A day which was meant to be

I went to a very special wedding on 24th May....that of my darling daughter. I haven't blogged about it yet because I'm waiting for her to do the honours first - after all it was  her special day! Later this week though, I will post photos and thoughts of the most amazing , emotional, beautiful day..


But this Saturday lunchtime, I 'm thinking of another wedding which is taking place today, thousands of miles away in Louisiana in the good old US of A.  My friend Shannon is getting married to James...and their love story is something out of a fairy tale.

Shannon and I have known each other for about six years....

and last February we met up in Ely in Cambridgeshire with her lovely daughter Lauren and two other writers  Denise and Susan. See here
http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/days-of-writing-talking-and-laughing.html

Let me tell you about Shannon. She's beautiful, fun, feisty, full of Southern charm, dynamic and a damn good writer. She also has an inoperable brain tumour.

When we met in Ely, although we laughed til we cried, there was also an underlying sadness for Shannon....and it wasn't just the brain tumour which was causing concern, things weren't going right in her personal life.

By June, Shannon was in the middle of a divorce, and received the worst news from her doctor, that surgery wasn't an option to get rid of the tumour.

http://www.shannonlane.com/letting-it-be/


She flew back to Louisana  the next day determined to live her life to the full. And sitting next to her on the plane was an airline pilot called James. They talked, they laughed, they kept in the contact, and as for the rest....well, dear reader, she is marrying him today!




So today Shannon, I wish you all the happiness in the world with your handsome pilot as later this afternoon as you walk down the aisle .

 James, you've made my friend so happy already...I can't wait to meet you.

Have a lovely day today and all the other days to come...

Today's track is for you both .....

 

Another Richard III day...and a new book

The discovery of the remains of King Richard III really is the gift which keeps on giving....for the city of Leicester and for lovers of mediaeval history.

Attendances at the exhibition about his discovery at Leicester's Guildhall have now passed the 50,000 mark, and every week there seems to be fresh developments on the story.

On Tuesday a new biography of Richard was launched at the University of Leicester. But this isn't any old book brought out to cash in on the King on the car park phenomenon.

It's a biography by David Baldwin,who lives in leicester and taught at the University of Leicester for many years.He also happens to be an expert on mediaeval history , on Richard III and the house of York.

More importantly, it was David Baldwin who made a startling prediction back in 1986....saying not only that Richard would be found in the 21st century...but also that his remains would be found in the northern part of Greyfriars.

After hearing that I simply had to go the launch of the book on Tuesday night and meet him. What  a lovely, quiet unassuming man he is  and what a part he's played to help solve the mystery of what happenened to Richard III.

 

+

 

 

After interviewing David, there was time to have a glass of wine and catch up with familiar faces in the audience.Richard Buckley, the archaeologist who led the dig for Richard III was there as was Professor Lin Foxhall, Head of the University of Leicester's School of Archaeology and Ancient History...both were singing David's praises ...

Also there at the book lauch were Louise Carr and John Vorster. Louise studied and now works of the University....she's been a member of the Ricardian Society in Adelaide since she was seventeen. An old friend of hers from the society, John Vorster turned up too with his wife...an eleven thousand mile journey to Leicester. Now that's what I call having a passionate interest in something!

Click on the link below to listen to my interviews, both with David and the Antipodean members of the Ricardian Society....





I'm thoroughly enjoying  David's book about the King he called "an enigma". Brought out by  Amberley Publishing in paperback, it costs £9.99

Today's track is by the Beatles...what else could it be but this? "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles.........