The British Heritage Puzzler

Tips and tidbits for travel and for fun

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LAST ISSUE WE INVITED Puzzler players to ponder: “A memorial sculpture stands prominently at a park in a Welsh mining town commemorating a father-son team for their singular contribution to Welsh culture — known to everyone of Welsh birth. Who are these men, and what did they do?”

In the park in Pontypridd at the foot of the Rhondda Valley a monument commemorates the writers of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau — “Land of My Fathers.” The lyrics were written by Evan James (1809-78); his son James James (1833-1902) composed the music.

NOW, PONDER THIS PUZZLER: I was very controversial in my time. My best stories derive from the Midlands mining landscape where I grew up. I lived much of adult life in exile all over the world, but my ashes rest in America.

DO JOIN THE REGULAR PUZZLER PLAYERS; email your answer to [email protected]. All entries are indeed acknowledged.

Keeping in Touch

WE ARE ALWAYS DELIGHTED to hear from British Heritage readers – and occasionally to share your enthusiasms and travel tips with other readers. We always love to hear if you have used British Heritage in planning your own adventures in Britain. Email us at [email protected].

Coming Up in British Heritage

Britannia Rules in Leith Harbour

Great British Rivers: The Medway

“Capability” Brown Turns 300

Lifeline of the Scottish Isles

Exploring Wildlife and Wetlands

Touring Britain’s Textile Mills

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Winter Warmer Ale - Raising a glass to Jack Frost

I had my first winter warmer ale some 25 years ago at the Hammersmith Ram. It was a Young’s Winter Warmer ale that would have set me back around &doller;1.30. And I was hooked. The hints of blackberries, sweet caramel and winter fruits in a winter beer were just perfect. You now pay a considerably more, especially in London, for a pint of winter warmer beer. But the loveliness of the brew remains the same.

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Winter warmer ales or beer are seasonal, and appear only in the winter months. Most winter brews are available from December to February. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Winter Warmer Ales Festival in February 2016 in Derby is a must-visit event. It’s a beer festival in a railroad roundhouse. What’s not to love? www.camra.org.uk/events

James Graham

Winter Teasers in Scotland

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CELTIC CONNECTIONS JANUARY 14-31, 2016

From the country fiddle of MidSouth bluegrass and Celtic rock to the step dancing and folk ballads of Cape Breton, and contemporary hymnody of Keith Getty, when Scots roamed and settled around the world, they carried with them the distinctive flavors of Scotland’s Celtic musical tradition. For musicians and lovers of Celtic music scattered to the four quarters, Celtic Connections is a homecoming.

Britain’s premier celebration of Celtic music is billed as “the largest annual winter musical festival of its kind.” With more than 2,000 performers from around the world, Glasgow brightens its January with 18 days of concerts, ceilidhs and workshops. At 20 venues across the city, some 300 events are on offer featuring multiple genres of music with deep Scottish roots. Want to catch a bit of afterglow? Hang out with musicians into the wee small hours at the Festival Club, where spontaneous sessions customarily break out. Head to Glasgow for the music. www.celticconnections.com.

BURNS NIGHT ▪ JANUARY 25

Let’s get together to drink whisky, eat coarse sausage and root vegetables, and quote dialect poetry. It’ll be great fun! It is difficult to quite explain Burns Night.

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The occasion is simple enough — an annual commemoration of the birthday of poet Robert “Robbie” Burns (1759-1796). Burns is generally held to be Scotland’s “national poet,” and, in fact, a few years ago he was voted the “greatest Scot” in a national poll. Whether it is held in Ayrshire or Aberdeen, New Zealand or New York, Burns Night is a wave-the-flag (of St. Andrews) dinner party of Scottish nationalism and cultural identity — steeped in its own traditions.

Wherever Scots expats and their descendents gather, there is going to be a Burns Night celebration, traditionally held on or near the birthday of January 25th. The menu is sure to include haggis with taties and neeps, ceremonially piped in, presented and toasted with malt whisky. Expect a lot of those toasts. Burns’ best loved poems are quoted; bagpipes and Scottish music entertain. The evening always ends with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”