UK LECTURER DYLAN BICKERSTAFFE – TWO LECTURES – ON 27TH AUGUST AND TESSA DAY SCHOOL AUGUST 31ST – MAJOR SUCCESSES!
Royal Ladies of the New Kingdom – presented by Dylan Bickerstaffe – A Day School – By Ted Loukes
It was certainly colder than I had expected as I disembarked from my flight to Cape Town early Saturday morning, but no time to worry about that, I had to get to Mowbray and St. George’s Grammar School, as today was the TESSA Day School. As i walked into the hall I was whisked back two years to when I had spoken here. Many familiar faces; it felt good to be here once more.
Today’s agenda was the Royal Ladies of the New Kingdom, presented by internationally renowned Egyptologist, Dylan Bickerstaffe – a treat indeed.
The early morning sun streaming in through an upper window seemed to highlight one of the many Queens displayed on the magnificent screen; Auspiciously, it was Nefertiti; perhaps still under the protection of the Aten. Beginning with the royal ladies who determined so much in the early days, as the 18th Dynasty was born, Dylan wove his way through the New Kingdom brilliantly, bringing to life once more the long dead queens and princesses who had influenced the course of that era of Egyptian history.
The whole day was so packed full of information and insight that I regret not recording the entire thing. Mr Bickerstaffe was delightful in his delivery, so much so that when it finished, I could have happily done it all again to take in the bits I had missed first time round.
I feel it is necessary to say thank you to everyone at TESSA for putting on such a fine day school. As Egyptophiles here on the other end of the continent we are starved of guest speakers of such phenomenal calibre, and on that note, it was a pity that there were not more visitors from the rest of the country.
That aside, I also wish to thank everyone for treating me like some visiting VIP. I was completely overwhelmed by all the attention. Thank you specifically Ria, Jean, Mireille and Gill for everything, and to everyone else who came to say hello.
Dylan Bickerstaffe, it was a privilege, an honour and a delight to meet you.
Ted Loukes
KEITH GRENVILLE [TESSA FOUNDER & PATRON]
Ria Robinson, Jean Smith, the Committee, Gill Russell-Johansen, Mireille Farah and John Lombard.
Well done and what a marvellous Day School it was yesterday. Congratulations to everyone involved with the planning, organization and the actual on the spot operation of the TESSA annual Day School.w much better also, to use the regular hall with our usual large screen for the presentations and the “old” hall for the lunch.
Dylan Bickerstaffe, you were a star turn and how you maintained your energized off the cuff commentary going all day long was admirable. Beside the mass of information you presented verbally, the large number of maps, charts and photographs you showed was an added bonus to a special and memorable Day School. Thank you and enjoy your last days in the Cape before your return to the UK.
