The Stony Stratford Kidnapping

Simon Waterfield


Organisation:
Historical Interpretation
Region:
South East
Notice Period:
Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
Type:
Professional
Fee:
Paid: £75 plus expenses if further than 50 miles from S E London
Category:
History
Updated:
5th January 2020

Medieval kings processed around the country with an enormous retinue. Imagine being an innkeeper in a small midlands town who is told the king will be staying for a night in your inn with a retinue of 2000. You aren’t expecting the 2nd most powerful man in the country to turn up at the same time. You aren’t expecting political intrigue You aren’t expecting arrests that end up in executions You aren’t expecting a kidnapping that would lead to a mystery that has enthralled the world for 6 centuries. This is the story of the innkeeper at the Rose and Crown in Stoney Stratford. For good or ill, the soon to be Edward V and his retinue on the way to London to be crowned, met his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester in this inn. There, supposedly under the innkeeper’s protection, he was effectively kidnapped by his uncle, separated from his own advisors, and escorted, almost under arrest, into London where he eventually disappeared without trace. A somewhat overwhelming experience for the innkeeper!

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About Simon Waterfield

Simon researches and writes monologues about events and people in history and performs his stories as a monologue in character in the first person. This makes the event come alive for the audience.

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” – Rudyard Kipling.

“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe, But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” – Native American Proverb.

Using his experiences as re-enactor, actor, and drawing on family history, Simon has developed his monologues to illustrate how great historical events are seen from an ordinary person’s point of view. They are performed in costume of the time, and he brings items of a historical nature, to support the talk. There are a variety of characters ranging from a C7 welsh Saint to a WW2 soldier. Details, including photos and clients comments can be found on the website. www.historicalinterpretation.co.uk I am based in N W Kent but am willing to travel, subject to agreement on expenses. My clients include WIs, U3A, Probus, Active Retirement Associations, Local History clubs, English Heritage, National Trust, museums, Historical events organisers, historic houses, libraries.

"Simon, thank you for your evening with us on Thursday. We thoroughly enjoyed your thoughts and recollections on being a Kilted Tommy during WWI. You make history come alive and the audience feel very much a part of the past. Looking forward to hearing more of your interesting subjects". from Harvard WI

"Thank you so much for entertaining us so royally with your talk on being a pilgrim at the time of the black death. I think it was very well received, and I am grateful to you". Friends of Nonsuch.

I can do all my stories via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Each will be £50.


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