Entries by Lyndon Darkes

Bewdley Festival of the Arts

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To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the first broadcast of the celebrated Play for Today, written by David Rudkin and directed by Alan Clarke, local writers Martin Wall and Richard Bruce Clay examine the lingering psychic legacy of ‘Penda’s Fen’, a drama set in the liminal Worcestershire countryside, on the local and national artistic terrain.

‘ENGLAND’ WAS COMPRISED OF SEVEN ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOMS

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There were seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, each with their own ruling dynasties, called the ‘Heptarchy’ (meaning ‘seven’). We have already looked at Wessex in the south, but ‘next door’ was the small kingdom of Sussex. Along the south coast lay Kent, probably the oldest of them all. Then came Essex, the kingdom of the East Saxons, and to the north of them was East Anglia. In the Midlands there was a kingdom of the Middle-Angles, which eventually morphed into the mighty kingdom of Mercia, which became the most powerful of them all for a time.

Robert Plant sings his praises for Kinver author’s magic book

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A KINVER writer has become a best seller on Amazon following praise from Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant.

Robert described The Magical History of Britain by Martin Wall as a ‘remarkable book’ and ‘an inspiration from the heart of the Shire’.

10 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Anglo-Saxons

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The Anglo-Saxon period lasted from the early fifth century AD to 1066 – after the Romans and before the Normans. But how much do you know about the Anglo-Saxons? Who were they, where did they settle and what religions did they follow? Here, Martin Wall brings you the facts…

Book Excerpt: Warriors and Kings The 1500-Year Battle For Celtic Britain by Martin Wall

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For those of you looking for something Celtic to read this spring, author Martin Wall brings us Warriors and Kings: The 1500-Year Battle for Celtic Britain. For centuries, the Celtic peoples of Britain stood fast against invasion, oppression and war. Theirs is a fascinating and exciting story which birthed some of the most tenacious and heroic leaders in history: from Caractacus and Boudicca, to William Wallace, Owain Glyndwr and the legendary King Arthur.