Inside the February Issue:
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The Afternoon Tea Times welcomes correspondence. Contact Afternoon Tea online, or by mail to: Afternoon Tea Times, MPT, 11767 Owings Mills Blvd., Owings Mills, MD 21117-1499. You may also reach MPT Afternoon Tea by telephone at (443) 394-1634.
Tea Times is a co-production of Maryland Public Television and The Insider, a publication of the BBC Sales Company.
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The Insider, copyright 1999-2007 by the BBC Sales Company. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission. All photos and graphics used are rights free or copyrighted by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Unless otherwise indicated, all material written by N. Scott Jones.
Editor's Note
Welcome to your February edition of the Tea Times. Get your cuppa and stay warm while you enjoy this newest publication.
We love the comedians that team up and make great duos and we bet you do too. Look further to read "Double the Fun: Great Comedy Duos Past and Present." We think you'll enjoy remembering some of them.
The end of winter and the beginning of spring is very special in a certain part of Scotland. After reading about the ritual of Up Helly Aa, you might want to consider a trip to South Nesting for it. It sounds like quite a party!
Who do you ask is the youngest Dr. Who ever? Who he is is revealed later in the newsletter.
As you know, February is the month of love. Try Bananas Foster to end your Valentine meal and impress your sweetie with some quotes and verse. We provide both.
Happy Valentine's Day!
The Tea Times Newsletter Staff
1
They Say It's Your Birthday!
Do you share a birthday with any of these people?
February 8, 1940
Ted Koppel – newscaster
February 15, 1951
Jane Seymour – actress, "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"
February 16, 1935
Sonny Bono – actor, singer, "Sonny and Cher"
February 22, 1889
Lady Olave Baden-Powell – founded Girl Guides
2
The Wars of the Roses
 Edward IV
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The period 1467-70 marked a rapid deterioration in the relationship between King Edward and his former mentor, the powerful Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick - "the Kingmaker." This had several causes but stemmed originally from Edward's decision to marry Elizabeth Woodville in secret in 1464. Edward later announced the news of his marriage as fait accompli, to the considerable embarrassment of Warwick, who had been negotiating a match between Edward and a French bride, convinced as he was of the need for an alliance with France. This embarrassment turned to bitterness when the Woodvilles came to be favoured over the Nevilles at court. Other factors compounded Warwick's disillusionment: Edward's preference for an alliance with Burgundy (over France), and Edward's reluctance to allow his brothers George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to marry Warwick's daughters, Isabel Neville and Anne Neville, respectively. Furthermore, Edward's general popularity was on the wane in this period with higher taxes and persistent disruptions of law and order.
By 1469 Warwick had formed an alliance with Edward's jealous and treacherous brother George. They raised an army which defeated the king at the Battle of Edgecote Moor and held Edward at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire. (Warwich briefly had two Kings of England in his custody.) Warwick had the queen's father, Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers, executed. He forced Edward to summon a parliament at York, at which it was planned that Edward would be declared illegitimate, and the crown would thus pass to George, Duke of Clarence as Edward's heir apparent. However, the country was in turmoil and Edward was able to call on the loyalty of his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and the majority of the nobles. Richard arrived at the head of a large force and liberated King Edward.
 Middleham Castle
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Warwick and Clarence were declared traitors and forced to flee to France, where in 1470 Louis XI of France was coming under pressure from the exiled Margaret of Anjou to help her invade England and regain her captive husband's throne. It was King Louis who suggested the idea of an alliance between Warwick and Margaret, a notion which neither of the old enemies would at first entertain but eventually came round to, realizing the potential benefits. However, both were undoubtedly hoping for different outcomes: Warwick for a puppet king in the form of Henry or his young son; Margaret to be able to reclaim her family's realm. In any case, a marriage was arranged between Warwick's daughter Anne Neville and Margaret's son, the former Prince of Wales, Edward of Westminster, and Warwick invaded England in the autumn of 1470.
...to be continued.
www.wikipedia.org
3
Tea News Bits
February Programming
You won't want to miss Masterpiece on Sunday nights at 9 pm during the month of February! The first two Sundays brings Pride and Prejudice and the second two Sundays is Oliver Twist. Both are very special productions.
We're certain everyone remembers "Puff, the Magic Dragon." Yes, that's right! Peter, Paul and Mary: Carry It On: A Musical Legacy will be brought to you on Saturday, February 7. Don't miss landmark performances from their four-decade musical career.
In celebration of African-American Heritage month, tune in Tuesday, February 10 at 9 pm for Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise & Fall of Jack Johnson Part 1. The program follows his remarkable journey from his humble beginnings in Galveston, Texas, as the son of former slaves to his entry into the brutal world of professional boxing. Part 2 comes to you on Thursday, February 12 at 9 pm.
Wednesday, February 11 at 11 pm you can see Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey as one of the first African-American judges and the impact of his decisions.
Clinton 12 is brought to you on Thursday, February 12 at 11 pm. James Earl Jones narrates the story of 12 black teens who entered an all-white school in 1956.
On Sunday, February 15 at 7 pm, Nature brings us Why We Love Cats & Dogs. It's funny, touching and provocative and questions how well we really know our best friends and why we love them so much.
Thursday, February 26 at 9 am is American Master, Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About. The program looks at the life of the preeminent director/choreographer of American musical theatre.
The MPT production, Soulful Symphony is brought to you on Saturday, February 28 at 6 pm. Soulful Symphony is the nation's only African American Symphonic orchestra and this is their television debut!
The Brit Coms will not be on weekdays during the first week of February nor will they be broadcast on Saturday, February 7 and February 28. Look for the exciting programming that will take its place on these days!
Beavers are back in Britain
For the first time in 400 years, the beaver has returned to Great Britain.
Four wild beavers arrived at London's Heathrow airport Thursday night, the first step in an effort to reintroduce the mammals - probably hunted to extinction around the reign of King James 1, in the 16th or 17th century - to the British countryside.
The beaver families, which were trapped in Norway after several months of careful observation, will be quarantined for six months before being released in western Scotland.
"This is the latest stage in a truly exciting development for wildlife watchers, not just in Scotland but around the world" said Michael Russell, Britain's minister for environment. "I am sure the beavers are awaiting their release from quarantine...as keenly as I am."
Conservationists and wildlife advocates hope the reintroduction of the beaver will spark a further restoration of natural habitats in the British isles.
"Beavers hold the potential to create new wetland habitats which in turn increases the appeal to other native species," said Simon Jones of the Socttish Beaver Trial, which is overseeing the project. "We are excited to get the trial under way and see what benefits beavers can bring to Scotland."
www.cnn.com
What do you want to know more about?
If you have a topic that you would like to know more about, please drop us a line at tealady@mpt.org. We'll explore the opportunities to bring you the information you have interest in.
4
Double the Fun
Great Comedy Duos Past and Present
By Sheela Kadam
It's a well known fact that the viewing public loves couples, and through the ages, British comedy fans have always been fond of comedy duos. America is famous for vintage greats such as Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello, but I was hard pressed to think of any present day American ones. But delve into the BBC's outstanding history of light entertainment, and you'll find a wealth of successful double acts with the tradition still continuing. Early examples of classic comedy duos include Sid James and Tony Hancock, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, and The Two Ronnies (Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett).
'ERE PETE...
Sid James and Tony Hancock were a perfect set-up in Hancock's Half Hour, but Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were regarded as pioneers of this comic form. They didn't use the standard set up of straight man/funny chap, and their material derived from Cook's razor sharp wit, impromptu speeches and improvisation. This was subsequently distilled into a script - which was generally used with a generous addition of ad-libs. The audience was able to identify with their new techniques, and use of everyday, real-world themes. In their early days their underlying affection for each other shone through - Pete seemed to derive great pleasure from making Dud laugh during their shows. Sadly Cook's alcohol-related problems caused a rift between them and they went their separate ways, Moore finding fame in Hollywood. Their later material such as the Derek and Clive sessions were dark and extreme, breaking taboos and shocking their fans - there was certainly nothing light about that sort of entertainment! Having said that, they influenced and inspired many subsequent comedians.
BRING ME SUNSHINE
Growing up in England, Morecambe & Wise were my favorite comedy duo by far, followed by Messrs Barker & Corbett. I don't think my family missed a single episode of Eric and Ernie - and we weren't alone. Beloved by millions, they were the most successful comedy duo in the 70's and have been credited with continuing the tradition of Music Hall (vaudeville) as it made the transition from stage to television in the early days of light entertainment.
The series was written by the award-winning Eddie Braben and produced by forward-thinking John Ammonds. As a self-important playwright, Ernie played the straight guy to Eric's down-to-earth, British bloke comic persona who loved to take his friend down a peg or two. To me, watching them as a child, Eric seemed like a favorite, funny uncle - and in my eyes, almost part of the family. Morecambe, a comic genius had an innate sense of timing, clowning around onstage and much of his humor derived from looking like a mundane businessman yet behaving in a most unpredictable comic manner. And of course, none of it would have worked without Ernie! He could have the audience in stitches with his one-liners and simple, yet clever use of his glasses as a prop.
The pair made great use of the 'unpredictability' element by inviting celebrity guests to their shows and took great delight in placing them in unexpected situations. Distinguished actors were conned into performing in badly written plays, notable conductors had to put up with appalling music (i.e. Eric's bad piano performances) and famous singers were forced to take part in badly choreographed dance numbers. And firmly etched in the minds of the British public in the 70's was seeing staid BBC News anchorwoman Angela Rippon doing a high kicking Follies-style dance routine (yes, it was really her). Today's equivalent would be seeing Cokie Roberts doing the can-can on national TV. An equally unforgettable moment was when the pair persuaded a group of sedate male television presenters to sing 'There Is Nothing Like A Dame" dressed as sailors and undertaking seemingly impossible acrobatic stunts.
Back then, this was ground-breaking stuff - the audience lapped it up and celebrities ended up clamoring for a chance to perform with Morecambe and Wise. And it certainly took a while for folks to take the BBC News seriously again! It's hard to imagine the pressures and stresses of showbiz stars to constantly be entertaining and stay on top. Eric had suffered from ongoing heart problems and the nation grieved over his tragic death in 1984, which ended the phenomenal success of this beloved duo. Ernie continued to make solo public appearances and passed away in 1999. The duo's signature song, always sung at the end of their shows was called 'Bring Me Sunshine', and it really captured the heart and soul of what Morecambe and Wise was really all about - bringing laughter and happiness to each other, to friends, and to the nation.
The tradition of comedy duos continued with David Baddiel and Rob Newman who enjoyed almost rock-star like fame, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and currently with stars such as Ant and Dec and award winning duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Walliams and Lucas in drag in Little Britain are at times like an extreme version of The Two Ronnies, and Reeves and Mortimer were inspired by Morecambe and Wise, even paying tribute to them by re-doing their routine. These present day duos have revitalized the variety double act and successfully brought it to a younger audience in a newly packaged form.
THE POWER OF TWO
Unlike American television, comedy duos are an essential element of light entertainment for the British audience, and I've been trying to figure out why. In the old days, a lot of the humor was based on class struggles - but this isn't such an issue today. With the exception of French and Saunders [Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders], the majority of comedy duos are males. To me, the British have always had an underlying fascination with 'blokiness' and what exactly it is that makes male friendships tick. Doubtless, this is an area where there'll always be rich pickings for comedy material - think of all the endless rivalries, jealousies, advice-giving, merciless teasing, competition and love/hate tensions. Not to mention the mysteries of how the male mind works!
FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
Is there a formula for a successful comedy duo? Sometimes it just boils down to plain old chemistry and there's no formula for that - it either works or it doesn't! One thing I'm sure of is that at the end of the day, for every successful duo, it's genuine friendship and affection that will really shine through - and that's what the audience will relate to. And ultimately, it's that enduring comedy-buddy relationship that is the real power of two.
AND IT'S GOODNIGHT FROM HIM
The Two Ronnies was a powerful combination of versatile comedy talent, excellent script and visual hilarity - the most memorable scenes always included Barker and Corbett dressed as women. Their successful formula consisted of starting and ending their shows with spoof news announcements, send-ups of current television programs, sketches, Corbett's monologue in 'the big chair and a musical number.
A winning team of comedy writers ensured their success and it was later revealed that one of the writers was Barker himself, who had secretly submitted material under the pseudonym "Gerald Wiley" - because he wanted his work to be approved on its own merits rather than for any other reason. What endeared them to the public was that they had a true chemistry. Both were outstanding actors with separate personalities and treated each others as equals - unlike other acts who used the traditional comedy duo formula such as "Little & Large" and "Cannon and Ball" - although successful both these acts didn't have staying power.
Like Eric & Ernie, The Two Ronnies were good all round entertainers who had a lot of respect for each other, both on and off stage.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
In the Eighties, alternative comedians Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones ruled the roost. They'd worked together in the groundbreaking series Not The Nine O'Clock News, which in great Pythonesque tradition was good at rattling staid British institutions. They found fame in Alas Smith And Jones - like the Pythons they were highly educated, and their different personas and appearance made them some of the most popular double acts of the Eighties. Also well-loved were Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie; Hale & Pace's amusing-yet-menacing shared presentations, and French and Saunders - one of the few successful female comedy duos, who have been said to have created their material by 'playing themselves' and bouncing ideas off each other.
Editor's Note: Sheela Kadam is a native of England and co-owner of The British Emporium, an English food and gift shop in Grapevine, Texas. You can visit them on the Web at www.british-emporium.com. She and her partner Alexandra Evans are dedicated and frequent volunteers at Dallas PBS station KERA.
The Insider, January, 2007
5
New Dr. Who Actor is youngest ever
Matt Smith has been named as the actor who will take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who - making him the youngest actor to take on the role.
At 26, Smith is three years younger than Peter Davison when he signed up to play the fifth Doctor in 1981. Smith will first appear on TV screens as the 11th Doctor in 2010. He was cast over Christmas and will begin filming for the fifth series of Doctor Who in the summer.
Tennant is filming four specials in 2009.
Smith was named as Tennant's replacement in Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC One. The programme was watched by an audience of 6.9 million people at its peak, according to official overnight figures.
The actor said: "I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling. David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.
"The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait."
Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said that as soon as he had seen Smith's audition he "knew he was the one".
"It was abundantly clear that he had that 'Doctor-ness' about him," he said. "You are either the Doctor or you are not. It's just the beginning of the journey for Matt.
"With Steven Moffat's scripts and the expertise of the production team in Cardiff behind him, there is no one more perfect to be taking the Tardis to exciting new futures when the series returns in 2010."
- William Hartnell (1963-1966)
- Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
- Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
- Tom Baker (1974-1981)
- Peter Davison (1982-1984)
- Colin Baker (1984-1986)
- Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996)
- Paul McGann (1996)
- Christopher Eccleston (2005)
- David Tennant (2005-2010)
- Matt Smith (2010 - ?)
Wenger said a broad range of people had been auditioned, but they had not set out to cast the youngest Doctor.
Smith's TV debut was in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, which starred former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart. He has also acted opposite Piper in the follow-up, The Shadow in the North, and in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl. In 2007, he had a leading role in BBC Two's political drama Party Animals, in which he played a parliamentary researcher.
Smith's stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as the Royal Court and National Theatre. His West End debut was in Swimming With Sharks opposite Christian Slater.
He was born in Northampton in 1982 and studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.
David Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009. The star is due to begin shooting the first special this month, just weeks after surgery on his back forced him to pull out of a London run of Hamlet. The last of these special episodes is expected to run in early 2010.
Tennant is recovering from back surgery ahead of filming in 2009.
With a new creative team in place for the 2010 series led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger, the casting of the Doctor was the first job to be completed before scripts could be finalised.
Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.
After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the same year.
news.bbc.co.uk/
6
Becoming Jane Austen
The True Love Story That Inspired
the Classic Novels
by John Spence
Part of a continuing series.
Leigh-Perrot had married in 1764 but in 1779 he and his wife were still childless, a fact the Austens must have noted with some satisfaction as the years passed. His parents took for granted that James would be his uncle's heir if Leigh-Perrot had no children.
The possibility marked James out as the potential benefactor to his brothers and sisters. But Providence, as the Austens would have called it, is full of surprises. James' younger brother Edward, the third son, was destined for the role. The same year that James went to Oxford, Thomas Knight, Mr. Austen's cousin and son of the owner of the Steventon estate, called at the parsonage during his honeymoon. At the age of forty-four he had just married twenty-six-year old Catherine Knatchbull. The Knights took an immediate liking to twelve-year-old Edward and invited him to accompany them on the rest of their wedding journey. This incident has an inescapable air of oddness about it - as if the Knights already knew they would be childless and came to Steventon shopping, as it were, for a son. After this suspicious beginning, the Knights often invited Edward to Godmersham, their estate in Kent. The one sent their coachman to Hampshire with a pony for Edward to ride all the way back to Kent.
Three of his brothers were at home when the pony was led up to the parsonage and presented to Edward. The youngest, Charles, was probably only a year or two old, but Frank was five or six, and at about this time became determine to have a pony of his own. It passed into family lore that at the age of seven the high-spirited and ingenious Frank managed to buy himself a pony for a little over a pound, rode to the hounds in a pink coat made from his mother's scarlet woolen wedding dress, and after two seasons sold the pony for a profit. But it was Henry, who in old age remembered the pony the Knights sent to Edward. At nine or ten years old he would have seen more than the pony itself. He didn't want just the pony; he wanted the whole way of life it signified.
Henry was considered by his father the most intelligent of the boys and by his sister Jane the most amusing and charming. When Henry and Edward were children Mrs. Austen remarked that Henry appeared to be the elder because he was so tall and Edward so small. The clever and charming Henry must have felt a strong pang of jealousy, even a bitter sense of injustice, in seeing his brother chosen to be made rich. Perhaps it was when the pony was lead up that Henry first felt stir in him the worldly ambition that was to be the great driving force of his life. He had something of the spark that had motivated his aunt Phila and his great uncle Francis, he had a sense that he was meant to be rich.
Jane Austen
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Edward spent more and more time at Godmersham, and Mr. Austen worried that his son was falling behind in his studies. But the shrewd Mrs. Austen perceived that this was the moment when learning had to give way to money. She advised her husband to let the boy go to his cousins. It was a brilliant move. Old Mr. Knight died in 1780, and two or three years later his still childless son and daughter-in-law formally adopted Edward and made him their heir. The Knights had the highest regard for all the Austens although they adopted Edward. Thomas Knight left his estates, if Edward died without children, to the eldest surviving Austen son. This virtually ensured that one of the boys would come into the Knight fortune. In effect, Thomas Knight left his estates to the Steventon Austens.
At a stroke, James's possible inheritance from his uncle Leigh-Perrot became less important, at least as far as the good of the Steventon family was concerned. The Knights were much richer than the Leigh-Perrots; Edward would be the making of his whole family. The turn of events was invigorating. Henry, the family planned, would follow James to Oxford in the course of time, would be ordained, and Edward would purchase a living for him.
7
Tea Advisor
Aspects of Tea Production
There had been rumours that tea might be indigenous to India for some years before the establishment of the 1834 Tea Committee. In 1815, Colonel Latter, the British Resident at Katmandu in Nepal, had observed that some of the Assamese drank tea. In 1816, he had obtained what was probably a tea plant and sent it to Calcutta for identification, but tests had proved inclusive.
The East India Company had annexed Assam in 1826. In essence, the territory was the valley of the upper Brahmaputra, one of Asia's greatest rivers. About 400 miles long, it was bounded on all sides, except for a gap where the river ran south, by high mountains with dense forests. It is often supposed that Assam itself is mountainous, like other tea areas, but for the most part it is not. Although 300 miles upstream from the ocean, the Brahmaputra enters Assam only 150 feet above sea level, and most of the land is below 300 feet. The intense flatness of the country is what strikes visitors. A multitude of smaller rivers run down from the mountains into the Brahmaputra, often flooding the planes. Swamps abound. It is a country of excessive rainfall and extreme humidity. In consequence, for those who live there, the climate is unhealthy and enervating. For many plants, however, the climate is ideal.
The country had been ruled by the Ahoms, a Shan Dynasty, who had conquered it in the thirteenth century. It was a naturally defensible valley, and the Ahoms managed to keep the mughals and other warlike neighbours at bay. In the eighteenth century, however, the regime was weakened by a number of incompetent monarchs, and the country began to descent into anarchy. This decline coincided with a desire of the Burmese to expand their influence. They invaded Assam in 1817, quickly took control, and before departing installed a puppet ruler. This ruler was deposed and mutilated, prompting a new invasion by Burma in 1819. The Burmese put the country to the sword, and laid it waste. By 1822 Assam was totally under Burmese control. They commtted terrible atrocities - "some they flayed alive, others they burnt in oil and others again they drove in crowds into village namghars or prayer houses, which they then set on fire."
Many fled the country, but huge numbers of men, women and children were killed or taken as slave. It is estimated that the population of Assam was halved.
It was events to the south of Assam, however, which brought about the First Anglo-Burmese War. The Burmese had taken over the coastal Kingdom of Arakan in the late eighteenth century. Refugees from Arakan had fled north into Bengal and then made raids into Burmese-controlled areas. The Burmese had retaliated by incursions into Bengal, but been repulsed by the Company's army. A further incursion into Bengal, and the capture of an island which belonged to the Company, led the British to declare war on Burma in 1824. The Burmese then fought back, inflicting heavy losses on the British forces, who were incompetently directed. At least 15,000 "British" troops died, nearly all Indians. The Burmese were finally defeated in 1825. The entire cost of the war was charged to the Indians. In the treaty that followed, large areas of territory were ceded to the Company, including Assam.
The people of Assam welcomed the Company as saviours. Soon, however, they hankered for self-rule, and there were various rebellions in the 1830s and 1840s, but none seriously threatened the Company's regime.
Tea | By Roy Moxham
8
Mystery of the Month
What Is Your Guess?
Case One
The stars of a TV show are upset that they were chosen. They will probably not be on the next episode of, if they are, it will be their last appearance. They do not audition; they are chosen by the producers and by America.
The Mystery
Who are the stars and on what show are they featured?
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Clues
- The audience doesn't vote but the producers hope they'll call in.
- The stars' actions are often reenacted.
- The show is nonfiction.
- The show helps a government agency do important work.
- The host of the show continually asks America for its help.
Case Two
Parker crouches under a table in his house, fearing for his life. His two brothers have already been attacked and he knows he may be next when the enemy finds him. Moments later, he hears his enemy taunting him but he remains in seclusion, hoping for the best. After surviving a large blast, Parker knows he is finally safe for good.
The Mystery
Who is Parker and who is his enemy?
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Clues
- Parker is smarter than his brothers.
- Parker's enemy is large, intimidating and very hairy.
- Parker's enemy has strong lungs.
- Parker's house is made of bricks.
- Parker's enemy enjoys a good pork chop.
Be sure to check the March 2009 edition of the Tea Times for the answers
Answers to January Mysteries:
Case One: The woman is Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth. She is trying to wash (imagined) blood from her hands.
Case Two: She is Shirley Temple (Black). She endorsed the "Good Ship Lollipop."
9
England's Calendar of Events | February
Nesting & Girlsta Up Helly Aa
February 6, 2009
South Nesting
The Up Helly Aa is a fire festival involving a torchlit procession, the burning of a Viking longship and a ceilidh which lasts late into the night. The festival heralds the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
The burning of the Viking galley commemorates the way a Viking warrior was cremated: by being pushed out into the sea in his trusty longship to drift to Valhalla.
The event begins in the early evening with a torchlit fancy-dress procession. At the head of the assembled group strides a lone Viking warrior. Known as the jarl, across his chest he wears a bronze breastplate or chain mail and in his hands he carries a sword or a double-sided axe and a shield. Sometimes you might catch him wearing a skin-cloak and he always covers his head with a helmet decorated with crows feathers or a pair of horns.
The procession sets off from South Nesting Hall and then goes down past the school to the shoreline. There they burn the galley on the seashore. Once the great fire has died down, everyone troops back up to either the North Nesting Hall or the South Nesting Hall where square dancing, reeling and assorted entertainments take place.
It is customary for people to get together and form "guizers" or special squads who all wear the same fancy dress and present a show - a song, a ditty, a dance or a sketch - in each of the halls. Square dancing and reeling follows until the early hours.
www.whatsonwhen.com
Hurling the Silver Ball
February 9, 2009
St. Ives
The hurling of the silver ball, in St Ives, is a very old custom indeed. So old in fact, that nobody quite knows how and when it originated. It is held on Feast Monday every February.
At 10.30am on Feast Monday the silver ball is thrown from the wall of the Parish Church by the Mayor. Once the ball is caught by a member of the crowd below, it is passed from one to another on the beaches and streets of the town. Whoever is in possession of the ball when the clock strikes noon takes it to the Mayor at the Guildhall and receives the traditional reward of five shillings.
St Ives was converted to Christianity by St Ia (the name has now been Anglicised to St Ives), one of the many Irish Christian missionaries to come to Britain in the 5th century. It is her feast that is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday during the Octave of Candlemas.
www.whatsonwhen.com
St Valentine's Day in London
February 14, 2009
London
London has always been a second-stringer as far as 'romantic cities' go - Paris, Prague, anywhere but London it seems - but times are changing. Given London's regeneration over the last few years, there's absolutely no reason why lovers cannot have a rather cosy time in this city of intimate restaurants, world-class hotels and elegant parks.
So bearing this in mind, here are a few suggestions for romancing in London.
Perhaps you could start with a stroll through Kensington Gardens in the heart of Hyde Park. There is an arbour there where you can sit in loved-up silence watching the swans glide by on the Serpentine river. Other wonderful parks include Primrose Hill near Camden Town which has one of the best views over London, or a stroll up to the Greenwich Observatory which you can reach by catamaran cruiser from Embankment Pier.
If you are want a high-dining experience at lunchtime, then visit the Oxo Tower on London's South Bank, or the Hilton's Window on the World restaurant (Holland Park). If you're feeling especially swanky you could even try out the Savoy's river restaurant.
By late afternoon with dusk closing in, it's probably time for Tea at the Ritz. Book well in advance because you won't be the only person with such a Valentine date in mind and the advance expenditure of effort will be well worth it.
Should you fail to get a reservation here, then Fortnum & Mason might oblige, purveyors of extremely fine foods since the reign of George III in the 18th century. Their Fountain Restaurant, also located on Piccadilly, does a delicious Welsh Rarebit (sophisticated cheese on toast). If neither of these appeal, try the Savoy tea dance or similar events at Brown's or the Waldorf Hotel.
Which brings us to supper. (Why does romance always revolve around eating?) London can boast restaurants from every corner of the world. Whether it's because the British Empire caused so many of the world's disparate peoples to try their luck in London, or because they felt so sorry for the derisory state of the British cuisine they simply had to open restaurants no-one is quite sure. Whatever the reason, you really can hop around the world through your palate in London with Korean, Vietnamese, Italian, French, Hungarian, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai and Chinese restaurants to try (and that's just in Soho). A nice touch might be a gourmet dining experience combined with a cruise down the Thames.
www.whatsonwhen.com
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Are you planning a Valentine's Day dinner and don't know quite what to prepare for dessert? When we saw this recipe, we thought this would be quite a spectacular ending to a special dinner for a special someone!
Bananas Foster
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup rum
- 2 tablespoons banana liqueur
Preparation
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and heat until bubbly. Peel and quarter the banana. Place banana pieces and lemon juice in skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, basting with syrup.
- In a long-handled pan, heat rum and banana liqueur over medium heat until just warm. Ignite the alcohol and pour carefully over the banana slices. Remove the banana pan from the heat and continue to baste the banana slices with their sauce until the flames die down. Serve at once.
www.allrecipes.com
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Afternoon Teaisms
Rhymes and Wits
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
Notes on the Comic, by W.H. Auden
When you discover a love that nourishes your soul and brings joy...care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.
by Jean Shinoda Bolen
She Walks In Beauty
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
by George Gordon, Lord Byron
www.lovepoetry.com