Here we are in England again. It's cold, but it's spring. The days are lengthening apace. The world is greening, blossoming, teeming with excited birds. As always, it's a joy to catch up with family, and savour the pleasures of the midlands. How nice it would be to stay longer. We especially had a yen to chug along a few canals in a narrowboat...





Unplanned, the theme has been history.

Newark opened its National Civil War Centre during the Bank Holiday weekend, and hundreds of "re-enactors" were in town to celebrate. On our first Saturday we emerged from our cafe lunch to find a procession of 17th-century soldiers, with drums and muskets, marching through the market square. The following day, the start of our (quite delightful) river trip from Newark to Farndon on the 1902-vintage "Sonning" was marked by ground-shaking cannonades, and an exodus of soldiers, armed with formidable pikes, from Newark Castle.





The Centre itself is not extensive, but offers interesting glimpses of the 17th-century British civil war, which actually formed part of a much wider conflict.

Even in normal times, you can never be unaware of history in Newark. Walking the streets is like walking an architecture exhibition, with fine examples of Elizabethan, Georgian, and Victorian styles unfolding before you. Red brick makes for fine streetscapes.

A fabulous discovery this holiday was Leicester. We went for Richard III -- our interest piqued, like everyone else's, by the rediscovery of his body and the (partial) rehabilitation of his image. The Visitor Centre is excellent, with one floor devoted to the intrigue and uncertainty surrounding his life and the other to the strictly scientific approach that underpinned the finding and identification of his body. Steps away is Leicester Cathedral, where he is now buried.





But the rest of the city is equally steeped in history. Leicester, too, has its full share of architectural styles (including baths dating back to Roman times). It has wonderful pedestrian areas (including the Georgian-era New Walk and the pleasant, pavement-cafe-lined street where you can sip your white wine in the sunny early evening). It has the beautiful Castle Gardens and the extraordinary St Mary de Castro, which is truly the church-that-Jack-built. And now, of course, Richard is everywhere...







Flanking the (possibly historic) elections were the birth of another royal baby, and the 70th anniversary of VE Day. The latter brought lengthy ceremonies and documentaries to our TV screens. I wrote some of this post in a pleasantly chintzy cafe just off Newark's historic marketplace, listening to "There'll always be an England" and other old-fashioned patriotic pieces, and watching the staff organize a raffle for a free afternoon tea in honour of the occasion.

You can't help but wonder about the role of history in the everyday life of the nation. It's certainly pertinent. You wouldn't get crowds flocking to all these things if no-one cared. But what we remember, and how we choose to remember it, and how it makes us feel about ourselves, and whether those feelings help us find our way in the modern world that confronts us -- these are the hard questions.