"On the Road..." - Gloucester and the USA

"On the road..." is a series of posts about our Discovery of Britain's highways and byways.  Whether it be some family fun, a surprising connection or just a beautiful spot we want to share our love for this country with you.  

Today we visit Gloucester to celebrate the 4th July - American Independence Day.

So how does this English Cathedral City have any connection with American independence?  You can guarantee that today there will be multiple renditions of the American national anthem being sung from state to state... and that is where Gloucester steps in.

Or more precisely, that is where John Stafford Smith (1750-1836) steps in.

Smith was born along this street – the son of Gloucester Cathedral’s organist.  The musical gene passed into his blood as he progressed from chorister to composer and, like his dad, organist.   Somewhere around 1773 he composed some music called “The Anacreontic Song”  for the Anacreontic Society (1766-1792) – a group of amateur London musicians.  Their club was named after the Greek poet Anacreon (582-485 BC) who was famed for love songs.  Smith’s song was performed at the end of each of their meeting as all the members joined hands and sang six verses which began:

“To Anacreon in Heav’n, where he sat in full Glee,…”

In 1812 the lyrics were changed by Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) as he witnessed the British Navy bombarding Baltimore.   His four stanza poem began:

“O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light…”

Seventy seven years later these new lyrics were being officially used by the United States Navy, and another 27 years passed before it was being used by American President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1921).   Finally, in 1931, 119 years after the words had been written and 158 years after John Stafford Smith had created the music, President Herbert Hoover declared it was the USA’s national anthem.    The sounds of this little Gloucester Chorister are now heard throughout that great nation at just about every major sporting event or public gathering. 

A Plaque to John inside Gloucester Cathedral

In an unusual twist of events the melody found its way back to London in 2001.  On September 12, the day after the horrific destruction of New York’s Twin Towers, the Queen instructed her Guards to play the USA National Anthem outside Buckingham Palace.  One day later, September 13, the Queen joined thousands of other Brits in singing the anthem in St Paul’s Cathedral as a gesture of unity.  Few people probably realised that this very ‘American’ tune had been penned and performed in London 228 years earlier by our John.  

This is an excerpt from the tour Gloucester City Tour - Part One which explores the streets around the Cathedral.  The full tour is found on  www.obelisktours.co.uk

"Now Picture That" - Preston - Market Place

"Now Picture That" is a series of posts which share old engravings and photos of Britain to help you imagine how things looked in times gone by.  

Preston’s Market Square has stood at the heart of the region’s economy for centuries. 

The Obelisk, erected in 1782, originally had a stone orb on the top which was replaced by a gas burner in a glass globe.   The gas pipe ran inside the stone column.  In 1853 the obelisk was removed from the square and was, quite ingloriously, used as gate posts at Hollowforth Hall in Woodplumpton.  Some 126 years later it was restored to its former glory, and on the 10^th May 1979 her Majesty the Queen unveiled the restored obelisk as part of the 800^th anniversary celebrations of Preston’s first Royal charter.

In the background stands some delightful half timbered buildings built around 1629.  These were cleared away in 1857 to make way for the new Town Hall.

Take a FREE tour of this market place with a self guided tour app found via www.obelisktours.com

"Literary Links" - London - Laurence Olivier

"Literary Links" is a series of posts celebrating Britain's wonderful links with great authors, dramatists and poets.

Outside the National Theatre, on the south of the River Thames, is a statue of  Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) erected in 2007 to celebrate the centenary of this great actor’s birth.  

It was unveiled by his contemporary Richard Attenborough in honour of his brilliant career and his role as the Founding Director of the National Theatre – a position he held from 1963-1973.   The National Theatre’s largest auditorium – the Olivier - is named in his honour.  

This is an excerpt from the tour London River Walk - South Bank which explores the southern bank of the River Thames.  The full tour is found on  www.obelisktours.co.uk

"Literary Links" - London - Waterloo Bridge

"Literary Links" is a series of posts celebrating Britain's wonderful links with great authors, dramatists and poets.

Charles Dickens

For some reason a number of suicidal Victorians chose Waterloo Bridge as their spring board into the eternities.   Charles Dickens made mention of these poor unfortunate souls as he approaches Waterloo with a night police patrol rowing on the Thames:

“Every colour but black seemed to have departed from the world.  The air was black, the water was black, the barges and hulks were black, the piles were black, the buildings were black, the shadows were only a deeper shade of black upon a black ground.   Here and there, a coal fire in an iron cresset blazed upon a wharf; but, one knew that it too had been black a little while ago, and would be black again soon.  Uncomfortable rushes of water suggestive of gurgling and drowning, ghostly rattling of iron chains, dismal clankings of discordant engines, formed the music that accompanied the dip of our oars and their rattlings in the rullocks.  Even the noises had a black sound to me …” 

   “There was need of encouragement on the threshold of the bridge, for the bridge was dreary… the river had an awful look, the buildings on the banks were muffled in black shrouds, and the reflected lights seemed to originate deep in the water, as if the spectres of suicides were holding them to show where they went down. “

He used these dark feelings in David Copperfield when Martha Endell  says, 

“I can’t keep away from it.  I can’t forget it.  It haunts me day and night.  It’s the only thing in all the world that I am fit for, or that’s fit for me.  Oh, the dreadful river!”

And in Oliver Twist he has Nancy declare,

“Look before you, lady. Look at that dark water. How many times do you read of such as I who spring into the tide, and leave no living thing, to care for, or bewail them. It may be years hence, or it may be only months, but I shall come to that at last.”

Thomas Hood

Thomas Hood (1799-1845) wrote a lengthy poem about a real young woman called Mary Furley who jumped in with her young child (1844).  The child died but Mary lived through the ordeal.  Hood relabelled Waterloo as “The Bridge of Sighs.”   The most famous section of the poem goes:

The bleak wind of March
Made her tremble and shiver;
But not the dark arch,
Or the black flowing river:
Mad from life's history,
Glad to death's mystery,
Swift to be hurl'd—
Anywhere, anywhere
Out of the world!
 In she plunged boldly—
No matter how coldly
The rough river ran—
Over the brink of it,
Picture it—think of it,
Dissolute Man!
Lave in it, drink of it,
Then, if you can! Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care;
Fashion'd so slenderly,
Young, and so fair!

Anyone who did reclaim a body from the River would do well to take it to the southern side.  In Victorian times the Surrey officials would pay a crown for the corpse, whereas on the northern bank the stingy Middlesex officials only paid half a crown.  

This is an excerpt from the tour London River Walk - South Bank which explores the southern bank of the River Thames.  The full tour is found on   www.obelisktours.co.uk

"On the Road" - London Eye

"On the road..." is a series of posts about our Discovery of Britain's highways and byways.  Whether it be some family fun, a surprising connection or just a beautiful spot we want to share our love for this country with you.  

Today we visit the London Eye

Have you ever wondered what the views are like from the London Eye?  Well, today we give you a chance to 'look' out across London as we share the history of this attraction.

Preparing for take off

The London Eye, opened in 1999, continues to provide visitors with impressive 360⁰ views across the capital from the comfort of heated and ventilated capsules.  Standing at 135 metres (443 ft) high and weighing 2,100 tonnes the London Eye carries 800 visitors around on each of its half hour rotations.  The slow, continual rotation means the wheel never has to stop to allow guests to step on and off.   

Guests can see for 24 miles (40 km) and enjoy great aerial views of London’s iconic buildings. 

This simple idea of the ‘Eye’ was originally conceived to be a temporary attraction.  After five years it was supposed to be dismantled and moved to a new city.  Little did planners know then how popular it would become, and it is now a permanent structure.  With over 3 million visitors a year it continues to be one of the most visited paid attractions in the city and has become as much a part of London’s skyline as its neighbouring Big Ben.  

Its iconic status has made it a much sought after venue.  You can even get married here!  Around 60 couples a year tie the knot on the London Eye.   Film crews have used it in movies such as The Fantastic Four, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Thunderbirds and Paddington.  Likewise it has made appearances on TV programmes such as Dr. Who, Sherlock and even the Simpsons. 

And one useless bit of trivia for you:  the capsules are numbered from 1 to 33….yet if you count you will discover only 32.  The reason being that there is no capsule number 13 – it was left out for good luck.  

This is an excerpt from the tour London River Walk - South Bank  which explores around the southern side of the Thames.  The full tour is found on   www.obelisktours.co.uk

"Now Picture That" - London - Westminster Abbey

"Now Picture That" is a series of posts which share old engravings and photos of Britain to help you imagine how things looked in times gone by.  

Image taken from an antique print of the west front of Westminster Abbey.   The street in front was known as   Tothill Street which was home to titled gentlemen such as the Bishop of Chester (1488),  Lord Dudley (1522), Lord Dacre, Sir George Carew (1612), Southern (the dramatic poet) and Edmund Burke.   The homes had extensive gardens, but both homes and gardens have now been swept away.  The area around this street has a wide and varied history including a military garden, a racecourse, a bear garden, bull baiting, and duels.

Drawn by Schnebbelie (fl.1803-1849).  Engraved by Ambrose William Warren (fl.1805-1856). Originally featured in "London; being an accurate history and description of the British metropolis" (London 1805-1809) by David Hughson (Pugh). 

The original image was a Copper line engraving on paper. 

Published by J. Stratford, 112 Holborn hill, June 8th 1805

The area around Westminster is explored in our self guided tour available to download to your phone or tablet today from www.obelisktours.com:

Parliament Square is surrounded by some of the great British institutions:  Parliament, The Church of England, The Supreme Court and HM Treasury.  This tour goes back to the roots of this area and uncovers layers of history from the time when Edward the Confessor first built his Palace here and upgraded a little monastery of Benedictine monks.    This is a place of high drama: of assassination and executions, of Royal scandal and glory, of coronations and state funerals, of monarchy against parliament – all set against a backdrop of inspiring architecture, of Sanctuary and commemoration.  

We cross the paths of historical favourites such as Guy Fawkes, Pirates, Richard the Lion heart, Unknown Warriors, and Winston Churchill.  

"Literary Links" - London's Pavement Poets

"Literary Links" is a series of posts celebrating Britain's wonderful links with great authors, dramatists and poets.

If you walk along the South Bank of the River Thames, remember to keep checking the pavement for some poetical paving slabs.  They are in a bad state of repair and their days may be numbered, so enjoy this poetical interlude while you can! 

 One of them is by Henry Luttell (1765-1851), an eloquent and engaging English politician and wit, who described the famous London fogs:

Fast at the dawn of lingering day

It rises of an ashy grey;

Then deepening with a sordid stain

Of yellow like a lion’s mane

From a London Fog 1822  Letters to Julia

The poet William Collins (1721-1759) had written a poem called “ Ode on the death of  Mr. Thomson” (1700-1748) who was also a poet.  This poem, in turn, inspired William Wordsworth (1770-1850)  to write: 

Glide gently.  Thus for ever glide

O Thames!  That other bards may seeAs lovely visions by thy sideAs now fair river! come to me.O, glide fair stream!  For ever so,Thy quiet soul on all bestowing,Till all our minds for ever flow
As thy deep waters now are flowing.Remembrance of CollinsComposed upon the Thames near Richmond in 1789

The designer and poet William Morris (1834-1896) wrote:

Forget six counties overhung with smokeForget the snorting steam and piston stroke,Forget the spreading of the hideous town;Think rather of the pack-horse on the down,And dream of London, small, and white, and clean,The clear Thames bordered by its gardens green.            From Earthly Paradise

The other paving slabs to hunt for are one by playwright and poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816), another by T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) with his description of a sweaty river Thames and, the most modern, a comic piece by Spike Milligan. 

This is an excerpt from the tour  London River Walk - SouthBank  which explores the path along the south of the River Thames.   The full tour is found on www.obelisktours.co.uk