Atria Watford Shopping Centre and Watford Museum

 

Watford Atria, January 2023, photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright.

Atria shopping centre Watford is a major attraction in Hertfordshire, started as Harlequin, became Intu and is now named Atria. The car park has parent and child spaces and changing areas for babies in the toilets.

The once open air area is now roofed in and revamped.

Whilst in Watford, visit the Watford Museum, which is owned by the council. The history of Watford is entertaining. Singer Marie Lloyd in 1915 performed at the Palace Theatre in Watofrd. I was impressed that a singer used to travel between central London and Watford twice in the evening, to perform the first and last songs at one venue in central London and the songs either side of the interval in Watford. Her song to the Boy In The Gallery (The boy that I love is up in the gallery) was written to be sung as if to a singer's boyfriend (who in real life later became her husband). 

I have previous posts on the Watford shopping centre, Xmas lights from earlier years, and the Watford museum.

Useful Websites

https://www.watfordmuseum.org.uk/

https://atriawatford.com/centre-info

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.

The Rear of The Rhea Was Here - where can you see it now?

Photo of Rhea by Michael Palmer in Wikipedia.


The Rear Of The Rhea Is Here
by Angela Lansbury

What is a rhea?
First I must say
It's oddly spelled
R H E A

The rhea, like its name, is absurd
Because it's a large, but flightless bird
Some people won't hear one bad word,
Ok, let's say, delightful bird

At first, when that big bird was found
They called it rhea, that's Greek for ground
South America's rhea is taller
Thank God, our Darwin rhea, here, is smaller

Most people here have no idea
About the truth, about the rhea
Except of course, for me and you
Like emus, we've no work to do

We look up facts, so we are clear
In case we ever must confront
Bravely, without a tear, nor fear
That dear, but very dangerous rhea

Thousands write to support its cause
It doesn't have big teeth, lion's jaws
But don't shake hands, evade its paws!
It catches, clasps, kills - with long claws!

On good days it just eats long grass
So if you're bothered by too much grass
No time at down to mow the lawn
Just let your rhea march, munching, past

One lady thought it would be fun
To own a rhea, just start with one
It's lonely, so then you get two
But what d'you think two rheas do!

A year goes past, while drinking tea,
You look up, gasp, "Hey - I see three!"
They breed and breed, you've soon got four
Let's split them up. please shut that door

'We've not got room, what shall we do?
I'm sure they'd like some at the zoo
So take a picture. Shut that gate!'
'Sorry, one's gone - I was too late!'

Cute in National Geographic
Not fun, running round in traffic!
It's run, done something in the field
I hope that helps the farmer's yield

It's not good news, not a good day
It's dangerous - on a motorway!
They're lost, they're breeding, two, four, five
The good news is that they'll survive

It's like an ostrich, and will eat
All kinds of plants, but sometimes meat
Rodent, reptile. It's friends with deer
Stands calm by cows, if herds are near

An 'emu' was glimpsed far from home
Caught on camera, then mobile phone
Escaped rheas at first sound fun
Delays, expense, police - with guns

Although, from far, a rhea's cute
Shyly running, in its feather suit
Now it's escaped, they'll prosecute
Stop car crashes. Game keepers shoot

We should know more, we all agree
To talk this over, over tea
I'll go off to scan the media
Please read more in Wikipedia

Because there's lots more I could say
But we've not enough time today
Let's go out looking, all of us here
Before laws ban them and they disappear

Learn more about the backward rhea
See which facts we can muster
The prime use of its feathers
Is to make a feather duster

If you fly to Argentina
You'll find the rhea is no stranger
You see it on centavo coins
There they're not rare, nor endangered

Gouchos would trip up rheas with ropes
Eat eggs and meat, make leather cloaks.
Farmers are angry, rheas eat crops
Not bad, they're good! Here shooting's stopped!

If soon, the world's rheas disappear
Don't drown sorrow in tea or beer
Come to England, amigos, Hertfordshire
You'll see two rhea rears running here!
-ends-

copyright Angela Lansbury.
Inspired by controversy caused by escaped rheas by the English motorway, pursued by gunmen, eventually recaptured, or returned for lunch, instead of ending up as dinner.
Please share links to this post.
For the story about the escaped rheas causing trouble to motorway traffic, see
UK Escapes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/27050298
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/what-s-going-on-rhea-yorkshire-police-find-an-emu-on-patrol-1-9014419
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-warning-over-aggressive-escaped-rhea-bird-on-the-loose-in-nottinghamshire-10345553.html

Escapes in Germany
http://www.10000birds.com/greater-rheas-germanys-new-big-bird.htm

For info on rheas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhea_(bird)_

ENGLAND, UK
To see rheas go to Woburn Safari Park, England.
woburnsafari.co.uk
http://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/discover/meet-the-animals/birds/greater-rhea/

SCOTLAND
http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals-and-attractions/animals/darwins-rhea/

https://www.visitscotland.com

NORTHERN IRELAND
http://www.belfastzoo.co.uk/animals/darwins-rhea.aspx

vistibritainshop.com

CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA
Or Parc Nacional Pali Aike, Chile
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g2615237-d2461967-r346309803-Parque_Nacional_Pali_Aike-Magallanes_Region.html
https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport
http://www.visitchile.com/en/

ARGENTINA, SOUTH AMERICA
https://www.audleytravel.com/argentina
https://wikitravel.org/en/Argentina

David Lloyd Club Hatfield Herts

David Lloyd has branches all over the UK. If you want to join the club or pay a visit with a view to joining, phone them first because the buildings has barriers. You have to go through a turnstile to get to the cafeteria. You might be invited to the club as a member's guest, or to a meeting held in one of the function rooms.

Car park
I visited the club for a meeting of Toastmasters International, a Hertfordshire branch.
We parked in a large open air car park. No trouble finding a space.

We saw two similar colour cars parked alongside. One of my friends said, "I see two cars of similar colour parked alongside. My friend said that often happens. I wonder why that is?"

Another friend suggested, "They like to be together."

I don't think it's true.

"You park where there's a space. One large enough."

I park away from others, between two empty spaces, so I can get out easily without damaging my car or anybody else's. I hope the space will stay free. I have been known to photograph my car in a large car park so that I can find it again.

The Shop
The large sports shop stocked swim and gym wear. Some high priced items, others were on sale at reduced prices. I could have bought leggings in various patterns and styles, plain or with patterns or embellishments (like thick tights without feet or short stretchy skinny trousers) in various colours, lowest price about £20. I needed a pair to wear under an ankle length skirt on a cold October day, but decided a pair of tights would be cheaper.

Gym Sizes and Membership Prices
Gym membership comes in assorted prices. Several gyms in London have regular offers in their windows or in local newspapers of reduced price memberships at certain times of year or to attract a second member of your family to join.

Work Perk
You can also get corporate memberships. Some businesses offer gym membership as a perk to attract or keep staff. Others like to keep staff happy, or healthy. Or a small business might want to get a reduced price for the boss and family, and offset the membership off tax.

Some gyms allow you to work out at a second gym in their group, or another local gym. This is handy if you work in one area but live in another. You might want to beat the traffic and go to work early, or you need to work late.

Other gyms allow you to use any of their gyms worldwide, which is good for those who are constantly travelling. With some gyms this is a permanent feature, others have a two tier membership, lower price for membership of your local gym, higher price for membership of a group of gyms. belonging to gyms in a group means that if one facility is out of use for renovations or maintenance, you can use a different gym. They might also have different hours, for example at evenings or weekends or over the Easter and Christmas holidays.

Visitors
Soem gyms are exclusively for members. Others run classes which are open to outsiders. Some allow members to bring in guests. If you attend only intermittently, you might go to classes at a gym and pay the visitor rate.

Fees for guests vary enormously. Once club might let you bring in a visitor for just £5. Others, such as one in Hong Kong which had reciprocal membership of a club I belonged to in Singapore, was charging £50 for a day visit and use of the swimming pool. In some you need to be a guest of a member. Other clubs let anybody attend. But you often have to show photo ID such as a passport.

I imagine this is for all kinds of security, but because people using gyms and swimming pools are leaving clothes and valuables in lockers or lying around, mainly to prevent theft, such as credit cards and clothes from changing rooms, more than gym property. From conversations I have had with gym staff, including trainers, visitors find it is a nuisance to have to produce ID. But this is for the protection of everybody, staff, members and visitors.

Visitors to gyms and club swimming pools can often attend classes, or swim, by paying a fee. If I were a regular visitor I would check on ebay whilst sitting in the cafeteria, or car park, and then look at the shop again. It is nice to be able to see goods in your hand and choose the size and colour and thickness and quality, especially if you are in the mood to buy or need new or replacement gear for a lesson or workout session. Also to buy instantly.

I have often been two to gyms in North West London, one in Northwood where my family used to be a member, and another in Harrow, Fitz Gym, which has no shop, although it is behind a shopping mall containing a Sports shop and a Marks and Spencers. It is nice to have a gym on site. You can go shopping whilst waiting for others.

The Food
The cafeteria is spacious and elegant. I was pleasantly surprised. It overlooks a sports area. The tables are large. They suit a small group of four who can gather at one end, or a large group.

On a Sunday lunch time there was a short queue. A cabinet sold yogurt, and some children size portions. The main menu offered baked potatoes with fillings. One of my friends ordered large thick sandwiches with salad including small tomatoes. Another person had a main meal, I think it was fish, with chips and a slice of lemon on the side. We sat down to wait and their hot food came up in about ten minutes.

I found a children's size meal of two hard boiled eggs. That seemed to me a healthy option, right for my diet, with no sauces. The charge was a very reasonable price of £1.25.

The cappuccino came up in huge cups. The top layer was froth. Oner person uncovered the froth and found the cup was only two thirds filled with liquid. However, the cup was so large that the cupful was a generous sized portion and she soon agreed with us that she had plenty.

The light bulb had blown in the lobby of the room where we were meeting so we were trying to sign in in an indoor area in semi-darkness. A member of staff suggested that we moved to another table under a light by another wall. This worked. But I thought we should have had the light fixed during the five hour meting, or beforehand.

We had the use of an adjoining room by an empty bar for the contestants who had to leave the room and be called in. That room seemed rather cold when I arrived and the room was empty. But maybe the warmth of the people changed things because later when the group gathered it was fine.

The jugs of water ran out and we had to ask staff to re-fill them. A couple of members of staff were around to look after our group.

David Lloyd Club,
Hatfield Business Park,
Hatfield
Herts AL10 9AX
Tel
Website

Auberge Du Lac restaurant with wonderful summer views of Brocket Hall

Summertime is the best time to visit Auberge Du Lac restaurant because you can enjoy pre-dinner drinks and photos by the lakeside.

 I had a great time, much better than last time. I had previously visited the restaurant in winter, when we sat gazing out through the darkness at lights across the water. The food had been excellent, though service was slow, as many reviewers had remarked on TripAdvisor.

History
Before my return visit, celebrating a family birthday, I looked at their website, which added several pluses and minuses. I was very interested to learn that Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire is near Hatfield House and Knebworth all of which have an illustrious history, starting with Queen Elizabeth I.

 Henry VIII's daughter, Elizabeth, whose mother Anne Boleyn had been executed by Henry VIII, was sitting under a tree, at the age of 25, when she was told that she had become Queen of England, succeeding her rival older sister, Mary, who died aged 42. 'Bloody' Mary, daughter of Henry VIII's first wife, a staunch Catholic, and so was Mary. (Mary's name was given to the tomato red alcoholic drink gave her name to the drink - because she killed many Protestants).

Also at Brocket hall were two Prime Ministers, Palmerston who lived here many years, plus visitor Margaret Thatcher. Alas you see none of the grandeur of this historic house, when you arrive and eat at the restaurant. However, the grounds, in summer by daylight, are impressive. You can find full details in Wikipedia as well as the websites of the properties.

Decor
The second dining room has an arched alcove big enough for a long table, but in summer it is good to be in the bigger dining room with the view.

Scenery
I had read on the website that the estate was recently put into administration. (For update and details see their website.)  We drove around, shaking our heads in wonderment at what it must cost, just to mow the lawns, at such a magnificent vast estate.

Several buildings are scattered around the lake.  We accidentally drove in the wrong entrance and arrived at the hilltop hall, which is hired out to groups. We were redirected to the Auberge to Lake, on the lake below.

The lake has swans, plus assorted birds, on the water as well as in the trees. You could sit by the water, drinking a bloody Mary, but, after taking several photo,s one of us claimed to be attacked by midges so we went inside.

Welcome
The sommelier was a charming French lady who asked whether I preferred my kir royale sweet or dry. Because I chose sweet she added more cassis, making the drink a darker red colour.
It was disappointing not to have freshly squeezed juice in a restaurant of this quality.

The meal started well with surprise starter resembling samosas. Two styles of bread, a bit chewy, with butter. So far so good.

Starter

Main course

Desserts were the high point. Lovely chocolate dessert.

Photos by Angela Lansbury.

Happy Birthday

Coffee and chocolates.

Auberge Du Lac restaurant,
Brocket Hall,
Welwyn
Hertfordshire
AL8 7XG
Tel:01707 368 700.
www.brocket-hall.co.uk
aubergedulac.co.uk

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker.