About the talk
This talk explores the themes of love and death at Syon Park throughout its rich medieval and Tudor history.
Stories include the Bridgettine nuns of Syon Abbey and their love of God; Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and his love of money and power; the marriages, births and deaths associated with his six wives; and the strange account of how Henry VIII’s corpse exploded in Syon’s crypt.
About the speaker
Howard Simmons has been one of the professional heritage guides at Syon House for the past 10 years. Outside of this, he has held positions as Director of Cultural Services in a number of London Boroughs, including Hounslow, where he then became Assistant Chief Executive. Howard played a key role in the creation of the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust and the Gunnersbury Museum and Park Development Trust. He is currently an Assistant Commissioner at the Boundary Commission for England and has just completed a term as a Commissioner for Civil Aviation with responsibility for Heathrow. Howard is active in several local history societies as well as The Battlefields Trust.
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