As per usual during the school summer holidays, I am doing a couple of weekends at Skipton Castle, and have been on a few adventures with my boys (including having just completed the West Highland Way).

I am now looking forward to visiting schools again, but first I must once more return to Skipton in little over a week’s time, and, like in May earlier this year, I am going to portray the castle governor, Colonel Sir John Mallory.

Here he is, waxing lyrical about his Bellarmine pot. Why would two little maids want to know about the troubles of civil war and strife afflicting the Three Kingdoms?

But when addressing able bodied fellows, he is quick to begin teaching them the art of war, such as the loading of a matchlock musket!

Of course, he also likes telling tales of the garrisons recent exploits, like beating up Colonel Brandling’s quarters at Keighley and attempting to relieve Sir Jordan Crossland’s Helmsley Castle garrison. He even gets the children to act out the parts in these stories!

Earlier in the summer the castle was used as a place to hide by the infamous highwayman ‘Swift Nicks’ Nevison.

He never tires of telling tales of his own exploits, but is almost equally happy regailing folk with the adventures of other highway robbers.

While there, he met with two likely lads who told him they were going on an adventure themselves, along the West Highland Way!

If you would like Nevison to hide in your school, and immerse the children in the world of highway robbers, perhaps because they are studying the famous poem, or mastering the art of persuasive writing, then be in touch. Maybe your children are doing some local history about the British Civil Wars in your area (a battle nearby or a castle), in which case Sir John or one of my other Civil War characters might be of great use. Or perhaps you are interested in one of my other characters, such as the incredibly popular Sir William Petty (Great Fire of London or the Great Plague of 1665), or perhaps Guy Fawkes, Captain Burwash the pirate or even one of Drake’s sailors? If so, please have a look at the variety I can offer on my page of Characters.

I hope to see some of you soon.