. If you look on GOOGLE you will find we are one two or three in the country each year for the whole bonfire night experience. That is rather flattering for us and we are delighted. Please book tickets now – we do sell out each year in advance of the event – sometimes two weeks in advance and that mean some people who come cannot get entrance and we really dislike turning people away but we do have limits on numbers so please book early.
Finally, yes I am still touring the country appearing as one of my characters such as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 1st., Anne Boleyn and now Katherine of Aragon. My new character comes out during the Halloween month of October and is Jack the Ripper’s last victim. Mary Kelly, also known by many other names. This is a shocking character for me to play for some but then again people who know my work as a historian of women in history will also know that playing a victim is important as it reminds people that the story was not all about him! Tickets are now available on our website www.lesleysmithhistorians.co.uk.
That is a dark note to end this letter so I would like to lighten it by saying the sun is warm, the sky is blue and we have weeks of joyful days out ahead. Come a share a day here at Tutbury castle as we are open six days a week now the schools have broken up – you will be very welcome.
Best wishes
Lesley Smith
CURATOR