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.