Disraeli Discussed and seen in London

 Wikipedia has a detailed account of Disraeli's life. His life is very much an example of persistence pays and if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. The long article in wikipedia points out that his dispute with Irish Catholic O'Connell in the Times newspaper served to give Disraeli publicity which helped his career, his campaign for votes.

Also, for three quarters of his career, he was in the opposition. When in opposition, he wrote the novel Lothario which became a best seller, partly because a work of so-called fiction, written by a former minister about the lives of people in Parliament, was a novelty. 

His first attempt to get a bill passed which would enable his friend Lionel Rothschild to take a seat in Parliment, having won't the people's vote, but being unable to take the oath worded as a Christian, was downvoted, The only person who voted for it was Disraeli. He later brought in a bill that each house, the commons and Lords, could decide its own vote. This was passed. He then got one of the two houses to pass it so that Lionel could take his seat.

Other revelations: Disraeli looked gay and had no children. But he had an affair with Henrietts who was the heroine of his book of the same name. He also married an older woman, his friend's and government companion's widow. Did she have children from her previous marriage?

Why was he so popular with Queen Victoria. He was famous for saying that when flattering royalty, lay it on with a trowel.  He was sending her reuglar despatches about what was said in parliament. She had asked for more information than what she could read in the reports in the newspapers.

He apponnted her Empress of India, a title she wanted to take precedence over her own daughter who was married to an Emperor. Disraeli achievedt his by persisting, despite Parlimentary opposition.

Simple wiki simplifies everything.

Useful Websites

WIKPEDIA

SIMPLE WIKI

WIKIQUOTE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Please share links to your favourite posts.

See Disraeli and hear his thoughts

Alice in Wonderland illustration, with the caricature of Disraeli.

When you see pictures of Disraeli you always feel you have known him a long time. That is because he is caricatured in the early version of Alice in Wonderland.

If you get to London, England you can see Disraeli's statue in Parliament Square. 

If you are keen, you can go to his home in Hughendon and look for his grave beside the chapel on his land. 

I think of Disraeli all the time. My favourite saying of his is, when I want to read a book I write one. He also supposedly said, there are three kinds of lies, lies, damned lies and statistics. 

Why is his statue in parliament Square? He was Prime Minister twice. That was the peak of his success. But life was not always so easy. 

If you go from the West end of London to the East end you can see the outside of the Bevis Marks synaogue and time your visit right you might even see inside. I remember visitng it and being shocked to learn that Disraeli's father Isaac had a dispute about money with the synagogue and converted the whole family from Judaism to the Anglican church, having Disraeli baptised at the age of 12 before he reached his barmitzvah.

This did Disraeli a great lifelong favour because it enabled him to stand for Parliament and become England's only Jewish-born Prime Minister. 

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Edgware: what to see, do and eat, where Handel and Anne Frank's Father Lived

Disraeli said, I have travelled widely and have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen.

Statue of Disraeli in Parliament Square, London.

What Disreali said applies to me and Edgware and probably to you and your home town. Let me take you on a trip around the London suburb of  Edgware, where Handel and Anne Frank's father lived. Notice the spelling, that Edgware has only one e, at the end. 

Edgware - The Stanmore Side

First, why Edgware? I know it well because I was brought up in Edgware. I lived here for two decades, first at one end on the Stanmore side, in a typically English, typically London, semi-detached house with a gable and bay windows with a front and back garden. 

I would walk past the church, St Lawrence's Church, Little Stanmore, containing Handel's organ. Handel wrote a sonata to a harmonious blacksmith, believed to be William Powell, who was buried in the graveyard.

What brought Handel from Germany to England? Handel had worked for Prince George in Germany and the prince then became king of England.  Handel wrote music here. His later works included Handel's Messiah and music for the Royal Fireworks. (You can also visit Handel's house in Mayfair, central, London.)

St Lawrence's Church

Plaque on St Lawrnece, Whitchurch, from Harrow Heritage Trust

Near the church is the park leading to North London Collegiate School, whose old girls included actress Eleanor Bron.  Her parents were friends with my parents. I remember Eleanor's tall mother, who had a booming voice, telling me, "Stand up straight!"

Later, Eleanor went to Cambridge university where she read languages and performed in the universtiy's amateur theatre company, Footlights, which stood her in good stead for a career as an actress.

Meanwhile, when I was a child in Edgware, my family had Christian neighbours on one side and Jewish neighbours on the other side.

Usually we went away for Christmas to a hotel which always had a Christmas tree. I remember one year in December we stayed home. I wanted a Christmas tree. I was too young to understand that it might annoy a Jewish neighbour or cause unnecessary expense.  

My family, for the first and only time had a Christmas tree in the front room. Then a rabbi came to call. He probably wanted to wish us Happy Hannukah, and maybe ask us to visit the synagogue, and/or to give us a small Hanukah card and gift. Then to ask for a gift of money for a Jewish or multi-faith charity. 

Before inviting him in, my mother whispered to me,  "Quick - shut the door to the front room!" That was where we had the Christmas tree.

I went to the front room while the rabbi talked to my mother. I came out, leaving the door open behind me, as the Rabbi was leaving, on the doorstep. My mother thought I had succeeded in my mission of concealment. 

But the rabbi heard the living room door open and turned and smiled at me over my mother's shoulder and said to my mother, "Goodbye. Thank you for the tea, Mrs Lansbury. Lovely Christmas tree! Happy Christmas."

Later, my family upgraded to a  larger detached house near the library and the by-pass to Hendon, Brent Cross, Golders Green, Finchley Road and central London. 

We now drive through Edgware regularly, between west London and London's West End.

Edgware, which is now very cosmopolitan. Edgware and North West London have always had a large Jewish population with synagogues and restaurants and delicatessens and kosher food in supermarkets. 

Anne Frank's Father

Anne Franks' father, Otto Frank, lived in Edgware after World War II. 

Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank, who lived in Edgware after WW2.

He lived in Edgware with his second wife, and step-daughter, Eva Schloss. (Schloss is German for castle.) Not surprisingly, after years in hiding, and losing his wife and two daughters, in WW2, he kept such a low profile that few, neither Jewish nor non-Jewish, realised he was nearby.

Eva Schloss, author, right, and her mother (left) who married Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank, the WW2 diarist.

Eva Schloss, the author.

When I lived there my second home was the library. I used to hurry past the library along the high street to catch the train to Euston station to go to University College, London. I did my homework in the libary. On one occasion, our German au pair girl, Hnnelore, answered the phone to a friend of mine, and she, Hannelore, ran down the road to the libary to fetch me home to answer the call.

The Central Station

Edgware station, in the middle of the high street (main street to Americans), is the end of the Northern line. The large station has a huge car park and is a busy bus terminal with a large Sainsbury's supermarket hidden behind the Broadwalk shopping mall with an entrance from the car park behind. 

Along the road in the high street ia a cut price shop.

Broadwalk has lost Marks & Spencers and Dorothy Perkins but has Boots, and Smiths and Poundland.

One year at Hanukah, the station displayed a hanukiah.

In Wikipedia it is misleadingly captioned as a menorah, which is the seven branch candlestick used for the sabbath throughout the year. The hanukiah is used for the eight days of Hanukah, (lit on the evening before, as days start at pthe preceding day's sunset, like Xmas Eve) the festival of lights, and has an extra two candlesticks, nine in total, for the eight days and an extra one to light the others.

Edgware's busy High Street can boast of restaurants of several nationalities.  If you want to drive through or walk about, you will see a whole variety of other restaurants such as Nando's chicken, an Italian restaurant.  

Jewish Restaurants and Shops

You will also notice an assortment of Jewish interest businesses, Met Su Yan restaurant, a deli, a supermarket, my favourite smaller everybody restaurant cum deli, Jewish style B & K, a Jewish book and gift shop.

The Stanmore Side

The Aviv Restaurant and B & K are at the Stanmore end of the high street.

The landmark mock Victorian black and white gabled building was previously the Railway Hotel.  

Opposite is a fine church, St Margaret of Antioch.

The Library Side of Edgware

At the opposite end is Met Su Yan and the libary. Synagogues are nearby, plus a chance to see the orthdox Jews wearing fine hat on a Saturday. Every day you might see the ultra Orthodox Jews, every day of the week wearing the traditional huge circular black fur hats and long black coats which originated in Poland in the cold snowy winters before the days of central heating.

Stop to Eat (Alphabetically)

Aviv restaurant.

B & K for salt beef sandwiches. 

Leave room for lokshen pudding. (Noodle pudding.)  It is cut into slices like a cake. But can be eaten hot or cold. It has sultanas and lemon juice. Dee-lish! get one to take home, with an extra sandwich, and maybe some fried fish balls. You can get the sweet and sour fish balls. I marginally prefer the fried fish balls. Good value. (I just corrected a typo. I called it God value.)

Now, one another foodie attraction, a bit pricier, for special occasions, is Met Su Yan restaurant, which is kosher.

Met Su Yan

For an account of Met Su Yan's duck, and desserts with banana or chocolate, see the previous post.

Useful Websites

Edgware in Wikipedia

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

https://www.canonsparkfriends.org/a-full-history-of-canons-park.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Lawrence%27s_church,_Whitchurch

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

https://handelhendrix.org/

https://handelhendrix.org/

Restaurants and take away food

https://www.facebook.com/bksaltbeef/

http://www.metsuyan.co.uk/MesuyanEdgwareTakeaway.pdf

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1646063-d3981477-Reviews-Met_Su_Yan-Edgware_Greater_London_England.html

Travel

https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/social-media-and-email-updates/

If you get to Germany, you could visit Handel House, his birthplace, in Halle, Germany.

Handel House, Germany (German: Händel-Haus) is a cultural site in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, the author, (not related to the actress) is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Visit the homes of Shaw, Webster, Disraeli and the Rothschilds - and Remember Their Famous Sayings

The Rothschilds educated the children of the East End of London and Webster taught immigrants to read and write in the modified Americanisms we know today. You can visit the homes of Shaw in England and Webster in the USA, but first let's learn a little of their history.


Caricature of Bernard Shaw. New York Public library. Wikipedia.

Here's a caricature of Shaw by Beerbohm in The New York Public Library. In England you can visit Shaw's House. Shaw is famous for plays including Pygmalion, written in 1913, which inspired the musical My Fair Lady which included the song, Why can't the English teach their children how to speak!

The English used to teach their children how to speak. As a schoolchild in London, England, I was offered elocution lessons.

Dickens and Fagin
Dickens published a story about Fagin, based on a true character. This book echoed current antisemitism and inspired a wave of antisemitism.  You can visit Dickens House museum in the centre of London near the British Museum. Other places associated with Dickens are around England.

During Dickens' lifetime, wellwishers were appalled at the animosity directed towards both the Jews, and towards Dickens.

Dickens House Museum, 48 Doughty Street, London, England, UK

Dickens Study in Dickens House, London, England. Picture from Wikipedia.

To counteract the image of Fagin, George Eliot wrote Daniel Deronda, in which the hero married a virtuous Jewish girl whose father is a ne-er do well who causes her embarrassment.

But a book was not enough. The rich Rothschild banking family stepped in. The Rothchilds were good organizers and gave money to rebuild churches. One of them had set up The Bank of England, which later helped pay troops in the first world war..The Rothschilds stepped in to improve the English language and character and appearance of the poor East End Jews. The Rothschilds set up The Jewish Free School in London's East End. Mrs Rothchild herself went into the school and listened to the children read. The poor children were given free uniforms and the pockets were sewn up so the children could not slouch. The school had over 1,000 pupils and was the biggest school in England and Europe.

I remember puzzling over the fact that my late father and his parents lived in the Jewish East End but did not have 'East End' accents but spoke perfect English. Why? Researching back over the history of the East End in the 1880s for a yet to be published novel based on my family history, answered this question. For several years, in London's East End, you were surrounded by a thousand children, plus school leavers, who were trained to read and write and speak perfect English.
You can take walking tours of the Jewish East End, and see the outsides of several famous buildings.

Disraeli
In England you can visit several homes once built, owned or inhabited by the famous Rothschilds, friends of Queen Victoria and her favourite minister, the charismatic, witty Disraeli. (He was born in the East End, a Jew.but his whole family was converted to Christianity when he was a child. This didn't stop members of Parliament sneering at him for being a Jew, inspiring Disraeli's witty retorts. My favourite quotation from Disraeli is, When I want to read a novel, I write one. When he was dying he turned down the offer of being visited by Queen Victoria with the sentiment, "No, thank you. She will only want me to take a message to Albert." (Just in case you missed it, that was a reference to Queen Vicotria's long deceased husband.")

You can see a synagogue in the East End which Disraeli and his family attended.

Waddesdon

Waddesdon and The Rothschilds
North of London, in Hertfordshire, is Waddesdon, now a National Trust property, which was built by the Rothschilds.

Nearby are Disraeli's home, his burial place, and his statue.

(Today's Post being written. Come back for more later. Meanwhile read yesterdays post about American and British English.)

If you are stuck at home, kept in your country, not allowed entry into another, or the venue is closed, at least during Covid-19 you have time to revisit on line the places you visited previously, and to plan to visit your favourites when travel plans become easier and the homes of your favourite famous characters are opened.

If you find the place you wanted to visit has closed, you might consider joining the 'Friends of' society following the author or famous character, and joining their campaign to have the homes associated with the character re-opened to the public. If you are retired, or want work experience, you might look for a job as a volunteer.

Webster
Over in the USA, you can visit the home of Webster, who wrote the American dictionary. While properties are closed, you will have to let your fingers do the walking (slogan from Yellow pages phone directory, UK) and enjoy reading about your favourite famous people online. The good news is that Dickens House in London opens today, July 25th.

Homes and Places to Visit

UK

Dickens House Museum
London
Re-opens today July 25. You must book for timed entry to prevent overcrowding which is a safety issue for staff and visitors during covid-19.


USA
Statue of Dickens and Little Nell, Philadelphia, USA

Homes of Rothschilds
Waddesdon

Home of Shaw
Shaw Corner
National Trust property. Currently closed (July 2020). When open, appeals for volunteers.

Waddesdon
In July grounds are open but wildflowers instead of colourful flower displays. You must pre-book to avoid overcrowding. Free exhibition on Roses. House opens September. Shop open selling wines, sandwiches and gifts. You are asked to bring masks to wear in the shop and on the shuttle bus (which must also be booked). You can sign up to be sent news.

USA
Home of Webster who wrote the Dictionary which still bears his name, and the English textbooks for immigrants, children and adults learning English.


Webster Family Home, USA

Daniel Webster Birthplace, Franklin, New Hampshire, USA. Photo from Wiki.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury is the author of Wedding Speeches and Toasts (see the author profile and books on Amazon).
Angela is also the author of Quick Quotations (see lulu.com).
If you would like to comment or ask for a post on a favourite person or place, contact Angela through LinkedIn, Facebook or Toastmasters.
Angela is PR for Braddell Heights Advanced and a member of four other clubs, Singapore International Online, Tampines Changkat Advanced, Tiarel, and Harrovians (in Harrow, London, England). All are meeting online during Covid-19 and keen to welcome visitors and potential new members.

For quotations see Wikiquote

Or my book
Quick Quotations (Lulu.com)
Who Said What When (Lulu.com)

Useful Websites
https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/angela-lansbury/quick-quotations/paperback/product-1rejp7p8.html
https://waddesdon.org.uk/your-visit/
https://dickensmuseum.com/

Come back every day to read a new post.
I have many more posts on famous authors, and sites in the UK, USA, and worldwide. Also several posts on learning languages. Please read my other posts and share links to your favourite posts with your faourite colleagues, friends and members of your family.

Old and New East End of London: From Jack The Ripper To Today

You can enjoy the old and the new all over London but especially the East End, where I was entranced by stories going back to the time of my late father's grandfather, in the 1880s. That was the Victorian era of hero Disraeli and villain Jack the Ripper.

You can still see the old synagogue where Benjamin Disraeli went as a child, before his father converted the family. That conversion enabled Disraeli to take up the post of Prime Minister.

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

https://www.jack-the-ripper-tour.com/walk-description

https://www.jack-the-ripper.org/jewish-east-end.htm

Useful Websites

Brunel

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

Bakerloo Line

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakerloo_line
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/route/bakerloo/

Great Western Railway GWR

https://www.gwr.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway_(train_operating_company)

Visit London
https://www.visitlondon.com/london-app
Travel to the UK
singaporeair.com

About The Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.

When Travellers Need Impromptu Speaking: chat up to Hotel Check-in, job interview, and elevator speech

Mark Twain said it takes three weeks to write a good impromptu speech.



Plaque to Twain on Sydney Writers' Walk, Australia. Photo from Wikipedia article on Mark Twain.

 If you are short of ideas, have a quotation on travel or any subject relevant to yourself, your work or your destination. On the one hand, 't is better to travel in hope than to arrive'.

On the other hand, you can find advertising slogans and songs about many countries and destinations: New York, New York ...' -
-' maybe it's because I'm a Londoner,'
'if you can make it there, you can make it anywere,.
it's my kind of town.

As for travelling companions, Disraeli said,
'My idea of an agreeable person, is a person who agrees with me.'

'Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours.'
'Travel teaches toleration.'

Be Prepared
Whenever you go to a pre-arranged gathering, such as a conference or wedding, you might have a chance to speak. Even everyday, on a plane of train of bus, you may have a chance to speak unprepared. But whey be unrpepared when you can be prepared! Travellers need impromptu speaking.

Impromptu speaking often meanders, but it is more successful for the speaker and listener if you can establish something in common and exchange useful information.

You can start by telling where you are from or where you are going. (Not if this is a security risk.) Or ask the taxi driver, or passenger on the bus, about their immediate or long term plans.

Sales Talk
Rember that the shopkeeper who asks whre you are staying may be planning to double his prices or produce more expensive goods if you are staying in a five star hotel. That is why he is asking. Not just to be polite.

Statue of Disraeli, Parliament Square, London, England, UK.

Disraeli said that nobody is ever bored talking about themselves.

Why Speak If You Are Not Selling?
Some popeo say you are always selling something. If you are not selling an object, or a service, or being an ambassador for your country or religion, you are selling yourself.

Let's make a list of reasons for smalltalk.
1 To establish goodwill.
2 To feel at ease with strangers and crowds.

Now for more improtant messages:
3 To be succinct in an emergency.
4  When making a simple request for directions or help.
5 To have the courage to speak up. The better prepared you are, the faster you can start.

Asking For A Loan
If you went into a bank in your home city to ask for a loan you would probably rehearse what you were going to say and anticipate any objections.

You can do the same when travelling.

Transport
What do you say to the taxi driver to the airport? Can you persuade him to take a different route if you are late?

Is he a reliable source of information on rstaurants, or just promoting a place newly opened which has bought breakfast for all the local taxi drivers?

Hotels
If the hotel cannot find your booking, do you have your facts and figures ready.
I booked on such and such a date, starting this date, ending this date. I booked through this system. I used this credit card. I am booked under this name,.  Here is my letter of confimation.

Job Inteviews
If you meet the boss of the company on your way into the building to the interview can you introduce yourself in a way which will make him want to tell his personnel department to hire you.

Longhaul Travel
How to entertain your fellow passengers on the plane. How to tell them you want to watch the film without offending them?

Business Cards
Have a business card handy. I have so often chatted to somebody on a bus or train and then they jump up and say, 'This is my stop - bye!' Both of us are distrssed we have no time to exchange details.

If you are alone, you can tear a piece of A4 paper into 8 smaller pieces and write down sixteen sujects you can talk about.

If somebody ask about your family, will you bore the listener with trivia, or can you impart useful advice. For example, Do you have a method for keeping children quiet on a journey? Can you tell another family about how to get cheaper admission to a theme park?

Where also can yo practice on stage before a real live audience?

Practising Motvational Positive Topics
I went to a postgraduate students group who were attending a Toastmasters meeting. The table topics session consisted of fie speakers pulling objects out of a bag and speaking about them.

On my way to a contest on table topics (impromptu speaking) I rehearsed a series of topics with ny husband. We were travelling on a train for about half an hour.
He suggested:
What do you like about train travel?
What do you think about being late?
Do you procrastinate?
Your topic is "The Ticket".
Strangers.
Friends.
Old people.
Babies.
Lovers.
Marriage.
Noise.
Reading.
Your favourite book.
Plan ahead.
Don't miss out.

Toastmasters Clubs Worldwide
At many Toastmasters clubs visitors are invited to speak in the table topic session. Toastmasters International has groups in more than 100 countries. To find a group, look at their find a club page.
You can limit your search to a specific distance from your location, to a day of week, or type of club.

Useful Websites
australia.com
visitbritain.com
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, a Rothschild home, and National Trust, a great place to visit

Waddesdon Manor is in the news this month for sad reasons, an aircraft small plane collision nearby. Everybody in the area and London knows of Waddesdon Manor which is a National Trust Property. Who lived there? The Rothschilds.

The place is instantly recognizable from the grand fountain at the start of the direct drive (no curves) giving an uninterrupted view. I like the grander word, vision of the house. I like the word vision because one immediately gets visions, imaginary pictures, memories, or everything one associates with the house and with the Rothschilds.

If you can't afford the time and money to visit the house, as is usually the case with big museums and houses, you can still see the shop and the tea room and the grounds.

Aylesbury, Bucks. Near Tring. Disraeli lived in the same area. No coincidence. Disraeli and the Rothschilds were great pals.

I love stories about Disraeli and the Rothschilds. Some of my favourites:

Disraeli, dying, asked whether he wished to be visited by Queen Victoria, declined, saying, "She will only want me to take a message to Albert."

It is worthwhile joining the National Trust for a year if you want to visit a property every weekend or, like some American visitors, to spend a week or more visiting two properties every day. Also look for other perks when joining schemes.

I once joined a Saatchi museum scheme. Even if I didn't go back a second visit ever, it was worthwhile joining for one visit, because I got a reduction in the restaurant where four of us had lunch plus a reduction in the gift shop.

The Rothschilds were 'citizens of the world', (said by Gandhi, quoting somebody else, and me, quoting Gandhi.)
Online, you can find out about buying greeting cards, ordering potatoes, plasterwork, or even Japanese goods when you visit Japan.

Useful Websites
National Trust UK
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/join-us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waddesdon_Manor
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/waddesdon-manor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothschild_properties_in_the_Home_counties

National Trust for Scotland
https://www.nts.org.uk/Home/

Would you believe it! They have teamed up with a Japanese store:
https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/hankyu-department-stores-japan/i80

See my previous posts.
One I wrote on everything in Aylesbury:

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
See my other new blog:
http://www.luxurytravelforless.co.uk

London Statues - New Statue of Gandhi in Parliament Square, London - photographing statues worldwide

A new statue of Gandhi is in Parliament Square, London. It is nine feet tall. To photograph yourself next to it, somebody else needs to take the photo from some distance away.

I like to be photographed next to statues when travelling. If you had no other plans for a themed trip to London, you could travel around photographing statues and yourself next to statues. One of my favourites is Oscar Wilde reclining.

I also photograph statues in countries I am visiting. They tell local and national history.

You could also collect photos of statues just in London or worldwide on a theme, such as political figures, royals, religious, philanthropic, WWII, statues and monuments in cemeteries, theatres, hotels and clubs.

Political Figures
In London: Politics: Gandhi and Churchill.
In London: royals, Kings and Queens (including the memorial to Princess Diana, the gates for the Queen Mother).
Victoria & Albert: Worldwide - start in London if you are in London, including the Albert memorial and the Albert Hall in London, statues of Queen Victoria .
Religious leaders: I made a special trip to the museum in East London for Methodist Wesley and took a picture of his statue.
Theatrical: statues of actors outside theatres, often on provincial theatres, worldwide, also opera houses and concert halls show

For a school project or talk to a history society, you could photograph characters from each century, or each decade.

Museums are a good source of statues and busts. Sometimes you need permission to photograph a statue inside a museum, and you need to be there during opening hours. But those outside buildings in the UK are generally OK to photograph and you can visit them any time of day or night. With photoshop and iPhoto nowadays even a photo taken in poor light can be adjusted later.

Silhouette Statues
In late evening, if you cannot get detail, you can aim for a silhouette of the statue against a lighter sky. I once took a day trip on a ferry from England to France, part sponsored by Polaroid cameras. I won a competition for a photo with a contra-jour picture of a statue at the French port silhouetted against the white sky.

Animals
Cats, dogs, horses and animals. My favourites are; in London - Dick Whittington's Cat in Highgate. In the USA - the horse of the Civil War leader. I seem to remember a statue of a donkey or horse in Australia, at a museum about the Great War (WWI). It was either Canberra or Sydney.

Benefactors
Benefactors and campaigners who benefited human rights (Eros for Lord Shaftesbury - interesting story. George Lansbury in London's East End who worked for the seamstresses).

WWI - with the centenaries, lots of opportunities. A project for schools or local or national newspapers or blogs for Armistice Day, and the other celebrations worldwide, Anzac Day, VE Day.
You could collect pictures from the internet, such as Wikipedia, and then gradually visit them on your holidays or business trips overseas.

Long ago I bought a book on statues of London. With Lulu.com and other printers on line, you could make a book of your travel photos, featuring statues of yourself with statues. I try to take the statue alone, and another showing myself next to it. Some publications like to see the author, others prefer the statue without clutter or anything which dates the photo. Adding a person can give a humorous effect. Tall statue with tiny toddler or dog. This might look silly or disrespectful, or could be a winning humorous picture.

I like to photograph inscriptions on all four (or more) sides of a statue or monument. It helps when writing captions later. You can check the spelling of the name or a person or place, and the dates they lived or the battle they fought in. The inscription also often includes a quotation or eulogy (praise).

My favourite London statues:
Oscar Wilde.
Kissing couple on Paddington station upper level.
Brunel on London station.
Australian mapmaker on Euston station.
Florence Nightingale, outside hospital.
Sigmund Freud, near his home in London.
Karl Marx, Highgate Cemetery.
Shakespeare bust (in a church).

Churches and cathedrals are a great source of statues. Starting with Poets Corner in London, you could then do a literary trail around Britain.

My favourite memorable statues Worldwide:
1 Einstein, USA.
2 Sassoon, India.
3 Captain Cook, Australia.
4 Raffles in Raffles Hotel, Singapore.
5 Charlie Chaplin, London. (Another in Switzerland.)
6 Sherlock Holmes outside Baker Street Station, London.
7 Queen Victoria - everywhere, the latest I've seen was in Malta's capital, Valletta. Others are in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand.
8 Al Jolson, cemetery in the USA.
9 Disraeli in his area near Tring.
10 Monash, WWI leader, in Australia, with the university named after him in Melbourne. I saw an equestrian statue in a main road and a bust in the uni.

My favourite London station statues:
1 Sherlock Holmes, Baker Street
2 Brunel, Paddington Station
3 The mapmaker and cat, Euston
4 The artist, Waterloo

Most photographed in London?
Probably Eros in Piccadilly and Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.

Other world famous monuments include:
The Burghers of Calais, France.
Iwo Jima (same flag raising theme copied in a monument in Malaysia).
Chopin in Warsaw, Poland.
Lincoln in Washington DC.
Four Presidents cut into hillside in the USA.

If you want to add guitarists and guitars, and rock stars and singers, think of Elvis in the USA, John Lennon in Liverpool airport, music museums in the USA and Australasia, and halls of fame all over the USA.

I also look for quotations. My favourites are:
For your tomorrow they gave their today. (Kohima monument in Latin, variously translated on monuments worldwide. You find quotations and local characters and Greek and Roman Gods and mythological characters on all sorts of building, including friezes around the exteriors of art galleries and the exteriors and interiors of shopping malls. St George's shopping mall in Harrow, interior. Lakeside shopping Mall.

Angela Lansbury BA Hons is a travel writer, photographer and speaker.

Quotations About Travel, Is it better to travel in hope than arrive?

TRAVEL QUOTE

Some quotations from my forthcoming book on Daily quotations (based on people born on this day.

Robert Louis Stevenson

• It is better to travel hopefully than arrive. 

Disraeli

• Benjamin Disraeli, PM: Never complain; never explain. Like all travellers, I have seen more than I remembered, and remember more than I have seen.  (A quotation from my forthcoming book of quotations. For my existing book on quotations, see Lulu.com))

Tolkein

• Sept 2 1973 Death of Tolkein (born Jan 3 1892). Author of The Hobbit ; Lord of the Rings.Quotes: Little by little, one travels far.

Here are some quotations from my book Quick Quotations for writers and speakers:

Travel, Tourism

• A journey begins with a single step. (Chinese Proverb attributed to Confucius and Lao Tzu.)
• Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. (Samuel Johnson.)
• Better to travel hopefully than to arrive. (Robert L Stevenson)
• Enjoy the journey. (Babs Hoffman.)
• I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad. (George Bernard Shaw.)
• I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train. (Oscar Wilde,)
• I told a girl, 'I travel to find out how other people do things differently'. She retorted, 'I travel to find out how much people do the same, what they have in common'. (Angela Lansbury.)
• If you look like your passport picture, you're too ill to travel. (Will Kommen.)
• It is better to travel in hope than to arrive. (Robert Louis Stevenson.)
• No, I don't want you to come with me on the trek up Everest. Half way there the heel on your shoes will break. Even if you enjoy it, nobody else will. (Trevor Sharot., Consultant Statistician, to his wife.) 
• Omnibus - (Song by  Flanders & Swan.)
• Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and  
• Take only photographs. Leave only footprints.
• The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life. (George Bernard Shaw.)
• The Runaway Train - (Song.)
• The two best moments of a journey are when you set off and when you get back.
• To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. (Goethe.)
• Travel broadens the mind.
  Travelling is like gambling; it is always connected with winning and losing. (Goethe.)
  Travelling makes you appreciate your home.
• When I watch TV travel programmes I am never jealous of the presenters and I never wish that I was there, because I know that if I were there I would have blisters on my heels, mosquito bites on my arms, my luggage would be missing, my boat trip would be cancelled because of storms, and the bargain souvenir I had bought from a stall would be at half price in the local supermarket. (Angela Lansbury, travel writer.)
• Worth seeing? Yes. But not worth going to see. (Samuel Johnson.)
• Bicycle - you'd look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle made for two
• Car - You can have any colour you like so long as it’s black. (Ford.)
• Golf - a good walk spoiled. (Mark Twain, November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910.)
• Hiking - My knapsack on my back (Song.)
• Route/choice: I took the road less travelled and that has made all the difference. (Poem by Walter de la Mare, a metaphor about the advantages of acting independently.)

DESTINATION QUOTES

USA

All my exes live in Texas - that why I hang my hat in Tennessee.
Galveston, oh Galveston. (Galveston is S Texas.)
If you're going to San Francisco. (song)
New York, New York. (song)
Route 66. (song)

Chicago


UK
Blue skies over the white cliffs of Dover. (song)
He who is tired of London is tired of life. (Samuel Johnson.)
It's a long way to Piccadilly. (Song.)
Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner. (song)


.............
Songs and jokes the tourist boards don't promote
WC Fields (gravestone humour)
I'd rather be in Philadelphia.
(That was written before Philadelphia became the top tourist destination it is now, with the history museum where I saw a wonderful exhibition about Benjamin Franklin and the Jewish Museum where I saw a wonderful exhibition on a writer. 

Names In Other Countries

Names and nicknames. Every country has its own system. I've lived in the UK, the USA and Singapore.
 In Singapore in the Hash House Harriers people are given nicknames, some of which are insulting, whilst others are rude. This is traditional and dates back several years to the army.  Then the runners enjoying a paper-chase  were a leisure group to amuse the soldiers evening and weekends. It kept them fit, encouraged team-work, and kept them off the streets and out of trouble.
    I think it's time to move on. From the Americans we have learned a lot about physiology, morale and motivation. The Americans say what goes around comes around. The Indians and Asians say karma.
   The American army pioneered employee selection and job allocation, using psychological testing (Myers Briggs). These classifications are still used widely in the army and companies worldwide.  
  Given what we now know about psychology, we can use words to motivate. We need to encourage self-respect and respect for others. This prevents fights, arguments, insults, homicide and suicide.
    I am opposed to negative names. They belong to the bad old days. I like positive names.
    Naming for characteristics has been going on since biblical times. Originally people had one name.  Then sons were named after their parent, usually the father. John was called John like his father. When he was little he was simply called John's son. Later in his life, and in a later era, he would be called Johnson. In English we also have Williamson, Richardson, Timson, Wilson.
    I have been researching for my novel trilogy which starts in London's East End in the 1880s. That was at the time of when Queen Victoria ruled much of what became known as the Commonwealth or former Commonweal. Queen Victoria's favourite was The PM of England Disraeli, a man whose family converted to Christianity - necessary to be in government, but was of Jewish ancestry, of Italian-Mediterranean origin.  I started researching names, discovering that Jewish names followed two distinct groups. Disraeli was from the Sephardi or Spanish and Portuguese origin. His friends the Rothschild bankers were Ahskenazis, or North Europeans, whose names reflected their language, German mixed with Hebrew (Yiddish) and Russian names.
   From the time of Cromwell and the Quakers, and the Baptists, the Christians had taken 'Christian' names for Baptism and Confirmation, from the bible. They chose Old Testament names, New Testament names (Mathew, Mark Luke and John). Virtuous sounding names were popular, such as Faith, Hope and Charity.
   Governments needed names for a census to count the home population and those in countries they conquered. The armies needed family names to identify recruits and call up.

   In the UK public schools called boys by surnames, or Master (surname). Adults were Mister (surname).
   In the UK we have public schools which are fee-paying. Originally church schools were private and the first fee paying schools were known as public school. In the USA a school where pupils pay is called a public school. A free school paid for out of taxes is called a state school.
  If you name too many people, even two is too many, with the same name you need to add another name.
   The 'calculating' Chinese, always good with money, named their children by order of birth, number one son, and so on.
   Nowadays when texting we need to shorten time spent typing so we go back to one name. Another benefit of a nickname is that it gives anonymity where we are hiding our identity from hackers and ID theft on the internet.  
   A culture with a positive attitude names everybody with good qualities or qualities you wish them to have, such Hope, Charity, Good, Great, Honest. A nickname which is alliterative is easy to remember. One with a positive meaning attracts a smile and a happy outlook.
   That is why I call myself Angella, the Angel. I introduce myself to foreigners and strangers as Angela - like an angel. I like to think I am both angelic, cute and full of goodwill.
   The old meaning of angel was messenger. I am journalist and teacher, bringing knowledge, skills, and useful information and positive thinking and encouragement.
Angela Lansbury
Author of Quick Quotations. Speech writer. Speech Trainer. Immediate Past President Harrovian Speakers' Club, London, England. English tutor. Adult EFL worldwide on Skype. O and A level tutoring. (See books on Lulu.com. Also YouTube videos on speeches and English grammar. LinkedIn. Facebook.)

Highly Recommended High Wycombe Museum

Free attraction. High Wycombe used to be a centre for wooden furniture. As a newlywed I went there to buy an extending round dining table. Driving back to High Wycombe, I expected 'High' Wycombe to be high, on a hilltop, but although you drive uphill, it is in a hollow with steep, wooded green slopes all around.
The museum has a delightful display of carved wooden chairs, my favourite novelty being the reversible garden chair (my photo below) which you can turn upside down. Why? If your chair's wet from rain or a pigeon used it first. Chairs, like the other displays, appeal to all ages. The low kiddie commode chair is near the teacher's high chair. The tall teacher's chair reminded me of high chairs at swimming pools and tennis matches.
I loved the video showing how chair legs were turned with a foot-operated string, like a treadle sewing machine.
Plenty for children to do and touch. Novelty toys to buy included small marionettes and tiny turning monkeys.
I was pleased to see the museum at the 2013 location, a peaceful old house with a lawn. Steep stairs mean the upstairs galleries are not accessible to some visitors so the council plans to move the whole caboodle to their more modern central location.
The old kitchen is another joy with useful explanations of how the servant bell panels worked. My late parents had one of those in Edgware. Loved the explanation of how electricity changed the domestic house. No wonder all the men had beards before electricity.
Useful timelines tied in with displays. I learned that both Disraeli and Churchill gave speeches in High Wycombe.