Save the Date! December Talk on the History of the Uxbridge Treaty House

I will be giving a talk at the Uxbridge Library and Archives about my research into the Treaty House of Uxbridge on December 9. Along with details of its history, I will be sharing some of my forensic 3D reconstruction of the lovely but enigmatic original building and grounds as they were in the time of the 1645 Peace Treaty negotiations–nearly 400 years ago.

The talk will be on Monday, December 9 from 2-3pm at the Uxbridge Library on High Street. This talk will feature a number of the most interesting of the minor mysteries that had to be settled before the 3D model could be completed. I will also be including a preview of the “fly through” video I am creating so we moderns can experience a very real sense of what it was like to have “been in the room” at this famous event of the English Civil War.

Americans may not know there is a holiday in the UK that is similar to our Veterans Day, called Remembrance Day. We first encountered it last fall when we were in town for my first talks in Uxbridge. Its symbol is a two lobed red poppy with a bit of green leaf. You see it on pins, on people’s cars, and large renditions of it on nearly every bus and lorry in sight. In the UK, this holiday is about remembering the sacrifices made by those from all of the corners of the realm, and it is an important, thoroughly celebrated holiday.

Probably the most poignant moment we experienced was being caught at a train station at Heathrow airport last November. We were making our way out to the gate for our flight home when a two minute silence was called for (several minutes in advance). When it turned 11:11 on the 11th day of the 11th month (the moment the armistice that ended the “Great War” took effect), all the trains, carts and luggage stopped wherever they were. The thundering tumult simply stopped, leaving us amid a sea of people standing still for two long, poignant minutes in a silence broken only by the echoing yammer of a distant video advertising board. I don’t think either of us will ever forget the experience…

This year, we were able to celebrate it with the locals! The day started with a service at St Margaret’s Church (one of the oldest buildings in Uxbridge) led by our friend, Vicar Andy Thompson. After the service, Andy led a packed town procession from the plaza outside the church on High Street to the Peace memorial in a nearby park. At 11:11 came a bugle rendition of “The Last Post” preceding the two minutes of silence. Its conclusion was heralded most appropriately by the playing of “Reveille”. Next were a few inspiring addresses, including one by our friend Nicholas Schoefield, Priest of the Catholic church of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Michael. Finally, it was time for the wreath laying ceremony. Representatives from many different groups paid their respects, each coming up in turns to lay a wreath at the foot of the Peace Monument (topped by a statue of the Greek Goddess “Victory”). The large crowd included clusters of many different uniforms and and a number of town dignitaries as well. I couldn’t help but marvel at the ranks of school age children standing resolute and intent on the ceremony. Apparently, this is simply how it is done. Brilliant.