First History Post

Well, Ruth has assigned me Elizabeth I as my first reading topic. Excellent, the books, when I finally get hold of them from the library, will be rather easier to read than David Glantz' Stalingrad Trilogy, which whilst being absolutely fascinating is neither quick nor easy to read.

However, I have decided not to let the delays in getting hold of my assigned books stop me. Last weekend we had a family trip to London. We all had a great time especially my son who got to see the practice run for the Trooping of the Colour. Neither my wife nor I'd ever seen it before either so this was a real treat. My son was fascinated by all the uniforms in their bright finery and it helped bring to life for him all the discussions he and I have had about the battle of Waterloo.

We spent much of Saturday on an open topped bus tour of London. The route took in the Tower of London, which I have walked past on several occasions whilst working in the capital, though I've never been in. The tour guide informed us that it is a popular misconception that many traitors have been executed within the grounds of the Tower; in reality only about 6 people have been, at least 3 of them during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary. One of those was of course Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I's mother. So my first link to Elizabeth. The second link was provided by my son, who reminded me that Elizabeth was kept as a prisoner in the Tower of London for a time by her half sister Mary. So now I could explain to him that in those days the tower was quite a luxurious royal apartment and so imprisonment there was not all that bad, though scientific progress in the Tudor period meant Nintendo DS's and television wouldn't have been available.

The final link to Elizabeth I was the Trooping of the Colour itself. The event marks Elizabeth II's birthday. Elizabeth II was named after Elizabeth I.

In all, the trip made for a great weekend.