It has been a great pleasure to write them and we hope you have enjoyed reading them too. We would like to thank everyone involved, specially the Newsletter Team who have helped us so much. And so, focusing on all things 100, do you have a favourite century and if so which one and why? We asked a random sample of made-up people to tell us theirs. Replies are shown below with expert assessment where appropriate.

1 Leticia Maddox (Historical Novelist): “My Choice is of course the Glorious English Sixteenth Century Tudor Period. War, Romance, Dynastic In-fighting, and the regular Thump of Head on Scaffold. But, being a Writer, I am sure I would survive. I'd scheme, plot, connive, and cheat with the best of them to make myself the 7th Wife of Henry VIII. And I'd soon lick Him into shape, change the course of British history then write endless books about it. But… If I can't have that I'll take the Regency Century: Gowns, Balls, Hunky men in Tights! And then, after a night of endless pleasure, the joy of waking at noon for coffee and have your Maid throw back the curtains so you can enjoy the view across seven Counties without getting out of bed. Knowing that ALL that land belongs to your Loving Hubby. A dream come true!”

Armadilla Gruschkov (Historian) comments: “Neither Tudor nor Regency Life was all gowns and Balls! The wealth of a few was based on servitude at home and abroad. Most people worked long hours, exhausted from labour of all kinds and without pain relief, except perhaps later in the form of stupefying gin. Domestic servants could be abused by their masters. Field workers suffered unforgiving turnips of the human and vegetable kind. All had to improvise their own sanitary aids. And smooch without the benefit of toothpaste. A nightmare come true!”

2 Ahab Greenthrob (Retired MP): “For me, and for ANYONE with a shred of spirituality there is no other choice: England's great 16TH CENTURY AGE OF FAITH! What better time any when, anywhere, for ANYONE”

Cwg took Ahab at his word and Giles, our resident soothsayer and medium, used the latest advances in Alternative Science to transport Ahab back to the bustling town square of Shrewsopshire in 1573 and record the following exchanges:

AHAB: God give you grace, Peasant, pray tell me whence that odour? You? Or a barbecue?
PEASANT: Aye, zor, 'tis indeed a barbecue. A barbecue for witches. Oy mean of Witches. If zor hast no witch to burn Oi'll sell you my wife, zor!
AHAB: Is that a true Christian attitude, you no-brained clod hopper?
PEASANT: Pray don't flatter to bargain me down, zor. But what kind of Christian be you, then? If I may ask your haughtiness?
AHAB: Oy be, I mean, I am of the Roman faith, and thus worship all the Saints.
CROWD: BURN HIM! BURN THE PAPIST!
AHAB: Did I say Roman? I meant, I follow the good old Church of England.
SCOTS VOICES: GOOD!? OLD?! BURN HIM, BURN HIM, BURN THE SASSENACH NOW!
AHAB: Actually, friends, I meant to say I keep an open tolerant mind about the plurality of Faiths.
EVERYONE: ATHEIST! ATHEIST! BURN HIM! BURN HIM! MONSTER! MONSTER!
Giles managed to pluck Ahab from the stake before the flames took him. He was returned
safely to the Present. Where he is currently receiving counselling.

3 KRJ: (Musician) “For me it just has to be the 1960s. All the Old Folk are always going on about what a brilliant time it was. Rebellion, New Ideas, Dope, Free Sex, the Pill, Gay Stuff, Dope, Filthy Foreign Films, Dope, Wearing Whatever you like. Going down the Kings' Road to find out what you should like. It was [Can He say this on u3a? NOT OK! Change!] totally Mega-Brilliant. It was a long time ago… But I wish, I so wish, I could have lived through it. Oh yeah, hamburgers were just coming in and the Music was brilliant. Everyone who was there says that.”

Giles comments: But K, YOU did live through it. You were in one of the biggest Bands on the Planet, weren't you K? K? Wake up K!”
K: [Snores] Aaaagh. What was the question again?

Armadilla Gruschkov comments: True. He was there. I saw him drive a sports car backwards down the Champs Elysee in 1968 because he thought the Protest Crowd was there to welcome HIM. Typical male arrogance to stress the Hedonism of the Times rather than the Revolutionary ferment of Ideas. I would add… [Regrettably, Armadilla's extensive comments have been cut for reasons of space. Ed.]

4 JB: (Retired politician) I was torn between going back to 1950 so I could be James Bond. Or at least his Best Friend. (Not like that, despite what some of my ex-wives might tell you.) But in the end I opted for the 5th or 6th Century and the Court of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. They were the Original model of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, as well as Hannibal Lecter and the A-Team. Travelling around doing good without expecting any reward. Determined, Dashing, Dreading Naught, King Arthur's Knights always won and always got their Maiden. Except Gawain, of course. And Lancelot. Who shouldn't have. Is that right? I don't remember…

Anyway it's absolutely King Arthur for me. Nothing else will do. Or perhaps Middle Earth and the Hobbits and Orcs and Dragons… But my secretary can't find the Hobbits' dates in the History Books so it has to be King Arthur. To don my Favourite Shiny Armour, ride my Favourite steed, to win the Jousting and collect all the handkerchiefs the Ladies of the Court would pelt me with…

What's that, Armadilla? None of them was real? Rats! Do I still get my fee?

Next Week 101……….