Professor Bill Speck
presenting the Medlicott Award to Lady Antonia Fraser
at the Historical Association's Conference in York, 2000
Bill was an admirer of Lady Antonia and was delighted when she contributed the 'Foreward' below to the centenary edition of 'The Historian' magazine, number 91, 1906 - 2006 One Hundred years of the Historical Association, p.4.
'I am extremely happy to salute
this glorious Centenary. For it so
happens that I gave my first ever
lecture to the Historical Association,
following the publication of Mary
Queen of Scots in 1969. The occasion
took place in Glasgow and in the
middle of it I received a revelation
(I make no such claims for my
audience). To begin with I had been
transfixed with terror and I can still
remember that I spoke much, much
too fast, the beginner’s error when
she hopes that the hour of the lecture
will be over as quickly as possible for
all parties concerned. Then in the
middle of rattling away about Mary
Queen of Scots and the Historians,
I realised that the audience was not
the enemy but my friends. What
united us was a common love of
history – in my opinion the greatest
and most rewarding professional
passion that one can have.'
this glorious Centenary. For it so
happens that I gave my first ever
lecture to the Historical Association,
following the publication of Mary
Queen of Scots in 1969. The occasion
took place in Glasgow and in the
middle of it I received a revelation
(I make no such claims for my
audience). To begin with I had been
transfixed with terror and I can still
remember that I spoke much, much
too fast, the beginner’s error when
she hopes that the hour of the lecture
will be over as quickly as possible for
all parties concerned. Then in the
middle of rattling away about Mary
Queen of Scots and the Historians,
I realised that the audience was not
the enemy but my friends. What
united us was a common love of
history – in my opinion the greatest
and most rewarding professional
passion that one can have.'
[This item was provided by Martin Hoare who is responsible for the design and layout of 'The Historian' magazine. Martin adds that it was always a pleasure to work with Bill when Bill was joint editor.]
