Wolf Hall

[mikey4444]

Just watched the 3rd episode, and enjoyed it immensely ! Its picked up no end from the first week.

Anybody else enjoying as well ?

[Supermike]

I agree with you Mikey. The first two episodes seemed pretty hard going but I think that may have been because there were so many characters introduced. It's certainly worth the concentration as it's so well acted and the insight into court life in the Tudor period seems to ring true.

[Jomlett]

The programme before Wolf Hall on BBC 4 about William Tyndale's part in the reformation was a revelation.

[Peter Pedant]

Oops missed the Tyndale
thx

If you can find a Tyndale bible, you're in the money ! Two identified.

Miles Coverdale did the Pentateuch ( first five books of the OT ) from the Greek ( Septuagint ) rather than Hebrew. His church St Edwards Cambridge had a copy on exhibition and someone walked away with it twenty years ago ( £100k)

[Jomlett]

The Most Dangerous Man in In Tudor England by Melvyn Bragg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0185y5g

[Peter Pedant]

I am afraid we were picking at the progz values

Henry married Anne - and it would have been the Roman rite - and we thought the archbishop was facing the wrong way ( towards the congregation and not the altar )

Anne's fave colour we know was black ( it was that and 8 fingers that made the people think she had bewitched the King )- and a lot of the time she is the only one NOT wearing black.


Jet Black as a dye ( rather than bleeeeuch black ) was very expensive to produce then

Queen Katherine was always adored by the people
and I think there was a law saying she had to be addressed as Lady K.

The crowd had to be hired at the Queens Coronation
and shouted things like 'hurrah for the King's ***'

Princess Mary ( Mary I Tudor ) was always addressed as Lady Mary
Princess was only used for the Kings daughters after 1760 - specifically a German import for George III's many offspring

Oh and in the interview with Thomas More it looks as tho he is on the phone

other than that 9 / 10

[islasmum]

I'm really enjoying this, paticularly now they seem to be doing more scenes in daylight! Damian Lewis is doing a great job as Henry, and Mark Rylance is superb!

[andy-hughes]

The present Mrs Hughes who is something of a history buff is also very much enjoying the series, but she confirms Suermike's point that a strong background in the history of the period does help to sort out who is who, and what's going on where.

I think the job of steering a clear accurate path through historical fact while keeping dramatic tension and flow is a pretty tricky one, but it seems that the team are getting it right.

[Supermike]

Thanks Andy. I must admit I love history and Mrs SM's a history graduate and taught 'A' level History for a number of years'. We both enjoy this programme, but it really isn't dumbed down so needs some effort to get the full enjoyment from it. But it's worth it. On the other hand I did find the books really hard going!

[Peter Pedant]

Romans are whining that Thomas More doesn't have a halo around his head ( isn't more of a saint )

In fact at his pad ( Hard Place Hall or somewhere ) he had both a Lollard pit
( a hole in the ground into which one could cast Lollards ) and a Lollard tower ( building that you could lock up Lollards in )

doesn't sound a load of fun if you were a heretic

He was doing NT Greek with his daughter Margaret as Cromwell walked in
Quite impressed with that detail


IN the case of heretics like Ed baynham, they really did say things like:
" Listen to him, By God this man wants to fry ! "

[Peter Pedant]

The place where Ed B fried, I didn't think was too bad
BUT
anne askew is gonna get burnt sometime ( 1545 )
and if you go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Askew
there is an illustration of her er going

and... if you take the tube to St Barts and stand outside the main entrance and look toward Gt St Barts ( opposite direction to looking at the old bailey )
and cloth fair

you will see the exact same scene

1917 a zeppelin bombed the square and the front fell off a building revealing the tudor front ... as illustrated in the woodcut