Archive for the ‘Category #1’ Category
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
York Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in England and the seat of the Archbishop of York.
The first church on the site was a wooden structure built in a hurry in 627 to provide a place to baptise Edwin, King of Northumbria. It wasn’t until 1220 that the construction of the Minster that we know today began.
York Minster is particularly of interest to art-lovers, especially those of stained glass, the Great East Window being the biggest medieval example of its kind in the world (the size of a tennis court). The cathedral also boasts the widest nave in England, a 10.8-tonne bell called Great Peter, several regimental chapels and the incomparable Chapter House.
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Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Every May Day, outside the village pubs of England, strangely clad people can be seen leaping into the air, waving handkerchiefs and sticks, with bells jingling from their clothing. This traditional ritual to welcome the return of spring is called Morris dancing, and it goes back at least to the 15th century.
Despite its early origins, Morris dancing is a reinvented tradition, part of the great British folk revival of the late 19th century. At the time, it had died out in all but a few villages, but was revived by folk music researcher Cecil Sharp.
Today, Morris deancing can be found not just across Britain, but in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
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Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
An old event gaining new International prominence of late, Occurs at Coopers Hill in the Cotswold’s NR Cheltenham around late May!! Crazy Participants roll cheeses down the hill, A few seconds later they in turn hurl themselves down the hill in tumbling bumpy pursuit!!
This “Cheesy” event has been a tradition in this part of England, these past two hundred years !!
It’s all in good fun!! Except for a few bruises and the odd broken bone or two!!
You maybe wondering if the cheese is mellow aged!! There is no evidence of that!!
And certainly no “Mould” on the participants!! ”Has Anyone Seen Miss Muffet”
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Saturday, February 14th, 2009
One of the world’s most famous authors spent most of her life in the historic and beautiful county of Hampshire in the south of England.
It was in Hampshire that Jane Austen found inspiration to write such classics as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility.
She wrote her famous works drawing on a large circle of friends, social gatherings and places around Hampshire that she visited to devise the characters and settings for her novels.
In 1809, Mrs Austen, Cassandra, Jane and Martha Lloyd moved to Chawton, near Alton. Here they lived in the former bailiff’s house on the Chawton estate. The estate had been left to Jane’s brother Edward, who had been adopted by a wealthy childless cousin of their father’s.
It was Jane’s last home, where she lived with her mother and sister Cassandra from 1809 until 1817. The rooms on show include the drawing room, and the parlour where Jane wrote on the small round table. Upstairs is her bedroom with the patchwork quilt she made with her mother and sister.There are four other rooms, one of which has memorabilia of her two brothers, Frank and Charles, who both had distinguished careers in the Royal Navy. Another room houses a period costume display.
The Jane Austen House Museum is housed in the charming red-brick 17th century house, listed in the National Archives as a building of historic interest Chawton House Library.
There is an extensive collection of family mementoes and documentary material, including copies of letters written by her. A pretty garden surrounds the house, stocked with many old varieties of flowers and herbs and Jane’s donkey carriage is displayed in the adjoining old bakehouse.
At Chawton, which is today naturally regarded as Jane’s literary home, Jane led a quieter life and resumed novel-writing. Jane revised both Sense & Sensibility which was published in 1811 (and made Jane £140), and Pride & Prejudice, which was published in 1813. This was an instant success. All Jane’s novels that appeared during her lifetime were published anonymously, merely bearing the legend “By a Lady”, which was not uncommon at the time. Mansfield Park was published in 1814 and Emma in 1815. Persuasion was completed in 1816 but was not published until 1818, after Jane’s death in 1817. Northanger Abbey was also published in 1818.
Jane and Cassandra normally went for a walk every day and used to go shopping in Alton, where their brother Henry, who was a London banker, had a branch bank. This was at 10 High Street, where the family post was delivered and collected
Also near Alton, and within walking distance of Chawton, was Wyards, the home of Anna and Ben Lefroy. Anna was the eldest daughter of Jane’s brother, James, from his first marriage to Ann Mathew. Jane and Cassandra were very fond of their niece, often visiting her or having her to stay with them in Chawton, and her memories recorded in later years provide a lot of biographical information about Jane Austen.
Right - A pencil and chalk sketch of Anna Lefroy, (1793-1872) attributed to her sister-in-law, Emma Austen-Leigh, Hampshire 
Record Office ref 23M93/84/3
Finally, in Chawton, a short walk from Jane’s home is St Nicholas’s Church where Jane’s mother and her sister are buried. The present church was rebuilt in 1872 following a fire which destroyed the church that Jane would have known.
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Saturday, February 14th, 2009
There’s always plenty to do the Peak District and Derbyshire, whether you’re uncovering the secrets of the ancient custom of well dressing, participating in a National Park Ranger guided walk, swinging high above the Derwent Valley on a cable car ride at the Heights of Abraham or having fun with the whole family at Alton Towers!
Whatever your interest, you’ll find a huge range of events available, from walking festivals, sheep dog trials and country shows to farmers’ markets, art exhibitions, music festivals, culinary demonstrations or even woodland laser quest in the National Forest!
Don’t miss the regular concerts and events at stately homes such as Chatsworth or Calke Abbey, the joys of the famous opera house at Buxton or the annual food fair and historic re-enactments at Bolsover Castle. Use the search panel on the left to find attractions and make your break in the Peak District and Derbyshire truly memorable!
The Peak District & Derbyshire straddles the border between the northern highland parts of Britain and the southern lowland counties. This is marked in a variety of ways, and is chiefly seen in the landscape features.
Travelling north from the rolling farmland and the National Forest in the south of the county, you first reach the limestone plateau – here, hedges and fields give way to drystone walls and deeply incised, verdant river valleys and dales – this is the White Peak.
Continuing north eventually brings you to the Edges – the start of high gritstone moorland which sits in an arc across the top of the limestone. This is the Dark Peak – a wild and barren landscape punctuated by weathered tors towering over heather moorland – an area which changes dramatically with local weather and light conditions, but one which has a powerful, stark beauty.
Across this varied landscape lies the Peak District National Park, Britain’s first created National Park. There are few areas in this country where you can see such varied landscape within just a few miles.
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Saturday, February 14th, 2009
Britain is made up of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) together with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Britain is a diverse nation full of contrasts; whichever direction you travel you will find a wide variety of landscapes and diverse cultures to explore. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all unique countries with their own customs, cultures and traditions. There’s something for everyone in Britain – from the wealth of natural and historical heritage to the vibrant and cosmopolitan towns and cities.
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Saturday, February 14th, 2009
Summer in England has many traditions - For example, the peculiar event of chasing oranges down the hilly high street of Totnes, In Devonshire.
This tradition dates back to the day When England’s noble seaman, Sir Francis Drake accidentally bumped into a local delivery boy, causing him to spill his basket of fruit, So now in August down the hill they go !! ”Oranges and people” In A Fruity Mix of fun loving Humanity!! ”Any Lemons in the Crowd” “No, Just Limies”
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Saturday, January 31st, 2009
Art
Many of London’s biggest and best cultural attractions are free to enter, and the number of museums offering free entry is staggering. Donations are often more than welcome, and special exhibits usually cost extra.
Major Museums
British Museum
Imperial War Museum
Museum of London
National Gallery
National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, and Royal Observatory
National Portrait Gallery
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
Tate Britain
Tate Modern
Victoria & Albert Museum
Smaller Museums & Galleries
Burgh House and the Hampstead Museum
Clown’s Gallery and Museum
Courtauld Permanent Exhibition (Free on Monday only)
Hogarth House
Houses of Parliament
ICA Gallery (£2.50)
Museum of Childhood
Serpentine Gallery
Sir John Soane’s Museum
Theatre Museum
Wallace Collection
Whitechapel Art Gallery
Concerts
St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, St. George Bloomsbury, and St. James’s Church have regular lunchtime concerts, as does St. George Bloomsbury on Monday, Hyde Park Chapel on Thursday, and St. Giles in the Fields on Friday. There are regular organ recitals at Westminster Abbey.
Of the music colleges, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall, the Trinity College of Music, and the Royal Opera House have regular recitals; the Trinity College of Music holds recitals at lunchtime on Tuesday.
For contemporary ears, the area outside the National Theatre on the South Bank (known as the Djanogly Concert Pitch) reverberates to live world music weekdays at 6 PM, and on Saturday at 1 PM and 6 PM.
You can catch decent open-mike nights for unsigned acts and singer-songwriters at the River Bar (just south of Tower Bridge) every Wednesday, and Roadhouse (in Covent Garden) every Monday. Blues lovers should not miss the legendary Billy Chong Blues Revue band jam every Monday at the Globe pub in Hackney. The Palm Tree, in Mile End, is another great East End pub that hosts accomplished local jazz players on weekends.
Film, Theater & Opera
If all seats have been sold, the English National Opera sells standing tickets for the back of the Dress and Upper Circles at £10 each. Check at the box office.
Standing tickets with obstructed views for the ballet or the opera at the Royal Opera House start at £7.
Sloane Square’s Royal Court Theatre, one of the U.K.’s best venues for new playwriting, has restricted-view, standing-room-only tickets at the downstairs Jerwood Theatre for 10 pence (yes, £0.10), available one hour before the performance.
The Battersea Arts Club (BAC) has pay-what-you-can night on Tuesdays.
The Prince Charles Cinema in the West End shows weekday movie matinees for £3.50.
Offbeat Experiences
Go to the Public Record Office in Kew or Islington if you have a few hours to kill and want to track down some ancient branch of the family tree. Even if you don’t have any leads, browsing through sheaves of ancient ledgers is great fun.
London has some of the finest parks in the world, and enjoying them won’t cost you a pretty pence. Keen ornithologists can join free bird-watching walks in Hyde Park, while dedicated strollers touched by royal nostalgia can take the 7-mi Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk through Hyde, Green, and St. James’s Parks.
There are free spectacles throughout the year, but one of the most warmly enjoyed is Guy Fawkes’ Night (November 5), when parks throughout the country hold spectacular fireworks displays.
On New Year’s Eve thousands of revelers descend on Trafalgar Square and the South Bank to watch more free fireworks. The Underground usually runs all night, and is free into the new year.
Finally, set aside some time for random wandering. London is a great walking city because so many of its real treasures are untouted: tiny alleyways barely visible on the map, garden squares, churchyards, shop windows, sudden vistas of skyline or park. With comfortable, weatherproof shoes and an umbrella, walking might well become your favorite free activity here.
Affordable Sightseeing
Join real Londoners on the top deck of a double-decker bus. You can use your Zones 1 and 2 Travelcard or buy tickets from machines at the bus stops for the following routes:
Bus 11: King’s Road, Sloane Square, Victoria Station, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Fleet Street, and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Bus 12: Bayswater, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards, Whitehall, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Bridge.
Bus 19: Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Piccadilly Circus, Shaftsbury Avenue, Oxford Street, Bloomsbury, Islington.
Bus 88: Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tate Britain.
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
London is a work hard and play hard kind of city, so it should come as no surprise that London nightlife activities are abundant. As a global centre of nightlife and entertainment, this city really does know how to let its hair down. There is a scene for everyone on any given night of the week — somewhere in the city of London. 
For high culture, there is a plethora of options from the Royal Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall to hundreds of west-end (and fringe) theatres showing big name shows, packed with celebrities. Cinemas are plentiful, with star-studded premieres happening most weeks. For listings of shows, as well as club nights, concerts, and other events check out the weekly London listings magazine, Time Out.
And of course there are literally thousands of casual London bars and pubs, London restaurant bars/lounges, and clubs all across the city. There is a concentration of these across the West End and Soho, the latter being home to a thriving gay scene. Don’t be surprised if you run into a few famous faces around Soho either. The obvious draw for tourists is around the bright lights of Leicester Square, but if you know where to look, there are equally good, if not better bars outside the centre, around areas such as Shoreditch in the East, Islington in the North, Notting Hill in the West or Clapham in the South.
Traditional old London taverns can be found allover the city, the seventeenth-century George Inn at Borough High Street or The Crown at New Oxford Street are among the most noticeable, but in the bar section there are a lot of alternatives.
Music fans are also very well catered for in London, with most major artists including the city in their tours, as well as hundreds of resident bands, musicians and DJs packing out venues across the city every night. Some of the more famous venues include the Brixton Academy, the Jazz Cafe, and the cavernous Wembley Arena.
And now with new licensing laws, more and more bars and other venues are opening way beyond the traditional 11:00 p.m. curfew. Whatever you are into, you are sure to find it in London’s nightlife scene.
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
In 1984 HRH Charles, the Prince of Wales, gave a speech that shook Britain’s architectural community to its foundations. In a speech to the Royal Institute of British Architects, Prince Charles said that a proposed addition to the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square looked like “a kind of municipal fire station, complete with the sort of tower that contains the siren…a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much loved and elegant friend.”
The American architectural critic Nikos Salingaros says the prince was “crucified by the architectural press, and the architectural establishment launched an all-out campaign to discredit him.” By 1998, as the fashion for plainness gave way to more flamboyant structures, Charles wrote about “the brash megalomania which sometimes masquerades as creative design.” Years later the attacks go on, and the Prince for his part returns them tit for tat, sometimes with pithy humor that the press loves to quote. He told London’s urban planners: “You have to give this much to the Luftwaffe. When it knocked down our buildings, it didn’t replace them with anything more offensive than rubble….Around St Paul’s, planning turned out to be the continuation of war by other means.” He accused London’s architects and developers of treating their city “as merely a financial staging post between New York and Tokyo.”by Jim HarganWhile Charles’ flamboyant statements employ a lot of ink, they are only a small part of his architectural philosophy. Indeed, this untrained amateur has developed a coherent and detailed critique of modernist architecture and urban planning that includes an alternative approach to replace it: his famous Ten Principles. Nor has the Prince of Wales been content to issue manifestos; he has put his considerable fortune where his mouth is, founding an architectural institute (The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment) and creating a land development meant to epitomize his theories. That development is Poundbury, in the small Dorset county town of Dorchester.
One of Britain’s most pleasant market towns, Dorchester sits in the middle of Dorset’s famed Hardy Country, a
compact oval barely larger than 2 square miles that contains 16,000 people. A densely packed High Street, built along a Roman road, forms its center, framed by the lovely little River Frome on its north and an 18th-century tree-lined parade on its south. Deeply rural lands surround Dorchester on all sides, comprising a rolling landscape made famous by the 19th-century novelist Thomas Hardy: thatched villages, narrow lanes, walled fields, grassy moors, Celtic hill forts and Roman ruins. Not remarkably, tourism is Dorchester’s largest employer after government and health services. It is certainly urban with its tiny area and large population, but no one would describe it as a city, and it is by no means a high-growth center.
Like other British towns, planning regulations have long kept Dorchester from sprawling out into the countryside. Up until 1990, planners had kept Dorchester confined to a bit more than 1 square mile; there was only one major tract that qualified for new development, a farm on the western edge of town, and that was firmly locked up as part of the Duchy of Cornwall. As it happens, Prince Charles is the Duke of Cornwall. In 1991 Charles decided to open this Poundbury Farm tract to development — his way. Dorchester’s new subdivision of Poundbury was to follow the Prince’s Principles and show that new development could be as graceful, attractive and livable as older neighborhoods. Fifteen years later, the results are remarkable.
Neither the Prince nor his opponents are operating in a vacuum; a rich and complex history has led to their confrontation at Poundbury. Before Roman times, the native Celtic Britons lived in dispersed farmsteads, “protected” by a ruling class that lived in earth-banked hilltop forts; the largest surviving hill fort, Maiden Castle, is less than a mile from Poundbury. The hill forts emptied with the end of the Roman occupation, to be replaced with carefully planned civitates, walled towns eventually built of stone, where the old ruling class now donned togas and met in the Roman baths; everyone else continued to live in dispersed farmsteads. The Saxon conquest of Britain (ad 450 to 600) destroyed Roman civilization and town planning, while the rural population remained dispersed. Then, around 880, King Alfred the Great established a new phase of carefully planned urban development with his system of burghs, walled towns that provided protection from raiders, planned crop management and markets for goods. Dorchester was one of the original burghs behind its stone Roman walls, and burgh-like villages surround it to this day.
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