I was lucky enough to go and see ‘Jack In the Beanstalk’ at Salisbury Playhouse last Friday. I thought it was great – spectacular production, all the traditional elements in place but with some fun topical and local references.

Anyway, I found a couple of reviews which share my opinion. ‘Whats On . . . → Read More: Salisbury, UK news: Giant-killing, Hardy’s Wessex, Dads Army]]> Salisbury Pantomime Reviews

I was lucky enough to go and see ‘Jack In the Beanstalk’ at Salisbury Playhouse last Friday. I thought it was great – spectacular production, all the traditional elements in place but with some fun topical and local references.

Anyway, I found a couple of reviews which share my opinion. ‘Whats On Stage’ gives it a 4-star review:

• Whats On Stage – Salisbury Panto Review
  
  
  

• The Stage / Reviews / Jack and the Beanstalk
  
  
  

Salisbury City in Cup Third Round

In other giant-killing news (!), Salisbury City beat Grimsby Town in extra-time of their 2nd Round Replay. They’ve reached the Third Round of the Cup for the first time in the club’s 64 year history.

There are match reports here:

• Grimsby Town: Mariners crash out of FA Cup | This is Grimsby
  
  
  

• BBC Sport – Grimsby 2-3 Salisbury
  
  
  

Salisbury FC have also launched a ‘half-season ticket’ which allows entry to home league matches for the rest of the season:

• Salisbury City Football Club » Half-season ticket announced
  
  
  

Funding for Salisbury youth projects

Wiltshire Council has released some money to fund young people’s projects in the Salisbury area

• Latest News | Wiltshire Council
  
  
  

Sketches of Salisbury Cathedral

I stumbled across these watercolours of the Big Church.

• Sketches of Salisbury Cathedral – Blue Sky Inking
  
  
  

Wiltshires Dads Army

A great post from the Wiltshire and Swindon Heritage Centre on the Wiltshire Home Guard. It’s got a photo of the Redlynch division.

• Wiltshires Dads Army
  
  
  

Thomas Hardy’s Wessex at Salisbury Museum

Three artists are exhibiting at the Salisbury Museum in the new year. The exhibition runs from 14 Jan 2012 until 14 Apr 2012

• What’s On – Landscapes of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex: Works by Dave Gunning, David Inshaw and Rob Pountney | Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum
  
  
  

The artists are:

Dave Gunning, David Inshaw and Rob Pountney

Mayor of Salisbury’s New Year’s Eve Party

• Salisbury City Council – Mayor of Salisbury’s New Year’s Eve Party
  
  
  

Stonehenge Walk

A solstice-morning walk from Larkill to the Stones.

• SALISBURY PLAIN HIVE INFORMATION: Stonehenge Walk
  
  
  

More on lighting up Stonehenge

Further comment on Lady Pakenham’s thoughts:

• Why illuminating Stonehenge is an unenlightened idea | Ian Vince | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
  
  
  

Large shaggy clumps at Stonehenge

While looking for something else entirely I found this report by the National Trust on ‘nature conservation’ at Stonehenge.

• w-stonehenge_eval-8.pdf (application/pdf Object)
  
  
  

The doc includes this comment:

Of particular note were the large shaggy clumps of Ramalina siliquosa, which may be due to a build up of salty deposits on the surface of the stones.

I presume that the clumps are these, that I photographed during the last Winter Solstice:

Stukeley’s map of South Wiltshire

Robert John Landon has a reproduction of Stukeley’s map of South Wiltshire on his website. It’s worth looking at:

• The Stonehenge Enigma: Stukeley’s drawing points the way
  
  
  

Stonehenge lit up, temporarily

This is fantastic – local-ish light-and-photography artist Marcus Bowyers Briggs had special access to the stone circle and created these images:

• Stonehenge photography Hampshire
  
  
  

I’m going to do a separate post on the various bits of Stonehenge newsvarious bits of Stonehenge news this week, hopefully fairly shortly.

Salisbury City vs Grimsby Town

A landmark match in the history of Salisbury FC takes place on Saturday. Ticket details are . . . → Read More: Salisbury, England News: parking, panto, Mayors Prize Draw]]> Some Salisbury news that I’ve found on the internet this week….

I’m going to do a separate post on the various bits of Stonehenge newsvarious bits of Stonehenge news this week, hopefully fairly shortly.

Salisbury City vs Grimsby Town

A landmark match in the history of Salisbury FC takes place on Saturday. Ticket details are here:

• Salisbury City Football Club » Ticket reminder – FA Cup
  
  
  

I guess the key thing is, according to the website, that tickets don’t have to be bought in advance.

Salisbury Parking is 10p cheaper

Wiltshire Council reduced the cost of parking in Salisbury for an hour by ten pence this week.

Council leader Jane Scott said

We have made our decision to discount the charges in these car parks and we have found a way to cut red tape so as many visitors as possible are encouraged to use these shopping centres which will help to reinvigorate the local economy¹

Don’t spend it all at once!

• Spire FM – News – Cheaper Parking for Salisbury
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Salisbury Oxfam Advent Exhibition

The new exhibition includes prints from John Tenniel’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ exhibition alongside work by local people.

• Salisbury Oxfam » News » Exhibition: Advent
  
  
  

Salisbury Pantomime Photos

There are some great photos on Flickr of rehearsals for this years Pantomime. This one shows the Giant in his enormous boots.

• www.flickr.com/…6393936495
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page

I collect these links on the Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page. If you’d like to have these link show up in your Facebook feed throughout the week, then click on the ‘Like’ Button below

Bruce Munro lighting in Bath

I really enjoyed Bruce Munro’s ‘Light Shower’ in Salisbury Cathedral and the “Water Towers” in the Cloisters earlier in the year. He has a spectacular new installation in Bath for the next few weeks.

• BBC – Bruce Munro in Bath
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Salisbury District Hospital design award/h4>

• Spire FM – Childrens Unit wins design award
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Queen appoints new lord lieutenant for Wiltshire

Sarah Troughton has been appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire.

• New Lord Lieutenant appointed
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Salisbury Mayor’s Grand Prize Draw!

The prizes include an Ipad. You can get tickets at The Guildhall.

• Salisbury City Council – The Mayor’s Grand Prize Draw!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Langford Lakes new wetland area

• BBC News – Earth moved to create new Wiltshire wetland area
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The Unit’s Christmas Live Event

The Unit is promoting local acts at the Chapel on the 15th December

• The Unit – Chistmas Live
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Wiltshire Council website launched to help people with internet

• Wiltshire Council news – website launch
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The website itself is:

• Wiltshire Online
  
  
  

Tidworth area campus project

Tidworth Area Board asking for local people to become part of the shadow Campus Operation Board.

• Wiltshire Council news – Tidworth Campus
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Footnotes

1. Latest News | Wiltshire Council
   
   
   
   

I like the postcard very much but it’s slightly frustrating in that a . . . → Read More: Salisbury in old postcards #5]]> Another old postcard of Salisbury, Wiltshire. As you can see it’s a montage of different views – the Poultry Cross, both sides of the High Street Gate, Salisbury Cathedral from Saint Ann’s Street and the a view from the the Town Path.

I like the postcard very much but it’s slightly frustrating in that a couple of the views would have made great images on their own. In particular, it’s an interesting shot of the Poultry Cross – looking down on the structure from the top of one of the buildings in Ox Row.

More Old Photos of Salisbury

• Salisbury in old photos – Silver Street 1955
• Salisbury in old photos – Salisbury from Harnham – 1887 and 1906
• Salisbury in old photos – Fisherton Street 1955
• Salisbury in old photos – New Canal, 1906
• Salisbury in old photos – Queen Street, 1950
• Salisbury in old photos – Stonehenge 1928
• Salisbury in old photos – Fish Row, Salisbury, 1950
• Salisbury in old photos – Salisbury in the snow

The postcard is titled ‘The Screen, Salisbury Cathedral’ and the inscription on the crest read Novae Sarum Civitas.

First, the torch is going to visit both Stonehenge and Salisbury.

The BBC has details of the torch’s route on these two pages

Wiltshire Council has a bit more detail – mentioning an . . . → Read More: News from Salisbury, England]]> 2012…and all that

A couple of bits of news about the Olympics.

First, the torch is going to visit both Stonehenge and Salisbury.

The BBC has details of the torch’s route on these two pages

• The Torch at Stonehenge
• The Torch’s full schedule

Wiltshire Council has a bit more detail – mentioning an evening event at Hudsons Field, near Old Sarum on July 11th.

• Wiltshire Council’s page on the Olympic Torch

Also, as part of the cultural side of the Olympic celebrations, there’s going to be a spectacular looking event at Stonehenge. The French Compagnie Carabosse are creating a Fire Garden around the stones from the 10th to the 12th of July.

• 2012 Stonehenge Fire Garden

Salisbury Vs Arlsey Town

As mentioned last week, Salisbury City are playing Arlsey Town in the First Round of the FA Cup this Saturday (10th November). This should be a great occasion – I’m very much looking forward to it.

More details here:

• Salisbury in the Cup

The Spire Chronicle – A Novel of Victorian Salisbury

This is a new book about Victorian Salisbury, written in the style of Dickens.

• The Spire Chronicle – Home

There’s a Twitter feed too at: Spire Chronicle on Twitter

Melor Hall

Amesbury blogger ‘Travelrat’ has an interesting article about Melor Hall, which will hopefully become Amesbury Museum

• Travelrat on Melor Hall

Christmas in Salisbury, Wiltshire

A really nice-looking new website is promoting Salisbury at Christmas. It’s worth clicking through to have a look at the photos:

• www.christmasinsalisbury.co.uk

Salisbury City Council – Remembrance Sunday

Can’t remember whether I linked to this last week or not – this page has details of the event to mark Remembrance Sunday (13th November).

• www.salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk/index.php

A History of England in 100 Places: From Stonehenge to the Gherkin: Amazon.co.uk: John Julius Norwich: Books

Finally, I had a look at this new book. The book largely ‘does what it says on the tin’, in a very interesting fashion, from what I’ve read.

Two Salisbury-related places are featured.

The first, obviously, is Stonehenge. I was interested to see that the author gives much credence to the idea that the Stones were transported to Salisbury plain by glaciers.

The second place featured is Old Sarum, which is discussed in its role as ‘the rottenest of rotten boroughs’.

• A History of England in 100 Places: From Stonehenge to the Gherkin

Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page

I collect these links on the Salisbury and Stonehenge Facebook page. If you’d like to have these link show up in your Facebook feed throughout the week, then click on the ‘Like’ Button below

Hadrians Close is, I think, named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian1.

If so, then the name would have been chosen in reference to the Roman Road which . . . → Read More: Hadrians Close, Salisbury]]> Hadrians Close is in Lower Bemerton, which is a village on the western outskirts of Salisbury, most famous for the its association with the poet George Herbert

Hadrians Close is, I think, named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian¹.

If so, then the name would have been chosen in reference to the Roman Road which ran close by. The road ran from Old Sarum along the course of our http://salisburyandstonehenge.net/streetnames/roman-road-sp2″ >Roman Road out towards the race plain and then on to Dorchester.

Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 76 – 138)

Emperor Hadrian was born in A.D. 76 probably near to Seville². I read that the possibility that he was born outside Rome may have encouraged him to be more outward looking than other Roman Emperors – he was an admirer of Greek culture and he was interested in all parts of the Empire.

After the death of father, a man named Trajan became his guardian³. Trajan was Hadrian’s immediate predecessor as Emperor.

Hadrian was a military tribune in the area of the Upper Rhine in his twenties. In A.D. 100 Hadrian married Vibia Sabina, a relative of Trajan’s. In A.D. 117 he became governor of Syria.

In the same year, on his death bed, Trajan adopted Hadrian as his son, and Hadrian duly succeed Trajan as Emperor.

Hadrian’s military or imperial strategy was one of consolidation. He was uninterested in expanding the boundaries of the Empire, but he wanted to protect the boundaries currently in place.

It was this strategy which left his lasting legacy in Britain – Hadrian’s Wall. The Wall is probably the reason why Salisbury has ‘Hadrians Close’ but not ‘Caesars Close’, or ‘Nero’s Close’ or ‘Trajan’s Close’.

Hadrian visited Britain in A.D.122 ⁴. The wall was built soon afterwards.

Machiavelli’s ‘Five Good Emperors’

Hadrian was one of the ‘five good emperors’. The ‘five good emperors’ were identified by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1503.

And if he who has become prince in any State will but reflect, how, after Rome was made an empire, far greater praise was earned those emperors who lived within the laws, and worthily, than by those who lived in the contrary way, he will see that Titus, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus and Marcus had no need of prætorian cohorts, or of countless legions to guard them, but were defended by their own good lives, the good-will of their subjects, and the attachment of the senate⁵.

Machiavelli goes on to contrast the five good emperors who were ‘adopted’⁶ against those who came before and after who had inherited the throne

From the study this history we may also learn how a good government is to be established; for while all the emperors who succeeded to the throne by birth, except Titus, were bad, all were good who succeeded by adoption; as in the case of the five from Nerva to Marcus. But so soon as the empire fell once more to the heirs by birth, its ruin recommenced⁷.

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Hadrian’s ‘goodness’ as it comes down to us through history is shown through various things. He averted a war with Parthians, he concentrated on the defence of the Empire rather than on further invasions, he cancelled tax arrears, he expanded schemes to feed the poor, and he built the Pantheon, which still stands.

Footnotes

1. The only other Hadrian in the Dictionary of NAtional Biography is a Canterbury abbot. I don’t believe he had any connection with Bemerton, Salisbury or George Herbert. The DNB page for Hadrian the Abbott is http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39256?docPos=2x
2. Malcolm Todd, ‘Hadrian (AD 76–138)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/48289, accessed 17 Oct 2011]
3. Hadrian
4. I don’t know how close he came to Hadrians Close. The Roman road to Dorchester was a significant one – perhaps he came that way
5. Niccolo Machiavelli, ‘Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius’, Project Gutenberg EBook – Chapter 10
6. To be honest I’m not entirely sure of the meaning of adopted here – I presume that it means ‘nominated as a successor’ more than the modern ‘taken into the family’
7. Niccolo Machiavelli, ‘Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius’, Project Gutenberg EBook – Chapter 10

A five-star review from ‘Whats On Stage’

For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the show, too. There are some nice photos here:

I’ve collected a number of old postcards of Salisbury. I thought I’d share them on the website.

This one is a collections of different views. Going clockwise from the top left we’ve got:

Hampton Court is a reference to Quidhampton, and a witty allusion to Hampton Court, the royal palace.

The word ‘hampton’ has two elements: