Going back to our roots
𝅘𝅥𝅯 Zippin’ up my boots, going back to my roots𝅘𝅥𝅯
Aka Thomas Rowlandson, Puss in Boots, or General Junot taken by Surprise, April 12, 1811
This image: New York, The Met, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959, 59.533.1408, at https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/811539
Well it’s been a busy few weeks here at Wrightington Towers!
In addition to the usual day-to-day pleasures of a term in full swing, we’ve each paid our respective homages to Lamont Dozier in 1977 (or, if you prefer, to Odyssey in 1981), by zippin’ up our boots and, indeed, going back to our roots.
Joanna has rearranged things on Robert’s desk, to present Beowulf. Whaet could possibly go wrong…?
It started with the last two Wednesdays’ Beowulf sessions. For those of you who’ve not yet done one of our Wrightington Notes courses, these are where I venture into Robert’s inner sanctum (aka his study).
There are some things I don’t miss about my former life as an academic, but what I absolutely have missed is the opportunity to personally share exciting things historical with lovely people - until recently, that is, with our new Short & Sweet strand. Beowulf was a particular thrill for me, as it allowed us all to get our teeth into some juicy medieval literature!
Halcyon days, Joanna-stylee
Then last Friday saw me having history-tastic fun as I used to again: giving a talk to a visiting group of lovely American undergraduate students during the York leg of their study abroad module, as we explored the nature of history and some choice historical sites together. And then while the lovely students were exploring York under their own steam, their lovely professors (whom I know from my past life) treated me to dinner at one of my erstwhile regular stomping grounds - a place which holds many dear memories. …So this week has seen me zippin’ up my boots both metaphorically and literally!
Halcyon days, Robert-stylee
aka: Duggleby Howe. In the rain.
But lest you should be feeling sorry for Robert, fear not - he too has been zippin’ up his boots for a welcome nostalgic excursion. His took the form of visiting a muddy mound. In the rain.
Both the mound and its boggy sogginess loom large in his happy memories of when this was his regular stomping ground, so he is as heartened and fortified by his jaunt as I am by mine. And he also had good company on his adventure, as one of the ladies pictured above likes soggy mounds and Nature almost as much as she likes fizz and fine dining.
In other news, I am also going back to my roots in a different way. Unfortunately, we’ve finally had to concede that we can no longer try to ignore certain practicalities and keep our fingers crossed, so I’ve been applying for jobs outwith Wright History, because change needs to be on the horizon. It’s still early days, so we don’t yet know the implications of whatever said change will be - or, indeed, whether any job application will be successful. Do please keep your fingers crossed for me!
Come what may, we’re determined to keep on doing what we so love doing and keep the show on the road. In the short term, there are only two main changes from our original intentions for the next few months.
First, there are currently no Wrightington Notes courses after Beowulf. We shall schedule more as soon as we know what is possible (not least because the wish list we have from a cocktail of our ideas and your suggestions is too exciting to resist!).
Secondly, we’re extremely disappointed to have to say that we cannot schedule a now-traditional 7-week course in Pickering this autumn. I don’t drive, and our local public transport links are hopeless, so Robert will need to be available to don his chauffeur’s hat for any hours which may be offered to me, if one of my applications is successful.
On a happier note, I am delighted to announce that we are able to offer two day schools (which we hope will be some consolation to our Pickering Denizens):
10th- to 14th-century China (Pickering)
I’m also delighted to announce that in light of the fun we all had on our recent Short & Sweet on Caligula, we’ve managed to squeeze an extra online offering into our summer programme.*
*[We’d originally ear-marked the slot for a Joanna-course, so we’re delighted to have found an alternative!]
NB This stands in its own right, so no need to worry if you didn’t join us for Caligula or, indeed, for any of our other forays into things Roman.
Finally, please rest assured - come what may, we shall continue to record all online sessions for catch-up purposes. Depending on how things pan out, they may not be posted with as quick a turnaround as usual, but they will be posted.