News
Circus Origin
May 6, 2015 - The Chairman
Who knows about Circus Ginnett? I certainly didn’t until the other day, when it was mentioned on the field of Waterloo. Show business started for the Ginnetts, a French family, in Briton after they were captured at Waterloo. At this time Ginnetts were big horse people and thought to be in the French cavalry. They […]
The Many Faces of Napoleon: ‘Little Boney’ or Napoleon le Grand?
April 21, 2015 - Alwyn Collinson
This is a guest article by Sheila O’Connell, British Museum Curator. See ‘Bonaparte and the British: prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon‘ at the British Museum until 16 August 2015. On a Tuesday at the end of January, we unpacked the marvellous large bronze head of Napoleon Bonaparte made by Antonio Canova for […]
WaterWho?
April 17, 2015 - Alwyn Collinson
With the bicentenary anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo fast approaching, the National Army Museum conducted a survey investigating how much Brits really know about this monumental Battle… We’re all familiar with places named after the Battle of Waterloo, from pubs named after the Duke of Wellington to Waterloo Station in London, but do Brits […]
Racing Legends
April 12, 2015 - The Chairman
Having just watched the Grand National it reminded me that a correspondent recently informed us that although winners of the Derby were always English bred up until 1865 the winner that year was a horse called “Gladiateur”. It was a French bred horse and was nicknamed “The Avenger of Waterloo”. The same correspondent told me […]
Macabre Find
April 9, 2015 - The Chairman
Archaeologists have made an interesting find in 2012. A skeleton was found during the excavation on the battlefield when building a new Car Park adjacent to the Mound. There was much speculation as to the identity of the man whose right rib cage was still holding a musket ball, see the attached photo. In the […]
Greenjackets to the Fore
March 25, 2015 - The Chairman
The general and I attended an excellent re-opening of the Waterloo Exhibition at Winchester. The Duke of Wellington declared the exhibition open and stated what a good show it was. Notable was the renewed Waterloo Diorama, all 35,500 figures cleaned by hand and now accompanied by a commentary by the lovely Kate Aidie. Also of […]
Hungry for History
March 22, 2015 - The Chairman
It’s been a busy week with a trip down to Canterbury where Hungry for History supremo Victoria Neilson organised a gang of about 100 school children to receive an “Audience” with Peter Snow. They heard from him with a blow by blow account how the battle unfolded. We had a number of then dressed up in […]
Waterloo 200 launches a unique national schools’ competition: TIMELINE 200
March 20, 2015 - Alwyn Collinson
Waterloo 200, in partnership with Hungry for History, is seeking to challenge schoolchildren from across the UK to determine their 100 defining moments in history of the last 200 years, from 1815-2015. CATEGORIES: HISTORY, NATURE, ART, SPORT AND SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY AGE GROUPS: 7-10, 11-13, 14-16, 17-18 TIMINGS: COMPETITION OPENS FRI 20TH MARCH 2015 / COMPETITION CLOSES […]
Wellington’s Places: Stratfield Saye
March 19, 2015 - Alwyn Collinson
This is a guest article written by his Grace the Duke of Wellington. Stratfield Saye was the seat of the first Duke of Wellington, given to him by a grateful nation in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo. At the time of the Battle of Waterloo, a beautiful stately home already existed at Stratfield Saye. The […]
Old Soldiers Do Die!
March 15, 2015 - The Chairman
My correspondent in Belgium has sent this picture from the Sphere Magazine to me, as it is of an old Yorkshire soldier. The 14th became the West Yorks. He was the last officer from Waterloo to survive. He died in October 1891. He was outlived by John Hopwood, who allegedly served at Waterloo and lived […]
