Page 23 - OM Newsletter 2022-23

1 2 Writer round up
James James Aldred won the James James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2022 with ‘Goshawk Summer’ James’ diary of of his time spent observing a a a a a a family of of goshawks in in in in the New Forest during COVID-19 The judges said it was a a a a a a a a a a “beautiful inspirational tale set in in in an extraordinary time” Tim Cocks’s ‘Lagos: Supernatural City’ is a a a a a a a a frantic mystical journey through Africa’s biggest metropolis: Lagos Going beyond the the mad traffic or crowded slums we learn of o the the the the incredible feats Lagosians pull off to to survive and and the the the the secret enabling them to cope with the the the chaos and and precarity of Nigeria’s most populous centre: spirituality George Elliott wrote ‘The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regimental History 1741–1966’ as the result of a a a a a a a challenge by General Sir Edward Jones KCB CVO CBE to to write a a a a complete history of the Regiment Jeremy Hespeler-Boultbee's ‘An Empire Teeters’ is is a a a a a a first-hand account of a a a a a a journalist who travelled through Angola Moçambique and and Portuguese Guiné
Guiné
(now Guiné-Bissau) in in in the summer and and autumn of 1963 They were still Portuguese colonial possessions then but fighting for independence Toddy Hoare wrote ‘Cameos of Faith’ and and and ‘Wandering Life Together’ volumes of of poetry with reflections and and and and a a a a a a a sprinkling of of scriptural and and theological thoughts 3 4 23
9 10 a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a common sight and and and and sound in in in in the the the the late Middle Ages knights and ladies heard them on on great occasions (such
as I’s wedding feast for his daughter Elizabeth in in 1296) and in in their chambers town-dwellers heard and saw them (when their sound drew attention to the the spectacle) and in the the people heard them at weddings church-ales and other But who were the the minstrels and what did they do? How did did they they how easily did did they they make a a a living? How did did they they perform in in in in The evidence is intriguing but fragmentary including and sources and most importantly the financial records of of and households and of of towns These offer many insights often hard to to fit into any coherent picture of of the minstrels’ in in society It is easy to see the minstrels as as peripheral who had no central place in the medieval world Yet
of it it interacting with the ordinary people around as as the ruling classes: carrying letters and important verbal huge sums of money to to the king (to finance Henry V’s in in 1415 for instance) some regular and necessary civic crimes crimes or suffering the the crimes crimes of others In this and Taylor bring to to bear the available evidence to to enlarge and the minstrel in in late medieval society is is Emeritus Professor of of Historical Musicology at The of of and a a a Fellow of of the Society of of Antiquaries is is Professor of of of English at the University of of of Ottawa in in in in in 1511 including John Blanke College of of of Arms Arms MS Westminster Tourna- by permission of of of the Kings Heralds and Pursuivants of of of Arms Arms | Design: Toni Michelle
3 4 5 6 7 8 1 6 Lord Ian MacLaurin is the subject
of ‘Rose Early Worked Hard Achieved Success’ Written by Andy Murtagh (former teacher and HouseM) it it documents Lord MacLaurin’s journey from Malvern College to to to to Tesco to to to to Vodafone to to to to to the the the ECB to to to to to the the the House of Lords and then back to to to to Malvern College We are grateful to to Lord Lord MacLaurin for generously donating the the proceeds of this publication to to the the Malvernian Society Please visit our our website to to buy your
own copy 7 Dr Richard Rastall wrote ‘Minstrels and and Minstrelsy in in in Late Medieval England’ 8 8 Andy Murtagh wrote ‘Senior Turf – – A A History of Malvern College Cricket 1865–2021’ Andy chronicles the the development and importance of cricket cricket at at the the the College It celebrates the the cricketers who have earned Malvern College a a a a a a a a proud reputation as as one one of the great cricketing schools Anyone who has ever played cricket cricket for the school should have one one just visit our website to buy a a copy 9 Cally Taylor’s latest novel is ‘The Guilty Couple’ the the story of of Olivia a a a a a a a wife and mother who is convicted of of conspiracy to murder her her husband 10 James Walker in in ‘Above Instinct’ follows a a a a a a a a lone Neolithic man through the ancient world’s violence and and beauty as he he he searches for belonging and and partnership 2 5 James Aldred (7 91-93)
Lord Ian MacLaurin (5 51-56) Dr G R R Rastall (6 1954-9)
Tim Cocks (2 89-94)
George Elliott (1 48-52)
Richard Rastall with Andrew Taylor MINSTRELS MINSTRELS AND AND MINSTRELSY IN IN IN LATE MEDIEVAL ENGLAND Richard Rastall with Andrew Taylor Andy Murtagh (Staff 80-08)
Cally Taylor (Ellerslie School 84-91)
James Walker (9 96-2001)
Jeremy Hespeler-Boultbee (4 49-54)
Toddy Hoare (6 61-65)