tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post3676684749799228508..comments2024-02-02T06:07:56.982+00:00Comments on LIVING THE HISTORY: CASTLES IN THE ETHER: Finding Newbury CastleElizabeth Chadwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-10582701822361962192008-11-20T15:05:00.000+00:002008-11-20T15:05:00.000+00:00Thanks Elizabeth. The bit about perceptions is rea...Thanks Elizabeth. The bit about perceptions is really interesting. I was talking to a friend a while ago about childhood and posed the question 'when was childhood invented?'. She is an anthropologist and put some serious thought into the question - coming back to me later with some quite detailed thoughts, the general gist being 'sometime during the victorian period', indicating our pink and fluffy vision of childhood would not be shared by our medieval counterparts - although I doubt children were unloved. <BR/>Haha - I do fall for all your heroes, chuck a sword and a mail shirt on a chap, stick him on a horse, give him an attitude and watch me melt!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-9307161584753316782008-11-10T16:47:00.000+00:002008-11-10T16:47:00.000+00:00LOL! Yes, I told you Lesley, I remember!I'm also n...LOL! Yes, I told you Lesley, I remember!<BR/>I'm also not surprised you fell for John. He has pheremones by the bucket load.<BR/>I do think it's interesting how our modern perceptions colour the medieval too. What happened to William is reported in the Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal which was an epic word intended for recital in the great hall - perhaps on William's anniversary,and it was intended to be heard by family members. Now they are not going to want to hear what a bast**d their ancestor John was, so it stands to reason that the whole anvils and hammers scene would have been viewed by them as cool, gutsy brinkmanship and they'd have been cheering him on. To their mindset John was showing how tough he was, and Stephen's camp were the bad guys. Nowadays, we view it as child cruelty, but back then the rules and perceptions were different. And of course there are all those other undercurrents to that speech, and beyond that the feelings that John might have harboured beyond that impassive exterior. Fascinating. <BR/>I haven't quite finished with the castle whereabouts yet. More to come from John I hope!Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-41875773603643380062008-11-10T16:31:00.000+00:002008-11-10T16:31:00.000+00:00In a previous email you told me to wait for this n...In a previous email you told me to wait for this novel before condemming John for his 'Hammers and Anvils' speech.<BR/>Of course, you were right. I think you have (again) brought the probable anguish of the situation to the fore - and, of course - I've fallen for John too!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-19059862829198371902008-11-04T14:05:00.000+00:002008-11-04T14:05:00.000+00:00What a lovely story! The little snippets you give ...What a lovely story! The little snippets you give us of Alison's work really help bring your characters to life. You must feel blessed at having met her.Satima Flavellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17427849961195148899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-80322883349096939212008-10-25T17:56:00.000+00:002008-10-25T17:56:00.000+00:00Way cool! Thanks for all those details. I can hard...Way cool! Thanks for all those details. I can hardly wait to read the book :)Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15636189059910920978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-3748699360040848742008-10-16T17:03:00.000+00:002008-10-16T17:03:00.000+00:00Amy, thanks for the comment.I saw Alison this afte...Amy, thanks for the comment.<BR/>I saw Alison this afternoon; we drank a glass of champagne to toast John and he came through and toasted us in return as 'bosom friends.' (he has a wicked sense of humour!).<BR/>Seriously, I feel very privileged to have access to this form of research!Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-994276389198429522008-10-16T16:56:00.000+00:002008-10-16T16:56:00.000+00:00Thank you for sharing! It seems to me that the be...Thank you for sharing! It seems to me that the best part of your writing is the research! And I LOVE how you work with Alison King and channel various people - so very, very cool. If you ever have need of an assistant just give me a ring! Ha!Passages to the Pasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16357366263195042306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-59850900710570018292008-10-16T16:29:00.000+00:002008-10-16T16:29:00.000+00:00I don't know about thrilled Tammy. It went so much...I don't know about thrilled Tammy. It went so much deeper than that. Profoundly moved I think is perhaps closer to it.<BR/>Carla, I think John would be in there guiding them to where to dig!Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-23318328632379186952008-10-16T16:10:00.000+00:002008-10-16T16:10:00.000+00:00It certainly looks a likely place for a castle, on...It certainly looks a likely place for a castle, on a ridge and commanding a strategic road. I wonder if anyone will ever be able to excavate the site - and what John Marshal would think if they did?Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24348391.post-83709283303724051482008-10-16T00:44:00.000+00:002008-10-16T00:44:00.000+00:00You know I love this story. I love the idea that ...You know I love this story. I love the idea that all the evidence points to what John told you. How thrilled you must be when you think of your experience.Taminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12375642888613084170noreply@blogger.com