The Place We've Called 'Home'

The Place We've Called 'Home'

By Carrie Mae Hanrahan

Wroxton Abbey looks like a regular old building from the outside, bricks weathered by the elements and faded colors. This building and the surrounding areas have more to them than meet the eye!

The Grounds

The grounds of Wroxton are breathtaking. Looking directly out the back windows of the Abbey reveal lush rolling hills the same vibrant green as the picture of Wroxton above! Surrounding the Abbey is a dirt path the winds under trees and out of sight past the hills. By treading down these paths one can see rabbits and the occasional pheasant. Walking toward the back of the property, it suddenly opens up to reveal a pristine lake! On the surface are ducks and geese, with tadpoles and some other aquatic life just beneath the water. Following the path around the lake, a small manmade waterfall can be found nestled amongst the trees. Futher along the path are large gardens and even more hills surrounded by lush foliage.

The Interior

The beauty inside Wroxton Abbey is just as breath taking as the beauty outdoors. There are intricate wood carvings on the doors and plush red chairs in the reading room before the library. Squinting at a shelf of books, you can make out the entrace to a secret passage from long ago, sealed off against curious students (the nerve)! The ceilings are high and molded with various designs, some musical and others intricate without a theme. Wroxton is a big building and in the first few days it's almost like being a first year at Hogwarts. In some ways, Wroxton can feel a bit like a personal Hogwarts, without three headed dogs and the constant threat of a Dark Wizard trying to murder you! Plus the beds are comfortable and the building itself; with dark inviting wood feels warm and homely.

Our Group

In our two weeks here, we have documented many cases of our group bonding and getting together. In a magical place like Wroxton, how could you not make friends? Attempts were made to take group photos everywhere we went, but of course we did miss some places. The following assortment of photos conveys our last two weeks here on this trip, the fun times we have had, and the friends we have made. England is a cool country but it would not have been the same without the group travelling together.

The Inns of Court and The Old Bailey

On our last day in London, Dr. Paradis took us on a walking tour of the Inns of Court and the Old Bailey. Before the Inns of Court were established law was taught by private tutors or usually a clergy. During the thirteenth century the government and laws were becoming more complex as the power begins to shift from the church to the government. This brought about a need for formal legal education and thus the Inns of Court were established. This photo below shows a building in the middle that does not quite belong anymore. This building is part of what is left of the original walls of London City. This is important for 2 reasons; In 1207 a Papal Bull prohibited the teaching of law by the clergy , Second, there was a decree from King Henry III that no formal legal education could occur within the city of London. This meant that any formal law education had to be taught outside of the city walls.

    

So, when you pass under this remaining gate you will find the four Inns of Court and the old courthouse called the Old Bailey.  The word Inn comes from the Latin word hospitium- a place of hospitality. People opened up their houses and estates to house lawyers and officials coming into the city for court.There were bout 20 Inns to start with; There are however four main Inns that are actually schools of law. These four Inns are the Lincoln Inn, the Gray Inn, as well as the Inner and Middle Temple Inns. These are all located outside the old city walls and are still in use for law school. 

The garden at the Middle Temple

The Middle Temple

We also visited the old courthouse called The Old Bailey. The courthouse was named after the street it was built on which follows the line of the original wall or "bailey" of the city. The original building burnt down in the great fire of London in 1666 but was rebuilt with some additions in 1673. It was also built next to Newgate Prison for easy transfer of prisoners to court. Our group was Lucky enough to see some of the original cells that are left from Newgate prison. These cells on the bottom right were holding cells. According to our tour guide, they would keep prisoners here awaiting sentencing or trial. It was not the cleanest place. There was a small hole in the roof that led to the city street and people would sometimes drop food down the hole for the prisoners. It was very interesting to see these places, some still in use and some preserved for  some years to come.

The Old Bailey 

Newgate Prison Holding Cells

Newgate Prison

Buskers in Covent Garden by Brenda Buterbaugh

I'm sure you can remember back to your childhood watching the Disney movie Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins was set in the year 1910 in London. The movie opens up on Bert's one man band scene. In London , Bert was known as a Busker or a street performer. He played several instruments and entertained people on the streets several times throughout the movie. Street performers have been around for a very long time. According to the London Performers website, the term busker, for street performers came about in the 1860's. The word Busker actually comes from the Spanish verb Buscar which means to seek or wander. London street performers were known as Buskers because they sought a fortune and would wander from place to place. Busking became a way for people to do what they love and make some money. Today you will find many Buskers in tube or train stations in London. However, according to the London Performer's website and The Street's Got Talent website, the best place to find good Buskers is in Covent Garden. Covent Garden is a covered fruit and vegetable market that has been turned into a shopping district and tourist center. It is here that the best street performers come to entertain the large crowds. 

Gold Floating Man

In Covent Garden you will find performers or Buskers like these men in the pictures above. It is very hard to be a street performer in the Covent Garden. According to Streets Got Talent , first you have to audition and have some sort of liability insurance to be a performer. In order to get a permit, when you audition you must attract a large crowd during their audition.If you get a permit, you can then perform inside the market or outside. The performance usually lasts thirty minutes indoors and forty minutes outdoors. Usually there is a range of performers to see. Our group was lucky enough to see a magician/ comedian in the square. He told us street performing is very difficult and you definitely have to be able to connect with the crowd and bond quickly in order to have a good show. These people love what they do and were truly a great experience.

Churchill's War Rooms & Other Adventures

Winston Churchill in the bunker

By, Erin Zito

6/3/2013

As a part of Britain’s Imperial War Museums, we got to see Churchill’s War Rooms.  These rooms give you an undercover look into what life was like living underground for most of Britain’s government during World War II during the Blitz- strategic bombing of the United Kingdom by the Germans. 

There were personal stories throughout the museum from people who were a part of Churchill’s government.  These people recalled life with Churchill and their life underground.  Some rooms were replicated to their exact look during the time underground.  In a sense, Churchill was running the country from tiny and dark, yet safe, bunker.

Importance of the Cabinet War Rooms

Large map in the Cabinet Room

One of the most interesting parts of the War Rooms were the War Cabinet Rooms and the Map Rooms.  These rooms were used as a meeting place for the people of the cabinet where Churchill and his inner circle plotted the war. You can see the chair in which Churchill presided over meetings and the scratch marks on the arms showing the intense pressure he was under at these times. Along with this is the map room, which was amazing to see.  Huge walls were covered in world maps with the original markings and notes that the cabinet used.  Even the original doodle of Hitler that some men drew was on the map in the museum.  The Imperial War Museum website says, “In the Map Room, the informational hub of the entire site, everything has remained exactly as it was when the lights were finally switched off on 16 August 1945”. 

Part of a map in the Map Room

Replica of the Cabinet Rooms

The Hitler doodle on the map

Churchill's Room

Right next door to the Map Room was Churchill’s own bedroom. Churchill only slept overnight in this room on three occasions, but he did make four of his wartime speeches from the desk here, including his September 11, 1940 speech warning of Hitler’s plan to wage a war of terror against the United Kingdom.

Inside the War Rooms was the Churchill Museum commemorating his life.  It showed his family history and look into a more personal side of Winston Churchill.  The museum was covered in a plethora of quotes and facts about Churchill that gave more insight into what kind of man he was.

Before our walking tour of London by the greatest tour guide Dr. Paradis, some of us visited Abbey Road, made famous by The Beatles!

The famous picture of The Beatles

Nathaniel crossing Abbey Road

Haley and Erin crossing Abbey Road

After a walking tour of the Inns of Court and other historic monuments in London (which Brenda will blog about later!), we ended the night with an exquisite performance of the play “War Horse” at the New London Theater.  This play told the story of Albert and his horse Joey who both eventually go off to fight in World War I through a series of unfortunate events.  During the play, they did a great job reenacting World War I historically and accurately in showing the horrors of war.  The phenomenal puppetry of the horses made this live show feel like a reality with the help of some exceptional actors.    After a tearful ending for some, “War Horse” showed the overall impact that World War I had on not only Great Britain, but France, Germany, and the world itself. 

Joey and Albert in "War Horse"

War scene in "War Horse"

Underwater Roadways, Birmingham Canals

Underwater Roadways, Birmingham Canals

By: Kendal Sendek

The Boat We Rode One

  We went on a lovely narrow boat tour along the Birmingham Canal system, termed BCN (Birmingham Canal Network).  We boarded the boat and began our trip at the ICC (International Convention Center), where we got Starbucks right before hand; we had to chug it before getting on the boat, but we all finished just in time!  We floated through a marina where other boats were moored, and the guide gave us some information about certain aspects of the boats and their designs, one is the yellow disk painted on the front which I will discuss a little later.  Some of the areas we traveled through on the tour were the Oozels Street and Icknield Port loops, we saw the Ladywood and Rotton Park Junctions, and rode down the BCN Main Line.  We also passed through the Gas Street Basin, and the Worcester and Birmingham canals.                                                                                    

Map of Our Journey

The side of the canal and view of the tow-path

You can see what looks like a footpath along the edge of the canal, but in fact this was a tow-path.  Before the boats were powered by steam or other forces they were attached to horses who would walk alongside and pull the boats.  They would walk along these tow-paths, even though horses are no longer used cyclists bike along these little trails and we saw people walking along them as well.  There actually seemed to be quite a subculture around the water.  These canals were really the "life blood of Black Country and Birmingham" according the the Canal and River Trust website.  The canal system really flourished because of the Industrial Revolution and the need for quick efficient transportation of raw materials and goods. As the tour continued we saw railways that ran close to the canals, and learned that the railways that were supported by this waterway lasted longer than those that weren't.  Another fact I found interesting was that while the water looks dirty it is actually clean; a lady tested it and pulled up a cup of the water which turned up clear.  The reason the water looks so dirty is because the depth of the canal is only 4.5 ft deep and the sediment/silt collected on the bottom gives it the dirty appearance.  The civil engineers that are given credit for this amazing network of canals are people such as James Brindley, Thomas Telford, Thomas Dadford, John Smeaton, and James Walker (BBC news).

      

Boat with the eye of Osiris painted on the front

Some Fun Canal Facts

You can see on the picture a yellow disk on the front of the boat, this is a common feature among the narrow boats we saw on the journey   This disk represents the protective eye of Osiris and was placed on the front of the boats to insure safe travel and a safe return home.

Many notable and popular pubs were built along the tow-paths because the business owners knew they would always have a customer base from the workers going up and down the canal.

The people who actually built the canals were called "navvies" and in the UK it stood for navigator, this was also the term applied to railways workers (BBC news).

"Legging" was how the boaters got the boat through tunnels when the horses could not.  The men would lay on their backs and place their feet on the top or sides of the tunnel and use their legs to walk the boat through.  The longest tunnel to be walked through was 3.5 miles long!

The fun fact I found the most interesting was that the national speed limit on the canals is 4 miles per hour! (BBC news)

Black Country Museum: Pharmacy/Hardware store

By: Matthew DeLorenzo

Welcome to the museum that shows you the Black Country as it used to be. In the museum you will find buildings that have been moved here from around the Black Country. For example, The pharmacy and the hardware store.

 

 

 

 

The Pharmacy

 This store was owned by Mr. Harold Emile Doo in 1929. His father was also a chemist and pharmacist. As most families in the early 20th century, Mr. Doo apprenticed under his father. The store was located in a small town called Netherton, England. A lot of the things like the bottles, chemicals, utensils, etc. came from the actual shop. In the late 1970s Mr. Doo died. His daughter asked the Black Country Museum if they wanted to come and inspect the inside of the old shop and transport some of the actual materials for their reconstruction of the old Black Country shop. The museum bought the materials and reconstructed the actual building inside their living museum in 1979.

 

There were no clinics in the beginning of the 1900's. People would bring their infants to the pharmacist to weigh their child. It would cost a person a penny, which in 1929 was less than a pence.

In 1929, before the National Health Service existed, you had to pay to see a doctor which was quite expensive at that time because of low wages. A person that fell ill and couldn’t afford to go visit the doctor would instead go to the local pharmacist where the chemist, like Mr. Doo, would either sell you something from the shelves, or mix together some chemicals to create a potion to sell at a cheaper price rather than seeing a doctor.

 

 Back in the late 19th and early 20th century, people would usually use their finger to brush their teeth and as for toothpaste, people would mix together salt and soot (carbon particles from the coal furnace). Along with many other things the pharmacy would sell toothbrushes, which were made up of animal bones and pig bristle. As well as toothbrushes, the pharmacy sold toothpaste which they also made themselves.

 



Pharmacies in the 1920s were the only place where you could purchase olive oil. The pharmacist would buy in whole sale from big cities like Birmingham and sell it at his shop.

 The Hardware Store

 The E. Langston Hardware store is a reconstruction of a 1930 hardware store in a Black Country. The store was owned by Louie Gough. The building was originally a newspaper store but when the museum bought the building they figured it would be more beneficial if they transformed it into a classic hardware shop. In 1980 the museum reconstructed the building inside the Black Country Living Museum. The shop would sell “anything your mother needed” like pots, pans, buckets, metal ware, brushes, glass, silverware, cleaning supplies, paints, and a variety of soaps. Additionally, the man that was acting as the owner in the museum and the person I interviewed said the Hardware store would be the only shop in the entire town that would have electricity while others had gas lighting.

 
 
 

The Mangle is one of the various machines that the hardware store would sell. It was a machine that a person would use after they would hand wash their clothes. Since there was no drying machine in the early 20th century people would use "The Mangle" to squeeze the water out of the clothes before hanging them.

A funny thing I saw inside the reconstruction of a normal house of the Black Country in the 1930s was an old school Kit Kat bar. Kit Kat was created by Rowntree’s of York, England and is now produced world-wide. The Kit Kat brand goes back to 1911 when Rowntree trademarked the chocolate treat.

 

Black Country Museum: Iron, soot, and it's people.

By Taylor Sendek

  A view of the Black Country Museum.

              The Black Country Museum is a conglomeration of buildings from the time of the Industrial Revolution rebuilt into the confines of the Museum.
The museum represents what the people of industrial towns did, how they lived, and what they would do for fun, it also showed more clearly the emergence of the new and not yet real classification of the middle class. The museum contains, a steam engine used to pull water from the coal mines, shops that would have provided for the people living in the working towns, their houses, a fair ground and other forms of entertainment such as a cinema, forges for the iron works the town would have produced, and a trolly tram that would have enabled workers and women to go about their business. Black Country was known for its iron working especially. They specialized in structural iron work, chains, locks and keys, tube manufacturing, trap making and anchors. Black Country was one of the first areas to use the new technique of using coal to heat and temper iron instead of charcoal and was discovered by Thomas Dudley. This allowed stronger metal that could be used for more. Due to this Black Country can claim being the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, even though the actual times of the Industrial revolution can be argued.

   One of the anchors that would have been produced in the anchor forge.

   A forge set up that would have been working continually filling the air with smoke and soot.

                The coal for the ironwork would have been brought up from the mines kept dry by steam engines, carried on the canals in boats and deposited at the forges for use by the blacksmiths and forge workers. The air of Black Country and other industrial towns would have been filled with smoke and soot, nearly blocking out the sun if not completely blocking it out. The workers would have also been covered in the soot that blanketed the city. Despite the dirty and cramped living conditions; for whole, large families lived in houses that were normally only two rooms, one up and one down, or if the family was better off four rooms two up and two down; there were things for the people to make life more "comfortable". Stores popped up that sold things, name brand things started to pop up around the time of the Industrial Revolution, to make life more convenient. Black Country also possessed a school for the children of the workers, though education was offered through the church, the idea that children should learn some basic reading and arithmetic was an idea that was starting to gain in popularity. They used a system where the older children would teach the younger ones so that they didn't need as educated teachers in the schools.

  The school.

             There were also new forms of transportation introduced that made commuting to factories easier for the men and going out to do shopping and outings safer for women. The trolly was one of those forms of transportation and they allowed more mobility for people of the era.

  Trollies like this would have carried people to and from where ever it was that they were going.

               Along with people going out to do more, things like traveling fairs started to come to the people to offer distractions for those who couldn't get away on the new fangled vacations and holidays that were becoming popular with the new trains, trams, and other safer forms of transport that allowed women as well as men to go out and see things.

  Fairs like this would have traveled around to offer distractions and entertainment to people.

                Towns like that represented in Black Country would become more popular as the Industrial Revolution boomed in Britain. Along with that boom of industry came a change in the way people saw themselves, others, and changed the things they were able to do, buy, and see. These changes catapulted us into the world we have come to know.