Today we have a guest post from Carole Richmond who is organising this year’s Boleyn Festival at Blickling Hall:-
Many historians believe that Anne Boleyn was born at Blickling in the house that stood there before the grand Jacobean manor that now stands on the site. For many years Blcikling, a National Trust property, has celebrated the connection with an annual ghost talk and midnight vigil on May 19th, the anniversary of Anne’s execution. Led by famous local historian and compelling storyteller, Neil Storey, people wait outside Blickling to see if a headless Anne Boleyn arrives in a coach driven by her headless brother George and pulled by four black horses. She hasn’t arrived yet.
Last year Blickling augmented the usual offering with talks from Alison Weir, Tracy Borman and Sarah Gristwood. That event was very successful and has expanded this year into a four-day literary festival featuring Alison Weir, Eric Ives, David Loades, George Bernard, Suzannah Lipscomb, Nicola Shulman, Suzannah Dunn and Harriet Castor. Neil Storey will also be reprising his annual talk about Anne’s ghosts and other supernatural events in Norfolk. The event runs form May 17th through to May 20th and full details can be found at www.boleynfestival.co.uk.
How to buy tickets
Email: blickling@nationaltrust.org.uk, ticket hotline is 01263 738030 or 0844 8004308
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Buy a four-day pass to the Boleyn Festival for £110 – that’s 17% off the full ticket price, ring 01263 738030 or 0844 8004308 for more details.
Also…
In support of the Boleyn Festival at Blickling, Norfolk County Council Library & Information Service is delighted to announce that the Wycliffite Bible once owned by Anne’s uncle, James Boleyn of Blickling, will be available to view in the Norfolk Heritage Centre – exact days and times to be confirmed. Come along to find out more about this amazing manuscript volume, its history and connection with Anne Boleyn.
I’ve never heard of this festival before – if I had, I’d have planned one of my trips to England to coincide with it. I love to attend Tudor events and ghost vigils – I was introduced to the Anne Boleyn Files when I made a trip to England for Halloween 2009 to attend a ghost vigil at Hever with psychic Johnnie Fiori, and the staff at Hever told me about the Anne Boleyn Experience 2010. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend this year, since I plan to come to England for the Discover the Tudors tour from June 23-July 1, but since Claire isn’t planning to run tours in 2013 maybe I’ll be there next year. Hopefully this year’s festival will be successful enough so that there will be a 4-day event next year as well. Are there hotels near Blickling Hall that one could stay at if they intended to attend the entire 4-day event?
As much as I love living in the North-East of Scotland, there are times when I really miss the ability to be able to make a couple of hours car journey to be part of all these wonderful events, like I used to be able to, and be back home in the same day… but can’t have everything, so keep posting all you people who are lucky enough to be able to attend for us that can’t…
It could be worse-I live in tropical Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The Boleyn Vigil is mythical and too far away. We don’t have any ghosts in sunny Queensland, the cyclone blew them away!
It could be even worse, as I live in Houston, Texas…..Talk about a LONG DRIVE!! Although, we do have plenty of ghosts here….and lots of neat history….not to compare to British history of course….although, not faulting my “fore-fathers”…..I love, love everything about this website and British history….nothing compares….so obsessed….in a good way, of course…..Giddy up!!!
LOL you’ve beat me there girls 🙂 miles wise anyway, but its all the other boring familiar restrictions too, cost of it all when you are futher away, stay overs etc which you will have beaten me again on that score too, Oh well its all relative, so lets us all feel sorry for each other haha… hope you make it one day ladies.
Oh God I wish I could go! Best of luck with the organizing and excution of the festival!!!!
I second her sentiment.