I'm sure not ready for 13 degree weather - snow, yes, frigid temps,no. The bird on the little teapot is a peacock I think. Found the pot in an antique shop for $5, it isn't old because I saw one like it in a gift shop for $26. Gardenweed, were you able to watch the ShowTime series "The Tudors" that ended last year? The years that it was on, a forum began around it; and I joined. I learned so much about the Tudors and life in their times on that board, even tho alot of the discussion revolved around Jonathan Rhys Meyers. ha. How exciting for you to sit in Rycote Chapel! I say we should all make sure to take tea together on April 29th as we watch Prince William and his Kate wed.

We have all of Martin's books. My problem with your argument (which is a friendly one!) is you are assuming Weir writes romance novels when she doesn't. You said, "Who could possibly have come up with a fictional version of a 16th century king's life that would equal the facts of Henry VIII's?!" That kind of bit because that's not how Weir writes. Mantel also writes historical fiction. Does that mean Wolf Hall is a romance novel? No. Have you read any of Weir's non-fiction? She stays with fact and questions a lot of theories, because nobody really knows the dialogue back then, but both authors make up their own dialog & speculate in order to tell story. Weir may not have an academic background but that doesn't mean she's not a historian. She is labeled a Historian by others. I'm aware she's said she writes popular history, but that doesn't negate the fact she telling us what happened back then. Anyway, enough with "My author is better than your author." LOL. Lynn, when I'm reading I keep my iPad next to me so I can look up names and places. I keep Google Earth on England. :) In highschool one of my "dead" classes was being Library Assistant, and the Librarian is the one who turned me onto Holt. Which led to the Tudor era. BTW, did you see Hever Castle on G.E.?

Still with furs. I lived for a year in Canada (Ottawa) a cold country and very chilly city and someone gave me their very old fur coat. It was extremely heavy and rather moth eaten, probably less mouton and more dead cat. One day I walked into the city library and, though it was snowing as I left home, it was raining by the time I got there . . . and my goodness did that soggy coat pong. All eyes and noses followed me round the shelves until, in sheer embarrassment, I had to take it off and hide it behind a distant radiator where it steamed-off noxious vapours. When I returned to the UK the coat stayed behind. BTW Queen Elizabeth, was never Princess of Wales, just Duchess of York, as George VI went straight from D of Y to King. When Diana became Princess of Wales it was noted that the title hadn't been used since the time of the marriage of George V in 1890 something to Mary of Teck, always know as Old Queen Mary when I was a child. Also a fact I only became aware of recently, the title of Queen Mother was specially created for Queen Elizabeth on the death of George VI . . . probably much more than you (true US republicans all) needed to know. ;-)

Cindy, I saw the new film on Queen Eliz. I and actually liked it, in its way. (I commented on it over on the Cinema Forum here). POSSIBLE SPOILERS: As I wrote, I liked the historical presence of Bess Throckmorton and Walter Raleigh, as well as Dr. John Dee, astrologer and advisor to Eliz. I found the scene with the huge Spanish Armada approaching the tiny island of Britain awesome. In general, I thought the film captured accurately the paranoia of the times, and the secretive court intrigues, layer upon layer of subterfuge. The scene with Eliz. ralleying her countrymen upon horseback in armour I found quite moving. Why did you not like it as well as the first film???