Richard Armitage Birthday Week 2012

photo: goleicestershire

 
The BBC series “Kibworth”, with historian Michael Wood, (broadcast on PBS) renewed a desire to return (in cyberspace) to that midlands county. Which was already stimulated by the history of Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth. Oh, and that other Richard, of our acquaintance, celebrating a birthday this month….
 

richardarmitagenet Candids Gallery

 
Kibworth, a village a few miles outside Leicester, was revealed by Michael Wood as a complete microcosm of “the story of England”, from pre-Roman settlement to the present day. During a months’-long sojourn in the village (almost of town proportion now), Mr. Wood explored the origins and progress of this supposedly unremarkable part of the county. He did so with the enthusiastic participation of the inhabitants. Kibworth represents a microcosm of the races/nationalities who have become embedded in the DNA of England. Continuing research by DNA scientists is not conclusive yet on the subject of who is a Celt and who isn’t. No doubt that debate will continue.
 
Leicestershire – worth a visit? Leicester itself, now with a growing Asian population. Yet another layer of the long-existing multi-culturalism of England, with waves of settlers and invaders dating from the Bronze Age. Britain has always been a melting-pot.
 

Leicester Guildhall. Wikipedia: attribution: NotFromUtrecht

Digging up History… (in spades)

 
Sufficient research has been done to suggest that the bones of Richard III probably did not end in the River Soar, but at some point, were removed to Greyfriars in Leicester and properly interred there. Thanks to some Tudors, Greyfriars has long since been pounded into the ground. An archaeological project, sponsored by the University of Leicester, and the City Council, among other supporters, has begun a dig. If they are correct about the evidence that there was a coffin containing the remains of the last Plantagenet king, discovery, and DNA testing will add to the historical record of England.
 
More than five hundred years since Richard III was brutally murdered by the party of the Lancastrian invader Henry (Tudor) VII, the question of Richard’s culpability in the apparent deaths of his pre-adolescent nephews, remains disputed. The last Plantagenet died at Bosworth, Leicestershire, August 22, 1485. August 22nd. Time for celebration of life.
 

Henry VII

Richard III

Leicestershire and Richard Armitage

 
Although Mr. Armitage has grown (yes, grown. And grown (And grown…) to be a citizen of the world, as well as of London, the heart of England, no doubt, had been a good grounding site for an English actor. And Leicestershire is in the heart of England. Perhaps the heart of England. Perhaps Mr. Armitage will play the role of his namesake one day, in a realistic production of that tudorised king. For the numerous among our support group who are not overly fond of beards, they will be relieved to know that clean-shaven was the norm with the 15th C man….
 
And during this week, we wish Mr. Armitage :
 

MANY HAPPY RETURNS!

 
(He’s all grown-up, now. 😀 )