Dear Friends
Welcome to February, the month for lovers. At the castle we are celebrating Valentine’s day with a glass of Prosecco, a three course meal in the candlelit Great Hall, beautifully decorated with rose petals, and to follow (after dessert) I am giving a talk entitled “Sex & the Tudors”. I will be in costume and the talk is hilarious but it is, as you might expect, somewhat fruity, ideal for Valentine’s night. Do wear a little red for passion if you can. Be prepared to have fun. A great night for proposing to get a cheer! How romantic…
I am often asked about events in half term and so this year we are offering an audience with Queen Elizabeth I in full costume for children over 8, at just £10.50 per person. It can be a great help with school courses, but apart from any educational aspect we also have a great deal of fun with these young visitors. Do look on our website and see the details at www.lesleysmithhistorians.co.uk .
Lots of people have asked to see the vibrant Nell Gwynne so Saturday 26th. February is the date for this evening celebration of fun. Chicken pie and chocolate orange dessert with coffee is on the menu which is inspired by Nell’s own history. She lived at the Cock and Pie Inn and chocolate and coffee were being introduced for the first time in London during her lifetime and as for the oranges? Well, you know that part of her story!
Our other news is that we have re-decorated the marquee, are having new windows at the back of the Castle, the drive has been repaired and a lot of the main building is going to be re-pointed. Mary Queen of Scots complained that the Castle was ‘exposed to all the winds and injuries of heaven’, and the Castle still takes quite a battering from the weather, so it is a relief that this will keep the walls waterproof for the next few years. We are having a great drive to make the castle grounds as bright and glorious as we can and I am delighted to announce that now Covid restrictions are reduced we are able to open the South Tower, which we have had to keep closed for over two years. That will open at Easter when the whole castle opens. Not long now and I send an affectionate wave to all our friends overseas who I know read this page, as they sometimes write to me.
With love (it seems suitable)
Lesley Smith
CURATOR