the Lord Leycester hospital's mASTER AND sTAFF donatE to an african chicken farm
Esther is like many African women. She is strong, resourceful, determined and entrepreneurial. Like many Kenyan women, she has raised her only child as a single mother. Her son Ken is now at university. Until a few months ago, Esther worked as a cook and housekeeper who would travel several hours each day to work on a packed matatu, one of the minibuses that locals use. Bus drivers can make the trip quite hair-raising.
With the help of a private donation by the Master and Staff, Esther was able to achieve her lifelong dream of being an entrepreneur. With their donation of £300, Esther was able to make her dream of being a chicken farmer a reality. With the money, she has purchased the structures and 250 baby chickens which she will breed for meat, and within the next two months, she will sell them in the market. Chicks are fed twice a day, at 6 am and 6 pm with food bought at the local outlet near her home. For the next couple of weeks, the babies will be kept warm in a brooder.
When Esther moved from her home near Mt Kenya, she was searching for greener pastures in the big city. Her late mother's friend lived in Nairobi, and she stayed there before she was married. Whenever Esther had time, she worked at the chicken farm. Esther loved the chicks and fell in love with farming. She was impressed by the independence this work provided, which gave her mother's friend money to support her family and live a good life. Esther nurtured the dream that one day she would have the same opportunity, which is now a reality. She has already discussed supplying her broilers to hotels.
Kenya has the highest unemployment rate in East Africa, so being self-sufficient in a country with no safety nets is essential. Esther's other dream, apart from paying her son's school fees with the money she earns, is to set an example for other single mothers. She wants them to know that sometimes, with hard work and a bit of luck, dreams do come true. At the Lord Leycester
With the help of a private donation by the Master and Staff, Esther was able to achieve her lifelong dream of being an entrepreneur. With their donation of £300, Esther was able to make her dream of being a chicken farmer a reality. With the money, she has purchased the structures and 250 baby chickens which she will breed for meat, and within the next two months, she will sell them in the market. Chicks are fed twice a day, at 6 am and 6 pm with food bought at the local outlet near her home. For the next couple of weeks, the babies will be kept warm in a brooder.
When Esther moved from her home near Mt Kenya, she was searching for greener pastures in the big city. Her late mother's friend lived in Nairobi, and she stayed there before she was married. Whenever Esther had time, she worked at the chicken farm. Esther loved the chicks and fell in love with farming. She was impressed by the independence this work provided, which gave her mother's friend money to support her family and live a good life. Esther nurtured the dream that one day she would have the same opportunity, which is now a reality. She has already discussed supplying her broilers to hotels.
Kenya has the highest unemployment rate in East Africa, so being self-sufficient in a country with no safety nets is essential. Esther's other dream, apart from paying her son's school fees with the money she earns, is to set an example for other single mothers. She wants them to know that sometimes, with hard work and a bit of luck, dreams do come true. At the Lord Leycester
Tasha's summer APPRENTICESHIP at the Lord Leycester Hospital
Tasha Burnett, aged 16, was awarded an apprenticeship by the Warwick Apprenticing Charities, to learn more about event management at the Lord Leycester Hospital. Every weekend throughout the summer, Tasha helped plan, run and publicise the events on social media.
The Warwick Apprenticing charities, formed during the 17th and 18th centuries, provide grants to students to allow them to further their education and skills for future employment. Nearly 100 young people receive grants from this charity every year.
Tasha Said: "I'm extremely grateful and fortunate to be a recipient of the Warwick Apprenticing grant, as I'm able to broaden my knowledge and understanding of events."
The Warwick Apprenticing charities, formed during the 17th and 18th centuries, provide grants to students to allow them to further their education and skills for future employment. Nearly 100 young people receive grants from this charity every year.
Tasha Said: "I'm extremely grateful and fortunate to be a recipient of the Warwick Apprenticing grant, as I'm able to broaden my knowledge and understanding of events."
Students at the lord leycester
In June 2019, we have had three students working with us at the Lord Leycester on a variety of projects.
Georgia Wilkes, 1st year Ancient History and Classical Archaeology student, University of Warwick - "I work on the interpretation of key historical artefacts within the collection at the hospital with focus on researching and producing much of the signage that can be seen across the Lord Leycester, including the Wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth I, the Saxon Chair and the weaponry collection in the Guildhall "
Tatiana Dent, 3rd year History of Art student, University of Edinburgh - "I have been curating an art exhibition entitled The Lord Leycester: A Retrospective, showing works from the private collection never before publicly displayed. Highlights include an Elizabethan oil painting of Robert Dudley, Victorian watercolours of the buildings by Royal Academy exhibitors, and a William Morris tapestry!"
Samuel Gayler, Year 11 student, Warwick High School - "GCSE Student- I work on cataloguing and researching the artefacts at the Hospital, including the Will of Robert Dudley and the padlocked inkwell."
If you are interested in a work experience at the Lord Leycester please contact us on info@lordleycester.com.
Georgia Wilkes, 1st year Ancient History and Classical Archaeology student, University of Warwick - "I work on the interpretation of key historical artefacts within the collection at the hospital with focus on researching and producing much of the signage that can be seen across the Lord Leycester, including the Wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth I, the Saxon Chair and the weaponry collection in the Guildhall "
Tatiana Dent, 3rd year History of Art student, University of Edinburgh - "I have been curating an art exhibition entitled The Lord Leycester: A Retrospective, showing works from the private collection never before publicly displayed. Highlights include an Elizabethan oil painting of Robert Dudley, Victorian watercolours of the buildings by Royal Academy exhibitors, and a William Morris tapestry!"
Samuel Gayler, Year 11 student, Warwick High School - "GCSE Student- I work on cataloguing and researching the artefacts at the Hospital, including the Will of Robert Dudley and the padlocked inkwell."
If you are interested in a work experience at the Lord Leycester please contact us on info@lordleycester.com.
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(From left to right) Brother Kenneth Browne, Georgia Wilkes, Samuel Gayler, Master Dr. Heidi Meyer, Tatiana Dent, Brother William Bradford.
£5,000 donation from the Warwick Court Leet Beer Festival
It was announced in June 2019 that this event has raised £5,000 for the Lord Leycester Hospital which will be put towards the conservation of our Medieval gem. Money that was raised from the event will also be used to fund our "Reveal the Seal" campaign, which is raising money to restore a seal commemorating King James I Banquet back in 1617.
On Friday 16th and Saturday 17th February, the Lord Leycester hosted the Beer Festival in the Great Hall. With the event sold out, hundreds came and enjoyed a wide variety of specially selected ales and ciders, such as Happy Valley, Backyard Gold and Bee Sting Cider. The Warwick Mayor honoured us by opening the event and sampling a few of the ales.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Warwick Court Leet for their donation and for sponsoring and organising this event and don't forget they will host the same event in 2019 - 15 and 16 February!
On Friday 16th and Saturday 17th February, the Lord Leycester hosted the Beer Festival in the Great Hall. With the event sold out, hundreds came and enjoyed a wide variety of specially selected ales and ciders, such as Happy Valley, Backyard Gold and Bee Sting Cider. The Warwick Mayor honoured us by opening the event and sampling a few of the ales.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Warwick Court Leet for their donation and for sponsoring and organising this event and don't forget they will host the same event in 2019 - 15 and 16 February!
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Institution of our master
On Monday 6th November 2017, Heidi L Meyer was formally instituted as the 33rd Master and, more significantly, the first female Master of The Lord Leycester Hospital in its 450-year history!
It was a rather special historical event as part of a tradition that has continued since the first Master was installed in 1571 by our founder, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leycester. A ceremony was held in the Chapel, centered around the Master taking the oath laid down in 1571 to 'govern and order this Hospital, and the poor thereof, in the fear of God according to the Laws, Statutes and Ordinances of the Founder thereof' before the Bishop of Coventry, who gave her his blessing.
In attendance at the service was our Patron Viscount De L'Isle, the Governors, Warwickshire Dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant, the Mayor, the High Sheriff, the Court Leet, and town and district council representatives.
It was a rather special historical event as part of a tradition that has continued since the first Master was installed in 1571 by our founder, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leycester. A ceremony was held in the Chapel, centered around the Master taking the oath laid down in 1571 to 'govern and order this Hospital, and the poor thereof, in the fear of God according to the Laws, Statutes and Ordinances of the Founder thereof' before the Bishop of Coventry, who gave her his blessing.
In attendance at the service was our Patron Viscount De L'Isle, the Governors, Warwickshire Dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant, the Mayor, the High Sheriff, the Court Leet, and town and district council representatives.
Photographs courtesy of Gillian Fletcher
Warwick's King James Festival
On 3rd-5th November 2017, events were held across Warwick for the King James Festival to celebrate the 400th anniversary of King James I's visit to Warwick during which Fulke Greville hosted a 3-day banquet for King James in our very own Great Hall, the cost of which took the people of Warwick 10 years to pay off! A plaque was erected in the Great Hall to mark this event but was later covered up in the 1950s-60s, and we are fundraising to expose it in our #RevealTheSeal campaign.
We recreated this banquet (for only one - sold out - night!) with a 5-course feast of Jacobean food, drink and entertainment, featuring Warwick School choir, brass players and classical guitarists, Dante Ferrara playing the lute and the hurdy gurdy, and Adam Busiakiewicz giving the guests an historical account of the event. The banquet was attended by King James himself (played by Rich Eddy) and his courtiers Fulke Greville (played by Tony Henning) and the Earl of Buckingham (played by Mark Robertson).
We recreated this banquet (for only one - sold out - night!) with a 5-course feast of Jacobean food, drink and entertainment, featuring Warwick School choir, brass players and classical guitarists, Dante Ferrara playing the lute and the hurdy gurdy, and Adam Busiakiewicz giving the guests an historical account of the event. The banquet was attended by King James himself (played by Rich Eddy) and his courtiers Fulke Greville (played by Tony Henning) and the Earl of Buckingham (played by Mark Robertson).
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Some photographs courtesy of Gillian Fletcher
The following day, we hosted an event in our Courtyard and Great Hall to continue the festivities with another performance from Dante Ferrara and more 17th century food and drink, including Warwick Pies, suckling pigs, cakes, ale and mead!
Welcoming Our Wounded Warrior
On Thursday 2nd November 2016, Guardsman John Dawson, our Wounded Warrior was welcomed to The Lord Leycester Hospital. This is in keeping with our 450-year-old Charter from 1572 that calls for the Hospital to provide a place of refuge and home to soldiers' as shall hereafter be maimed or hurt in the wars, in the service of the Queens Majesty, her heirs and successors'. John served with the Grenadier Guards in Helmand, Afghanistan 5 years ago where he was injured, and he is now very excited to be here and we are delighted to have him in our community.
We would like to thank the Grocers Company who gave a very generous donation to renovate the Laight Flat, John's new home, and The Grenadier Guards, The Royal British Legion, ABF The Soldiers' Charity, Blesma, The 353 Trust, Rugby for Heroes, Warwick Relief in Need Charity, The Warwick Lions Club, Jenny Bragg and Mandy Littlejohn for their generous outpouring of philanthropy and support.
We would like to thank the Grocers Company who gave a very generous donation to renovate the Laight Flat, John's new home, and The Grenadier Guards, The Royal British Legion, ABF The Soldiers' Charity, Blesma, The 353 Trust, Rugby for Heroes, Warwick Relief in Need Charity, The Warwick Lions Club, Jenny Bragg and Mandy Littlejohn for their generous outpouring of philanthropy and support.
Filming
2019 Scenes over the years - The Lord Leycester has featured in a number of films because of its authentic buildings and spectacular versatility as a medieval/Tudor backdrop. Below you see scenes from Dr Who and the 1990's version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth. The latest is the BBC series Shakespeare and Hathaway and A Christmas Carol which will be shown on the BBC at Christmas 2019!
Fire Fighters
In February 2017, Watch Commander Steve Bolt led a team from Leamington Spa Fire Station to train at the Lord Leycester Hospital on ladder pitching, not a straight forward task when the buildings are medieval.
“We train every day,” said WC Bolt “but not every day on such old buildings and this takes extra skill and precautions.”
The Lord Leycester Hospital is over seven hundred years old with half timbered buildings vulnerable to fire – however, the Lord Leycester did avoid being burnt down by the Great Fire of Warwick in 1694.
“We train every day,” said WC Bolt “but not every day on such old buildings and this takes extra skill and precautions.”
The Lord Leycester Hospital is over seven hundred years old with half timbered buildings vulnerable to fire – however, the Lord Leycester did avoid being burnt down by the Great Fire of Warwick in 1694.
Drama
The Lord Leycester is a perfect venue for drama and dramatic productions! We have drama students and real actors who visit us. In May 2017 our Warwick local group, the Slaughterhouse Players (in the photo on the far left) put on a production of Good Queen Bess to raise funds for our chapel roof.
Music
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(Right) In January 2017 Fran Barsby put on a series of events to encourage young students interest in Harp Playing.
"Come and Play the Harp" was another successfully event put on in our Great Hall. (Left) And the improbable - a Mexican Band performs in front of the Masters House. |
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The Lord Leycester Japanese style
We were sent this stunning video by Minako Karachi. Lord Leycester is a popular place for Japanese tourists to visit. The narration is mostly in Japanese - with a few small segments in English - but the cinematography is great and worth viewing.
