Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Sunday park band


We went to Forbury Gardens (park) in Reading on Sunday afternoon to listen to one of our friends play in a band. The venue was the actual band-stand in the middle of the park and a fine concert it was too, particularly as we managed to locate ourselves in seats under a large oak tree in the shade next to the ice-cream stand! 

Anyway, just behind where we were sitting was a large cross monument (see picture above) and I didn't know what it was, when we got home I did a bit of Googling and found out that it's a memorial cross to King Henry the first, Fourth son of William the Conquerer he became king of England in 1100 and reigned for thirty five years. The reason it's in Reading is because he's buried here (although his entrails are buried in France!!)  somewhere under the ruins of Reading Abby (which you can just see in the background of the picture) and apparently there's an attempt going on to locate his remains (spurred on by the discovery of Richard III in Leicester) interesting stuff! I'm not sure how old the monument is, it doesn't look that old, but there's also a plaque nearby that confirms the link with Henry (see picture below)




 

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