History Lesson: War of the Roses

Today I'd like to present an Anglo History Lesson. I'll be quick and concise, and not bore you to death! When you travel throughout the English countryside, say in Yorkshire or Lancashire, you may see something like this:

Pronounced "Ooze-fleet"

I don't just mean the strange town names. I mean the little symbol to the left of it. It is a rose. Well two roses in particular are fairly, and by fairly I mean very, famous. The Red Rose of Lancaster (or Lancashire), and the

White Rose of York (or Yorkshire). These roses were the symbols of the two sides of the family Plantagenet, that had claim to the English throne. As you can guess, there was a civil war about it! I don't have to tell you the obvious reason for its name, but I can tell you that it was also referred to as the Cousins' War. I might add a side note here: Philippa Gregory's series "The Cousin's War" novels are very good but not 100% accurate--historical fiction, but if you're interested in the families and who was who, I enjoyed them and would recommend them.

Just some facts now: it began in 1455 with the First Battle of St. Albans and didn't end until the year 1485 at Bosworth. A lot happened during these 30 years. The throne was taken over back and forth between sides, and many nobles became turncoats for whoever they felt they could benefit most from.

Richard III of York came to the throne after his brother Edward IV died and his heirs were deemed unfit for being crowned. You may have heard during this time, Edward IV's sons, Edward and Richard were locked away in the Tower [of London], which at the time was more of a stately safe house for royals, not the prison and center of torture that we think of today. They disappeared in the Tower and were never seen again, leaving the way open for Richard to become king. (Two skeletons of young boys were found centuries later under the steps, and many speculate who the murderer was, Richard III himself is a suspect.)

A few years later, Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian heir, came out of exile with an army and defeated Richard III and took the throne as his own, crowned Henry VII. I'm sure you can guess who his son is. He married Edward IV's daughter, Elizabeth of York. (Her mother, Elizabeth Woodville, was often rumored to have dabbled in witchcraft.) With this union between Lancaster and York, England was at peace. The two roses together became the new symbol for England united. For a while anyways... but that's another history lesson. So, when you're in England and you see the red or white rose anywhere, you'll know what county you're in and why it's there.

Beverly Minster

Old towns are a must. That's just Great Britain isn't it? All towns are old for the most part, but not old as in walking with a cane and metallic shoes, but rather... old as in historic. What do most old, historic towns have? Churches, usually.

Me facing St. Mary's

in Beverly

Certainly seeing the churches in Britain is one of the things you should do. There are so many to choose from and so many that are recommended for their beauty, age, and history. It would be quite a trip to see all of them, to be sure. Even if you're not religious or spiritual, they are still spectacular sights to see, most with very rich histories.

One church I had the pleasure of visiting during my trip was Beverly Minster, in Beverly. That's up north (THE NORTH!!!! as they say) in Yorkshire. The town itself is a lovely one to visit with a lot of history on its own. The Minster, however, is something you don't want to miss when you go.

The structure that stands there today begun in 1250 though it stands on the grounds of a Saxon abbey founded in about 700. Inside you'll see wonderful stained glass windows, ancient graves, and let me just say the organ player was an absolute ace with his fingers. You could hear the pipes bellowing from outside so loud and clear, it was the perfect added effect to the ambiance of the old church that just made the visit ten times more enjoyable.

Beverly Minster

Also very humbling was the memorial to the troops who fought and sacrificed their lives during WWI, lists of names behind glass that went on seemingly forever, and all just from the East Riding area of Yorkshire. Flags from the war itself, still hang in the church in taters, and it is a quiet moment indeed that makes you feel both pride and awe for those who fought to keep their home safe. A part of you wants to feel sad for those who were lost, the other part an overpowering sense of respect and gratefulness to the soldiers and their families.

I can't say this is the largest or most magnificent church to be seen in Great Britain, but it is certainly one to take a detour to see should you be in the East Yorkshire area. I loved going, it was beautiful and awe-inspiring and I certainly think it is a day anyone would remember during their trip. Beverly itself is also full of shops and other places to see if your in town for a while. Also, if you fancy a bit of kite flying after your trip to the Minster, stop outside the town to Beverly Westwood, take a hike up the hill and have nice day outside. There are plenty of wooded areas to explore as well, just be careful not to run over any of the local cows...

Cow near cow crossing

at Beverly Westwood

Fish N Chips

I decided to start off with the namesake of our URL, a traditional meal of Fish N Chips. This is something you always hear about when it comes to anything that is culturally British and if you visit is something that you cannot, I repeat, cannot miss out on.

It's fairly simple to understand: fish and chips. Now in the States our understanding of "chips" usually has to do with Pringles or Wavy Lays. In Britain, chips are what we call french fries. This meal is generally sold as take away (take out), and served in a number of different ways. Sometimes it is sold with a side of mushy peas (exactly what it sounds like) or curry sauce to dip your chips in. Some people put vinegar all over, and others still prefer tartar sauce. A lot of places still serve it wrapped up in newspaper!

Fish N Chips, according to sources, was first introduced in the mid 1800s, and is traditionally battered cod, but could be haddock or other similar fish. There isn't a place in Britain that doesn't serve their own, and while my first experiences of it came in a card board box that was sold to me out of a van sitting at the side of the road, I was hooked instantly. There is nothing Long John Silvers has on the original, and I've never even really liked fish.

My second experience of having it was in Whitby at The Duke of York Harbour Inn, a lovely place in it's original building "at the bottom of the 199 steps". http://www.dukeofyork.co.uk/

This dish was a bit fancier than your traditional take away, served with chips, peas (not mushy), lemon, and coleslaw. The haddock was as long as my arm from my wrist to elbow and the chips were large and fat as they were supposed to be, all for 8.95 (GBP). It was delicious and I'd highly recommend eating there. But if you can't make it to Whitby don't fret, fish n chips are served everywhere and are always in sight. Signs everywhere pointing to where you can get your fix. The smell is recognizable as well and a pleasant one that makes you crave it as soon as the scent hits your nostrils. Let your nose lead the way!

Me at the Duke of York

in Whitby

If you take a trip to Britain, you have no excuses to miss out on this tasty tradition. And saying you've eaten it at Long John Silvers or anywhere else that isn't Britain, you still fail. You must do it properly and you won't regret it!

Hello and Welcome! :)

Hiya! And may I just say that I am happy you are here because I know that means we were brought together by a common interest: Great Britain and the United Kingdom. You're an Anglophile, proud and true (or perhaps still in the closet!). So let's start with some introductions. I am an Anglophile too, and have been for many years. It started off with an interest in history and an obsessive attraction for the English accent, though it wasn't until college that I was referred to as an Anglophile and I wore that label with pride from then on out. With some strange bit of luck I ended up landing a wonderful man in my life who happens to be born and raised English so I am quite literally now an Anglophile. I have also traveled to the wonderful land that it is and experienced it first hand.

Now, enough about myself. Here is what you can expect from this blog, which is for you and others like you who desire to learn more about our fellow friends across the pond. You can expect this blog to be very specific rather than generalized, presented as individual experiences or pieces of culture and news. Each post will be about something in particular. For example, one post may profile a person who you should know about while another may profile a pub that you should know about. Everything is fair game, from food to places to see, things to do, all things social and cultural, as well as history that needs to be mentioned. Anything and everything, in other words! In the mean time, feel free to check out the links I have provided and I hope you enjoy this journey with me exploring the world of the British.

Cheers!