The more one delves into historical writing, either academic tomes or popular encapsulations, the more it becomes clear that personal or political perspective is paramount. I am writing a series of articles for my current village and while trying to put their history into a national framework I find I am frequently trying to correct the myth of certain characters.  Just as there is a society for the much maligned Richard the Third perhaps there should be one for King John.  He is so vilified that one would think he was guilty of so many more heinous crimes than his forbears.  This is not so, for while he was undoubtedly as bad as the rest, his able administrators were able to ensure that the Common Laws of England were founded on solid ground. Who knows, he may even have really loved his second wife, and also his children. Few people are all bad. With parents like his it is a credit to him he had any good in him at all.

Denny Bradbury