Sudeley Castle and Katherine Parr

As the spring approaches and we all begin to think about day trips and picnics I thought I'd reblog this piece I wrote about Sudeley.

 Sudeley Castle is a comparatively small place in the scheme of things, set against the backdrop of the Cotswolds. Sudeley is, and has been, many things; today it is a family home, a beautiful garden, a historic jewel, and the last resting place of an English queen. The Castle is steeped in history and was first mentioned in a 10^th century charter. King Ethelred hunted deer in the park and later, when the castle passed to Goda, her distant relationship to William the Conqueror, saved it from Norman take over.

Sudeley remained in the hands of Goda’s family until the reign of Henry V when the castle was gifted to Thomas Boteler in way of repayment for his action in the war with France. It was Boteler who began to transform Sudeley into an enviable home, enlarging and updating the existing fabric of the building to create a place fit for royalty.

When the Lancastrians were defeated and Edward IV took the throne the Boteler family were forced out and Sudeley’s new owner was no other than the king’s brother, Richard of Gloucester, later King Richard III of car park fame.

When the tables turned again and Richard was defeated at Bosworth, Henry VII took it over, bestowing it on his loyal uncle Jasper Tudor. After Jasper’s death Sudeley once more became crown property.

Henry VIII visited once with Anne Boleyn. They met with Thomas Cromwell there to discuss the reformation of the monasteries and took a keen interest in the Blood of Christ housed at nearby Winchcombe Abbey. At this time the castle was run down and unoccupied for much of the time.

On his accession to the throne Edward VI made his uncle, Thomas Seymour, Lord of Sudeley and after his marriage to Katheryn Parr, Seymour and his new wife made their home there.

 The Seymours implemented many improvements and Katheryn took great care in choosing the décor of the nursery for their expected child. Unfortunately, to Thomas Seymour’s sorrow, Katheryn died scarcely a year later, having given birth to a healthy daughter, whom they named Mary.

With Thomas’ ward, Lady Jane Grey, acting chief mourner Katheryn was laid to rest in St Mary’s church adjacent to the castle. Today visitors to Sudeley can view a love letter and portrait gifted to the queen by her husband.

Katheryn’s step daughter and friend, Elizabeth Tudor, later Queen Elizabeth I, visited Sudelely on three occasions during her reign. It is easy to imagine her walking in the garden, remembering her stepmother, recalling conversations, small personal details of their shared life that are now lost to history.

Sudeley’s history doesn’t stop with the Tudors. During the civil war Prince Rupert made the castle his headquarters, and Charles I stayed there for a time during the campaign to take Gloucester.

During the course of the war Sudelely passed back and forth between Royalist and Parliamentarian hands until Parliament ordered the ‘slighting’ of Sudeley making the house indefensible. The roof was removed, and the rest of the building fell swiftly into decay. The fine worked stone was quarried by locals until the grand castle became nothing more than an attractive romantic ruin. For the next two hundred years it was left to the mercy of the elements, a trysting place for lovers, or a hideaway for thieves.

In 1782, Katheryn Parr’s grave was rediscovered. The lead casket was opened the body found within reported to be 'uncorrupted'. She was reinterred in 1817 by the Rector of Sudeley and a plaque copied from the original inscription on the lead coffin placed upon it. Today there is an effigy on the tomb but this was made in Victorian times.

Sudeley remained in elegant decay until the nineteenth century when it was bought by two brothers, John and William Dent, who embarked upon a restoration project. They employed architect Sir Gilbert Scott to restore the chapel. The walls and large parts of the castle were restored. Finally Lady Emma Dent spent almost fifty years putting the finishing touches, filling Sudeley with fine art and historical artefacts.

Yet, of all the people mentioned in this potted history; the Lords, the ladies, the kings, the politicians; it is Katheryn’s memory that lingers. Visitors flock there, not just to see a splendid house and a magnificent garden; they go there because of Henry VIII’s last queen, Katheryn Parr.

The Tudor style parterre is only a reconstruction but, although Katheryn may have gone it is easy to imagine her there, inhaling the scent of the flowers, the kiss of summer rain on blush pink petals.

While you move quietly between the roses, or pass through the old yew hedge, you can imagine a footstep on the gravel behind you, the sweeping red skirts of her kirtle as she joins you. And as she follows you around the flowerbeds, you may feel the brush of her hanging sleeves.

Judith is the author of seven historical novels and is currently working on a trilogy tracing the life of Margaret Beaufort. Book one of The Beaufort Chronicles, The Beaufort Bride will be out soon.

For more information about Judith's work please click here

or here: www.juditharnopp.com

Pictures of Sudeley Castle and of the church at the castle are both licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, the former to Gordon Robertson, the latter to Jason Ballard.  The picture of Katheryn Parr's tomb is licensed to TudorQueen6 via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  The portraits of Thomas Seymour and Katheryn Parr are in the public domain due to expiration of copyright.

Reflections from a hermit in West Wales

This is where I live. Miles from the shops, miles from the bus. Of course, it isn't always snowy but since I don't drive and the bus service is non-existent, it might as well be. Sometimes the only person I see all day, other than my old fella when he comes home at night, is the postman. This time of the year, when I order more parcels I sometimes see several different delivery men in a day. Oh what a dizzy life I lead. My lifestyle does have its drawbacks. I can get a bit cranky, a little too introverted, especially if the phone rings and disturbs my peace. You see, I have come to rather like my solitude. I can be totally selfish all day, do exactly as I please, as long as that doesn't involve going out. It also enables me to give 100% attention to my work. I write four days a week, from nine(ish) to five(ish), researching, writing, marketing and networking and I am so grateful to be able to do that. So many of my writer friends have to fit their writing around work commitments, I know I am blessed. 

My life hasn't always been like this. For years I was a full time mum, running a smallholding, trying to keep the house in order. I spent years chasing children, chickens and (most of all) my own tail.

Then one day, I turned around and they were all grown up and I hadn't a clue what to do next. So, after months of indecision, I went to uni, took a degree in English literature and Creative Writing. Fortunately our local uni is just eight miles away in Lampeter. I loved University, the buildings, the lectures, the students, the staff ...the library. It was by the far the scariest step I have ever taken but also the very best decision of my life. I loved it so much that after graduation I signed up for a Masters, this time in Medieval Studies. But, of course, time doesn't stand still and I soon found myself in that 'now what?' situation again. This time though I was better armed.

I have always written stories and poems but never let anyone read them, only  my children who loved to be the protagonists in the adventures I wrote. Even today I slot their names into my novels if I can. Anyway, I digress. I wrote two novels (dreadful things) before I produced Peaceweaver and decided it was good enough to run with. I did the usual battle with agents and publishers before I decided to go it alone. Another challenge, another set of skills to learn but the result was well received but not widely read. A little discouraged initially but undaunted, the reviews it had received were encouraging enough for me to write a follow up,The Forest Dwellers. Again it met a luke-warm readership, those that read it liked it but there was not the buzz I'd hoped for. I sorted out some formatting problems, re-issued it, stuck my head down and wrote another, The Song of Heledd. 

I love this book. It is very Welsh, very romantic and ends in horrible tragedy but once more, it wasn't met with overwhelming acclaim. During this time, on the back of a small very short pamphlet I'd published about Henry VIII's wives, I had lots of people asking if I'd written any full length 'Tudor' novels and since I was between projects I decided to do so.  

The Winchester Goose stands out from anything I'd written previously. For a start, once you've written five books you are more in control, know what  you are doing and so I think it benefited from author confidence. This book breaks rules but I am like that. I like to be different. 

It is written first person, present tense and tells the story of Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard

from the perspective of a prostitute from Southwark. But it doesn't stop there; Joanie Toogood's story contrasts the life of a woman of the night with the life of a queen, and concludes that there is very little difference.

This book, along with my blogging both on this page and the English Historical Authors Blog won me lots of fans, lots of facebook friends and twitter followers and I began to get the exposure I needed.

Of course, I am by no means famous or even well-known but I am too introverted to crave real fame. I am much happier here chatting to my virtual friends and plotting, well-researched stories for my readers. The idea of  public speaking, radio or television interviews fills me with horror. I love the internet because it allows me to make my living without having to confront my deepest phobias. My fifth published novel, The Kiss of the Concubine; a story of Anne Boleyn has been out for three weeks (I think) and much to my surprise has shot into the Amazon Kindle Historical chart. The reviews so far are immensely encouraging, my back catalogue is also selling and for the first time in years, I can afford to have the heating on all day if I need to.

So, really this blog is to say 'thank you' to all those people who kept the faith in me, have bought and read my books; it is to say thank you for all the good reviews, the sharing of links, the recommendations to friends, for supporting me in my battles. Thank you to all those readers who asked me to write 'Tudor'. I am eternally grateful.

Have good Christmas, Holiday, Yule etc. and a fantastic New Year.

Watch this space for Intractable Heart: a story of Katherine Parr, coming to a book shop near you in 2014.

Photographs: wikimedia commons, author's own.
All my books are available in paperback and on Kindle.
For more information about me and my work please visit my webpage: 
Some of my non fiction is included in the superb collection from the English Historical Fiction authors, Customs, Castles, and Kings, click here for a preview.

Cydweli Castle- Castles, Customs and Kings Blog Hop and Giveaway

I am very part to have my work included in the newly released collection of essays, Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors. It is a fabulously fat book absolutely stuffed with treasures from our group of historical novelists. There is something for everyone, from Roman Britain to the early twentieth century. You can have a look here.

I live in rural Wales, not strictly speaking 'England' but the wonderful country right next door. In Wales we are surrounded by history, everywhere you look there are castles, crumbling abbeys and statues of bygone heroes. Cydweli Castles is one of my favourites.

Standing proud above a small village, over-looking the River Gwendraeth near Carmarthen in West Wales, is Cydweli Castle. Of Norman origin, the fortress is testament to the years of Anglo/Welsh conflict, its dominant position in the landscape making it quite clear who was in control of whom.

The earliest castle was a Norman earth and timber construction built shortly after the conquest, the village growing up around it. During the 12th century the castle fell several times into Welsh hands and by the 13th century it had been rebuilt in stone with the latest in defensive design.

Today, we see most phases of building; a square inner bailey defended by four round towers, a semi-circular outer curtain wall to protect the landward side and the massive gatehouse and jutting tower defending the riverside walls.

Cydweli (or the anglicised Kidwelly) is of concentric design with defensive walls set one within the other providing the best defence possible at the time of building. The gate house was still under construction when Owain Glyn Dŵr held it under siege during his campaign against the English.

Owain Glyn Dŵr was born around 1359 and through his parents, Gruffydd Fychan II and Elen ferch Tomas ap Llywelyn,  descended from the Welsh princes of Powys and Deheubarth.  His early life is quite unremarkable and law abiding. He was educated in London and served as a squire and a soldier, fighting for the English king in campaigns in Scotland. By the year 1400 he had become a well-respected Welsh gentlemen but events over the next few years pushed Glyn Dŵr further into rebellion.

Baron Grey de Ruthyn, a neighbour of Glyn Dŵr’s, had seized control of some land, forcing him to appeal to the English Parliament.  In 1400, Lord Grey failed to inform Glyn Dŵr in time of a royal command to levy feudal troops for service on the Scottish border. This apparent dereliction of duty enabled the Welshman to be named a traitor in London court circles

Possibly due to Lord Grey’s  personal friendship with King Henry IV, Glyn Dŵr lost the case and when, in January 1400, civil disorder broke out in Chester in support of the deposed king, Richard II, Glyn Dŵr’s relationship with Henry IV broke down completely.

In September 1400 Owain Glyn Dŵr was created Prince of Wales by the dissenting Welsh.

By 1401, after a series of confrontations between Owain’s followers and Henry IV the revolt began to spread. Welshmen studying at Oxford abandoned their studies, labourers lay down their tools, returned to Wales and flocked to Owain’s  banner. Welsh troops who had fought for the king in France and Scotland also joined the cause, Welsh archers and men-at-arms abandoned the English king to join the Welsh rebellion.

Early in the campaign the Welsh skill at guerrilla warfare gained them some notable success. They were victorious at the battle of Bryn Glas in Powys in 1402; inflicted much damage on many towns (including Cardiff) and took control of several of the strongest castles in Wales, notably Aberystwyth and Harlech.

During the fourth year of the revolt Owain Glyn Dŵr and his armies turned up in the Tywi Valley and captured a number of castles, including Dyslwyn and Carmarthen and persuaded Henry Don, a former steward of the Duchy of Lancaster and a fellow of considerable standing and power, to throw in his lot with the rebels. It was Henry Don who led the attack on Cydweli Town and castle.

However, around 1405 the rebels began to lose ground, they were defeated at Usk and sometime between 1408-9 the castles at Aberystwyth, Harlech were retaken by the crown. Owain himself was never captured but faded from history, believed to be dead by 1416. Many tales are told about the circumstances of his death.

A supporter of Glyn Dŵr,  Adam of Usk, wrote  in his Chronicle in the year 1415 that, ‘After four years in hiding, from the king and the realm, Owain Glyndŵr died, and was buried by his followers in the darkness of night. His grave was discovered by his enemies, however, so he had to be re-buried, though it is impossible to discover where he was laid.’

Adrien Jones, the president of the Owain Glyn Dŵr Society, as late as 2006 visited Sir John Scudamore who is a direct descendant of Glyndŵr and lives  near Abergavenny. He told him that Glyn Dŵr spent his last years with  his daughter Alys at Monnington Straddel in Herefordshire and eventually died there. The family kept the secret for six hundred years but Sir John claimed that Glyn Dŵr is buried beneath a mound nearby at Monnington Straddel.

Whatever the truth of the matter may be Owain Glyn Dŵr is gone but never forgotten and remains a hero in Wales, a household name and icon of Welsh nationalism.

To read more fab castle blogs click on the author name links below.

As part of the blog hop I am giving away a copy of one of my novels. You can find out about them here and leave a comment below with the title of your choice and your contact email.

You can find out more about Judith and her historical novels on her website: www.juditharnopp.com

or on her Amazon Author page.

UK - click here

USA - click here

The Tudor Roses: the history so far ...

The history of The Tudor Roses starts about 500ish years ago, then there is a big gap until 2011, the 5th June 2011 to be precise. Of course 500 years ago was the amazing Tudor dynasty without which the Roses would not have come into being, in fact many of us may not have even been born if the Tudor dynasty had not happened as it was such a pivotal and influential period of the history of England and Great Britain, even Europe as a whole. Leaving Henry, six wives, reformation, uprisings and virgin queens for the time being we again jump forward in time to 2011 when Lady Emma, Lady Erica and Lady Katherine found themselves at Hever Castle in Tudor gowns for the very first time in public. They had been invited to spend a day there as part of a group of those who had purchased Tudor dresses from the seamstress who made them.

A bond was quickly formed between the three (and Emma’s partner, Darren) as well as an instant

love of wearing the gowns and being ladies of the Tudor court. Coupled with a shared love of everything Tudor a firm friendship grew between them. The Roses officially arrived in August after the girls got in contact and voiced their desire to put on their gowns again, but that Saturday back in June was the real start as it was inevitable that the Roses was going to happen. So after a casual discussion between Darren and Emma about the Hever day, a nudge to get Emma to get in touch with Katherine and Erica and an out of the blue “You could call yourselves The Tudor Roses” from Darren, the ball was sent well and truly rolling.

Logo created, Facebook page setup and website designed the Roses were good to go and the first step for them was to make an appearance on 27^th August 2011 at a charity event organised by Restore Rochester Castle (now an official charity), the open air premiere of the film Ironclad in the grounds of Rochester Castle itself. The showing was put on by Nomad Cinema and was attended by the Mayor and ex-mayor of Rochester and two of the main stars of the film, Jamie Foreman (Eastenders) and none other than James Purefoy himself accompanied by Florence; the massive sword he wields in the film. Lady Emma and Lady Katherine were the Roses present at this event and did a splendid job of emptying all those bits of annoying shrapnel (commonly known as loose change) out of the public’s pockets – as well as some of the paper variety too – and collecting it all together in the collection buckets. They also impressed the guests with their dresses, as well as Jamie and James too, and posed for photos with all. Darren was there with his trusty camera which was to become a feature of any visit by the Roses to any event as he was drafted in to be the official photography as well as taxi driver and lacing-up-dresses-type-person. 

 

From this highly successful first official outing as the Roses the next stop was a weekend of jousting by the Knights of Royal England and the lovely Leeds Castle where Lady Emma and Lady Erica were privileged to be the Knights’ queens, with Emma being Anne Boleyn on the Saturday and Erica as Jane Seymour on the Sunday. This was our first large scale public appearance and it was a great success all round and highly enjoyable. From this first time working alongside the Knights we have worked with and alongside them many times since and it is always a pleasure to do so; even playing rugby along the way – ladies against knights!

With a couple of other bits between then and the end of the year our year was perfectly rounded off by being asked to take part in a Christmas Tudor Banquet at Hall Place in Bexley. Here we were to be found meeting and greeting the guests as they arrived, chatting with them as they had a glass of something and then directing them to their seats for the food – which was amazing incidently; especially the haggis! There was much merriment to be had and Emma, Erica and Katherine entertained the guests with some impromptu Tudor dancing to the tunes of Serpentyne who provided the live Tudor music. But for us, the highlight of the night was being introduced to the sweet honey fire water they call Mead; Lady Erica especially enjoyed it!

With Christmas well behind us, the New Year passed, 2012 saw us a pretty busy events diary with plenty of new and exciting new venues that were going to see a visit from The Tudor Roses. We shall not bore you all with by recounting every single event and what we did and saw but instead just list all the lovely Tudor relevant places we had the privilege and honour to see, several of which we got to visit more than once.

In no particular order we visited;

·         Sudeley Castle

·         Hever Castle

·         Cowdray Ruins

·         Ingatestone Hall

·         Layer Marney Tower

·         Hedingham Castle

·         Rochester Castle

·         Nonsuch

·         Dudley Castle

·         The Vyne

·         Barrington Court

To highlight a couple of these venues we shall first mention Sudeley Castle which saw them hold their first Tudor Fun Days to mark the 500^th Anniversary of Kateryn the Quene – KP, who lays in rest at St Mary’s Chapel within the grounds. Her tomb is a fitting monument to such an amazing, and very much overlook and under-estimated, Queen and person. Just being in her presence, so close to the remains of a Queen of England and one of Henry VIII’s wives is a very humbling experience and one that feels you with a strange sense of calm. The Tudor Roses were very proud to be asked to Sudeley to be part of the yearlong remembrance of Lady Latimer, Queen Katherine - 6^th Wife of Henry. Katherine Parr’s final home and resting place was visited by the Roses five times for the Tudor Fun Days and also for their Halloween Happening in October. 

The second, lighter hearted event in 2012 was at Dudley Castle where we were part of a live Paranormal Show called Psychic & Science. This was a live investigation into the paranormal world of ghosts, spirits and mediumship by the nationally renowned investigators Compass Paranormal. This late night event was a very memorable one and one at which we had much fun. What wasn’t fun was the mad morning rush the next day down to The Vyne in Basingstoke – though it was very much worth it as the Vyne is an impressive place to visit and to go Tudoring ( as we like to call it).

The final event that needs special mention in 2012 is the Rochester Castle fun run where the Roses took part in fundraising to try to raise awareness and funds to save, restore and preserve the 114 foot Norman keep that dominates the Medway skyline even today. It is also worth noting that this is the castle where the fate of Anne of Cleves’ marriage to Henry VIII was determined when she shunned the strange and overweight aging Henry as he burst in on her in full disguise to surprise her whilst she was watching bull bait on the grass next to the keep. The idea in Henry’s mind was that in true chivalric style true love would not mask who he was and Anne would instantly recognise him; well that back fired didn’t it Henry! We bet he wished he had just stuck to the plan to wait for her at Greenwich and save himself a whole heap of embarrassment and a massive knock to his male ego.

Not mentioning in detail the other venues is not to diminish their impact on us and their importance within the Tudor world, especially when you get to walk amongst such things as the awe inspiring ruins at Cowdray or watch the jousting at Hedingham Castle and to gaze up to the top of the tower at Layer Marney or to be struck by the largely untouched Tudor architecture of Ingatestone Hall. I mean, who can fail to love wandering around Hever Castle or marvelling at the beauty of Leeds. We can only say thank you to all the venues that had The Tudor Roses as their guests in 2012!

Right, on to 2013 and what a year it has been. We are pretty much at the end of our season as this blog post is being typed with only a tour at Layer Marney Tower on 8^th September, Nonsuch Awareness Day on 15^th September and the last Sudeley Castle Tudor Fun Day on 22^nd September to go. We have just completed the final bank holiday weekend at Hedingham Castle and are very much looking forward to being back there next year with all those we are rapidly beginning to regard as our Hedingham based Tudor family.

The list of places visited this year pretty much reflects that of 2012 with a few exceptions, those being Dudley Castle as that was a one off event, Cowdray Ruins as sadly they pretty much closed due to lack of funding and cost of running – though they have started opening on a limited basis and hope to carry on next year which is fabulous news as Cowdray is one of our favourite places we’ve been, and also so far Rochester Castle but watch this space, the year isn’t over yet!

In several cases this year we’ve had to split the Roses in two to cover more than one place at a time as it was impossible not to double book events on occasions. Leading on from this is a good time to mention that The Tudor Roses has grown from the original three ladies to now numbering seven plus two little lords in the shape of Emma and Darren’s sons Jonny and Matty, and now also the Roses’ very own thorn as finally Darren has put the camera down (not permanently we hasten to add, it will still come out from time to time) and put on the tights, well, lower stocks actually! So the Roses now have ten members and are ready for the new season with new locations. We have also had some guest Roses this year and last, three of which have become permanent members. To those who have been guests we say thank you for sharing in the fun and we hope you can join us again next season. To the two who could not make it this year the offer is still open and we hope to have you along next season; you know who you are.

Along our Tudor journey we have made some very good friends including The Knights of Royal England, those permanently based at Hedingham Castle including the Norfolk Longbowmen, the owners and staff of venues and Steve and Joanne from Lavenham Falconry – Jo being our latest Rose, our Hedingham Rose!

A very close bond and friendship has formed between the Roses and Lavenham Falconry and we have worked very closely with Steve at Hedingham Castle and at his displays at his new site. This working relationship is developing and evolving for next year to incorporate many exciting ideas and concepts – definitely something to look forward to for us and we hope for all of you that follow and support us and generally love everything Tudor. The birds at Lavenham Falconry are brilliant to work with and are repeatedly under threat of being stolen by certain members of the Roses, not to mention Alice who works at Hedingham Castle.

Something that we are very proud of and pleased to be able to say we have done is to be involved with Alison Weir’s tours this year and last, being at Hever Castle to meet and greet her tour guests as they arrive at Hever for their first night – a great and much appreciated surprise for all on the tours. Alison is one of the nicest people we have met along the way and we love working with her, we’re honoured to number her among our supporters and friends of the Roses. In 2012 Emma, Erica and Katherine were treated by Alison to a not easily forgotten dinner experience with her tour guests at Hever and this year Emma, Darren and Katherine were invited to stay and watch the amazing play Fallen in Love: The Secret Heart of Anne Boleyn by Red Rose Chain. Emma Connell and Scott Ellis are brilliant actors and brought Anne and George’s story to life using just themselves and a bed that turned into an execution scaffold. Darren, Emma and Katherine actually went to The Tower of London to watch this play (off duty for a change) on the last evening of its run – watching it again at Hever was every bit as good as the first time at The Tower; two locations very relevant to Anne and George.

On a side note we’ve seen an addition to our repertoire with Lady Emma carrying our several school talks this year as part of their history curriculum as well as other Tudor related talks. She was also involved in an annual three week Tudor living history event for school children.  We’ve also been part of a Tudor themed wedding at Hedingham Castle and as mentioned above been involved in tours at Layer Marney Tower. Book launches, falconry and Tudor dancing can also be added to the list – we like to keep busy and to keep offering more. Oh, and let’s not forget a spot of archery with proper longbows. The Tudor side of London has also been shown. To wrap up what we have gotten up to we just need to mention the photo shoots that we have had at various Tudor locations.

All that is left for us to say now is thank you to all of you that have supported us these two and a half years of Tudoring and we hope that you will continue to do so into the future. We invite you all along on our Tudor journey as we grow and expand and bring you more of what you love – everything Tudor. We also hope that some of you will be reading as new to The Tudor Roses and will join us on our Facebook page. The link for that and our website, plus Twitter account will be included at the very end of this post. Look out for a completely revamped website coming over the winter months and for improved video Blogs that is something we started this year – we promise we will keep practicing during the off season. Thank you to Judith for asking us to write this brief, well brief'ish, history of the Roses so far, we enjoyed looking back over the last two and a half years, reliving many good times and looking forward to even more to come. We also need to mention Mr Russ Allen, a lovely fellow and husband to Lady Debbie who has stepped up not only to chauffeur Debbie to events but also to fill the shoes as photographer of the Roses when Darren plays dress up!

We hope you all enjoyed reading this guest post and again, THANK YOU to all of you for your support. We look forward to having you with us next season and we hope to meet many of you at the events we attend.

Thank you from Darren, Emma, Jonny, Matty, Erica, Katherine, Francesca, Rachel, Debbie and Joanne – The Tudor Roses!

Lastly, thank you to all the Roses from Darren and Emma for making the Roses what they are, the success we have enjoyed, the hard work you’ve all put in and most importantly for all the fun we’ve had Tudoring with you – the Mead is on us, here’s to next year!

https://www.facebook.com/TheTudorRoses

http://www.thetudorroses.co.uk

https://twitter.com/TheTudorRoses

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG3XyAYF5l-B8eEjisrkJsA (The Tudor Roses YouTube channel)

info@thetudorroses.co.uk