RETURN FROM THE PAST

Just under a fortnight ago, I embarked on a research trip to Wiltshire and Berkshire with my friend and colleague, Akashic Consultant Alison King. We had been invited by a reader, Sue, to visit her at Hamstead Marshall and see for ourselves where John Marshal and his son the great William Marshal had once made their home. (they both lived at many other places too, but Hamstead was one of the original manors belonging to the family and held as part of the living of the royal marshal). Minus driving time, we had 2 days to cover as much ground as we could, bearing in mind limitations of physical stamina. Arriving in Wiltshire on the Tuesday afternoon, we headed first for Old Sarum and then Salisbury. Old Sarum is the original Salisbury. Standing on top of a hill, it was originally an Iron Age hill fort and was later occupied by the Romans and the Saxons. The Normans built a timber castle here circa 1070. Bishop Roger of Salisbury, 1107 to 1139, mentioned in A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE built a palace here circa 1130 onwards. A man of great fiscal acumen and influence, he was not above creating a show of power and luxury for himself. He was accused of fiddling funds from the treasury (he was the chancellor at the time) and quite likely did so. Salisbury Cathedral at this stage was right alongside the castle/palace to the right and on top of the hill as you face the earthworks from the car park. So the good bishop didn't have far to go from domicile to place of work. All that remains of the cathedral now is a ground plan. You can see it in the right background on the photo below which was taken looking over the ruined walls of the palace. The photo below that is a picture of how the cathedral might have looked in its heyday when a contemporary writer commented that it looked as if it had been carved from a single block of stone.



























Following Bishop Roger's downfall, Old Sarum became a royal residence and home to the
Earls of Salisbury, including Patrick, brother of John Marshal's second wife Sybilla. Patrick in later life was governor of Poitou and gave William Marshal his first serious employment as a household knight. Old Sarum Palace was also the place where Eleanor of Aquitaine was held prisoner for sixteen years following her failed rebellion against her husband Henry II in 1173. From Old Sarum we headed to the newer cathedral and town of of Salisbury. Plans for the latter began in the reign of Richard I. There were increasing tensions between the clergy and the men of the garrison. The Church also felt that their cathedral wasn't grand enough and there wasn't enough space to rebuilt on the scale of such as Winchester and Canterbury. It's also likely that there wasn't enough water to go round. Finally in 1217, after another argument between the clergy and the soldiers of the garrison, the plans came to fruition and building began on a new site by the river Avon, and New Sarum - modern day Salisbury was born. The new cathedral was founded in 1220. William Longespee, Earl of Salisbury- an important secondary character in THE TIME OF SINGING, and his wife Ela, laid the foundation stone. Longespee was the first person to be buried in Salisbury Cathedral and his tomb lies there to this day. The base of the tomb is timber, not stone and one of the finest examples in Europe. When Longespee's tomb was opened in the 18th century, a mummified rat was found inside his skull. The creature tested positive for arsenic poisoning. It's very interesting to speculate whether Longespee was poisoned. There were various rumours that Hubert de Burgh had had a hand in Longespee's death. Personally I don't know. The historical detail is vague and Alison has picked up no strong sense of foul play. She did say that Longespee is at peace and his spirit long moved on, which I am pleased about. Salisbury Cathedral itself is a beautiful, dignified, gracious and tranquil place, whatever your beliefs.














By the time we had paid our respects at Longespee's tomb, it was evening and time to head back to the Bed and Breakfast accommodation which was set right on the edge of Savernake forest. We were in a lovely, compact self-catering lodge with the option of a full English breakfast available at the farmhouse just 30 seconds walk away. When I say compact, I mean that no room was wasted, but there was ample space for our needs and we didn't feel at all cramped. I can wholeheartedly recommend Browns Farm at Marlborough. It's clean, very well equipped, excellent accommodation at a very reasonable price, and the breakfasts are delicious! You can bring a pet if you want, too! Url here: http://www.marlboroughholidaycottages.co.uk/














Wednesday I didn't take any photographs as we weren't on public territory but visiting someone's private home at personal invitation and it wouldn't have been right. I will say that the day at Hamstead Marshall exceeded all expectations from all perspectives and it was something I will remember forever. Later, nearer the paperback publication of A PLACE BEYOND COURAGE, I will write a post about the discovery of the probable location of John Marshal's adulterine castle at Newbury. It's not a site I knew about at the time of writing the novel, but personally I am absolutely certain of its whereabouts now. It is most definitely a story for another day, but not too far in the future. By the time we returned from our foray onto Marshal territory, having experienced some profoundly moving moments and emotions, we were exhausted. I must thank Sue for her hospitality and generosity which made the day all the more special and without her it wouldn't have been possible.
On our last day which was also the day we headed home, we visited the village of Rockley which used to belong to John Marshal and which he gave to the Knights Templar. On the way to the village we had to stop for a group of sleek, elegant race horses just coming off the gallops on the Marlborough Downs. There were some fabulous views of rippling, undulating wheat fields, arable land and grazing pasture. This was the land over which John Marshal had mastery, and to have ridden out and drawn rein on the high land to look across this rolling countryside must have been glorious. There's a very pretty church at Rockely and a manor house, although the latter is private. It's a very horsey place, which the Marshals would have approved of I'm sure, one of their jobs being royal horse masters. Indeed, Rockley at one time had a white horse on one of its hillsides - sadly now ploughed up and lost. Here's an url to information about it and other white horses in Wiltshire. http://www.wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk/rockley.html In the Marshal's day, Rockley was a centre for sheep farming and dairying.













After a wander around the village, we headed back to Marlborough for morning coffee, and then set off back home to Nottingham via a visit to the stone circles at Avebury. John Marshal once had custody of the castle at Marlborough, but lost it early in the reign of King Henry II. It was regained by his son, also called John, who was William Marshal's older brother. John defended it for Prince John in the rebellion of 1194 and in all likelihood died while resisting the forces of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Today what remains of the castle stands in the grounds of a private college. http://www.ecastles.co.uk/marlborough.html Avebury is a fascinating place. Less well known and iconic than Stonehenge, it has its own sense of power. Alison said it was like 'being washed from the inside.' Here's an url to a website about Avebury (otherwise this blog post is going to turn into a novel in itself if I try to explain it all!) http://www.avebury-web.co.uk/ We ate our lunch sitting on the grass among the stones, surrounded by sheep and other people, and even a plump tortoiseshell cat from the houses beyond the boundary, but even so there was a lovely feeling of wholeness about it all, rather than distraction. Being as Avebury would have been in John Marshal's back yard so to speak when he was lord of Marlborough, I had asked Alison some time ago to tune into him and find out what he thought about the stones. The piece below was recorded about 3 years ago, long before we came here:
'He thinks they are fine, strong stones. I can see him standing beside a tall, wide one and it makes him feel strong to be near it. He looks out on the view that the stone has and it's as if he understands why the stone stands there to see that view. He looks at the horizon and sees echoes there of the pattern of the stone and the interconnection of things like the lacings of lines. He says to himself that the stone is a very ancient , very honorable thing and it strengthens our land. The connection is so strong that he can almost taste the stone. It's almost as if he has licked the stone he has such a strong taste of it. Indeed, you can take moisture from the stone if it's misty or raining. And Avebury itself? He pronounces it 'Aavbury' like 'aardvark'. He likes to stand in the middle of that. He has the same feeling he got from the single stone. He can feel the inerlacing quality. Consciously he and society see the stones as venerable and otherwise don't take it much further than that. They just are what they are from time immemorial.

I like that. 'They just are what they are from time immemorial.'

I do love this part of England. I always feel at home here, and I'm sure I'll keep returning...or perhaps being drawn back. Who knows?

A moment in and out of Time

The title is by way of saying that although I have a few blog posts lined up, I'm going to be away for a few days this week conducting new research and re-connecting with John and William Marshal.
Myself and Akashic consultant Alison King have been invited to Hamstead Marshall by a reader who lives where William and John once did. Rewind the film 800 years to a summer morning here and you will see John going about his daily business with dogs and perhaps sons at his heels. His warhorse, a grey, raises its head from grazing to watch him pass, while his wife Sybilla gazes on the scene from their chamber window and shows their small daughter how to twirl thread from fleece on her first spindle. Fast forward a few scenes to see the great William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke setting out for London in the misty sun-rays soon after dawn, with a vast entourage of knights and squires, clerics and chaplains, stewards, chamberlains, baggage carts, sumpter horses, banners and gilding.
In our own summer morning, we are going to seek the echoes of theirs and add our presence to the film reel.
Visits are also planned to Old Sarum, Salisbury, Ludgershall, Marlborough, Avebury, Easton, Clyffe Pypard, and also a place on the Marlborough Downs called Rockley, that might or might not have its own poignant tale to tell about the Marshals...
I'll be back to blogging the week after next - unless I step through the standing stones at Avebury a la Diana Gabaldon and find myself back in the 12th Century!
The photograph at the top of the page is a purple shaft of sunlight over the Kennet at Hamstead Marshall - taken on an earlier research foray.

A Novel Experience

Whenever I give talks, I am often asked about how I go about producing a novel, so I thought I'd break down the production of the forthcoming hardcover into its component parts and tell you about how a novel comes to be.

1. START AT THE BEGINNING
I have to decide what I am going to write about. This usually happens as I am finishing up the previous novel and preparing it for production. I thought with THE TIME OF SINGING that I was going to be writing about William Marshal's grandson, Roger Bigod III and the whole Henry III/Simon de Montfort debacle. However, in the course of the research, Roger III's grandfather claimed the stage instead, together with his wife, former royal mistress Ida de Tosney, and informed me that it was their story I had to tell next.
At this stage the work didn't have a title. It was just called ROGER AND IDA.



2. INITIAL CONSTRUCTION
The subject matter decided, I have to read up on my research so that I can write a character study, synopsis, blurb, and first three chapters. These form the initial document that I present to my agent and editor for their approval and to show them what's in store. At this stage in the game the synopsis, although fairly detailed is still 'more like guidelines really.' Not all synopses have to be this detailed, but since I am under contract, my editor and agent need to see as much detail as possible - even if some is going to change during the writing. Reading matter consulted for The Time of Singing included a university thesis on the Bigod family, an English Heritage online report about Framlingham Castle, various other online documents, a genealogy report on William Earl of Salisbury and a biography of Henry II. There were many others, but this is just to cite a few examples. I have included a full biography at the back of the novel. I also employed akashic consultant Alison King so that I could 'interview' and observe the people involved in the story and get a handle on their appearance, their personalities and discover the story they had to tell.

















Here's page 1 of the synopsis. If you click on it, it will enlarge.
















3. NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE
Once the synopsis and first three chapters are approved, I get on with the nitty gritty of writing the story. My contracts are 15 months long. Some of that time is spent actually writing and researching, but I also have to build in time to write pieces like this for my blogs and for putting the show on the road and giving talks to the readers - because without readers I wouldn't have a job!
At first draft stage I write 100 lines a day on the PC which usually equates to around 1,200 words or perhaps a bit more. At this point I am researching as I write; the two go side by side. I am always very aware that this first draft is not clean. It will be full of over-writing, repetitions, unecessary paragraphs, and a few scenes that go nowhere. That doesn't matter. It's getting it written down in concrete wordage that is the most important thing and viewing the basic structure. It will probably take me about 7 of my 15 months. Once I have written that first draft (which I haven't revised at all except for the first three chapters which were part of the selling document), I read it through on the PC and tighten it up, taking out the over-writing and the repetitions where noticed, dealing with loose plot threads, and generally pulling it into shape. Giving the shapeless blob a six-pack is how I sometimes describe the process! At this stage I am still researching too. This will take me up to 11 months. During this time I will work on the 'soundtrack' to the stories. The explanation can be found at my music blog here, along with the soundtrack to The Time of Singing. http://elizabethchadwicksoundtracks.blogspot.com/



Here is page 1 of the 2nd Draft of The Time of Singing. Note that it still says 'IDA AND ROGER' at the top. At this stage I write on both sides of the page to save paper.
Font is Times New Roman 13 point and spacing is 'exactly' 22 points. It's what suits me.









4. REVISION AND MORE REVISION
Once the second draft is written, I leave the PC and read the typescript as if it were a book. This way, I am looking down at the words rather than across to a PC screen and it does make a difference when it comes to spotting errors and flaws. I make biro notes about what alterations needs making and then I return to the PC and key the alterations into the novel while once more reading it. Below is an example of such a page from The Wild Hunt. (I've thrown away my notes for The Time of Singing unfortunately). This stage takes about 2 months























Once I've finished this next lot of alterations, I print the work out again and read it aloud to my long suffering husband over a period of several consecutive nights and again I make biro notes. Reading aloud is yet another different discipline and helps out pick up dodgy word flow, repetition and manky dialogue. I revise again on the PC and then, finally, I send the manuscript by e-mail to my agent and editor. They will read it simultaneously which brings about stage 5.
The above paragraph will occupy a month at most, thus I am usually around a month ahead of schedule.

5. BITE NAILS, HIDE IN A CORNER AND EAT CHOCOLATE!

6. MORE REVISIONS.
My agent and editor will report back with their opinions on the manuscript and I will ponder on their suggestions and alter the manuscript accordingly. Usually there aren't that many and it's more a case of general tweaks and tidying. At this stage my editor will begin asking me if I have any ideas for the jacket and the title. I have a consultation say in my UK covers and although we don't always agree and it's often a matter of compromise, we usually get something we can all live with!
When I was asked about The Time of Singing I had a clear notion of what I wanted. Ida was a skilled needlewoman and one of Roger's main concerns was his castle at Framlingham. I thought that a cover based on Edward Blair Leighton's Stitching the Standard would be great.
Click here to see the picture.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Leighton-Stitching_the_Standard.jpg
Now compare it with the book cover at the top of the blog. You can also see the rough drafts of this by going to my illustrator's blog here:
http://www.rostant.com/seriesdesignforj.html
As far as the title was concerned we played with a lot of different ideas and suggestions. As always when I need inspiration, I turn to the bible (!) which is filled with excellent quotations and poetic phrases. A line from The Song of Solomon came straight to mind. The Song of Solomon is a love poem filled with a rich imagery of gardens and lovers, springtime and renewal. The novel contains several key scenes involving gardens and orchards, so the imagery fitted perfectly. Also, when Roger first notices Ida at court, she is singing and it is something she loves to do, and that he enjoys as well. The quote, taken from the New English Version of the Bible (rather than the King James) says: 'Arise my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come.' Perfect I thought, and different from the 'Queen' or 'Virgin' or 'Mistress' titles with which historical fiction is awash at the moment. You might also note in the illustration that the heroine gets to keep her head this time around!

7. MORE REVISIONS
The manuscript is passed on to a freelance editor who checks the punctuation and grammar and makes comments re the script where he/she feels appropriate. With The Time of Singing, I was very fortunate to have Richenda Todd, who was copy editor toDorothy Dunnett and is one of the best in the business.

8. LAST CHANCE REVISIONS.
Next the proofs arrive. These need to be read though and any teeny last minute alterations made. Now is not the time to suddenly realise you do not need chapter 4 after all - although I do confess to nearly having done that once! Not with The Time of Singing though.


Example of page proofs




















9. THE BLURBS AND THE PUBLICITY ANGLE
While stage 8 is in production, the 'blurbs' will be prepared. These are the mini-synopses/teaser pieces of text that readers see on the inside flap of the hardback and the back of the paperback. These are difficult to write because the word count is restricted and you are trying to condense the flavour of a 150,000 word novel into a few sentences.
The PR department at the publishers will send out advance copies of the novel to interested parties in the hopes of good reviews - any reviews really! The author has to gear up and be prepared to suddenly become a party animal and court the spotlight for the first few weeks following publication. Of course, being prepared doesn't always mean it will actually happen. Sometimes it does; sometimes it doesn't, but one has to have a nice frock in the wardrobe just in case.
And of course there's the magical day when Ta Da! the postman arrives with his signature form and that wonderful box of first edition books....by which time I will usually be at stage 3 on the next novel i.e. nose to the grindstone - see below!

STAGE 3. OR WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.


Click on the text at the left to enlarge for a sneak preview of the first page of the new work in progress - which may, of course be totally different by the time it's part of a published novel!

ON THE TRAIL OF THE PAST

A few weeks ago, I packed the laptop, the husband and the dog and headed off to spend another week in Norfolk. This was partly by way of a break, partly by way of research, and partly by way of a talk committment I'd given to the Norwich branch of the Richard III Society who had asked me to talk about the Marshal family at Norwich Assembly Rooms.
To be close to Norwich, we stayed in North Norfolk in a red brick farm cottage just outside a village called Lyng. It was fascinating on the first evening there to see a little head popping up from the midst of a tall field of green wheat and to realise that we were looking at a wild roe deer. A little less delightful was the dog picking up an army of ticks from these otherwise beautiful creatures!
Further along the road was another farm boasting a plethora of gorgeously coloured fowl and poultry, including some rather spectacular peacocks. I felt rather at home hearing their haunting cries and seeing their shimmering, irridescent feathers, because they do feature in scenes within The Time of Singing and I felt it was a connection with Henry II and Ida de Tosney.
Other than going for long walks around and about - I can recommend The Fox and Hounds in Lyng - they do a fantastic steak and kidney pudding - you won't need to eat again all week either - we went for a look around the Norfolk broads. These are man-made water ways, created in the Middle Ages by people digging for peat and leaving long water-filled channels. These days they are filled with pleasure boats and barges and it's a strong tourist area. That same day we also visited Winterton On Sea. The Bigod family had an interest here in 1086 when my Roger's grandfather is mentioned as owning rights in it in Domesday Book, although it isn't listed in the family's holdings by 1306. It was a glorious afternoon when we arrived there. Hardly a soul on the beach. The sand was firm and golden and the dog got to run like a puppy. The beach cafe there is fantastic value and serves delicious home-made cakes. (providing your innards are not still living off the steak and kidney pudding!). I loved walking along that beach because it put me in mind of another scene from THE TIME OF SINGING where Roger is walking his own dogs and finds himself thinking through a momentous proposal.
This is my own husband, another Roger, pausing between romps with our dog. Note the broad grin on the dog's face. He was having a marvellous time!
Another day we returned to Thetford Priory. I wanted to pay my respects to Roger Bigod, who is buried there, as is his son Hugh, who I am writing about at the moment. I knew that Roger was buried in the choir and had a rough idea where this was, but there is no marker to show the place officially. Indeed, Thetford Priory rather saddened me. English Heritage do not seem to be much bothered with its ruins. Vandals have scribbled over or destroyed some of the information plaques and there is a generally neglected air to the place. I have no idea what this plaque would have told me. The Cluniac Priory of Our Lady at Thetford was once a great ecclesiastical powerhouse. It was one of the most important monasteries in East Anglia. The Earls of Norfolk were buried here.Some of the later ones were moved to Framlingham. Do my Roger Bigod's bones lie under the grass here, or have they long been scattered? I don't know, but I am sorry there was not a more tangible monument at which to lay my respects.
Perhaps his wife lies here too, but as far as I know the records are silent as to the whereabouts of Ida. Roger Bigod is not forgotten though. His name lives on in the local architecture. I just had to photograph this placard as we walked towards the priory. I wonder what he'd think. Of course it may be referring to his grandson Roger III, or even his great grandson, Roger IV, who was himself a renowned architect.
On our way back from one of our day trips, I happened to catch the glimpse of an interesting round-towered church from the car window and made my husband take a detour so I could photograph it. I can't remember where it was now - apart from in the middle of nowhere. St. Andrew comes to mind, but I could be wrong. It was locked up, as so many churches are today, but what did catch my eye on external inspection was that one of the stained glass windows bore a heraldic symbol called a 'manche' which was the de Tosney symbol. So I felt in a way that I was catching a glimpse of Ida - a shy hidden moment, almost like her elusiveness in history. It took genealogists many years to track her down as the mother of William Longespee, Earl of Salisbury.
If you look closely in the centre of the shield shape in the top window, there's a thing that looks like a sideways boot. It's actually a sleeve and is the de Tosney 'manche.' I've also enclosed a photograph of the church itself.









We went to West Stow Anglo Saxon Village, but that was not a good day. I left my camera card at home, so couldn't take photos and they wouldn't allow dogs on the site. Crazed children -yes. One small, well behaved dog on a lead - no. So I went in on my own, had a quick potter round and then we went for a walk in Thetford Forest and I imagined Roger & Co hunting there. It is a real shame I didn't have my camera for West Stow because in their museum exhibit they had a sword from the battle of Fornham, in which my Roger fought as a young man. I'd love to have had a photo, especially as there was an inscription running down the blade. I can't remember what it said. When I asked about it at the reception, no one seemed to know anything about it. Sigh.
Finally we went for a lovely walk along a stream round the back of Castle Acre Priory (The priory is well worth a look. Went there last year though), and then on to Castle Rising, which is a terrific little Norman Keep not far from King's Lynne and well worth a visit. I have been here as well before - in Norman kit with Regia Anglorum, but it was good to revisit. The open door at the beginning is from there. Castle Acre itself became the home of Mahelt Marshal during her second marriage when she became a de Warenne. I'm writing about her at the moment, but I probably won't get as far as her second match in this particular novel.

This is me standing inside what would have been the original entrance to the Great Hall at Castle Rising, but has since been bricked up and used as a fireplace by later generations. I just love the way my camera has made a swayed image of the reflection of the window, caught in the glass protecting the brickwork. With my use of the psychic as an additional research tool, I felt this fitted perfectly!

THE TIME OF SINGING - TRAILER

I have a couple of blog posts waiting in the wings until I've got a minute to write them up - concerned with Norfolk and knitting (!) but in the meantime, here is the trailer for The Time of Singing. It features the brand new book cover not even off the press yet. I also have to thank my younger son's girlfriend for posing as Ida in the red dress. She has done a sterling job...

Making Connections: past and present.

A few months ago, a reader called Mike Pinchen wrote to me to say he'd been enjoying the novels about William Marshal. He also told me that he worked as an usher for Black Rod's department at the House of Lords and that should I ever wish for a bespoke guided tour of the Palace of Westminster, he would be delighted to show me round. How could I refuse? What a wonderful and unique opportunity. I accepted with alacrity and delight. Thank you Mike. What gave the invitation that extra frisson is that 800 years ago, John Marshal - hero of my novel A Place Beyond Courage, was in charge of the King's ushers, and the Marshal always carried a rod of office when on official business. We also know the name of two of the ushers from John Marshal's time - Bonhomme and Ralf. What a connection down the centuries. It gives me a feeling of warmth and pride and security to know that the job still exists. I guess that's what experiencing roots and continuity does for you.
I arranged for my agent, Carole Blake, to come along too and we met up with Mike outside the Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster one morning towards the end of May. The Palace, incorporating the House of Commons and the House of Lords, is a strong man's stone-throw from Westminster Abbey, built on the command of Edward the Confessor who would have been able to look out from the Anglo Saxon palace to view the building of his Abbey. The Palace did exist in the mid 11th century, although in a very different form to the one standing today. The current magnificent neo Gothic buildings were constructed over a period of 30 years in the mid 19th century after the old palace burned down, taking much of a thousand years of history with it. Areas, however, remain within the newer complex, illuminating the more distant past like lantern light in a long tunnel.
We weren't allowed to take photographs in many of the areas for obvious reasons, and there was so much to absorb and observe during our tour that I would have to write another novel to report it all! However, to say that we were allowed to take photos in one or two places and that some of the highlights for me - apart from seeing the centre of government, were:
Standing in the House of Commons and seeing how small it actually is. It always seems so much bigger on the television, but it is really quite intimate. The Prime Minister's dispatch box used to contain dispatches from around the Commonwealth, that were read out during sessions, but now, it apparently contains 'a pile of mouldy bibles.' ! The gap between the speakers when they are standing at the dispatch boxes is just over two sword-lengths - for obvious reasons!
It was wonderful to see Westminster Hall, originally built by William Rufus in the late 11th Century because the existing hall was too small for his needs. The bottom section of the hall is still of that date, but the stunning hammerbeam roof dates to the time of Richard II. Mike told us that Charles II had Oliver Cromwell dug up, removed his head, and hung it on a beam (right hand side nearest the camera) until it shrivelled up to the size of a pear. It's not there any more thank goodness! What was on show on Westminster hall though, was the remains of King Henry II's 'high table' which was also used for King Richard's coronation. It is made of purbeck marble rather than a wooden trestle and the area housing its remnants can be seen on the left mid-foreground of the photo. At one time parliament used to meet in this hall. There was also a gallery above for observers. To the right of the picture out of shot and down some stairs is the wonderful, wonderful chapel of St. Mary Undercroft. It's not on the beaten track to tourists and I feel very privileged to have been allowed to see it. The colours are so rich and the carving and detail so ornate that it gave me a sense like no other I have experienced of what the interior of a medieval church would have looked like. See the end of the post for photographs.
Following on from the chapel, we were given a peek into the broom cupboard where suffragette Emily Davidson hid on the eve of the census of 1911, so that she could give her address as the House of Commons. She was to die two years later when she threw herself under the horses as the Derby was being run, in order to highlight the plight of women. After this, we were taken to the House of Lords via the Queen's robing room, where she is dressed to prepare for the State opening of Parliament. Apparently this takes place behind a screen. Prince Philip has his own dressing area in the same room but in a different part and enjoys a glass of single malt whiskey at the same time!
The House of Lords is stunning, but unfortunately photography is not permitted. Pugin's work on the throne and surround has to be seen to be believed. Everywhere is rich with gold leaf and thicker gold itself on the hands of the angel at the side of the throne. A gallery runs around the top of the house, and the base of it is covered with a red curtain. This is apparently because when the Lords were in debate and ladies' skirts began to rise in the post Edwardian era, the flash of an ankle from those in the viewing gallery was extremely distracting to chaps trying to be good orators.
Statues of the twelve barons of the most importance concerning the Magna Carta look down on the House of Lords from the gallery. William Marshal stands in a prominent position to the right of the throne if one is looking down the house towards the throne. Roger Bigod is there too, further down on the left from the same viewing point. Also William Earl of Salisbury who features in The Time of Singing and is a strong secondary character in my new work in progress. This was a stunning moment too, and almost a lump to the throat moment to know that these people are still represented in the cornerstone of government. What William thinks of it all, I don't know.
Most touching, and a little sad was the monument to employees of the Palace of Westminster who died in service. It's a rather lonely little inset in a side wall and has been overshadowed by a modern extension structure. Against all the gilding and opulence inside, it seems forlorn and perhaps even a little disrespectful. One feels that such a memorial should have more presence. It was a sobering thought and helped to keep us grounded amid all the rich surroundings.
My sense of direction is a trifle dyslexic and I can't remember now which part of the tour I saw it, but we were also vouched a glimpse of the wall paintings from Henry III's private apartments - his 'Painted chamber.' Again no photographs, but I could have stood for hours and looked at these. They were partially destroyed during the fire at Westminster, but remnants survive, and again, lead me to realise how colourful the medieval world was and it made me long to go back to the 12th or 13th century for a holiday.
I have run out of my allotted time to write this blog post and I'm away researching next week, but I wanted to share this with you all first, and to say a huge thank you to Mike Pinchen for showing myself and Carole such a unique and important slice of our country's past and its
future. The sight of the marks Black Rod's staff of office have made on the doors of Parliament, reinforced to me how our traditions live on. Those marks could as easily have been made by John or William Marshal in their day.

A Brief Update

As usual I am scrambling for time, but as I prepare a longer post on what I've been up to, I thought I'd drop in with a few snippets of news.

The next full post will be about my grand day out in London last week, which involved the Prime minister's despatch box, Oliver Cromwell's head, Richard I's dining table William Marshal, Roger Bigod, and the most beautiful church interior I have ever seen.

Also last week I went to see the Dalai Lama at Nottingham Arena. What a lovely sane and sensible man he is, with a droll sense of humour and a wonderful fruity laugh. His spiritual message of respect and tolerance was one I wholeheartedly endorse.

The above excursions explain why I haven't had much time for writing and why I'm behind with the blog and need to put on my writing pants re the day job. However, concerning the latter I am happy to report that:

1. THE TIME OF SINGING is now copy edited Agent and editor both love it - which is a relief, although even more relief will be once it has passed muster with the readers. The cover is almost sorted too and I do like it a lot.

2. I have finished re-editing THE WILD HUNT, taking 15,000 words off it in the process while losing nothing of the story. I guess I've learned to control the waffle better these days! Editor is pleased with the rewrite, so again, that's another hurdle jumped. It has been interesting revisiting Guyon and Judith after all these years. I have a soft spot for them because it was their story that finally opened a publisher's door to me after almost seventeen years of writing as a hobby. It also won me a Betty Trask award and brought me to Whitehall to have my prize presented by Prince Charles - a bit different to stacking shelves in the local supermarket which is what I'd been doing before.

3. I am 3 chapters into the new novel - the story of William Marshal's daughter, and what a girl she is proving to be. Definitely strong-willed and uppity. That she became Marshal of England towards the end of her life comes as no surprise to me as I investigate her character.

Back in a short while. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a glimpse from the Luttrell Psalter film, due out June 6th. Just beautiful!