In Britain These Days

from bog snorkeling to the Festival of Food and Drink

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Another commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II is being celebrated by the Bank of England Museum at the “Old Lady of Thread-needle Street.” The museum in the heart of London has mounted an exhibition about the bank and its staff during WWII under the title “Business as Usual.” A fascinating collection of photographs, documents and personal memorabilia highlights the workaday life of the bank in wartime. It is hard to imagine that bank staff, as many as 1,000 at a time, worked two or three days in a row, sleeping overnight in the bank’s vast vaults. The exhibition runs through the summer, and admission is free.Just take the Underground down to Bank. Web site:www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum.

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The York Festival of Food and Drink is one of the most popular of York’s many annual festivals. Demonstration classes are just part of the delectable calendar of events[/caption]

YORK IS FESTIVAL CITY

Every year, York plays host to some 20 different festivals, making this small capital of England’s ecclesiastical and historical North Country a festival city indeed. February’s Jorvik Viking Festival is perhaps the biggest draw, but the Festival of Food and Drink, held this year September 16-25, attracts tens of thousands of visitors as well.
If you are looking for something a little more esoteric, this year’s calendar of festivities includes the York Roman Festival (August 5-7), complete with military reenactments, battles, gladiators and chariot races. Halloween seems a perfect time for the York Ghost Festival (October 29-November 4). It’s an appropriate place, too, since York is widely acknowledged as England’s most haunted city. In December the Festival of Angels (December 10-11) promises a winter wonderland of ice sculptures, gift stalls, food and drink evoking the magic of Christmas. Web site: www.yorkfestivals.com.

KENT’S INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

The historic setting of Canterbury provides a unique location for the largest festival of arts and culture in the southeast. This year, the Canterbury Festival runs October 8-22, just about harvest time in the “Garden of England.” The festival showcases local, national and international talent in classical and contemporary music, world theater, opera, comedy, dance and visual arts.
More than 200 events are held at venues throughout the city and surrounding area during the busy fortnight. This year’s highlights include the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and productions of The Barber of Seville and L’Elisir d’Amore. Summing up her hopes for this year’s program, festival director Rosie Turner enthused: “More international artists, more entertainment, more audience, more enjoyment. More reasons to come to Canterbury!” Though a visitor hardly needs more reasons to visit this historic and majestic cathedral city, the Canterbury Festival is a good one. Web site: www.canterburyfestival.co.uk.

ROALD DAHL MUSEUM AND STORY CENTRE

It’s not exactly Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, but it has chocolatey doors. In his hometown of Great Missenden, Bucks, about 30 miles from London in the Chiltern Hills, the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre opened its chocolatey doors this past June. From the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) on the wall outside to the bench that turns out to be a crocodile, Dahl characters and stories are the building’s theme. Multimedia galleries tell the story of Dahl’s life and work. The archive of manuscripts, letters and treasured possessions form a complete portrait of one of the most intriguing writers of the 20th century. The museum and its shop and cafe are apt to be busy venues this year as Dahl’s many fans await the release of the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film, starring Johnny Depp, this summer. Web site: www.roalddahlmuseum.org.

TIME TO EXPLORE BRITAIN

[caption id="InBritaintheseDays_img2" align="aligncenter" width="678"] Acclaimed British cellist Natalie Clein and Willard White, one of the world’s great basses, are among the international stars appearing at this year’s Canterbury Festival.[/caption]

If you are dreaming about a visit to Britain, Visit Britain (which I shall always think of as the British Tourist Authority) has a new interactive e-brochure that they justly describe as “dazzling.” Active travel planners and armchair travelers alike are going to love spending time with this brochure, easily accessible on the Visit Britain Web site. Chapters on topics ranging from “Britain’s coastline” and “historic cities” to “B & Bs and inns” and “museums and galleries” are well-organized, clearly written and beautifully illustrated. They lead to videos and Web sites that let the browser explore for hours. It will be hard to spend much time in this superbly done e-brochure without wanting to pack your bags for a journey across the pond. Web site: www.visitbritain.com/ca.

OUT FOR A STROLL

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England’s newest long-distance walking path was opened this spring across the starkly beautiful Norfolk Broads. The 35-mile Wherryman’s Way links the medieval cathedral city of Norwich with the old North Sea resort of Great Yarmouth. The trail follows the Yare Valley, crossing the River Yare at Reedham Ferry on one of Britain’s few remaining chain ferries. Pastoral meadows, villages and windmills line the path. Waterfowl of a dozen varieties and the unique ecosystem of the Broads are joys to be discovered in this corner of England.
Britain’s oldest National Trail, meanwhile, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Among the country’s most popular long-distance walks, the Pennine Way runs 268 miles along the “backbone of England” from the dramatic Peak District of Derbyshire to the Scottish border. In case you are contemplating doing the whole walk, it takes an average of 16 days to complete. Though the terrain is hilly, the Pennine Way is no mountain trek. The highest point is Cross Fell, in Cumbria, at 2,947 feet. Web site: www.nationaltrail.co.uk.

BOG SNORKELING AND COAL CARRYING

We can’t begin to explain the rules and roots of all these colorful events, but they could only take place in the world of British eccentricity. Here is a selection of upcoming world championships you might like to experience—with all the pageantry, ritual and carnival atmosphere you might expect:

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Bog snorkeling at Llanwrtyd Wells is just one of many colorful world championships contested in Britain this year.[/caption]

World Town Crier Championships,
June 12-17, Chester, Cheshire
World Pea Shooting Championships,
July 9, Witcham, Cambridgeshire
World Snail Racing Championships,
July 16, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
World Toe Wrestling Championships,
July 23, Fenny Bentley, Derbyshire
World Bog Snorkeling Championships,
August 29, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
World’s Biggest Liar Competition,
November 17, Wasdale, Cumbria
World Coal Carrying Championships,
March 28, Gawthorpe, West Yorkshire

For more information on these and hundreds of other characteristically British experiences available to visitors passing through town, check out VisitBritain’s searchable events database. It is not only a wonderful resource but easy to use. Web site: www.visitbritain.com/ca.

STUBBS AND THE HORSE

In the early years of British horse racing, it was artist George Stubbs (1724-1806) who captured the beauty, intelligence and grace of the horse in his paintings, prints and anatomical drawings. Today, Stubbs is considered the greatest of all British horse painters. This summer, London’s National Gallery is mounting a special exhibition of the work of Stubbs. A visit to the gallery’s “Stubbs and the Horse” exhibition can be combined with a visit to the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, one of the world’s finest working stables. Web site: www.nationalgallery.org.uk.

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George Stubbs’ 1762 painting of Whistlejacket is part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery.[/caption]

CHURCHILL MUSEUM

According to a BBC poll, Sir Winston Churchill ranks in the hearts of the British people as “the greatest Briton who ever lived.” This 40th anniversary of his death will be observed by a London museum devoted to celebrating the statesman’s life, achievements and legacy. The Churchill Museum, which opened in February, is the world’s first museum dedicated to Britain’s famed wartime leader and statesman.
The final component in the expansion of the Cabinet War Rooms, the museum is located below street level in Whitehall. Churchill’s private living quarters—from where he led the country and the Allied war effort during World War II—have been restored. The museum includes photographs, artifacts, documents and film, many of which are on display to the public for the first time. Web site: www.churchillmuseum.org.uk.

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Churchill’s familiar wartime pose infused the British people with courage and hope through the dark days of World War II.[/caption]