Stories
I love all things British – British history, British culture, British art, British way of life. Having lived here for over 30 years, I never stop admiring how great everything is about this country! This blog with reflect my adventures in everything around me that I love – from the Royal Family to local history, that I want to share with my friends – old and new.
Cheddar Gorge and Caves (and the cheese, of course!)
The little village of Cheddar gives its name to the world famous cheese and a spectacular gorge and caves that cuts through Mendip Hills in Somerset. Over a million years ago, during cold periods, the permafrost stopped water seeping through limestone, and when it got warmer, the water flowed
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
As you wander around Pound Lane, between Willesden Bus Garage and Roundwood Park, you cannot fail to see people dressed all in white going in and out of the imposing building of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. They go there to teach and to learn how to live a spiritual
A visit to the Yehudi Menuhin School
By the good fortune of Lilia’s music talent, we took part in the Open Day in the Yehudi Menuhin school in the village of Stoke d’Abernon in Surrey on 24 October 2017. In some respect, this is a typical English boarding school, but it is also a unique hub of
Potty Morris & Folk Festival
The weekend of 1 -2 July 2017 saw the little Norfolk Town of Sheringham bustling with folk dance performances. It all started in the 1990s, when the local Morris Dance group the Sheringham Lobster Potties started an annual festival with just a few visiting sides (a Morris dance group is
Sheringham
The sea side town of Sheringham lies in the middle of Norfolk coastline. Its story is typical for hundreds of coastal towns around the British shores. It is likely that there was a little fishing village there in the Anglo-Saxon times, and when the Vikings came to settle here in
Rhododendrons and Azaleas at Isobella Plantation in Richmond Park
In late spring one corner of the huge Richmond Park harbours an oasis of exotic blooms, which is the Isobella Plantation. This woodland park was created in the 1830s, when former Prime Minister Lord Sidmouth, then the Deputy Ranger of Richmond Park, wooded off a boggy corner of the park
Knebworth House and Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Knebworth is known far and wide for huge open air concerts of the rock starts we all know and love. Since 1974 the grounds hosted Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, the Beach Boys, Deep Purple, Eric Clapton, Elton John, to name but a few. The
Ralph Vaughan Williams and Leith Hill Place
St. George being the Patrol Saint of England, his day, 23rd April is duly marked by Classic FM (our favourite radio station) as the day for English composers. They have played lots of them, most hardly known to the general public. Apart from a handful, who are famous internationally, and
Jousting at Knebworth House
Going round stately homes on a fine holiday weekend you can come across Jousting – re-enactment of knights in colourful armour tackling each other on horseback. This has been a popular summer theatrical entertainment from 1970s. During Middle Ages jousting had a practical purpose – preparing knights (and their horses)
Camellias
March is the month of Camellias. I have three blooming in my garden. Chiswick House has 32 in the conservatory alone – home to the oldest collection of camellias under cover in England. Camellias come from Eastern and Southern Asia. Botanist Karl Linnaeus, who classified all our plants, named it
Chiswick House
In the beginning of 17th century the aristocratic Boyle family bought an estate in Chiswick with a large Jacobean house, as a summer retreat. It caught fire in 1725, and the head of the family, Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, decided to build a new ‘villa’ in the grounds.
Sutton Hoo – the Story of a Find
In late 1930s an intelligent and gentle lady looked out of the window of her cosy sitting room over the estate that she owned. Her name was Edith May Pretty. He came from a wealthy family of a rich industrialist, who devoted his ample spare cash to educating his two
Of Daffodils and Leeks – St.David’s Day, 1st March
Of Daffodils and Leeks – St.David’s Day, 1st March This 1st March my front garden boasts 5 daffodils. Along with camellias and crocuses they are the first splashes of colour, after predominantly green British winter. Daffodils are traditionally regarded to be the national symbol for Wales, along with leeks, dragons
How to be a good tour guide – telling stories is the key!
When I was doing my Blue Badge guide cause, one of the teachers told us that if a tour is interesting for children, it is more than suitable for adults – because it is interesting. One may quote dates and numbers, but it is the stories that bring history to
Framlingham Castle
Framlingham Castle goes back to the times of the Norman Conquest in the 12th century. It was in the possession of the Earls and Dukes of Norfolk, coming down to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, connecting it to England’s Tudor history. A prominent nobleman during the times of Henry VIII,
Introduction
I love all things British – British history, British culture, British art, British way of life. Having lived here for over 30 years, I never stop marvelling at how great everything is about this country! This blog with reflect my adventures in everything around me that I love – from
Topics
- British Museum
- Composers
- Country Mansions
- Customs
- Dorset
- Essex
- Flowers
- Folk Songs
- Forests
- Hertfordshire
- Historic Figures
- History
- Literature
- London
- Merton
- Museums
- Norfolk
- Parks
- Religion
- Royalty
- Saints
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Sussex
- The Beatles
- Theatres
- Towns
- Wales
- Wembley
- Westminster Abbey
- Willesden
- World War II
