George Algar // Call of the Wild Writer's Blog

Image © Riikka Nikko, Finland

I always think that the best job in life is one where you get paid for what you like doing.  If there are any history enthusiasts out there, here is your chance to earn hard cash whether you are studying for a higher degree or are just madly keen about history. There are two awards.
The first is the “Richard III Foundation Scholarship for Medieval Studies” open to graduate students and those researching doctorates.  Past recipients include David Santiuste whose work has been featured on this blog before, so if you apply, you know you are in esteemed company.
The second is the “John Davey Research Grant for Medieval Studies”open to local historians ane independent scholars.

It’s the second one that interests me most. When it comes to history, the awards and accolades are usually reserved for the professional scholar, and deservedly so. But it is impossible for the professional academics to know absolutely everything, so recourse is sometimes taken to the local historian, who provides a valuable contribution to unlocking the secrets of the past. The late John Davey, who this award is named after, was a keen local historian, giving selflessly of his time and talents, so that we have a better understanding of the events and life of the people who came before us. It’s this type of person who The Richard III Foundation  is seeking to recognize with this new programme.
History is not so much, knowing all the answers, as asking all the right questions. This is where local historians come into their own – compiling a history of a nearby village or delving into dusty archives to produce a gem of forgotten information. They are an extra pair of hands that help quench our thirst for understanding the truth. Our lives are enriched by the dedicated work of these well-informed enthusiasts. There are many people living in villages and towns who have uncovered vital information on a person, place or event that played a role in the life and times of Richard III.

So what are you waiting for?  You’ll find out how to apply by sending an e-mail to: R3FoundationScholarship@yahoo.com

You will never learn all there is to know about battles by sticking your head in a book; you need to get out there and see the battlefield for yourself.  The high bluffs, the snaking rivers and seemingly impassable fords.  The lie of the land, the boggy marsh and the exact spot where the doomed heroes fell and the victors claimed their spoils.

There is one step better though and that’s walking the terrain with an expert guide; precisely what happens when you put the Flodden DVD into your player and click the “OK” button.

Clive Hallam-Baker takes you on a shadowy journey into the past, against a backdrop of scenery that has hardly changed since that fateful day on 9th September 1513 when brave men fought hand to hand and fourteen thousand died in the space of a few hours, at the Battle of Flodden field.

Amazing cinematography and a great soundtrack help set the scene for a fascinating encounter between two old foes.  King James IV of Scotland is caught on the
horns of a dilemma.  Does he obey the treaty of Perpetual Peace with his English neighbours, or is the pull of the Auld Alliance with France too strong when his brother-in-law Henry VIII attacks the French kingdom?  Hallam-Baker really captures the mood of the time when he tells of the English king’s parting shot to the Earl off Surrey, “trust not the Scots” as he embarks across the channel, leaving the defence of his realm to the wily old commander.

What follows, as they say, is history. Assisted by James Bell of the Flodden 1513 Club and one of the North’s most prolific and talented authors, John Sadler, our chronicler paints a vivid picture of the events and tactics preceding the battle.  Like a scout from an old Hollywood Western, Hallam-Baker has the knack of making you feel like you were actually there, as he traces the routes of both armies across a hostile terrain, long disputed and fiercely contested by English and Scots alike.

A romantic but futile act of bravery concludes the story and precipitates the death of the last British monarch on a field of battle, when James IV is hacked to death fighting shoulder to shoulder with his loyal followers.  Was there a winner?  Henry VIII could hardly claim victory as he was away in France and ironically, the English lion and theScottish unicorn were soon to be united a generation or so later when James VI of Scotland ascended the throne as James I of England, following the expiration of the Tudor line.

This masterful work is dedicated to the brave men of both sides, who fought an epic battle on that day.

Despite being a technophobe, this publication intrigued me so much, I was
inspired to buy a Kindle just so I could read this book. Was it worth it? Well,
in my opinion this is one of the best novels produced in a decade - across all
genres. It tells the story of Richard III’s asecent to the throne, in the first
person narrative of one of his friends, Francis Lovell. But it’s not what you
might assume, and the story twists and turns so that you are left wondering in
what direction the plot will go next. The author has gone to great pains to
research the life and times of England’s most iconic and controversial monarch
but in the style of all good novelists, has imposed his own stamp on the theme.
I cannot think that anyone who reads this novel will be disappointed. Well done,
Mr. Rae. And as for the Kindle….. it didn’t take long to get used to it and
I’ve now downloaded several more books.

The flag flutters in the background, the cameras roll and the veteran actor gives the script a cursory glance before making his mark, then delivers a pitch-perfect rendition.  How does he do that?  I suppose if your name is Robert Hardy and you have played the parts of Siegfried Farnon, Winston Churchill and the Minister of Magic’s Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter, you can  turn your hand to anything.  Despite his worldwide fame he was quick to lend a hand to the request from Towton Battlefield Society to provide a voiceover for the video trailer for our new Website.  Yours truly wrote the script and it was not without some trepidation that I handed the laminated copy over to him.  He read it through, cocked his head to one side and said “would you be awfully offended if I just change one small word?”  I started to breath again and said I wouldn’t mind in the least.  So, here it is:

There’s something about Towton.  When you visit, you know something momentous happened here. It is impossible to walk on this ground and not feel the dread underfoot.  If you stand in these fields, blasted by the winds of centuries, you can imagine the poor archers blowing on their nails on that bitterly cold Palm Sunday.   You can picture the arrow storm, falling down like hail and hear the cries of the wounded and dying. 
This was no ordinary battle.  This was the biggest and bloodiest that would ever be fought on English soil. This was the meeting of two mighty rival hosts, and it was going to be settled the hard way.    
The command to engage was given and the earth grew spears; billhook against billhook and poleaxe against sword:
Now one the better, then another best;
Both tugging to be victors, breast to breast.
And just as the proud house of Lancaster thought it had seized the day, the house of York, fortified by reinforcements, put their mortal foes to flight.
Many a broken band splashed through Cock Beck, winding its swirling silver train, to meet a watery grave.  Others gained firm land only to be hunted down with mace and spear.  
These fatal precincts, haunted by the spirits of the slain, are still there today, hardly changed from when Englishman killed Englishman and two monarchs wrestled for the crown.

Robert is nearly 85 years old but the words had a lot more resonance than when I read them, so I guess I would never have made it as an actor.  The BBC producer liked the script too and asked if he could keep it.  It would have been churlish to refuse him as he has done so much for us in the past.  So this page is dedicated to Robert Hardy and Roger Keech of the BBC who stooped down from lofty heights to help a small, but enthusiastic band of volunteers keep alive the memory of England’s most infamous day.

“Why did the kings fight?”

These were the words of a pensive little girl in the front row.

“Well, we’ll find out about that in a few minutes when I give my talk but essentially, they both wanted to rule England” was my hurried response.  I was anxious to get underway as I had a lot to get through. I had been asked by Barwick-in-Elmet, Church of England school, to come and talk about the Battle of Towton, as this year is the 550^th anniversary of that tragic day.

Her hand shot in the air again “Why did the soldiers fight and kill each other?  Why didn’t they just shake hands and be friends?”  This was something that was obviously worrying her.  I’d better think of a better explanation.

“Well, that was what soldiers were paid to do.  They were trained from a very early age to use weapons so that they grew up to be good fighters, as we’ll hear in a minute or two” I explained, hoping this would appease her.

She thought about this for a moment or two and I saw this hesitation as an opportunity to launch into my carefully crafted depiction on the events that led up to that day, but no sooner than I had uttered my first sentence, then the hand was up again. 

“Why didn’t the kings just toss a coin to see who’d win and save all those men being killed?” she asked, twirling one of her pigtails in a thoughtful fashion.

“That’s a good question” I replied.  “I think the kings and their followers acted like big kids.  Pushing and shoving each other in the playground until a fight broke out.”

“That’s enough questions for now, Poppy.  Let Mr. Algar continue with his talk or we’ll be late for lunch” said the teacher.

Phew, saved by the bell.  I was getting a grilling from an eight year old and was coming off second best.

I was asked lots more questions that day, but these I could handle.  These were queries about the causes and effects of the battle, the weaponry that soldiers used and what happened to the survivors afterwards.  There were no more questions about ethics, thankfully but there was no denying that Poppy had got me thinking.  War still very much shapes the lives of millions of people today and we do not seem to learn our lessons from history.

To get the pupils attention, I offered prizes for those children who would write me a story about what they learned. I am really looking forward to going back to judge the winners.

Our future is in the hands of these bright young people. There is hope for us all yet.