A-Level English study of Richard II, with a bowdlerised form of teaching which could not distinguish the sort of favourites Bushy, Bagot and Green were, from the sort Gaveston was. It's interesting that the former attributed their dangerous position to the commons, and not to the "nobility" which they were not part of. I can't help feeling that they should have had a song about them.

There has, apparently, been some new work on Cromwell in Ireland. Not that he was a noble humanitarian really, but something more consistent with the way he was in England. It was on the radio, I think, so it may not be easy for me to find the reference. Someone's been looking at contemporary records. Should be interesting, whatever it says.

Penny