St Patrick's Day - Irish sites and celebrations worldwide

 St Patrick's Day is an annual celebration of all things Irish. St Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th, treated as the nniversary of the day of his death, the end of his life converting the Pagan Irish to Christianity. But he is also credited with removing the snakes from Irelandd, but there were no records of any snakes before his arrival. 

If you are a devotee of St Patrick or Irish religion and culture and travel and tourism, consider a trip to the capital of Eire, Dublin, where you can visit St Patrick's cathedral. Other places are associated with St Patrick.

For writers, several places are memorable. Famous Irish authors. The Blarney stone. Limerick.

Visiting Limerick - what to see

Limerick is on the coast, on the river, and dominated by the massive castle walls and twin towers of St John's Castle.

Expect celebrations near and far in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and all over the UK. In pubs such as Wetherspoons, green hats to be bought or given to patrons.

Customers wear green clothes and items with Irish words and jokes.

London

Trafalgar Square in the centre of London has music, dancing, and food to buy.

You can buy Irish items from supermarkets and party shops.

St Patrick's Day hats on Amazon.

Expect celebrations in pubs and major cities in the UK, USA, Australia and Singapore. Check your local newspapers, TV stations, the internet and YouTube and Wikipedia. In previous years cities in the USA have sold green drinks and Chicago even turned the river green. Expect worldwide jollity, and people singing in public and on public transport in London in the evening.

If you are entertaining, you can download suitable green borders and symbols for invitations and menus.

You can look for the tunes and words of popular Irish songs to play as background music at the start o meetings and meals and celebrations.

Travel

For travellers, in addition to celebrations on the day, visits of interest include 

1 churches associated with St Patrick, and 

2 Guinness tours in Dublin, Eire, and London, England. 

In Northern Ireland you can visit sites connected with the Game of Thrones. Must see, major museum, Titanic Belfast. 

Celebrate St Patrick's Day 

by Angela Lansbury

St Patrick's Day the Colour green

Is on the pubs in every scene

The brightest green you've every seen

In drinks, on chairs, balloons and hair

The colours green, orange and white

Are sure to bring all great delight

Drinking by day, singing by night

And smiling all night til daylight

In some cities you see parades

New Yorker smile and wave all day

Singapore - hats given away

At pubs which wanted all to stay

Chicago turns its river green

And green drinks make the weirdest scheme

Different things in different places

Green on spectacles and faces

Ireland has a lucky shamrock day

Montserrat has a holiday

Each country celebrates its way

With bagpipes, harps, or dance all day

I see that opportunity knocks

Although I do not dye my locks

That would give all my friends a shock

I'll wear green ties, or frocks and socks

Afterward I'll store them away

And send emails in which I say

My box of Irish goods will stay

Locked in box rooms til Patrick's Day.

Green four leaf clover sandals. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

You can learn or refresh Irish Gaelic on Duolingo and other online language courses. The Duolingo starter lesson, which is free, teaches you to say, hear and recognise, and read the words, tea, coffee, sugar, and, please.

Language

Bilingual Irish and English sign in Wikipedia article on language. Photo by Darren J Prior

Useful websites on St Patrick's Day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Great_Day_for_the_Irish

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

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

https://opengatelondon.guinness.com/en/tours

https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/events/home-of-st-patrick-festival/

Details of Northern Ireland, St Patrick's grave, and visitor centre, Giants' Causeway, Spring Equinox walks on Saturday March 21st

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland?

https://www.titanicbelfast.com/

https://visitbelfast.com/blog/post/glass-of-thrones-trail-map/

Irish Language

duolingo.com

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Irish_phrasebook

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

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lingui-Sticks-Language-Learning-Stickers-Educational/

-ends-

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The Rothschild's Waddesdon House, garden, Elephants and National Trust Shops

 I was agreeably surprised to learn that you can visit Waddesdon house and gardens. You have to buy timed tickets. If you are a member of the national trust you can visit for free at the allocated time.

I looked online. They have the wooden elephants on display in the gardens. 

A friend of mine is visiting tomorrow Wed 18 August and will report back and send us some photos.

The set tea at 25 pounds was a price which made my family gasp. We used to get a Michelin lunch in London for that price.

Useful Website

https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/

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.

Free attractions in Wales and Iceland

CONSIDER ICELAND. WHY?

Problem
Iceland is a long way from the UK, but nearer than many places, with seasonal offers.

How much will my holiday cost after I add in the price of visiting attractions?

Reykjavík Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in Iceland and if you have three or four children, you will be pleased to learn that entrance is free for children under 18.

USA
In the USA you have to pay an entry fee for many of the large national parks when you drive in.


Worldwide major attractions cost money. Disney in the USA is expensive.

Cambodia
So are the temples in Cambodia. You want to see Ankor Wat? You have to buy a day pass. It's not the only temple. There are dozens.

What is free?

1 Before you travel, you could check out free attractions.

England's National Trust
National Trust
If you join the National Trust, your annual membership fee will include entry to many properties. Check whether car parks and exhibitions are extra.

Scotland's National trust
The National Trust for Scotland is separate. You might wish to join that instead of in addition.

Some UK National Trust properties have gardens which are free for visitors and you pay for car parking and / or entering the house. The shop and cafe have entrances from outside which are free.

Some places have free picnic areas. Check in advance.

Take your own selfies and photos outdoors. Avoid places which charge you for indoor photography.

Wales
In Wales, for example, the main museum in Cardiff is free. (Castles and stately homes make a charge.)

Iceland
In Iceland many of the outdoor attractions - scenery, are free to visit.
However, a guided tour or walking tour will make a charge for its services.

Worldwide
In many cities the guided tour or walking tour or hop on bus has several stops at attractions you must pay to visit. Check in advance which ones are free to enter so that you get off at the best stops.

All Inclusive Holidays
To avoid arguments with family over money, you may prefer resorts where all attractions are 'free', or rather, included in the price.

Some famous examples are:

Economy Holidays
Butlins and Pontins were famous all inclusive holiday resorts for families after WWII. Check out various waterpark holidays for the deals to see which entertainment is included and what is extra.
Some campsites have free playgrounds.

Most public free parks in cities and suburbs have free playgrounds for children, sometimes from sandpits, lakes where you can watch boating and see fish and geese and swans, and free outdoor gym equipment for adults.
Free books are available at some guest houses and railway stations. You are sometimes supposed to return the book when you have finished, leave another instead, or leave a donation for charity.

Mid To High Price All-Inclusive Holidays
Club Med.
Sandals.
Seabourn cruises (drinks and food included).
Other Cruises: On many cruises most of the entertainment and sports are free. Sometimes library books and videos are also free.

Useful Websites
https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/about-us/icelandic-tourist-board
http://www.visitwales.com/
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/days-out/regionwales/wales
https://www.clubmed.com.sg/ (When  I logged on from Singapore I got a website designed with my location in mind, and offers for year end deals up to April.)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

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

Ice Skating, Skiing Indoors or Out Worldwide and What To Eat Afterwards

Wembley Arch, lit against the evening sky, scene from the Metropolitan line train between Baker Street and Wembley. November 2017. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

What to do for Christmas Season?

Ice Skating and Skiing In England And Worldwide
Activities for adults and children over Christmas in London and many other cities will be outdoor ice skating, plus all the museums and stately homes run by the National Trust for England and Scotland all decked out.

In Hemel Hempsted you can go ice skating and ski with Santa and his little helpers.

Or go to the indoor ski slope. Must book for timed sessions. All time to collect your clothes and hired items and passes in advance.

Hemel indoor artificial ski slope. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I was going to say in warm countries, but Singapore and Dubai have indoor artificial ice activities.

If you are thinking ahead to Easter ski trips, England has an artificial indoor ski slope. Even if you are an experienced skier, good to practise.

1 See the city lights in London

London - Oxford Street and Regent Street lights and shop window displays.

Plus many suburban streets, with Christmas trees in shop windows.

Many other capital cities in Europe.

White chocolate snowman in Waitrose, 2017. £5. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

2 Christmas goodies and signs in supermarkets and department stores

3 Santa Claus grottoes in department stores and malls

4 Shopping Mall lights

Major UK malls include London's Watford Intu

This iced fruit bar says best before January. If you can keep it that long.

Waitrose Christmas tree cake, 2017.  Photo by Angela Lansbury. The round white iced cake with free tree cake costs £10; the cake with three pieces of green holly is cheaper, £6. The plain white iced bar costs £3.50.

Lights in trees and across the street. Christmas lights 2016. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Christmas lights 2016. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Christmas street lights, with underground station entrance sign, central London, 2016, photo by Trevor Sharot.

Christmas lights and illuminated church spire near Oxford Circus, 2016. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

5 Outdoor Ice Skating rinks set up

6 Indoor Ice Sking rinks - (Queensway, London) - must book

7 Christmas Pantomimes in London

8 Indoor Ski slopes - UK Hemel

Useful Websites:
Indoor Skating in London, England
http://www.queens.london/?gclid=CjwKCAiAxarQBRAmEiwA6YcGKL18uV3zztPPS3FuLIJvnsnn-n7rbbKQJSMwPunwWnODV_yl9SUZJRoCXicQAvD_BwE

Indoor Ice Skating in Hemel Hempstead, England
http://www.planet-ice.co.uk/arena/Hemel_Hempstead

Indoor Skiing Hemel Hempstead, England
https://www.thesnowcentre.com

Author

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

David Bowie worldwide, statue, Aylesbury, Alpacas, Rothschilds and Raould Dahl

Photo of Statue of Civil War hero Hamden in Aylesbury, near where Bowie's statue will be installed..
Attribution: KingDaveRa at English Wikipedia

Problem
How to do something new?

Answer
See sites worldwide connected with David Bowie, or  sites in Aylesbury England where David Bowie will be placed. A new statue of David Bowie will be put in place in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in September, or if it has to be placed elsewhere temporarily, by March next year, 2018. It will play one of his songs every hour!

AYLESBURY
If you want to visit Aylesbury, where Bowie performed, there's plenty to do.

1 Waddesdon Manor. National Trust. Rothschild Home. See National Trust and wiki.
2 Roald Dahl Children's Gallery. Great visit (fee) and shop.
3 Claydon House. National Trust. (Pay extra to visit the gardens which oddly are under separate ownership.
4 Abbots View Alpaca Farm. Walk with Alpacas, see animals such as horses, goats, pigs and sheep and have tea.
5 Chiltern Brewery.
6 The Bucks Goat Centre.
7 Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.
8 The statue of Hamden.
See TripAdvisor.

Also note the statue  of H a m p d e n in the Market Square, where Bowie's statue will be placed. I must admit i'd never heard of him and thought he was probably some purely local hero. However, when I looked him up in Wikipedia I found he was important in the civil war and in promoting civil liberty. He is remembered when the door of Parliament is symbolically slammed to recall preventing royalty from closing down Parliament. His name is also commemorated in several schools and buildings around Aylesbury and the UK and even in the USA. (Bowie outfits are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, 
See Wikipedia.

BOWIE
1 Forthcoming statue, Aylesbury.
2 Bowie's outfits in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, USA.
2 Bowie's guitar in Hard Rock cafe, Poland.


Tips
BOWIE
Discussion of the statue:
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/revealed-here-s-what-aylesbury-david-bowie-statue-will-look-like-first-look-at-the-sculptor-s-maquette
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/why-aylesbury-what-are-david-bowie-s-links-to-the-town-1-7648830
Discussion of and pictures of maquette of the statue:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-39951537
David Bowie Official Website, which sells items connected with David Bowie:
http://davidbowie.com/
www.rockhall.com Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Bowie outfits.

AYLESBURY
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186222-Activities-Aylesbury_Aylesbury_Vale_Buckinghamshire_England.html

HAMPDEN
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hampden

DALH

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.
Another museum on Dahl with a good shop is in Great Missenden.

www.roalddahlmuseum.org
I have written several other posts on statues.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share posts.

Lawnmower Museum in Southport - Something Completely Different

Problem
Where to go which will surprise the family - not like anything they've seen before?

Answer
The British Lawnmower Museum, in the north of England. It was started by an ex racing car driver with an interest in a family firm which repaired and still repairs lawnmowers, the company dating back to 1945. You might wonder who would be interested in lawn-mowers. However, gardening is one of the top interests in the UK (along with cooking, clothes and fishing and cars).

The museum also features lawnmowers of the famous, including Prince Charles and Diana.

Four fast facts:
1 Lawnmowers were patented by the inventor in 1830.
2 You can get spare parts for vintage machines.
3 You can hire an old lawn mower for a film (movie).
4 The shop sells: t-shirts; mugs; key-rings (one with a garden fork, another with a mini chainsaw, about £4.16 plus VAT); birthday cards; lawnmower magnets 42p excluding VAT; and a pre-paid ticket to the museum £3.33 exc VAT.

VAT
(I always wondered why some shops don't include VAT. It's something to do with the VAT man requiring VAT to be listed separately for tax purposes when an item is sold business to business and the VAT man wants to see what he is getting and from whom.

Tips
1 Check out your own brand of lawnmower before visiting. That will give you more interest in similar and fore-runner machines or the brand.
2 Check if your lawn mower is working or needs any spare parts.

http://lawnmowerworld.co.uk
106-114 Shakespeare Street
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 5AJ
Great Britain

Tel: +44 (0)1704 501336
E-Mail: info@lawnmowerworld.com

Sister Sites
www.lockandkeyworld.co.uk
www.carkeyworld.co.uk

Museum Open Times
9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
(Monday - Saturday)

Southport
Southport is a popular seaside resort, at least to people in that area of England, with Pleasure land and a miniature railway and model village. If you are in or near Southport and not blessed with a sunny day suiting sunbathing and sea and sand and water spouts and water sports and outdoor funfairs, The Lawnmower Museum would be a good place to go.
https://www.visitsouthport.com/things-to-do

Southport is north of London, but going south there's Poseidon Lacey, a National Trust Property. You can see half a dozen lawnmowers from Poseidon Lacey and more at other National Trust locations by looking at their website of collections and typing in the word lawnmower.
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/results?SearchTerms=LAWNMOWER&Page=1

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share my posts.

Benjamin Franklin House in London

In Philadelphia, USA, I visited an exhibition on Benjamin Franklin who invented the lighting conductor and bifocals. He is the man I quote continually.

His face is familiar. Why? probably because you see him on American dollar notes. He was the founding father of the United States of America and lived in London from 1757 to 1775.

In London you can visit the Benjamin Franklin House. If you are planning a visit, or if you are not planning a visit anywhere except the internet, look at the website and watch a brief video about Benjamin's scientific studies on subjects such as The Gulf Stream.

I was reminded about the Benjamin Franklin House by a leaflet Around London, a little map of Inspiration, a free map from the National Trust, which lists 29 attractions in London.
ww.nationaltrust.org.uk
National Trust membership call 0344 800 1895

Benjamin Franklin House
Tel 020 7925 1405
Nearest station Charing Cross and Embankment
www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org

Your safety and the Lawrence Of Arabia trail in England -Lawrence week May 11-17 2015

Lawrence of Arabia Trail

Clouds Hill
Visit Clouds Hill, home of Lawrence. I visited years ago and wrote an article for a magazine called Arab in Britain. At the house I was impressed by the way Lawrence had a dining chair with arms under a skylight, with a tray across the arms on which he could read or write.

More recently, I was impressed by the fact that Lawrence was responsible for improving airline safety. According to a biography of Lawrence, he witnessed an airliner crashing and guessed that the commander riding passenger in the plane had instructed the pilot to make an unsafe move. Lawrence changed the rules which still apply, that the pilot's decision is final.

Ironically, Lawrence paid little regard for the safety of himself whilst riding his motorcycle around English road. An article in Motor Cycle News Wednesday April 29 2015 alerted me to the Lawrence week.

Clouds Hill is now a museum operated by the National Trust.
National Trust Lawrence week May 11-17 2015, marks the 80th anniversary of Lawrence's death.

nationaltrust/cloudshill
TE Lawrence Society
telsociety.org.uk

Moreton Tearooms
wwwmoretontearooms.co.uk

Film
Lawrence of Arabia starring Peter O'Toole (who died in 2013).

Booklist
Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T E Lawrence.
Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson.
Thunder on the Rocker Road by Steve Wilson to be published October 2015.

You can see more about Clouds Hill on TripAdvisor, Youtube and Wikipedia.

Angela Lansbury B A Hons is a travel writer, photojournalist and speaker.

Kosher French Wine - label translation, tasting and purchase at Hedonism Shop near Berkeley Square

"I can resist everything except temptation." Hedonism Wines quotes Oscar Wilde on their kosher Tasting notes. Who could resist the chance to taste Kosher wine?

Our group of tasters was a mixture, from the young, slim and eager to taste and talk, happy to get merry and risk getting drunk, to the mature, well-fed and silently suspicious who spat into the spittoon, determined to drive home sober. One taster demanded jovially, "Why no crackers and cheese! ("Maybe one day. But it must be matzoh," I muttered.)

Knowledge of wine varied, including someone in the business as consultant to suppliers, someone sitting WSET level 3 (Wine and spirit educational trust), and someone not yet at WSET level 1, and a couple of glamorous young Americans who drink only kosher wine, and somebody who admitted he knew nothing and asked all the questions nobody else even thought of asking.

Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wines

I presume kosher wine is made and drunk in Israel. I've seen it in London, the UK. Where else? The USA. And Canada.

I must admit that before I went to a kosher wine tasting at Hedonism's grand two storey shop - the size of small department store with a grand staircase, my knowledge of kosher wines was limited. I wanted to know if kosher wines taste different, how are they made, where can you buy them, and what do the labels tell you, and are they more expensive.

As we sat looking at the labels of the bottles I knew that the French word chateau meant castle or manor in French, and French winemakers' rules say that if you show a chateau on a label it must be the place where the wine comes from.

But what was the word starting with m - meshuval? In my mind it evokes the word meshuggah - mad - nothing to do with sugar. No, not Sh-V  - it's M-V-SH mevushal. Why would a bottle proudly claim not mevushal? It is to do with heat treating (like pasteurising) which might sterilise but could spoil the flavour. Heat treatment can be reduced to a quick zap.

Yes, I've had kosher wines at bar mitzvah's and weddings and bought them to take to orthodox friends - those kosher for Pesach wines are handy if you are ever invited to a Seder night to celebrate Passover. But I must confess my knowledge of everyday or every Friday night or festival wine was limited to the Palwin's and Kedem wines sold in the delicatessens and kosher sections in Tesco Express. My knowledge of expensive such as French kosher wine was limited to the French Rothschild wines with labels showing Picasso and Salvador Dali and other great artists. I recently bought a poster of the wine labels from the Waddesdon (now National Trust) shop at the English ancestral home of the Rothschilds north of London.
 
So it was a delight to be at a free wine tasting in central London and have the mysteries of kosher wine explained by Frenchman Jonathan. He spoke English with a delightfully amusing French accent, a Gallic grin and exuberant gestures as he showed us bottles of French kosher wine and explained their labels.

Wines go back to biblical times and beyond. I can identify a bunch of grapes and I can spot the word Kosher written in Hebrew - C-Sh-R, written left to right. The C is backwards. The letter R is also backwards - it looks like a small case R in Greek and Russian and the sign for Toys R us and in Hebrew. Also I'm sure as in the root language Aramaic (spoken by the High Priest at the temple, by Jesus, a Roman of two thousand years ago and his translator) as well as its two derivatives/links Arabic and Hebrew.

Passover is another word I've learned to recognise, even though I keep re-learning and re-forgetting Hebrew (and Russian and Greek) every year. The word passover appears in Hebrew and is translated somewhere nearby on the label in English and if you are catering for a wedding or have time on your hands and like languages there's always Google Translate for French and Hebrew.

How do you start to produce a kosher wine? If you are in Israel it must be easy. But what about a country such as France? Can anybody do it? Do you need to own a vineyard?

The good news is no, you can take an existing mass market or prestige vineyard and ask them to start producing kosher wine. Even if you are a rich entrepreneur who already owns vineyards, such as a Rothschild or even a earthy or well-connected and determined individual who has in mind big sales of the wine you can go to an existing producer of good wines and ask if they are willing to produce kosher wines. Where will you sell the wines? To caterers of big events such as weddings, retailers across the world?

If your chosen winemaker agrees, you then seek out the authority which sets out the rules and gives you inspection and the authentication. For example, in France you might choose the Beth Din of Paris. Look on the bottle label and you will see not only the words kosher in English or another language and Hebrew but the name or sign of the authenticating body.

Why would anybody want to buy kosher wine? It is not a matter of supporting Israel or Jewish businesses (although for some people it could be.) If the drinker is orthodox (or vegan) they might want a wine which does not use animal products such as egg white at the end of the process.

The wines we tasted were shown in the pictures below.

If you go to Hedonism, near Berkeley Square (remember the song, A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square) dress warmly. Hedonism is like the frozen food area of a supermarket, temperature controlled  for the comfort of the wine, not the comfort of the customer. However, if you are sitting at a tasting downstairs by the Enoteca the large tasters' chairs have a blanket on each one.

Prices? What's good value? Tastings where Hedonism charges (last one was £25) for the tasting but gives you a voucher if you buy the wines you have just tasted. Decanters at £40 were good value compared to Elsewhere. Huge choice of wines. Chance to drink a glass you would not otherwise afford from the Enoteca wine dispenser machines. (From about £2-3 for a glass of the cheapest wine.)

What's pricier?
Up to £30 from the wine dispensing machine for a glass for a special occasion to taste a wine whose bottle would be very expensive or not even available at most restaurants and wine bars. You can find kosher wines by other makers and even the same people on line, sometimes at cheaper prices. But if you are already in London or want the Hedonism experience this is a grand way to do your tasting and shopping in elegant surroundings with knowledgeable staff.

Hedonism Wines 3-7 Davies Street, London WiK 3LD
events@hedonism.co.uk
tel: 020 7290 7870

Next post is on Berkeley Square, London.

Can You Quote Carlyle? Have you seen his house?

Thomas Carlyle (4 Dec 1795-5 Feb 1881) Scottish.

Quotations

A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder.

Music is well said to be the speech of the angels.

Talk that does not end in any kind of action is better suppressed.

Visit his house in London, a National Trust property.

Angela Lansbury

Author of Quick Quotations. (Lulu.com)