2015: A YEAR OF COMMEMORATION

2015: A YEAR OF COMMEMORATION

Hillingford 
Foremost for us at Number One London is the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, when the Duke of Wellington. with his Anglo-Allied Army and joined by the Prussians, defeated the French Grand Armee of Napoleon Bonaparte, June 18, 1815.
The Barons and King John
2015 is also the 800th Anniversary (Octocentenary?) of the Magna Carta, signed June 15, 1215, one of the foundation documents of individual liberty.  
Churchill by Ambrose McEvoy, ©NPG
One hundred years ago, Britain was embroiled in World War I. Seventy-five years ago, the Battle of Britain was underway.  And fifty years ago, on January 24, 1965, Winston Churchill died at age 90.
You may be certain that we will write about all these commemorations at Number One London.
Happy New Year!

SHAKESPEARE IN PARIS AND MILWAUKEE 2014

Never let it be said that I didn’t celebrate the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare in 1564.  Victoria here, with some embarrassing admissions.  Last April, I was still in Florida packing to return to Milwaukee so the date celebrated in Stratford-on-Avon, April 23, which may or may not be his actual natal day — passed me by without even the perusal of a sonnet or two.

William Shakespeare 1564-1616

I was busy all summer with family and preparation for our trip to France and tour of England…so I managed to miss Shakespeare in the Park, annual performances here in Milwaukee, plus I didn’t get to Spring Green, WI, for the American Players Theatre – always excellent and frequently Shakespeare.

But I did see some Shakespeare in Paris!  SEE being the relevant verb.   Didn’t hear any! One morning we visited the Musée Delacroix where an exhibition of Shakespeare works by artist Eugène Delacroix was on display.  The museum is small, but since it is located in his studio — atelier — it is a special treat.

Eugène Delacroix  (1798-1863)
1865 sculpture by Antoine Etex (1808-1888)
 Delacroix self portrait as Ravenswood (Scott) — or possibly Hamlet
Museum image , c. 1821
On loan from the musée du Louvre Departments of Paintings

Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet and the ghost
The exhibition had many of the plates created by Delacroix for his illustrations of Shakespeare’s works, to which the French artist was dedicated.
Studio from the Garden
Delacroix Studio Garden
Place de Furstenberg, near the musée Delacroix 


Can I count walking past the Globe in London last August? Well, not really, though I have visited it several times on other trips.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, I s
ort of closed out the 450th anniversary of Will’s birth by attending a hilarious version of:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Shakespeare!
The four actors who cavorted through this performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) were inspired — by Will or by the tradition of slapstick I am not sure.

Will and friend
Taking bows at the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Well, I admit these few events are a pretty pitiful commemoration of the 450th — but I’ll have another chance at proving my delight in the bard in 2016 — the 400th anniversary of his death.  

VIDEO WEDNESDAY – CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND


Having spent a few Christmas’s in England, I can assure you that there’s no where else I’d rather be just now. Since that’s impossible (sigh) we’re bringing you some yuletide videos that we hope will warm the cockles of your hearts. **


Seasonal activities in London

How to flame a Christmas pudding

2010 Victorian Christmas Festival in Portsmouth

Flashmob of British Army musicians surprises Christmas shoppers in Gateshead’s Metrocentre

John Lewis Christmas advert 2014

Sainsbury Christmas 2014 advert remembering soldiers in 1914 – must see!

Victorian Christmas – make your own Christmas cards

How to make a Victorian Christmas pudding 

** Definition from www.smh.com.au – One of the meanings of “cockle” is the chamber of a kiln: in reference to the heart, it refers to the chambers, of which there are four (two atria and two ventricles). The heart has always been associated with emotions, especially love, excitement and fear, probably because when we feel a strong emotion we feel our heart thumping and beating faster. So when something “warms the cockles of our heart”, it is a reference to something pleasant that makes our heart beat faster and makes us feel good. It is probably also the origin of the saying that something gives us that “warm and fuzzy feeling.”