At Kensington Palace: 

Does Queen Mary II weep in the Room of Royal Sorrow for the babies she never had? Does Peter the Wild Boy still run amok in the Room of the World? Who stands at the window waiting for the ships from home? 

As you are guided through the shadowy world of Enchanted Palace in the 17th and 18th century State Apartments, our Eerie Evening Tours of Enchanted Palace will regale you with chilling tales of mysterious sights and strange stories in these rooms over the centuries. Book yourself on these limited and exclusive tours in order to enjoy the unique atmosphere of historic Kensington Palace at night. Please note these tours are history based and are not concerned with paranormal investigation.  

The Eerie Evening Tours of Enchanted Palace will run over the Halloween weekend – Friday 28, Saturday 29, Sunday 30 and Monday 31 October 2011 only. There will be one tour per night 18.45h – 20.15h. The price will be £20.00 per person and tickets will go on sale soon. There will be a maximum of 25 places per tour.  

Buy tickets here: http://www.hrp.org.uk/kensingtonpalace/WhatsOn/EerieEveningToursofEnchantedPalace

From the Telegraph:

“London 1612: Shakespeare’s Theatre of the World, will open in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics and will explore the role of the capital as an emerging international city 400 years ago, interpreted through his plays.

The Great Hall of Framingham Castle is on the market for 850 pounds a month!

From Mail Online:

“Searching for the perfect property to rent is a tricky balancing act.

When you find somewhere to suit your budget it’s generally too small, perhaps it’s in the wrong location or maybe you’re beaten to the punch by more eager home-seekers.

So it is rare that you stumble across a place that, while a little older than you had previously considered, is perfectly situated in rolling English fields and a steal at twice the price.

The only catch is that you have to share it with a few thousand sightseers every day before 6pm.

English Heritage is searching for tenants for what was once The Great Hall of Framlingham Castle, the Suffolk residence of several English Kings and Queens.

The Red House is on the market for just £850 per month.

A two-bedroom flat in London’s Mayfair will cost you the same amount per week.”

Read more

• Friday 28th January at 10.30am
  Katharine of Aragon Commemoration Service
  Our annual service which commerates the life of Henry VIII first wife, Katharine. This uplifting service is open to all with primary schools from across the Peterborough region and historical musicians Hautbois performing.
• Friday 28th January at 5.00pm
  Candlelit Procession and Vespers
  This service is in part a candlelit procession of honour of Katharine through the Cathedral grounds and up to her tomb. The procession harks back to her funeral and the 1000 candles lit for Katharine by approximately 200 mourners in 1536.
• Friday 28th January at 7.30pm in the New Building
  Talk on the Life and Times of Old Scarlett
  Tickets are £5 or £3 concessions and available from the Cathedral Shop or Peterborough Destination Centre on 01733 452336.
• Saturday 29th January 9.00am
  Roman Catholic Mass by the grave of Katharine of Aragon
  This moving Mass, held each year in her memory, is led by Father David Jennings from All Souls Park Road.
• Saturday 29th January 10.00am to 3.00pm
  Tudor Living History Day in the Cathedral and its grounds Free admission. Tudor Living History Day at the Cathedral, with a chance to meet Katharine and Henry Vlll, Tudor dancing and music, Tudor crafts, archery, surgery and much more.
• Saturday 29th January at 7.30pm
  The Sixteen in concert
  The Sixteen are recognized as one of the world’s greatest choral and period instrument ensembles. This unique concert which will only ever be performed this evening will feature music Katharine would have heard at court, and also a piece reputedly written especially for her by Henry VIII. Full concert programme details can be found on the Cathedral website. Tickets are £20, £12, £8 and are available only from the Cathedral Shop or Peterborough Destination Centre on 01733 452336. Early booking is recommended as these concerts usually sell out.

  Full programme details:

• Sunday 30th January at 2.00pm
  Tudor Walk around Peterborough city centre
  This historical walk is guided by Stuart Orme. Tickets are £5, £3 concession and available from the Peterborough Destination Centre on 01733 452336.

The Twelve Days festivities provided a welcome break for the working folk in the days of the Tudor dynasty.   This was the time when all work ceased except for those who cared for livestock and other animals. Even spinning, the major occupation for women, was banned during this holiday. They placed flowers in the spinning wheels to prevent their use. However it seems that the cooks must have been working for feasting was the most popular activity of the festival.

The royalty and the nobles were the ones who truly feasted, and they dined primarily on various kinds of spiced meat with an assortment of ales and rich beverages. Poultry and other types of fowl were favorite meats consumed by the royals who were not interested in vegetarian dishes. However brussels sprouts were reported for the first time in cooking recipes. Swan and goose were the favorite birds for the Christmas feast in rich households.

Elizabeth I favored the goose for her own table. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada, this was the first meal she enjoyed, and she ordered that goose should be on the Christmas menu on every table across the land as a fitting tribute to the English sailors who fought off the Spanish. However since goose was an expensive luxury, it’s doubtful that this order was obeyed by the common folk.

A Christmas Pie generally consisted of a turkey which was stuffed with a goose which was stuffed with a chicken which was stuffed with a partridge, which was finally stuffed with a pigeon–five birds to make up one pie. But that’s not all–the dish was served in a pastry case called a coffin and in the final presentation, the Christmas Pie was surrounded by rabbit meat, small game birds and more wild fowl on its huge platter which was placed in the center of the banquet table.

In 1519 the first turkey was introduced into England and Henry VIII one of the first to add it to his Christmas menu. As the popularity of the bird increased, farmers started transporting the turkeys to London from Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk by walking huge flocks along the roads. This journey usually started in August so that the birds would be in London in time for the holiday season. The famous portrait of Henry VIII munching on the turkey drumstick was apparently not far off the mark.

Read more at Suite101: Christmas Traditions In Tudor England http://www.suite101.com/content/christmas-traditions-in-tudor-england-a318441#ixzz1833LZcqQ

Read the review

From the website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11036348

This is SO COOL!!!!

“Curators at Bosworth Battlefield in Leicestershire have launched an international search for the descendants of the men who fought at the bloody battle for the English throne on August 22 1485.

Timed to coincide with the battle’s 525th anniversary and an extensive re-enactment at the heritage site, the call is designed to add some detail to the list of names already held at the Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre and enhance the growing knowledge of the Battle, which was the final chapter in the bloody episode in English history known as the Wars of the Roses.

Contemporary accounts of the clash, which effectively swept away the Plantagenet dynasty and ushered in the Tudors, suggest there were between 12,000 and 16,000 men fighting for King Richard, opposed by 5,000 fighting for Henry Tudor and between 5,000 and 7,000 in the army of the Stanleys.

The names of many men in these armies are held at the Visitor Centre but, as Curator Richard Knox concedes, there is much more to be done to flesh out their stories.” Read more

Battle of Bosworth Renactment on August 21 and 22nd! 10am-5:30pm.  Check out here: www.bosworthbattlefield.com for more details!