Friday, May 30, 2008
Well, I am putting the kettle on to make a pot of tea in my Brown Betty. I thought you might like to have a little sit down with a cup of tea as you browse through my new store that I have added to the website. Just look for the painting of Queen Victoria on my side bar and click on, “How to be English.” I have included all the things in this store that I consider quintessentially English. You might just want to pick up some last minute souvenirs for yourself. My husband and I leave in the morning to return to the States.
Posted by Mary at 05:43 AM CST
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
As the reality of packing and thinking about what needs to be accomplished hits me, it makes me panic a little. Our life style has been very simple here. We have walked everywhere (we have no car!), which has provided us with time to think, talk, and enjoy the surroundings. I believe simplicity promotes creative thinking because there is time to imagine, dream, write, and draw. Some of my favorite authors drew detailed maps of their imaginary worlds. To cultivate creative thinking you do need time. My two favorite maps are The Hundred Acre Wood from Winnie the Pooh and C.S. Lewis’s map of Narnia. What I hope to pack in my suitcase and take back to the States is the sense of time that I need to continue to draw, write, think, and imagine. It also won’t take up much space, which at this point is very good!
Posted by Mary at 07:08 AM CST
Monday, May 26, 2008
This weekend began our week of saying good-bye. On Friday evening, our friends in the village outside of Cambridge where we used to live had a party for us. We started out in the garden and then proceeded to our friends “party barn.” I love the way we were able to actually visit with each other. After we had our starters, the men had to move two places over. This musical chairs theme occurred several times during the course of the evening. Because these are all good friends who have lived in the same village for well over twenty years, this type of moving around and talking with someone else was fun and done with ease. Since my husband and I have moved a lot (in my opinion), we know and appreciate what a gift it is to have such a special group of friends. I will miss my friends from the village.
Posted by Mary at 06:15 AM CST
Friday, May 23, 2008
I feel as though I must say one last word about evensong and Kings. No trip to Cambridge is complete without coming to evensong at Kings College. All the colleges have evensong. I actually like The St. John’s evensong as much, but the chapel and history of Kings College is so rich, that if you must just choose one, go to Kings. You know it has a long history of tradition when you see the Kings College choir boys in their top hats and morning coats walking in a line every day through the gates and to the chapel. It’s quite a sight.
The history of the chapel and choir is fascinating. I will provide you with a link that describes all of its rich past. In short though, it was Henry VI who had a great desire to see daily singing services in his wonderful chapel. The 16 choristers were given scholarships at the Kings College School and in return they sang at these services.
Today, the choir is internationally known. They are probably most famous for their Christmas Eve service, Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which is broadcast worldwide. I plan to have a list of my favorite CDs from Kings here on my site soon.
Here is the web site that will provide you with the complete background of the chapel and choir.
http://www.ofchoristers.net/Chapters/CambridgeKingsCollege.htm
Posted by Mary at 09:09 AM CST
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
My husband had a great aunt that his family referred to as Auntie, Aunt Jenny, AND Aunt Janie interchangeably. I always thought it was different. When I asked him why they did this, he said he had no idea it was just the way it was. Well, I have been confused over here about the various names they use for glass houses. There are so many! There is the hothouse, conservatory, greenhouse, orangery, and finally the Palm House (which I think I understand). I thought I would research this to see if I could find something that would define the function of each glass house.
I am quoting from a site describing the glass houses at the Kew Gardens.
“Several of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens—also know as green houses, plant houses or hothouses…” This sounds as confusing as the names for my husband’s aunt! Maybe I am the weird one. By the way, the Kew Gardens are a must see if you come to England.
Posted by Mary at 11:54 AM CST
Monday, May 19, 2008
I love the 19th century British caricatures. Over time my husband and I have amassed a huge collection of them rather unintentionally. When we started buying them they were delightful, yet inexpensive. In fact, they were cheap! I realize nothing stays the same, but I haven’t even found any caricatures here this time. I decided to see if I could find any online and, I did! It is a fabulous site.
http://www.gjsaville-caricatures.co.uk
As I looked though the collection of caricatures, I found the one pictured above. It is just so classic I had to post it. Notice the sampler on the back wall! Beneath the picture it reads, “Farmer Giles and his wife shewing off their daughter Betty to their Neighbors on her return from schools.” Isn’t it wonderful? When you go to the site, look under the James Gillray caricatures and scroll down. It is at the bottom of the page. The first thing that might hit you is the price...I wish I had bought more caricatures when they were inexpensive!
Posted by Mary at 05:56 AM CST
Friday, May 16, 2008
Next to country houses, my favorite places to visit here are pubs. If I could, I would love to produce a stylebook entitled “Pub Style.” I would put The Eagle at the top of my list. It is a pub in Cambridge that I mentioned when we were here in 2005. It is full of World War II memorabilia in one of the rooms, but there are multiple rooms in the pub. One room has old stripped pine paneling with numerous prints, paintings, plates and other stuff. I think what I love about The Eagle is that it feels very personal. It seems as though many people have added their touch to make it the cozy fabulous place it is today. There is no hint of a decorator imposing a certain look. Actually, what I find sad is the wonderful old pubs that have become decorator decorated and pared down, which to me, seems to be code for antiseptic and very uninteresting. Don’t you think that would be a fun book? I would love to travel around and discover more pub style. I think it could be very inspiring decoratively.
Posted by Mary at 05:35 AM CST
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Since we have been having such wonderful weather recently, I have noticed something very interesting. There are people walking all over the grass! They are ignoring all the signs of warning not to step on the grass. I had to find out why. What I discovered was it is OK to step on the grass if you are a member of that particular college. So my husband and I could go have a picnic at St. John’s without fear of the grass police chasing us away. In fact, Prince Charles landed his helicopter on the Trinity lawn when he was a student here. The picture above is part of Trinity College. His father, Prince Philip, on the other hand was not permitted to land his helicopter on the Trinity lawn because he was not a “Trinity man.” It just makes you feel all special if you can walk on the grass!
Posted by Mary at 12:26 PM CST
Monday, May 12, 2008
The fragrant aroma from the wisteria that seems to cover every college building in Cambridge is so delightful it just makes me want to stop and do nothing but smell the flowers! Actually, I think my husband and I saw every wisteria vine in town this past weekend. A couple that lives in Cambridge invited us for dinner. We said we would just walk to their flat since the weather has been so perfect. They sent us a detailed email with walking directions. As we started out we were supposed to walk across a green. I questioned my husband if this was the RIGHT green we were to cross as we forged ahead. He was very noncommittal. I should have known that was a red flag. While we knew the location of the major streets, it did turn out to be very significant which side of town you were on when you came to those streets. To make a long story short, we walked for an HOUR AND A HALF. I consider it a miracle that we ever found their house. After a lovely evening, our host gave us a ride home. I think I enjoy smelling the wisteria more when I know where I’m going.
Posted by Mary at 10:15 AM CST
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Every once in a while over the course of this year my husband would look outside and say to me, there is a baby deer in our garden. This seemed highly unlikely to me since we are so close to town. And, it was always a little deer that he saw...hmmm. Finally, the last time he saw this phantom animal, I asked him if the baby deer had it’s spots. He seemed confused by that question. I decided he was seeing things and it was probably a dog, or something. Then two days ago I saw this creature. It IS a tiny deer, with antlers even. He’s no bigger than some of the tall flowers. We watched in fascination as he moved through the garden doing what all deer do best, eating everything! He was awfully cute though. I found out that he is a muntjac deer. If you go to some of the country houses in England they often have large parks. It is not unusual to find deer, or other animals in the park that are not native to this country. Well, these muntjac deer are originally from China, but were brought over to Woburn Park (a beautiful country house) in the early 20th century. There have been escapes from the park as well as deliberate releases. Apparently now the muntjac population is growing all over the country. While they are cute, I hope they don’t make their way across the Atlantic. We have quite enough deer.
Posted by Mary at 08:50 AM CST
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I have a love hate relationship with cloisters. There is nothing more bone chilling and, frankly, depressing than walking through cloisters in the winter. The wind whips around making the already damp moist air feel as though you walked into a freezer that had a blowing fan inside it. On the other hand, the cloisters in the warm weather are delightful to walk though because not only does it usually frame a beautiful garden, but also it shades you from the heat.
There are cloisters framing many gardens at the colleges here in Cambridge. Since our friend has been visiting us, we have taken him through many of the college’s cloisters and gardens. He is a medical doctor in the States and he came over to get a little rest and relaxation. I think we wore him out looking at everything. One thing we did that I would highly recommend that you do if you come to Cambridge (and have the time) is the two-hour walking tour. While it was approximately $20.00 a person, it really provides you with a lot of great ancient history about the town. Here is the link to the tourist information center:http://www.visitcambridge.org
Posted by Mary at 12:14 PM CST
Monday, May 5, 2008
We have a friend visiting us from the States for a few days. He is an avid gardener. We suggested he come in May because the gardens would just be beginning to come to life. If you ever are in Cambridge in May, it is worth the price the colleges charge to see their amazing dining halls, attend evensong in their chapels, and view their gardens. My favorite college garden is Clare College’s gardens. To me, they are the most lovely. Not only are they beautiful, but idea inspiring as well.
Posted by Mary at 07:36 AM CST
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Now that we have been rain-free for almost twenty-four hours, I have noticed that the croquet sets are up and the badminton sets are out. I think the recent history of badminton is interesting. While it is believed that “badminton” is an ancient game originally from Greece, various forms of the game had been played all over Europe since the 17th century. One of the games that children played in England called shuttle-cock was basically badminton without the net. It was the Duke of Beaufort of Badminton House that gave the game its modern name. While Badminton House is known mainly for horse trials and foxhunts, its name has been made famous by badminton. The Duke introduced it to his guests at a lawn party as the Badminton game. In the 1870s, the first rules were written down. Badminton was granted Olympic status for the 1992 games. I am so glad he refined the game. I have always enjoyed playing badminton.
Posted by Mary at 05:59 AM CST
Thursday, May 1, 2008
This is the hall at Peter House. It is the oldest college at Cambridge. Compare this hall with the picture of St. Johns College hall below. This hall is much smaller and more intimate. Read below about dining in hall.
Each of the colleges at Cambridge (and Oxford) has a formal dining hall. They have a similar look and yet I think each is very distinct. My husband’s college is St. Johns College, pictured above. Thirty years ago when I first saw the hall I was in awe. Actually, these halls have now been made well known through movies such as Chariots of Fire and Harry Potter. To dine in hall is quite an experience. All of the students wear their academic robes, as do the fellows of the college. I think the customs that are followed before and after each dinner have been set in stone for hundreds of years. The way the dinner begins is with the fellows of the college marching in from another room. They go to the "high table," then there is a gong, followed by a Latin prayer. High table is usually a step above the rest of the dining hall and is situated at the front of the hall. After a student rattles off (usually in record speed) the Latin prayer, then everyone sits down to be served the meal. At the end of dinner (or rather when the fellows are finished), there is another gong, everyone stands, another Latin prayer is said, and the fellows return to another beautiful room for their port. Usually the students stay a little longer, but then it is over. I have always enjoyed dining in hall. It is a wonderful tradition that is such a part of Cambridge. In a world where there is now so much sameness, it is nice to experience something uniquely British.
Posted by Mary at 08:30 AM CST
