Citylife in Lichfield August 2023

The Queen Arrives
in Lichfield!
The highly anticipated Lichfield Festival was a huge success in the
city. But no venue celebrated success quite like The Hub at St
Mary’s on the afternoon of Friday 14th July as it welcomed Her
Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I!
Majestic and austere, Her Royal Highness (played by the legendary
curator of Tutbury Castle, Lesley Smith) is no stranger to Lichfield, having
once stayed from 27th July to 3rd August 1575 in The Close whilst on
her way to Kenilworth Castle to visit Robert Dudley. And she was
delighted to be returning once again to delight and fascinate the sell-out
audience.
Announced by Festival Director, Damien Thantry, as none other than
‘Her Majesty,’ the Queen alighted the stage dressed in all her finery. The
authentic handmade costume, she informed us, weighed no less than four
stone and was a marvel to behold – encrusted with jewels which
twinkled as she moved, and finished off with the familiar stark white face,
blood red lips and characteristic red wig we all associate with Elizabeth
I.
We were treated to a history of how Elizabeth, born to Henry VIII and
his second wife, Anne Boleyn, at Greenwich Palace in 1533, rose to
become Queen of England in what was to be one of the most
memorable reigns of our monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth survived Henry’s further marriages, grew close to her
brother Edward, who was King
himself for six years, and she
even let us in on what really
happened between her and
her much-rumoured
paramour, Robert Dudley.
Lesley is, quite simply, an
incredible actress. Never
breaking character she spoke
with defiance and reverence
about her early days, her loves,
her losses, and how she
conquered it all to become a
formidable ruler.
It was very easy to believe
that you were, in fact, in the
presence of the great Queen
herself and I was almost
moved to tears when she
lamented about how she had
loved Katherine Parr and yet,
still defied her.
Following the performance, Lesley posed for photographs and
answered questions, both about her character and also about herself, to
round off what was a brilliant afternoon spent with the former Queen
of England!
Lesley Smith is a medical historian, TV personality and
published author. She is well-known for her highly
entertaining and informative costume portrayals of a variety
of historical characters, which she gives both at the Castle
and across the UK (and beyond). To find out more, visit
Award for
Local Eatery
Lichfield’s brunch café Thyme Kitchen is delighted to win the
accolade of Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year 2023 at the
Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards. The ceremony took
place on Monday 10th July at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham
hosted by Capital DJ Dan Kelly.
The awards celebrate the best of the best in the region. From the best
eateries and restaurants to the best bars and pubs - recognising the
passion, hard work and resilience of those responsible for success in this
thriving sector. The event culminated in 27 prestigious awards from over
800 entries for a number of categories including People’s Choice, Venue
of the Year and Chef of the Year.
Now in its sixth year, MFDHA has been celebrating
#heroesofhospitality through some extremely challenging times. Thyme
Kitchen was recognised for its customer service, unique menu and
diversification - shown by hosting popular evenings with Michelin star
and highly commended chefs through its sister company Sauce Supper
Club.
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Thyme Kitchen is located at Curborough Countryside Centre in
Lichfield and is renowned for serving fresh, beautiful breakfasts, brunches
and lunches using locally sourced ingredients – with two dishes having
featured in The Times’ Style on Sunday magazine.
Going forward, Thyme Kitchen will continue to offer its relaxed (and
casual!) brunch dining alongside its weekend evening fine dining
experiences.