Merry Christmas, everyone!! Father Christmas will be hopefully coming to our home soon! We spent Christmas Eve with some friends-they had us over for "nibbles", and then we all went to a crib-side service-in a Church that's been around since the 1300s, and there is a listing of all the priests since that time. The history here is just unbelievable. We then came home, and Gregg made his traditional dinner, and we watched some Christmas programs. And everyone has visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, and I am in my kerchief, er, pjs, ready to settle down for a long winter's nap.
I continue to do the trip planning/itinerary, as we will be leaving on Wed the 26th on our big adventure. No, it's not to a warm place, though that sure would be nice. We are really trying to take advantage of our move, and see/do as much as possible, without going broke or mad. Therefore, we will be embarking on a Scandinavian capitals tour. We leave the 26th from Manchester, fly into Copenhagen, Denmark, where we will stay for two evenings. The following evening, we will be taking an overnight ferry to Oslo, Norway, where we will spend another two nights. The next day, New Year's Eve, we will be taking a train from Oslo to Stockholm, Sweden, where we will stay three evenings. The following evening, we will take another overnight ferry to Helsinki, Finland, where we'll spend the final two evenings of our trip. The following day we return home (Manchester) from Helsinki. Lots of planning and coordination involved-how to get to hotels, what activities are open, what hours, and how to get there, where are there decent places to eat, how to get there..... etc. I'm sure we'll run into a few hiccups, but really trying to get as much planned now as I can. Takes more planning than you'd think. It's an independent tour, meaning we procured our flights to/from Manchester, and have planned all of our activities. A tour company has arranged inter-city transfers, and booked our hotels. Otherwise, we've done the planning, which really gives us the freedom to move at our own pace (important with the kids), as well as tailor the excursions/sight-seeing to what we are interested in. We are really looking forward to it. When we return, Christmas vacation will be over for W/N, and J will have only one more day off.
There will most likely be no blog-posting during our excursion, but I will blog about it in chunks when we return, and will include pics too. Don't want to alarm anyone when there's not a post for awhile!
Best wishes to everyone for a very, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year of 2013. Let us know what you all did for your holidays.
Lots of Love-
Lori and the Family
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
O Christmas Tree...
I haven't posted of late, as we have not been up to too much, other than holiday preparations, and planning for our holiday. (No, it's not to France, or to the south of Spain or Italy.) G was stateside for a visit, and the kids and I did not do much, other than see Father Christmas at Speke Hall (previous posts). The day G returned, we purchased our Christmas tree that we'll be using for the next 3 years. In the past, we've always went to a tree farm and cut our own. We decided to go with an artificial tree here, as most likely it will be me setting up the tree each year while G is in the US (G will be returning to the States each year roughly about this time). It is different than our artificial (kids) tree we had in the US, and maybe a bit smaller-not sure on that one. We put red lights on it, rather than the usual white. More of a kids' tree than a adult tree, as far as decorations go, but it'll work.
One thing Christmas related is the decorations here. Not a lot of people put outdoor lights up. Maybe one house for an entire block. Another observation: I had to laugh to myself today at a sign that read, "Chester shops open late til 8:00pm for shopping." How very different than in the States where stores all stay open til midnight, or even 24 hours. Really, how many people go shopping that late anyway? Is it worth what it costs to pay the employees, lights, heat, etc..? Another observation is the Christmas cards. In the US, most families send out a photo card. Here, not so much. And, the kids write them out to every kid in their class, just as we do at Valentine's Day. There are much smaller cards available (about the size of a kid's Valentine, actually), so it is economical. Rumor has it they don't really send Valentine's to classmates.
One final observation. Today the temp is 43. We drive to school, and home from school in the dark-at least to/from J's bus stop. Today's sunrise: 8:22am, and sunset is at 3:54pm. There's not much "sun" during the day either, but at least there is light. Soon this will be starting to reverse. One way to notice that we are farther North.
So today, a few simple observations, in the absence of anything exciting to post. Have a good week, everyone, and keep up the wrapping!
One thing Christmas related is the decorations here. Not a lot of people put outdoor lights up. Maybe one house for an entire block. Another observation: I had to laugh to myself today at a sign that read, "Chester shops open late til 8:00pm for shopping." How very different than in the States where stores all stay open til midnight, or even 24 hours. Really, how many people go shopping that late anyway? Is it worth what it costs to pay the employees, lights, heat, etc..? Another observation is the Christmas cards. In the US, most families send out a photo card. Here, not so much. And, the kids write them out to every kid in their class, just as we do at Valentine's Day. There are much smaller cards available (about the size of a kid's Valentine, actually), so it is economical. Rumor has it they don't really send Valentine's to classmates.
One final observation. Today the temp is 43. We drive to school, and home from school in the dark-at least to/from J's bus stop. Today's sunrise: 8:22am, and sunset is at 3:54pm. There's not much "sun" during the day either, but at least there is light. Soon this will be starting to reverse. One way to notice that we are farther North.
So today, a few simple observations, in the absence of anything exciting to post. Have a good week, everyone, and keep up the wrapping!
Friday, 7 December 2012
Speke Hall
As Weston previously posted, last Saturday we went to Speke Hall, which is a Tudor mansion. Speke Hall is a National Trust property, meaning we get in free, as we are members of the National Trust. There is a yearly fee (not sure what it is, maybe 100 pounds??), and for that fee you receive free admit to most properties (there are a lot). There is also a magazine that comes, and newsletters. Most of the Trust properties are pretty kid-friendly, and the tour guides do well to entertain them, and most sites also have a playground. Some also have the children's "quiz" for them to complete as they go from exhibit to exhibit, to keep them involved.
A lot of the properties have special Christmas doings. Speke Hall was to have a Victorian Christmas Weekend-traditional Victorian decorations, music, storytelling, crafts, SANTA..... And it is pretty close to us (30-35 minutes). It is very near John Lennon Airport, on the outskirts of Liverpool.
Half the fun is getting there, right? Apparently so for the kids, as they seemed to enjoy the bridge. We did see Santa, and Weston had already mailed Santa a gift with his list, so he didn't have a list, but Nolan did have one. We then went on to explore the mansion.
Speke Hall was built in the 1500s, during the Tudor reign, and you can see the house was designed in the Tudor fashion.
The Tudors started their reign with Henry VII, then the infamous Henry VIII (with all the wives), who was Protestant, and so got rid of Catholic monasteries, even though he still worshipped as a Catholic. His son, the boy king, Edward was next, and he also was Protestant. He's the one on the throne from age 9-16 when he died of Tb. Next came Mary I, who was Catholic, so she reinstated the Pope. She ended up with the nickname Bloody Mary, as she had a lot of Protestants beheaded. After her was Elizabeth I, who had the country revert to Protestant again. This ends the Tudor period. You had to follow the religion of the ruler, or risk your life. Which explains why in the courtyard of the house, there was an eavesdropping hole, so they could listen to conversations, to see if they were going to try to capture the priests that the Norris family owning Speke Hall hid. I've been brushing up on my English history a bit.
There was also a spy hole upstairs, so the family could see if a "priest hunter" was approaching and they had to hide the priest. There was a priest's bedroom, but when people came, he had to hide. To the left of the fireplace in his bedroom was a secret panel, that when opened revealed a ladder that went up to a secret area for the priest to hide. The rooms were all decorated for Christmas, and the tree was just beautiful.
There were also various activities you could participate in, including making pomanders, or making sugar mice.
When we were through touring the house, we went outdoors. They had a large (probably 1 acre) maze made with various gates, hedges, staircases, etc. Kids had fun finding their way about to the end.
This house was rather neat. Not just a mansion, but intriguing with the spy aspect. And the decor was very festive. A fine afternoon.
A lot of the properties have special Christmas doings. Speke Hall was to have a Victorian Christmas Weekend-traditional Victorian decorations, music, storytelling, crafts, SANTA..... And it is pretty close to us (30-35 minutes). It is very near John Lennon Airport, on the outskirts of Liverpool.
Half the fun is getting there, right? Apparently so for the kids, as they seemed to enjoy the bridge. We did see Santa, and Weston had already mailed Santa a gift with his list, so he didn't have a list, but Nolan did have one. We then went on to explore the mansion.
Speke Hall was built in the 1500s, during the Tudor reign, and you can see the house was designed in the Tudor fashion.
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| Kids in front of Speke Hall |
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| You can see most of the mansion from here. There were various outbuildings as well, all beautifully done in the Tudor style. |
The Tudors started their reign with Henry VII, then the infamous Henry VIII (with all the wives), who was Protestant, and so got rid of Catholic monasteries, even though he still worshipped as a Catholic. His son, the boy king, Edward was next, and he also was Protestant. He's the one on the throne from age 9-16 when he died of Tb. Next came Mary I, who was Catholic, so she reinstated the Pope. She ended up with the nickname Bloody Mary, as she had a lot of Protestants beheaded. After her was Elizabeth I, who had the country revert to Protestant again. This ends the Tudor period. You had to follow the religion of the ruler, or risk your life. Which explains why in the courtyard of the house, there was an eavesdropping hole, so they could listen to conversations, to see if they were going to try to capture the priests that the Norris family owning Speke Hall hid. I've been brushing up on my English history a bit.
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| Can you see the eavesdropping hole? |
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| Explanation of the eavesdropping hole |
There was also a spy hole upstairs, so the family could see if a "priest hunter" was approaching and they had to hide the priest. There was a priest's bedroom, but when people came, he had to hide. To the left of the fireplace in his bedroom was a secret panel, that when opened revealed a ladder that went up to a secret area for the priest to hide. The rooms were all decorated for Christmas, and the tree was just beautiful.
There were also various activities you could participate in, including making pomanders, or making sugar mice.
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| Sugar mice made from icing--fondant/marzipam?? |
When we were through touring the house, we went outdoors. They had a large (probably 1 acre) maze made with various gates, hedges, staircases, etc. Kids had fun finding their way about to the end.
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| A poor shot of the outdoor maze with a blur of 2 kids in it. |
This house was rather neat. Not just a mansion, but intriguing with the spy aspect. And the decor was very festive. A fine afternoon.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Weston's 2nd blog
Hi! This is Weston speaking! Last weekend I went to speke hall, it was a very old house. (It was big.)
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| When we were geting there we saw a really cool brige. Here it is! |
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| When we were in it, this is what it looked like! |
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| When we were in it, we also saw a cool castle on the side! |
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| We whent to see santa, Nolan had a Christmas list but I did'nt because I had two lists coming to the North pole. I am sorry that it is a bit blurry, you can see my mum (if you want) because SHE TOOK THE PICTURE!!!! |
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| Here is a picture of the house, if you look in the corrner you can see the enterance to the house. |
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| This is the top of the house, look closely do you see the head with a huge crown? |
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| This is the (grand) door. The little thing is a little door and there is a big door if look closely you can see the big door. |
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| First (after entering the real house) we whent to the cortyard. There they had lots of little things you can read. |
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| This is the eavesdropping hole place. If you look above the 2nd window, you can see a little hole, this is were the servents would hear out this hole. |
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| When we were finished we did a maze, it was hard but we got though without getting lost. This is a picture of me and Jaymeson. (Beating the maze.) |
Music
On Dec 19, J has his end of term Carol Service at the Chester Cathedral. The school day formally ends at 3:50 per usual, and the Carol Service begins at 6:30 in the Cathedral. Attendance at the Carol Service is compulsory for all students: term ends once the service is over. I'd invite you all, but entrance is per ticket only, and each family is allotted 2 tickets. (So we need to get a sitter? Or only one of us in attendance. Actually, G may be in Italy that evening.) The entire school will be there-Junior and Senior School, which is appox 1000 kids. Now the cathdral is smack-dab in the center of Chester. I should mention that the Cathedral is hosting another event later that evening, so we've been asked to be as prompt as possible with exiting. I can not wait to see the fun with parking and maneuvering about. Good things there's carols, to keep everyone in the Christmas spirit!
Meanwhile, Key Stage 1 kids are singing "Sing the Christmas Story" at the Chester Cathedral today. Key Stage 1 encompasses Reception, Year 1, and Year 2; equivalent to our 4K, 5K, and 1st grade. N is in Yr 2. They will be joined by many other schools in the area to sing carols and listen to the Christmas story.
Not to be left out, in January, those in Yr 3 and Yr 4, equivalent to our grades 2-3, will be taking part in Young Voices Live. W is in Yr 3. The kids will learn a number of songs, some with dance moves (junior jazzercise??), and attend a concert with children from other schools. This larger group of kids will then sing 'live' via satellite with the Young Voices choir and artists from the O2 Arena in London. Not sure what songs are all involved, but W's been singing "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction (he was singing this walking from school to the car), and "Without You" by David Guetta and Usher. This promises to be interesting. I'm looking forward to it.
Finally, and most importantly, we have encountered our first event that we'd really like to be home for. A friend and classmate of J's, mother was taken on Friday, and her funeral is today. She was 37. May she rest in peace.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Christmas Fair
Europe, particularly Germany, has wonderful Christmas Markets. Perhaps one year, we'll get to Germany for the Christmas Markets. There are various scales of these markets, and the quality of goods also varies. J's school even had a Christmas market a few weeks back that we attended. It was pretty good, with some decent area craftpeople.
Along the same vein, W and N's school had a Christmas Fair this past Friday evening. I wasn't really sure what it was all about, but various moms had told me to bring plenty of $$. I wasn't sure if that was for all the gifts I'd be buying, or all the things the kids would want, or all the food, or what I'd be spending all the $$ on.
The Headmistress was at the door with a basket, as admission was 1 pound/family. There were various booths selling things. The classes had made 2 crafts per child during school-one a Christmas bauble (what the English call an ornament) surrounded by foam with your child's photo in the middle (think Oriental Trading Post)-which you could purchase. Each year group also had another craft item the children had made-N's group made bookmarks, and W's group made keychains. These were for purchase as well. (There were also things for sale not made by children.) There was face painting, tattoos, food for sale, etc. When we reached the older year group's classroom, it was insane. All of the kids in that year group must have had to make up a holiday game, and run it. So there was homemade tabletop bowling-with Santa and penguin bowling pins, a homemade pinball game, suck the stryofoam "snowflakes" up with a straw from one bowl and release into a second bowl (there was a father doing this game repeatedly-he was very good at it!), snowball ringtoss, pin the snowball on Santa's hat, roll the snowball down the chute, guess the stuffed penguin's name etc, etc. Lots of creativity. And of course, there were fees involved with the games. Each one had a 3 tiered pricing approach (must've been a requirement)--1 go for 20pence, 2 goes for 40 pence, or 5 goes for 80 pence. The child running the game was collecting the money, it was very loud and chaotic. Of course, I had 2 kids wanting to play all the games-N only wanted one go at most of the games, but W was more into them. (J did not want to play.) This added another element of maths to the kids running the games. Kids got various awards of candy-we came home with so much!! Some of the games were unmanned, as the game's developer had wandered off. You could also visit Santa (Father Christmas) if you'd signed up for a time slot, and paid the fee, ahead of time, which I had not. I wanted to see how authentic it was first. So I figured out why I needed to bring lots of $$.
Most schools do not have the large scale fundraisers that schools do in the US. We come from a school that had 2 major fundraisers each year-the Haunted House, and the Dinner Auction-as well as many minor fundraisers. I have heard of school carnivals-I guess that's essentially what this Christmas Fair was. This school is a state school-similar to our public schools-which is most likely why there is not the level of fundraising that I am accustomed to in the States. J attends the US equivalent of a private school, and there have been no fundraising events that I'm aware of (although at the rate tuition is, they shouldn't need to fundraise!). I guess school funding is looked at differently here.
On Saturday (yesterday), we went to see Father Christmas. There is a guest blogger who would like to tell about this. If he has time this week, (around homework and playtime!), he will be posting. Otherwise, I'll be doing the post. Stay tuned!!
Along the same vein, W and N's school had a Christmas Fair this past Friday evening. I wasn't really sure what it was all about, but various moms had told me to bring plenty of $$. I wasn't sure if that was for all the gifts I'd be buying, or all the things the kids would want, or all the food, or what I'd be spending all the $$ on.
The Headmistress was at the door with a basket, as admission was 1 pound/family. There were various booths selling things. The classes had made 2 crafts per child during school-one a Christmas bauble (what the English call an ornament) surrounded by foam with your child's photo in the middle (think Oriental Trading Post)-which you could purchase. Each year group also had another craft item the children had made-N's group made bookmarks, and W's group made keychains. These were for purchase as well. (There were also things for sale not made by children.) There was face painting, tattoos, food for sale, etc. When we reached the older year group's classroom, it was insane. All of the kids in that year group must have had to make up a holiday game, and run it. So there was homemade tabletop bowling-with Santa and penguin bowling pins, a homemade pinball game, suck the stryofoam "snowflakes" up with a straw from one bowl and release into a second bowl (there was a father doing this game repeatedly-he was very good at it!), snowball ringtoss, pin the snowball on Santa's hat, roll the snowball down the chute, guess the stuffed penguin's name etc, etc. Lots of creativity. And of course, there were fees involved with the games. Each one had a 3 tiered pricing approach (must've been a requirement)--1 go for 20pence, 2 goes for 40 pence, or 5 goes for 80 pence. The child running the game was collecting the money, it was very loud and chaotic. Of course, I had 2 kids wanting to play all the games-N only wanted one go at most of the games, but W was more into them. (J did not want to play.) This added another element of maths to the kids running the games. Kids got various awards of candy-we came home with so much!! Some of the games were unmanned, as the game's developer had wandered off. You could also visit Santa (Father Christmas) if you'd signed up for a time slot, and paid the fee, ahead of time, which I had not. I wanted to see how authentic it was first. So I figured out why I needed to bring lots of $$.
Most schools do not have the large scale fundraisers that schools do in the US. We come from a school that had 2 major fundraisers each year-the Haunted House, and the Dinner Auction-as well as many minor fundraisers. I have heard of school carnivals-I guess that's essentially what this Christmas Fair was. This school is a state school-similar to our public schools-which is most likely why there is not the level of fundraising that I am accustomed to in the States. J attends the US equivalent of a private school, and there have been no fundraising events that I'm aware of (although at the rate tuition is, they shouldn't need to fundraise!). I guess school funding is looked at differently here.
On Saturday (yesterday), we went to see Father Christmas. There is a guest blogger who would like to tell about this. If he has time this week, (around homework and playtime!), he will be posting. Otherwise, I'll be doing the post. Stay tuned!!
Belated Thanksgiving entry
There are many questions about Thanksgiving. Does the UK celebrate it? Did we? Do we still go to school/work on Thursday? What did you eat? Following, is a entry about our Thanksgiving, 2012.
First of all, the UK does not celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a recollection of the first people here (from the UK), to settle in the New World. They were developing the 13 colonies...... and they landed at Plymouth Rock. The UK does not have a holiday this day--its just a "regular" day for them. We are Americans and wanted to celebrate, but as we are living in the UK, we needed to do as they do here. Meaning go to work/school like any other day. All of the radio and TV stations mentioned it all day long, and people were asking me about it. I even got a Happy Thanksgiving text from an English person!! No, we did not even have turkey for dinner that night (don't even recall what we did have that evening). We did skype with our immediate families.
However, on the Sunday following Thanksgiving (11-25), we did get together with another American family, and we had the Thanksgiving feast, complete with football on the telly. However, instead of having turkey, we had chicken cushions. Chicken breasts wrapped around stuffing/dressing and sausage, wrapped in bacon. The were very delish. We had all the other things too-mashed potato, sweet potato, dressing, gravy, vegetables, assorted salads, cranberries, and apple and pumpkin pies. We were very full, just like an American Thanksgiving.
That was our 2012 Thanksgiving. For our first holiday here (didn't count Labor Day or Halloween) it was very enjoyable. The kids did miss the Macy's parade, and all the craziness of the preparations beforehand (really? you miss that??), and people at our house, but I think they enjoyed themselves on Sunday also. They did not have a lot of time to reflect back on previous Thanksgivings, as they had to get out the door to school on Thanksgiving. Probably better that way.
First of all, the UK does not celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a recollection of the first people here (from the UK), to settle in the New World. They were developing the 13 colonies...... and they landed at Plymouth Rock. The UK does not have a holiday this day--its just a "regular" day for them. We are Americans and wanted to celebrate, but as we are living in the UK, we needed to do as they do here. Meaning go to work/school like any other day. All of the radio and TV stations mentioned it all day long, and people were asking me about it. I even got a Happy Thanksgiving text from an English person!! No, we did not even have turkey for dinner that night (don't even recall what we did have that evening). We did skype with our immediate families.
However, on the Sunday following Thanksgiving (11-25), we did get together with another American family, and we had the Thanksgiving feast, complete with football on the telly. However, instead of having turkey, we had chicken cushions. Chicken breasts wrapped around stuffing/dressing and sausage, wrapped in bacon. The were very delish. We had all the other things too-mashed potato, sweet potato, dressing, gravy, vegetables, assorted salads, cranberries, and apple and pumpkin pies. We were very full, just like an American Thanksgiving.
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| Chicken cushion-got a little crispy at that one part...you'll have that. |
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| Center of the cushion |
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
French dressing, and the Sandstone Trail
I know most of you are preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Sunday with another American family. Thursday/Thanksgiving Day is just another day here. I am preparing my grocery list. I have learned that when in doubt, best check the Sainsbury's web site (grocery store we frequent, along with Aldi) to see if they have an ingredient for a particular recipe. I have learned that cranberries are hard to come by. Regular powdered jello, Cool Whip, French's French fried onions for the green bean casserole, and canned pumpkin, among other things, are also not available. Rumor has it they have jarred cranberries here, I suppose similar to our canned? (Many things that come in plastic jars--mayo, syrup, etc come in glass jars here.) For jello, they have these blocks of jelly that you dissolve. Available in a rather limited 3-4 flavors, but not the same as Jell-O. They also call jello, jelly. And jelly is jam. Yes, I know you can cook a pumpkin and puree it. Just haven't taken the time to do so.
I thought some of you might find that tidbit interesting.
We are also in the midst of planning our term holiday. (Kids complete first term of 3 at Christmas break.) We are not returning to the US this term break. If all works out, it should be a super-duper holiday. A gold star will be awarded to the ones who can figure out where we're going.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
We went hinking on the Sandstone Trail this past weekend. Very nice. Got some nice pics of the kids. One or two even made it onto the xmas card. Beautiful setting.
The Sandstone Trail is a 30 mile trail that travels through various towns. There is a lot of sandstone through here, hence the name. Being 30 miles, there are several different portions of the trail. We did a shorter one.
I thought some of you might find that tidbit interesting.
We are also in the midst of planning our term holiday. (Kids complete first term of 3 at Christmas break.) We are not returning to the US this term break. If all works out, it should be a super-duper holiday. A gold star will be awarded to the ones who can figure out where we're going.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
We went hinking on the Sandstone Trail this past weekend. Very nice. Got some nice pics of the kids. One or two even made it onto the xmas card. Beautiful setting.
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| A marker for the Sandstone Trail in Frodsham. J is not in pain, as he appears to be. The sun was shining brightly at him and blinding him.
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| J standing by a telephone/stamp dispensing/mail collection booth. And you thought it was just a phone booth! |
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| Historical description of the phone booth/stamp dispenser/mail collection booth J is standing beside in previous picture. |
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| View to the west of Frodsham from a vantage above the city. We reached this point by walking on the Sandstone Trail. |
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| View of Frodsham |
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| Monument to those who gave their lives in the Great War, and WWII. Poppies and poppy wreaths and various markers memorializing Remembrance Day, known as Veterans Day in the US. This spire stands high above the city, and is very visible. |
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| Kids standing by one of the cliffs with forced smiles. They did enjoy themselves, just are not good at posing. This trail is very "woodsy", and there is LOTS of mud. Up to our ankles in many spots. Always wear your wellies! |
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| J did not do the carving into the cliffs here, but he was very happy to find that his initials had been carved into the sandstone for all to see. |
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| N by one of the cliffs. |
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| W hanging out in a tree. |
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| J will not be outdone by his bro, now will he? |
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| Apparently W thinks he is a koala! |
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| A lot of the trail went right along ridges/cliffs. No fences, so when you are trying to dodge the mud and straddle the path, be careful you don't go over the edge! Will you get over already?? Reminds me of another time we were at the edge of a cliff in mud. Will blog about that at a later time. All's well that ends well. This time there is no lake below, and lots of trees to slow your descent. |
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| Break time. |
Picture of N-wish his smile would have been more natural. |
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Dee Bee
After nearly two months of crazy commuting, Jaymeson is now taking public transport to school. J's school is approximately 20 minutes south of our home. W and N's school is about 7 minutes west of our home. We would drop J off first, as he could go to the school's library before school opened. I was doing some pretty major driving-leaving for the school run at 7:50, and getting home after 9am. Solid driving. And repeating it all in reverse at the end of the day. Not to mention the amount of petrol I was consuming and paying for.
This is why I was quite upset when I found out you had to pay for audio books at the libraries here (they call them "talking books"). When you're driving all around the countryside, it's nice to be able to put a children's audio book on once in awhile, or even for me to be able to listen to an adult book when there are no kids in the car. Lucky for me, we are here in the 21st century. My local techie (J), got me set up with audible (from Amazon-an audio books club), and I can play my audiobooks over my car speakers from my iphone. Very happy.
Because there are so many schools, most of them are neighborhood or village schools, and the majority of kids are walked to school. Many come home to eat lunch. There are no yellow school buses. I have seen one, and one only. (Heck, I've seen a mom pick her kid up from W/N's school on a horse-twice now.) For high schools, which there are fewer of, kids again walk, or ride public transport, or are driven to school (kids don't get their license to drive until 18 here, so kids don't drive themselves to school). Otherwise, there are coach buses chartered, and a small sign is put on the rear window to indicate that it is carrying kids. Kinda like those baby-on-board signs they used to have. The parents' association at J's school have worked with a few bus companies, and there are coaches that travel to/from J's school from Wales and other areas, but, unfortunately, not any area near where we are living.
We looked into all kinds of transport options. Most public buses had J doing a change or 2 of buses downtown, on different lines (so 2 or more different tickets to purchase). Finally, school must've contacted one of the bus companies, and now the Dee Bee comes to J's school. There is one bus that runs this particular route in the am, and once in the pm. Picks him up right at his school, and takes him right to the bus stop, which is approx 7 minutes east of our home. It sure beats all of the driving I was doing, and has halved my petrol budget.
The Dee Bee is a public transport bus, so it makes several stops, and stops at Kings' on school days only. It is bright yellow and black with a bee on it. The River Dee is the river that runs through Chester, so that's where the Dee comes in. Not sure about the whole bee thing, except its perhaps good for advertising? (Reminds me of Tatoo, saying, "da plane, da plane!". Dee Bee, Dee Bee!
J buys a special Kings' student pass, which is good for one week. It costs 6 pound, so about $9.60. So it is pricey this way too, but I still think we'll come out ahead compared to paying for petrol. And I'll reduce the wear/tear on my car. Also, although I am a SAHM, my time is worth something too. J rides the bus every morning, but I still need to pick him up on Wed and Thur evenings. (Wed is chess, Thur basketball.) And did I mention J got a phone out of the deal? So really unsure if we are coming out ahead, but you can't put a price on sanity, now can you? All of the kids here have phones-I'm assuming to contact parents as to when to pick them up? We saw no need, until we put him on a public transport bus. You just never know. When you're picking him up, all the kids are in front of school texting each other. CRAZY! J was quite pleased with this development, as he'd been begging for one since school began.
We leave home ~7:40 (keep in mind schools start at 9am), drop J off at the bus stop. As mentioned earlier, the bus stop is east of our home, and W/N's school is west of our home. So we essentially go right past our house to take W/N to school, but rather than unloading and reloading (remember, I said my time was worth something; so is my patience and tolerance level!), we drive right to W/N school, and get there approx 8:10. And we sit in the car and take turns doing our flashcards, and doing our guided reading for the day. At least we have a start on the evening's activities. Although we are actually leaving earlier then we did when I drove J to school, at least we are saving gas, and getting a head start on homework activities.
This is why I was quite upset when I found out you had to pay for audio books at the libraries here (they call them "talking books"). When you're driving all around the countryside, it's nice to be able to put a children's audio book on once in awhile, or even for me to be able to listen to an adult book when there are no kids in the car. Lucky for me, we are here in the 21st century. My local techie (J), got me set up with audible (from Amazon-an audio books club), and I can play my audiobooks over my car speakers from my iphone. Very happy.
Because there are so many schools, most of them are neighborhood or village schools, and the majority of kids are walked to school. Many come home to eat lunch. There are no yellow school buses. I have seen one, and one only. (Heck, I've seen a mom pick her kid up from W/N's school on a horse-twice now.) For high schools, which there are fewer of, kids again walk, or ride public transport, or are driven to school (kids don't get their license to drive until 18 here, so kids don't drive themselves to school). Otherwise, there are coach buses chartered, and a small sign is put on the rear window to indicate that it is carrying kids. Kinda like those baby-on-board signs they used to have. The parents' association at J's school have worked with a few bus companies, and there are coaches that travel to/from J's school from Wales and other areas, but, unfortunately, not any area near where we are living.
We looked into all kinds of transport options. Most public buses had J doing a change or 2 of buses downtown, on different lines (so 2 or more different tickets to purchase). Finally, school must've contacted one of the bus companies, and now the Dee Bee comes to J's school. There is one bus that runs this particular route in the am, and once in the pm. Picks him up right at his school, and takes him right to the bus stop, which is approx 7 minutes east of our home. It sure beats all of the driving I was doing, and has halved my petrol budget.
The Dee Bee is a public transport bus, so it makes several stops, and stops at Kings' on school days only. It is bright yellow and black with a bee on it. The River Dee is the river that runs through Chester, so that's where the Dee comes in. Not sure about the whole bee thing, except its perhaps good for advertising? (Reminds me of Tatoo, saying, "da plane, da plane!". Dee Bee, Dee Bee!
J buys a special Kings' student pass, which is good for one week. It costs 6 pound, so about $9.60. So it is pricey this way too, but I still think we'll come out ahead compared to paying for petrol. And I'll reduce the wear/tear on my car. Also, although I am a SAHM, my time is worth something too. J rides the bus every morning, but I still need to pick him up on Wed and Thur evenings. (Wed is chess, Thur basketball.) And did I mention J got a phone out of the deal? So really unsure if we are coming out ahead, but you can't put a price on sanity, now can you? All of the kids here have phones-I'm assuming to contact parents as to when to pick them up? We saw no need, until we put him on a public transport bus. You just never know. When you're picking him up, all the kids are in front of school texting each other. CRAZY! J was quite pleased with this development, as he'd been begging for one since school began.
We leave home ~7:40 (keep in mind schools start at 9am), drop J off at the bus stop. As mentioned earlier, the bus stop is east of our home, and W/N's school is west of our home. So we essentially go right past our house to take W/N to school, but rather than unloading and reloading (remember, I said my time was worth something; so is my patience and tolerance level!), we drive right to W/N school, and get there approx 8:10. And we sit in the car and take turns doing our flashcards, and doing our guided reading for the day. At least we have a start on the evening's activities. Although we are actually leaving earlier then we did when I drove J to school, at least we are saving gas, and getting a head start on homework activities.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
In Case You Were Wondering....
In case you were wondering, the Tooth Fairy does come to the UK. We have received positive confirmation from N. She distributes a gold British pound coin when you leave your tooth out in the evening.
N has lost his first two baby teeth, and looks a bit like our jack-o-lanterns did. W reports he has a loose tooth as well, but he's never been the aggressive tooth-wiggler, and has been known to leave a tooth dangling by a thread (sticking straight out!), rather than pull it out. Just can't bring himself to do it. Even with threats from the DDS himself!
So, for those of you curious, yes, the Tooth Fairy does visit in the UK, and N is happy to report she leaves lots of fairy and pixie dust behind. That I need to vacuum up. Darn those messy fairies anyway!
N has lost his first two baby teeth, and looks a bit like our jack-o-lanterns did. W reports he has a loose tooth as well, but he's never been the aggressive tooth-wiggler, and has been known to leave a tooth dangling by a thread (sticking straight out!), rather than pull it out. Just can't bring himself to do it. Even with threats from the DDS himself!
So, for those of you curious, yes, the Tooth Fairy does visit in the UK, and N is happy to report she leaves lots of fairy and pixie dust behind. That I need to vacuum up. Darn those messy fairies anyway!
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Weston's blog
Hi! This is Weston speaking. Last weekend I went to the lake district! I went to muncaster castle, in the parking lot I found the world's biggest leaf!
I also went to the world of Beatrix potter. Mom was crying! (She loves Beatrix potter.) We went to a mine! It had the world's hardest slate, I got a piece of it as a souvenir. After the mine trip we were coming down the road(almost a 1-lane road) and a big bus came up in front of us there was a wooden fence and below was a deep lake! We came up to the wooden fence and one part of it broke! And then onother! The top of it shifted and then the weel was on the support! And then sence so many cars were behind us, some pepole came out of there cars and helped us get out of the mess!
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| The world's biggest leaf and Weston |
I also went to the world of Beatrix potter. Mom was crying! (She loves Beatrix potter.) We went to a mine! It had the world's hardest slate, I got a piece of it as a souvenir. After the mine trip we were coming down the road(almost a 1-lane road) and a big bus came up in front of us there was a wooden fence and below was a deep lake! We came up to the wooden fence and one part of it broke! And then onother! The top of it shifted and then the weel was on the support! And then sence so many cars were behind us, some pepole came out of there cars and helped us get out of the mess!
Friday, 2 November 2012
Bonfire Day
Every country has a reason to have fireworks sometime throughout the year, right? Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night in the UK. It's 8pm on Friday, 2 November. Everywhere, they are shooting fireworks and having bonfires. (They need the bonfires to stay warm while watching fireworks outside in November-just kidding, but I bet it does help warm people up!)
The celebration has religious and political references. It is irreverently referred to as Anti-Christian Day. Not really anti-Christian, more anti-Catholic.
The following is taken from Wikipedia on the history of Guy Fawkes Night.
Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state. In the immediate aftermath of the arrest of Guy Fawkes, caught guarding a cache of explosives placed beneath the House of Lords, James's Council allowed the public to celebrate the king's survival with bonfires, so long as they were "without any danger or disorder", making 1605 the first year the plot's failure was celebrated. Days before the surviving conspirators were executed, in January 1606 Parliament passed the Observance of 5th November Act 1605, commonly known as the "Thanksgiving Act". It was proposed by a Puritan Member of Parliament, Edward Montagu, who suggested that the king's apparent deliverance by divine intervention deserved some measure of official recognition, and kept 5 November free as a day of thanksgiving while in theory making attendance at Church mandatory. A new form of service was also added to the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, for use on 5 November.
Little is known about the earliest celebrations. Canterbury celebrated 5 November 1607 with 106 pounds of gunpowder and 14 pounds of match, and three years later food and drink was provided for local dignitaries, as well as music, explosions and a parade by the local militia. Even less is known of how the occasion was first commemorated by the general public, although records indicate that in Protestant Dorchester a sermon was read, the church bells rung, and bonfires and fireworks lit.
According to historian and author Antonia Fraser, a study of the earliest sermons preached demonstrates an anti-Catholic concentration "mystical in its fervour". Delivering one of five 5 November sermons printed in A Mappe of Rome in 1612, Thomas Taylor spoke of the "generality of his [a papist's] cruelty," which had been "almost without bounds". Such messages were also spread in printed works like Francis Herring's Pietas Pontifica (republished in 1610 as Popish Piety), and John Rhode's A Brief Summe of the Treason intended against the King & State, which in 1606 sought to educate "the simple and ignorant ... that they be not seduced any longer by papists". By the 1620s the Fifth was honoured in market towns and villages across the country, though it was some years before it was commemorated throughout England. Gunpowder Treason Day, as it was then known, became the predominant English state commemoration. Some parishes made the day a festive occasion, with public drinking and solemn processions.{Public drinking and solemn processions? Do those two things really go together? I'm just saying.} Concerned though about James's pro-Spanish foreign policy, the decline of international Protestantism, and Catholicism in general, Protestant clergymen who recognised the day's significance called for more dignified and profound thanksgivings each 5 November.
What unity English Protestants had shared in 1606 began to fade when in 1625 James's son, the future Charles I, married the Catholic Henrietta Maria of France. Puritans reacted to the marriage by issuing a new prayer to warn against rebellion and Catholicism, and on 5 November that year, effigies of the pope and the devil were burnt, the earliest such report of this practice and the beginning of centuries of tradition. During Charles's reign Gunpowder Treason Day became increasingly partisan. Between 1629 and 1640 he ruled without Parliament, and he seemed to support Arminianism, regarded by Puritans like Henry Burton as a step toward Catholicism. By 1636, under the leadership of the Arminian Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud, the English church was trying to use 5 November to denounce all seditious practices, and not just popery. Puritans went on the defensive, some pressing for further reformation of the Church.
Bonfire Night, as it was occasionally known, assumed a new fervour during the events leading up to the English Interregnum. Although Royalists disputed their interpretations, Parliamentarians began to uncover or fear new Catholic plots. Preaching before the House of Commons on 5 November 1644, Charles Herle claimed that Papists were tunnelling "from Oxford, Rome, Hell, to Westminster, and there to blow up, if possible, the better foundations of your houses, their liberties and privileges". A display in 1647 at Lincoln's Inn Fields commemorated "God's great mercy in delivering this kingdom from the hellish plots of papists", and included fireballs burning in the water (symbolising a Catholic association with "infernal spirits") and fireboxes, their many rockets suggestive of "popish spirits coming from below" to enact plots against the king. Effigies of Fawkes and the pope were present, the latter represented by Pluto, Roman god of the underworld.
Following Charles I's execution in 1649, the country's new republican regime remained undecided on how to treat 5 November. Unlike the old system of religious feasts and State anniversaries, it survived, but as a celebration of parliamentary government and Protestantism, and not of monarchy. Commonly the day was still marked by bonfires and miniature explosives, but formal celebrations resumed only with the Restoration, when Charles II became king. Courtiers, High Anglicans and Tories followed the official line, that the event marked God's preservation of the English throne, but generally the celebrations became more diverse. By 1670 London apprentices had turned 5 November into a fire festival, attacking not only popery but also "sobriety and good order", demanding money from coach occupants for alcohol and bonfires. The burning of effigies, largely unknown to the Jacobeans, continued in 1673 when Charles's brother, the Duke of York, converted to Catholicism. In response, accompanied by a procession of about 1,000 people, the apprentices fired an effigy of the Whore of Babylon, bedecked with a range of papal symbols. Similar scenes occurred over the following few years. In 1677 elements of Queen Elizabeth's Accession Day celebration of 17 November were incorporated into the Fifth, with the burning of large bonfires, a large effigy of the pope—his belly filled with live cats "who squalled most hideously as soon as they felt the fire"—and two effigies of devils "whispering in his ear". Two years later, as the exclusion crisis was reaching its zenith, an observer noted the "many bonfires and burning of popes as has ever been seen". Violent scenes in 1682 forced London's militia into action, and to prevent any repetition the following year a proclamation was issued, banning bonfires and fireworks.
Fireworks were also banned under James II, who became king in 1685. Attempts by the government to tone down Gunpowder Treason Day celebrations were, however, largely unsuccessful, and some reacted to a ban on bonfires in London (born from a fear of more burnings of the pope's effigy) by placing candles in their windows, "as a witness against Catholicism". When James was deposed in 1688 by William of Orange—who importantly, landed in England on 5 November—the day's events turned also to the celebration of freedom and religion, with elements of anti-Jacobitism. While the earlier ban on bonfires was politically motivated, a ban on fireworks was maintained for safety reasons, "much mischief having been done by squibs".
Organised entertainments also became popular in the late 19th century, and 20th-century pyrotechnic manufacturers renamed Guy Fawkes Day as Firework Night. Sales of fireworks dwindled somewhat during the First World War, but resumed in the following peace. At the start of the Second World War celebrations were again suspended, resuming in November 1945. For many families, Guy Fawkes Night became a domestic celebration, and children often congregated on street corners, accompanied by their own effigy of Guy Fawkes. This was sometimes ornately dressed and sometimes a barely-recognisable bundle of rags stuffed with whatever filling was suitable. A survey found that in 1981 about 23 percent of Sheffield schoolchildren made Guys, sometimes weeks before the event. Collecting money was a popular reason for their creation, the children taking their effigy from door to door, or displaying it on street corners. But mainly, they were built to go on the bonfire, itself sometimes comprising wood stolen from other pyres; "an acceptable convention" that helped bolster another November tradition, Mischief Night. Rival gangs competed to see who could build the largest, sometimes even burning the wood collected by their opponents; in 1954 the Yorkshire Post reported on fires late in September, a situation which forced the authorities to remove latent piles of wood for safety reasons. Lately, however, the custom of begging for a "penny for the Guy" has almost completely disappeared. In contrast, some older customs still survive; in Ottery St Mary men chase each other through the streets with lit tar barrels, and since 1679 Lewes has been the setting of some of England's most extravagant 5 November celebrations, the Lewes Bonfire.
Generally, modern 5 November celebrations are run by local charities and other organisations, with paid admission and controlled access. Author Martin Kettle, writing in The Guardian in 2003, bemoaned an "occasionally nannyish" attitude to fireworks which discourages people from holding firework displays in their back gardens, and an "unduly sensitive attitude" toward the anti-Catholic sentiment once so prominent on Guy Fawkes Night. David Cressy summarised the modern celebration with these words: "the rockets go higher and burn with more colour, but they have less and less to do with memories of the Fifth of November ... it might be observed that Guy Fawkes' Day is finally declining, having lost its connection with politics and religion. But we have heard that many times before."
The celebration has religious and political references. It is irreverently referred to as Anti-Christian Day. Not really anti-Christian, more anti-Catholic.
The following is taken from Wikipedia on the history of Guy Fawkes Night.
Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state. In the immediate aftermath of the arrest of Guy Fawkes, caught guarding a cache of explosives placed beneath the House of Lords, James's Council allowed the public to celebrate the king's survival with bonfires, so long as they were "without any danger or disorder", making 1605 the first year the plot's failure was celebrated. Days before the surviving conspirators were executed, in January 1606 Parliament passed the Observance of 5th November Act 1605, commonly known as the "Thanksgiving Act". It was proposed by a Puritan Member of Parliament, Edward Montagu, who suggested that the king's apparent deliverance by divine intervention deserved some measure of official recognition, and kept 5 November free as a day of thanksgiving while in theory making attendance at Church mandatory. A new form of service was also added to the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, for use on 5 November.
Little is known about the earliest celebrations. Canterbury celebrated 5 November 1607 with 106 pounds of gunpowder and 14 pounds of match, and three years later food and drink was provided for local dignitaries, as well as music, explosions and a parade by the local militia. Even less is known of how the occasion was first commemorated by the general public, although records indicate that in Protestant Dorchester a sermon was read, the church bells rung, and bonfires and fireworks lit.
According to historian and author Antonia Fraser, a study of the earliest sermons preached demonstrates an anti-Catholic concentration "mystical in its fervour". Delivering one of five 5 November sermons printed in A Mappe of Rome in 1612, Thomas Taylor spoke of the "generality of his [a papist's] cruelty," which had been "almost without bounds". Such messages were also spread in printed works like Francis Herring's Pietas Pontifica (republished in 1610 as Popish Piety), and John Rhode's A Brief Summe of the Treason intended against the King & State, which in 1606 sought to educate "the simple and ignorant ... that they be not seduced any longer by papists". By the 1620s the Fifth was honoured in market towns and villages across the country, though it was some years before it was commemorated throughout England. Gunpowder Treason Day, as it was then known, became the predominant English state commemoration. Some parishes made the day a festive occasion, with public drinking and solemn processions.{Public drinking and solemn processions? Do those two things really go together? I'm just saying.} Concerned though about James's pro-Spanish foreign policy, the decline of international Protestantism, and Catholicism in general, Protestant clergymen who recognised the day's significance called for more dignified and profound thanksgivings each 5 November.
What unity English Protestants had shared in 1606 began to fade when in 1625 James's son, the future Charles I, married the Catholic Henrietta Maria of France. Puritans reacted to the marriage by issuing a new prayer to warn against rebellion and Catholicism, and on 5 November that year, effigies of the pope and the devil were burnt, the earliest such report of this practice and the beginning of centuries of tradition. During Charles's reign Gunpowder Treason Day became increasingly partisan. Between 1629 and 1640 he ruled without Parliament, and he seemed to support Arminianism, regarded by Puritans like Henry Burton as a step toward Catholicism. By 1636, under the leadership of the Arminian Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud, the English church was trying to use 5 November to denounce all seditious practices, and not just popery. Puritans went on the defensive, some pressing for further reformation of the Church.
Following Charles I's execution in 1649, the country's new republican regime remained undecided on how to treat 5 November. Unlike the old system of religious feasts and State anniversaries, it survived, but as a celebration of parliamentary government and Protestantism, and not of monarchy. Commonly the day was still marked by bonfires and miniature explosives, but formal celebrations resumed only with the Restoration, when Charles II became king. Courtiers, High Anglicans and Tories followed the official line, that the event marked God's preservation of the English throne, but generally the celebrations became more diverse. By 1670 London apprentices had turned 5 November into a fire festival, attacking not only popery but also "sobriety and good order", demanding money from coach occupants for alcohol and bonfires. The burning of effigies, largely unknown to the Jacobeans, continued in 1673 when Charles's brother, the Duke of York, converted to Catholicism. In response, accompanied by a procession of about 1,000 people, the apprentices fired an effigy of the Whore of Babylon, bedecked with a range of papal symbols. Similar scenes occurred over the following few years. In 1677 elements of Queen Elizabeth's Accession Day celebration of 17 November were incorporated into the Fifth, with the burning of large bonfires, a large effigy of the pope—his belly filled with live cats "who squalled most hideously as soon as they felt the fire"—and two effigies of devils "whispering in his ear". Two years later, as the exclusion crisis was reaching its zenith, an observer noted the "many bonfires and burning of popes as has ever been seen". Violent scenes in 1682 forced London's militia into action, and to prevent any repetition the following year a proclamation was issued, banning bonfires and fireworks.
Fireworks were also banned under James II, who became king in 1685. Attempts by the government to tone down Gunpowder Treason Day celebrations were, however, largely unsuccessful, and some reacted to a ban on bonfires in London (born from a fear of more burnings of the pope's effigy) by placing candles in their windows, "as a witness against Catholicism". When James was deposed in 1688 by William of Orange—who importantly, landed in England on 5 November—the day's events turned also to the celebration of freedom and religion, with elements of anti-Jacobitism. While the earlier ban on bonfires was politically motivated, a ban on fireworks was maintained for safety reasons, "much mischief having been done by squibs".
Guy Fawkes Day
William's birthday fell on 4 November, and for orthodox Whigs the two days therefore became an important double anniversary. William ordered that the thanksgiving service for 5 November be amended to include thanks for his "happy arrival" and "the Deliverance of our Church and Nation". In the 1690s he re-established Protestant rule in Ireland, and the Fifth, occasionally marked by the ringing of church bells and civic dinners, was consequently eclipsed by his birthday commemorations. From the 19th century, 5 November celebrations there became sectarian in nature. Its celebration in Northern Ireland remains controversial, unlike in Scotland, where bonfires continue to be lit in various Caledonian cities. In England though, as one of 49 official holidays, for the ruling class 5 November became overshadowed by events such as the birthdays of Admiral Edward Vernon, or John Wilkes, and under George II and George III, with the exception of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, it was largely "a polite entertainment rather than an occasion for vitriolic thanksgiving". For the lower classes, however, the anniversary was a chance to pit disorder against order, a pretext for violence and uncontrolled revelry. At some point, for reasons that are unclear, it became customary to burn Guy Fawkes in effigy, rather than the pope. Gradually, Gunpowder Treason Day became Guy Fawkes Day. In 1790 The Times reported instances of children "...begging for money for Guy Faux", and a report of 4 November 1802 described how "a set of idle fellows ... with some horrid figure dressed up as a Guy Faux" were convicted of begging and receiving money, and committed to prison as "idle and disorderly persons". The Fifth became "a polysemous occasion, replete with polyvalent cross-referencing, meaning all things to all men". Lower class rioting continued, with reports in Lewes of annual rioting, intimidation of "respectable householders" and the rolling through the streets of lit tar barrels. In Guildford, gangs of revellers who called themselves "guys" terrorised the local population; proceedings were concerned more with the settling of old arguments and general mayhem, than any historical reminiscences. Similar problems arose in Exeter, originally the scene of more traditional celebrations. In 1831 an effigy was burnt of the new Bishop of Exeter Henry Phillpotts, a High Church Anglican and High Tory who opposed Parliamentary reform, and who was also suspected of being involved in "creeping popery". A local ban on fireworks in 1843 was largely ignored, and attempts by the authorities to suppress the celebrations resulted in violent protests and several injured constables.Generally, modern 5 November celebrations are run by local charities and other organisations, with paid admission and controlled access. Author Martin Kettle, writing in The Guardian in 2003, bemoaned an "occasionally nannyish" attitude to fireworks which discourages people from holding firework displays in their back gardens, and an "unduly sensitive attitude" toward the anti-Catholic sentiment once so prominent on Guy Fawkes Night. David Cressy summarised the modern celebration with these words: "the rockets go higher and burn with more colour, but they have less and less to do with memories of the Fifth of November ... it might be observed that Guy Fawkes' Day is finally declining, having lost its connection with politics and religion. But we have heard that many times before."
Nowadays, family bonfire gatherings are much less popular, and many once-large civic celebrations have been given up because of increasingly intrusive health and safety regulations. But 5 November has also been overtaken by a popular festival that barely existed when I was growing up, and that is Halloween ... Britain is not the Protestant nation it was when I was young: it is now a multi-faith society. And the Americanised Halloween is sweeping all before it—a vivid reminder of just how powerfully American culture and American consumerism can be transported across the Atlantic.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Hiking in Wales
Finally, a blog posting. We have just been busy with day-to-day life. Looks like I've not posted for a month now! Whew! It's been on my list a lot though! Thought I'd better post, before I need to post another!
Probably the most exciting thing we've done in the last month was to take a hike in Wales. There are TONS of walks and trails in Wales, and probably just as many books listing various trails. Books of trails in North Wales, South Wales, the coast, Snowdonia (which is a National Park, and has the peak Snowdon--creative, huh?), easy trails, circular trails, etc etc. You get the point. I have a book on trails that I found, Best Walks in North Wales, as that's the area we're closest to. They happen to be 28 circular trails that this particular author enjoyed.
We chose a trail on the Isle of Anglesey that was 5 miles long. (I wasn't sure how N would do, but you gotta try, right?) Getting to the town of Aberffraw was half the excitement. We passed through an underwater bridge to get to the island, and there was spectacular scenery on the drive, as we were driving through the foothills of the mountains.
We went through two tunnels through the sides of mountains. After we exited one of the tunnels, the view opened up in front of us-it was just so beautiful. The ocean to one side, and the mountains rising and cliffs on the other, and then, ohmygosh--is that a castle? Just unbelievable. I felt like we were in Hawaii again with all picturesque scenery, only there were no palm trees. And too many sheep.
We dressed in layers-you never know what the weather will be--rain, or just cloudy. We lucked out--it was probably 50 out, and the sun was shining, for the most part. We even got hot while we were walking, and had to shed a layer. We parked "by the old bridge". It looks like I imagine the bridge in Three Billy Goats Gruff to be.
The instructions were rather vague at times, but we managed. We passed through many kissing gates, now I know what those are, as well as stiles.
The trail was right along the coast, so there were a lot of panoramic views.There also was a tiny church on a small island from long ago.
We stopped and ate on some rocks, but had to keep moving, or we got cool.
The kids managed to get some shells. G used to go beach-combing along Lake Winnebago. The kids or he managed to find a part of a buoy that'd been washed ashore. Here is G with his find.
To return to our starting point, we had to go through several large fields.
One of them was through a pasture with cows in it. Now, the cows in our backyard always come mooing very loudly up to us in a big herd as soon as the cows hear us-luckily there is a fence. We were a bit nervous if these cows would do the same, and there was no fence to separate us. We walked along the edge of the field, trying to be quiet. Luckily, it was a very large field, and they did not charge at us.
The next field we had to cross had sheep in it-they seemed pretty harmless, except for one. There was probably 1-2 more fields to cross after that-they're larger fields than what we have in WI.
I am happy to report, that the kids managed fine. I almost think they enjoyed it! They were all a bit tired on the drive home.
Probably the most exciting thing we've done in the last month was to take a hike in Wales. There are TONS of walks and trails in Wales, and probably just as many books listing various trails. Books of trails in North Wales, South Wales, the coast, Snowdonia (which is a National Park, and has the peak Snowdon--creative, huh?), easy trails, circular trails, etc etc. You get the point. I have a book on trails that I found, Best Walks in North Wales, as that's the area we're closest to. They happen to be 28 circular trails that this particular author enjoyed.
We chose a trail on the Isle of Anglesey that was 5 miles long. (I wasn't sure how N would do, but you gotta try, right?) Getting to the town of Aberffraw was half the excitement. We passed through an underwater bridge to get to the island, and there was spectacular scenery on the drive, as we were driving through the foothills of the mountains.
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| Through the mountain |
We went through two tunnels through the sides of mountains. After we exited one of the tunnels, the view opened up in front of us-it was just so beautiful. The ocean to one side, and the mountains rising and cliffs on the other, and then, ohmygosh--is that a castle? Just unbelievable. I felt like we were in Hawaii again with all picturesque scenery, only there were no palm trees. And too many sheep.
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| Lots of sheep! |
We dressed in layers-you never know what the weather will be--rain, or just cloudy. We lucked out--it was probably 50 out, and the sun was shining, for the most part. We even got hot while we were walking, and had to shed a layer. We parked "by the old bridge". It looks like I imagine the bridge in Three Billy Goats Gruff to be.
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| No trolls under the bridge! |
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| Kissing gate to keep animals out of fields |
The instructions were rather vague at times, but we managed. We passed through many kissing gates, now I know what those are, as well as stiles.
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| Down the path |
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| Along the ocean |
The trail was right along the coast, so there were a lot of panoramic views.There also was a tiny church on a small island from long ago.
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| Kids walking down the trail |
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| Small church on island |
We stopped and ate on some rocks, but had to keep moving, or we got cool.
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| Ready to eat lunch |
The kids managed to get some shells. G used to go beach-combing along Lake Winnebago. The kids or he managed to find a part of a buoy that'd been washed ashore. Here is G with his find.
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| Look what I found! |
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| N looking through binoculars |
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| W and J climbing on rocks along shore |
To return to our starting point, we had to go through several large fields.
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| Large fields to traverse. J is in the lead (small dot), G and W or N (can't tell!) next, and finally W or N |
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| N crossing the field. One of my favorite pics |
One of them was through a pasture with cows in it. Now, the cows in our backyard always come mooing very loudly up to us in a big herd as soon as the cows hear us-luckily there is a fence. We were a bit nervous if these cows would do the same, and there was no fence to separate us. We walked along the edge of the field, trying to be quiet. Luckily, it was a very large field, and they did not charge at us.
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| Cows, and the small island church and ocean in background. |
The next field we had to cross had sheep in it-they seemed pretty harmless, except for one. There was probably 1-2 more fields to cross after that-they're larger fields than what we have in WI.
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| More sheep |
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| Apparently this sheep is a Packer fan. |
I am happy to report, that the kids managed fine. I almost think they enjoyed it! They were all a bit tired on the drive home.
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| On the way home from hiking. |
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