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BLENHEIM PALACE MARKS CHURCHILL ANNIVERSARY
In addition to the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, 2005 is the 40th anniversary of the death of Britain’s wartime prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill. Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough and Churchill’s birthplace, is commemorating these milestones of history with a special exhibition. “Churchill’s Destiny” (May 28-September 11) recounts the story of two great wartime leaders, Sir Winston and his ancestor and personal hero, John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough.
It was beside the lake at Blenheim that Sir Winston proposed to his beloved wife, Clementine, and the couple is buried in the churchyard of nearby Bladon. Located in the village of Woodstock near Oxford, Blenheim Palace takes its name from John Churchill’s most famous victory, the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Surrounded by ornate gardens and the sweeping vistas of 18th-century landscaped parkland, Blenheim remains one of England’s most popular destinations for visitors. More information is on the Web site at www.blenheimpalace.com.
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FRANK TRAPPER/CORBIS
CURTAIN UP ON DAME JUDI
Her myriad admirers will be pleased to hear that one of the newest unveilings at London’s National Portrait Gallery is a striking full-length painted portrait of Dame Judi Dench. Among the most distinguished and versatile actresses of her generation, Dench made her stage debut as Ophelia in an RSC production of Hamlet in 1957. In the years since, she has been beloved for a multitude of roles on stage, screen and television. Her portrait, by British artist Alessandro Raho, was commissioned by the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery and is on display in Room 40.
CONGRATULATIONS TO CARDIFF!
The capital city of Wales celebrates two anniversaries this year: 100 years as a city and 50 years as Wales’ capital. It was in 1905 that King Edward VII granted city status to the growing industrial center. Since then Cardiff has seen many historic milestones. In 1912, on the eve of World War I, Cardiff’s coal exports reached their peak when 14 million tons of anthracite rumbled down from the coal valleys to the north and were loaded into nearly 8,000 ships. In 1927 King George V graced the city to open the National Museum of Wales. During 1944, following the D-Day invasion, three-quarters of the supplies sent to the American forces in Europe were shipped out through Cardiff’s docks. Then, in 1955, following a 10-year campaign, Cardiff was crowned capital of Wales. This proud and famously friendly city does indeed have a great deal to celebrate during this year. Happy Birthday, Cardiff. Web site: www.visitcardiff2005.co.uk.
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COURTESY OF THE CARDIFF INITIATIVE
SEABRITAIN 2005
Some 300 maritime events throughout Britain this year sail under the banner of SeaBritain 2005. At the heart of the celebrations is the Trafalgar Festival, remembering the 200th anniversary of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson’s famous victory at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805. Throughout the summer and autumn, the Official Nelson Commemorations Committee is coordinating a program of exhibitions, reenactments and regattas throughout Britain.
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COURTESY OF THE CARDIFF INITIATIVE
David Quarmby, chairman of SeaBritain 2005, offers this summary of the festival: “The sea runs through so much of our lives in Britain—from seaside resorts to commercial ports, from pleasure craft to the Royal Navy, and from our maritime heritage to the environmental science of the sea. SeaBrita 2005 will celebrate all of this with events, festivals and activities around Britain’s coastline and major waterways.”
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NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, LONDON
On June 28 more than 40 navies from around the globe will join in the salute at Portsmouth, home of the Royal Navy, in the greatest International Fleet Review seen in Britain in almost a century. Then the historic harbor will host the International Festival of the Sea, from June 30 to July 3, where a quarter-million people are expected to enjoy the fleet of tall ships, nautical parades, traditional maritime crafts, art exhibitions and a fisherman’s wharf where visitors can enjoy the fruits of the sea.
The festival culminates on Trafalgar Weekend, October 21-23, with dinners, parades, fireworks, beacons, church services and bell ringing across the country. Web site: www.seabritain2005.com.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
The 59th Edinburgh International Festival runs from August 14 to September 4, in one of the world’s most beautiful capital cities. Each year the festival hosts world-class symphony orchestras, classical ballet companies, actors, ensembles, singers and musicians. The Daily Telegraph describes the event succinctly: “Nowhere else in the world can match it for such concentrated cultural effort over a three week period.”
Festival 2005 is expected to include highlights ranging from Noh theatre to John Millington Synge, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio, the Michaelangelo Quartet, La Cubana and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. The festival closes with a bang at the Bank of Scotland fireworks concert in Princes Street Gardens. The full program can be seen on the festival’s Web site at www.eif.co.uk.
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THE SOUTHERN ENGLISH CITIES PARTNERSHIP
Seven of southern England’s most popular tourist destinations have joined together to help make life easier and more efficient for the multitude of visitors who include these wonderful towns and cities in their travel plans each year. The seven locales—Canterbury, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Guildford, Chichester, Winchester and Salisbury—share a rich cultural and historic heritage, from medieval cathedrals and world-class theater to enclaves of antique shops and funky museums.
The Southern English Cities consortium showcases the best of these delightful destinations on its Web site and proffers valuable ideas for helping visitors make the most of their time. Themed touring itineraries even offer ways of organizing self-directed travel around a variety of special interests: “Food Glorious Food,” “Sculpture Vultures” and “Shop ’til You Drop” are among the colorful possibilities.
Of course, veteran travelers to Britain know better than to over-program their agenda. It’s too much fun to be distracted by discoveries and adventures along the way. Southern English Cities has come up with a valuable resource in their shared Web site: www.southernenglishcities.com.
AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY
“Impressionism Abroad: Boston and French Painting” is a summer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts on London’s famed Piccadilly. Some 60 works by French and American masters, the majority of which are from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, help to tell the story of Boston’s early regard for the work of the Impressionists and the French Barbizon School, in particular their landscape painting. Paintings by Camille Pissarro, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Claude Monet, as well as works by American artists Childe Hassam, William Morris Hunt and John Singer Sargent, highlight the collection.
Running from July 2 to October 2, the exhibition affords a grand opportunity to view the depth, range and quality of Boston’s early collecting of 19th- and early 20th-century French and American art. Web site: www.royalacademy.org.uk.
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