Vista Members Learn About History
I recently gave a talk to members of Vista at Market Harborough.
Vista is the organisation which provides services for the visually impaired. They are kind enough to invite me from time to time to give talks to their groups around Leicestershire and Rutland.
This particular talk was “Leicester’s Place in English History”, in which I seek to show that throughout the last 2000 years all the important periods and events in the history of England have involved Leicester and the surrounding area.
I talked about the importance of Leicester in Roman times as a regional capital and originally as a frontier town on the Fosse Way; its prominence as one of the Five Boroughs during the Danish occupation; and the civil war in 1173 between Henry II and his sons which left Leicester a destroyed city.
Then I went on to speak of John Wycliffe at Lutterworth translating the Bible into English; Geoffrey Chaucer being married at St. Mary de Castro Church; and the powerful John of Gaunt living and dying at Leicester Castle.
Henry VI came into the story, being knighted at St. Mary de Castro; and so did Richard III, killed in battle near Market Bosworth and buried at the Greyfriars; and Cardinal Wolsey, who died and was buried at Leicester Abbey, on the site of Abbey Park.
The members all found this fascinating. Few had realised how historic a city Leicester is.
Posted by colin on Sunday 20th November, 2005 at 7:22pm