Richard 3rd

 

Here we are at the top of Bosworth Hill. What a lovely place to start the day with fantastic hilarity with Claire. Memorable Claire comment of the day was 'I haven't been here since we buried Richard'.  It sounded so funny considering the battle and his death were in 1485 🙃

 

However, Claire and her children were involved in the reburial of King Richard, Claire and Imogen singing at the service in Leicester cathedral. How amazing to sing at the funeral of a king who died over 500 years ago. Apparently 20,000 people queued to see the coffin of the king, who had been found when they excavated under the car park only metres from the cathedral. Now, of course Leicester is well and truly on the tourist map and the tomb of Richard, brand new museum, etc, well visited.

 

With grants, some fantastic new stained glass windows depicting the life and death of Richard have been put in. Really beautiful!

 

Actually, Leicester really appealed to me. It is a decent- sized city, probably a little smaller than Christchurch, but with some pretty lanes and pedestrian streets, plenty of great restaurants and bars, plus some very attractive historic buildings. 

It has been great to spend time here with the Claire, Tony and the girls. Andrew, my nephew, and Becky , my youngest neice, are also arriving later. It will be fantastic to see them and their children before i travel further north. 

I have had a chance to catch my breath, do some work, relax and also visit some wonderful new places. Perfect. What's more, the sun is back, though I do think we all need to adopt the optimistic approach most British have to the weather - at the slightest break in the cloud the comment is ' looks as if it is brightening up now'. What a great outlook.