From ‘The Forge Gallery, 5 Stonehenge Walk, Amesbury SP4′:

To commemorate the first anniversary of The Ancestors launch at Stonehenge for summer solstice 2010, Andy and . . . → Read More: The Ancestor’s Summer Crown]]> This post is to advertise Solstice events organised by the creators of ‘The Ancestor’ – the sculpture next to the A303 at Amesbury.

From ‘The Forge Gallery, 5 Stonehenge Walk, Amesbury SP4′:

The Ancestors Summer Crown

To commemorate the first anniversary of The Ancestors launch at Stonehenge for summer solstice 2010, Andy and Michelle invite you to an exhibition and ask for your help to decorate the crown for summer solstice this year.

On Saturday and Sunday 18th and 19th June the summer crown for 2011 will be in the gallery. We are inviting you to help us decorate it.

Make something along the theme of summer and nature and bring it along to attach to the crown which will be installed on The Ancestor on the morning of the solstice ready to greet the thousands of visitors drawn to Stonehenge for the celebrations.

The crown will be seen by people from all over the world and will stay on for @ 4 weeks so please do not bring flowers as they will not survive for long. Some lovely suggestions so far have been scrolled poems, ribbons and bells, evergreen posies, its up to you.

Summer Crown Event

On Monday 20th June 2011 there is a Summer Crown event at the Antrobus Arms Hotel, Amesbury.

From Midday onwards you will be able to sample 2 guest ales created especially for The Ancestor and Amesbury 2012 and Beyond by local brewers at Stonehenge Ales. Sample the festive hog supplied by the Antrobus Hotel.

Take the opportunity to find out about Amesbury 2012 and Beyond and The Friends of The Ancestor.

Immerse yourself in our heritage and culture and see demonstrations by top quality artisans. Listen to Folktales and local legends from a story teller in the beautiful gardens. Live music to finish at around 10 p.m.

Parking is free in Amesbury overnight and Wilts and Dorset are providing a Henge Hopper from Salisbury Station to Stonehenge from. 6.30p.m. To 1.15a.m. Returning from 04.00 to 09.45.

This looks like fun – a play set in a cafe is being performed at Boston Tea Rooms (the Old George . . . → Read More: Upcoming Stuff To Do In Salisbury]]> Here are a few links about upcoming events in and around Salisbury. I’m collecting these on a Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page.

Boston Tea Rooms – The Man with The Flower in his Mouth

This looks like fun – a play set in a cafe is being performed at Boston Tea Rooms (the Old George Hotel) in Salisbury High Street – 11th + 12th May, Salisbury

• http://www.mettatheatre.co.uk/productions/the-man-with-the-flower-in-his-mouth/

Salisbury Cathedral – Gormley’s Flare

Antony Gormley’s artwork ‘Flare II’ has been installed in the Big Church

• http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/news.php?id=563

Salisbury Studio Ghost Train

The Ghost Train is on at the Salisbury Studio Theatre until the 16th.

• Ghost Train at the Studio

Salisbury Playhouse – Game of Love and Chance

I’m not over-keen on farce, but I really enjoyed the current show at the Salisbury Playhouse.

Here are some links:

• Whats On Stage on GLC
• Wikipedia’s page on The Game of Love and Chance
• The Game of Love and Chance « Peter Viney’s Blog
• The Game of Love and Chance – review | Stage | The Guardian
• The Game of Love and Chance – a set on Flickr
• Glyn Kerslake on … The Game of Love and Chance
• The Game of Love and Chance – Review onReviewsGate.com
• Neil Bartlett’s Biography

And,most importantly, you can book tickets through this page:

• Salisbury Playhouse | The Game of Love and Chance

Sarsen Trail and Neolithic Marathon

Sarsen trail and neolithic marathon – May 1st

• http://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/WhatsOn/SarsenTrail/EmailForm.aspx

Daredevil

I like the word ‘daredevil’….
FRI 15th – Salisbury Livestock Market – Netherhampton – SP2 8RH – Show starts 7:30pm – Gate opens 6:00pm

• http://scottmaydaredevil.co.uk/

Saint George’s Day in Salisbury

This years celebration of the famous dragon-slayer will be on Easter Monday (25th April)

• www.salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk

Songs of Praise in Salisbury Cathedral

• Songs of Praise’ will be filming at Salisbury Cathedral on Easter Monday, 25 April 2011

Salisbury Mayor’s Family Fun Day

The Mayor’s Family Fun Day – 30th April

• http://briandalton.mycouncillor.org.uk/2011/02/26/family-fun-day/

Cathedral Flower Festival

Salisbury Cathedral between Tuesday 14th and Sunday 19th June

• www.salisburycathedral.org.uk

The posts so far are:

If you’re planning to go on from Salisbury to Stonehenge . . . → Read More: From London to Salisbury by Train – part three]]> This is the third post in a series of five about the journey from London to Salisbury.

The posts so far are:

• From London to Salisbury – part one
• From London to Salisbury – part two
• From London to Salisbury – part three

If you’re planning to go on from Salisbury to Stonehenge then you might want to look at:

• Salisbury to Stonehenge

Woking to Basingstoke

Shah Jahan Mosque

As you come into Woking, you can see the green dome of the Shah Jahan mosque on the left. The Shah Jahan was the first purpose-built mosque in Northern Europe¹. It was built to provide a place of worship for students at the Oriental Institute².

Woking – Martians and the Modfather

The origins of Woking date back to the the 8th Century. ‘Woking’ is a curious word – seeming to combine ‘awoke’ and ‘waking’. The etymology has nothing to do with either – ‘Woking’ derives from the Old English for the settlement of ‘Wocc’s‘ people³ (similarly ‘Kettering’ is the settlement of ‘Cytra’s people ⁴).

Paul Weller – Woking Class Hero

Paul Weller⁵ is probably the most famous person to come from Woking. Weller’s home town has been particularly significant in his music.

Image from Amazon

In 2007, Paul Weller published ‘Suburban 100′ – a collection of his lyrics. In the notes for the song ‘Stanley Road’ he wrote:

When I was a kid I remember asking my dad how long a mile was. He took me out into our street Stanley Road in Woking and pointed down to the far end, towards the heat haze in the far distance. To me there was a magical kingdom through that shimmering haze, the rest of the world, all life’s possibilities. I always return to where I came from, to get a sense of my journey and where I’m heading next ⁶

One of the Jam’s biggest hits was ‘A Town Called Malice’ ⁷

It featured the lines:

Struggle after struggle, year after year
The atmosphere’s a fine blend of ice
I’m almost stone cold dead in a town called malice

A whole streets belief in Sunday’s roast beef
Gets dashed against the Co-Op
To either cut down on beer or the kids new gear
It’s a big decision in a town called malice

The song was about ‘hard times’ under the 1980s Conservative administration. As Weller said

“It could have been written about any suburban town, but it was in fact written about my hometown of Woking.” ⁸

H.G. Wells’ ‘The War of the Worlds’ and Woking

The Jam filmed the video to ‘Funeral Pyre’ in the sandpits on Horsell Common, which is on the northern edge of Woking ⁹

Horsell Common was made famous by H.G. Wells, who had his Martian invaders land there at the beginning of ‘The War of the Worlds’.

Image from Amazon

The aliens lie dormant in their pods for a short time before they emerge and lay waste to the surrounding area. They incinerate various spectators, soldiers and weaponry before advancing on Woking itself:

The giant saved Woking station and its cluster of houses until the last; then in a moment the Heat-Ray was brought to bear, and the town became a heap of fiery ruins. Then the Thing shut off the Heat-Ray, and turning its back upon the artillery-man, began to waddle away towards the smouldering pine woods that sheltered the second cylinder. ¹⁰

Woking’s connection to War of the Worlds is celebrated in the town by a sculpture of one of the alien tripods. It’s not quite visible from the train line, but it’s a short walk from Woking station.

A single to Woking

A ‘Single to Woking’ seems to have been used during the First World War as slang for a cigarette – apparently because of it’s proximity to Brookwood Cemetery. An article in the Ashburton Guardian of 1917 reported that:

There is a brand of cheap cigarettes, popular in the army, known by the name of ‘Singles to Woking.’ (Woking is where the chief cemetery is located) The allusion enwrapped in this mild witticism is typical of the oblique mischievousness which characterizes the best of Tommy’s slang. ¹¹

I’m not quite sure why ‘single to Woking’ meant ‘a cigarette’. It could be because smoking was already seen as unhealthy but I’m not sure that it was. Or it could be because of the rhyme between ‘smoking’ and ‘Woking’.

I’ve only found the one reference to ‘a single to Woking’ on the internet, and it’s not in the Oxford Dictionary of Slang – I’d be interested to find out the derivation.

Woking in the kitchen

Finally on Woking itself, the town was honoured with an entry in the ‘Meaning of Liff’ by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd¹².

The idea of the book was to re-use real place-names for concepts and things for which no word exists in the English language. As the authors put it:

In life, there are many hundreds of common experiences, feelings, situations and even objects which we all know and recognize, but for which no words exist.

On the other hand, the world is littered with thousands of spare words which spend their time doing nothing but loafing about on signposts pointing at places.

Our job, as wee see it, is to get these words down off the signposts and into the mouths of babes and sucklings and so on, where they can start earning their keep in everyday conversation and make a more positive contribution to society.¹³

So, for example, an ‘Epping’ is defined as ‘The futile movements of forefingers and eyebrows used when failing to attract the attention of waiters and barmen.’, whereas an ‘Exeter’ is explained as follows:

All light household and electrical goods contain a number of vital components plus at least one exeter. If you’ve just mended a fuse, changed a bulb or fixed a blender, the exeter is the small, flat or round plastic or bakelite piece left over which means you have to undo everything and start all over again.

Anyway, Adams and Lloyd defined Woking as:

standing in the kitchen and wondering what you came in for.¹⁴

As I get older I’m afraid to say that, personally, Woking uses up many of my waking hours. And it’s not just confined to the kitchen.

Necropolis – Brookwood Cemetery

A minute or two outside of Woking station, on the right, is the vast Brookwood Cemetery.

The cemetery was created as the world’s largest in 1854 by the London Necropolis Company. ‘Necropolis‘ means ‘city of the dead’. The word is formed from the Greek¹⁵ ‘necro‘ meaning ‘dead’, and ‘polis‘ meaning ‘city or town’. Although the constituents of ‘necropols‘ are ancient, the word itself seems to have been a Victorian invention.

Brookwood Cemetery was, in a sense, the first ‘overspill’ town, in that it was originally planned as a cemetery for London’s dead, who could no longer be accommodated within London itself.

During the debate on the ‘London Necropolis And National Mausoleum Bill’, a Mr Mowatt spoke of the ‘absolute necessity for making provision for interments without [outside of] this great city’ ¹⁶

The Rt Hon. Mr. Hume said that he:

would remind the House of the pressing necessity that existed for the measure, there being no fewer than 58,000 human beings who required interment in the metropolis every year.¹⁷

It is estimated that 240,000 are buried at Brookwood.

The Necropolis Railway

Integral to the Necropolis project was the means of transporting both the deceased and the bereaved from London to Brookwood.

This was achieved by the development of the ‘Necropolis Railway’.

The railway was in use from 1854 until 1941. It ran largely along the existing line – you may be travelling on it now – but short branches were built at either end – one into the cemetery at Brookwood, and the other to a separate terminus near Waterloo in Westminster Bridge Road.

Dedicated ‘necropolis rolling stock’ was built to accommodate the coffins and the mourners. Both coffins and mourners were divided into both Anglican and non-Anglican¹⁸ and into First, Second and Third Class.

The railway’s popularity declined with the increasing use of the motor car, and the development of cemeteries in London’s suburbs. In 1941, German bombing destroyed some of the line at the London end, as well as the station and the rolling stock. The Necropolis Railway was no more.

The Necropolis Railway – the novel

Andrew Martin wrote a crime novel called ‘The Necropolis Railway – A Novel of Murder, Mystery and Steam’. I’ve not yet read it myself but it was well reviewed.

The Times said it was:

‘A classy potboiler… in the best formal traditions of Dickens and Collins (let alone Christie and Chandler).’ The Times

Brookwood

Brookwood is a small village – Wikipedia has its population as 2,416 at the time of writing¹⁹. The cemetery has a substantially larger poulation.

Farnborough

The next station, but not one that the Salisbury train usually stops at, is Farnborough.

Saint Michael’s Abbey

As you come into Farnborough, just before the railway station on the left, is Saint Michael’s Abbey. At the time of writing I’m not sure whether or not St Michaels is visible from the railway line or not. It is very close to the line – I’ll see if I can spot it next time I go up to London.

The abbey was built in 1880 by Empress Eugenie of France as a mausoleum for her husband Napoleon III, and her son who had been killed in the Zulu War²⁰ .

The Empress invited Dom Cabrol, of the French Abbey of Saint Pierre de Solesmes to come to Farnborough to establish the Abbey in 1895.

The architect Benedict Williamson designed the tower in the style of Saint Pierre de Solesmes, which itself references Mont St Michel. The dome is said to be reminiscent of Les Invalides

Monsignor Ronald Know said that the Abbey is

‘a little corner of England which is forever France, irreclaimably French.’²¹

St Michaels is still very much a working abbey. It houses both the national shrine of Saint Joseph, and the Catholic National Library. The website has the following on life at the Abbey:

Fundamentally, the monastic life is nothing more and nothing less than the Christian life, lived to the full. We are a people set apart to sing the praises of God (1 Peter 2:9). It is also nothing less and nothing more than human life lived to the full. ²²

On Saint Michael

From the pictures it looks as if Saint Michaels is on a hill. I don’t know for sure whether it is or not, but in reading up about Saint Michael for my page on St Michaels Road in Salisbury, I found:

Richard Taylor in his book ‘How to read a church’ ²³ says that “In keeping with his position in heaven churches dedicated to Saint Michael tend to be built in a high place”.

Alternatively, the 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia ²⁴ relates the positioning of St Michael’s churches to the pagan god Wotan, who was ‘replaced’ by St Michael.

Mr Taylor gives the examples of Mont St Michel, Tor Hill at Glastonbury, and London’s highest church at the top of Highgate Hill”. St Michael’s Church is Salisbury would follow this pattern. It is the highest church in the area, as far as I am aware.

Fleet

After Farnborough is Fleet.

Fleet probably gets its name from the French ‘flete‘ which means ‘stream or shallow water’ ²⁵. The ‘Flete’ in ‘Fleet’ would be Fleet Pond. This is one of the largest ponds in the country. It used to attract tourists by train, especially for ice skating in the winter.

This is probably a similar derivation to London’s Fleet Street²⁶, which is named after a River Fleet.

Fleet is ‘known’ today for two things – the Fleet half-marathon, which is used by many as preparation for the London Marathon, and for Fleet service station, a half-way stop (more-or-less) on the drive from Salisbury to London.

Winchfield

The next station after Fleet is Winchfield, although, again the Salisbury train shouldn’t stop there.

Winchfield was, for a brief period, the end of the line. The railway reached Winchfield, which seems to have been then called Shapley Heath, in September 1838. The section from Winchfield to Basingstoke was not open until the June of 1839. ²⁷

Hook

The last station before Basingstoke is Hook. Again, the Salisbury train should speed through Hook without stopping. The name Hook comes from the

Old English h?c, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoek ‘corner, angle, projecting piece of land’, also to German Haken ‘hook’ ²⁸

Next: Basingstoke to Andover

That completes this part of the journey, although I will hopefully add to it over time.

It’s the part of the journey I know least well, so I’d be particularly grateful for any comments or suggestions about things I’ve missed.

Next is the section from Basingstoke to Andover. This should hopefully include some mention of:

• Racing cars around Basingstoke shopping centre
• James Blunt
• De La Rue
• Lord Denning
• Water Cress
• ….anything else I can think of

Footnotes

1. Shah Jahan Mosque – Welcome
2. Woking’s muslim heritage – Woking Borough Council
3. Placenames of the world: origins and meanings of the names for 6,600 … By Adrian Room http://books.google.com/books?id=M1JIPAN-eJ4C&lpg=PA408&ots=idwqM2HUWJ&dq=meaning%20of%20name%20woking&pg=PA408#v=onepage&q=meaning%20of%20name%20woking&f=false
4. http://books.google.com/books?id=M1JIPAN-eJ4C&lpg=PA193&dq=meaning%20of%20name%20kettering&pg=PA193#v=onepage&q=meaning%20of%20name%20kettering&f=false
5. Woking Class Hero is the name of a Weller mailing list. No idea what it’s like, but it’s at Paul Weller – Woking Class Hero
6. Suburban 100, Paul Weller, page 15
7. The song’s title was a reference to a novel by Nevil Shute called ‘A Town Called Alice’, but the song itself was about Woking.
8. Town Called Malice by The Jam Songfacts
9. http://books.google.com/books?id=p5UCtnT7v-IC&lpg=PA1&ots=TOragK08nI&dq=woking%20and%20paul%20weller&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q=woking%20and%20paul%20weller&f=false
11. Papers Past — Ashburton Guardian — 13 August 1917 — SLANG FROM THE WAR and Lost for words
12. Douglas Adams also wrote ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’, John Lloyd co-wrote ‘Blackadder’
13. ‘The deeper meaning of liff: a dictionary of things there aren’t any words for yet– but there ought to be’, Douglas Adams, John Lloyd, Three Rivers Press, 2005 ISBN 0307236013, 9780307236012
14. ???
15. Online Etymology Dictionary
16. LONDON NECROPOLIS AND NATIONAL MAUSOLEUM BILL. (Hansard, 27 February 1852)
17. LONDON NECROPOLIS AND NATIONAL MAUSOLEUM BILL. (Hansard, 27 February 1852)
18. The Anglican and non-Anglican had separate stations within the cemetery. According to Fortean Times the C of E had the nicest parts of the cemetery
19. Brookwood, Surrey – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
20. ST MICHAEL’S ABBEY History Page
21. The Church at ST MICHAEL’S ABBEY
22. Monastic Life at ST MICHAEL’S ABBEY
23. Taylor, Richard (2003). How to Read a Church: A Guide to Images, Symbols and Meanings in Churches and Cathedrals. Rider & Co. ISBN-10 1844130533
24. Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/St. Michael the Archangel – Wikisource
25. Fleet, Hampshire – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
26. Fleet Street is in central London. It runs from the Aldwych to Saint Pauls. It used to be the home of London’s newspaper industry
27. Winchfield
28. definition of hook from Oxford Dictionaries Online

var uri = 'http://impgb.tradedoubler.com/imp?type(img)g(19792220)a(1983580)' + new . . . → Read More: From London to Salisbury by Train – part one]]> Waterloo to Wandsworth

This is the first post in what should be a series of three or four on the railway journey from London to Salisbury. This is still very much a work in progress – if you can add anything please let me know via the comments.

The posts so far are:

• From London to Salisbury – part one
• From London to Salisbury – part two
• From London to Salisbury – part three

If you’re planning to go on from Salisbury to Stonehenge then you might want to look at:

• Getting from Salisbury to Stonehenge

Waterloo station

Waterloo station started life as Waterloo Bridge Station in 1848. It was originally several different stations, being operated by different railway and underground companies. It was a notoriously difficult and complicated place.

Jerome K Jerome satirized this at the beginning of ‘Three Men in a Boat’:

We got to Waterloo at eleven, and asked where the eleven-five started from. Of course nobody knew; nobody at Waterloo ever does know where a train is going to start from, or where a train when it does start is going to, or anything about it. The porter who took our things thought it would go from number two platform, while another porter, with whom he discussed the question, had heard a rumour that it would go from number one. The station-master, on the other hand, was convinced it would start from the local.

To put an end to the matter, we went upstairs, and asked the traffic superintendent, and he told us that he had just met a man, who said he had seen it at number three platform. We went to number three platform, but the authorities there said that they rather thought that train was the Southampton express, or else the Windsor loop. But they were sure it wasn’t the Kingston train, though why they were sure it wasn’t they couldn’t say.

Then our porter said he thought that must be it on the high-level platform; said he thought he knew the train. So we went to the high- level platform, and saw the engine-driver, and asked him if he was going to Kingston. He said he couldn’t say for certain of course, but that he rather thought he was. Anyhow, if he wasn’t the 11.5 for Kingston, he said he was pretty confident he was the 9.32 for Virginia Water, or the 10 a.m. express for the Isle of Wight, or somewhere in that direction, and we should all know when we got there. We slipped half-a-crown into his hand, and begged him to be the 11.5 for Kingston.

Waterloo, Belgium

Waterloo Bridge and by extension Waterloo Station were, of course, named after the Battle of Waterloo, where the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon.

The ‘Iron Duke’ is referenced in the name of one of the stations bars ‘The Wellesley’¹, and by the pub in in Waterloo Road called the Duke of Wellington.

The Etymology of Waterloo

The placename ‘Waterloo’ has two parts, derived from either Flemish or Dutch. The first element means ‘wet’, the second means ‘forest’, ‘clearing in a forest’², or possibly ‘sacred forest’³.

A conservative French politician, Florent Longuepée, complained in 1998 that the the name of Waterloo station might cause ‘discomfort’ to French visitors, writing “At a time of European integration, which I know you support, it seems to me opportune that England should give this station another name.”⁴

Waterloo – the songs

‘Waterloo’ features in two great pop songs, which, as far as I can think, is two more than any other railway station in the country⁵

The first was Abba’s ‘Waterloo’, which won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. In Great Britain and perhaps Sweden “meeting one’s Waterloo” means coming to a day of reckoning and, typically, coming out badly⁶ . I’m not sure why the phrase assumes the loser’s viewpoint. In the song, the singer meets her Waterloo by losing herself to romance – ‘I feel like I win when I lose’. I often wonder what Napoleon would have made of this perspective. According to the song’s Wikipedia page, it was originally titled ‘Honey Pie’.

The other great ‘Waterloo song’ is ‘Waterloo Sunset’ by the Kinks⁷. According to Paul du Noyer’s book ‘In the City: A Celebration of London Music‘, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ was originally going to be a song about Liverpool. The song was covered by Cathy Dennis who went on to co-write Kylie’s hit ‘Cant get you out of my head’

Leaving Waterloo station

As you leave Waterloo station, on your right⁸ you can catch glimpses of some of the local landmarks – the London Eye and Big Ben.

The first London Borough the train goes through is Lambeth. Lambeth is famous for the song ‘The Lambeth Walk’ and for Lambeth Palace. The Palace would be on your right just after you come out of Waterloo, although I’m not sure whether the Palace or the Grounds are visible. It’s the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop is the head of the Church of England, England’s state church.

Vauxhall and Battersea

Beyond Lambeth is Vauxhall. Vauxhall’s most prominent building is the large sandy coloured one to your right just before you come into the station. The building is occupied by MI5 (the British Secret Service) – it looks the part.

Shortly after the MI5 building, also on the right is New Covent Garden Market. This is London’s wholesale fruit and veg market, which moved out from the old Covent Garden in 1974.

Shortly after the MI5 building, also on the right, is New Covent Garden Market. This is London’s wholesale fruit and veg market, which moved out from the old Covent Garden in 1974 ⁹

After Vauxhall, the train passes through Battersea. Battersea’s most prominent landmark is Battersea Power Station. It’s no longer in use. The power station became internationally famous after being featured on the cover of a Pink Floyd album.

Image from Amazon

Battersea is also famous for Battersea Dog’s Home. On some trains you can hear the dogs barking, which always strikes me as a very sad sound.

After the power station, just before you get to Clapham Junction, the low hill to the left is ‘Lavender Hill’, home of the ‘Lavender Hill Mob’ from the 1951 film.

The train sometimes stops at Clapham Junction (which is actually in Battersea rather than Clapham as far as I’m concerned but opinions vary).

Clapham Junction was the ‘junction’ which is referenced by the title of Nell Dunn’s 1963 book ‘Up The Junction’. The book was made into a film in 1968 starring Maureen Lipman. Both the film and the book are southern, more female-centric counterparts to the gritty, kitchen-sink northern dramas ‘Saturday night and Sunday Morning’ and ‘Room at the Top’.

The title ‘Up The Junction’ was also used by Squeeze (who were actually from Deptford, in South East London) for the 1978 new-wave hit. The song starts with the lines ‘I never thought it would happen, with me and the girl from Clapham’

In song, film and book ‘Up the Junction’ is a euphemism for being pregnant.

Beyond Clapham is Wandsworth. Wandsworth is probably most famous for Wandsworth Prison, which as far as I’m aware isn’t visible from the train.

Footnotes

1. The Duke was named Arthur Wellesley.
2. Waterloo, Belgium – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3. Online Etymology Dictionary
4. BBC News | UK | Waterloo insult to French visitors
5. unless you count ‘Up the Junction’. Other contenders might be the Pet Shop Boys ‘Kings Cross’, songs called Victoria by both Shane MacGowan and the Fall. I can’t think of any more – but let me know if you can!
6. Pedants corner: As is fairly well known, at Waterloo Napoleon did not in fact surrender. He formally surrendered at Rochefort on the Atlantic coast in July 1815, a couple of weeks after Waterloo, seeking political asylum. He had previously surrendered in 1814 at Fontainebleau.
7. It might be interesting to hear Waterloo Sunset performed in the style of late period Abba, and Waterloo done in the style of the louder Kinks records
8. I’m going to assume that you’re facing forwards in the train i.e. in the direction you’re travelling
9. history | newcoventgardenmarket.com

The Food and Drink Festival is in its seventh year. The main event is in the Market Square on Sunday the 19th.

There are over 70 stall holders, and a ‘Waiters Race’ at 16.00.

Various restaurant are doing ‘special deals’ throughout . . . → Read More: Promenade and Food and Drink]]> I thought I would advertise some forthcoming events in Salisbury.

Food and Drink Festival

The Food and Drink Festival is in its seventh year. The main event is in the Market Square on Sunday the 19th.

There are over 70 stall holders, and a ‘Waiters Race’ at 16.00.

Various restaurant are doing ‘special deals’ throughout the week, too.

More detail at:

• Food and Drink Festival 2010

Promenade

Promenade is an ‘easy walking trail to discover paintings, photography, jewellery, sculpture and more, in unusual settings in the town centre.’

It’s on from the 11th to the 18th of September.

There is a map, and further information, of all the locations at:

• Promenade Map

Other upcoming events

I think the best sources for finding out what’s on in Salisbury are:

• Spire FM – What’s On page.
• Salisbury City Council – Local Events

I don’t have the time to maintain anything similar here, and there would be little point in doing so. However, I thought it might be worth listing a couple of future events

• Salisbury Fair – 18th October-20th October
• St Thomas Church Christmas Tree Festival – 30th November – 5th December
• Salisbury Lantern Parade – 17th December link

Finally, I’ve updated the listings for the Odeon Kids Club:

• Odeon Kids’ Club – Salisbury

A Voyage Round My Father is an autobiographical work about the relationship between Sir John Mortimer, . . . → Read More: Preview: A Voyage Round My Father]]> A Voyage Round My Father runs from the 2nd September until the 2nd October 2010. There are matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets can be booked by ringing the Playhouse on 01722 320 333.

A Voyage Round My Father

A Voyage Round My Father is an autobiographical work about the relationship between Sir John Mortimer, and his father Clifford. Clifford Mortimer was also a lawyer, and it has been said that Sir John’s most famous character, ‘Rumpole of the Bailey’ was based on him¹.

Image from Amazon

It seems to have been a loving but sometimes difficult relationship. The director of the Canberra production of ‘A Voyage’ said that Mortimer

needed to have people’s praise all the time, and I think that’s why he went into the high profile trials like the Oz trial. He needed notoriety, he needed to be held up by people because he had a really damaged childhood. ²

Previous Productions of ‘A Voyage Round My Father’

‘A Voyage’ first appeared as a series of radio plays in 1963.³

Mortimer then adapted the play for television. The first screen version was shown in 1969, starring Mark Dignam and Ian Richardson. It was re-made as a TV film in 1982, starring Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates and Jane Asher. The Laurence Olivier version is available on DVD.

Image from Amazon

The 1971 theatrical version starred Alec Guinness and Jeremy Brett as the father and son.

There have been recent revivals of the play at the Donmar Warehouse⁴, the New Vic at Newcastle under Lyme ⁵ and Sterts Theatre in Cornwall ⁶.

In Newcastle, the play was performed, appropriately enough, ‘in the round’ – with the audience seated around a central stage.

Reviews of ‘A Voyage Round My Father’

Reviews for the various stage productions have included the following comments:

In Canberra:

Voyage Round My Father is certainly poignant, but mostly it’s very funny. ⁷

At the Donmar:

Thea Sharrock’s production in the tiny Donmar space is a delightful and gently witty piece. ⁸

For the production in Newcastle:

Heskins’s production glows with a warm nostalgia whose optimistic outlook already appears to belong to a bygone age….[Mortimer's] portrait of his paterfamilias was as generous and humane as anything he wrote. ⁹

The film received an Emmy award for ‘Best Drama’¹⁰, and was nominated for serveral Baftas.

Booking

A Voyage Round My Father runs from the 2nd September until the 2nd October 2010. There are matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays.

You can book online at: Salisbury Playhouse | A Voyage Round My Father

Or telephone: 01722 320 333

Further reading, listening and viewing

If you enjoyed ‘A Voyage Round My Father’, you might or might not be interested in the following on Amazon

John Mortimer on DVD

John Mortimer on CD

John Mortimer Biographies

Footnotes

1. A Voyage Round My Father, a CurtainUp London review
2. A Voyage Round My Father by John Mortimer | Stage Whispers
3. Obituary: Sir John Mortimer | Culture | guardian.co.uk
4. Theater Review: A Voyage Round My Father – Theater and Musical Production Reviews
5. New Vic Theatre in Newcastle
6. AN ACCLAIMED Cornish theatre company kicks off its 2010 summer season with a heart-warming new version of one of the 20th century’s most-loved plays.
7. A Voyage Round My Father by John Mortimer | Stage Whispers
8. A Voyage Round My Father, a CurtainUp London review
9. Theatre review: A Voyage Round My Father / New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme | Culture | The Guardian
10. » DVD Review: A Voyage Round My Father – Blogger News Network