ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS: APSLEY HOUSE
Category: Uncategorized
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congratulations to Kathleen, whose comment was right on target and who was chosen as the winner of the trade paperback copy of Beaux, Ballrooms, and Battles: A Celebration of Waterloo.
Kathleen, we have your address, and the book will be in the mail ASAP.
Beaux, Ballrooms, and Battles is available on Amazon and elsewhere — trade paperback is $14.99. The e-book version, available on most platforms is $2.99.
Below, the Plate about which Kathleen answered three questions correctly. about the image on this Who is the bust? Admiral Lord Nelson
Who is the model portraying? Britannia
And who is the model? Emma, Lady Hamilton,
Thanks to all who entered…
GRANDFEST CRAFT FESTIVAL
Years of austerity bring new era of ‘make do and mend’
· Older people custodians of crafts now sought after by under 25s
· Yorkshire epicentre of bakers, Wales of home brewers and London of crochet experts
‘Heritage’ crafts once written off as old fashioned are experiencing a renaissance fuelled by recent austerity, with the skills possessed by the country’s elders now coveted by the under 25s.
According to research by older people’s charity, the Royal Voluntary Service, there is a high level of interest to learn a new skill or craft with 80 per cent of 18-24 year olds saying they would consider learning one if they had the option.
The Royal Voluntary Service commissioned the research to celebrate the launch of GrandFest – taking place in London this June – the UK’s first one day festival created for the older generation to share craft skills such as knitting, crochet, brewing and wooden toy making through a series of master classes.
The skills the under 25 year olds are most eager to master include baking (19 per cent), cooking (22 per cent), ballroom dancing (19 per cent) and knitting (18 per cent). However, on the wish list and also set to make a comeback, are home brewing, preserve making, home grown fruit and vegetables, model making and crochet.
Many of these craft skills are well known to older people, particularly those who lived through the war and grew up in years of austerity, and these ‘original makers’ want to share their know-how. Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) believe it is vital that traditional skills are passed to the next generation to keep them alive.
Particular knowledge gaps currently exist for preserve making (older people are nearly five times as likely to have the know-how), knitting and learning how to ‘grow your own’ (more than twice as likely) and home brewing (nearly twice as likely).
Felicity Kendal, Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador said: “Being able to create something from scratch or ‘make do and mend’ something from old is a valuable skill to possess. It’s wonderful that there is now a surge in demand for traditional crafts such as preserve making and crochet and that through GrandFest there is an opportunity to learn from those who have fine tuned their knowledge over the years.”
Every region is master of a different skill; the East of England is home to the most green fingered Britons capable of growing their own (35 per cent), while cooks (62 per cent) and knitters (23 per cent) are most prolific in the South West, home brewers in Wales (nine per cent), bakers in Yorkshire and Humberside (45 per cent), crochet experts (10 per cent) and ballroom dancers (eight per cent) in London, preserve making in the South East (11 per cent) toy and model makers in the North East (11 per cent).
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Over half (67 per cent) of over 65 year olds practice at least two hobbies on a regular basis and continuing to enjoy their passion contributes significantly to their health and wellbeing. Fifty seven per cent say it improves their quality of life by benefitting their mental health and 38 per cent, their physical health.
David McCullough, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service said: “We know how much value older people place on their hobbies, but these pastimes are so much more than just fun. They play a really important role in the lives of older people, from staving off fragility and dementia, to helping them keep physically active and bringing friends together. Many of our 36,000 volunteers are over 65 years old and they, and the older people we support, have a wealth of experiences and skills worth sharing which is why GrandFest was conceived.”
Royal Voluntary Service supports over 100,000 older people each month with a range of services from Good Neighbours, Community Transport and Books on Wheels to more interactive services such as Knit and Natter and Men in the Workshop.
The Men in the Workshop service provides a place where older men can come together to recreate local traditional crafts, learn new skills, reminisce and socialise. The workshop also provides opportunities for the wider community to get involved, including the younger generation, to learn from each other, share skills and build friendships.
About Royal Voluntary Service
· Formerly known as WRVS, Royal Voluntary Service has been helping people in Britain for 75 years.
Originally set up as the Women’s Voluntary Service in 1938, the charity played a crucial role during the Second World War.
Whilst keeping the same values of community service, Royal Voluntary Service has now focused its work on helping older people to remain independent and get more out of life.
Royal Voluntary Service is one of the largest voluntary organisations in Britain with 40,000 men and women helping people in their homes, the community, hospitals and in emergencies.
The charity is a founding member of the Campaign to End Loneliness, a partner in the Big Lottery funded project, Shaping our Age, a supporter of the Malnutrition Task Force and a member of the Care and Support Alliance, the Falls and Fractures Alliance, Age Action Alliance and the Dementia Action Alliance.
Royal Voluntary Service has Investing in Volunteers status in recognition of its good practice and effective volunteer management.
WATERLOO WEDNESDAY: WELLINGTON – THE IRON DUKE UNMASKED
When I first heard that BBC2 were at least going to produce a (vastly overdue) documentary, I let out a hearty Huzzah! And then I began reading bits and pieces on what the film would actually be – a titilating account that would lean heavily towards his reputation “as a rutting stag.” Huh? The production-powers-that-be did research into Wellington, his military and political careers, his value to the British Crown through four monarchs, his achievements as a whole and decided to go with his love life instead? Aaaarrrgghhhh!
Now don’t misunderstand, I’ve been studying Wellington’s women along with Victoria and Jo Manning for decades. There’s some great stuff there, but given the chance to highlight Wellington in a documentary (finally!) I would have chosen to go in a different direction. And with a different actor to play Wellington. Don’t get me wrong, Richard E. Grant is a fine actor, but embodies none of Wellington’s looks.
The programe introduces Wellington’s perceived cruelty towards his wife, Kitty, but gives no hint as to the acrimonious underpinnings of their relationship – the secret mistake Kitty had made early in their marriage that put the first cracks in the bedrock of their marriage. More followed. However, to date no one, not a single Wellington historian, not even the author amongst the Wellesley, Lady Jane, has offered up a single concrete detail about the underlying cause for their rift. A book called, Wellington’s Wife, written by a self professed intimate of the family is, perhaps, the book that says the least about their relationship. The second Duke, admittedly, consigned to the fire the cruelest of Wellington’s letters to Kitty, so that the ability to say that all documentation about this facet of their lives helps the present day family to preserve what sanctity there was in that marriage. However, I maintain that some items that could shed light on the problems still remain and that, if they truly do not, the Family, at least, know the reasons and have chosen to keep these, or corroborating family lore, to themselves. Which is, after all, their right.
The best parts are the participation of the newest Duke of Wellington and historian Dan Snow.
After actually watching the show, I must say that it was less terrible than I’d feard and more well rounded than I had been lead to believe beforehand. I still hold out hope that someone with the talent necessary will tell this a rich and long story, following the whole of Wellington’s fascinating life.
You can watch the hour long program here.
You can read a review of the program from The Telegraph here.
You will find another hour long documentary on Wellington here, presented by author and historian Richard Holmes. which keeps it focus upon Wellington’s accomplishments and influences upon the people, places and events of his lifetimel
WHO IS THIS?
What can you tell us about the image on this plate — Who is the bust? Who is the model portraying? And who is the model? Three answers, please.
Limited to readers in the U.S. and Canada only
The winner will receive a trade paperback copy of Beaux, Ballroom, and Battles: A Celebration of Waterloo. It contains nine stories by nine authors, all centering on a romance involving the Battle of Waterloo; one is written by Victoria Hinshaw.
We will post the name of the winner (of any, or at random among the correct answers to all three questions) on Monday, May 31. The winner will send us a snail mail address for the prize.