While I'm a bit busy this week to give you an interesting post worth reading, I thought I'd give you something else to chew on until I get my rear in gear and have a moment to write you something worth reading.
If any of you like documentaries, I know I watch them quite often, here is one I found on Hulu about the Dark Ages and what life was like after the Romans left Britain. It is on Hulu and completely free to watch. :)
Pure History Features: King Arthur's Britain
I may do this from time to time, post videos or films that are freely available for you to watch and enjoy when things either get too busy for me presently or just because I found a good one to share. Hope you enjoy and have a good end of the week... Friday soon! :)
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22 January, 2014
09 January, 2014
How About Some Numbers? (and some other interesting tid bits)
I thought today's post could do some comparing with numbers. But first, a short story or two.
While I was in England, I would often get asked questions like "Have you been to New York City?"
"No, it's a bit far away," I would answer. And then their response would be, "Oh? Where abouts are you from, exactly?"
Now I've experienced this kind of geographical ignorance from my fellow Americans when asked about my trips to England, most people ask me how my trip to London was, and "is that a country?"
Fair enough, some people just don't get out much, or maybe it was just me. I was always fascinated by maps and places as a child, always had my nose stuck to a globe, exploring the reaches of our tiny little world. It just never occurred to me that people from other countries would have the same sort of ignorance about American geography. And why not? If they've not traveled, then surely, it makes sense. Yet, I was very surprised by the confusion as I tried to explain. I'd hold up my hand as a "map" of the States, point to where NYC was supposed to be towards my finger tips and point to where Illinois was, just past my knuckles in the middle, supposing my palm was California. Still, no recollection. Then it hit me. Great Britain is in its own time zone. Continental America has four. This struck a chord, and it is also my first set of numbers for you today.
"Is America actually that big?" Is the next astonished question. That doesn't even include Alaska, which is enormous in it's own right, and Hawaii. Illinois and England on it's own are roughly the same size.
My second story happened while on a road trip through Lancashire with The Boy and we got a bit turned around heading home. We stopped at a pub to ask for directions, and when we told the bartender we were heading for Hull, he was a bit surprised, "That's a long way! You're doing that drive in just one day?"
It was a two hour drive.
Now he certainly could have been taking the mick, but he seemed genuine to me. And The Boy said most people don't drive much in the UK, long trips are reserved for public transportation most of the time. It flabbergasted me. I would never consider taking a bus for a trip that was only two hours long. Where I'm from, you need an hour drive just to get groceries. That's rural for you. I was used to driving an hour or two in any direction just to get anything. Groceries, school, the cinema, everything.
So these things got me thinking about the numbers, and now I shall present some to you for you nerds like me out there. I will also compare my home state of Illinois with The Boy's home country of England, just for fun.
America has 50 States. The United Kingdom has 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. This does not include the territores and many islands.
For those wondering, Great Britain, while a country in it's own right, is more about the governing body. It does not rule over Ireland, which has it's own government and uses the Euro. The rest continue to use the Great British Pound.
Populations:
USA: 317,433,000
Great Britain: 63,200,000
Illinois: 12,882,135
England: 53,012,456
Largest City Population:
USA: New York City 8,336,697
Great Britain: London 9,787,426
Illinois: Chicago 2,714,856
Square Miles:
USA: 3,794,101
Great Britain: 88,745
Illinois: 57,914
England: 50,346
Highest Points:
USA: Mount McKinley 20,320 ft
Great Britain: Ben Nevis 4409 ft
Illinois: Charles Mound 1237 ft
England: Scafell Pike 3208 ft
Hottest Temp Recorded:
USA: June 1913 134 F / 57 C
Great Britain: Aug 2003 101 F / 38.5 C (also the highest in England)
Illinois: July 1954 117 F / 47 C
Coldest Recorded:
USA: Jan 1971 -80 F / -62 C
Great Britain: Dec 1995 -17 F / -27 C
Illinois: Jan 2009 -37 F / -39 C
England: Jan 1982 -15 F / -26 C
I couldn't really think of any more numbers to include. These are just things I've discussed with others about, the populations, how big everything is or how small, how hot and cold it gets. It's weird how the little things we don't really think about become fun and interesting comparisons when we talk to people from other places. If you have any numbers or comparisons like these you'd like me to research and include, I'll add them to the post and give you credit for the submission. Thank you again for readin, stay tuned for another post in a day or two. :)
While I was in England, I would often get asked questions like "Have you been to New York City?"
"No, it's a bit far away," I would answer. And then their response would be, "Oh? Where abouts are you from, exactly?"
Now I've experienced this kind of geographical ignorance from my fellow Americans when asked about my trips to England, most people ask me how my trip to London was, and "is that a country?"
Fair enough, some people just don't get out much, or maybe it was just me. I was always fascinated by maps and places as a child, always had my nose stuck to a globe, exploring the reaches of our tiny little world. It just never occurred to me that people from other countries would have the same sort of ignorance about American geography. And why not? If they've not traveled, then surely, it makes sense. Yet, I was very surprised by the confusion as I tried to explain. I'd hold up my hand as a "map" of the States, point to where NYC was supposed to be towards my finger tips and point to where Illinois was, just past my knuckles in the middle, supposing my palm was California. Still, no recollection. Then it hit me. Great Britain is in its own time zone. Continental America has four. This struck a chord, and it is also my first set of numbers for you today.
"Is America actually that big?" Is the next astonished question. That doesn't even include Alaska, which is enormous in it's own right, and Hawaii. Illinois and England on it's own are roughly the same size.
My second story happened while on a road trip through Lancashire with The Boy and we got a bit turned around heading home. We stopped at a pub to ask for directions, and when we told the bartender we were heading for Hull, he was a bit surprised, "That's a long way! You're doing that drive in just one day?"
It was a two hour drive.
Now he certainly could have been taking the mick, but he seemed genuine to me. And The Boy said most people don't drive much in the UK, long trips are reserved for public transportation most of the time. It flabbergasted me. I would never consider taking a bus for a trip that was only two hours long. Where I'm from, you need an hour drive just to get groceries. That's rural for you. I was used to driving an hour or two in any direction just to get anything. Groceries, school, the cinema, everything.
So these things got me thinking about the numbers, and now I shall present some to you for you nerds like me out there. I will also compare my home state of Illinois with The Boy's home country of England, just for fun.
America has 50 States. The United Kingdom has 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. This does not include the territores and many islands.
For those wondering, Great Britain, while a country in it's own right, is more about the governing body. It does not rule over Ireland, which has it's own government and uses the Euro. The rest continue to use the Great British Pound.
Populations:
USA: 317,433,000
Great Britain: 63,200,000
Illinois: 12,882,135
England: 53,012,456
Largest City Population:
USA: New York City 8,336,697
Great Britain: London 9,787,426
Illinois: Chicago 2,714,856
Square Miles:
USA: 3,794,101
Great Britain: 88,745
Illinois: 57,914
England: 50,346
Highest Points:
USA: Mount McKinley 20,320 ft
Great Britain: Ben Nevis 4409 ft
Illinois: Charles Mound 1237 ft
England: Scafell Pike 3208 ft
Hottest Temp Recorded:
USA: June 1913 134 F / 57 C
Great Britain: Aug 2003 101 F / 38.5 C (also the highest in England)
Illinois: July 1954 117 F / 47 C
Coldest Recorded:
USA: Jan 1971 -80 F / -62 C
Great Britain: Dec 1995 -17 F / -27 C
Illinois: Jan 2009 -37 F / -39 C
England: Jan 1982 -15 F / -26 C
I couldn't really think of any more numbers to include. These are just things I've discussed with others about, the populations, how big everything is or how small, how hot and cold it gets. It's weird how the little things we don't really think about become fun and interesting comparisons when we talk to people from other places. If you have any numbers or comparisons like these you'd like me to research and include, I'll add them to the post and give you credit for the submission. Thank you again for readin, stay tuned for another post in a day or two. :)
08 January, 2014
Fountains Abbey
As promised! Here is my post for today. :)
Fountains Abbey. I visited here in June 2013 after begging my fiance to take me. Since ever. I'd been asking to go since my first trip to England in 2011, again in 2012, and finally I said enough is enough! I MUST GO TO FOUNTAINS ABBEY.
He's from England, you see, my now husband. To him, all churches and castles look a like because all he has to pop to the shop for some groceries to see one. Me? We don't have things like this in America so I wanted to go. Badly.
Before I show you some of the photos, let me explain that I took nearly 300 while I was there. In just the span of an hour or two. So it was very difficult to choose which ones were the best representation of the place. It's huge. I cannot emphasize this point enough.
Even The Boy was gobsmacked. (Translation, "gob" = mouth. Hence "Gobsmackers" candy. IE: very shocked.) And he couldn't believe he had never been there before in his life.
I couldn't believe this enormous place existed, hidden in a valley surrounded by trees, completely hidden away from the modern world and not visible from anywhere in the area.
So how about some history? It lies near the town of Ripon in North Yorkshire, a town name you might recognize if you watch Downton Abbey. Now you are probably thinking, "What is an abbey?" Well, I'll tell you! An abbey is a place that is occupied by monks or nuns. Now a family abbey is where a patriarchal estate has its basic functions and household operations. So we're not talking about the kind of abbey as made famous by the upstairs and downstairs lives of our favorite characters on PBS. Even though it's not actually filmed in Yorkshire. But this place, Fountains Abbey, a place where monks used to reside, is in Yorkshire. My favorite place in the world.
It was founded in 1132 after some monks in the city of York had a dispute over wanting to return to the 6th Century Rule of Benedict, which you can read more about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_St_Benedict
The monks were given some land by the Archbishop on which they were able to build their own church, which at the time was small, made of stone, and the outer building made of wood. They had tumultuous beginnings in the following years, with even a successful attempt at burning down the building in protest to their practices. They recovered and prospered, however. The new buildings were completed in 1170 though some additions were made afterwards. It is the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monastery in England sitting on 70 acres of land, with structured walls reaching over 300 feet long. I'm not even going to get in to all the numbers because there are so many additions to it throughout the years, it all gets muddled. But the place, as I said earlier, is HUGE.
Sadly, Henry VIII, you should know about him, ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries 1539, during his war with the Catholic church. The abbey was sacked and set afire, their income was appropriated, assets disposed of, and their members moved out. Some abbeys and monasteries survived very well preserved, some untouched and left whole. Others, like Fountains, were not so lucky. Monastic libraries were also destroyed, hundreds of books stolen or destroyed, which many historians see as a devastating cultural loss caused by the English Reformation.
There is a lovely visitors' centre at the abbey and a great gift shop, all run by the National Trust. I bought an excellent and very thorough guide book for only 5 quid and admission to the grounds was around 20 quid, which was a bit pricey but I don't mind paying extra for the upkeep of such a fantastic place. There is a bit of a walk between the centre and the actual grounds, but you'll enjoy the green Yorkshire countryside on your way there. It might even be a good idea to pack a picnic and bring it with you, sit on a blanket on the grounds, read a book, enjoy the sunlight. It was a beautiful day when we went and I can't wait to go back and take my parents. I'm dying to see my mom's face when she sees how amazing it is.
The last picture I want to show you is one I took of The Boy and it once again just shows the sheer scale of the place, but also the wonderment when you are standing in its shadow, feeling so tiny yet so amazed that people could build something so magnificent, even as far back as the 1100s. It's incredible, and I think this photo sums it up nicely as to why it should be on your list of places to see before you die. Which I think is what this blog is turning out to be about more often than anything. It also kind of looks like an epic movie poster. I hope you learned something from my post today, and have gained a new hope or dream or many in our journey this evening. Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year.
Fountains Abbey. I visited here in June 2013 after begging my fiance to take me. Since ever. I'd been asking to go since my first trip to England in 2011, again in 2012, and finally I said enough is enough! I MUST GO TO FOUNTAINS ABBEY.
He's from England, you see, my now husband. To him, all churches and castles look a like because all he has to pop to the shop for some groceries to see one. Me? We don't have things like this in America so I wanted to go. Badly.
Before I show you some of the photos, let me explain that I took nearly 300 while I was there. In just the span of an hour or two. So it was very difficult to choose which ones were the best representation of the place. It's huge. I cannot emphasize this point enough.
The place is ****ing HUGE.
Even The Boy was gobsmacked. (Translation, "gob" = mouth. Hence "Gobsmackers" candy. IE: very shocked.) And he couldn't believe he had never been there before in his life.
The gobsmacked boy.
I couldn't believe this enormous place existed, hidden in a valley surrounded by trees, completely hidden away from the modern world and not visible from anywhere in the area.
So how about some history? It lies near the town of Ripon in North Yorkshire, a town name you might recognize if you watch Downton Abbey. Now you are probably thinking, "What is an abbey?" Well, I'll tell you! An abbey is a place that is occupied by monks or nuns. Now a family abbey is where a patriarchal estate has its basic functions and household operations. So we're not talking about the kind of abbey as made famous by the upstairs and downstairs lives of our favorite characters on PBS. Even though it's not actually filmed in Yorkshire. But this place, Fountains Abbey, a place where monks used to reside, is in Yorkshire. My favorite place in the world.
The Boy Points. One of our favorite picture-taking games.
It was founded in 1132 after some monks in the city of York had a dispute over wanting to return to the 6th Century Rule of Benedict, which you can read more about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_St_Benedict
The monks were given some land by the Archbishop on which they were able to build their own church, which at the time was small, made of stone, and the outer building made of wood. They had tumultuous beginnings in the following years, with even a successful attempt at burning down the building in protest to their practices. They recovered and prospered, however. The new buildings were completed in 1170 though some additions were made afterwards. It is the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monastery in England sitting on 70 acres of land, with structured walls reaching over 300 feet long. I'm not even going to get in to all the numbers because there are so many additions to it throughout the years, it all gets muddled. But the place, as I said earlier, is HUGE.
Convinced yet?
Sadly, Henry VIII, you should know about him, ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries 1539, during his war with the Catholic church. The abbey was sacked and set afire, their income was appropriated, assets disposed of, and their members moved out. Some abbeys and monasteries survived very well preserved, some untouched and left whole. Others, like Fountains, were not so lucky. Monastic libraries were also destroyed, hundreds of books stolen or destroyed, which many historians see as a devastating cultural loss caused by the English Reformation.
There is a lovely visitors' centre at the abbey and a great gift shop, all run by the National Trust. I bought an excellent and very thorough guide book for only 5 quid and admission to the grounds was around 20 quid, which was a bit pricey but I don't mind paying extra for the upkeep of such a fantastic place. There is a bit of a walk between the centre and the actual grounds, but you'll enjoy the green Yorkshire countryside on your way there. It might even be a good idea to pack a picnic and bring it with you, sit on a blanket on the grounds, read a book, enjoy the sunlight. It was a beautiful day when we went and I can't wait to go back and take my parents. I'm dying to see my mom's face when she sees how amazing it is.
The last picture I want to show you is one I took of The Boy and it once again just shows the sheer scale of the place, but also the wonderment when you are standing in its shadow, feeling so tiny yet so amazed that people could build something so magnificent, even as far back as the 1100s. It's incredible, and I think this photo sums it up nicely as to why it should be on your list of places to see before you die. Which I think is what this blog is turning out to be about more often than anything. It also kind of looks like an epic movie poster. I hope you learned something from my post today, and have gained a new hope or dream or many in our journey this evening. Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year.
Hello, it's been a while!
I'm sorry once again for being late with posts. Between getting married, shuttling relatives from across the pond back and forth, Christmas, and a polar vortex, things have been insane. However, I'm starting up again. Here is my first official post with news of official content for you to read soon! Yay!!!
When? Tonight! I am sneakily posting this when I shouldn't be. Hehehehehe.
But I did visit Mother England again in June and have loads of new photos and stories to share with you. So hang tight, I'll be posting tonight!
Rhyme unintentional. Maybe.
I'm recommiting myself to my recommitment. I made a promise and didn't keep it. I don't know how many of you actually read my blog or was hoping for more, and I am sorry. But I am excited to be starting again and will be posting more often. I mean it this time. I meant it the last time but things got crazy.
I thank you for your patience and I hope you will continue this very British journey with me and that a few new comers join us as well. My hopes are high :)
Thank you again, and I'll be posting tonight, don't forget!!!
When? Tonight! I am sneakily posting this when I shouldn't be. Hehehehehe.
But I did visit Mother England again in June and have loads of new photos and stories to share with you. So hang tight, I'll be posting tonight!
Rhyme unintentional. Maybe.
I'm recommiting myself to my recommitment. I made a promise and didn't keep it. I don't know how many of you actually read my blog or was hoping for more, and I am sorry. But I am excited to be starting again and will be posting more often. I mean it this time. I meant it the last time but things got crazy.
I thank you for your patience and I hope you will continue this very British journey with me and that a few new comers join us as well. My hopes are high :)
Thank you again, and I'll be posting tonight, don't forget!!!
16 June, 2013
Apologies
Hello fellow Anglophiles and guests!
I'm so sorry I haven't had the time to post anything. As life would have it, I now have a full time job and a wedding to plan, so I haven't been doing much writing at all. A fact that I am very ashamed of. My blog has suffered, my novels have suffered, even my journal. I love writing, it is one of my greatest passions, and I simply have just been too knackered to bother!
This week I will be returning to England for a short visit and so will hopefully have some new and interesting things to share with you when I return. In the mean time, I'm going to recommit myself to this blog and hopefully post to you at least once a week.
Also, I would like to give you all a chance to direct me in what I post. Please feel free to send me a message regarding anything you would like to see covered on this blog, a question you would like answered, or anything generally British that you've been wondering about. If I don't know about it particularly well, I will research it to make sure I do justice to the subject in question.
I look forward to your inquiries! And I hope I haven't lost your interest during my hiatus.
Thank you for your time and patience and I shall be posting again very soon! xxx
Also, here is a photo of my blind cat Loki, named after British actor Tom Hiddleston's character in a very popular comic book summer block buster. I hope his cuteness makes up for my silence.
I'm so sorry I haven't had the time to post anything. As life would have it, I now have a full time job and a wedding to plan, so I haven't been doing much writing at all. A fact that I am very ashamed of. My blog has suffered, my novels have suffered, even my journal. I love writing, it is one of my greatest passions, and I simply have just been too knackered to bother!
This week I will be returning to England for a short visit and so will hopefully have some new and interesting things to share with you when I return. In the mean time, I'm going to recommit myself to this blog and hopefully post to you at least once a week.
Also, I would like to give you all a chance to direct me in what I post. Please feel free to send me a message regarding anything you would like to see covered on this blog, a question you would like answered, or anything generally British that you've been wondering about. If I don't know about it particularly well, I will research it to make sure I do justice to the subject in question.
I look forward to your inquiries! And I hope I haven't lost your interest during my hiatus.
Thank you for your time and patience and I shall be posting again very soon! xxx
Also, here is a photo of my blind cat Loki, named after British actor Tom Hiddleston's character in a very popular comic book summer block buster. I hope his cuteness makes up for my silence.
22 June, 2012
Conisbrough Castle
Castles! England is full of them. That's what most Americans think of when they think of historic England. Castles, knights in shining armour, princesses, jousting, rotting sewer in the streets, the Black Plague...
Unfortunately, when you go to see a castle, the chances are it'll just be a fancy manor home that gets noticed because its owners call it a "castle", or you'll be seeing something that looks like this:
a castle
(image from www.castlewales.com)
(image from www.castlewales.com)
No, really. That's a castle. Or it was. Something known as a Motte and Bailey Castle. Most of the earliest ones were constructed out of wood and plaster. These grassy mounds are all that is left, and they are every-freaking-where. You probably walked over one on your country-side hike and didn't even know you were treading on historic Britain.
You may occasionally find a place with a single stone wall still erect, but you're very rarely ever going to get to see what the Hollywood movies produce. Few castles really stand in all their former glory, and there is a reason for it. Most castles, the big stone wonders of your imagination, were all destroyed to prevent them from being used to enemy advantages during war. Plus, with modern times approaching, no one wants to live in a big, drafty, cold building that is just a little bit more comfortable than a tomb.
However, there are a few castles that remain in good enough condition that they are worth visiting. The one I'd like to talk about today is Conisbrough Castle, just outside of Doncaster in Yorkshire.
an Official English Heritage Sight
Needless to say this castle is very impressive. Not only is the Keep (pictured) in such good condition that it still reaches it's original height of 90 feet, you're able to actually walk around inside (and on the surrounding grounds) for an easy £4.50. The outer wall still stands but is in pretty rough condition, and the remaining buildings are nothing but a foot tall outline of where the walls used to be. The Keep, however, is impressive beyond impressing. There had been earlier buildings on the sight but this castle in particular was built in the 1100s and is one of the few round shaped Keeps in the country, as they were not very popular to build. The entire history of the castle can be bought and read in the guidebook at the gift shop, and if you go, I suggest you make the purchase for £1.50, as it gives a full look at who lived and died here.
View of the grounds from the top of the Keep
Myself and a big fireplace inside the Keep
Now, why wasn't this castle destroyed like many of the others? Sadly, by the time of Henry VIII's reign, the castle had fallen victim to neglect. Most of the walls had fallen as well as one floor inside the keep, and thus reached what is believed to be its present state of ruin. Who can use a castle that has fallen under disrepair; a castle that is no longer defensible? No one. Conisbrough Castle survived because it was neglected. It was no longer suitable for defence, and it wasn't destroyed (like many others) to prevent enemy usage. The castle was simply useless. That is why it is still here today. This amazing, impressive piece of architecture and civilization, centuries old, saved.
If you want to come to Great Britain to see castles, Conisbrough needs to be on your list, or you'll be deeply sorry. We even saw a few Kestrel chicks sitting on one of the ledges high up in the keep, so it's not been completely abandoned. ;) There is also a small but beautiful chapel inside, it's ornate carved ceiling still visible to the point where you can imagine what it must have looked like brand new.
I love being in places like this. I've always had a strange sense of the people who used to roam the halls of old buildings and houses, a sense of the strong emotions, events, and secrets that the walls whisper about. No, I'm not suggesting I'm psychic, or a medium of any sort. I simply have a strong emotional tie to people and the things that happen to them and it makes me emotional. While you may not witness this change in me, other than that I might have gone a bit quiet, it's one of the reason I enjoy visiting historical sights. Yeah, castles are freaking cool, but the people who lived there were even more interesting. I didn't get the willies except once whilst standing in the small chamber known as the "privy". That's the toilet room, if you don't know. I did, however, feel much appreciation for the abilities of the people who were able to build and erect such an immense structure, and wondered what sort of people they were.
Boyfriend eating a sandwich next to the Keep.
I also wished I could have seen it when it was new, when it was glorious. I'm sad such a place was neglected, but I'm happy it wasn't destroyed like so many of the others. Conisbrough Caslte: it's a stop on the (your) Great British Roadtrip that shouldn't be missed.
01 June, 2012
News Flash: The Hobbit
I have been wanting to include the occasional snippit of news and I thought this would be a good place to start. No, this is not about the film, not directly. This is about a pub in Southampton, England called "The Hobbit", and in Birmingham "The Hungry Hobbit", who are currently being sued by a film company for copyright infringement, despite that these places were named such before the newest incarnation of the film was even being considered. This news has been around for a couple of months now but I thought I would post it to help create a little more awareness as no decision has been reached on the matter. Journalist/actor/Etc Stephen Fry is appalled and is supporting the pub. Here is a link to the Facebook page and two news articles about it, and I hope that all the Hobbit pubs can be saved!
https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheHobbitSouthampton
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/14/stephen-fry-hobbit-pub-name?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/16/hobbit-pub-copyright-resolution?INTCMP=SRCH
https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheHobbitSouthampton
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/14/stephen-fry-hobbit-pub-name?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/16/hobbit-pub-copyright-resolution?INTCMP=SRCH
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