Monday, June 28
Stained Glass
The "Friends of St. Mary's" sponsored an event last evening. An expert on stained glass came and spoke about the stained glass windows in the church. The windows in the church date from the 1830's and were done by two different firms. All in all it was very interesting to hear him talk about the different trends in stained glass.
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Sunday, June 27
In the News - Lost mail campaign gets lost in post
LONDON (Reuters) - A postal campaign to highlight the quantity of letters that go missing each year has been given a stamp of authority after none of the letters arrived at their intended destination.
The Sunday Telegraph said letters sent by Postwatch, the postal services monitoring group, to 49 members of parliament urging them to report misdelivered or missing mail disappeared without trace.
Conservative Gillian Shephard, one of the intended recipients of the letters promoting the 'Stamp out Misdelivered Mail' campaign said she had written to the chairman of the Royal Mail to complain but to date had received no reply.
"Perhaps I should have faxed him," she was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
The Royal Mail, accused by Postwatch of losing more than 14 million letters a year despite making substantial profits last year, said it had no record of the missing letters.
"We have conducted a full investigation and have found no evidence of any problems in the relevant postal areas," a spokesman told the newspaper. "As far as we are concerned, the letters are not in our system."
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The Sunday Telegraph said letters sent by Postwatch, the postal services monitoring group, to 49 members of parliament urging them to report misdelivered or missing mail disappeared without trace.
Conservative Gillian Shephard, one of the intended recipients of the letters promoting the 'Stamp out Misdelivered Mail' campaign said she had written to the chairman of the Royal Mail to complain but to date had received no reply.
"Perhaps I should have faxed him," she was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
The Royal Mail, accused by Postwatch of losing more than 14 million letters a year despite making substantial profits last year, said it had no record of the missing letters.
"We have conducted a full investigation and have found no evidence of any problems in the relevant postal areas," a spokesman told the newspaper. "As far as we are concerned, the letters are not in our system."
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Wednesday, June 16
In the News - British 10-year-old charged after soccer riot
LONDON (Reuters) - A 10-year-old boy has been charged with violence in a soccer match riot, becoming what officials believe could be the youngest suspected football hooligan in the annals of British crime, police say.
Soccer in England suffered from hooliganism during the 1970s and 1980s but has recently been largely under control, apart from sporadic outbursts at England internationals.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested following trouble at a match in March between south coast rivals Portsmouth and Southampton.
"The 10-year-old boy will appear before a youth court this Thursday," a police spokeswoman said. He will be charged with violent disorder.
A Home Office spokesman said it was likely he was the youngest ever soccer hooligan suspect because children under 10 cannot be charged with criminal offences.
A 14-year-old girl also remains on bail, police said, among more than 30 people who were charged after one the worst outbreaks of soccer violence in recent years.
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Soccer in England suffered from hooliganism during the 1970s and 1980s but has recently been largely under control, apart from sporadic outbursts at England internationals.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested following trouble at a match in March between south coast rivals Portsmouth and Southampton.
"The 10-year-old boy will appear before a youth court this Thursday," a police spokeswoman said. He will be charged with violent disorder.
A Home Office spokesman said it was likely he was the youngest ever soccer hooligan suspect because children under 10 cannot be charged with criminal offences.
A 14-year-old girl also remains on bail, police said, among more than 30 people who were charged after one the worst outbreaks of soccer violence in recent years.
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Monday, June 14
Football Hooligans
England's football (soccer) team is competing in the Euro Cup right now. In the news there have been stories about the banning of "Football Hooligans" from the games. Apparently there are organized groups of "fans" who aim to brawl with each other before, during and after football matches. Some of time the disorder just happens when fans of the different teams run into each other, but apparently some of it is actually prearranged by gangs who have attached themselves to different football clubs and arrange to meet, and fight, gangs from other clubs. Yikes! So, in order to keep them from attending the Euro Cup and causing trouble, known hooligans' passports were confiscated for the duration of the competition. The powers that be have also said that if the fans cause trouble the England team will be kicked out of the cup. Wow. Sorta dampens my enthusiasm for attending a football match.
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Friday, June 11
Airports
Thursday, June 10
Oxford
Today was spent in literary pursuits. After driving to Oxford we spent several hours enjoying the large bookstores in town. Our favorite is Blackwell's; by itself it is worth the 45 minute drive from here. To top it off there is also a Waterstones and a Borders. Simply delightful for a family full of bibliophiles. After the bookstores we went in search of two cemeteries, which was also in keeping with the literary theme, though it might be less obvious than the bookstores. We found the graves of both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.
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Wednesday, June 9
I miss ..... Window Screens
It's warm this week. Mid 80's and sunny. Heavenly and refreshing to the soul that has been dampened by clouds and rain for the most part of the year. However, due to a lack of air conditioning, to keep the house cool and bearable, the windows need to be open. Here is where the delight of warm weather begins to deminish.
This is not an overly buggy country. It is not a hardship to do without Texas size mosquitos or the giant biting flies that inhabit the fine state of Connecticut. It is unfortuately not a completely bugless country. There are plenty of bugs milling about in the great outdoors in the form of bees, houseflies, moths and spiders (to mention a few). Here's where the open windows begin to be a problem. Window screens are conspicuously absent from every window here. All of the bugs that are busy doing their bug business outdoors now feel the need to come on in and see what is going on in the house. They're usually quite anxious to be back outdoors again once they're in, at least the flying ones. Not so with the spiders - they seem to feel right at home in the house. In days gone by bugs coming into the house were surely just a part of life. Though in parts of the states there are certainly "house bugs" in general it is not so for the modern American to have to be chasing bugs all day. It requires an adjustment in thinking to not be irritated with having to constantly deal with bugs inside. Must think of it as another way to fill the time rather than an irritation....
I miss screens!
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This is not an overly buggy country. It is not a hardship to do without Texas size mosquitos or the giant biting flies that inhabit the fine state of Connecticut. It is unfortuately not a completely bugless country. There are plenty of bugs milling about in the great outdoors in the form of bees, houseflies, moths and spiders (to mention a few). Here's where the open windows begin to be a problem. Window screens are conspicuously absent from every window here. All of the bugs that are busy doing their bug business outdoors now feel the need to come on in and see what is going on in the house. They're usually quite anxious to be back outdoors again once they're in, at least the flying ones. Not so with the spiders - they seem to feel right at home in the house. In days gone by bugs coming into the house were surely just a part of life. Though in parts of the states there are certainly "house bugs" in general it is not so for the modern American to have to be chasing bugs all day. It requires an adjustment in thinking to not be irritated with having to constantly deal with bugs inside. Must think of it as another way to fill the time rather than an irritation....
I miss screens!
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Monday, June 7
Hampton Court Palace
This impressive palace has been home to some of Britain's most famous kings and queens. Here's a brief history of the palace (pilfered unashamedly from the Official Guidebook we purchased on our visit today):Hampton Court started out as residence to Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York. After building lodgings for Henry VIII, Wolsey was forced to surrender ownership of the palace to the King. Henry's only son was born at Hampton Court and his wife, Jane Seymour died there a few days later.
In the early 1600's James I presides over the Hampton Court Conference which results in the institution of the Authorised Version of the Bible. (King James Bible.)
Mid-1600's Charles I is held prisoner at Hampton Court by Oliver Cromwell's army. He was kept there for three months before escaping. When Oliver is made Lord Protector of the Commonwealth he moves into Hampton Court.
Early 1700's William III fell from his horse at Hampton Court Park and later dies.
The Prince and Princess of Wales (future King George II and Queen Caroline) move in to Hampton Court 1716. After Queen Caroline dies (1737) the King never visits the palace again with his full court and it is the last year that the entire palace is used by the Royal Family.
Lastly, in 1838 Queen Victoria opened up Hampton Court to the public. Apparently by the mid 19th century up to 180,000 people are visiting the palace each year.
It's really a lovely place with a grand history.
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