England has reached the final quarter final. Calm your footie nerves with a little FIFA World Cup general knowledge?
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Love or Loveless Island?
Round & About
It was all kissing-off this Sunday, as Love Island ITV2 got a little too hot for comfort. Do you care about the waves of emotion or do you really hate this type of programme?
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Mock and roll
Round & About
Old Woodstock in Oxfordshire is the setting for a centuries old fun-filled tradition of electing a Mock Mayor. Join the fun on Saturday, 21st July, writes Rachel Thompson
The tradition dates back to the 18th century with its origins in making fun of neighbouring New Woodstock with its fancy town hall.
After a break in the early 20th century, the festival was revived with enthusiasm in the 1980s. Last year’s event could not go ahead but the committee is back this year with a new chairman; Damian Thompson (the 2013 Mock Mayor) and enthusiastic new committee members!
After a procession of the outgoing Mayor and his officials in fancy dress, with a town crier at The Black Prince, candidates make speeches before the committee elects its new Mayor for the year, forming a procession across Blenheim Park to the New Woodstock Town Hall for dancing with Morris men and the real Mayor of Woodstock…then the Mock Mayor is ducked in the River Glyme and a good time is had by all!
With traditional games, stalls, tug-of-war, Punch & Judy and a children’s entertainer before live music from Woodstock’s Unsociable Media and Indie Zone and a barbecue later, the event (2.30-5.30pm for the ceremony and fete and 6-10.30pm for the evening) promises fun for all.
Show time
Round & About
This month, admire a wealth of creativity thanks to Eynsham artists’ work on show.
Eynsham Arts Group is an all-inclusive, friendly and proactive group for local artists and all those with an appreciation of art. Their summer exhibition opens on Eynsham Carnival Day, this year on Saturday, 7th July.
Artists who make up the group range from beginners to professionals and use a variety of media; oils, acrylics, pen, pencils, photographic prints and watercolours. Julie Sailing-Free and Jenny Bowden of the group say: “We aim to promote painting and drawing locally, while providing a forum for the exhibition of, discussion and promotion of local artists.”
Exhibitions are held four or five times a year in The Bartholomew Rooms in Eynsham Square and the summer exhibition will begin on Saturday, 7th July, from 9am until 5pm. It continues on Sunday, 8th July, from 10am to 4pm; and then from Thursday, 12th July until Sunday, 15th July from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free.
The start of this exhibition coincides with Eynsham Carnival Day when the square will be busy with stalls and Morris Dancers, a shirt race through the village stopping at local pubs along the way, followed by a procession at midday, before the carnival proceeds to the playing field where there will be dog shows, motorcycle displays, a multitude of stalls, Tug-O-War, pig races, a fun fair, live music and much more!
Artwork is varied and of a high quality, reflecting the enormous and diverse talent in Eynsham and surrounding villages and towns. The group also runs an ongoing exhibition at The Swan Hotel in Acre End Street, Eynsham, where members mainly display work representing the village, the Cotswolds and surrounding areas as well as Oxford architecture. No appointment is necessary – open hours are noon until late every day.
“Although many of our artists sell work locally, nationally and internationally,” adds Julie, “many of our members belong to our group for the appreciation of art itself.”
As well as the group’s frequent exhibitions, there are meetings on the last Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm. The speakers are varied and provide talks and/or demonstrations and all visitors are welcome. Guests can turn up and pay a small fee at the door. New members can join any time – visit www.eynshamartsgroup.org.uk
Nit wit
Round & About
Abingdon mums Julia King and Julia Thomas will be out and about this month promoting their great new book Super Nit Rescue Mission
A super hero is not the classic character trait that instantly springs to mind when pondering the subject of headlice. But instead of reaching for another lotion of bug-killer, Julia Thomas picked up a pen and began musing about these uninvited beasts.
This singing teacher, who works at St Helen’s School in Abingdon, says: “I’ve got really thick, curly hair, and so do my children. Getting rid of headlice hurts, and I guess writing this story was a coping mechanism for us all. Creating a book on this irritating subject was my motivation to help other families talk about it, and help their kids not to feel ashamed.”
Why a superhero? “Well our hero is not from this planet – he’s lost on Harry’s head,” continues Julia. “He’s a good guy; and fights the pirate nits, headed by Captain Louse. He wins, and in return for ridding Harry’s hair of bad nits, gets a lift back to his space ship.”
Julia joined “heads” with her writer friend Julia King to create this heart-warming tale, about nasty headlice. The pair are mum-and-stepmum to the same daughter as well as mums to their half siblings.
Visit www.juplicatebooks.co.uk
Material world
Round & About
Graeme Rowe of Kingston Bagpuize explains more about Little Weave which aims to educate children through storytelling with a pinch of old-school ethics!
I’m old enough to remember when there were no computer games, food was healthy and simple, and children were shielded from bad habits.
These memories inspired my wife Asua and me to launch our interactive website. It includes stories parents can read to their children featuring new characters. Parents can create stories and pictures with their children to be published on the website. The aim is to build a community educating young children through creating and sharing fun stories.
Each Little Weave story is written with a subtle undertone promoting ethics and a healthy lifestyle. For example how to be polite and helpful to people, especially the elderly; eat fruit and vegetables and enjoy stimulating hobbies.
All of the new Little Weave characters also have characteristics that everyone can relate to including worrying, forgetfulness and clumsiness.
The Little Weave website clearly sets out the personalities of the 10 characters and offers a guide on how parents can create stories with their children. Once uploaded online and reviewed internally, the stories will be featured on the website. People do not need to be professional authors to have their work featured online. We are new to writing and enjoy the challenge of creating something new each time.
To make the stories fun, the theme for Little Weave is sewing. The online village has buildings made of material, with buttons for windows and zips for doors. Every aspect of the landscape is sewn together from brightly coloured fabric. The 10 characters are all soft and cuddly with a colourful check-patterned material and include Button the Rabbit, Cotton the Cat and disco dancing Lord Tweed the Goat.
The inspiration for Little Weave came from Piyanooch, a Thailand-based businesswoman who sells hand-sewn clothes and accessories. We worked with Piyanooch’s team to develop bright colourful T-shirts, bags, blankets and cushion covers with hand-sewn characters and detailing, all made from 100% cotton. Manufacturing takes place in Northern Thailand. Each seamstress sews around tending to their farms and looking after family members.
We hope you enjoy reading the tales and creating stories with your children!
Find out more at www.littleweave.com
Romanov’s Realm
Round & About
We find out more about royal biographer and Romanov expert Coryne Hall’s new book which marks the centenary of the murder of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family.
In March 1917 there were 53 members of the Romanov family living in Russia. Less than three years later 17 of them had been murdered by the Bolsheviks, one had died from natural causes and the other 35 had fled for their lives, some with little more than the clothes they stood up in and a few trinkets.
To Free the Romanovs, Royal Kinship and Betrayal 1917-1919 deals with the efforts of the Tsar’s cousin King George V, the Kaiser and other European relations to rescue Nicholas, his mother, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins after the revolution. Many of these relatives were the grandchildren of Queen Victoria and had played together at Osborne and Balmoral.
After Nicholas abdicated in March 1917 he and his family were held prisoner by the new Russian Provisional Government, and later by the militant Bolshevik regime. George V had refused to give the family asylum in Britain.
In the spring of 1918 they were moved to Ekaterinburg in the Urals and imprisoned in the Ipatiev House, ominously renamed ‘The House of Special Purpose’. On the night of 16/17 July they were taken down to the basement and shot.
At the insistence of his mother Queen Alexandra, George V sent a warship to the Crimea to evacuate her sister the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna (Nicholas’s mother) and her family, as the Bolsheviks closed in. Other Romanov relatives were rescued with assistance from relations in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Romania.
“George V’s failure to save the Tsar has always been controversial,” says Coryne, whose great-grandmother was born in Imperial St Petersburg. The book includes explosive unpublished diary entries by the Tsar’s cousin Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, which show the Romanov family’s feelings about King George’s lack of action.
Coryne, who lives in Whitehill, is the author of many books, including biographies of the Tsar’s mother (Little Mother of Russia, Shepheard-Walwyn), his sister Xenia (Once a Grand Duchess, with John Van der Kiste, Sutton Publishing) and the memoirs of Xenia’s granddaughter Princess Olga Romanoff on which she collaborated with the Princess. Coryne is a regular contributor to Majesty magazine, has appeared on radio and television and lectured at conferences in England (including the Victoria & Albert Museum), America, Denmark, The Netherlands and Russia. She was also the last person to have a private audience with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
To Free the Romanovs, Royal Kinship and Betrayal 1917-1919 is out now, published by Amberley Publishing. Find out more and contact Coryne at www.corynehall.com
From the heart
Round & About
Phil Hall’s book Bangkok to Ben Nevis Backwards documents his journey, with his family, around the globe with lots of laughs and learning along the way. Debt, dementia, emigration and attempted murder are a pretty potent mix of ingredients…
However it’s testament to Wallingford dad Phil Hall’s writing style and honesty that these factors result in an entertaining page-turner. In fact, any reader of his new book might well feel as though they’ve known him ages…
Phil, who is 52, has written about his adventures, starting six years ago, when he decided to eschew midlife workplace disappointment and debt by moving to Asia along with his beloved wife Jum, son Tom, and dog Megan. Always honest and often heart-breaking, this exotic excellent adventure is beset with the real-life dramas that are more moving than fiction. As Phil’s father’s health worsened, he and the family found themselves torn between two continents and spinning several plates to try to manage the stress.
The Hall family are now living back in Wallingford, and Phil says the period, which he self-deprecatingly describes as “how not to move to a strange country” strengthened their love.
“Luckily, we have all come out relatively unscathed,” Phil says. “You can’t live life to the fullest without making a few cock-ups along the way. We’re so proud of Tom especially – he’s grown into a great young man. It’s been emotional but I don’t think life should ever be about regrets.”
You can buy Bangkok to Ben Nevis Backwards at Wallingford book shop and online. Please also visit www.philhallbooks.com for more info.
The Art of Kustom
Round & About
Andy Saunders is one of the best-known customised car builders this side of the Atlantic, and many of his creations can be seen in The Art of Kustom exhibition at Beaulieu.
In the national home of motoring, you will find a riot of outrageous styling cues, awesome colour schemes and off-the-wall ideas, all engineeered from Andy’s imagination.
The Art of Kustom has gathered Andy’s creations from private collections across Europe. It also includes the 1930s splendour of Andy’s immaculate Cord, a Citroen that looks like a spaceship, a Reliant Rialto race car, a road-going speedboat, the world’s shortest Mini, enchantingly called the Mini Ha Ha, and a 1939 Peugeot 202 pick-up, called Metropolis.
You’ll be able to see just how Andy works his magic, with this last mentioned commercial vehicle, which looked not too disimilar to Sir Tow Mater from the cartoon Cars movie, when he rescued it from a French field three years ago. Now, Metropolis looks like a sleek retro
delivery vehicle.
Tetanus is one of Andy’s most widely acclaimed projects, taking 14 years to complete. This 1937 Cord 812 Westchester was in an appalling condition when Andy found it, having spent more than half a century decaying in a Yorkshire field. Andy’s friend accidentally christened this crusty car with its moniker when he declared: “I’m not touching that car without a tetanus shot!”
Tetanus was inspired by a stylish car illustration that Andy saw on a birthday card. To produce the streamlined two-door coupé the wings were widened and reworked, the roof was lowered and shortened, doors were lengthened and the rear-end built from scratch using sections from a Jaguar MKII and VW Beetle. With a sumptuously trimmed red cockpit and Chevrolet V8 engine under the bonnet, this beauty is a real crowd-pleaser, as you can tell from the picture above.
The Art of Kustom can be seen as part of standard admission to Beaulieu, which includes entrance to the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the ancestral Montagu family home of Palace House, 13th-century Beaulieu Abbey and the stunning grounds and gardens.
To buy tickets in advance online or for more information visit www.beaulieu.co.uk or call 01590 612345. Entry is also included with a Hot Rod & Custom Drive-In Day event ticket. For online tickets or more details please visit www.beaulieu.co.uk
Petworth House pleasures
Round & About
Why not sample the delights afforded to the lords and ladies of Georgian times with a summer stroll around the grounds of Petworth House?
Originally laid out in the 16th century, the gardens were later re-landscaped in the 18th century under the watchful eye of Capability Brown.
In Georgian times the lord and lady of the house could stroll with guests, taking tea and playing croquet amid the fragrant gardens while showing off the latest plants from the Americas. Not only a patron of the arts, the 3rd Earl of Egremont was a patron of plant collectors and he used the pleasure grounds here to display his collection of trees and shrubs, all immaculately presented, with intriguing specimens given prominent positions.
He introduced two buildings as focal points and to provide cooling moments of shade. These gardens also show off two more of Brown’s techniques – the sinuous path winding its way through scented meadows up to the ha-ha. This affords an apparently unbroken view from the pleasure grounds to the parkland beyond, hiding the sudden change in level that ensures the deer or other animals do not nibble vital plant specimens!
As you venture forth on the walk, the first of Brown’s buildings comes into view. A rotunda based on the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, this overlooks the first of the meadows, formerly a paddock which you cross into a wildflower meadow, at its best in summer. Also at its best is a Southern European Flowering Ash with its showy panicles of fragrant cream flowers introduced from southern Europe and Asia Minor in 1700.
Following the serpentine paths, the wall frames beautiful rolling countryside and a lake fed by natural springs in the hills. In the distance is Black Down, the highest point in Sussex at 280m. Retrace your steps to the top of the meadow to the Rotunda, perhaps for a little breather.
From there, head south to join Salvin Drive and as you head back to the main house you approach the Doric Temple. To the north it is surrounded by holm oak trees brought by Brown from southern Europe. These magnificent mature trees today augment the landscape and add green to the winter garden. Brown sited the Doric Temple to showcase the view across the Shimmings valley.
En route to the house, you can both see and smell the North Gallery roses, in this case White Rose of York, as it would have been in Brown’s day. Between the main house and servants’ quarters is a display of Magnolia Grandiflora, an exotic import introduced to Britain in the 1730s.
Over the next few years, the National Trust will work to restore the gardens to Brown’s vision. For this and other walks and attractions, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk