A Christmas in Tudor England was very different to the festive season of today.  We have our Christmas trees, Father Christmas in his red costume, Christmas crackers and not forgetting Christmas trees with their sparkling lights.

I thought you may be interested to read about the festivities enjoyed by the Tudors in the 16^th Century. These will have been enjoyed by such famous historical  figures as King Henry VIII, Queen Anne Boleyn and their daughter Queen Elizabeth I.

I publish this article every year at the festive season for anyone who missed it!

CHRISTMAS FAYRE

Turkey was first introduced into Britain in about 1523 – Henry VIII was one of the first people to eat it as part of his Christmas meal.  Goose was also consumed – in 1588 Elizabeth I invited everyone to eat it for their Christmas dinner. It was the first meal consumed after the Spanish Armada and Elizabeth believed that it would be a good tribute to the Sailors. Peacocks were also on the menu for the rich. Tradition was to skin the bird first, it was cooked and the meat was placed back into the skin to create a decoration for the table. A wild boar was cooked on Christmas Day in the homes of the wealthy and its head was also used as a table decoration. The cooking make the meat pale so the head was decorated with pigs grease and soot so it would more lifelike! A popular vegetable for the Christmas menu were Brussel sprouts, they were first mentioned in recipes around 1587.

‘Souse’ pickled pig’s feet and ears were a popular Christmas dish – although I admit I don’t think I would fancy it!

Meat, oatmeal and spices were the main ingredients for their Christmas Puddings. The Tudors also ate mince pies that were shaped like a cribs (this practice was outlawed when Oliver Cromwell came to power as it was deemed blasphemous)!

A Tudor Christmas Pie consisted of a Turkey stuffed with a goose  – then stuffed with a chicken – then stuffed with a partridge and finally stuffed with a pigeon – all of this was put in a pastry case, called a cheerfully – a coffin!

A favourite drink at Christmas during this period was punch – this was made in a large wooden bowl called a Wassail bowl – the drink was made of sugar, hot ale and spices.   At the bottom of the Wassail bowl was a crust of bread, the drink was offered to the most important person in the room and then passed around. This was the origin of a ‘toast’ today which part of our drinking ritual.

Lambswool was a drink made from roasted apples, beer, nutmeg, ginger and sugar  – the froth on the top of the drink gave this beverage its name.

The Tudors also had their Family Coat of Arms made from salads which accompanied the meal.

Twelfth cake was a fruitcake eaten on twelfth night. It had a dried bean or coin hidden inside – you became the ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ for the evening and host/hostess for the nights entertainments if you were fortunate enough to find this object.

The Tudor banquets were very lavish affairs – as many as 24 courses were included.

CHRISTMAS TREE AND DECORATIONS

The origin of our Christmas tree may have come from Martin Luther. On a journey home he was struck by the beauty of the stars shining through the fir tree – so Luther cut off the top of one of the smaller trees and took it home – he placed small candles on the ends of the branches to resemble stars.

The Tudors however did not adopt this custom – instead they decorated their homes on Christmas Eve with holly, ivy, mistletoe, box, laurel and yew.

One of the most enduring customs in England was called the KISSING BOUGH – a hoop, or sphere was woven from willow, ash or hazel wood.  A small figure of the Holy Family or a figure of the Christ child was placed in the middle.  As mistletoe is an evergreen and was regularly used to make the Bough – this evolved into the popular tradition ‘Kissing under the Mistletoe’.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

IN 1521 the earliest recorded published collection of Carols was recorded – they include the famous ‘Boars Head Carol’. Throughout Tudor times Carols were sung to celebrate Christmas and to spread the story of the Jesus’s birth. In the seventeenth century they sadly came to an end when the Puritans banned all festivities which included Christmas.

The Victorians reinstated the concept of an ‘Olde English Christmas’ during the 19th century and only then did Carols return.

The following Christmas carols would have been sung by the Tudors- We Wish You a Merry Christmas, The First Nowell, The Coventry Carol, ,  Ding Dong Merrily on High and In Dulci Jubilo.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

In 1541 Henry VIII, had a law introduced which banned all sports on Christmas Day except archery. In 1551 another law was passed – this time by his son King Edward VI to say that everybody had to walk to church on Christmas Day when they attended a church service – this apparently is  still the law today.

RELIGION

A law was also passed in 1550 by the church to say that Jesus was so pure that he did not need a bath so banned all pictures of baby Jesus having a bath. Therefore it was deemed illegal to paint a picture of Jesus being bathed by his parents.

On Christmas Day the monarch took part in the traditional “laying on of hands” – this ritual transferred the King’s “healing” power to those afflicted with skin ailments or illness.

FESTIVITIES

The Tudor Festival spanned twelve days from December 25th to January 6th culminating in Christmas. The most important days were Saints Days – which were Dec. 25th, Jan. 1st, and Jan 6^th.

Things were turned inside out and upside down, allowing some sections of society unusual freedoms.

All work was halted except for the care of animals throughout this period. Spinning which was the major occupation of women was stopped and their spinning wheels were surrounded by flowers. On Plough Monday, the first Monday following the twelfth night all work would start again.

A Lord of Misrule ‘The King of Christmas’, was appointed during the festive season. He was like a mock King – he would oversee unruly events and all types of entertainment. These included revelry, drinking, general chaos and role reversal. On the Twelfth Night his ‘rule’ ended.

One of the games the Tudors would have been familiar with was Blind Man’s Bluff! The ‘Lord of Misrule’ may have been the inspiration for this game however the fear of public disorder and mayhem that accompanied the events  led to the institution being discouraged during the latter part of the 16^th Century.

One tradition was the practice of electing a choir boy or alter boy as “boy bishop”. This was to show the boy the honour and dignity of Holy Orders. He would assume all the duties except taking Mass but he would preach a sermon and go on parishioner visits. King Henry VIII banned this practice in 1541 because it was mocking church authorities and the head of the church who was Henry.

All courtiers were required to attend the festivities at Court. The only acceptable excuses for a not appearing during this period were severe illness, war, crusades and childbirth. At the court of Elizabeth I all the male nobles had to stay at her court for the whole 12 days of Christmas. Many a noblewoman was left alone during this period if they chose not to attend.

Another Christmas tradition was ‘Mumming’ the performance of plays. Both Oxford and Cambridge colleges employed travelling players in their productions during the 16th Century. The story of Christ was told in mystery plays – these are still performed in York to this day. During the Tudor reign the plays also started to include various games as well as song and dance.

THE YULE LOG

The burning of the Yule Log at this period is thought to originate from the early Viking invaders midwinter ritual. They built large bonfires to celebrate their festival of light.  An alternative term for Christmas is the word ‘Yule’ it has existed for centuries.

 CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

The Tudors exchanged gifts on New Year’s Day unlike our modern tradition of giving on Christmas Day.  The King expected and was given a gift from everyone of any importance and a gift would be given in return. During this period rejection or acceptance of a gift was extremely important at the Tudor court.

Perhaps the best example of this occurred in 1532 when Henry VIII accepted an exotic set of richly decorated Pyrenean boar spears as a New Year’s present from Anne Boleyn but rejected Katherine of Aragon’s gold cup.

In 1534 Anne Boleyn presented Henry with a table fountain made of silver gilt. It contained rosewater pumped into a basin so that diners could rinse their hands. She also had a Basle Cup made by Hans Holbein – it was fashioned with satyrs and a crown cover. It included Anne’s device  –  a white falcon standing on roses.

The custom of exchanging gifts at court served a political purpose. The nobles used it to show off their wealth, gain favour with the King and assert their status. King Henry VIII showed his pleasure or displeasure by rejecting or accepting gifts. Courtiers jostled for position to see who had given or received the most important presents.

COSTUMES

During the celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas the nobles and rich courtiers were lavishly costumed to play their part in the court drama. It provided them with an opportunity to wear their most fabulous and finest costumes.  The poorer courtiers had to try their best to maintain a glamorous image – obviously no-one dare outshine the King or Queen.

At Christmas the monarch would don the official Crown of State, a massive gold headpiece and wear ermine – that most regal of furs. Henry VIII and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I consistently rose to the fashion-occasion as well. They used costume to emphasize both their power, wealth and status.

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester was a very successful gift giver – he gave Elizabeth I many presents. On the first Christmas of her reign Elizabeth I was presented with elegant silk stockings – she loved them so much she never wore woollen stockings again. He also presented Elizabeth with what is believed to be the world’s first wristwatch . . . appropriately bedecked in sparkling jewels. She also received New Year gifts of gold, silver and rock crystal handled forks.

INTERESTING FESTIVE FACTS

Katherine of Aragon gave birth to a son on New Year’s Day in 1511. The baby was named after King Henry VIII –  he was so happy he extended the Christmas court to include a grand tournament and pageant at Westminster. I sometimes wonder how different history may have been if this prince has lived longer than a few weeks!

In the 1520’s Henry VIII had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn and she became his official mistress. She was a very important guest at a number of Henry VIII’s Christmas Courts however she was conspicuously absent from the formal celebrations.  Although Anne joined him for holidays at Greenwich for a period of three years she played a ‘behind the doors’ role for three consecutive years.  Queen Katherine of Aragon for the sake of appearances appeared beside Henry at the Christmas celebrations through 1530.

In 1531 although she was not yet Queen of England Anne Boleyn she was housed in Greenwich in the Queens lodgings however she still avoided the formal Christmas celebrations at Court.  By 1532 everything had changed – she was Queen in everything but name.  The celebrations in 1532 were so lavish that temporary kitchens were erected in the palace grounds. It was possible that their daughter Queen Elizabeth I was conceived during merry making that particular Christmas.

The purpose of the Tudor Christmas was that “Christmas acted as a kind of pressure-release valve in the very strict Tudor society. It was a time when everything changed – things were turned ‘on their head’ – a lot of the traditions involved a kind of role reversal. People who were normally tightly controlled were given an amount of freedom.

The Christmas festivities of today seem to be becoming more and more commercial. I wonder were the days of Tudor Christmases past, with their royal excesses and intrigues really any better. Maybe not –  however I can’t help thinking that, in their own different way they may have been a lot more fun than today. It would be really interesting to attend just one of them!

If you have enjoyed reading this article please send me a comment  – it has taken me quite a while to write and it would be lovely to know that you enjoyed reading it – thank you! 

Tudor Costume Design- Bring History to Life.

As my Costume Talk/Lecture at Woodhorn on Mothering Sunday 10th March 2013 proved so popular I was asked to present it again in June 2013. So this presentation in October 2013 is the second return of my very popular talk  – it is scheduled as part of history week at the Woodhorn Museum in Ashington.

It includes information about the design/construction and inspiration for my 16th Century inspired historical gowns, as well as a brief and sometimes humorous history of the people who wore them.

Integral to the event is a display of my four costumes on mannequins with headdresses, fans, underwear and jewellery – costumes for  Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and Anne Boleyn are included. There is also a personal appearance by King Henry VIII in full regalia. My talk is to be presented twice on Sunday 27th October at 11.30 am and 2 pm. Ticket price: £4 for my talk. Booking is advised.

Tickets available from Woodhorn Museum who is hosting the event. For further information about my talk  please visit the Woodhorn website –  http://www.experiencewoodhorn.com/mothers-day-costume-talk/.  [See image gallery at www.tudortalkandcatwalk.com]

My talk has also been mentioned in the local newspaper ‘The Evening Chronicle ‘ please find link below

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/local-news/community-news-brief-tuesday-8th-6154733

Book early as my talk proved so popular last time staff at the Woodhorn had to turn people away!

Enter the World of Jane Austen – History in the Making  –

I am very pleased to announce that I presented a new talk yesterday – it was called “Enter the World of Jane Austen” and was commissioned by Lauriston Castle – a beautiful Edwardian Castle in Scotland near Edinburgh.

I presented a very interesting, lively and at times humorous talk about the costumes worn around the time of Jane Austen. I also included details of the design and construction of my costumes as well as a brief history of the people who wore them.

I have just completed a number of beautiful Regency Gowns as well as period underwear and accessories – four costumed mannequins accompanied my talk – outfits included:

Gold Empress Josephine Gown

A beautiful afternoon dress and jacket with bonnet that could have been worn by Jane Austen herself. A pretty dress in pure white windowpane cotton embellished with white Vandyke lace is worn with an elegant deep red cotton velvet Spencer decorated with military gold frogging and braid (the Spencer was a short jacket worn over the gown to add warmth). A pretty chemisette (a short sleeveless bodice)with a lace collar is worn under the gown for modesty.

(Did you know the originator of the short jacket called a spencer is thought to be Earl Spencer who singed the tails of his coat when standing beside a fire. He then had the tails trimmed off and started a fashion. So the female version was soon adopted by gentlewomen who at the time were wearing the thin light muslin dresses of the 1790s).

A stunning lilac pure silk evening/ball gown cut in period style and embellished with lilac and gold lace. This beautiful period gown is worn with an elegant exotic silk turban decorated with gold braid, a brooch, tassels and nodding ostrich plumes. The outfit is complete with shawl and matching reticule (a regency handbag).

A Masquerade Court Costume for Empress Josephine based on a portrait of her by Gerard (painted in 1801). This stunning costume consists of an empire line gold satin ball gown cut in the french style. It is worn under an ornate velvet robe with train that is lavishly embellished with spangles and gold braid.  An elaborate gold jeweled diadem, fan and gloves complete this very regal outfit.

Red Velvet Spencer with Bonnet

I am so pleased that my talk was so well attended and that all feedback received stated my ‘talk was excellent’ and ‘very interesting’. A couple of ladies admitted to me after my talk that they are not particularly interested in sewing and had only come to see the castle. Nevertheless they said they enjoyed my lecture immensely and would come again! I was asked to present my talk for the Jane Austen Society – I will certainly be very pleased to do so.

I really enjoy presenting my events and particularly the question and answer session afterwards.

I am pleased that visitors have a good look at/examine my costumes – I was happy to remove the purple velvet robe with train and the red velvet spencer so visitors could inspect/examine/see the construction of the gowns beneath. 

My talk was followed by a beautiful cream tea and I am sure a wonderful afternoon was had by all!

I am also presenting another event at Lauriston Castle on August 24th at 2pm – it is called ‘Kings and Queens in Costume ‘.

Mary Queen of Scots Blue Gown

Included are a beautiful Peacock Blue Silk Gown for Mary Queen of Scots, a Pink Silk Dress for Queen Catherine Howard (Henry VIII’s fifth wife), a stunning Court Costume for Empress Josephine – wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and a fabulous gold and jeweled outfit for Cleopatra Queen of Egypt. Also included is a personal appearance by King Henry VIII in full regalia. A special buffet afternoon tea is to be included  – it will be a wonderful event I look forward to seeing you there!

http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/Lauriston-Castle/Events-(1)/Events-(1)-Coming-Soon/2014-14/Lectures/Kings-and-Queens-in-costume–

Due to popular demand we presented a repeat of our popular  ‘Tudor costume Talk’ at the Woodhorn Museum in Ashington yesterday.

It was a splendid event – we were fully booked to capacity- people had to be turned away.

I am so pleased that so many people share my passion for costumes/history.

I have just received the comment below from Dorota.

“Thank you for the lovely afternoon at Woodhorn yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed your talk and you have inspired me to make my own dress!

My great aunt was a seamstress to the last emperor of Russia and my love of needlework must have come through her!

I am not experienced at all but I am really looking forward to embarking on this journey.

It was a pleasure to meet you and Mick and I hope to see you again. Kind regards,Dorota”

I will also be assisting with the destructure of the ‘Dressing the Stars’ display at Woodhorn Museum. If you haven’t already visited the exhibition please go and see it.

It is a large exciting display and as it finishes next Sunday this week is your last chance. Costumes from the Duchess are pictured left.

It has been a splendid exhibition and I am looking forward to the opportunity if working with Yvonne Hellin-Hobbs and the staff at Woodhorn again.

I would like to thank Paramjit – Events manager at the Woodhorn for all her help and hospitality yesterday.

I have included a few pictures of my costume display.

Today we presented a ‘Talk about the Tudors’ for Ashley School in South Shields, Tyne and Wear.

The children really enjoyed our talk and enthusiastically joined in with our question and answer session at the end.

It was a pleasure to present our event at such a lovely school.

Our thanks to Jo and the rest of the staff for all their kind hospitality.

Please find below a gallery of photographs taken during our talk.

Today we presented a ‘Tudor Talk’ for St Bede’s RC Primary School in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear.

Our talk included a display of exciting costumes complete with headdresses, hats, fans and jewellery.

I removed a beautiful Orange Silk Court Gown to reveal the underclothes worn by a royalty during this period – a Tudor Corset, a Spanish Farthingale (hooped Underskirt), a chemise (a type of shirt) and a bum roll. Without these essential garments the shape of clothes of the period would have been impossible to achieve.

Included in the display were:-

A Beautiful Blue Silk Gown for Anne Boleyn complete with Hanging Sleeves, French Hood, Peacock Feather fan and famous ‘B’ Boleyn Necklace.

A Gold Silk Elizabeth I Gown with ‘Queen’s Sleeves’, Ornate jewellery, Gold Headdress and Magnificent Ruff.

A Costume inspired by clothes worn by Mary Queen of Scots for her execution at Fotheringay Castle. A Black Velvet Robe was removed to reveal a Brightly Coloured Silk Gown. Also included were a white silk ‘Mary Stuart’ cap and Gold Rosary.

Our talk included a history of the life and times of each historical character as well as a description of the clothes and accessories worn during the 16^th Century.

I mustn’t forget the magnificent surprise appearance by King Henry VIII in full regalia talking about his life and times as King of England.  All the children were very excited to meet a such a famous King as ‘Henry’ in person!

After the talk we held a very interesting and informative question and answer session for the pupils – they were also able to put on the headdresses and try out a number of the Tudor accessories.

The children at St Bede’s School were polite, well behaved and very interested.

They all enjoyed our entertaining and informative talk as our costumes bring history to life!

Comments received from their Teacher included: –

‘ They were very excited to talk about all of the stories and costumes you shared with us’.

 ‘The children thoroughly enjoyed your talk today’

‘You both really brought the Tudors to life for them!’

Today we presented a talk for Thropton Village School in Northumberland – it is a small friendly school near the town of Rothbury.

The children were very well behaved and very polite – it was a pleasure to visit their School.

We presented a brief history of ‘The Tudors’ and their clothes.

Included were an execution gown worn by Mary Queen of Scots, a Blue Silk Court Dress for Queen Anne Boleyn and glittering Gold Silk Gown for Queen Elizabeth I.  There also were personal appearances from King James I and the infamous King Henry VIII.

I also showed them a bum roll and asked if they knew what it was and was it was used for. A female pupil replied ‘a neck rest’ and another ‘it is worn on your head’ however a third pupil was correct – she said it was worn round the waist – it is used to make your skirts stand out.

They were very knowledgeable about both history and costume.

A young male pupil mentioned ‘Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot’ which took place during the reign of James VI and another boy even knew what a stomacher was – I was very impressed.

The children were thrilled to see their teachers putting on a ‘French Hood’ and an  ‘Elizabethan Hat’,  a number of the pupils also enjoyed trying them on.

We were happy for the children to take a closer look at the headdresses, fans and costumes after the talk. The girls were very impressed by the ornate fans and jewellery while the boys were amazed by the weight of King James’ sword.

It was a wonderful afternoon – the children, their teachers and a number of parents who had dropped in to see the costumes really enjoyed it.

It was a pleasure visiting Thropton Village School.

Talks on ‘The Tudors’

Our fabulous costumes bring back history.

Included in our costume display is a beautiful Blue and Gold Ornate Anne Boleyn Gown and headdress. My husband appears in full regalia as King Henry VIII to present an entertaining and lively talks on the ‘Tudors’.

Please find below a selection of comments/letters from pupils who have enjoyed our ‘Tudor Talks’.

Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

Last night we presented a ‘Tudor Talk’ for the Women’s Institute as part of their annual meeting.

The venue was Falstone Village Hall situated near Kielder in Northumberland.  The hall is a spacious and attractive building located in the centre of the village next to the pretty church.

Our talk included a brief introduction and a display of four costumed mannequins complete with headdresses, jewellery and fans.

Costumes included an Orange Silk Masquerade Gown which I removed  to reveal the foundations for 16th Century Clothes – a corset inspired by underwear worn by Elizabeth I, a Chemise, a Bumroll and a Spanish Farthingale. Also on display was a Blue Silk Anne Boleyn Gown, an Opulent Gold Elizabeth I Dress with elaborate ruff and a costume inspired by garments worn by Mary Queen of Scots for her execution at Fotheringay Castle in 1587 when Mary was just 42 years old.

I also presented a brief history of each historical character and a talk about the design/construction and inspiration for my costumes.

I mustn’t forget the Star of the Show King Henry VIII who made a very grand entrance indeed.  This infamous character is always well received by the ladies – I am not surprised he had six wives!

After the talk we presented a question and answer session which everyone really enjoyed.

This was followed by a sumptuous supper to which we kindly invited. The supper included mouth-watering WI specialities such as Victoria Sponge and home-made biscuits washed down by a lovely cup of fresh brewed tea.

It was also lovely to chat to an old friend who is a member of the WI.

The ladies at the WI made us extremely welcome and it was a pleasure to present our talk for such a lovely group. I would like to thank all the ladies particularly – Carol and Irene – for all their help in making the evening such a success.

I have just received a the comment below from Veronica –

‘Just to say how much I enjoyed your talk at Falstone WI yesterday, tudor elizabethan costume has long been a favourite of mine’.

and also from Irene who is the Secretary of North Tyne WI

‘ A big thank you to you and ‘King Henry’ for coming to our WI in Falstone last night and giving us such an entertaining evening!   Desire to see your beautiful costumes pulled in a great many more of our members than normal, and it was a delight to hear you tell us all about them. As you can imagine a great many of our ladies are interested in arts and crafts and to see your wonderful Tudor costumes up close and personal was a joy.   You have put so much work into them and they are indeed a work of art.   I hope you both enjoyed your evening as much as we did and we shall have no hesitation at all in recommending you to other WI’s!   It’s just the sort of evening we love!

Maggie sent me an email – she wrote ‘Just to say how much we enjoyed the Falstone talk and hearing about the background to researching, designing and making the lovely Tudor costumes – a really entertaining evening!

Thank you very much for your kind comments, they are greatly appreciated – we really enjoyed the evening too and would really love to present more talks for the Women’s Institute in future.

Last night I presented a talk at Middlesbrough Library as part of their Literary Festival.

The library is a beautiful ornate building featuring a classical design.

In its original form, it provided a lending library where boys and girls sections were separated by a screen, a ladies reading room, a central news room with a separate entrance in Grange Road, and on the first floor were the law and patent and reference libraries. This was Middlesbrough`s first purpose-built premises to house its public library. Most of the original building still stands.

The reference room on the first floor is beautifully panelled in wood and has a lovely gallery – It was decorated with attractive flags and was the perfect setting.

The evening’s events included a lecture at 7pm by Tracy Borman – her latest book is ‘Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror’ Matilda of Flanders is about the diminutive yet formidable wife of William the Conqueror. Tracy was due to talk about Matilda however in keeping with the 16^th Century theme she changed her topic to Queen Elizabeth I.  Tracy also wrote Elizabeth’s Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen – her lecture was both very interesting and very enjoyable.

Following Tracy I presented my talk at 8pm.

My stunning display of four mannequins complete with headdresses, jewellery, masks and fans included a Mary Queen of Scots Execution Gown, a Jane Seymour Silver Silk Gown, an Anne Boleyn Blue Silk Dress and an Orange Silk Masquerade Gown.

Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII also made a grand entrance wearing full regalia.

I included information about the design, inspiration and construction of my 16th Century Theatrical Costumes as well a brief history of the people who wore them.

I removed the Orange Silk Tudor Gown to reveal the underwear below.  Included was a corset based on Elizabeth I’s effigy, a bumroll, a farthingale and a chemise.  I explained that without the foundation garments the shape of the dress of the period would be unable to be achieved so it is a very important part of the costumes.

Included was Mary Queen of Scots Fotheringay Costume. It was inspired by an eye witness account of garments worn for her execution. I removed the black velvet outer gown to reveal a brightly coloured dress beneath. I also presented a very interesting account of her execution in 1587.

I musn’t forget to mention the fabulous staff at Middlesbrough Library  – they were all extremely helpful and very friendly. It was also a pleasure to meet Tracy Borman – a lovely lady.

The talks proved to be very popular – all seats were booked.

Lynn commented on the Middlesbrough Literary Festival Facebook Page –

‘Just enjoyed two wonderful events at Central Library, Tracy Borman talking about one of her latest books Elizabeth I and The Tudor Fashion Show, beautiful costumes by Julia Renaissance Costumes’.

Middlesborough Library said-

‘The feedback we received on the night was fantastic.  Everyone was so pleased.  The audience are lovely and a very loyal group of costume followers.  We would certainly love to have you back and look forward to seeing you in the future.

I really enjoyed presenting my talk and chatting to guests during my question and answer session.  I would love to host another event at this  lovely  library.