MERRIE CHRISTMAS

I would like to wish you all a very Merrie Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I will be back in 2009 with more from the legend of Robin Hood and Walt Disney's classic live-action movie. Thank you for your fantastic support.

Nottingham Castle 1135-1191

After Henry I’s death in 1135, Civil War raged in England between the Empress Matilda and King Stephen (1135-1154). Nottingham Castle was held for Stephen by its constable William Peveril, probably the great grandson of the original builder. Robert Earl of Gloucester, the natural son of Henry I, laid siege to the Castle in 1140, took William’s son prisoner, but failed to capture the Castle. So he vented his wrath on the town instead. Women and children were butchered in the streets or burned in the churches to which they rushed in horror.

The future King Henry II, son of Matilda, laid siege to Nottingham Castle in 1153. The constable, William Peveril, in an attempt at depriving Henry’s soldiers, used the secret tunnels under the Castle and set fire to the town. But Henry made no attempt to capture the Castle, realizing according to a contemporary account:

“………………….that it could not be taken by storm, or well supplied as it was, starved into submission, the site being by nature impregnable, he abandoned the futile task.”

After his Coronation in 1154, Henry II commenced to re-build the town of Nottingham and it’s Castle. Peveril, disguised as a monk, fled first to his monastery at Lenton and then abroad when the king arrived in Nottingham in 1155. New fortifications began to be set up around the town and strong gates at major points were erected. Their names still survive today, Barker Gate, Bridlesmith Gate, Castle Gate, Lister Gate, St Mary’s Gate, St Peter’s Gate and Warser Gate. Also a massive portcullis slung between two drum towers was erected at the West of Nottingham town, known as Chapel Bar.

In the ballad Robin Hood and the Monk, a ‘gret-hedid munke’ discovers Robin Hood praying in St Mary’s Church. He runs out to inform the sheriff and on the way:

Alle the gatis of Notyngham
He made to be sparred* everychon. *barred

In 1171 the castles defences were greatly improved by the replacing of the wooden palisade enclosing the middle bailey with a high stone wall, adding a great square tower over the gateway and a new stone drawbridge over the Middle Moat. Masonry began to replace timber. The living accommodation in the Upper Bailey was improved by the construction of several new buildings, including the ‘‘King’s Chamber’ and the ‘King’s Bed Chamber’


Henry called parliament in 1172 at his ‘Royal Castle’ of Nottingham. But to improve things for future meetings of the ‘King’s Council of Barons’, he ordered, at a cost of £250, a Great Hall in the centre of the Middle Bailey. It was to be a substantial building with aisles, like a great church, large enough for the holding of Parliaments and various entertainments.

During Stephen’s reign (1135-1154) Forest Law and administration had collapsed. Henry claimed back all the land Henry I owned as Forest and afforested even more. The area of Royal Forest reached its greatest extant during this period. It was said about Henry II:

“He was addicted to the chase beyond measure; at crack of dawn he was off on horseback, traversing waste lands, penetrating forests and climbing the mountain tops, and so he passed restless days.”

Henry had a house built at the castle for ‘the King’s falcons’ and at Clipstone in Sherwood Forest, the Royal Hunting Lodge began to be re-built in stone and appears to have replaced Mansfield as the favored accommodation. It later became known as King John’s Palace and eventually spread over an area of at least two acres, with a large fish pond. It was during one of his frequent hunting trips in ‘Scirwurda’ (Sherwood) that Henry met Eustace, the holy hermit of Papplewick which eventually resulted in the founding of Newstead Abbey.

In June 1174, while Henry was in France dealing with the ‘Revolt’ of his sons, William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby raided Nottingham. William was one of the earls who had joined the rebellion, led by Henry’s eldest son, ‘Henry the Younger’. The king had denied William and his father the title ‘Earl of Derby’ since the days of their support for King Stephen. So Nottingham bore the brunt of his fury. The town was over run at the first onslaught, some of the people were cut down, others taken prisoner. Then the rebels ransacked the houses, fired them and rode away. De Ferrers was taken prisoner by the King at Northampton a month later, but let off lightly and lived on to meet a Crusaders death with Richard I at the Siege of Acre in 1190.

In France, Henry tried to satisfy his sons with a redistribution of estates. Prince John received an increased share and was granted the castles of Nottingham and Marlborough, together with the then substantial allowance of a thousand pounds.

Back in England, in August 1175, King Henry II rode into Nottingham in a fit of rage, accusing the local nobility and gentry of breaking his Forest Laws. His Chief Justicar, Richard de Lucy, spoke up showing letters the king had left, instructing the forests and fishponds to be open while he was away. But Henry’s legendary temper did not improve; when he was shown the actual letters, he ignored them.

Henry II died at Chinon on 6th July 1189. Richard I succeeded his father and crossed to England on 13th August . He granted the former Peveril estates to his brother John, but excluded Nottingham Castle from the grant. This was to enable Richard’s government to retain some control over his territories and he reserved to himself the most important castles within them.

“By this time the “keep” [at Nottingham Castle] would be a large square stone tower of at least three storeys in height—a living room or hall on the ground-floor, with solar above, and dungeons and store rooms beneath (a good example—another of William Peveril’s strongholds —may be seen in the remains of Peak Castle, at Castleton). The entrance—high above the ground— was reached by a wooden staircase or by a spiral staircase in the thickness of the stone wall, carefully guarded by a portcullis and drawbridge. The kitchens and outbuildings would still be built of wood; the whole surrounded by stone walls and a moat, over which was thrown a drawbridge defended by a barbican tower and gateway.”

(A Short History of Nottingham Castle - Harry Gill)

During the absence of Richard on Crusade, William de Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, was entrusted with administration of the country, which angered Prince John who resented this appointment as he wished it for himself.

A quarrel broke out between the two and Longchamp dispossessed John of Nottingham Castle and granted it to William Earl of Pembroke. Prince John immediately gathered a small army in April 1191 and after a short siege re-gained possession. After negotiations Roger de Lacy, the Constable of Chester, was eventually installed in the Castle. But he immediately tried to bring about the death of Roger de Crokstone, who had held the castle for Prince John. Roger de Lacy was unsuccessful however and Prince John, in revenge seized de Lacy’s estates and harried his lands. Ralph Murdoc then became constable of Nottingham Castle and Justice Itinerant.

Three times Prince John had to hand over Nottingham Castle. Twice he was induced to give it up and it was in his hands when he heard of Richard’s capture.

© Clement of the Glen 2008-2009

To read more on the history of Nottingham Castle please click on the label Nottingham Castle

The Prisoners in Nottingham Square

Peanut Butter Glasses

Above can be seen three extremely rare, peanut butter glasses, out of a set of 8 from the classic 1950’s TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood. They were manufactured by Federal Glass in Canada and depict Richard Greene as Robin Hood, Patricia Driscoll as Maid Marian and Alan Wheatley as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The Riddle of Robin Hood # 3

This is a continuation of the script from Walt Disney’s short promotional film the ‘Riddle of Robin Hood’ a unique insight into the making of his later live-action production the Story of Robin Hood. To read the earlier sections please click on the label below:

"Back in London another Disney task force went into action. This was headed by the only woman art director in the film business, Carmen Dillon (seen above with her assistant, either Arthur Lawson or Jack Stevens) . Whose deigns for Sir Lawrence Olivier’s ‘Hamlet’, won her an Academy Oscar.

Hers was the job of locating and bringing to life the physical background of Robin Hood’s day, the castles, the villages and the spirit of twelfth century England. Here the Tower of London as it was in Robin’s time, built from an artist’s conception but re-constructed from ancient engineering and architectural plans .Then Nottingham town. Of course Nottingham, one of England’s great cities today, is far different in appearance from when it was a quaint midland village, centuries ago.

But with honest research, comprehensive sketches, then carefully constructed models, it was hoped to bring it to life. To in view it with the same congenial charm that coaxed Robin out of nearby Sherwood for one of those stimulating visits, that used to upset the Sheriff there so much.

Close at hand during the [piece missing] ………..down to the last bolt on the helmet was the object of his most careful attention. As for ladies wear, they presented a bit of a problem in those pre-zipper days. By the time the lady struggled into her dress, half the day was gone. So there being no time to fix her hair, she usually wore one of those over her hair. It’s known as a cowl and what it saved in time, it probably lost in husbands!"

A RARE TREAT!

Sorry it's such short notice! But I have just found out that there will be a rare showing of Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men on Monday December 8th 2008 on Channel 4 here in England. The film will start at 1.50 pm.

If you haven't seen the movie before let me know what you think of it.

Campaign Book

Above are pages from The RKO Campaign Book for promoting Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood in 1952.

Playbill For The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane

This amazing double-page Playbill is possibly dated Monday 7th February 1859. It is advertising a performance of Robin Hood or Harlequin Friar Tuck and the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London. Robin Hood is played by a Mr. William Templeton in a glade in Sherwood Forest along with one hundred ladies of the ballet!

Hubert Gregg

Hubert Gregg MBE played the ‘sneering’ Prince John in Walt Disney’s live action movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952). As a student Gregg had studied at the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art and his career started with a part in a production of Jean-Jacques Bernard’s Martine. After early appearances in light West-End farce, he moved on to revue and more high-brow performances in Shakespearean plays, including a season at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre. He started his radio career as a part-time announcer with the BBC Empire Service, a forerunner of the World Service and also made his TV debut in a dramatization of the life of St. Bernard at Alexander Palace.

During two seasons at the Chichester Festival Theatre in southwest England, he played Britannus to John Gielgud's Caesar in George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. Gregg also appeared in Terrance Rattigan’s first long running Broadway and London success, French without Tears, along with parts in While the Sun Shines and Off the Record. He also both acted and directed William Douglas Home’s comedy The Secretary Bird. In this he played the part of Hugh Walford, a part that was to become his favorite stage part next to Hamlet.

His skill at directing found him working on Agatha Christie’s first theater success, The Hollow at the Fortune and Ambassadors in 1951. Then for three years, on Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest, later in 1953 with his direction, he helped gain,-for six years-the record breaking success of The Mousetrap. But he soon became fed up with both Christie and the play. "She was a mean old bitch," he would say. "She never even gave me the smallest gift." He later wrote a book about his experiences, Agatha Christie and All That Mousetrap (1980).

Hubert Robert Harry Gregg was born in Islington, North London on July 19th 1914. He came from a poor background. His father was wounded in the Somme and, with no income, sold toys in the street, but four miles away from his home so as not to shame his family. But Hubert later won a scholarship to St. Dunstan’s College in South East London. His parents couldn’t afford to send him to university so instead he enrolled at the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art and between 1933 and 1936 he played a multitude of roles for the Birmingham Repertory Company and the Old Vic.

As a private soldier in the Lincolnshire Regiment during 1939, Gregg put pen to paper and wrote the words and music to his first song I’m Going to Get Lit Up When The Lights Go Up In London. But the musical-comedy star Hermione Gingold refused to sing it. "She said quite correctly that we couldn't sing about getting lit up when we didn't know who was going to win!" said Gregg.

The song was launched in 1943, when victory was on the horizon, and was recorded by Alan Breeze with Billy Cotton and his Band. But provoked concerns in Parliament over possible nights of drunkenness in the capital. Lady Astor asked if this was “the disgraceful way Britons were going to behave.” Prime Minister Winston Churchill replied that he was confident, “we shall celebrate a victorious peace in a way worthy of the British nation.” Gregg married the actress Zoe Gail in 1943.

His feature film debut came with Noel Coward, John Mills and Michael Wilding in David Lean's 1941 classic In Which We Serve and it was during World War II that he worked for the political warfare executive on the BBC German Service. Gregg’s ability to speak German so fluently led Goebbels to think he was a German traitor!

Over a hundred songs and lyrics followed his first success, like London In The Rain, I’ve Got An Invitation To The Royal Coronation, My Mother’s Ambitious For Me, Spring Is At It Again and Everybody Shines When The Sun Shines.

On one particular grim day, after seeing the German Doodlebugs devastating his native city he composed on the back of a theater program, what later became the folk anthem- Maybe it’s because I’m A Londoner. "It took me 20 minutes to write it before supper one night, Gregg said. “It's only got 16 bars, but people seem to like it."
In 1947 it was given to Bud Flanagan by impresario Jack Hilton and Flanagan literally made the song his own during a four-year run in the West End revue Together Again.

Apart from writing songs, including Elizabeth, for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Gregg also turned his hand to writing plays and two novels. In 1951 his first book April Gentleman was published. Also at the beginning of this year he was chosen to play the part of the evil Prince John in Walt Disney’s second live-action movie, filmed at Denham studios, the Story of Robin Hood. A role he seemed to perform with relish. His cinema career continued with roles such as Mr. Pusey in the Alexander Mackendrick comedy The Maggie (1953,) Final Appointment (1954), Simon and Laura (1955)(with Kay Kendal and Peter Finch) and Doctor at Sea (1955) (which he also wrote the music for).

In 1958 he starred in his first musical Chrysanthemum at the Prince of Wales, along with his second wife Pat Kirkwood (his first wife was the singer Zoe Gail whom he married in 1943 and divorced five years later).

In 1962 his musical version of Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, the three men being Kenneth Horne, Leslie Phillips and Gregg himself, and it was in radio that he eventually found a more durable career.

With his relaxed style, velvety voice and endless show business anecdotes from his varied career, he became hugely popular with radio audiences. He started with the series I Remember it Well, Square Deal followed and then the show that he hosted on BBC Radio 2 for thirty five years-Thanks for the Memory. Playing ‘vintage records from the square chair’ he delighted his listeners with unashamed nostalgia. Lesley Douglas, Radio 2 Controller, said: “He painted pictures of a bygone era with wit and style.”

After 23 years of marriage Gregg divorced Pat Kirkwood and a year later he married Carmel Lytton, 30 years his junior. In 1981 he was given the Freedom of the City of London and in 2003 he was awarded an MBE for his services to music. In 1993, he celebrated 60 years of broadcasting by presenting 'Sounds and Sweet Airs', which he also wrote. 1994 was the 50th Anniversary of D-Day, for which he appeared on 'Hubert Gregg and The 40s'. Hubert Gregg died on Monday 29th March 2004 at his home in Eastbourne, East Sussex. He is survived by his third wife Carmel and their son and daughter and a daughter from his previous marriage to Pat Kirkwood.