The 'Roaring Twenties' conjures images of exuberance, partying and glamour. Whether it’s the Great Gatsby, the Peaky Blinders or Downton Abbey, the 1920s have made a real come back in the popular imagination in recent years and it’s easy to see why – it was an age of transformation as the world emerged from one of the greatest conflicts in history.
With the centenary of the 1920s upon us, this seems to be the perfect opportunity to reflect on what life was like at the Castle 100 years ago - particularly as this is a period in the Castle’s history of which we know relatively little about! xx This term a new research project, led the BISC’s new Research Co-ordinator Dr. Claire Kennan, gave students, staff, and faculty the opportunity to uncover brand new material relating to the history of Herstmonceux Castle, helping us to recover our history and heritage and engage with the wider public in new and exciting ways.
We also ran several themed events and activities throughout the fall and have more planned for the winter term, including delving into the 1921 census when it is released to the public, allowing us to explore these records for the first time in a century! Students learned to Charleston in the Ballroom, and in November we invited allcomers to the Hailsham Pavilion, a beautifully restored cinema built in 1921, to watch the classic 1920s film 'Piccadilly'. This was accompanied by a short introductory talk by Dr. Robert Hyland, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at the BISC.
So far students have got to know a little about the Castle’s more than a little eccentric, hard-partying, and somewhat enigmatic owner at the time, Sir Claude Lowther and his equally fascinating sibling, the tennis racquet and épée-wielding ‘Suffrajitsu’, (a Suffragette trained in Jujitsu) May ‘Toupie’ Lowther.
Quirky characters like this make research an absolute pleasure and students will gain invaluable research skills, credits towards their studies – but most importantly, have lots and lots of fun in the process too. As Claire explained, the scope of this exciting project is only limited by the students’ imaginations, so we can’t wait to see what we manage to uncover next year!
You can keep up to date too. In October, Calire launched ‘Castle Curiosities’, a new research blog for the Bader International Study Centre and Herstmonceux Castle Estate. The blog features regular contributions from faculty, students, staff and volunteers relating to the history of the Castle, its landscape and the local environment. Be sure to check it out.