by David West | May 18, 2025 | News
On the 18th of May, 1593, following the interrogation of Thomas Kyd, an arrest warrant for the playwright Christopher Marlowe was issued. Marlowe presented himself to the Privy Council the following day, but was told that there was no meeting and that he should...
by David West | May 17, 2025 | News
The raid on German dams by 617 Squadron took place on the night of 16th/17th of May, 1943. In the annals of World War II history, few operations capture the imagination quite like the audacious raid on German dams by the Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron. Known as...
by David West | May 16, 2025 | News
On the 16th of May, 1532, Sir Thomas More resigned as Lord Chancellor of England. The story is that of “A Man for All Seasons”, a play which Claire and I have seen twice at the Theatre Royal Bath. On both occasions, several years apart, Martin Shaw played the lead...
by David West | May 15, 2025 | News
On the 15th of May, Anne Boleyn was convicted of high treason. The jury included Henry Percy, her former betrothed, and her uncle Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. She was beheaded four days later. Anne’s early life was spent in the Netherlands and France, where she...
by David West | May 14, 2025 | News
On the 14th of May, 1610, King Henry IV was assassinated. The assassin was François Ravaillac. Born in 1578 in Angoulême, France, François Ravaillac came from a relatively humble background. His family was of minor nobility, yet they struggled financially. Raised as a...
