Author: Kristine Hughes

How to Throw a Diamond Jubilee Party

(Click on photos to go to retailer’s websites)

Even the most non-domestic host can throw a good Jubilee party as long as they employ some slight of hand and a bit of dazzle. Below, we offer suggestions that might ensure that your guests won’t notice that a few corners have been cut. Every good party begins with the invitations and we think these are a hoot –

Once your invitations have been addressed (think Hyacinth Bucket) and posted, you may want to break out your Jubilee tea towel before beginning party day preparations. In any case, holding the tea towel when guests arrive will serve to give the impression that you’ve been making some sort of effort on their behalf, however marginal.

Now, first things first – the cocktails, complete with rim decorations from John Lewis –

(Note: If you distract them with these rim flags, your guests may not realize they’re drinking Tesco’s champers). Right, now that we’ve got the drinks sorted, you’ll want to hang some bunting

And inflate some balloons

Don’t forget to hand round the royal flags to be enthusiastically waved by guests

You may perhaps also wish to hand round a few Jubilee hats

Or perhaps not . . . . but do have some door curtains handy for guests to walk through. Nothing says “party” like getting one’s hair caught up in bits of string and tatty paper Union Jacks.

Once you’ve seen to it that your guests have been suitably lubricated and tousseled, they’ll no doubt want to be fed. The expectation of a nosh or nibble is not, after all, unreasonable.

If a full on, Gordon Ramsay-like spread is beyond your capabilities, we suggest that you serve Coronation chicken sandwiches. Nothing could be easier. You’ll find the quick “cheat” version of the recipe here. Afterwards, dazzle your guests by serving up some Fairy cakes (cupcakes) you’ll have baked using the brilliant kit below

Simply use a boxed cake mix, some store bought icing and make up for it all by serving your Fairy cakes on these royal cake stands

Whatever you do, don’t forget to have Her Majesty on hand in order to thank your guests for coming as they leave
With any luck, they will have drank themselves silly and be on such a sugar high from all those Fairy cakes that they may not realize they’re speaking to a cardboard cut-out. 

The Town Crier

Town Criers have been a mainstay of English towns since the Medieval period, at least. Employed by the town or city, town criers dispensed various and sundry news and proclamations to the citizens, most of whom were illiterate and so depended upon verbal receipt of the news. This much I knew, though I don’t suppose I gave the position of Town Crier a second thought, assuming that they didn’t do much beyond walk about a town crying “all’s well” upon the hour. However, I was recently reading The Life of Frances Power Cobb as Told By Herself, (1904), who was born in Dublin in 1822, and came upon the following passage: “Two years later, when I was seven years old, I was naughty enough to run away again, this time in the streets of Bath, in company with a hoop, and the Town Crier was engaged to “cry” me, but I found my way home at last alone.”

Intrigued, I found the following excerpt from An Old Town By The Sea by Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1894) which was written of the town of Boston, but one assumes that town criers were of a similar description both sides of the Pond:

“The last of the cocked hats had gone out, and the railway had come in, long before my time; but certain bits of color, certain half obsolete customs and scraps of the past, were still left over. I was not too late, for example, to catch the last town crier — one Nicholas Newman, whom I used to contemplate with awe, and now recall with a sort of affection. Nicholas Newman — Nicholas was a sobriquet, his real name being Edward — was a most estimable person, very short, crosseyed, somewhat bow-legged, and with a bell out of all proportion to his stature. I have never since seen a bell of that size disconnected with a church steeple. The only thing about him that matched the instrument of his office was his voice. His “Hear All!” still deafens memory’s ear. I remember that he had a queer way of sidling up to one, as if nature in shaping him had originally intended a crab, but thought better of it, and made a town-crier. Of the crustacean intention only a moist thumb remained, which served Mr. Newman in good stead in the delivery of the Boston evening papers, for he was incidentally newsdealer. His authentic duties were to cry auctions, funerals, mislaid children, traveling theatricals, public meetings, and articles’ lost or found. He was especially strong in announcing the loss of reticules, usually the property of elderly maiden ladies. The unction with which he detailed the several contents, when fully confided to him, would have seemed satirical in another person, but on his part was pure conscientiousness. He would not let so much as a thimble, or a piece of wax, or a portable tooth, or any amiable vanity in the way of tonsorial device, escape him. I have heard Mr. Newman spoken of as “that horrid man.” He was a picturesque figure. Possibly it is because of his bell that I connect the town crier with those dolorous sounds which I used to hear rolling out of the steeple of the Old North every night at nine o’clock — the vocal remains of the colonial curfew.”

And from Printer’s Ink,Volume 28-29 (1899)

“In former days, when local papers were few and far between, the town crier was an important personage. He was appointed by the pariah, and his election generally carried with it offices of beadle, verger and gravedigger, and his emoluments were fairly remunerative. Day after day he was seen, either in the town or surrounding villages, dressed as a parish beadle, and carrying a bell, which, after ringing twice or three times, he began: “Oh, yez. This is to give public notice that Master George will sell by public auction at the Town Hall, by order, the household furniture and other effects.” Then followed details, and the windup, “God save the Queen.”

“As a gossip of the first water, and knowing the goings on and little town scandals, he was a welcome guest everywhere when on his rounds, and there was no local public function, church, chapel, election or any other meeting but what he bad a finger in. When the newspaper stamp duty was abolished, and the local press sprang into existence in all directions, the town crier was gradually elbowed out until he became practically extinct.

“In one place, however, the town crier in all his glory is yet in evidence, and that is in the pretty town of Bedford. Mr. Stock, a well-known local advertising agent and billposter of portly and handsome presence, may be seen, dressed in a grandly laced scarlet coat, knee breeches and cocked hat to match. The old gentleman ambles about the town daily on his rounds, an object of curiosity to visitors and awe to the town boys. Long may he flourish as a survival of the good old custom!”

Surpisingly, further research uncovered the fact that the office of Town Crier is alive and well, on both sides of the pond. As Wikipedia informs us: “Many local councils in England and Wales reinstated the post of town crier from the mid 1990s onwards (e.g. Chester). Many are honorary appointments or employed part time by the council. As of October 2010, there were 144 towns in England and Wales with town criers registered with the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers. They mainly perform ceremonial duties at civic functions. Local councils with a paid town crier often make them available for charity events.

“There are several town crier guilds in both Canada and the United States. Theses include the Ontario Guild of Town Criers, the Nova Scotia Criers’ Guild and the American Guild of Town Criers. Since 1981, The Rocky Mountain Town Crier, presently based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has represented Invermere, British Columbia at Buckingham Palace & the Mansion House & the House of Commons in London England. Nelson Phillips, the Rocky Mountain Town Crier has been Proclaimed the Honourary Town Crier of Banff, Scotland, Calgary, Scotland, & Airdrie, Scotland. He visited these 3 locations and read Proclamations from the Mayors or Government Officials, of the communities with the same name . . . . In competition, Nelson has placed 2nd at Lytham St. Anne, for best shout and 3rd at Kingsbridge Devon, for best dressed. On November 7, 1984, The Rocky Mountain Town Crier was made a member of Calgary’s “Walkway of Fame” when he read Proclamations from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney & Mayor Ralph Klein acknowledging the 100 Anniversary of Calgary Alberta as a Town. Nelson’s footprints and Hand prints were placed in cement.”

Court and Fashionable Life

From The Court Journal, Volume 7, 1835 
Court and Fashionable Life

The Duke of Cumberland is expected in town in a few days, from his residence near Berlin. The statement that some of the luggage, and of the domestic establishment, of his Royal Highness arrived in town on Wednesday is incorrect.
Interior, Belvoir Castle
— The Duke of Wellington after celebrating the birth-day of his old friend, the Earl of Westmoreland at Apthorpe, will join the festivity at Belvoir Castle on Monday, where the natal day of the Duke of Rutland will be commemorated with distinguished honours by a large tenantry, in addition to the visitors from London.
— The Right Hon. J. C. Herries left town yesterday for Hardwick to attend his Election. Lord Granville Somerset, Sir Henry Hardinge, and Mr Ross, have also left town to attend their Elections.
— Lord Rosslyn has removed from Chapel street to a house in Grosvenor place.
— Lord Haddington is expected to leave town this day for Ireland, to enter on the responsible duties of his high office as Lord Lieutenant. Sir Henry Hardinge, Secretary for Ireland, is not expected to go to Ireland till after his Election.
— The Brazilian Minister will leave town in the course of a few days for Lisbon, to pay a complimentary visit to the Queen of Portugal on her recent marriage.
— The Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt held a Meeting yesterday at the Treasury. Sir Robert Feel was present, as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank also attended.
— The Marquess and Marchioness of Wellesley, since his Lordship’s return from the Government of Ireland, have been staying at the Clarendon, where they will remain until they can procure a town residence. The Marchioness will, in a few days, resume her duties at the Court at Brighton, as one of the Ladies in Waiting on the Queen.
— The Earl of Eldon has been for some time on a visit to his venerable brother, Lord Stowell, at his seat, Early Court, in Berkshire. The mansion of the Noble Earl, in Hamilton place, Piccadilly, has been recently adorned and beautified, preparatory to his Lordship’s return, which is expected in a few days. Lord Stowell’s health and strength, we regret to state, continue to decline.

Ravensworth Castle
— The Countess of Mulgrave has been paying a lengthened visit to her father, at Ravensworth Castle, in the county of Durham. From thence she returned to join Lord Mulgrave at the Clajrendon Hotel, in Bond street. The Earl and Countess are now at Brighton, where, with their family, they will remain for a short period.
— The Right Hon. Henry Ellis is preparing to leave England on a special mission to Persia. His suite will include Mr Sheridan, as private Secretary, brother of the accomplished Mrs Norton, and son of the late Mr Thomas Sheridan.
— The Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury recently gave a magnificent banquet at her house, in Arlington street, to more than twenty distinguished personages, among whom were the Duke of Wellington, Lord and Lady Maryborough, Lord Cowley, the Earl and Countess of Jersey, and Sir John and Lady Anne Beckett. The Dowager Marchioness is now at Hatfield participating the festivities of Christmas, which are annually sustained there by the Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury, in great splendour.
— The Marquess of Hertford and his numerous suite intend to return to London, from Naples, early in the spring. It is reported that a high diplomatic situation has been offered to the Noble Marquess by his friend Sir Robert Peel.
Woburn Abbey
— The festivities at Woburn Abbey have been splendidly sustained during the Christmas holidays. The Duchess of Bedford, the presiding star, has congregated around her all the leading nobility of the county of Bedford, in addition to her numerous relations, including Lady Gcorgiana Russell, and the Marquess and Marchioness of Tavistock and their children.
— The Earl and Countess of Albemarle are returned to the Stud House, at Hampton Court, from Paris, where those distinguished persons were called, in consequence of the death of their near relation, Sir William Keppcl, who has left the bulk of his fortune to the Noble Earl. It is doubtful if the Duke of Dorset, the successor of Lord Albemarle as Master of the Horse, will remove to the Stud House, notwithstanding it has for some years been the official residence.
— The Earl Fitzwilliam
and his delightful family have left Wentworth House, in Yorkshire, for another of his Lordship’s seats, Milton, in Northamptonshire, where they intend to remain until the meeting of Parliament.
— The Duke of Rutland is now at Belvoir Castle superintending preparations for a grand banquet, to be given at that princely residence, on Monday, in honour of the Noble Duke’s birth-day. The Earl and Countess of Lonsdale are expected there from Cottesmore, and the Marquess and Marchioness of Exeter from Burleigh. The Duke of Wellington will likewise be present. Lord Forester, Sir F. Trench, General Upton, and the Hon. William Howard, are already arrived at the Castle. There will be a splendid ball and supper in the evening, to which all the rank and fashion of the county of Rutland are invited.
— Hatfield House festivities were this year deprived of the presence of the Duke of Wellington in consequence of various important engagements at the Foreign Office. The Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Rosslyn, the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury, and many distinguished foreigners, constituted a portion of the noble guests that were invited.
— The “Princely Palace” of Alnwick Castle greeted the return of the Duke of Northumberland from the South, who was accompanied by his only brother, Lord Prudhoe, with warm and affectionate rejoicing. The amiable Duchess and her distinguished visitors have been sustaining “old English hospitality” in a style worthy the House of Percy, and commensurate with the large and princely fortune of its noble owner. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland are expected in London, about the period that the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria return from St Leonard’s.
— The Marquess and Marchioness of Londonderry and family are passing the Christmas holidays, at Stockton-on-Tees, with much festivity. The noble Marquess is expected in town early next month, preparatory to making arrangements for his departure for St Petersburgh, as Ambassador to the Russian Court.

Walking Around London

Roosevelt and Churchill on Bond Street, since 1995

Victoria here, trying to sort out pictures from my last few trips to London, in an attempt not to feel too sorry for myself because I am not crossing the pond this spring. I found a few shots I thought I’d share, as I don’t think I have posted them before. The sculpture above is frequently photographed with tourists perched on the knees of the men.  The bronze figures of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill were sculpted by Lawrence Holofcener.  They are located where Old Bond Street becomes New Bond Street in Mayfair.

Charing Cross
This Victorian recreation of the Eleanor Cross  was erected in 1865 near the location of the original placed there by King Edward I in the 13th century.  It was one of twelve crosses which marked the resting places of the body of his wife, Eleanor of Castile, who died in 1290. She was carried to London for burial in Westminster Abbey over a nearly-two-week period.  The Charing Cross stands in front of the railway station of the same name, just off Trafalgar Square.  The original position of the Eleanor Cross is now marked by an equestrian statue of King Charles I looking down Whitehall past the site of his beheading.

Not far away is this house, built by Robert Adam, and lived in by several prominent Londoners. Its address is 1-3 Robert Street, in part of the Adam Brothers’ development of Adelphi Terrace.

Nearby and also part of the same neighborhood is the home of the RSA, Usually called the Royal Society of Arts.  There website is here.  The building, designed by the Adams, is classically beautiful.

Below is the plaque placed on the building.  The RSA is still an active part of British intellectual and scientific life with more than 27,000 fellows and frequent programs, many open to the public. Various other societies, such as the Royal Academy of Arts, is an 18th century spin-off (or whatever they called them in those days).

I had not explored this area of London before, between The Strand and the River, sort of between Charing Cross station and the Savoy Hotel.   The Adams Brothers  built a number of buildings here, culminating in their Adelphi Terrace, an ambitious plan for numerous terrace houses above wharves along the Thames.   For various reasons, the development never reached full success and in the 1930’s most of it was demolished to build a large gray (and rather grim) semi-Art Deco building for offices, etc. now known as the New Adelphi Building.    A good account, accompanied by a map of the district, can be found here.  The drawing below shows what the Adelphi Terrace looked like in its heyday.

Returning to walk down the Strand, I often stopped near my hotel (The Strand Palace, nicely refurbished) for refreshment at The Wellington, named after our Favorite Duke.  Located at 351 The Strand, it is a popular spot for drinks, dinner, and post-theatre entertainment.

Continuing eastward I came to Somerset House, a building with an interesting history and a continuing role in contemporary London. In the courtyard below was an installation by the celebrated Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei, who was threatened with imprisonment in his home country for his dissident activities.  Hard to distinguish in the pictures is Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads which has also been shown in New York City. The installation recreates 18th century figures near Beijing which were damaged by the British and French during the Opium Wars. Ai’s message accompanies the artwork: “Without freedom of speech there is no modern world, just a barbaric one.”

Somerset House
The present Somerset House was begun in 1776 to designs by architect Sir William Chambers in a neo-classic style.  Originally on the bank of the Thames, it was altered and expanded in the Victorian era with the construction of the embankment and several new wings.
In the 16th century, the north bank of the Thames was lined with the mansions of nobles, and on this site a great house had been constructed for Edward Seymour (c. 1500-1552), 1st Duke of Somerset, the Lord Protector during the reign of Edward VI (1537-1553).  As uncle of Edward VII (Somerset was brother of Jane Seymour ([.1508-1537]),  Somerset tried to impose his will upon an unruly group of courtiers fighting over the spoils of the kingdom after Henry VIII died in 1547.  Edmund Seymour ended up on the losing side of court intrigues and lost his head.  Somerset House, his mansion, was used to house several queens during the Stuart period, being remodeled over and over again.
Acknowledging the need for a fine public building in London, on the continental model, the government of George III had the old buildings demolished for the huge new structure to house government agencies and offices, learned societies, and parts of the Admiralty; before the river bank was altered in the 19th century, large arched watergates allowed barges and small vessels direct access from the river.
Damage from WWII was repaired in the 1950’s, and various restorations and remodeling continue to the present. For 150 years, until about 2005, the Registrar General of Births, Death, and Marriages in Somerset House was the place one had to go to obtain these records for England and Wales. Also familiar to UK residents might have been the Inland Revenue offices, from 1849 to 2009, now moved to Bush House.

Entrance to the Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House

The Exhibition Room at Somerset House by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Charles Pugin (1800). This room is now part of the Courtauld Gallery.
In the 1990’s, The Courtauld Institute of Art and the Courtauld Gallery moved into the section formerly given to the Royal Academy.  The website is here.  Their very fine collection, particularly strong in 19th century works, can be viewed today in the same setting as the one in which our ancestors viewed the annual Summer Exhibition.


Above is the staircase to the galleries today. You will be glad to hear that a lift will let you avoid climbing up — or down — all those steps.  Or running into the situation pictured below.

Rowlandson, The Stare Case, The British Museum
.

The RA  and its exhibitions are now located in Burlington House, Piccadilly.

Above, workers install a large sculpture in the courtyard of the Royal Academy in 2009.  Below, it is completely assembled.
Triton III, by Bryan Kneale, RA, b. 1930

Other recent changes at Somerset House include an open terrace for cafes, art installations, concerts, and displays of dancing fountains; in the winter, this area is a public ice rink, where once civil servants parked their cars. Other public areas show the building’s history and the state barge belonging to the Lord Mayor.

In the view below, the facade of Somerset House is seen on the right and in the distance, the church is St. Mary-le-Strand, which now sits in a traffic island with the street flowing around it.

Another period view of The Strand, with St. Mary-le-Strand 

Unfortunately, all my photos of the church appeared to be more of buses, lorries, and autos than the facade, so the one below is borrowed.

The interior of the church is baroque, reflecting the study trip of the architect James Gibbs (1682-1754) to Italy.  Gibbs designed churches (e.g. St. Martin-in-the-Fields), hospital and university buildings (Radcliffe Camera, Oxford) and country houses throughout his career.
Just east of St. Mary-le-Strand, The Strand becomes Fleet Street, a stretch less known for art museums and churches than press magnates.
Soon, I will share with you some snaps I took while walking around St. James, London.

On The Shelf – A Yank Back to England

A Yank Back to England: The Prodigal Tourist Returns by Denis Lipman – The cover blurb for this book reads, “Denis Lipman left London’s East End for Washington, DC more than 20 years ago, but made an annual pilgrimage year after year to visit aging parents, a pair of cantankerous, real-life Cockneys. He endured the visits as best he could. Enter an American wife. Not content with a grin-and-bear-it attitude, she declares that since the trip to England was inevitable, then it was to be enjoyed: see things, go places! Against his will, our expat becomes a tourist in his homeland and discovers it’s not so bad after all, certainly better than remembered! Here is a travel memoir more carbolic than bucolic. Discover a place where the sun doesn’t always shine, where going to the loo can be an adventure, and where canned beans on toast is a cornerstone of cuisine. Taste the real East End and tour with a colorful group as they rent cottages, host outrageous relatives, meet the locals and discover the English countryside.”

This is a delightful account of Lipman’s almost annual trips back to England with his American wife Frances in order to visit his parents, Lew and Jessie. Most visits start at the old family home in Dagenham, an area firmly rooted in London’s East End.  From here, David and Frances, his parents, and assorted aunts, uncles and cousins take off for parts unknown, usually a rented cottage in a picturesque (and often difficult to find) corner of England. Part memoir and part travelogue, A Yank Back to England tells the sometimes painfully honest tale of tiny tourist villages, seaside resorts, British food and assorted pubs, aging parents, the frailty and strengths of those we love, the reality of childhood memories and the glories of life, love and England.

At the end of A Yank Back to England, you’ll be reluctant to close the book. I continue to hope that Lipman will pick up the memoir where he left off. In the meantime, you’ll find Denis Lipman’s blog here.

Reviews:
“Here is England seen entire, from inside out, from bottom to top, as Denis Lipman returns from America to his working class family home in blighted Dagenham. From there he, his young American wife, and his cockney Mum and Dad embark on a series of funny, touching, madcap and even surreal adventures as they visit celebrated landmarks and holiday spots in England as well as a good many pubs. The result is an absolutely wonderful book, not only about going home again but also about love and family and tradition and the passage of the years.” –Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic (Washington Post) and author of the memoir An Open Book

“A perceptive, engaging and informative take on contemporary England as seen through the eyes of a fellow expatriate who writes with humor and affeciton. The case of characters has an almost Dickensian vivacity.” Michael York, actor.