RTGE Towton Battlefield Ghost Walks

11/03/2024

Blackpool, Lancashire.

The Age of the Tram was quite short lived in Britain, with few cities maintaining their historic tramways these days. Blackpool in Lancashire is an exception...

01/01/2024

▶️ Watch this reel
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/bPxyLGkKdQfyczrQ/

21/12/2023

08/09/2022

🇬🇧 RIP Your Majesty. 🇬🇧
You will be greatly missed.

25/07/2022

Cornwall.

The water levels have dropped so much during the hot weather that many artefacts have been uncovered at the site | ITV News West Country

21/07/2022

Medieval History.
(Not Towton related)

Pregnant Medieval Woman With Head Wound 'Gave Birth' In Her Grave

“April ye 20, 1650, was buried Emme, the wife of Thomas Toplace, who was found delivered of a child after she had lain two hours in the grave.”

Imagine returning home after a business trip to find that not only had your pregnant wife died, but that only a few hours ago she had been hastily buried. Upon hearing the devastating news, Thomas Toplace rushed to the cemetery, hoping it was all just a joke or a nightmare. Sources claim he heard an infant's cry and began digging out the burial site. When her coffin was opened, it was discovered that she had given birth to a baby boy. He lived and was named Fils de la Terre which means “Son of the Earth.”

https://www.facebook.com/groups/537859523834021

19/04/2022

Easter Monday in Leeds.

10/04/2022

Today is Palm Sunday, and while the official anniversary of the battle is March 29th, we pause to remember the terrible human cost of England's bloodiest battle.

29/03/2022

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Towton, fought on a bitterly cold 29th March 1461.

In my well-known large oil painting of the battle, the Yorkist archers, with the wind and driving snow at their backs, shoot their deadly volleys of arrows into the advancing Lancastrian army, while Edward IV and his knights and men-at-arms move through the ranks to meet their oncoming foe.

Painted in 2002 after a visit to the battlefield on the anniversary that year, when I first experienced just how cold it was on the exposed plateau the battle was fought on. Subsequent personal experience of wearing armour in sub-zero temperature really helped me appreciate just how unpleasant it must have been just to be out in the open in those conditions, before even considering the violence, bloodshed and death that was unleashed on that awful day.

This painting is available as a print – on paper and a special canvas edition – and as a card. See my website for details of this and all my Towton prints - https://www.studio88.co.uk/acatalog/Towton_Prints.html

02/01/2022

Battle of Wakefield, Wars of the Roses, December 30th 1460.

Today is the anniversary of the BATTLE OF WAKEFIELD.

On December 30th, 1460, the heirs of the Lancastrian Nobles killed at St. Albans found themselves in a position to avenge their fathers' deaths when their army trapped the Duke of York and Earl of Salisbury in Sandal Castle, near Wakefield. Lured out from the safety of the castle walls and into open battle, York's heavily outnumbered force found themselves surrounded and, in the fierce melee that followed, York and many of his followers lost their lives, his son, Edmund, among them.

The Earl of Salisbury was captured and taken to Pontefract by the Duke of Somerset where he was summarily executed, his head joining those of the other Yorkist leaders over the gates of York.

However, the Lancastrian triumph was to be short lived, for they were almost totally annihilated three months later at the battle of Towton.

Available as a print - please see my website for details - https://www.studio88.co.uk/acatalog/The_Medieval_Art_of_Graham_Turner.html

23/12/2021

🎁🎄🎁

21/10/2021

Did a practice walk today in Medieval Kit. Gotta get it right on the day! 😊

18/10/2021

Less than a Week to go now Peeps 😊 Very excited!
Looking forward to seeing you al there.
We meet at 13:30 at the Rockingham Arms Pub, but if you want a good Sunday Dinner there, by all means roll up at 12:00. :-)
For further details, please see:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/963368817487531
and also https://www.facebook.com/events/879187222963502

25/09/2021

It's on again, spooky peoples! 🎃👻💀🎃🧙‍♀️🧙
At long last we are re-starting our Towton Battlefield Ghost Walks.
We plan to do it on Sun. October 24th.
Who's wants to join us? 😃

See also:

https://www.facebook.com/events/879187222963502
https://www.facebook.com/groups/963368817487531/about

22/09/2021

The history of the British Isles is a colorful patchwork, made up of the diverse tribes and nations that sought to make the island their home. Peoples migrated to the island through the Bronze Age, all the way to the arriving Celtic culture and on to the Vikings and other Nordic settlers.

14/09/2021

Truth

12/07/2021

🇬🇧

I have read that over a thousand Scottish pipers were killed in WW1, as they went over the top to pipe their comrades into battle.

One WW1 piper said: "I just played whatever came in to my head, but I was worried about tripping on the uneven ground, which interrupted my playing. The enemy fire was murderous, the men were falling all around me. I was lucky to survive. Hearing the pipes gave the troops courage."

The image is of Daniel Logan Laidlaw VC (26 July 1875 – 2 June 1950), nicknamed "The Piper of Loos".

He was a Scottish soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, for his actions during the Battle of Loos in WW1, for most conspicuous bravery prior to an assault on German trenches near Loos and Hill 70 on 25th September, 1915.

During the worst of the bombardment, when the attack was about to commence, Piper Laidlaw, seeing that his company was somewhat shaken from the effects of gas, with absolute coolness and disregard of danger, mounted the parapet, marched up and down and played the company out of the trench. The effect of his incredible courage was immediate, and the company dashed out to the assault. Piper Laidlaw continued playing his pipes till he was wounded.

Lest We Forget.

03/07/2021

Did you know?

16/06/2021

Germany. 🇩🇪

Scientists think an ancient astronomical observatory in Pömmelte, Germany will overshadow England’s famous Stonehenge in terms of archaeological data and the number of human burials.

14/06/2021

Cheddar Man is the name given to the remains of a man that was found in Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, England. Cheddar Man was discovered around the turn of the 20th century, and has been dated to the Mesolithic period.

01/06/2021

The Wold Newton Triangle, East Yorkshire.

The Wold Newton Triangle is regarded as one of the most mystical areas of the country

25/05/2021

Many vessels have met their fate along the Yorkshire Coast

22/05/2021

☠️💀☠️

05/05/2021

The French meddled in the civil war between the Yorks and Lancasters, hoping for an outcome that would favour them.

30/04/2021

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The 200kg quernstone was uncovered by Chris Gee near Saverock, St Ola, earlier this month.

20/04/2021