Guest Post: My Bosworth Experience by Diana Rubino

Good Morning and Welcome back to Bathroom Blues Travel Blog, 

It is always a pleasure to share my travel stories with you but as I mentioned in April, and as you've seen, I opened this space for friends to share theirs as well. So, it is with great pleasure, I introduce you to an author friend of mine, Diana Rubino, as she tells her about her Bosworth experience. Take it away, Diana!

Thanks, Pam. I enjoyed a ‘Ricardian Pilgrims’ article in our Ricardian Register several years ago, and decided to share my Bosworth experience in a letter to the Register, which I will copy here. I felt better knowing I’m not the only one who cried there.

My first visit to Bosworth was with the Ricardian group on the anniversary of the battle, 1992. The mass at Sutton Cheney church where we laid a wreath and sang the ‘Loyalty’ hymn was very moving. The tea under the tent with my fellow Ricardians was delightful and comforting, but for a few days afterwards, the memory of my pilgrimage to the field lingered.

I’d just started writing a novel with Richard as a central character, and read Kendall’s stark description of his last moments, but I hadn’t yet written about his death. So, strange as this sounds, he was still alive to me up till then, with visits to York, Middleham, Warwick Castle, all his favorite places. But standing on the spot where he’d fallen smacked me with finality—this really was once a living, breathing man who’d lost his kingdom and his life to an undeserving foreigner.

As I slogged through the mud on that chilly rainy day, the gloom of my surroundings contributed to my increasing sadness. Walking the same ground where he’d charged with his army and taken his last breath gave me a strong link to him, because I felt a charge of energy in the air and coming out of the earth. I just knew that some spirits were still lurking, one of whom might’ve been Richard, but I doubt he’d linger there.

I’m convinced that Bosworth isn’t an empty field—it’s still very much alive, and I’m very glad to hear that others felt the same way!

My second pilgrimage to the field in 1999 was at dusk, and I was disappointed that Sutton Cheney church was locked. Unfortunately, I had no way of finding out who held the key.

As an aside, I thought the bumper sticker I saw at the parking lot in Stow-on-the-Wold, “So Few Richards, So Many Dicks,” was clever. Only a Ricardian could recognize that as an obscure reference to Taffy Harry. I’d like to see some for sale in York Minster’s gift shop!

How, Cool, Diana! Please tell visitors more about yourself and how they can connect with you...

Ok. 😃

I'm a self-confessed history nut, my favorite eras being Medieval and Renaissance England, and all American history. I've written several novels set in England and the U.S., three time travel romances, a vampire romance, and an urban fantasy, FAKIN’ IT which received a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. 

I'm a longtime member of the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. I now write biographical novels about strong women, with no fictional characters. In my spare time, I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre. You can connect with me through my Website and Blog, or on Facebook, Instagram and X (@DianaLRubino).

Wonderful, Diana. We wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your books and travels and hope you'll join us again!

I hope you enjoyed Diana's story as much as I did, Friends. If you'd like to find out more about Diana and her work, check out the many times she visited my book blog.

Until next time, take care and travel happy!

PamT