Letter from the Duke of Wellington to Lady Salisbury –
Walmer, September 18, 1850
. . . . . Thank you for your letter of the 17th . . . Gale’s case is a terrible one! Carrying a horse in a balloon is the most senseless of acts! A wooden horse of the same weight, or the same weight of common ballast, would answer in every real purpose of experiment!
From The Times, September 16, 1850: Lieutenant Gale went up from Vincennes on May 11, carrying a horse in his balloon. He reached earth safely, and released the poor beast, who, though benumbed, was not injured and after a while cropped the grass. Unluckily, Gale could not speak French, and was reduced to signs to make the peasants, who crowded around, understand that they must hold the tethering ropes. His gesticulations merely alarmed them, and when, after opening the valves, he drew a big knife to cut the cords, they let go, and the balloon, with Gale clinging to the ropes, soared up anew. His body, half-eaten by dogs, was finally discovered in a field and he was buried at Bordeaux.
Category: Kristine Hughes
VIDEO WEDNESDAY: LIVE UK WEBCAMS
Today we bring you links to some webcams in use in the UK in order to share interesting sites throughout Britain. Sit back, pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy a varied tour through the lens of these cameras.
Abbey Road (lots of silly beggars recreating the Beatles walk)
The Cobb, Lyme Regis, Dorset
Interior of barn, Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth, Devon
Ordsall Hall Ghost Cam
The beach at Bognor Regis
Market Square, Petersfield, Hampshire
Three webcams in Oxford
Inside the Arnside Chip Shop
Edinburgh Zoo panda cam
Whitby Harbour – 3 views
The Peregrines at Norwich Cathedral
Lake District National Park webcams
Dublin Zoo webcams
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON TOUR: SLOANE SQUARE
AND FROM ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB . . . . . .
Spitalfields Life – Beekeeping on the Isle of Dogs
Historical Hussies – Childbirth in Regency England
Grace Elliot – Henry VIII’s Bedtime Habits
Downton Abbey Cooks – Mrs. Patmore’s Apple Charlotte
Carolyn Harris: Royal Historian – A review of Queen Anne: Patroness of Arts
Two Nerdy History Girls – The truth about big hair of the 1770’s: How they did it.
The Duchess of Devonshire’s Gossip Guide – Tart of the Week: Eglantine, Lady Wallace
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON TOUR: LONDON FOOD
I am gasping for a cuppa. A cuppa coffee at Caffe Nero, that is. I can’t get enough of it and now that London is once again in my sights, I’m lusting for one. Turns out that Denise Costello, who is coming along on The Duke of Wellington Tour with us in September, is also a devotee. We’ve struck a bargain to see who will be the first to reach the eleventh free coffee Caffe Nero awards on their loyalty card.
I have a sneaking idea we’ll be reaching the target together.
Dreaming of my next cup of coffee in London got me thinking about the other London foods I usually indulge in – old favourites that never disappoint. Like bangers and mash.
As Victoria well knows, bangers and mash are my “go to” food, my comfort food and what I can be counted upon to order, at least once a day. Add grilled onions and a side of green peas and it’s heaven. Of course, one can’t eat bangers and mash without washing it down with a pint and, oddly enough, my brew of choice in England is Kronenbourg 1664, which sounds German, but is brewed in France. And since I drink it in England, that’s most of the Waterloo nations covered.
I always try to visit London’s Chinatown when I’m in London, specifically for the roasted Peking duck that hangs tantalizingly in most windows there.
I was introduced to Chinatown many years ago by Dr. David Parker, who was then the curator of the Dickens House Museum. I’ve been returning ever since and will no doubt be popping in again in September. You can read about the history of the area here.
No trip to London would be complete without indulging in afternoon tea and my place of choice are the Richoux Tea Rooms on Piccadilly. There are fancier places, and trendier places, for tea, but Richoux is the grand old lady of tea shop chains, dependably good, always cozy. Rather like a visit to granny’s.
Regency author Diane Gaston, who also blogs at Risky Regencies, has signed up for the Tour and, along with Victoria, we’re looking forward to returning to Richoux during our Sunday walking tour of the St. James’s area of London.
Finally, because I’m such a cheese lover, I’m going to make a point of stopping in to Paxton and Whitfield in Jermyn Street.
It’s one of those places I’ve always meant to spend time in and that I never seem to get around to visiting. You can read about the history of the shop – since 1797 – here.
Honourable mention goes out to the American Steak House, the Angus Steak House and the Aberdeen Steak House, three chains with outlets throughout London. They’re literally everywhere.
Priced right, these places are nothing fancy, but the steaks can be depended upon and they’re convenient.
Honourable mention also to Burger and Lobster, which I discovered on my last trip to London – you can read about it here.
Burger and Lobster has a rather limited menu – lobster, burger or lobster roll. Twenty pounds each. The lobsters are cooked perfectly, the drinks ditto, so be prepared to wait for a table. They don’t take reservations, but definitely worth the visit.
Do you have a favourite “foodie” destination in London? If so, please leave a comment and let us know about it!