Talking Tudors Listener Spotlight

Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background.

I’m Natasha and I currently live full-time in my motorhome with my husband and 3 cats. We sold our house in March 2019 to travel full time around the UK. We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about our country and its rich history and discovering its beauty

What ignited your passion for Tudor history?

I have been fascinated by the Tudors since doing a module on them at primary school. I specifically remember one lesson where we had to make up a menu for a Tudor banquet at Henry VIII’s court and I had so much fun with it. I have loved and been interested in them ever since but my passion was re-ignited fiercely when we started travelling and visiting loads of properties, ruins and historical monuments.

What’s something you love about where you live?

In terms of the UK as a whole (because technically I don’t live in one spot anymore), it is the rich history we have (& the fact that I can visit and see very real objects/properties to do with the Tudors. I didn’t grasp how lucky this was until I joined the FB groups and realised there are people from all over the world who love the Tudors but visiting here and seeing these places is not always possible). It’s also the varying landscape. You can go from dramatic, rocky coastline to beautiful sandy beach to lush green rolling hills all in one trip

What are your hobbies?

Visiting historical monuments for one! There is nothing like a day out at a property or ruin where you get to actually touch and be immersed in it, its like stepping back in time and it’s fascinating. I also enjoy music events such as concerts or festivals, motorsport events, cycling, walking, reading and colouring

What’s been one of your favourite episodes of ‘Talking Tudors’, and why?

This is a super tough question as each episode opens up a different perspective, some new information I didn’t know or sheds a new light on some of the ‘supporting’ characters of the ever fascinating Tudor Dynasty. I really enjoyed the all things Boleyn segments (particularly the love letters episode with Sandra Vasoli) as I am a bit of an Anne fan and find the story of Henry & Anne captivating (& incredibly sad). That said, one episode that sticks in my mind was the episode with Nathan Amin. Hearing him talk about the origins of the Tudor dynasty and talk so passionately about the amazing history there is in and around South Wales, I completely felt that. Being from England and knowing all the amazing Tudor history that is here, it is easy to not realise that actually there is history elsewhere. When we first started travelling, we started in Wales and we visited many castles and abbey ruins. I had no idea that the Tudors had all these roots in Wales and when I listened, I was so excited to hear that I had in fact visited all the places he spoke about.

Share a brief story. It can be inspiring, funny, spooky, heartwarming or historical. Anything you like!

My mother-in-law passed away the year before we sold up and went travelling. Along with a few other things, her passing was the final catalyst for us to do what we had dreamed of but never dared take the leap. Unfortunately, she had lost her sight through diabetes many years ago and never got to fulfil her dream of owning a motorhome or travelling. (They used to go on caravan holidays when my husband was a child which is what sparked his interest in camping). We know she would love the fact that with what she left us, we were able to go and do something different and make the most of life and the opportunity. It’s exactly the kind of thing she would have done when she had her full health, seized the day!

When do you listen to Talking Tudors?

I tend to listen whilst I’m out walking or if I’m pottering about indoors like when I’m cleaning or getting ready for bed. I only discovered the world of podcasts last year and quite frankly Talking Tudors helped me through lockdown. I was binge listening and looked forward to my daily walks even more because it meant I could go out and get lost in the podcasts rather than focusing on the negative surroundings.

Finish this sentence: I’d like to learn more about…

The periods after the Tudors and Stuarts. I am interested in the Victorian era and even the period around WWI and II but the parts in the middle, during the 18th/19th century I am vague on so it would be great to piece all the history together. That said, I always find myself straying back to the Tudors as I just find it the most captivating. So many names, places and customs that we have today derive from there. It really was such an incredible (but of course dangerous!) time.

Tell us about someone you admire.

Someone I do admire is the singer Pink. She just has the most amazing attitude to things, she fights for what she believes in and she doesn’t change herself to fit in to ideals. She is unapologetically her.

What’s something you’re looking forward to in the next twelve months?

I am looking forward to going further afield and exploring in Europe. As for now, we are still finding new places in the UK we haven’t been yet which is incredible, its exciting to know that there is still so much to explore and we are getting to do that.