tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32635261724997876162024-02-20T14:14:04.528+00:00March 17thMarch 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-89139695433974918282011-12-01T09:29:00.003+00:002012-04-20T01:50:42.577+01:00Madame Tussaud, Lady Astor, Sherlock Holmes and Pies<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have to confess I have never really considered the origin of the waxworks at Madame Tussaud's, I just recall being freaked out by the Chamber of Horrors. <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/610619/Marie-Tussaud">Marie Tussaud</a> was born on this day in 1761 in Strasbourg. She was appointed art tutor to Elisabeth, the sister of Louis XVI until the Revolution and during the Reign of Terror she was given the gruesome task of creating death masks from the guillotined heads. Right.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This day in 1887 saw the publication of Conan Doyle's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Study_in_Scarlet#cite_note-0">Study in Scarlet</a> - the first in the series to introduce Sherlock Holmes. Again I veer off the point but Julian Barnes' <a href="http://www.julianbarnes.com/bib/arthur&george.html">Arthur and George</a> is one of my all time favourites and is a firm favourite on my Christmas shopping list.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1x-E1CH5absaAwAPsTTWbpZWxhK_J1RpCh3YKbWhWEtH4Zj_L26SxEvD09rrPoN4LW3UHQmeoo9SqU2LbGQawERVjxVcwRfBxhFr4yIfmwKVqX3zYKcvIiP-VlQFODSQ3JUMsLoD9cg/s1600/ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet_annual-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1x-E1CH5absaAwAPsTTWbpZWxhK_J1RpCh3YKbWhWEtH4Zj_L26SxEvD09rrPoN4LW3UHQmeoo9SqU2LbGQawERVjxVcwRfBxhFr4yIfmwKVqX3zYKcvIiP-VlQFODSQ3JUMsLoD9cg/s320/ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet_annual-1.jpg" width="205" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Image courtesy of Wikipedia.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.examiner.com/this-day-history-in-national/on-this-day-lady-astor-became-first-woman-british-house-of-commons">Lady Astor</a> took her seat in the House of Commons on December the 1st 1919 having been elected on November the 28th. This by John Singer Sargent, courtesy as ever of Wikipedia:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">December the 1st marks the anniversary of the signing of The Antarctic Treaty in 1959. Twelve governments agreed to make the uninhabited continent a scientific reserve. More details can be found <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/anttrty.jsp">here</a> on the National Science Foundation Website.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today is the feast day of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Eligius">Saint Eligius</a>, the Patron Saint of goldsmiths, metal workers and coin collectors.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Food. Apparently today is National Pie Day, I have included a link to <a href="http://www.artofthepie.com/artofthepie/Pie_Trivia.html">this</a> wonderful blog I came across recently. Enjoy,</span></div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-56011044171900214162011-11-30T13:47:00.000+00:002011-11-30T13:47:59.639+00:00Jonathan Swift, Monkey Closets, Churchill and The Flying Scotsman<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Right. So I haven't been fully up to speed on my little blog. No kidding. I have been looking into fascinating dates but I just haven't got around to writing them up. Several things gave me the kick I needed today. Mark Twain's birthday, the origin of 'spend a penny', Churchill and completely not relevant to the actual day but some research I was doing led me to discover <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald">The Earl of Dundonald</a> which led me to remember just how much I enjoy doing this.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jonathan Swift was born on this day in 1667. I couldn't decide which link to include so I went for <a href="http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/utopia/reasonreligion1/houyhnhnms1/houyhnhnms.html">this</a> fabulous image from the British Library.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">November the 30th 1761 saw the birth of <a href="http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Smithson%20Tennant">Smithson Tennant</a>, the English chemist who first identified the elements osmium and iridium; the first deriving its' name from the Greek word <i>osme</i> meaning odour, due to the pungent odour the latter from the Greek goddess Iris symnolised by a rainbow. Awfully long time ago but I like his approach.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I find myself quoting Mark Twain rather a lot. Samuel Clemens was born on November the 30th 1835. I am including <a href="http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/04/what-great-births-you-have-witnessed.html">this</a> link here as I think is it just fabulous - his letter to Walt Whitman via the wonderful Letters of Note.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">November the 30th 1874 is the birthday of <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1953/churchill-bio.html">Sir Winston Churchill</a>. Again of course there are too many things to include here but I thought the link to his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 makes an interesting read.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.lmmontgomery.ca/">Lucy Maud Montgomery</a> shares a birthday with Chruchill. She was born in Clifton, now New Jersey. Mark Twain said of Anne that she was 'the dearest and most loveable child since the immortal Alice.'</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The steam locomotive <a href="http://www.nrm.org.uk/flyingscotsman">The Flying Scotsman</a> became the first train to officially exceed 100 mph on this day on 1934.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 1936 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Palace">The Crystal Palace</a>, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 was destroyed by fire. Again slightly off the axis but I love <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_amazonica">this</a> story of the Victoria Regia lily. I love flowers. I also came across what seems to be the origin of the expression 'to spend a penny.' Crystal Palace housed the first public conveniences, also called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Palace">Monkey Closets</a> and there was a penny charge to use them. One source states that 827, 280 visitors made use of the service.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTh2Vy6jf8ZTasWaPECkXf6Q9UFhCy11bfHAbmuVBmtzcxLLtxz1VitXDfd_HdSTLmwZBmK6dsgBhST2wQbntyT1gotijbfqUa0gf25hIVPh9frQakO_XANgvcpz-P9w_YelKoMSq_I4/s1600/220px-GtExhib1851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTh2Vy6jf8ZTasWaPECkXf6Q9UFhCy11bfHAbmuVBmtzcxLLtxz1VitXDfd_HdSTLmwZBmK6dsgBhST2wQbntyT1gotijbfqUa0gf25hIVPh9frQakO_XANgvcpz-P9w_YelKoMSq_I4/s320/220px-GtExhib1851.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This wonderful image courtesy of Wikipedia.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">November the 30th is <a href="http://www.scotland.org/culture/festivals/st-andrews-day/">St. Andrew's Day</a> - the Patron Saint of Scotland. He is also the Patron Saint of Barbados, the island having gained its' independence from the UK on this day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">OK food. There was an article in The Guardian today about odd coloured brussels sprouts. I love brussels sprouts and thought I would choose <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/13/brussels-sprouts-recipes-fearnley-whittingstall?recipetitle=Creamed+brussels+sprouts+with+bacon&intcmp=239">this.</a></span></div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-49079037701869087742011-05-31T15:28:00.001+01:002011-05-31T17:37:00.518+01:00Ahem, Samuel Pepys, Walt Whitman and Big Ben<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Right, yes. Slight deficiency of new post details. Actually it's been rather a comedy of errors. I would say funny but it's not particularly funny to lose internet access for a fairly keen internet shopper such as me.......</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So my iphone went splash into a swimming pool and in yet another not so funny comedy moment someone tipped a glass of water over my shiny sleek keyboard. Hey ho.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So excuses over, wires back where they should be I am sort of getting my mojo back with regard to my neglected blog.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, May the 31st.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As ever a true smorgasbord of interesting things, variety being the spice and all that I went for a bite size selection to highlight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 1578 King Henry III laid the first stone of the Pont Neuf in Paris, now the oldest bridge over the Seine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On this day in 1669 </span><a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/stories.asp?Event_Date=5/31/1669"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Samuel Pepys</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> made his final entry into his diary, his failing eyesight bringing to an end his monumental more than nine year work.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The monumentally wonderful </span><a href="http://www.history.co.uk/this-day-in-history/May-31.html;jsessionid=D01FC2115FA240BE5B4F4EF89F14C103"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Big Ben</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> first rang out over London on this day in 1859.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTcadsWakkiAkzXoBIZnW7wvLK-KktoiTl3xE1KTEqqOpS87LleSsKuT9Y32Hg1-enHJqSC2yg-VAoqKke4fXCPhn-bhpINyoyZXM9H8XNBVjTQQb7PcfYL33XoNzDbEBq5n8Fm4O7I8/s1600/Big-ben-1858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTcadsWakkiAkzXoBIZnW7wvLK-KktoiTl3xE1KTEqqOpS87LleSsKuT9Y32Hg1-enHJqSC2yg-VAoqKke4fXCPhn-bhpINyoyZXM9H8XNBVjTQQb7PcfYL33XoNzDbEBq5n8Fm4O7I8/s320/Big-ben-1858.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of Wikipedia, from The Illustrated News of the World, December 4th 1858</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">May the 31st 1911 saw the launch of the hull of the Titanic in Belfast; there are some amazing images </span><a href="http://www.the-titanic.com/Media-Gallery/Photography/The-Titanic-Build-Belfast.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">May the 31st is the birthday of one of my favourite favourite poets - </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Walt Whitman</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I faffed around thinking of a poem to add, I couldn't choose, so have a look here: </span><a href="http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15816"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Child Said, What is the Grass</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Walter Sickert, Denholm Elliott and Terry Waite share this birthday - 1860, 1922 and 1939 respectively.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Saint for the day is Saint Petronille, the recipe for the day involves the enormous amount of fun we have had recently picking cherries : </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Duck with sour cherry sauce followed by cherry clafoutis.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ps. I just came across <a href="http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/04/what-great-births-you-have-witnessed.html">this</a> via the wonder that is Twitter.</span></div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-64379929777855703112011-04-05T06:29:00.000+01:002011-04-05T06:29:14.297+01:00Hans Christian Andersen, Emile Zola & Sir Alec Guinness<div style="text-align: justify;">These are out of sync and late as I have been in a rather nice no computer zone - full service will be resumed soon......<br />
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April the 2nd 742 is believed by some sources to be the date of birth of <a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Charlemagne">Charlemagne</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen">Hans Christian Andersen</a> was born on April the 2nd 1805 in Odense, Denmark. Again you may have to indulge me a little here. A friend is working on a book about children's stories past and present; we were discussing Andersen just last week. When I was little girl I won my one and only life time prize - a copy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Match_Girl">The Little Matchstick Girl</a>. I assume as I associate the story with the peak of my winning things career I've always been enormously fond of it, sad as it is. I always come back to the story at Christmas or when I see snow.<br />
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This image courtesy of Wikipedia is by Andersen's first illustrator, Vilhelm Pedersen:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Andersen visited England is 1847, on this visit he met Charles Dickens. He would come back ten years later and stay with Dickens for a period of five weeks. Again from Wikipedia :</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBCCH1z8DzdmgQDFKyBYtKzgnXon5ZOHsceTwZz9lDtWot7zi_dUOe1GLOPPBuWTMRdVplZ7Dd7suroLtDTrAgGf7LQxxvzQ2QXJkXmXwjCOo6O-bJ50c7WVFc1u0C3MC9aao6M68ExI/s1600/160px-Hans_Christian_Andersen_Signature.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBCCH1z8DzdmgQDFKyBYtKzgnXon5ZOHsceTwZz9lDtWot7zi_dUOe1GLOPPBuWTMRdVplZ7Dd7suroLtDTrAgGf7LQxxvzQ2QXJkXmXwjCOo6O-bJ50c7WVFc1u0C3MC9aao6M68ExI/s1600/160px-Hans_Christian_Andersen_Signature.svg.png" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Right, rant alert - I'll try to keep it brief. Another of my literary Titans. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Zola">Emile Zola</a> was born on April the 2nd 1840 in Paris. Again I could go on for pages and pages but I probably won't. I personally can't recommend his work enthusiastically enough - he was enormously prolific. If you are looking for a top tip you could try <i>L'Assommoir</i> or<i> Le Ventre de Paris. </i>He was a childhood friend of Paul Cezanne, a friendship that would continue thought out their adult careers. This wonderful image courtesy of Wikipedia :</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf883EFE2VIRtIhb0bsrycgYvvUWjouz8wGsT77X2OpEdlG2EURW8OvTlvCgogGDbo53kezUuoSsD1-svkKHhV9AmtSVPlbb_fl50oleZWUCA-8Mv_KXIdCjPK2KgrV9wl58wSpsm1UiE/s1600/433px-ZOLA_1902B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf883EFE2VIRtIhb0bsrycgYvvUWjouz8wGsT77X2OpEdlG2EURW8OvTlvCgogGDbo53kezUuoSsD1-svkKHhV9AmtSVPlbb_fl50oleZWUCA-8Mv_KXIdCjPK2KgrV9wl58wSpsm1UiE/s320/433px-ZOLA_1902B.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Again here:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp8uGBKVLLOFX9I6-YIS7c-MLI9VXCP0BXjiU3C-s5FPrWZFC-9vPqc8b40X4t6nQgSgyClNp5mi3KSL__uVSQedzSvGtxilBu-Z6kBhk4Yy2znnxNY0FNNy4zrPCpy5SZFCNy6jf6ng/s1600/160px-Zola_signature.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp8uGBKVLLOFX9I6-YIS7c-MLI9VXCP0BXjiU3C-s5FPrWZFC-9vPqc8b40X4t6nQgSgyClNp5mi3KSL__uVSQedzSvGtxilBu-Z6kBhk4Yy2znnxNY0FNNy4zrPCpy5SZFCNy6jf6ng/s1600/160px-Zola_signature.svg.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">1889 - in April the 2nd <a href="http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/04/dayintech_0402">Charles Hall</a> patented an inexpensive means of producing aluminium.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On April the 2nd 1935 the Scottish inventor<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson-Watt"> Robert Watson-Watt</a> received the patent for radar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sir Alec Guinness and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Holman_Hunt">William Holman Hunt</a> were also born on April the 2nd - 1914 and 1824 respectively.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-17628013281172580682011-04-01T05:19:00.001+01:002011-04-01T05:20:07.256+01:00William Harvey, $$$, April Fools and Apple Inc<div style="text-align: justify;">I had a quick look around for April Fools Day stuff - it is no doubt being done to death but this made me laugh - during the 18th & 19th centuries a popular prank was to invite people to the Washing of the Lions at the Tower of London. They fell for it !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is further information on the the <a href="http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/Washing_The_Lions/">Washing of the Lions</a> and more on the origin of April Fools Day from the marvellously named <a href="http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/April_Fools_Day_-_Origin/">Museum of Hoaxes</a>. There is an online Hoaxipedia. Before I looked into this I didn't know there was a Museum of Hoaxes. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTZeL1Rx0_ljhG02hIcQnRkbS_guL9Q7Fkp1d_Wa1OSMqxn71hB05976ktC-WM7B9Jya1_kxT3V8usOhvfMKeUqdpAJEGaZ0cb62XIa9VVTpvvmlkZ4UUeHINbPKNQwzhvHwifOvDoOg/s1600/Washing_of_the_Lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTZeL1Rx0_ljhG02hIcQnRkbS_guL9Q7Fkp1d_Wa1OSMqxn71hB05976ktC-WM7B9Jya1_kxT3V8usOhvfMKeUqdpAJEGaZ0cb62XIa9VVTpvvmlkZ4UUeHINbPKNQwzhvHwifOvDoOg/s1600/Washing_of_the_Lions.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The physician <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Harvey">William Harvey</a> was born on April the 1st 1578. He described the systematic circulation and properties of blood. He had a very distinguished medical career and was made Physician Extraordinary to King James in 1618. His great work <a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display.aspx?id=6109">De Motu Cordis</a> was published in Frankfurt in 1628.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3xzWz6zj8PqDwNLxuJpElBHFKYu05HEHwJBNpsR1YpPhyphenhyphencZBejC31P-YQ0M-r6SbVTiOZ5XFsNNNdP65VqsX7zeIu4WNvOM4MntSR53RUI7MKyjVKie2wvHtZb4Qo2NFhKnlniegKDc/s1600/William_Harvey_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3xzWz6zj8PqDwNLxuJpElBHFKYu05HEHwJBNpsR1YpPhyphenhyphencZBejC31P-YQ0M-r6SbVTiOZ5XFsNNNdP65VqsX7zeIu4WNvOM4MntSR53RUI7MKyjVKie2wvHtZb4Qo2NFhKnlniegKDc/s320/William_Harvey_2.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This fabulous image courtesy of Wikipedia is at the National Portrait Gallery.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Pollock">Oliver Pollock </a> is said to have created the dollar sign on this day in 1778. $$$</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two young men named Steve started up a company called Apple on April the 1st 1976. Have a look here at the report in <a href="http://www.time.com/time/80days/760401.html">Time Magazine</a>. Here is a link to the <a href="http://www.theapplemuseum.com/">Apple Museum</a>, this fabulous image, the first Apple logo, courtesy of Wikipedia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmEtSIypoS-jeuxu8FyrKD9GXSwsCeMBzhgVFLNAK_L4F8d9wC1NX0R8H-AL3GpJSkGGLLw08t_mEoeHjE82PEMTaWmHPAGr6IEmcRA_6Wd4KUFnJKaXnaB7uYrkFR9iBkRN9orGyefw/s1600/Apple_first_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmEtSIypoS-jeuxu8FyrKD9GXSwsCeMBzhgVFLNAK_L4F8d9wC1NX0R8H-AL3GpJSkGGLLw08t_mEoeHjE82PEMTaWmHPAGr6IEmcRA_6Wd4KUFnJKaXnaB7uYrkFR9iBkRN9orGyefw/s320/Apple_first_logo.png" width="220" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Right I'll step away from my Mac, pick up my iPhone.......</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Milan Kundera and Ali MacGraw have a birthday today - 1929 and 1938.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint Macarius the Wonder-Worker.<br />
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It's tempting to come up with an April Fools barmy recipe but I can't think of any, I saw an odd image of a French flower fish so I thought of fish - I love mackerel, I love beetroot and I love them together, <a href="http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/pan-fried-mackerel-with-potatoes-and-beetroot">here</a>.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-79862031361495918422011-03-31T10:40:00.001+01:002011-03-31T10:42:50.907+01:00Descartes, Haydn & The Eiffel Tower<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/261515/Henry-II">King Henry II of France</a> was born on March the 31st 1519 at the Chateau de Saint Germain en Laye.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The great philosopher and mathematician <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descartes">Rene Descartes</a> was born in the Indre et Loire on this day in 1596. He spent two years in Paris studying mathematics during which time he met members of influential Parisian society. He began a law degree but chose instead to leave for the Netherlands and volunteer in the Dutch Army. Image courtesy of Wikipedia and on display in the Louvre:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BxNULLyHx4-kKdajdFttgzVJ5q331IIXrBvphNWRVewUcX_A8jnXDifp64XCZmpX3VHOM8VbwXS-bjJ1XxfG5XmRc3RPlHvgbH2yEguU74bVMamzjznwrurwDfhvn47vBGUBSyYUaj8/s1600/490px-Frans_Hals_-_Portret_van_Rene%25CC%2581_Descartes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BxNULLyHx4-kKdajdFttgzVJ5q331IIXrBvphNWRVewUcX_A8jnXDifp64XCZmpX3VHOM8VbwXS-bjJ1XxfG5XmRc3RPlHvgbH2yEguU74bVMamzjznwrurwDfhvn47vBGUBSyYUaj8/s320/490px-Frans_Hals_-_Portret_van_Rene%25CC%2581_Descartes.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">His famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_on_the_Method">A Discourse on Method, Meditations on First Philosophy</a> was published in 1637. Again here courtesy of Wikipedia :</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYt7Ull8235T0EavMKqVldVtlLJ136M1a-lOMMn-Omw7OzgtY3ztbZ9M8Gto6Y2fjh1cwexRb1Zi9YVdOFDAuMiMhzmrC65RtVfsRRRAHrDvCkgqAnR_YWG4UOGtSdn-PZgpqnoyeGuTE/s1600/16_essay1_iro30636_frontispiece_mid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYt7Ull8235T0EavMKqVldVtlLJ136M1a-lOMMn-Omw7OzgtY3ztbZ9M8Gto6Y2fjh1cwexRb1Zi9YVdOFDAuMiMhzmrC65RtVfsRRRAHrDvCkgqAnR_YWG4UOGtSdn-PZgpqnoyeGuTE/s320/16_essay1_iro30636_frontispiece_mid.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/john-harrison">John Harrison</a> was baptised on March the 31st 1693 in Foulby Yorkshire. There is more information on Harrison <a href="http://www.nmm.ac.uk/harrison">here</a> from the National Maritime Museum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The composer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn">Joseph Haydn</a> was born on March the 31st 1732.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On this day in 1889 the <a href="http://archivedigger.com/post/487600078/19thcentury-on-31-march-1889-the-eiffel-tower">Eiffel Tower</a> was dedicated, as a monument to the passing of a hundred years since the French Revolution. The link I've included is slightly quirky...here the <a href="http://www.tour-eiffel.com/">Eiffel Tower</a> website.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Saint with a Feast Day is Saint Benjamin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This recipe for a <a href="http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/spring_veg_casserolewithgarlicbread.html">Spring casserole</a> sounds just right for today.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-83152235584783709642011-03-30T05:09:00.002+01:002011-03-31T09:15:32.225+01:00Goya, Anna Sewell, Van Gogh & Alaska<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The American surgeon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Long">Dr Crawford Long</a> first used diethyl either as an anaesthetic during an operation to remove a tumour on March the 30th 1842. In the United States National Doctors Day is celebrated in his honour.<br />
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<a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/gogh/hd_gogh.htm">Vincent van Gogh</a> was born on this day in 1853 in Holland. He would go on to join his brother Theo, a gallery curator in Paris, where he encountered numerous Impressionist artists, including Gaugin. He later relocated to Arles but was troubled throughout his short life by lack of confidence and mental illness. I love Van Gogh and have trouble selecting one of his paintings to illlustrate his birthday, in the end I went for this beautiful image, <i>Starry Night</i> courtesy of Wikipedia from The Museum of Modern Art in New York:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3OgB32sqBl9krayyL4buJO1y4e4zsRdGfklMgaZjEFpO3yHpNX4GbdmLprwz1m-SA607vhdr68j-E9hNw6xzCQsw5HpHW5IwIY7iqrr7p3AL2OvOijjUP3Lo7I9lrSgvGsNHkJCIX00/s1600/757px-Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3OgB32sqBl9krayyL4buJO1y4e4zsRdGfklMgaZjEFpO3yHpNX4GbdmLprwz1m-SA607vhdr68j-E9hNw6xzCQsw5HpHW5IwIY7iqrr7p3AL2OvOijjUP3Lo7I9lrSgvGsNHkJCIX00/s320/757px-Van_Gogh_-_Starry_Night_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>On March the 30th 1867 the United States signed an agreement to buy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Purchase">Alaska</a> from Russia for $7,000,000. Thanks as ever to Wikipedia here is the cheque:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIw-MLzWBWNS4AOtHd1oINOcA_0PKAlSp5IPtt7ZKCPzscHOV53MCACcQ1GzflGQbePnnG3y0jwgq3gL895d_z115HX13QxMWID92LAk48ifM-jDFUPhgihpPLaZT8fTM44a_4qnMsfc/s1600/800px-Alaska_Purchase_%2528hi-res%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIw-MLzWBWNS4AOtHd1oINOcA_0PKAlSp5IPtt7ZKCPzscHOV53MCACcQ1GzflGQbePnnG3y0jwgq3gL895d_z115HX13QxMWID92LAk48ifM-jDFUPhgihpPLaZT8fTM44a_4qnMsfc/s320/800px-Alaska_Purchase_%2528hi-res%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Sewell">Anna Sewell</a> and Paul Verlaine were both born on this day - 1820 and 1844.<br />
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Today is the Feast day of Saint Fergus.<br />
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I had the idea of making a fish soup. I was thinking of the various options - looking at <i>The Colossus</i> put me in a Spanish frame of mind - I found this from <a href="http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/fish-and-chorizo-soup/">River Cottage</a>.<br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-29313226523644158712011-03-29T09:22:00.000+01:002011-03-29T09:22:24.289+01:00Thomas Coram, Coca Cola & Christopher Lambert<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On this day in 1461 </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_IV_of_England"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Edward of York</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> would defeat Queen Margaret at </span><a href="http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/towton.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Towton</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> in Yorkshire and go on to be crowned Edward IV.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I seem to be on quite a roll coming across birthdays and anniversaries of historical figures that are of huge personal significance to me. Today is another whopper, a huge one. I have actually been researching this man for some time as London's </span><a href="http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Foundling Museum</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, formerly the Foundling Hospital, features in my work and there is a chapter named after its' founder </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Coram"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thomas Coram</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. As it is now known </span><a href="http://www.coram.org.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Thomas Coram Foundation for Children</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was the first children's charity in Britain, established by Royal Charter in 1739. You can follow the Foundation on Facebook and Twitter.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thomas Coram, was born in </span><a href="http://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/exhibitions-and-events/in-the-museum/notable-people-of-lyme"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyme Regis</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> in 1668. The Wikipedia entry for the year states he was born on March the 29th - there may be some ambiguity however; he died on March the 29th 1751. Again I have the slight issue with where to start where to stop. He spent his early years in America and upon his return to Britain was horrified to see the conditions in which the poor were living. He lobbied peers, friends - including Handel and Hogarth and Parliament and finally a Royal Charter was granted in 1739 by George II to create the hospital. If you are in London and have a chance to visit The Foundling Museum it really is well worth it. Here a portrait by Hogarth of Coram from 1740 - courtesy of Wikipedia and on display at The Foundling Museum.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7KA8A5w197fc6fKaf6CEvjkVsDfW9AmWnxeTPZQTX3Qh-U_6qSL-AGB53T_ngADYzPHk5thti5kN5sWKvWUHGQwURAocGbyxveF8DNY5OYogEyzs3-rtXtmaQbSJuTm0o8H3XyR0z68/s1600/359px-William_Hogarth_053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7KA8A5w197fc6fKaf6CEvjkVsDfW9AmWnxeTPZQTX3Qh-U_6qSL-AGB53T_ngADYzPHk5thti5kN5sWKvWUHGQwURAocGbyxveF8DNY5OYogEyzs3-rtXtmaQbSJuTm0o8H3XyR0z68/s320/359px-William_Hogarth_053.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On March the 29th 1871 the </span><a href="https://www.royalalberthall.com/press/pressreleases/release.aspx?id=15760"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Royal Albert Hall</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was opened by Queen Victoria in memory of her late husband.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Several sources state that on this day in 1886 John Pemberton created his 'brain tonic' </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Coca Cola</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I found this from the Wikipedia entry on Pemberton :</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">With public concern about drug addiction, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Major depressive disorder">depression</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">alcoholism</a> among veterans, and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurasthenia" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;">neurasthenia</a>" among "highly-strung" Southern women,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton#cite_note-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup> his medicinal concoction was advertised as being particularly beneficial for <i>"ladies, and all those whose sedentary employment causes nervous prostration, irregularities of the stomach, bowels and kidneys, who require a nerve tonic and a pure, delightful diffusable stimulant."</i><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton#cite_note-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton#cite_note-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">7</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pemberton#cite_note-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">]</a></sup></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>7. Extract from Mark Pendergrast : For God, Country and Coca Cola</i></span></span></sup></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></sup></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The British pharmacologist </span></span><a href="http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/52/401.short"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sir John Robert Vane</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was born on March 29th 1927. His research and study into prostaglandins and the inhibiting effect of aspirin on inflammation would earn him one third of the Nobel Prize in 1982.</span></span></sup></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also with a birthday today are </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Lutyens"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Edwin Lutyens</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> - 1869, Eric Idle - 1943 and for those Highlander fans out there Christopher Lambert, 1957.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint Eustace.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I made this last night and it was fabulous : </span><a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/duck-breasts-with-pomegranate-and-mint-75"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">duck breasts with pomegranate</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-6901242620772530842011-03-28T07:46:00.003+01:002011-03-28T07:49:58.429+01:00Bartolommeo, Thomas Clarkson and Three Mile Island<div style="text-align: justify;">The Italian Renaissance artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Bartolomeo">Fra Bartolommeo</a> was born on March the 28th 1472 in Tuscany. Known for his paintings of religious subjects, here is a beautiful work, now in the Uffizi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYkKgf7C4gbVpoawsyjzASui1wQipkzhYa_DH-y-Yk5yJ-963l4TxwWPEuK2dpxpugfUd-mLVTh7XENUanPNMWpeDdQPpd6V2Wm701C75OdBGyzCCB-uiEpT6L6doByOgOA-Ik8TNOps/s1600/Bartolommeo%252C_Fra_%257E_Annunciation%252C_1500%252C_oil_tempera_on_wood%252C_Galleria_degli_Uffizi%252C_Florence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYkKgf7C4gbVpoawsyjzASui1wQipkzhYa_DH-y-Yk5yJ-963l4TxwWPEuK2dpxpugfUd-mLVTh7XENUanPNMWpeDdQPpd6V2Wm701C75OdBGyzCCB-uiEpT6L6doByOgOA-Ik8TNOps/s320/Bartolommeo%252C_Fra_%257E_Annunciation%252C_1500%252C_oil_tempera_on_wood%252C_Galleria_degli_Uffizi%252C_Florence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The Annunciation</i>, courtesy of Wikipedia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Clarkson">Thomas Clarkson</a> was born on this day in 1760. During his studies at Cambridge he wrote a Latin eassy discussing whether it was lawful to make slaves of others against their will. The essay won an award and would define his work thereafter. He met Granville Sharpe and other abolitionists and was instrumental in the creation and passing of the Bill For the Abolition of Slavery in 1807.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewSMdZVqLM153lR6wuOTsRRmhXXI0WM53wFbNuBjPPSJXyCecNuJfUf-vRLRAeMqWFrh1i8TmRQo-LTOAajJ_AOSvfcDDzOIhW_3iMs2tmZ5EJ6aQf4ZW9LqDdtnWUFy_Qi8SifTPvqw/s1600/16_essay1_iro30636_frontispiece_mid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewSMdZVqLM153lR6wuOTsRRmhXXI0WM53wFbNuBjPPSJXyCecNuJfUf-vRLRAeMqWFrh1i8TmRQo-LTOAajJ_AOSvfcDDzOIhW_3iMs2tmZ5EJ6aQf4ZW9LqDdtnWUFy_Qi8SifTPvqw/s320/16_essay1_iro30636_frontispiece_mid.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Image courtesy of Suffolk Record Office.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He is a central figure in this <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00028/The-Anti-Slavery-Society-Convention-1840?search=sp&sText=anti+slavery&firstRun=true&rNo=0">work</a> by Benjamin Haydon in the National Portrait Gallery. William Wordsworth wrote this <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/wordsworth/poems-in-two-vols-2/34/">sonnet</a> to Clarkson.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 28th 1797 Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patented the washing machine</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On this day in 1979 an accident occurred at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident">Three Mile Island</a> nuclear power plant in Middleton, Pennsylvania, leading to a partial reactor meltdown. It is the largest nuclear accident in US history. I have included a link to a recent <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12754404">BBC article.</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint James Caxton, the Blessed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I've been in a major major soup phase, I love making soup and it seems Spring like, to me anyway. I went for two - one favourite - watercress; number two, slightly more unfamiliar - I've made it a few times - <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/member-recipes/cucumber%20soup/1956">cucumber.</a></div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-20591957029593483492011-03-27T03:10:00.009+01:002011-03-27T04:56:59.551+01:00Charles I, Alfred de Vigny, X Rays & Marlon Brando<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Charles_I_of_England">Charles I </a> becomes King of England, Scotland and Ireland on this day in 1625.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The educationalist and founder of the Madras System <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Bell_(educationalist)">Andrew Bell</a> was born on March the 27th 1753 in St. Andrews.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The novelist and playwright <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Vigny">Alfred de Vigny</a> was born on this day in 1797 to an aristocratic family in Loches, France. Here is a link to Henry Wallis's painting of <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=15906&searchid=11688&roomid=6438&tabview=display">Chatterton</a>, the inspiration for de Vigny's wonderful play.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The physicist <a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1901/rontgen-bio.html">Wilhelm Rontgen</a> was born on March the 27th in Lennep, Germany in 1845. His research into electromagnetic radiation led to his discovery of the X Ray. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901. This amazing image, courtesy of Wikipedia, is one his first X-Rays - of his wife's hand, taken in 1895.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5RXj6-D421d-vyq-RQg4oc_Y6JfucINXWf9DxdKcNhwTmVsXFbCQNAoaSNzaaP0rHfjjo3xvZqdPj1w51zrO7yGjTzQ7AybdDtX_qgL-LFfZnkixy3d5CUfgZJTUlFRDUhSQXX6eHyI/s1600/Roentgen_first_medical_xray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5RXj6-D421d-vyq-RQg4oc_Y6JfucINXWf9DxdKcNhwTmVsXFbCQNAoaSNzaaP0rHfjjo3xvZqdPj1w51zrO7yGjTzQ7AybdDtX_qgL-LFfZnkixy3d5CUfgZJTUlFRDUhSQXX6eHyI/s320/Roentgen_first_medical_xray.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first non-direct blood transfusion was performed on this day in 1914 in Brussels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 27th 1973 <a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marlon-brando-declines-best-actor-oscar">Marlon Brando</a> declined his Best Actor Oscar, for <i>The Godfather.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint John of Egypt.<br />
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The Tate recently sent by tweet the lovely <i>Small Meadows in Spring</i> by<a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=17308&amp;searchid=26470&amp;tabview=image"> Sisley</a> - the daffodils are fabulous, the clocks have moved Spring it seems happily to have sprung.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was cooking a noodle soup the other day, I couldn't find the soy sauce, anywhere. Fortunately I had happy helpers at hand, an adult one was able to whizz to Waitrose and get more. I found it a few days later, in the bathroom cupboard. Why ? How? The soup was similar to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickhotandsournoodl_89280">this one</a>.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-6191859018821786672011-03-26T05:38:00.000+00:002011-03-26T05:38:51.844+00:00Aesop's Fables, Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams & Dr. Spock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">March the 26th 1484 saw the first print of William Caxton's translations of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop%27s_Fables">Aesop's Fables</a>. I didn't know that until a couple of days ago, I found out when researching today. Bizarrely I have been reading several fables to the children recently - I bought a couple of copies to give as gifts and have sort of rediscovered them. The more I pursue my day to day fact-finding the more coincidences I encounter. It's fascinating. I've also included a link to the <a href="http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/incanab/incunabulacoll/index.html">British Library</a> collection of Incunabula - you know the expression you learn something new every day - anyway - also known as 15th Century books produced with moveable type.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGdBnZDTclHScqkK467sdjfAyQjE4eb493wVgMJ1Rox5x1XCEu-mEn7deU0MAhId45pDGQuEXM8eTD58GTDxVSuvPQ5RIkmH9oOsSmTam6rTcYyrxgNI1PkgsRMduWA27zfrqhEFdETU/s1600/Caxton-Fables.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGdBnZDTclHScqkK467sdjfAyQjE4eb493wVgMJ1Rox5x1XCEu-mEn7deU0MAhId45pDGQuEXM8eTD58GTDxVSuvPQ5RIkmH9oOsSmTam6rTcYyrxgNI1PkgsRMduWA27zfrqhEFdETU/s1600/Caxton-Fables.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The physicist and inventor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Thompson">Benjamin Thompson</a> was born on this day in 1753 in Massachusetts. His study and research into properties of heat would would form part of the revolution in thermodynamics, more reference details <a href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Benjamin_Thompson">here.</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 26th 1780 the first Sunday newspaper was printed in the UK - the <i>British Gazette and</i> <i>Sunday Monitor</i>. I wonder what the late Sunday morning breakfast was in 1780...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">OK so I've had a good run on the birthdays of people I hugely admire, today is no exception. In fact it is a biggie. On March the 26th 1874 probably my all time favourite poet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost">Robert Frost</a> was born in San Francisco. It's hard for me to know where to start or stop with Robert Frost; since I can remember if I am dithering on a decision these lines pop into my head from <i>The Road Not Taken</i> :</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I shall be telling this with a sigh</div><div style="text-align: center;">Somewhere ages and ages hence:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - </div><div style="text-align: center;">I took the one less traveled by,</div><div style="text-align: center;">And that has made all the difference. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>A Question</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A voice said, Look me in the stars</div><div style="text-align: center;">And tell me truly, men of earth, </div><div style="text-align: center;">If all the soul-and-body scars</div><div style="text-align: center;">Were not too much to pay for birth </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This wonderful quotation from Frost: '<i>The best things and best people rise out of their separateness; I'm against a homogenized society because I want the cream to rise.' </i>He read at President John F. Kennedy's Inauguration in 1961, I found this <a href="http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20540">account.</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This superb image courtesy of the United States Library of Congress:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgGe14WA4bU9zdyAtfPSm2zchsSwGJgPNzeXh5irUxnN02t85ofe12q2elru7DKXEtPOKd0fYAFiyqXwsvOjeRIKHzhyphenhyphenw1kUxt1Z9RcFf0CzqIeQcyNuQmsOLitmOAy3wD0qIXec0LHQ/s1600/ts.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgGe14WA4bU9zdyAtfPSm2zchsSwGJgPNzeXh5irUxnN02t85ofe12q2elru7DKXEtPOKd0fYAFiyqXwsvOjeRIKHzhyphenhyphenw1kUxt1Z9RcFf0CzqIeQcyNuQmsOLitmOAy3wD0qIXec0LHQ/s320/ts.jpeg" width="245" /></a></div><br />
From Wikipedia:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuc8KKY4Mg6xVShYAfxKKlBXEstXbenncBcDEdgcQ548KTdgXERLEur7SoInZTCYfePCErTG3VfVXjp_dNTwYb_XW2NdPEBDk0Y7TuwTtoq8IS1F9rMzwMNrhvwDlVuMeoK-dTWaCeaY/s1600/227px-Robert_Frost_Signature.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuc8KKY4Mg6xVShYAfxKKlBXEstXbenncBcDEdgcQ548KTdgXERLEur7SoInZTCYfePCErTG3VfVXjp_dNTwYb_XW2NdPEBDk0Y7TuwTtoq8IS1F9rMzwMNrhvwDlVuMeoK-dTWaCeaY/s1600/227px-Robert_Frost_Signature.svg.png" /></a></div><br />
I wrote recently of my absolute appreciation for the film adaptation of <i>Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</i>. I realised I hadn't looked at anything by him for ages so went and picked up a copy of <i>The Glass Menagerie</i> - another one for my Book Blub - I didn't realise at the time of writing that <a href="http://tennesseewilliams.net/">Tennessee Williams</a> was born on March the 26th 1911 in Columbus Mississippi. See what I mean about coincidence ?<br />
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Leonard Nimoy, Erica Jong and Patrick Suskind all have a birthday today - 1931, 1942 and 1949.<br />
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Today is the Feast Day of Saint Larissa.<br />
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My son loves meringue. I can't stand meringue. I said we could make them today - what's that thing about confronting phobias....A friend emailed me with an apparently <a href="http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/607033">foolproof recipe.</a> Wish me luck.<br />
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Another friend mentioned that is is <a href="http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/">National Cherry Blossom Day</a> in Washington. Fabulous.<br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-39628040149354873712011-03-25T07:19:00.008+00:002011-03-25T07:43:39.464+00:00Venice, Robert the Bruce, David Lean and Elton John<div style="text-align: justify;">I read an article recently mentioning the adorable things, quirks of vocabulary children say then at some stage grow out of. I remember most of them but should in truth note them. My daughter for example, when going barefoot say she is 'going in her own feet.' Love it.<br />
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Anyway. March the 25th.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
The City Of Venice is said to have been founded on this day in 421. The capital of the Veneto region, it stretches across 117 small islands. The founding of the city is said to date back to the dedication of the fisrt church - San Giacomo. Here is a brief <a href="http://www.veniceword.com/vehistory.html">history</a>. My thing for old maps shows no signs of abating.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkejDtCF_-u2HuyJbfVTAYHebH8ji2PU3HDszo6B4IyK1ZufeO4omVz9hgJ4mO6B-5WfapQcVTQcwBG389kuQKMyngYxcUXXytQ3NZEfSqXkTVOjR1oSdIYUWg2mS4uMQLMB1hr_oy79A/s1600/Venice_by_Piri_Reis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkejDtCF_-u2HuyJbfVTAYHebH8ji2PU3HDszo6B4IyK1ZufeO4omVz9hgJ4mO6B-5WfapQcVTQcwBG389kuQKMyngYxcUXXytQ3NZEfSqXkTVOjR1oSdIYUWg2mS4uMQLMB1hr_oy79A/s320/Venice_by_Piri_Reis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
On March the 25th 1306 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_I_of_Scotland">Robert the Bruce</a> was crowned King of the Scots at Scone near Perth. Here is an image of the Coronation Chair with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Scone">Stone of Scone</a> underneath.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tttMRnUWl_0J2e5G_qVxe-0q5-QXdPBhvjSJCqlOaC-h2JupWtaAyz3kvc77JwFl_NwzZgQ6rZ0LkWMc-wG1Lu5odKoNxg4RmSvUBiOA2KvHKSI1rNmdBaud7S1X_VRCndPUSLBEIi8/s1600/Coronation_Chair_and_Stone_of_Scone._Anonymous_Engraver._Published_in_A_History_of_England_%25281855%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tttMRnUWl_0J2e5G_qVxe-0q5-QXdPBhvjSJCqlOaC-h2JupWtaAyz3kvc77JwFl_NwzZgQ6rZ0LkWMc-wG1Lu5odKoNxg4RmSvUBiOA2KvHKSI1rNmdBaud7S1X_VRCndPUSLBEIi8/s320/Coronation_Chair_and_Stone_of_Scone._Anonymous_Engraver._Published_in_A_History_of_England_%25281855%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><br />
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We remember a Mr Benjamin French. On March the 25th 1807 the world's first <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/sites/swansea/pages/mumbles_trainanniv.shtml">Passenger Railway</a> had its first outing. It was a four wheeled horse drawn dandy and ran from Swansea to Oystermouth.<br />
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OK mini-rant here. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lean">David Lean</a> was born on this day in 1908 in Croydon. His list of films is extraordinary and comprehensive but to mention a few of my absolute favourites - <i>Lawrence</i><i> of </i><i>Arabia</i>, <i>Dr </i><i>Zhivago</i> and <i>A</i> <i>Passage</i><i> to India</i>. Have a look at this fabulous article from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lean">The New Yorker</a>. Also this from the <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/lean/">BFI</a>.<br />
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Gloria Steinem, Elton John and Aretha Franklin have a birthday today - 1934, 1942 and 1947.<br />
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Today is the celebration throughout the Christian Church of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annunciation">Feast of the Annunciation</a> - the celebration of the announcement by the Angel Gabriel to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. Today is also known as Lady Day. Enjoy.<br />
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Huge thanks as ever for notes and images courtesy of the the great Wikipedia.<br />
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Oops nearly forgot - I have friends for lunch today - cooking an all time favourite <a href="http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/La_Parmigiana_di_Melanzane">La Parmigiana di Melanzane</a>. While I think about it here are two of my favourite Italian words : carciofi and albicocca. </div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-80547429963795060202011-03-24T02:43:00.016+00:002011-03-24T08:05:57.278+00:00William Morris, Robert Koch & Steve McQueen<div style="text-align: justify;">I read a fabulous description by Thomasina Miers on Twitter the other day about a lunch she had recently enjoyed - home made salt beef, mustard, cholla bread, cabbage, salad. Yes I am on Twitter - very recently, tweeting away with Piers Morgan, Sarah Brown and Justin Bieber.....Actually it's great, I follow the National Geographic amongst many others and the images, delivered several times a day, are a joy. Anyway @thomasinamiers has got me started on the salt beef thing. I'm researching how to do it and plan to have a go this weekend. I will report back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Where was I , oh yes, today, March the 24th.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris">William Morris</a> was born on March the 24th 1834. Again I am going a little off piste with the images, sorry. I absolutely adore this painting of his wife <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/10019-popup.html">Jane</a> by Rossetti. I got stuck choosing images for Morris there are so many exquisite ones; here he is with Edward Burne-Jones:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintzZAqjDwxPTT9k5MQ50F9-Wy7STumq_GV86HryFVRI8y6n2aUp5QVETS3nBLSxCl1Kt_Fm29XPdl55v9VybmyveIf0WQcFDhUtrNrF-LY2ZMD2RdibBkuoc-Mq5jGV7Xk3QR35zUEkU/s1600/486px-Frederick_Hollyer_Burne-Jones_and_Morris_1890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintzZAqjDwxPTT9k5MQ50F9-Wy7STumq_GV86HryFVRI8y6n2aUp5QVETS3nBLSxCl1Kt_Fm29XPdl55v9VybmyveIf0WQcFDhUtrNrF-LY2ZMD2RdibBkuoc-Mq5jGV7Xk3QR35zUEkU/s320/486px-Frederick_Hollyer_Burne-Jones_and_Morris_1890.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />
These from the <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/prints_books/features/Wallpaper/William_Morris/index.html">V & A</a>.<br />
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The microbiologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Hermann_Robert_Koch">Robert Koch</a> announced on this day in 1882 that he had discovered the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Working with his assistant Julius Richard Petri, he devised techniques to isolate bacteria, leading to his discovery. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1905.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZD-b1n8I1mtzOmINBJPX6D6_Rw4phr3Chj7YC0WYdnmx3S8b5iMALPj_QNBGrMk7Kz2pESQUlnV8PPXpi7EuGaN_wEcyNNDd3NDL-gAgpABp_WBZgpCbLTu1Eng73BTXGR3JWZXqDDw/s1600/200px-RobertKoch_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZD-b1n8I1mtzOmINBJPX6D6_Rw4phr3Chj7YC0WYdnmx3S8b5iMALPj_QNBGrMk7Kz2pESQUlnV8PPXpi7EuGaN_wEcyNNDd3NDL-gAgpABp_WBZgpCbLTu1Eng73BTXGR3JWZXqDDw/s1600/200px-RobertKoch_cropped.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Editing as we know is a sophisticated, complex skill. Self editing more so. OK I'm talking Steve McQueen. Where to start, where to stop ? He was born on March the 24th 1930. Look :</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F2y09tOi6Xvzg6Vch6m2rSxEo7OdTjwxMk6YovSBPPxqaAiqNBcwmD-xMgkywgOWUnHmYWt-yzs33iFHENNWdIYJkMr-tMuOEK-f5wG-ztOIZQaRWpse5RYe_O9cufgCQS2BRz7u4SI/s1600/Steve-McQueen-On-Set-Filming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F2y09tOi6Xvzg6Vch6m2rSxEo7OdTjwxMk6YovSBPPxqaAiqNBcwmD-xMgkywgOWUnHmYWt-yzs33iFHENNWdIYJkMr-tMuOEK-f5wG-ztOIZQaRWpse5RYe_O9cufgCQS2BRz7u4SI/s320/Steve-McQueen-On-Set-Filming.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I'm going to stop there, I am of course dumduming The Great Escape music. This is Harry.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sorry this is not strictly meant to be here - the phenomenal Elizabeth Taylor died yesterday. I remember seeing <i>Cat on a Hot Tin Roof;</i> I'm not sure a film, or an actors performance in a film has ever made a greater impression on me.</div><div><br />
</div>Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, Houdini - real name Erik Weisz and Dario Fo were also born on March the 24th - 1820, 1874 and 1926.<br />
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The Feast day today is Saint Aldemar, 'The Wise.'<br />
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I have Cat On a Hot Tin Roof accents in my head, <a href="http://www.visitmississippi.org/shopping_dining/shopping_cooking.asp">Turtle Cake</a> anyone ?<br />
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I received several emails this week from friends urging me to have a look at this terrific <a href="http://stickyfingers1.blogspot.com/">blog</a> - the writer runs a weekly 'theme' encouraging others to share their photos. The theme this week is education - my children are still quite young yet old enough to enjoy these posts; however I have numerous friends with older children - some in the 'off to find their independence teenage' years - quite a few miserable and tested to the limit at school. I get daily, sometimes hourly emails or texts from them with ideas and input for March 17th, it's utterly fabulous. Also after years of moaning about how rubbish I am with a camera I start a photography course with a friend in April. Uh oh.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-7417910670093460872011-03-23T07:55:00.011+00:002011-03-23T11:18:07.034+00:00Captain Kidd, Patrick Henry & The Woolwich Ferry<div style="text-align: justify;">I am really enjoying this day by day research thing. Yes other things aren't getting finished quite as quickly as they should but my children are having fun, particularly when we need to choose a mad scientist image...Anyway. Scrolling through birthdays got me thinking about books I have read, loved loved loved and want to reread. Then I got to thinking that it might be a good thing to read stuff that I have either glanced at or not read at all. I had lunch the other day with a friend who is a book reviewer, she gave me two top tips which are now on my <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Book Blub</span> reading list thing that I just started - my friend said <i>blub /club</i> is her default typo, mine is bron /<i>born</i>. Choices for far: <i>The Black Prince</i> by Iris Murdoch and <i>Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness</i> by Dr. Ned Halllowell. I'll report in with my progress.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Right. March the 23rd.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kidd">Captain William Kidd</a> was born on March the 23rd 1645. There is a full complement of information on him, it makes very intriguing reading ! It seems he was either a villainous pirate - he was tried and executed for precisely that, or falsely accused, spending his time at sea as a privateer. I've pulled out some of the more obscure details, if you're interested his story makes fascinating reading and has gone on to influence many writers - including Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Louis Stevenson.<br />
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Following his trial for execution, his body was gibbeted - I'll let you look that up, and placed hanging in an iron cage over the River Thames - an exercise intended to deter others from taking the course of piracy as a career option. Many years before Dickens put quill to paper, Kidd's associates on ship were amongst others Barleycorn, Loffe and Parrot and his lawyers were Dr Oldish and Mr. Lemon.<br />
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I've been to a birthday party at the Captain Kidd pub near Execution Dock, very atmospheric on a cold winter evening...Have a look here for his <a href="http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/96790638/Hulton-Archive">Trial</a> announcement. This engraving, which is not Kidd, dates from circa 1725.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6KZPbPzyJn2CgOLp1kTiGTY7hdTMXEsFNC9o9dYLENbF2_U57MRD8wN3e_psA65Q6Mda246e27jtzr40xnODMfWmY0WNyhureYCv59XX7Li2MZfTAR7mL_mfHPmK79ucxHhRwdVXwtY/s1600/458px-Bonnet.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6KZPbPzyJn2CgOLp1kTiGTY7hdTMXEsFNC9o9dYLENbF2_U57MRD8wN3e_psA65Q6Mda246e27jtzr40xnODMfWmY0WNyhureYCv59XX7Li2MZfTAR7mL_mfHPmK79ucxHhRwdVXwtY/s320/458px-Bonnet.gif" width="244" /></a></div><br />
A complete digression but I was researching something on Dickens and I came across <a href="http://www.accoutrements.com/shop/products/Charles-Dickens-Action-Figure.html">this</a> - I have to have one, Dickens that is and perhaps the Deluxe Librarian too.<br />
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On March the 23rd 1775, addressing the Virgina Convention, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_me_Liberty,_or_give_me_Death!">Patrick Henry</a> is reported to have delivered his memorable '<i>Give me Liberty, or give me Death.' </i>Delegates included Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoZy1OTm0V1tjjwatFxKaYtaot9EAbHXVheemnGauhWyNSGXGSPZCDLb_G4RfxQKMKx89hYRlj6_sQXt_HD_YzSAY_AeHS0uhFr-rqny_EDfUfEDy-a4qK60_dULtbXfTuqG96XF2m_Y/s1600/464px-Patrick_Henry_Rothermel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoZy1OTm0V1tjjwatFxKaYtaot9EAbHXVheemnGauhWyNSGXGSPZCDLb_G4RfxQKMKx89hYRlj6_sQXt_HD_YzSAY_AeHS0uhFr-rqny_EDfUfEDy-a4qK60_dULtbXfTuqG96XF2m_Y/s320/464px-Patrick_Henry_Rothermel.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolwich_Ferry">Free Woolwich Ferry</a> was officially opened on this day in 1899. I include it here as it was the brainchild of one of my tip top heroes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bazalgette">Joseph Bazalgette</a>.<br />
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Joan Crawford, Roger Bannister and Donald Campbell share today as a birthday, 1908, 1921 and 1929 respectively.<br />
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On March the 23rd 1989 Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons presented their work on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bazalgette">Cold Fusion</a>.<br />
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Right, the Saint with a Feast Day today is among others Saint Ethelwald.<br />
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I'm not sure Captain Kidd or Patrick Henry would have gone for this, lunch today is a very simple yet superb spicy tomato and lentil soup and yes I love lentils.<br />
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Ps. Steve McQueen's birthday tomorrow....<br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-81355032430917019682011-03-22T05:48:00.007+00:002011-03-22T06:31:10.412+00:00Gutenberg, Van Dyck, Chlorophyll and the Lumiere Brothers<div style="text-align: justify;">The jammy dodgers were a measured success - recipe OK, jam in the right place. They were however Halloween dodgers, we are packing to move and the only cutters I could find were a pumpkin and a bat. Anyway, March the 22nd.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have had a good look around and various sources say that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutenberg_bible">Gutenberg Bible</a>, the first book printed using movable type, was produced on March the 22nd 1457. It is unclear, to me anyway at this stage , if the date is absolutely correct but it makes hugely interesting reading ! Twenty-one complete copies of the Bible survive and the last public sale was in 1978.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODAF0UfsIK1y5TOklprrkbrQQPw4_ny63HI_uDCyV7Vgy9104wqtvnLPKzZEawHVj7YGlpfsJ-TPulZhYXHsUdlphHAY32TnfU2HTw2Oi5kasHOWuKS8lBT-1zCOmkNvb8QfWSXXtw6w/s1600/430px-Gutenberg_bible_Old_Testament_Epistle_of_St_Jerome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODAF0UfsIK1y5TOklprrkbrQQPw4_ny63HI_uDCyV7Vgy9104wqtvnLPKzZEawHVj7YGlpfsJ-TPulZhYXHsUdlphHAY32TnfU2HTw2Oi5kasHOWuKS8lBT-1zCOmkNvb8QfWSXXtw6w/s320/430px-Gutenberg_bible_Old_Testament_Epistle_of_St_Jerome.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The great Flemish artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Dyck">Anthony van Dyck</a> was born on March the 22nd 1599.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">March the 22nd 1788 saw the birth, in Paris, of the pharmacist and chemist Pierre Joseph Pelletier. Working with his colleague Joseph Blenaime, his study of alkaloids led to the discovery of strychnine, quinine and along with Runge who had identified it, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine">caffeine</a>. They would also isolate and identify chlorophyll. Clearly as a result of having it drummed into my head along with my Latin declensions I can still remember the equation for photosynthesis. Who knows when it may come in handy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It's dark outside and I was quite interested to read the actual effect of caffeine, in moderation of course. Experiments show that it has an adverse effect on spiders, take a look:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-d5l6EDHhQIXge8SxwsRHsvlJt3plDNEq3g2Ok6jLrsrr_oybG_6LpaC2wxBzuM2hLNwpQkhF11YQWWVVClyyc-QA0h2oJ_ks8RJfXoCG3mqhabXpUws1ZSp2A3RPP4GPjBMcTikXmU/s1600/170px-Caffeinated_spiderwebs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-d5l6EDHhQIXge8SxwsRHsvlJt3plDNEq3g2Ok6jLrsrr_oybG_6LpaC2wxBzuM2hLNwpQkhF11YQWWVVClyyc-QA0h2oJ_ks8RJfXoCG3mqhabXpUws1ZSp2A3RPP4GPjBMcTikXmU/s1600/170px-Caffeinated_spiderwebs.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The American physicist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Millikan">Robert Millikan</a> was born on March the 22nd 1868. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1923 for his work on the charge of electrons, devising the oil drop experiment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_and_Louis_Lumi%C3%A8re">Auguste and Louis Lumiere</a> would on March the 22nd 1895 in Paris, invite an audience to view the first public screening of a film. Great surname considering what they would go on to do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Also with birthdays today we have Chico ( Leonard ) Marx - 1887, Marcel Marceau - 1923 and Andrew Lloyd Webber, born in 1948. Oddly I have a mild phobia of mime, clown things and musical theatre. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On March the 22nd 1935 Persia was formally to be renamed Iran; I found this little <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,930771,00.html">article</a> interesting. Right up there with signatures I am developing a real thing for old maps:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYx3ubV4lxf8hN6McXZxIlH8hKeponzp6e4y30KIb78i3En8UMhAfPIf4n7uLiOq5dYtVZFNocfjeTMdGMHskVT0XwI7DFOVhsEdI7EOE0t2S1UiAMUIVLG-t4MUgfatAURwfbrZ21QA/s1600/800px-Mappa_di_Eratostene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYx3ubV4lxf8hN6McXZxIlH8hKeponzp6e4y30KIb78i3En8UMhAfPIf4n7uLiOq5dYtVZFNocfjeTMdGMHskVT0XwI7DFOVhsEdI7EOE0t2S1UiAMUIVLG-t4MUgfatAURwfbrZ21QA/s320/800px-Mappa_di_Eratostene.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Feast day today is Saint Paul of Narbonne among others.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My feast for today is carrying on the Spring theme I supoose, a very easy and delicious <a href="http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/roast-jerusalem-artichoke-hazelnut-and-goats-cheese-salad/">artichoke salad</a>. While Spring is in the air, have a look <a href="http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photos/cherry-blossoms-gallery/?source=link_tw20110320photo-cb#/cherry-blossom-tree-monument_13301_600x450.jpg">here.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-77362630590965987862011-03-21T09:34:00.001+00:002011-03-21T09:36:04.497+00:00Henry V, Bach, Fourier and Alcatraz<div style="text-align: justify;">I am getting seriously very very good at my little game<i> "How many different ways can you faff about</i> <i>doing</i> <i>other things before sitting down to write..?"</i> I've even come up with a new linguistic tangent - creating adjectives. I recently described a fairly gruesome dinner I was kind of obliged to go to as <i>'a bit Richard Curtis.' </i>Anyway. March the 21st.<br />
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1413. March the 21st <a href="http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/h/Henry_V_of_England.htm">Henry V</a> became King of England. He is immortalised in the eponymous Shakespeare play and remembered for the triumphant victory at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt">Battle of Agincourt</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach#Weimar_.281708.E2.80.9317.29">Johann Sebastian Bach</a> was born on March the 21st 1685 in Eisenach, Germany, the youngest child of a musical family. Orphaned at the age of ten he went to live with his older brother, winning a scholarship to St Michael's School in Luneberg. Isn't this fabulous:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8ComON0Uf7-__tgevwgD3NhwZHFnO0NRFJBmwwGWmy2V2bVt-Vf_yKIwKgIJ08Mz-Bx2a-95JZWGBMnFOnMStPZNzhSy3tomA6SkWQ5hw5BqQpMFuJPDXMyolWwYidS6UCJhifzm4Mg/s1600/378px-BWV1001-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8ComON0Uf7-__tgevwgD3NhwZHFnO0NRFJBmwwGWmy2V2bVt-Vf_yKIwKgIJ08Mz-Bx2a-95JZWGBMnFOnMStPZNzhSy3tomA6SkWQ5hw5BqQpMFuJPDXMyolWwYidS6UCJhifzm4Mg/s320/378px-BWV1001-cropped.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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On this day in 1713 Francis Lewis was born in Wales. He attended Westminster School before re-locating to New York. As a representative of the city he would sign the Declaration of Independence in 1778. My odd thing for signatures is gaining pace but in this case it's quite relevant ! Here is his :<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-tIfnRJ9FHzzFekw09LCtcCdsrquUx9yQfgfMgD-ZdDXAg8v-pQT5NWdlhlMp-2RJx84ptM7qYBgKZHLnRVQY4Bn0DLD3-TWqVrbEyUucQdGKj-W3jmKUVnqQs7Ly09xbQ8pgSZaF0g/s1600/Francis_Lewis_signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-tIfnRJ9FHzzFekw09LCtcCdsrquUx9yQfgfMgD-ZdDXAg8v-pQT5NWdlhlMp-2RJx84ptM7qYBgKZHLnRVQY4Bn0DLD3-TWqVrbEyUucQdGKj-W3jmKUVnqQs7Ly09xbQ8pgSZaF0g/s320/Francis_Lewis_signature.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The French mathematician and physicist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fourier">Jean Baptiste Fourier</a> was born on this day in 1768. Known for Fourier's Law - he is attributed as having discovered in the 1820s the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect">Greenhouse Effect</a>.<br />
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Nathaniel Woodard, an English clergyman and educationalist, was born on March the 21st 1811. He founded eleven schools and his work is promoted to this day through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodard_Schools">Woodard Corporation</a>. I have certainly spent time creating my own school - in my head that is. You know, they start around 9.30, no homework, learn for the pleasure of learning not to get through endless tests, stop for a really good, nutritious lunch, anyway, I digress - again.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh">Charles Lindbergh</a> was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour on March the 21st 1928 in recognition of his first transatlantic flight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6lF-23zOX9K9t0QdgzYCtt_EqfaOkr5FzkoxDvnW5MzCb2vAFc9R90tpzA_gEip3FvmkBfer2UthMmzkXLCsmvdGrL9rKyLdn2Y7lhKZ9Ikcb3swqmJviltNJHM2qdBas0JsnyVk8Os/s1600/680px-CAM-2_LAFTAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6lF-23zOX9K9t0QdgzYCtt_EqfaOkr5FzkoxDvnW5MzCb2vAFc9R90tpzA_gEip3FvmkBfer2UthMmzkXLCsmvdGrL9rKyLdn2Y7lhKZ9Ikcb3swqmJviltNJHM2qdBas0JsnyVk8Os/s320/680px-CAM-2_LAFTAM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The United States Federal prison at Alcatraz was closed on this day in 1963. The island had been named in 1775 'La Isla de los Alcatraces' - the Island of the Pelicans.<br />
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Today is the Feast Day of St Serapion the Scholastic, among others.<br />
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I have a house full of beautifully scented hyacinths, we saw the sun this weekend, I have also bought loads of daffodils - in other words, we are with any luck emerging into Spring ! I don't actually know why but <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Soupe-au-Pistou-230161">Soupe au Pistou</a> always seems Spring like to me and it's on my menu today.<br />
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As ever, thanks to the marvels of Wikipedia.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-63068134954557832882011-03-20T08:22:00.001+00:002011-03-20T08:24:45.098+00:00Ovid, Ibsen and Uncle Tom's Cabin<div style="text-align: justify;">On this day in 43BC Publius Ovidius Naso, known as <a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ovid">Ovid</a> was born to a wealthy family in the Apennine valley, east of Rome. Along with Virgil and Horace he is seen as one of the great figures of Latin literature. Ovid wrote in some detail about his life and contemporary times and his work is a comprehensive source of classical mythology - influencing Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dante. Here is a frontispiece to the wonderful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphoses">Metamorphoses</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIdxbI8FLUhWNUQbWJvLll_GCa-_a6Z7uGgn7a6zjvn0I5YRon7DwPYUgCCQzss8kGFiIN3zQ-yZ886wcgM48LYMI58Ikf3POWpz152uy2G5S7nYckwVGMxDbUKs-gFt18Sb7dxVtQg0/s1600/431px-Ovidius_Metamorphosis_-_George_Sandy%2527s_1632_edition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIdxbI8FLUhWNUQbWJvLll_GCa-_a6Z7uGgn7a6zjvn0I5YRon7DwPYUgCCQzss8kGFiIN3zQ-yZ886wcgM48LYMI58Ikf3POWpz152uy2G5S7nYckwVGMxDbUKs-gFt18Sb7dxVtQg0/s320/431px-Ovidius_Metamorphosis_-_George_Sandy%2527s_1632_edition.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On March the 20th 1616 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Raleigh">Sir Walter Raleigh</a> was released from the Tower of London following a long imprisonment for his supposed involvement in a plot against King James. He was freed so that he could embark on an expedition to Venezuela. I found this lovely portrait by Millais, titled '<i>The Boyhood of Raleigh' </i>:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9HevF9jrZx9vgEOlr2B95zr1P7MM2QM_iU84Mkaipeh2mckve_FCImr3ZUapwv2nBjg7NkC02Y6sa1pkqLMLKkm3WQ7CqptWcrslyRoLjwp8qSNjQ4qTsc_FT8pMu6Ci2wgv-rKuY3w/s1600/Millais_Boyhood_of_Raleigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9HevF9jrZx9vgEOlr2B95zr1P7MM2QM_iU84Mkaipeh2mckve_FCImr3ZUapwv2nBjg7NkC02Y6sa1pkqLMLKkm3WQ7CqptWcrslyRoLjwp8qSNjQ4qTsc_FT8pMu6Ci2wgv-rKuY3w/s320/Millais_Boyhood_of_Raleigh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Indulging my newly acquired interest in historical signatures, here is Raleigh's:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T1rmC1rEDM1yclzWXVPGJs-T_lsdzdsEZVQNsLRUU4u9UXdIg5_Z7AR3eeu9iIomLtFwPBfOoaWLESWLlhBUN09H8uj4nHRwMl-X8bEJxHnWdZwg01D-MSg2tDSY1V1fhqpp2-Htdbs/s1600/163px-Sir_Walter_Raleigh_Signature.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T1rmC1rEDM1yclzWXVPGJs-T_lsdzdsEZVQNsLRUU4u9UXdIg5_Z7AR3eeu9iIomLtFwPBfOoaWLESWLlhBUN09H8uj4nHRwMl-X8bEJxHnWdZwg01D-MSg2tDSY1V1fhqpp2-Htdbs/s1600/163px-Sir_Walter_Raleigh_Signature.svg.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The great Norwegian playwright <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Ibsen">Henrik Ibsen</a>, considered to be one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre was born on this day in 1828. Here is an excerpt from a letter by Ibsen to his translator Edmund Gosse :</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4CkhXHo6E3HT2U-MFbPZ2jlxabEOQJeGus7VC97xa4-nZZ3IpLUaOJEyw5RDwdlSU5FOKZqI9Imm1L2lMDCaxjGovBMAzjZutqOTb-IeUenc74tjsVLABk_tbBvZmqHyh7g8G5GseH8/s1600/800px-Handwriting2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4CkhXHo6E3HT2U-MFbPZ2jlxabEOQJeGus7VC97xa4-nZZ3IpLUaOJEyw5RDwdlSU5FOKZqI9Imm1L2lMDCaxjGovBMAzjZutqOTb-IeUenc74tjsVLABk_tbBvZmqHyh7g8G5GseH8/s320/800px-Handwriting2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Harriet Beecher Stowe's magnificent work <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Tom%27s_Cabin">Uncle Tom's Cabin</a> was published on March the 20th 1852. I love the reported quotation from Abraham Lincoln on meeting the author : '<i>So this is the little lady who wrote the book that made this great war.' </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tiyMWo9-CM7dGn8JULuFTOtIb5aMshqN5SRsu-32UNITatxYrqAZYeZhJMZAI9mhWi6ecVtFyt8btaWkTindvfMINYiG2igrziKGbb0zRii35mrCwYvOFNqo5byqBvhBk5rgKPbSubg/s1600/345px-UncleTomsCabinCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tiyMWo9-CM7dGn8JULuFTOtIb5aMshqN5SRsu-32UNITatxYrqAZYeZhJMZAI9mhWi6ecVtFyt8btaWkTindvfMINYiG2igrziKGbb0zRii35mrCwYvOFNqo5byqBvhBk5rgKPbSubg/s320/345px-UncleTomsCabinCover.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of <a href="http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=491">Saint Cuthbert</a>.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We were absolutely amazed to see the beautiful moon last night, even here in London. There are some amazing images on line, I won't copy one of my amateur ones !<br />
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There is absolutely no credible reason for this but my children fancy having a go at making <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4941/festive-jammie-dodgers">jammy dodgers</a> - wish us luck.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-80126419508211988472011-03-19T13:51:00.000+00:002011-03-19T13:51:12.980+00:00'Dr. Livingstone, I Presume..?' and Sfinci<div style="text-align: justify;">The missionary and explorer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Livingstone">David Livingstone</a> was born on this day in 1813 in Lanarkshire. For some six years whilst in Africa all contact with him was lost. In 1869 the <i>New York Herald</i> newspaper sent Henry Morton Stanley to find him; on doing so, he is reported to have announced the now infamous 'Dr. Livingstone, I presume ?' Here is an illustration from the 1872 <i>Illustrated London News.</i> I have also included a link to a rather lovely portrait in the <a href="http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait.php?search=ap&npgno=1040&eDate=&lDate=">National Portrait Gallery</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxzJTWkCrCccPmInav_kXyqeOZLeAkzRE0XONAanFwtyTXNeeMAjaS-NOtIJ8nrielR8EzaIy-hZrx0a3uP75cGhKMRBsH3umC8AYJiVt5-BCVUxJ6yD_5Wr3pFciqcD3YcdmYl2ogQ4/s1600/512px-Stanley_and_Livingstone_in_The_Illustrated_London_News_1872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxzJTWkCrCccPmInav_kXyqeOZLeAkzRE0XONAanFwtyTXNeeMAjaS-NOtIJ8nrielR8EzaIy-hZrx0a3uP75cGhKMRBsH3umC8AYJiVt5-BCVUxJ6yD_5Wr3pFciqcD3YcdmYl2ogQ4/s320/512px-Stanley_and_Livingstone_in_The_Illustrated_London_News_1872.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 19th 1883 the chemist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Haworth">Sir Norman ( Walter ) Haworth</a> was born in Worcestershire. He became known for his research into the properties of carbohydrates and ascorbic acid - vitamin c, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1937.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On this day in 1900 the chemist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Joliot-Curie">Frederic Joliot-Curie</a> was born in Paris. He was married to Irene Curie, - the daughter of Pierre and Marie Curie. They would jointly be awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1935.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge">Sydney Harbour Bridge</a> was opened on March the 19th 1932.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 19th 1965 Rembrandt's <a href="http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/simoninfo.shtm">Titus</a> sold for a record $7,770,000. Here is a self-portrait:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29kuJBxYr0tK9Nuany-5hEXWYSr_Nr_E7OvkUfRRcdhRRPj0_D_ff23pAPremPk7rvE30OKz2LXez-rvt-X5-eMYm29aLVNcDBkj75ECNXBjng1m5DWeZhRzcsMZwWKl7PCEORwAfpcY/s1600/472px-Self_portrait_leaning_on_si_373x470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29kuJBxYr0tK9Nuany-5hEXWYSr_Nr_E7OvkUfRRcdhRRPj0_D_ff23pAPremPk7rvE30OKz2LXez-rvt-X5-eMYm29aLVNcDBkj75ECNXBjng1m5DWeZhRzcsMZwWKl7PCEORwAfpcY/s320/472px-Self_portrait_leaning_on_si_373x470.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint Joseph or San Giuseppe, widely celebrated throughout Southern Italy. These marvellously named <a href="http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/RECIPES/RECIPES/DESSERT2/sfinci_StJoe_Sicilian.html">sfinci</a> it would seem are the order of the day. I'm going to have a go.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-77747262457770212011-03-18T08:16:00.002+00:002011-03-18T08:30:37.477+00:00Wilfred Owen, John Updike, Luc Besson and a Spacewalk<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/princess-mary-tudor/4814/">Mary Tudor</a>, daughter of Henry VII, was born on March the 18th 1496. I had several links to choose from, but was particularly taken with the Catherine Howard jewellery so went for this one. I've also included another link to the <a href="http://maryrose.org/ship/index.html">Mary Rose</a>, said to have been named after her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On this day in 1766 Britain repealed the enormously unpopular <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp_Act_1765">Stamp Act</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The poet and critic Stephane ( Etienne ) Mallarme was born on March the 18th 1842. With Paul Verlaine, Mallarme was a founder of the Symbolist movement. His work inspired musical pieces by Debussy and Ravel amongst others. In 1875 Mallarme translated Edgar Allen Poe's <a href="http://poestories.com/read/raven">The Raven</a><i>, </i>the work was illustrated by Edouard Manet. Here is a beautiful portrait of Mallarme by Manet:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEzCcnbvb3qE_CCIaWn_vr0HVTZ4lwMAnB20wHsn9i2OoxWIA6E88Dki40W8NEHohKE_PrHFIqogRdZP5LIMHPzAhjDSmMiVFBlrtdBYvNYVbJ-YyJ79YqDYBNZIi_bJ9JjP95Dy4QE4/s1600/Portrait_of_Ste%25CC%2581phane_Mallarme%25CC%2581_%2528Manet%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEzCcnbvb3qE_CCIaWn_vr0HVTZ4lwMAnB20wHsn9i2OoxWIA6E88Dki40W8NEHohKE_PrHFIqogRdZP5LIMHPzAhjDSmMiVFBlrtdBYvNYVbJ-YyJ79YqDYBNZIi_bJ9JjP95Dy4QE4/s320/Portrait_of_Ste%25CC%2581phane_Mallarme%25CC%2581_%2528Manet%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Neville Chamberlain, the future Prime Minister, was born on this day in 1869.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">March the 18th 1891 saw the opening of the London-Paris telephone system.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The poet and soldier <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen">Wilfred Owen</a> was born on this day in 1893. He was killed in combat one week before the end of the war on November the 4th 1918, aged 25. His mother received the news of his death on Armistice Day. I am including a link to an <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3669019/Wilfred-Owen-The-soldiers-poet.html">article</a> by Jeremy Paxman I very much enjoyed. Also here is a link to one of his best known poems in draft, <a href="http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/owen/large17448.html">Dulce et Decorum Est</a>, part of the British Library Collection.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sharing a birthday today too is <a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/stories.asp?Event_Date=3/18/1932">John Updike</a>, he was born in 1932.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The film director Luc Besson also has a birthday today - he was born in Paris in 1959. I have lost count of the amount of times I watched Le Grand Bleu at university.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 18th 1965 Aleksei Leonov, the Soviet Cosmonaut, made history with the first EVA or <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/what-is-a-spacewalk-58.html">Spacewalk.</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/what-is-a-spacewalk-58.html"></a>Today is the Feast Day of Saint Salvatore of Horta ( d. 1567 ).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a scene in Le Grand Bleu where they eat huge bowls of pasta on a terrace by the sea, it always makes me ravenously hungry. I had something along these lines <a href="http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/Linguine_alla_Mollica">Linguine </a><a href="http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/Linguine_alla_Mollica">alla</a><a href="http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/Linguine_alla_Mollica"> </a><a href="http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/Linguine_alla_Mollica">Mollica</a> in Sicily a while ago, it is just fabulous.</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-34483823921499475692011-03-17T08:03:00.003+00:002011-03-17T08:14:51.165+00:00March 17th - Yippee ! Commodus, Kate Greenaway & Nureyev<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Upon the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180, Commodus would become Emperor and rule Rome alone. I know it wasn't his finest hour in the movie Gladiator but I just love that film. Love it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">So here we are - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick">Saint Patrick's Day</a>. He is the Patron Saint of Ireland and March the 17th is celebrated as it is the anniversary of his death in Downpatrick, Ireland. I was interested to discover via the Wikipedia link that two letters written by him survive giving us an account, in part, of his life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-O2PqKGJtZWc93V1Ov-CagJH6lSIKn5MAWORGN4K8mVLkNCbxE4e5IJnQf3kHvrSyE_5tjgX2Ru7BiCdnJjYAF2ApD6YkstRBbVQN5S_0f1Icn6ImH_Fw71tJiYUfH51OzeV81eG2d8/s1600/Irish_clover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-O2PqKGJtZWc93V1Ov-CagJH6lSIKn5MAWORGN4K8mVLkNCbxE4e5IJnQf3kHvrSyE_5tjgX2Ru7BiCdnJjYAF2ApD6YkstRBbVQN5S_0f1Icn6ImH_Fw71tJiYUfH51OzeV81eG2d8/s200/Irish_clover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_IV">James IV of Scotland</a> was born on March the 17th 1473.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1845, Stephen Perry would receive his patent for the rubber band on March the 17th.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The children's writer and illustrator Kate Greenaway was born on St. Patrick's Day 1846. She studied at what is now the Royal College of Art, which at the time had a separate section for women. Here is an example of her beautiful work:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZeBXzc1Pl45uEy7JSzicw66YEiJ5V0capLGg6X-XFgWrEl5WDV8UwtG8R4gJnQ6lLTs4IdpSYkTtlw_d7pY9sdnztnbQZ6dXqqg23GS3yt1sBbKQa_0VA6TadXbG76TaolsjwdwjFD0/s1600/Kate_Greenaway_-_May_day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZeBXzc1Pl45uEy7JSzicw66YEiJ5V0capLGg6X-XFgWrEl5WDV8UwtG8R4gJnQ6lLTs4IdpSYkTtlw_d7pY9sdnztnbQZ6dXqqg23GS3yt1sBbKQa_0VA6TadXbG76TaolsjwdwjFD0/s320/Kate_Greenaway_-_May_day.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lawrence ( known as Titus ) Oates was born on this day in 1880. He would walk to his death in a blizzard on March the 16th 1912. This lovely painting - <i>A Very Gallant Gentleman</i> by John Charles Dollman.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7jkNMeeK-Y0MVQHoLXb74Vz2K6H5oO3ZFwIFlunzBfVTFAesbLdL_ArdyBH4UavY7RhBGm2Kb-YtmYoqlVroSWhkUOlMle8C5GRvqGz5nCZ3zdtHN2zZbcbuz4qI0taTMK5taT3zWig/s1600/DollmanAVeryGallantGentleman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7jkNMeeK-Y0MVQHoLXb74Vz2K6H5oO3ZFwIFlunzBfVTFAesbLdL_ArdyBH4UavY7RhBGm2Kb-YtmYoqlVroSWhkUOlMle8C5GRvqGz5nCZ3zdtHN2zZbcbuz4qI0taTMK5taT3zWig/s320/DollmanAVeryGallantGentleman.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1901 on the 17th of March an exhibition was held at the Galeries Bernheim Jeune, in Paris, of Van Gogh's work, some eleven years after his death. It was huge success.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rudolf Nureyev too shares this birthday - he was born in 1938.<br />
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On March the 17th 1958 NASA launched the Vanguard 1. It is the second US satellite and the first to be solar powered. It has the distinction of being the oldest man-made object in space and it is still orbits the earth today, although communication is lost.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge">London Bridge</a> was opened on March the 17th 1973 by the Queen. The Bridge connects the City of London to Southwark - a bridge has stood on or near this site since the Roman occupation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think we have covered the Feast Day for today - enjoy !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A quick search online produced numerous <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/occasions/st-patricks-day/">Saint Patrick's Day recipes</a> - I'm going to have a go at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coddle">Dublin Coddle</a>. </div></div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-42386144177104195912011-03-16T08:15:00.001+00:002011-03-16T09:31:31.621+00:00'I am just going outside and may be some time....'<div style="text-align: justify;">Upon the death of his great uncle Tiberius at the age of 78, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula">Caligula</a> became Emperor of Rome on this day in AD 37.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Herschel">Caroline Herschel</a>, the astronomer and sister of William, was born on March the 16th 1750. She worked closely alongside her brother and the C.Herschel crater on the moon is named after her. She, along with Mary Somerville, was one of the first women to be made Honorary Members of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1835.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On this day in 1802 President Thomas Jefferson signed a measure authorising the creation of of the United States Military Academy at West Point. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">This day in 1850 saw the publication of Nathaniel Hawthorne's <a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/stories.asp?Event_Date=3/16/1850">The Scarlet Letter</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MMKp1eaZoc11ITmq044ftK7I768ZUi5RH0I03v4FvhGCB9DZKH_rkgieTTCJ4gZwG0NZxN9nVYeqjt7aeZL_PPz0Uq8rbGKXaKr5MjbOTibFvblt3mf4x6sUUcmTz-0nt3uk_DPc2kE/s1600/Title_page_for_The_Scarlet_Letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MMKp1eaZoc11ITmq044ftK7I768ZUi5RH0I03v4FvhGCB9DZKH_rkgieTTCJ4gZwG0NZxN9nVYeqjt7aeZL_PPz0Uq8rbGKXaKr5MjbOTibFvblt3mf4x6sUUcmTz-0nt3uk_DPc2kE/s1600/Title_page_for_The_Scarlet_Letter.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On March the 16th 1867 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lister,_1st_Baron_Lister">Joseph Lister</a> the physician and medical pioneer, would publish his study <i>Antiseptic Principle of the Practices of Surgery. </i>Infection was the primary post surgical cause of death and Lister, having used carbolic soap ( phenol ) in the practice of sterile surgery, revolutionised surgical practice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On their return journey from the South Pole, it was on March 16th 1912 that, as Captain Scott writes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Oates">Lawrence Oates</a>, known as Titus, said to his camp '<i>I am just going outside and may be some time.' </i>He was born on March the 17th 1880.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On March the 16th 1926 the American physicist and inventor <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/f_goddard.html">Robert Goddard</a> would launch the first liquid fuelled rocket in Massachusetts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Bernando Bertolucci celebrates a birthday today, he was born in 1940. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On this day in 1976 the Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigns. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day, amongst others, of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abban">Saint Abban</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I can think of no particularly valid link here but I spent the summer perfecting risotto and have numerous requests for asparagus risotto for supper. Highly recommended. </div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-86459290785617418242011-03-15T07:47:00.000+00:002011-03-15T07:47:32.012+00:00Caesar, Columbus, Taylor & Burton<div style="text-align: justify;">March the 15th is generally considered to be the Ides of March <i>( latin Idus Martii ). </i>Thought to follow the course of the full moon in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar">Roman Calendar</a>, the date is the 15th for some months and the 13th for others. <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0311_040311_idesmarch.html">Julius Caesar</a> was assassinated on this day in 44BC by among others, Brutus and Cassius.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on March the 15th 1493, concluding his voyage to the New World.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Charles II issued the Royal Declaration of Indulgence on this day in 1672.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March the 15th 1824 Jules Chevalier was born in Richelieu, France. Originally apprenticed as a shoemaker as his parents could not afford to send him to the seminary, he would go on to found the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On this day in 1877 the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_cricket">Test match</a> was played between England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Charles Rolls and Henry Royce decided that cars designed and made by them would bear their name. Rolls Royce was Incorporated on March the 15th 1906.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legion">American Legion</a> was formed in Paris on this day in 1919.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.life.com/image/2931188/in-gallery/22451/elizabeth-taylors-wedding-photos#index/8">Elizabeth Taylor</a> and Richard Burton were married on March the 15th in 1964.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint Lucretia of Cordoba.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
I had fun looking up <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_food">food</a> in Ancient Rome - door mice and peacocks included.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-40880586534067538302011-03-14T07:04:00.001+00:002011-03-14T09:14:55.327+00:00Einstein, Sylvia Beach & 'I only told you to.....'On March the 14th 1489, the Queen of Cyprus, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Cornaro">Catherine Cornaro</a>, sold her kingdom to Venice.<br />
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In 1794 the inventor Eli Whitney was granted the patent for his <a href="http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/USA/CottonGin.html">cotton gin</a>. Here is an original illustration of the patent:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaKQxYP9my4QSx1U7nG8JJVG4Xyq44U2ahY8nSyqPNNsBod2pMXZ18yrrphCEaiXJPfNNiZEAkmSNb8WiLEzjUMsgChTqqlbrCIMboVvsM4BxOMtF4JHjIAxF2BkF-i9EpAv-uVtfy5M/s1600/439px-Patent_for_Cotton_Gin_%25281794%2529_-_hi_res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaKQxYP9my4QSx1U7nG8JJVG4Xyq44U2ahY8nSyqPNNsBod2pMXZ18yrrphCEaiXJPfNNiZEAkmSNb8WiLEzjUMsgChTqqlbrCIMboVvsM4BxOMtF4JHjIAxF2BkF-i9EpAv-uVtfy5M/s320/439px-Patent_for_Cotton_Gin_%25281794%2529_-_hi_res.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Albert Einstein was born on this day in 1879 in Ulm, Germany. He would publish his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity">Theory of Relativity</a> in 1905 and later in 1915 his paper on <a href="http://physics.about.com/od/relativisticmechanics/a/relativity_4.htm">General Relativity</a>. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5jR3wfqL6bo6hQ9qZS2m36pKjcJc1fNgWh1Jc80aPceCuaadIUTYObjkPQQwfsoG_x7L9RGsKkb3oaY4BJjo5H3fxZjXX4aXxojeEpDUmOYdMf3R6z68JLsP-b2aYG8qhBDkReWTBmQ/s1600/413px-Albert_Einstein_photo_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5jR3wfqL6bo6hQ9qZS2m36pKjcJc1fNgWh1Jc80aPceCuaadIUTYObjkPQQwfsoG_x7L9RGsKkb3oaY4BJjo5H3fxZjXX4aXxojeEpDUmOYdMf3R6z68JLsP-b2aYG8qhBDkReWTBmQ/s320/413px-Albert_Einstein_photo_1920.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I'm developing a rather odd interest in signatures, here is Einstein's:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwUWEuCuXfJjXTupqG4PLOk_8FmMJuAApV51sgQlXsNQpAHLE69tt9N1Qxc5rQi_6j6Ge2hgPebHw5T8od-a5DrY5PAX-d2jTiFi9_eEX_3AW3VN0zeGsND1lGZsS6m-N4TzU5oUlXKk/s1600/315px-Albert_Einstein_signature.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwUWEuCuXfJjXTupqG4PLOk_8FmMJuAApV51sgQlXsNQpAHLE69tt9N1Qxc5rQi_6j6Ge2hgPebHw5T8od-a5DrY5PAX-d2jTiFi9_eEX_3AW3VN0zeGsND1lGZsS6m-N4TzU5oUlXKk/s1600/315px-Albert_Einstein_signature.svg.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Also born on this day in 1887 was one Nancy Woodbridge Beach who came to be known as Sylvia. She went on to found the bookshop <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Beach">Shakespeare & Company</a> in Paris in 1919. The shop would acquire a strong literary following and a degree of fame following the publication in 1922 of James Joyce's <i>Ulysses</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On March the 14th 1933 Maurice Joseph Micklewhite was born in Southwark, London. He would go onto enjoy huge commercial and critical success as we know him - Michael Caine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint Boniface of Ross.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On a recent trip to Paris we had the most sensational dish of hot smoked salmon with aubergine. I've included a similar recipe here : <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/5760307/Pierre-Gagnaire-recipe-hot-smoked-salmon-with-aubergine-puree-and-fresh-herbs.html">smoked salmon with aubergine</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-74742511416308438672011-03-12T04:12:00.001+00:002011-03-12T10:08:12.819+00:00William Buckland, Carnegie's Donation and Jack KerouacThe geologist and palaeontologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Buckland">William Buckland</a> was born on March the 12th 1784. He was the first to identify and later produce the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, naming it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalosaurus">Megalosaurus</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwraNPW-uwe4ZZLkj9Y2_tC9rZnWkKUg-A70tl1jy1Tht_De0HPC4Nu5Fl-XJIeXHc2Th-g-A5Kmu6sUEEYnIZjjrlP7lBxxQ5jiEZhyDdDfz7axoNTcOjYy_osuNLUkWPqeGCElBZcuI/s1600/800px-Buckland%252C_Megalosaurus_jaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwraNPW-uwe4ZZLkj9Y2_tC9rZnWkKUg-A70tl1jy1Tht_De0HPC4Nu5Fl-XJIeXHc2Th-g-A5Kmu6sUEEYnIZjjrlP7lBxxQ5jiEZhyDdDfz7axoNTcOjYy_osuNLUkWPqeGCElBZcuI/s320/800px-Buckland%252C_Megalosaurus_jaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On March the 12th 1789 the first United States Post Office was established.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The chemist William Henry Perkin was born on this day in 1838. He discovered the first aniline dye, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauveine">mauveine</a>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>The celebrated dancer Vaslav Nijinsky was born on this day in 1890.<br />
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Coca Cola was first sold in bottles on March the 12th 1894 in Vicksburg, Mississippi.<br />
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On this day in 1901 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Carnegie">Andrew Carnegie</a> donated 5.2 million dollars to the city of New York to fund the building of sixty-five libraries.<br />
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March the 12th 1912 saw the founding of the US Girl Scouts ( then Girl Guides ) in Savannah, Georgia.<br />
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Jack Kerouac was born on this day in 1922.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The playwright Edward Albee shares this birthday - he was born in 1928.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On this day in 1994 the Church of England ordained thirty two female priests in Bristol Cathedral.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today is the Feast Day of Saint Alphege.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The beautiful Watteau drawings are on display at <a href="http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/watteau/">The Royal Academy</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3263526172499787616.post-54833756314964136952011-03-11T10:22:00.006+00:002011-03-11T15:19:26.697+00:00Frankenstein, Henry Tate and Campbell's Bluebird<div style="text-align: justify;">According to various sources I have come across online a certain Romeo and Juliet ( the real ones it seems ) may well have been married on this day in 1302 in Citadella, Italy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Dutch printer and publisher Isaac Elsevier was born on March the 11th 1596. He was one of the first to use a printing press; the modern Elsevier brand was founded in 1880.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The <b>Daily Couran</b>t, England's first daily newspaper, was published today in 1702. It consisted of a single page with two columns and was produced from rooms above The White Hart pub in Fleet Street.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyO0FZSKHXvh1rOAHpFz0l3X_eDBOHBqo7hjxr6nB9QyQSoKhGaGiKRc-ydiWYgci-LcvyfYZncX6EbMMZC7CaLQCyb44PRtaP4IgRPTs0MIrQQNmgilYXUUowyvo-wwYNnYd8qdFsvE/s1600/390px-The_Daily_Courant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyO0FZSKHXvh1rOAHpFz0l3X_eDBOHBqo7hjxr6nB9QyQSoKhGaGiKRc-ydiWYgci-LcvyfYZncX6EbMMZC7CaLQCyb44PRtaP4IgRPTs0MIrQQNmgilYXUUowyvo-wwYNnYd8qdFsvE/s320/390px-The_Daily_Courant.png" width="208" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This day in 1818 saw the publication of <a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/stories.wk.asp?Event_Date=3/11/1818">Mary Shelley's Frankenstein</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Henry Tate, the sugar magnate and philanthropist, was born on this day in 1819. He would give his name, fortune and collection of Victorian art to the National Gallery of British Art, now known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate_Gallery">Tate Gallery</a>. The gallery was opened on July the 21st 1897 on the site of the old Millbank Prison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On March 11th 1885 <a href="http://www.bluebirdteamracing.net/bluebirdsupportersclub/peo/mc.html">Sir Malcolm Campbell </a> was born. An English racing motorist and journalist, he would go on to break the land speed record nine times. He raced in his famous Blue Bird - named after the play then showing at the Haymarket Theatre.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The children's author <a href="http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/">Ezra Jack Keats</a> was born on March the 11th 1916. Known for his strong use of colours and graphics, he was awarded The Caldecott Medal in 1963 for his lovely book <i>The Snowy Day. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rather marvellously, I think the <a href="http://www.savetheredwoods.org/league/index.shtml">Save the Redwoods League</a> was founded on this day in 1918.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Today is the Feast day amongst other of Saint Eulogius of Cordoba. He was a prominent priest in Spain and wrote <i>The Memorial of the Saints.</i><br />
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With a very vague Italian link and due to the fact that the children asked for it this yesterday, today I am making <a href="http://www.antonio-carluccio.com/Risotto">risotto</a> with asparagus.<br />
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</i></div>March 17thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687255247816681142noreply@blogger.com0