96-635: Richard Keith Robert Coles FRSA FKC (born 26 March 1962) is an English writer, radio presenter and Church of England priest. He first came to prominence as the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band the Communards . They achieved three UK top ten hits , including the No. 1 record and best-selling single of 1986, a dance version of " Don't Leave Me This Way ". Coles frequently appears on radio and television as well as in newspapers and, from March 2011 until March 2023,
192-755: A Roman Catholic and remained so for the next ten years before returning to Anglicanism in 2001. Coles was selected for training for the priesthood in the Church of England and began his training at the College of the Resurrection , Mirfield , West Yorkshire , in 2003, before being ordained in 2005. After ordination, he was a curate at St Botolph's Church in Boston, Lincolnshire and then at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge in London. He has been chaplain of
288-469: A "half-time vicar", he said: "'How do you do all the things you do?' I am frequently asked, and the answer is by neglecting important things and disappointing people. I was once called in the middle of the night to attend a parishioner's deathbed and I could not because I was in Glasgow doing Celebrity Antiques Road Trip . I found someone to cover, but it should have been me." He explained: "I will still be
384-716: A Cold Climate. There are six schools in the RSA Family of Academies, all in the West Midlands, including Whitley Academy . The former RSA Academy in Tipton was also a member, until its disassociation in 2021. Past projects include delivering fresh drinking water to the developing world, rethinking intellectual property from first principles to produce a Charter (published as the Adelphi Charter ), investigating schemes to manage international migration and exploring
480-717: A January 2021 episode of the BBC Four series Britain's Lost Masterpieces , discussing the story of the Magi in the gospels, in relation to a portrayal of Balthazar by Joos van Cleve . In August 2022, Coles appeared in the Channel 4 documentary Good Grief with Reverend Richard Coles , discovering some of the different ways people deal with bereavement. From 7 to 11 November 2022 Coles guest hosted Channel 4 's game show Countdown as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations. On 22 March 2023, The Guardian reported that Coles
576-693: A Premium Award Scheme that continued for 100 years. Medals and, in some cases, money were awarded to individuals who achieved success in published challenges within the categories of Agriculture, Polite Arts, Manufacture, Colonies and Trade, Chemistry and Mechanics. Successful submission included agricultural improvements in the cultivation of crops and reforestation, devising new forms of machinery, including an extendable ladder to aid firefighting that has remained in use relatively unchanged, and artistic skill, through submissions by young students, many of whom developed into famous artists such as Edwin Landseer who at
672-563: A broadcaster, which he describes as "just showing off", including Nightwaves on Radio 3, which he formerly presented, and Newsnight Review on BBC Two. He has appeared on the Radio 4 panel game show Heresy twice; first in May 2008 and then in May 2010. Coles has appeared seven times as a guest on the topical television news quiz Have I Got News for You , in 1994, May 2009, May 2013, April 2016, June 2017, April 2020 and May 2021. He presented
768-529: A centre of intellectual influence from the Continent, including the teachings of John Calvin that became known as Calvinism . This, in turn, revolutionised the Christian beliefs and practices of many Bostonians and residents of the neighbouring shires of England. In 1607, a group of pilgrims from Nottinghamshire led by William Brewster and William Bradford attempted to escape pressure to conform with
864-663: A church parish and an electoral ward . The order of importance was the other way round, when the Boston quarter of Skirbeck developed at the head of the Haven , which lies under the present Market Place. At that stage, The Haven was the tidal part of the stream, now represented by the Stone Bridge Drain ( map ), which carried the water from the East and West Fens. The line of the road through Wide Bargate, to A52 and A16 ,
960-660: A hotbed of religious dissent. In 1612, John Cotton became the Vicar of St Botolph's and, although viewed askance by the Church of England for his nonconformist preaching, became responsible for a large increase in Church attendance. He encouraged those who disliked the lack of religious freedom in England to join the Massachusetts Bay Company , and later helped to found the city of Boston, Massachusetts, which he
1056-464: A matter of interest in the press. Danish professor Björn Lomborg , was chosen; his latest book, Cool It , suggests that the imminent demise of polar bears is a myth. As president of the RSA, Prince Philip's first choice of speaker was Ian Plimer , professor of mineral geology at Adelaide University, but this was rejected as too controversial, as Plimer argues that the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming
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#17327914690841152-556: A membership card. Coles moved to Friston , East Sussex in May 2022 to be closer to his friend and former manager Lorna Gradden. He said "I'll be living in a charming 18th-century cottage with a bow window that looms over the street affording a privileged view of my neighbours' comings and goings, as the scent of lavender floats across the village green ." In 1991, Coles sued accountants Coombes Wales Quinnell who allegedly had refused to hand over financial records until £30,000 fees were paid. Canon Clement Mysteries Fellow of
1248-412: A notable town and port. In 1204, King John vested sole control over the town in his bailiff . That year or the next, he levied a "fifteenth" tax ( quinzieme ) of 6.67% on the moveable goods of merchants in the ports of England: the merchants of Boston paid £780, the highest in the kingdom after London's £836. Thus, by the opening of the 13th century, Boston was already significant in trade with
1344-624: A political activist. The relationship was part of a wider UK undercover policing relationships scandal in this period. Coles is a member of the Labour Party . He is also a member of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), having become enthusiastic about GAA sports through watching the 2020 TV series Normal People . Family ties led to Coles selecting Cork as his county ( hurling team / football team ) and St Finbarr's as his club. The club responded by sending him
1440-500: A population of 45,339 at the 2021 census, while the borough had an estimated population of 66,900 at the ONS mid-2015 estimates. Boston's most notable landmark is St Botolph's Church , colloquially referred to as 'The Stump', the largest parish church in England, which is visible from miles away across the flat lands of Lincolnshire. Residents of Boston are known as Bostonians. Emigrants from Boston named several other settlements around
1536-563: A priest, I will always be a priest, and I will minister where I am able. Next month I am going to my first conference of prison chaplains and I hope I can make myself useful as a volunteer with inmates in the criminal justice system." In April 2022, Coles announced that he retired from parish duties due to the Church of England allegedly increasingly excluding gay couples, and what he described as its "conservative, punchy and fundamentalist" direction. On 1 November 2012 ( All Saints' Day ), Darton, Longman and Todd published Coles's book, Lives of
1632-628: A relationship with David Oldham, who was also an Anglican priest. In 2010, the couple entered into a civil partnership (which the Church of England has allowed clergy to do since 2005), with David taking Richard's surname. Coles asserted at the time that the relationship was celibate , but later said that this had not been true, but he had to promise celibacy in order to maintain his job as a vicar. David Coles died in December 2019, with Coles stating in 2024 that he died from Alcoholic liver disease . Coles said he had received hate mail saying that his partner
1728-481: A revival when the Fens began to be effectively drained. The Act of Parliament permitting the embanking and straightening of the fenland Witham was dated 1762. A sluice, called for in the act, was designed to help scour out The Haven. The land proved to be fertile, and Boston began exporting cereals to London. In 1774, the first financial bank was opened, and in 1776, an act of Parliament allowed watchmen to begin patrolling
1824-576: A short piece on his home town and parish of Finedon for the Radio 4 programme You and Yours . In December 2012, December 2013 and November 2014, Coles appeared as a guest on the BBC comedy quiz show QI . In January 2014, he won the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind , with his specialist subject being the Mapp and Lucia novels of E. F. Benson . Coles featured as the subject of Fern Britton Meets... on BBC1 in December 2014. Since 2014 he has appeared regularly in
1920-761: A special edition of Songs of Praise in January 2010. He was a guest on the Children in Need special of the BBC quiz Only Connect in November of the same year. In 2011, he presented a four-part Radio 3 series called Out in the World: A Global Gay History . He regularly guest-hosted the Radio 4 programme Saturday Live , while the regular host Fi Glover was on maternity leave from 2008 to 2009. Coles replaced Glover permanently in 2011. On 1 September 2011, he presented
2016-402: Is a key part of its charitable mission to make world-changing ideas and debate freely available to all. Over 100 keynote lectures, panel discussions, debates, and documentary screenings are held each year, many of which are live-streamed over the web. Events are free and open to the public, and mp3 audio files and videos are made available on the RSA's website and YouTube page. Speakers on
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#17327914690842112-629: Is in hell. In June 2023 Coles revealed that he was in a relationship with actor Richard Cant . Coles's older brother, Andy, a former Metropolitan Police officer, was elected in 2015 as a Conservative councillor in Peterborough and was appointed deputy Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner in 2016. Following a reference to his earlier career as an undercover police officer in Coles's 2014 autobiography, he resigned as deputy commissioner over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with
2208-481: Is in the Lincolnshire Standard newspaper, January 1918. During the war the port was used by hospital ships and some 4,000 sick or wounded troops passed through Boston. The town was bombed by a Zeppelin on 2 September 1916, injuring three adults and killing a child. The first cinema opened in 1910, and in 1913, a new town bridge was constructed. Central Park was purchased in 1919, and is now one of
2304-453: Is known locally as Boston Stump and is renowned for its size and its dominant appearance in the surrounding countryside. The Great Sluice is disguised by railway and road bridges, but it is there, keeping the tide out of the Fens and twice a day, allowing the water from the upland to scour the Haven. Not far away, in the opposite direction, was the boyhood home of John Foxe , the author of Foxe's Book of Martyrs . The Town Bridge maintains
2400-462: Is likely to have developed on its marine silt levees. It led, as it does now, to the relatively high ground at Sibsey ( map ), and thence to Lindsey . The reason for the original development of the town, away from the centre of Skirbeck, was that Boston lay on the point where navigable tidal water was alongside the land route, which used the Devensian terminal moraine ridge at Sibsey, between
2496-582: Is located). This is likely to be where the Scrooby Pilgrims were imprisoned in 1607. There is a statue of Herbert Ingram , founder of The Illustrated London News , in front of the Stump. The statue was designed by Alexander Munro and was unveiled in October 1862. The allegorical figure at the base of the monument is a reference to Ingram's efforts to bring the first piped water to the town. He
2592-560: Is unproven. On 14 January 2010, the RSA in partnership with Arts Council England hosted a one-day conference in London called "State of the Arts". A number of speakers from various disciplines from art to government gathered to talk about the state of the arts industry in the United Kingdom. Notable speakers included Jeremy Hunt MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport , and his counterpart, Ben Bradshaw MP, who
2688-405: The 2021 Census , the population of Boston is around 70,500. This is 9.1% higher than the 64,600 reported in the 2011 Census . This was a higher percentage of growth than the 6.6% national average for England during the same period. Much of this population growth is due to high levels of immigration to the town, especially from eastern Europe. The 2021 Census states that 23.6% of Boston's population
2784-648: The Bridget Jones novels. In January 2011, Coles was appointed as the vicar of St Mary the Virgin, Finedon in the Diocese of Peterborough . Since 2011, Coles has been on the board of Wellingborough Homes, a social enterprise providing housing and community support for the Borough of Wellingborough and, after its name change to Greatwell Homes, became its Patron. In 2012, Coles was awarded an honorary doctorate by
2880-703: The Confederation of British Industry to raise £1 million and government departments to provide £3 million. In July 2008, the RSA became a sponsor of an academy in Tipton , The RSA Academy , which opened in September 2008. A New building for the school was completed in September 2010. In 2021 it was announced that the school would no longer be associated with the RSA. Projects include Arts and Ecology, Citizen Power, Connected Communities, Design and Society, Education, Public Services, Social Brain, and Technology in
2976-772: The East Lincolnshire Railway from Grimsby to Boston and the simultaneous building of the Lincolnshire Loop Line by the Great Northern Railway , which ran between Peterborough and York , via Boston, Lincoln and Doncaster . This line was built before the East Coast Main Line and, for a short while, put Boston on the map as the GNR's main locomotive works before it was relocated to Doncaster in 1852. Boston
Richard Coles - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-656: The English Reformation , Boston's Dominican , Franciscan , Carmelite , and Augustinian friaries—erected during the boom years of the 13th and 14th centuries—were all expropriated. The refectory of the Dominican friary was eventually converted into a theatre in 1965 and now houses the Blackfriars Arts Centre . Henry VIII granted the town its charter in 1545 and Boston had two Members of Parliament from 1552. The staple trade made Boston
3168-511: The Grierson Award . Coles joined Bronski Beat (initially on saxophone) in 1983. Somerville left Bronski Beat and in 1985 he and Coles formed the Communards , who were together for just over three years and had three UK top 10 hits, including the biggest-selling single of 1986, a version of " Don't Leave Me This Way ", which was at number one for four weeks. The band split in 1988 and Somerville went solo. Coles provided narration for
3264-572: The National Training School for Music , was founded by the RSA. The RSA devised a scheme for commemorating the links between famous people and buildings, by placing plaques on the walls – these continue today as " blue plaques " which have been administered by a range of government bodies. The first of these plaques was, in fact, of red terracotta erected outside a former residence of Lord Byron (since demolished). The society erected 36 plaques until, in 1901, responsibility for them
3360-515: The Royal Academy of Music , played Dr Frank N Furter in a local concert and conducted an atheist funeral for Mo Mowlam in 2005. Coles was an inspiration for the character of Adam Smallbone (played by Tom Hollander ) in BBC Two sitcom Rev. and was also an advisor to the show. Coles mentions in his book Fathomless Riches that he is also the inspiration for the character "Tom" in
3456-667: The Strand in central London, had been purpose-designed by the Adam Brothers ( James Adam and Robert Adam ) as part of their innovative Adelphi scheme. The original building (6–8 John Adam Street) includes the Great Room, which features a magnificent sequence of paintings by Irish artist James Barry titled The Progress of Human Knowledge and Culture and portraits of the society's first and second presidents, painted by Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds respectively. On
3552-663: The University of Northampton and also became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts . In 2016, he was awarded an honorary DLitt by the University of Warwick . In 2019 he was appointed Honorary Chaplain to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers . In July 2017, Coles was elected a Fellow of King's College London and separately as Chancellor of the University of Northampton . Coles retired as vicar of Finedon on Low Sunday 2022. Looking back on his time as
3648-526: The post-nominal letters FRSA . They also gain access to the RSA Library and to other premises in central London. Fellows pay an annual charitable subscription to the RSA. Alongside this, all new Fellows pay a one-off registration fee. Originally modelled on the Dublin Society for improving Husbandry, Manufacturers and other Useful Arts , the RSA, from its foundation, offered prizes through
3744-446: The "Pause for Thought" slot on Radio 2's The Chris Evans Breakfast Show , for which he won a Jerusalem Award in 2014. In July 2016, Coles appeared on the BBC cooking series Celebrity Masterchef , finishing in fifth place. In December 2021, he once again appeared on the programme, this time winning the edition. In February 2017, he co-presented The Big Painting Challenge with Mariella Frostrup on BBC1. From September 2017, Coles
3840-483: The "mental crisis" that he suffered following his coming out, which ultimately led to him attempting suicide and being diagnosed with clinical depression . Coles suffers from tinnitus in his right ear, the result of his performing loud pop music, which he described in 2020 as sounding "like something from the National Grid kind of powering through your ear ... can be very frustrating." In 2007, Coles began
3936-608: The 32 council seats, losing all but four of them in the subsequent election in 2011. Boston received its charter in 1546. It is the main settlement in the Boston local government district of Lincolnshire, which includes the unparished town of Boston and 18 other civil parishes . The borough council is based in the Municipal Buildings in West Street. As of 2015, Boston Borough council consisted of 30 members: In 2017, six county council divisions existed for
Richard Coles - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-616: The Borough of Boston, each of which returned one member to Lincolnshire County Council: The town is part of the Boston and Skegness parliamentary constituency , currently represented by Reform UK chairman, Richard Tice . Prior to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union , Boston was part of the East Midlands European Parliament constituency , which elected five members. According to
4128-1110: The Faculty is automatic for (and exclusive to) all RDIs and HonRDIs. The Faculty currently has 120 Royal Designers (RDI) and 45 Honorary Royal Designers (non-British citizens who are awarded the accolade of HonRDI): the number of designers who may hold the distinction of RDI at any one time is strictly limited. The Faculty consists of practitioners from fields as disparate as engineering, graphics, interaction, product, furniture, fashion, interiors, landscape, and urban design. Past and present members include Eric Gill , Enid Marx , Sir Frank Whittle , Sir Jonathan Ive , Dame Vivienne Westwood , Sir James Dyson , Sir Tim Berners-Lee , Manolo Blahnik , Naoto Fukasawa , Rei Kawakubo , Issey Miyake , Dieter Rams , Sergio Pininfarina , Alvar Aalto , Vico Magistretti , Walter Gropius , Charles Eames , Richard Buckminster Fuller , Saul Bass , Raymond Loewy , George Nelson , Paul Rand , Carlo Scarpa , Vuokko Nurmesniemi , Massimo Vignelli , Yohji Yamamoto , Peter Zumthor , and more. In Great Britain and Ireland,
4224-572: The Improbable Saints , illustrated by Ted Harrison, a précis of the life stories of nearly 200 lesser-known saints. The following year volume two, Legends of the Improbable Saints , was published. In 2014, the first volume of his memoirs, Fathomless Riches , was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson . In 2016 a follow-up volume, Bringing in the Sheaves , was published. In June 2022, Coles's debut mystery novel Murder Before Evensong
4320-480: The RSA and invited to join in recognition of their work; some are nominated or "fast-tracked" by existing fellows and RSA staff, or by partner organisations such as the Churchill Fellowship ; others make their own applications with accompanied references, which are reviewed by a formal admissions panel consisting of RSA trustees and fellowship councillors. Fellows of the RSA are entitled to use
4416-443: The RSA awarded the first distinctions of Royal Designers for Industry (RDI or HonRDI), reserved for "those very few who in the judgment of their peers have achieved 'sustained excellence in aesthetic and efficient design for industry ' ". In 1937, "The Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry" was established as an association with the object of "furthering excellence in design and its application to industrial purposes": membership of
4512-661: The RSA building's rear frieze , the words "The Royal Society of Arts" are displayed (see photograph at right), although its full name is "The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce". The RSA has expanded into adjacent buildings, and now includes 2 and 4 John Adam Street and 18 Adam Street. The first occupant of 18 Adam Street was the Adelphi Tavern, which is mentioned in Dickens's The Pickwick Papers . The former private dining room of
4608-466: The RSA has fellows elected from 80 countries worldwide. Founded in 1754 by William Shipley as the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce , it was granted a Royal Charter in 1847, and the right to use the term "Royal" in its name by King Edward VII in 1908. Members of the society became known as 'Fellows' from 1914. In the nineteenth century, The Great Exhibition of
4704-545: The RSA offers regional activities to encourage Fellows to address local topics of interest and to connect with other Fellows in their locality. The British Regions are: London, Central, North, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales and, Ireland. The RSA has a presence around the world under its RSA Global scheme with a notable presence in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The RSA's public events programme
4800-402: The RSA's stage have included Ken Robinson , Al Gore , Sir David Attenborough , Alain de Botton , Michael Sandel , Nassim Nicholas Taleb , Martha Nussbaum , Desmond Tutu , Steven Pinker , Susan Cain , Dan Pink , Dan Ariely , Brene Brown , Slavoj Zizek , David Cameron , Yuval Noah Harari and Dambisa Moyo . The choice of speaker for the recent annual Presidential lecture has been
4896-827: The Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce , commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts ( RSA ), is a London -based organisation. The RSA's mission expressed in the founding charter was to "embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve our manufacturers and extend our commerce", but also of the need to alleviate poverty and secure full employment . Notable Fellows (before 1914, Members) include Charles Dickens , Benjamin Franklin , Stephen Hawking , Karl Marx , Adam Smith , Marie Curie , Nelson Mandela , David Attenborough , Judi Dench , William Hogarth , John Diefenbaker , and Tim Berners-Lee . Today,
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#17327914690844992-522: The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), principally the sculptor Henry Cheere , to found an autonomous academy of arts to teach painting and sculpture. Prior to this a number of artists were members of the RSA, including Cheere and William Hogarth , or were involved in small-scale private art academies, such as the St Martin's Lane Academy . Although Cheere's attempt failed,
5088-629: The Style Council 's film JerUSAlem in 1987 and also started a career as a writer, particularly with the Times Literary Supplement and the Catholic Herald . He took up religion in his late twenties, after "the best of times, the worst of times", pop success and the deaths of friends as a result of HIV . From 1991 to 1994 he studied for a BA in theology at King's College London . While at university, Coles became
5184-413: The Tavern contains a magnificent Adam ceiling with painted roundels by the school of Kauffman and Zucchi. A major refurbishment in 2012 by Matthew Lloyd Architects won a RIBA London Award in 2013, and a RIBA English Heritage Award for Sustaining the Historic Environment, also in 2013. The origin of London's Royal Academy of Arts lies in an attempt in 1755 by members of the RSA (then simply known as
5280-409: The Witham did not flow near the site of Boston. Botolph's establishment is most likely to have been in Suffolk . However, he was a popular missionary and saint to whom many churches between Yorkshire and Sussex are dedicated. The 1086 Domesday Book does not mention Boston by name, but nearby settlements of the tenant-in-chief Count Alan Rufus of Brittany are covered. Its present territory
5376-426: The Works of Industry of All Nations was organised by Prince Albert , Henry Cole , Francis Henry, George Wallis , Charles Dilke and other members of the society as a celebration of modern industrial technology and design. In September 2023, RSA workers voted to strike for the first time in the organisation's 270 year history, saying management had entered into pay negotiations in "bad faith". The RSA's Patron
5472-415: The age of 10 was awarded a silver medal for his drawing of a dog. The RSA originally specifically precluded premiums for patented solutions. Today the RSA continues to offer premiums. The RSA awards three medals – the Albert Medal , the Benjamin Franklin Medal , and the Bicentenary Medal . Medal winners have included Nelson Mandela , Sir Frank Whittle , and Professor Stephen Hawking . In 1936,
5568-428: The beginning of the First World War , a number of the town's trawlermen, together with some from Grimsby , were taken prisoner after their ships were sunk by German raiders in the North Sea. Their families did not know what had happened to them until late September 1914. The men were taken to Sennelager camp, then on to Ruhleben POW camp , where most remained until repatriated in 1918. A full report of their homecoming
5664-426: The continent of Europe and ranked as a port of the Hanseatic League . In the thirteenth century it was said to be the second port in the country. Edward III named it a staple port for the wool trade in 1369. Apart from wool, Boston also exported salt , produced locally on the Holland coast, grain , produced up-river, and lead, produced in Derbyshire and brought via Lincoln , up-river. A quarrel between
5760-439: The creation of the Photographic Society of London in 1853. 51°30′33″N 0°07′20″W / 51.509043°N 0.12215°W / 51.509043; -0.12215 Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire , England. Boston is the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Boston local government district. The town had
5856-399: The current one, costing £35 million and doubling the current department in size. Boston railway station is a stop on the Poacher Line ; East Midlands Railway operates a generally hourly service between Nottingham , Grantham and Skegness . These services are run by the Class 170, 158 or the older Class 156 trains. The railways came to Boston in 1848, following the building of
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#17327914690845952-422: The east of the Maud Foster Drain. The railway reached the town in 1848, and it was briefly on the main line from London to the north. The area between the Black Sluice and the railway station was mainly railway yard and the railway company's main depot. The latter facility moved to Doncaster when the modern main line was opened. Boston remained something of a local railway hub well into the 20th century, moving
6048-491: The eleventh series of BBC1 comedy quiz Would I Lie to You? , hosted by Rob Brydon . Coles was captain of a team from the University of Leeds who were series champions on the BBC's Christmas 2019 University Challenge . In December 2020 Coles was featured in the BBC series Winter Walks , walking from Sutton Bank to Rievaulx Abbey . He said, "At the centre of what we do in order to be who we are, we need silence, we need retreat, we need contemplation." Coles appeared in
6144-468: The eventual charter , called an 'Instrument', used to establish the Royal Academy of Arts over a decade later was almost identical to that drawn up by Cheere and the RSA in 1755. The RSA also hosted the first exhibition of contemporary art in 1760. Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds were among those who exhibited at this first exhibition, and were subsequently founder members of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768. An 1852 photography exhibition led to
6240-507: The feasibility of a UK-wide personal carbon trading system. It still promotes the practice of inclusive design, and is working with artists to communicate ideas about environmental sustainability (for example, through one of the RSA's past projects, WEEE Man , and currently through the Arts and Ecology project). The RSA has been home to TEDxLambeth , a TEDx conference based in Lambeth, since October 2019. The RSA moved to its current home in 1774. The House, situated in John Adam Street, near
6336-424: The feathery aspect of this was still reflected in the presence of the local bedding company named Fogarty. ) This and the religious friction put Boston into the parliamentarian camp in the Civil War , which in England began in 1642. The chief backer of the drainage locally, Lord Lindsey , was shot in the first battle and the fens returned to their accustomed dampness until after 1750. The later 18th century saw
6432-436: The focal points of the town. Electricity came to Boston during the early part of the century, and electrical street lighting was provided from 1924. During the Second World War , 17 residents of the borough were killed by enemy air raids. A memorial in Boston Cemetery commemorates them. The Haven Bridge, which now carries the two trunk roads over the river, was opened in 1966, and a new dual carriageway, John Adams Way,
6528-436: The heading of Drayton, so Boston's name is not mentioned. The Town Bridge still maintains the preflood route, along the old Haven bank. After the Norman conquest , Ralph the Staller's property was taken over by Count Alan . It subsequently came to be attached to the Earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire , and known as the Richmond Fee. It lay on the left bank of The Haven. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Boston grew into
6624-402: The highest such vote in the country. In the 2019 Borough elections, the Conservatives were confirmed as the majority party on Boston Borough Council with 16 of the 30 seats, followed by independents with 11. In May 2007, a single-issue political party, the Boston Bypass Independents campaigning for a bypass to be built around the town, took control of the council when they won 25 of
6720-403: The late 1980s and became a working mill again. It stands next to the drain after which it is named, and is unusual in having an odd number (five) of sails. The Guildhall in which the Pilgrim Fathers were tried was converted into a museum in 1929. The cells in which the pilgrims are said to have been held at the time of their trial are on the ground floor. After a major refurbishment during which
6816-408: The line of the road to Lindsey and from its western end, looking at the river side of the Exchange Building to the right, it is possible to see how the two ends of the building, founded on the natural levees of The Haven, have stood firm while the middle has sunk into the infill of the former river. From 1552, Bostonians used to have their jail near the Stump (about where the red car in the photograph
6912-597: The local and foreign merchants led to the withdrawal of the Hansards around 1470. Around the same time, the decline of the local guilds and shift towards domestic weaving of English wool (conducted in other areas of the country) led to a near-complete collapse of the town's foreign trade. The silting of the Haven only furthered the town's decline. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII during
7008-502: The museum was closed for several years, it reopened in 2008. The Pilgrim Fathers Memorial is located on the north bank of The Haven a few miles outside the town. Here at Scotia Creek, the pilgrims made their first attempt to leave for the Dutch Republic in 1607. The ruined Hussey Tower is all that remains of a medieval brick-fortified house, built in 1450, and occupied by John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford until he
7104-673: The no.1 nonprofit YouTube channel worldwide. The first animation in the RSA Animate series was based on Renata Salecl 's speech delivered for RSA on her book about choice. The society offered the first national public examinations in 1882 that led to the formation of the RSA Examinations Board now included in the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations Board . In 1876, a predecessor of the Royal College of Music ,
7200-413: The produce of the district and the trade of the dock, plus the excursion trade to Skegness . Boston once again became a significant port in trade and fishing in 1884, when the new dock with its associated wharves on The Haven were constructed. It continued as a working port, exporting grain, fertiliser, and importing timber, although much of the fishing trade was moved out in the interwar period. At
7296-553: The streets at night. In the 19th century, the names of Howden, a firm located near the Grand Sluice, and Tuxford, near the Maud Foster Sluice, were respected among engineers for their steam road locomotives, threshing engines, and the like. Howden developed his business from making steam engines for river boats, while Tuxford began as a miller and millwright. His mill was once prominent near Skirbeck Church, just to
7392-705: The teaching of the English church by going to the Netherlands from Boston. At that time, unsanctioned emigration was illegal, and they were brought before the court in the Guildhall . Most of the pilgrims were released fairly soon, and the following year, set sail for the Netherlands, settling in Leiden . In 1620, several of these were among the group who moved to New England in the Mayflower . Boston remained
7488-532: The upland of East Lindsey and the three routes to the south of Boston: The River Witham seems to have joined The Haven after the flood of September 1014, having abandoned the port of Drayton, on what subsequently became known as Bicker Haven. The predecessor of Ralph the Staller owned most of both Skirbeck and Drayton, so it was a relatively simple task to transfer his business from Drayton, but Domesday Book in 1086 still records his source of income in Boston under
7584-484: The world after the town, most notably Boston , Massachusetts, then a colony and now part of the United States. The name Boston is said to be a contraction of " Saint Botolph 's town", "stone" or " tun " ( Old English , Old Norse and modern Norwegian for a hamlet or farm ; hence the Latin villa Sancti Botulfi "St. Botulf's village"). The name Botulfeston appears in 1460, with an alias "Boston". The town
7680-420: Was Elizabeth II . The RSA's president is Anne, Princess Royal (who replaced her father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , in 2011), its chairman is Tim Eyles , and its chief executive since September 2021 is former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane . Fellowship is granted to applicants "who are aligned with the RSA's vision and share in our values." Some prospective fellows are approached by
7776-467: Was a contestant in the 15th series of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing . He was paired with professional dancer Dianne Buswell . They were the second couple to be eliminated after scoring 14 points for their Paso Doble to the theme from Flash Gordon – at the time, the lowest scoring Paso Doble in the history of the show. On 18 December 2017, Coles was a guest panellist on the Christmas special of
7872-699: Was a prosperous shoe manufacturer. The company failed under Coles's father, because of the increasing popularity of cheaper foreign imports, and the family lost much of their wealth. He was educated at the independent Wellingborough School (where he was a choirboy), and at the South Warwickshire College of Further Education (Department of Drama & the Liberal Arts) in Stratford-upon-Avon . He later attended King's College London , where he studied theology from 1990. Coles
7968-402: Was also instrumental in bringing the railways to Boston. Born in nearby Paddock Grove, son of a butcher, he was also MP for Boston , from 1856 until his death in 1860, in a shipping accident on Lake Michigan . The seven-storeyed Maud Foster Tower Windmill , completed in 1819 by millwrights Norman and Smithson of Kingston upon Hull for Issac and Thomas Reckitt, was extensively restored in
8064-696: Was awarded an MA by research from the University of Leeds in 2005 for work on the Greek text of the Epistle to the Ephesians . Coles learned to play the saxophone , clarinet and keyboards and moved to London in 1980, where he played in theatre. In 1983, he appeared with Jimmy Somerville in the Lesbian and Gay Youth Video Project film Framed Youth: The Revenge of the Teenage Perverts , which won
8160-638: Was born outside of the UK. 5.6% of the population of Boston was born in Lithuania and 5.4% was born in Poland . This is the highest proportion of Lithuanians anywhere in the UK and the second highest number of Poles, behind Slough, Berkshire . Polish is the main language of 5.68% of the inhabitants. Boston has historically had strong cultural connections to the Netherlands , and Dutch influence can be found in its architecture . The parish church of Saint Botolph
8256-549: Was built in 1976–8 to take traffic away from the town centre. A shopping centre, named the Pescod Centre, opened in 2004, bringing many new shops into the town. Boston Cottage Hospital opened in 1871, was rebuilt in the 1960s, and is now called the Pilgrim Hospital , having been officially opened by Princess Anne on 23 June 1977. The hospital is currently building a new Emergency Department extension next to
8352-545: Was disappointed to be leaving the BBC Radio 4 Saturday Live programme following that week's edition, due to the programme's relocation to Cardiff . From 20 November, Coles was a contestant on the 2024 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! . Richard Coles first came out as gay to his mother, in 1978, when he was 16. He played her Tom Robinson 's " Glad to Be Gay " four times, before she said "Darling, are you trying to tell me something?" Coles has spoken about
8448-476: Was instrumental in naming. Unable to tolerate the religious situation any longer, he eventually emigrated himself in 1633. At the same time, work on draining the fens to the west of Boston was begun, a scheme which displeased many whose livelihoods were at risk. (One of the sources of livelihood obtained from the fen was fowling, supplying ducks and geese for meat and in addition the processing of their feathers and down for use in mattresses and pillows. Until 2018,
8544-671: Was legally conveyed by deed to the National Trust . During the 1980s, the RSA worked with the Comino Foundation and established a Comino Fellowship Committee 'to change the cultural attitude to industry from one of lack of interest or dislike to one of concern and esteem'. This eventually led to a joint government/industry initiative to promote 1986 as "Industry Year", with the RSA and the Comino Foundation providing core funding of £250,000 – which persuaded
8640-622: Was once said to have been a Roman settlement, but no evidence shows this to be the case. Similarly, it is often linked to the monastery established by the Saxon monk Botolph at "Icanhoe" on the Witham in AD ;654 and destroyed by the Vikings in 870, but this is doubted by modern historians. The early medieval geography of The Fens was much more fluid than it is today, and at that time,
8736-462: Was probably then part of the grant of Skirbeck , part of the very wealthy manor of Drayton, which before 1066 had been owned by Ralph the Staller , Edward the Confessor 's Earl of East Anglia . Skirbeck had two churches and one is likely to have been that dedicated to St Botolph, in what was consequently Botolph's town. Skirbeck ( map ) is now considered part of Boston, but the name remains, as
8832-535: Was released. It is the first in a series about Canon Daniel Clement. The sequel, A Death In The Parish , was published on 8 June 2023. The first book has been optioned for a television adaptation, with Coles serving as an executive producer. In 2023, Coles signed a deal with W&N to write three more Canon Clement books. The first of these, Murder at the Monastery was released in June 2024. Coles still works as
8928-559: Was the co-host of BBC Radio 4 's Saturday Live programme. He is a regular contributor to QI , Would I Lie to You? and Have I Got News for You . He is an author, the chancellor of the University of Northampton , a former honorary chaplain to the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers , and a patron of social housing project Greatwell Homes in Wellingborough . Coles was born in Northampton , England. His grandfather
9024-563: Was the southern terminus of the East Lincolnshire Line to Louth and Grimsby, until its closure in 1970. Bus services in the area are operated predominantly by Stagecoach East , Stagecoach East Midlands and Brylaine Travel. Key routes link the town with Lincoln, Skegness and Spalding. Boston residents voted strongly (75.6%) in favour of leaving the European Union in the 2016 UK referendum on EU membership ,
9120-598: Was then the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Excerpts from the events programme form the basis for the 10-minute whiteboard animations as shown on the theRSAorg YouTube channel. The series was created as a way of making important, socially-beneficial ideas as accessible, clear, engaging and universal as possible. The series is produced and audio-edited at the RSA, and the animations are created by RSA Fellow Andrew Park at Cognitive. The first 14 of these had gained 46 million views as of 2011, making it
9216-545: Was transferred to the London County Council (which changed the colour of the plaques to the current blue) and, later, the Greater London Council (the G.L.C.) and, most recently, English Heritage. Similar schemes are now operated in all the constituent countries of the United Kingdom . In 1929, the society purchased the entire village of West Wycombe . After extensive repairs, the village
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