Trevor's film on London and Boris

Boris will be competing to be mayor against Ken L - I won't mention his name because that will draw attention to him.

Boris asked for films on London under two minutes and they had to show London, and mention at least one of Boris's achievements.

What does the winner get? Obviously the accolade of being the winner.

Also the chance of meeting Boris and making a film.

Four films were shortlisted.

All four shortlisted films are here: www.backboris2012.com/enter/vote and voting will be open until midday on Tuesday 20 December 2011.

From the professional or aspiring speaker/Toastmaster's point of view, Interestingly the first film was a speech, an ironic speech apparently in support of the opposition. I liked that. But it missed the opportunity to show anything of London.

The other three showed London.

Two had speeded up shots of crowds. One cleverly uses upright features such as lamp posts to separate one shot from the next. We liked that aspect. The last one has a well-written voice over which is in an Australian voice. I like a clear message. But maybe more varied voices.

Trevor's film - see for yourself. Has humour. Who is working late. At Buc ......?

Shots of bikes - mine or yours, taxis, the fast train, police and public, and mention of the voting date. Rather more subtle. The messages are in signs, which is good for the hard of hearing or if you watch it losing sound. Genuine sounds of London.

If Trevor gets the chance to make a real campaign video I'd like to see a shot of Boris speaking or riding a bike and the newspaper or TV report of him personally saving a Londoner from being attacked.

Thanks very much for your support and entries.

Songwriting

Proof copy of my book of lyrics for a musical about Ronnie, The Mad Musician arrived.

Seasonal Lights And Secrets Of Gourmet Hatch End

Hatch End's latest Italian restaurant Zia Teresa - proud and excited co-owners, Manuel and the chef Antonio!
Hatch End walking trail map at Hatch End station. But whilst the rest of my family were out walking, I headed for free food at the switch-on of the festive season lights on the Christmas tree in Hatch End's main street, the Uxbridge Road.
I try to persuade all my friends from outside to come to Hatch End to enjoy the many restaurants in what a newspaper called restaurant capital of North West London. If you are not from Hatch End, why should you care - what's in it for you? Admittedly, it's a tedious train journey ranging from about 45 minutes to infinity from Euston, so take a book such as Mrs Beetons' cookbook because the trip's worth the effort if you're a gourmet. Hatch End has a plaque to young Mrs Beeton, who wrote the cookery book and established the system for starting recipes with a list of ingredients to buy. The plaque to her on Hatchets, one of Hatch End's 16 restaurants and eating places. It's no surprise that food, including free pizza outside Zia Teresa restaurant, was a feature of the switching on of the seasonal lights on the Giant Xmas tree as light faded 3-6 pm on Saturday Dec 3rd 2011. You can see the lights when you drive through Pinner. (If you stop and park, note that restrictions have been extended to Sundays, so read those signs high up, or use the car park.)

Hatch End, is part of the met line's historic Pinner, featured in many films and TV series and famous for its museum of Heath Robinson cartoons by the lake in pretty Pinner Park.

The Tree Lights

The blue lights on the tree make a good backdrop for photos.

Around the tree stood the Mayor, councillor Jean Lammerman, and Lucia of Hillview Road, who speaks fluent Italian (much faster than I can manage though I've been listening to my Berlitz Earworms disc every morning long to learn enough Italian to ask for vino blanco (white wine), which is useless as I want pink sparkling and cannot understand the reply.

Hillview Road is so named because we could long ago see Harrow on the Hill (famous for the Churchill's school and the hilltop church spire visible for miles and from the Met line trains hurtling from Baker Street. Hatch End had twice a year street parties for residents of Hillview Road.

The Brassy Band

Street entertainment included Christmas carols and music by J50 Brass band under the green tree, an impressively large tree for such a small high street. children in red Santa Claus style hats collected money for charity and the band played cheerful music from jolly red-cover carol books produced by The Salvation Army, I was told by Patrick Dodds who wanted me to tell you that his phone number is 07811 369967.

My neighbours asked how much and does the band do funerals, because Alice's brother had wanted a brass band for his funeral oop north in Yorkshire. (If you don't mind, I'll have Country music or a jolly Gilbert & Sullivan operetta aria for mine. Will somebody please ask Grimsdyke hotel.) But I'm digressing. Also in the picture of the band are tall Laurence Robinson with a warming scarf, though for December 3rd it's remarkably warm - I have roses from my garden on my kitchen dining table. A third member of the brass band is Laura Kitson.

Zia Teresa - Italian For Aunt Teresa

Here in Hatch End we, the public, feasted on free pizza freshly cooked in Zia Teresa (Aunt Teresa in Italian) opened this week in the former Rialto restaurant. Co-owned now by welcoming Manual - sorry, not Manual but Manuel, who, like any good Italian restaurant owner, kisses long-standing customers on both cheeks.

Manuel and his co-owner, the chef, plan a new menu and improvements to the decor which is already lovely with a mural of the Venice canals and Rialto bridge. (The restaurant was previously called Rialto.) What's great about Zia Teresa is that they are able and willing to adapt any dish. I see veal and chicken in lemon on the menu and ask if I can have veal in lemon. Some restaurants will tell you, sorry, it comes ready made like that. But here the food is cooked the way you want it. They will even make any dish of your choice if you give them warning so they can be sure to have the ingredients.

Should you need food or wine to take home, Hatch End also has a handy Tesco Express, and Morrisons which is selling a DIY, or rather BIY, bake it yourself (I just invented that phrase) stollen.

Hatch End Characters

By the tree stood Paresh Patel, who is the treasurer of Hatch End Traders Association, which organises the street lights and street events. (They did a great job for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton - see my blog showing pictures of red, white and blue hats.) Paresh Patel is also the manager of the Hatch End Post office. He was wearing his yellow high visibility and out on the street to ensure Health And Safety.

In support of safety were two jolly policemen.

My neighbours pointed to the star Venus overhead. Venus is the brightest star in the night sky. What use is it? I asked. Venus helps sailors, and walkers, navigate, and tell the time of day. The star is there all year but visible only in the months of November and December. This time next year Venus will be in the same place. So come to Hatch End to see the light of Venus, after watching our little high street switch on the seasonal lights.

Wishing I could write a song which people would sing in the streets every year, I went home to continue songwriting. Today I received the proof copy of my musical The Mad Musician. Maybe I should write a song: Out in the night to see the lights ...

About The Author

You can read snippets of my books on lulu.com

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on yell.com (formerly trustedplaces.com) and also on my webpages and I'm on twitter, Facebook, and You Tube. I sit in Fellini and other restaurants drawing caricatures of friends who buy me coffee or lunch or dinner, and I'm busy mentoring and on the committee of HOD and Harrovians speakers.

Update 2018: Fellini is now Porta Grande.

Focus on Your Life's Journey And The Right People

If you don't know what you want, you are standing at a bus station going nowhere and nobody can sell you a ticket or take you on a journey - unless you are willing to take the next bus - in which case I'm it.

A man who doesn't know what he wants risks falling into the hands of a dominatrix or losing a conventional woman (as Miguel Cervantes said, Faint heart ne'er won fair lady.)

A man who says he doesn't want a purely sexual relationship is likely to repel the wrong type and attract the right type.

Women on adult sites are inundated, and like scammers and people selling you enhancements, anybody on the internet is over-run by emails from suspect sites of people offering instant sex, and/or asking for money.

If scammers and loonies are teaching you about avoiding trouble, or finding motivation that's good. I've found forums enlightening.

When it comes to talking on the phone or meeting people, what worries me is that you are known by the company you keep so I don't want nutcases to dilute my reputation and if I meet or date somebody if losers are their flatmates, colleagues or close friends or exes, I try to cut down on repeat conversation or avoid going on a second date/meeting.

Hope this helps clarify your thoughts.

I'm certainly looking for worthwhile friends and ultimately a permanent relationship with somebody who understands the confused and weak whilst staying focused and strong.

You might guess I've just been reading business books about motivation and leadership!

Today's addition to my repertoire is a book on leadership by John C Maxwell. He has written several books.

SINGAPORE

1 Museum mannequin:

At Sentosa's historical museum I saw life-size models of founders of Singapore including a Jewish character, Menassah, who built a synagogue next to his home. Not far to walk to services!

2 Synagogue buildings:

See the exterior. Plan a visit at a suitable time to see the interiors.

Synagogue street no longer has a synagogue.

Nearby you will see two synagogues marked on maps and both are historic and interesting to visit. You could go to a service or call at the shop to buy kosher food.

A lively programme of events is held which visiting Jews can join, at a price for festival meals, occasionally sponsored Sabbath meals which are free though you can make a donation earlier or later (no money handled on Sabbath), as well as film shows of historic and sometimes hilarious old comedy films with Jewish themes. If you are an expat in Singapore you could attend a service and get on their mailing list. Women sit upstairs.

3 David Elias Building:

The David Elias Building is decorated with six-pointed stars.

The plaque at the top of the corner of the building says it dates back to 1928. It’s on a corner one block north of Singapore Art Museum where Middle Road meets Selegie Road. It’s near the oldest of the two synagogues, the Sephardi or Spanish style synagogue built for people descended from those who left Spain (Sepharad) after the Inquisition.

4 Changi Prison Museum's Jewish chapel

Changi Prison museum shows the make-shift synagogue used when Singapore's Jews were interned by the Japanese during WWII. Every now and then Singapore's historical museum has a display on religions and you'll read accounts of this time.

5 David Marshall Portraits

His portrait is in one synagogue and in the community hall.

Outside the city the Jewish cemetery (closed on Saturday) has the grave of David Marshall. With security so tight nowadays, you may have to make special arrangements to see it.

I met his charming widow who is not Jewish at a British Association dinner. He was a lawyer before becoming a diplomat for Singapore in France in his later days, and you would enjoy reading the book about his trials.

SPAIN

Maimonides statue.

Maimonides had to leave Spain and went to act as physician at the court of a Muslim Kurdish leader. Maimonides wrote in Arabic and is revered by the Arabs and the Jews. He is commemorated on stamps issued by Spain and other countries.

ISRAEL

Israel

Visit Bialik's house in Tel Aviv. The house, home of the national poet, contains architectural features such as a tiled fireplace with biblical motifs.

Display cases hold little models of theatre sets of Bialik's plays and his books of illustrated children's stories. Also banknotes featuring Bialik. Newscuttings and photos show his huge funeral.

Bialik pushed for the introduction of modern Hebrew as the national language. I am sorry that Yiddish was not made the national language, or one of three national languages, or four, the other three being Hebrew, Arabic and Sephardi.

Read: Bialik's biography.

French Gardens, Gourmets, Champagne and Madeleines

France
Follow the trail of Marcel Proust, author of A La Recherche du Temps Perdu, father of the modern novel. See plaques at viewpoints and his bust in the hotel where he wrote in a room lined with cork.His statue is in the middle of a roundabout in front of the hotel.
Read A La Recherche du Temps Perdu.

*****

No Time Lost

On

Garden Tours For Gourmets

by Angela Lansbury

Our regular travel writer, Angela Lansbury, spent an amusing week exploring French gardens including a computerised English garden, a Jewish garden and the garden of two gardening princes

On a tour of French gardens I had not expected to see English gardens or Jewish gardens. Grabbing a plastic-wrapped cake from the breakfast buffet at the small one star Terminus Hotel facing Orleans railway station, I found I was holding a madeleine! That’s the cake which sparks off memories for Proust at the start of his three-volume tome, A La Recherche du Temps Perdu which features the Dreyfus case.

Proust’s books describe Proust’s Garden of the Pre-Catelan which is open to the public and mentioned in the tourist booklet Parks and Gardens Central Region (region centre in French). The home of Proust’s aunt would interest literary and Jewish groups.

I travelled to France with gardening enthusiasts, taking Eurostar to Paris (where the Pere Lachaise cemetery has monuments to Proust and the Rothschilds) then driving around the Parks and Gardens of the Loire Valley in Central France, south of Paris. The gardens’ owners have formed an association which issues trail maps enabling gourmets and garden lovers to travel from one delightful chateau to another. While eating home-grown French food you learn tips from living counts and princes about how to create attractive kitchen gardens.

***

RASHI

In the Champagne region is the city where Rashi lived. See an old synagogue and a monument in the centre of town.

***

Postscript update
Proust stayed at the Grand Hotel, C a b o r g.
You can read reviews of the hotel and area on Trip advisor. (Spell check insert a space.)

Angela Lansbury. Travel writer and photographer. Author and Speaker.

WWII Holocaust Stories Of Success

CHINA

China

Shanghai

The Peace Hotel was originally owned by the Sassoons. Noel Coward stayed here and wrote. An amazing number of major buildings on the waterfront Bund and elsewhere were built by the Sassoons or other wealthy Jewish philanthropists whose major hobby seems to have been horse-racing.

I walked around the Jewish Museum and then took a Jewish tour with an elderly Chinese guide, Mr Wang, who used to work with Jews in this area. I remember that the whole area was Jewish, and my charming Chinese guide devotedly stood in the middle of the traffic risking both our lives pointing to where the popular Jewish cinema once stood. He asked me if I knew John Rain. I eventually realised we were talking about John Wayne and made it safely back to the the pavement. To Americans the pavement is the tarmac on the road. I would be reaching the sidewalk.

Alternatively, take a tour with a Israeli artist Dvir who rescued Jewish gravestones. See his film about the headstones.

1 Peace Hotel on the Bund.

Beautiful Chinese building, not much to see of Jewish interest except the plaque; but it has wonderful art deco and is a landmark important in local history.

2 Jewish Museum. Exhibitions. And tours.

3 Israeli style food at Mediterranean cafe.

4 Old synagogue overgrown with branches is in the centre of a gated government compound with a Chinese guard who speaks no English and won't let you in and he gets agitated if you try to take a photo. We phoned a hotel concierge to ask him to translate. He said the guard had agreed to let us walk around the outside and take a photo. But I took two steps forward and I got shouted at. Not often I give up. (March 2006)

5 Hengshan-Moller Villa

In the midst of Shanghai's skyscrapers is a gabled building with arched windows, balconies and a tower. This gothic hotel was originally the home of Eric Moller, a British Jew.

Eric's daughter dreamed about going into a castle. Her loving father realised the dream, admittedly somewhat later. The first architectural plans were made in 1927 and the villa was finished in 1936. The whole place is designed with ship motifs because when Moller took over the land from his father he was in the shipping business.

Moller also made money and achieved fame from his horse and the back lawn has a bronze statue of the horse. Non-residents can have tea or dinner in the hotel.

See www.mollervilla.com

AUSTRALIA

Australia

Sydney Jewish Museum's Heroes

In 2002 I visited Sydney Jewish Museum whose entrance hall has a memorial to WWI hero Sir John Monash (1865-1931) who led the ANZAC troops at Gallipoli and Normandy. His slogan was 'Feed the troops on victory'. He was knighted in the field by King George V. Melbourne's Monash University is named after him.

The museum has an entertaining and elightening exhibition about convicts. On the First Fleet was pregnant fifteen-year-old Esther Abrahams (1171-1846) who had been accused of stealing lace. On board she met Lieutenant George Johnston and later they married. George arrested Captain Bligh, and then in 1808 became temporary governor - elevating Esther to first lady of New South Wales.

Another 'lucky' convict was Joseph Samuel, known as 'The Man They Couldn't Hang', because in 1803 they tried three times to execute him and each time the rope broke. One might presume it was a piece of old rope. But tests showed no reason for this, so Governor King deemed it divine providence and reduced the thief's sentence to life imprisonment.

The character elevated to immortality in literature was infamous Londoner Isaac Solomon who inspired the character Fagin in Oliver Twist (published in 1837-8). Dickens was criticised for promoting anti-semitism because his book repeatedly referred to the fact that Fagin was Jewish. Belatedly, more than twenty-five years later, Dickens tried to make amends by writing about a good Jew, Mr Riah, in Our Mutual Friends (1864).

Out of 145,000 convicts only 1,000 were Jews. One early arrival, John Harris, became the first policeman. Another was called the most honest man in Sydney.

Upright Jews arrived as settlers. One established Sydney's first theatre. The first composer, Isaac Nathan, was the grandfather of Harry Nathan believed to have written the music for walzing Mathilda. Melbourne residents joke than convicts went to Sydney but free men went to Melbourne. Don't repeat that in Sydney!

The museum's Holocaust Exhibition included two interesting statues. Korzac, the non-Jewish head of the Warsaw orphanage, instead of escaping, accompanied his children to Treblinka.

Another hero, Swedish Raoul Wallenberg, saved 100,000 Jews in Hungary.

Travel Quotations

A great city, whose image dwells in the memory of man, is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; faith hovers over the towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the pre-eminent quality of the antique world, art.

Disraeli

I have seen more than I remember and remembered more than I have seen.

Disraeli

Musical Writing Progress

Working on the lyrics and connecting narrative of my musical.

Titles are often names such Cats, Wizard of Oz.

A plot is aim and obstacles, cause and effect.

Protecting Public From Wild Animals In City Venues

It would be helpful if Florida's legislation could protect tourists and residents and therefore Florida's tourist industry.

As a travel writer I've previously had problems with writing an article and then tourists are attacked.

What might happen if I write any article recommending Florida?

First, I must decide whether I want to go. We arrived for the first trip to Florida and were at a hotel with our son who was then a child. He left us with a sandwich in his hand and went through the hotel's exit doors towards a lake. After a few moments I wanted to be sure where he was and dashed after him. I was horrified to see a sign by the nearby water warning of crocodiles - didn't even know that Florida had any - none in New York on my previous trip. Worse still was a sign warming against throwing food which was what my child was about to do.

The lady who got killed was not even feeding animals, just walking along.

I should not recommend a place I myself would hesitate to visit. I haven't got the enthusiasm and don't want to have arguments with people.

It's a question of morality.

Also it's a waste of my time as I probably won't be able to sell or even publish an article if there is a major news story.

I or the newspaper might get sued. Therefore many newspapers will refuse to take articles.

The advertisers don't want to be alongside this kind of news story.

Then advertisers pull out because the tour operators pull out.

That's because the travel insurers pull out .

Businesses forbid employees to travel without insurance so the airlines can't fill seats.

What do you think?

Low wash could leave 'germs' in wash

Today's article in Daily Mail and probably numerous other sources.

I read all two pages of comments which took me ages.

Here's a summary of what I learned from the articles and readers' comments and answers:

Objections to hot washes:

1 Heat - Hot wash destroys clothes. Some countries (USA and Asia) have machines which only operate limited cycles or on cold.

2 Time - Hot wash takes too long.

3 Survival - Rubbish - we've survived thousands of years.

4 Cold - cold water is OK - Yes, people wash clothes in cold rivers.

5 I'm OK - Rubbish - despite this I'm healthy.

6 We're OK - Where R the sick!

7 Blame - blame the manufacturers, overpaid scientists, media.

Supporters of hot washes say:

1 To not destroy lycra and elastic or synthetic gym clothes and sportwear and stop gym clothes smelling use one third Milton tablet on sportswear.

Cold rivers are flowing water and my flat's not riverside.

2 Time - run the hot wash with white sheets in it. Buy white sheets. For quickly separating cloths have separate laundry baskets.

3 People did not survive. Millions died of plague; complications of 1918 flu.

4 Clothes might look clean but still smell.

5 You may be OK but you are one family. Others have illness - as doctors and hospitals and cemeteries show. You might be survivors - always somebody who survived WWII or ran across a road and was OK. We must speak for the ones who didn't survive and prevent those who are vulnerable and in poor health getting worse and help them stay in work and healthy and happy

6. Cemeteries show cause of death. My family history shows once child in ten dying and men dying aged 50. Students may survive but babies, people in third world countries and the over 50s die. MRSA doesn't kill you but kills over 50s in hospitals.

7 Thanks - scientists are paid less than bankers and sports personalities and can save our lives. I had a problem with black mould in washing machine. Now I have the suggested answers:

Pull out powder/liquid tray to check gunk; leave door open after use to air machine; see and clean black mould from rubber ring around machine door closing area, run a hot wash (with or without clothes).

Grease melts at 40 degrees.

Bleach removes limescale clogging machine/pipes.

Spirit vinegar/citric acid products likewise.

Soda crystals.

Keep undies and baby clothes separate from tea-towels,

White sheets and white tee-towels can be boil-washed.

Separate synthetic clothes.

Separate clothes which might shrink or fade.

Olden days we had cotton clothes, a big copper pot and washerwoman (or male dhoby in Singapore - Angela) or wash day when boiled water was used in butler's pantry sink.

These 'facts' are only derived from the manufacturers' claims readers' comments. Please check for yourself manufacturers' claims, cross-referenced with scientific articles.

Ebay problem selling armchair

I've had great success buying clothes and shoes on ebay. But so far no success selling.

I wanted to sell an armchair.

The site had emailed me offering free listing over the weekend.

They should have warned me that a first time seller should try to list the item early in the day because their online support ends at 6 pm.

I could not get the armchair listed as collect only.

My Wishlist Visit. Songwriters' Museum to 'Amazing Grace' Newton and Cowper who wrote Variety is the Spice of Life

Had you heard of Cowper (pronounced Cooper) and Newton - I hadn't, but I had heard of Amazing Grace, by Newton, and God Moves In A Mysterious Way by William Cowper.

Newton

John Newton was a sailor and slave trader who got caught in a storm and converted to Christianity. (That's lucky. Be careful what you wish for. He might have promised to convert to bestiality, incest or folk dancing.) Joking apart, he was a good soul who campaigned against slave trading and advised and encouraged the even better known anti slave trade campaigner Wilberforce.

Cowper

Cowper, (1731-1800) a leading poet, fore-runner of the Romantics, and probably an influence on Wordsworth's Prelude, also wrote the comic ballad John Gilpin. He kept three hares 'which on winter evenings would play on the parlour carpet,' says the leaflet. He wrote, "I am monarch of all I survey" and "variety is the spice of life".

If you are looking for some variety, visit the museum and its shop.

Open Tues-Sat 10.30 am-4.30 from March 1-Dec 23. Open Bank hol Mondays and shrove Tues (pancake day). Closed good Friday.

Admission prices (from leaflet in Oct 2011) £4 adult, concessions £3.25. Children 5-16 £1. Under fives free. Garden only £1.50. School and group bookings. See website or phone museum for the latest prices.

Having driven around Milton Keynes looking in vain for sculptures of concrete cows, it's good to know that nearby one can find a museum of such wide interest: lace, songwriting, motivation, abolition of slavery, Christianity, history, humour and a garden with plant sales.

The Cowper and Newton Museum, 

Orchard Side, 

Market Place, 

Olney, 

Milton Keynes MK46 4AJ, 

Bucks. 

Tel/fax: 01234 711516.

More memorials to Cowper

Death and memorials[edit]

Stained-glass window in St Nicholas's Church, East Dereham

Cowper was seized with dropsy in the spring of 1800 and died. He is buried in the chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury, St Nicholas's Church in East Dereham, and a stained-glass window there commemorates his life.^[2]

In St Peter's Church in Berkhamsted there are two windows in memory of Cowper: the east window by Clayton & Bell (1872) depicts Cowper at his writing desk accompanied by his pet hares, and bears the inscription "Salvation to the dying man, And to the rising God" (a line from Cowper's poem "The Saviour, what a noble flame"); and in the north aisle, an etched glass window is inscribed with lines from "Oh! for a closer walk with God" and "The Task". In the same church there is also a memorial tablet to the poet's mother, Ann Cowper.^[15][16] Cowper is also commemorated (along with George Herbert) by another Clayton & Bell stained-glass window in St George's Chapel, Westminster Abbey.^[17][18]

In 1823, Cowper's correspondence was published posthumously from the original letters in the possession of his kinsman John Johnson.^[19][20]

Near the village of Weston Underwood, where Cowper once resided, is a folly named Cowper's Alcove. The folly was built by the Lord of the Manor of Weston House, a member of the Throckmorton family in 1753.^[21] Cowper is known to visit here frequently for inspiration for his poetry. The alcove is mentioned in Cowper's "The Task".^[22] The folly was dedicated to Cowper by the Buckinghamshire county council green belt estate, and a plaque with the verse from "The Task" referencing the alcove was installed.

Useful Websites: 

www.cowpernewtonmuseumorg.uk

The Heritage Lottery Fund contributes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cowper

Toby Carvery, Denham

Spacious - easy to find a table.

The starter of melon was not available so I had to go for the chicken liver pate which cost more and had more calories.

Carvery. I had turkey and roast potatoes with vegetables. Other options were beef and pork/gammon?

Desserts include:

Crumble.

Eton mess with real fruit, meringue and cream at reasonable prices.

If you are on a budget, haven't booked, want a quiet corner, this is the place.

It's on the motorway and not in Uxbridge.

They serve acceptable wines by the glass including a medium sweet rose.

Toby Carvery Denham

Oxford Road

Denham

Uxbridge

UB9 4LJ

tel:01895 832623

The Roald Dahl Museum And Story Centre

The museum is in a pretty village with historic inns and colourful artsy little boutique shops selling books, toys, clothes, gifts, furniture, bric a brac and even colourful spectacle frames.

The shop has a big collection of toys and books. I found a kit for turning balloons into animal shapes (always wondered how they did that - my new party trick), as well as a great selection of books such as The Gruffalo.

Everybody around here seems very well-spoken and well-behaved. The schoolchildren visiting the museum are kept busy drawing and cutting out and schoolchildren are given a little ideas book in which each child can write their story ideas and stick a photo of the face of a character - both of which Roald Dahl did. The booklet even has yellow lined writing paper like Dahl's.

If you are a writer or interested in writers, whether or not you are a Roald Dahl fan, you will probably enjoy the videos of various writers describing how they work.

My Memory Aid For Spelling Roald Dahl

If you've had trouble remembering the spelling of either the first name or surname or both, remember that the names Ronald and Roald are Norse for ruler's wise adviser. Drop the N from Ronald and you have Ro-ald.

The second vowel, a, is in the second name or surname. D-A-HL.

What about the last two letters of the surname? Although the first name, roald, has the 'l' first, the 'l' is second in the second name or surname. Alternatively think of it as a shortened form of the words hall, hell and hill. Da H L.

Last tip: the first name ends with D. The second name starts with D. So the website name has a double D. Roal-D D-ahl. roalddahlmuseum.org

Your Roald Dahl trail:

Roald Dahl Museum. Roald Dalh grave in The parish Church of St Peter & St Paul. Flat on the ground gravestone (which you can see in the Wikipedia article on the author).

The Nag's Head Country Inn & Restaurant

Dahl's local pub was the 15th century Nag's Head where I enjoyed a tasty meal and was intrigued by drawings illustrating Dahl's books. The pub also features in the film about The Fantastic Mr Fox. The price range includes a lot of pricey items as you might expect from a restaurant with several accolades and being in an upmarket area, so if you are on a budget keep an eye on what you are ordering. The bedrooms are lovely. Check it out in Michelin, AA guides, trustedplaces/yell.com

Before going to the Dahl museum on your way to check into a hotel, check whether the Nag's Head or another hotel or another is including a free visit or two for one offer on a visit to the museum. You might find the offer on the hotel's website or a brochure. That could save you anything from £4/£5 to a lot more.

If you don't have time to see everything, and are likely to make more than two visits, or two visits plus some purchases from the shop or teashop, consider buying a friend's ticket, which gives you unlimited visits for a year plus 10% off your shop purchases and teashop purchases.

Writing Tips I Learned

1 Keep an ideas book.

2 Use a photo or face picture cut from a newspaper or magazine for your heroes, heroines - or villains.

3 Exaggerate the qualities of your heroes and villains.

4 Write about unusual animals, insects, people or monsters.

Diary Dates

September 13th is Roald Dahl Day, celbrating his bithday nationwide, with events and activities at the museum.

www.roalddahlday.info

Cream teas at the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Gt Missenden. Easter Sunday and every Sunday from May to September.

www.missendenchurch.org.uk

Museum Shop and Cafe Twit open to all

The Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre

81-83 High Street, Great Missenden

HP16 OAL

Tel:01494 892192

www.roalddahlmuseum.org

www.roalddahlstore.com

****

What else to do in the area?

Amersham - was in Midsomer Murders and Four Wedding and a Funeral.

Amersham Museum has a Tudor house hall and medicinal herb garden. Amersham Museum, 49 High Street, Amersham, HP7 ODP, museum tel:01494 723700

www.amershammuseum.org curator@amershammuseum.org

What's FREE!

1.) Free parking outside Milton's Cottage when visiting it.

2.) Free entry to Wycombe Museum: Priory Avenue, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 PX, tel 01494 421895.

website: wycombe.gov.uk/museum e-mail: museum@wycombe.gov.uk

3.) Bucks County Museum Church St, Aylesbury HP20 2QP, tel:01296 331441,wwwbuckscc.gov.uk/museum

free exhibitions on local history about the county. But a charge is made for the Dahl kids gallery which in midweek is only for schools. (Crawl along Fantastic Mr Fox's tunnel'). Gift shop and garden cafe

Spanley Spencer Museum: stanleyspencer.org.uk (about £5 each entry).

More Hotels

Hotels with pools and / or family rooms were:

Crowne Plaza, Marlow, was cheapest

Holiday Inn, High Wycombe M40 Junction 4, Crest Road, Handycross, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1TL, tel +44 (0) 871 942 9042 www.holidayinn.co.uk . central reservations +44 (0)800 40 50 60

Holiday Inn, Aylesbury

Bellhouse, Beaconsfield

Novotel Milton Keynes.

Roald Dahl Day Sept 13 - see later post.

Author of this blog and and other blogs:
Angela Lansbury, author of 20 books, travel writer and photographer, speaker. Please share posts.

Milton's Cottage - Paradise Lost Found

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright Angela Lansbury 2011.

' They also serve who only stand and wait'

' To be blind is not miserable; not be be able to bear blindness, that is miserable.'

'The mind can make a heaven out of hell, or a hell out of heaven.'

John Milton ( December 9 1608- November 8 1674.)

John Milton's Cottage - Paradise Lost Found

Writer Raold Dahl's Museum & Story Centre in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire was our destination for an afternoon drive out of London, but, as we tootled along the highway a helpful sign told us that nearby was another writer's home, John Milton's Cottage.

The picturesque village of Chalfont St Giles is where the blind literary genius moved from London in 1665 to escape the Great Plague. He was already blind, but a well-known poet and Parliamentarian, and finished Paradise Lost and began Paradise Regained in this house. Although he was here only about 15 months, it is his only existing home.

Even if you don't have time for a tour, take a quick look in the tiny shop in the entrance hall. I bought a tee towel, then spotted a 250 piece wooden jigsaw showing Milton's Cottage in 1774, containing 'whimsy' pieces including a musical instrument. www.jigsaws.co.uk

Just inside the door you can read a plaque about how Queen Victoria supported and donated to the original plan to preserve Milton's cottage. A glass case shows the signatures of royal visitors. Prince Charles came here on a day out which included a visit to Bletchley Park. You can read about that royal visit on the web. More on Milton is in Wikipedia.

The museum is on the ground floor only, looked like about four rooms. The upstairs is occupied by the curator. The building is a grade 1 listed building. the gardens are also listed, grade 2.

You can stroll around the cottage garden at the back which contains flowers mentioned in Milton's poems, laurel, myrtle, iris, roses and more, in lines from Paradise Lost, quoted on the website. The latest news is that Warner Brothers are making a film of Paradise Lost in Canada, so, they say, visit the cottage before the rush.

Getting to Milton's Cottage

By car: A 413 London Road. the website shows a map but it's hard to find the postcode you need for your satnav.) 21 Deanway, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, HP8 4 JH.

By train: London transport Baker Street to Amersham and bus 353 to Chalfont St Giles. Or Baker Street to Chalfont & Latimer and taxi to cottage. British Rail, Marylebone to Gerrards Cross then to Chalfont St Giles take bus 305 or 353 or a taxi.

Free car park behind the cottage.

Opening times:

Open daily except Monday March 1st-October 31st. Closed January, February, November and December. Open Spring and Summer Bank Holidays.

Hours 10-1 and 2-6 with last entry at 5 pm.

What it costs you:

Your fare. (Free parking)

Entrance fee: 2011 admission prices. adults £5, children under 15, £3, . parties of 20 or more £4 each.

Souvenirs: Books, tee-towel about £3.50; jig-saw about £20.

www:miltonscottage.org

email: info@ miltonscottage.org

Food

Cheapest food I could see nearby: 24 hour supermarket, Tesco?

Heading back to London, Toby carvery serves breakfasts, lunches, and queue up carvery dinners. (Reduced daytime prices if you are seated before 7 pm.)

Upmarket and expensive restaurants and hotels are plentiful. Try laterooms.com

web: www.miltonscottage.org

ANGELA LANSBURY'S OTHER TRAVEL TRIPS & TALES

For more of my travel tales, look for my older websites (some restaurant details are out of date because the older sites block the creators from gaining access and making changes). The most up to date blogs are on this site, blogger.com which has several subject sections and more travel and restaurant reviews are on my Apple generated site, web.me.com.annalondon8

If you enjoyed this travel trip and travel tales blog, look on Lulu.com for Jewish Travel Tales & Guidebook, a graves and homes of famous biblical and recent characters, Jews, or those with jewish descent or connections worldwide A-Z (Albania - Muslim's message in melon saves Jew in WWII - see Angela Lansbury speaking on You Tube, to Zimbabwe, Queen of Sheba's graves in Africa) in London, UK and beyond, including: diarist Anne Frank (Amsterdam, Netherlands-Auschwitz, Poland, Belsen, Germany); Levi of jeans fame (Germany); Disraeli, Bevis Marks Synagogue, London's East End, home in Bucks.

lulu.com angela lansbury author Jewish travel