Nottingham Castle

Thanks to Catherines suggestion I had booked three tours at Nottingham Castle which I was able to do from home. The present castle (which is actually a Georgian Manor) has in the last few years had a major upgrading. There is a Robin Hood tour where you hear the many tales that have been told about Robin Hood. You could also practice shooting an (electronic) bow and arrow fight with a stave and play a game of putting out a fire. There was also a tour of some of the caves under the old castle site. A superb actress guide (she had studied political theatre) made this cave tour most enjoyable. Nottingham has always been a city renowned for rebellions. There was a big lace industry until mechanisation started to come in in the 1920s. There is a history of pottery glazing with salt. The castle has several museum galleries. One contemory one was by Paul Smith - a very successful fashion designer - telling the story of his life particularly how he started his artistic creations after spending six months in hospital after a bicycle crash injury. It was the Luddites who tried to overthrow the manufacturing of lace with machines that created one of the rebellions in Nottingham. Another was in 1801 when the English Parliament did not pass the Reform Bill because of a vote by the local lord. In response the local people burnt down the castle that was on this site at that time.