to55er calling Jane; to55er calling Jane…

In case it passed you by, Sunday was World Radiography Day. I mention this as my girlfriend Jane is currently studying to be a therapeutic radiographer. It’s funny how similarities attract – Jane a radiographer and me a ham radio enthusiast.

"to55er calling Jane; to55er calling Jane. Can you hear me, over?"

"Can't talk now I'm fine-tuning the hospital's new radiography machine."

Everything you always wanted to know about sax but were afraid to ask.

Today is National Saxophone Day. In recognition, here are a few saxophone facts:

The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax, He was born this day in 1814.

Although saxophones are made of brass they are woodwind instruments.

The saxophonist in the Muppet band ‘Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem’ was called Zoot.

Ex-US president Bill Clinton enjoyed a bit of sax on the side.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November.

On 21^st August 1864 the small market town of Lewes in East Sussex suffered an earthquake measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale; that’s nothing compared to what happens in Lewes each year on 5 November.

Here’s what it says on Wikipedia:

The town’s most important annual event is Lewes Bonfire – Guy Fawkes Night celebrations on the 5^th of November. In Lewes this event not only marks the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, but also commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs… [blah, blah]…

To mark the demise of the 17 martyrs, 17 burning crosses are carried through the town, and a wreath-laying ceremony occurs at the War Memorial in the centre of town. A flaming tar barrel is also thrown into the river Ouse: this is said to symbolise the throwing of the magistrates into the river after they read the Riot Act to the bonfire boys in 1847, but may also be an echo of Samhain traditions. The festivities culminate in five separate bonfire displays, where the effigies are destroyed by firework and flame. Up to 80,000 people have been known to attend this local spectacle, coming from all over the South and sometimes further afield.

Talking of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations, I heard the story earlier of how a man attempted to light a bonfire by standing on top of it, pouring petrol over the bonfire and dropping a lit match. The man receives a posthumous gold in to55er’s Dumb and Dumber Awards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv_O7DNZr7U

Lewes Guy Fawkes Night.

As if I haven’t got enough to worry about – I’ve just found out it’s National Stress Day!

Relax...

What do Valerie Singleton, Ray Davies, Jools Holland, Robert Stigwood, Brian Protheroe and the wife of the Mayor of Moscow have in common?

I really don’t know. I was at a pub quiz in the Prince of Wales in Clapham, south-west London the other night, had had a few too many pints of Guinness and vaguely recollect one of my drinking partners saying that along with all of the above he’d been invited to a dinner party at the home of the former wife of Don Powell, drummer with seventies glam-rock band Slade, somewhere in Highgate, north London.

I guess you had to be there to appreciate the conversation, but this, coupled with some time ago going on the Old Highgate Village Walk that takes place every Sunday afternoon, does give me the chance to continue with my Things You Don’t Need To Know About London.

Don Powell, former drummer with Slade, on the right.

With its narrow lanes lined with cottages and Georgian town houses and spectacular views over London, you might guess by its name that Highgate is one of the highest points in London, weighing in at a lofty 131 metres. Highgate Hill, linking Archway and Highgate village, was the route of Europe’s first cable car, operating between 1884 and 1909.  

A rather tenuous claim-to-fame, at the age of 20 Charles Dickens once stayed in a house in North Hill, the highest part of Highgate. Almost opposite Dickens’ former home we have Highpoint I and II – two 1930s apartment blocks described as one of the best examples of early International Style architecture in London. Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected Highpoint on his shortlist of Britain’s Best Buildings.

Highpoint I.

The pub tradition of Swearing on the Horns, the pledging by oath one’s dedication to merriment and debauchery, originated in Highgate. Commonly seen as a way of local publicans alleviating gullible travellers of their money, I won’t bore you with detail except to say it involves kicking a pig out of a ditch, kissing the prettiest woman in the pub and saluting a set of horns.

Swearing on the Horns is still practiced to this day at The Wrestlers and Flask pubs, though due to health and safety the traditional horns of a live bull have been replaced by a set of horns from an animal of the dead variety.

 

Highgate School, previously known as the Sir Roger Cholmeley’s School at Highgate, is home to the oldest freemasons lodge in the world. Established in 1565, after 400 years the public boy’s school has eventually opened its gates to the opposite sex.

Former ‘Old Cholmeleians’ include former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, various members of the band Razorlight, cricketer Phil Tuffnell, various classical music composers, Murray Walker, Barry Norman, Geoffrey Palmer, Sir Clive C5 Sinclair, artists, playwrights, actors, MPs, Judges…

Highgate School.

On to North Road, a wide road formerly used to drive cattle into the city of London, and the guided tour takes us to the former home of both Poet Laureate John Betjeman and poet non-laureate, philosopher and opium addict Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Coleridge lived in Highgate until his passing to the great opium den in the clouds. His grandson an Old Chomeleian, he was buried in Highgate School chapel; however, after a row with the council his remains were dug up and reburied just down the road in the crypt of St. Michael’s Church.

St. Michael's Church.

Past the home of comedienne Victoria Wood and the tour arrives at The Grove, one of the most expensive streets in London; home to George Michael, Annie Lennox and Sting.

Across the road and we find the former home of super-sleuth Margaret Rutherford, now home to ex-Python Terry Gilliam.

“Against cold meats was he insured?
For frozen chickens he procured -
brought on the illness he endured,
and never was this Bacon cured”.

(Pip Wilson)

Final stop on the guided walk – the pond-less Pond Square – one of the most sought-after parts of Highgate village. It’s here the guide leaves us with a story of a frozen stuffed chicken that led to the death of Sir Francis Bacon and the haunting of the Ghost Chicken of Pond Square. I won’t bore you with the details.

The Prince of Wales in Clapham does a very good quiz on a Thursday night. Say "to55er" to the barman and you might get a free pint.

One single and two returns.

Continuing with Things You Don’t Need to Know about London, and the Necropolis Line was a private train line that ran from London’s Waterloo Station carrying bodies of the recently departed and their grieving relatives on the 25-mile journey to the 500-acre Brookwood Cemetery, near Woking in Surrey.

Running once a day, the special funeral trains were divided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, with one part of the train dedicated to Church of England and the other part for non-conformists and other riff-raff. This separation was carried through to within the grounds of Brookwood Cemetery, with 2 stations – the South Station for the Anglican burials and the North Station for the leftovers.

Tickets please.

The Necropolis Line also had its own dead-icated (apologies) London terminal, originally located between what is now Leake Street and Westminster Bridge Road. This was later demolished and replaced in 1902 with a new terminal building at 121 Westminster Bridge Road.

Eventually, not content with terminating living Londoners, in 1941 compliments of the Luftwaffe Hitler terminated the life of the building with a bomb. Although the Necropolis Line never reopened, the entrance to the building still remains.

The entrance to 141 Westminster Bridge Road.

The end of the line for the Necropolis Railway.

Stocking up for Christmas?

According to an article in BUMS, the British Underwear Makers Society magazine, to beat the recession blues sales of stockings, suspenders and lingerie have been booming. Sadly it looks like we may soon be coming out of recession.

Give your man something different for Christmas.

ET fone home.

This might be a strange irrationality, but I can’t shop anywhere or buy anything that spells its name wrong: Kwik Save; Kall Kwik; Toys R Us; Fone Bitz; Vodafone; Bettabuy; Prontaprint; Truprint; Irn-Bru; Spud-u-like; you name it, I just can’t do it.

My girlfriend Jane sings in the English Arts Chorale, and recently I found myself listening to her performing Rachmaninov Vespers in the chapel of St. John’s College in the city of Cambridge. After the performance we retired to our hotel; booked by Jane, it hadn’t occurred to her that somewhere that calls itself Cityroomz just might not be quite the five star hotel that she was expecting. All I can say is it’s amazing how small a space they can fit bunk bedz into.

Jane outside the backpackers' hostel known as Cityroomz.

Formally known as Sleeperz.

The beautiful chapel at St. John's College, Cambridge.

Should you happen to be in the town of Reigate in Surrey on 5th December the English Arts Chorale are putting on a candlelit performance of Handel’s Messiah. Not so easy to read the words by candlelight they might make a right mess of it, but at least the entrance ticket includes complimentary mulled wine and mince pies.

Say” to55er” to the man on the door for a discount.

to55er’s guide to a happy work environment.

According to a new survey two out of five office workers admit they find the person that sits next to them irritating. If you’re reading this in the office irritate the person next to you by laughing out loud and repeating the following:

“to55er’s blog is the funniest thing I’ve ever read!”

David Brent, Britain's most annoying office worker.

Does Michael Scott get the American vote?

The art of taxidermy.

I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for those expecting something special for the London 2012 Olympics, but artist Shauna Richardson has won a £500,000 National Lottery grant to crochet three thirty-foot lions. The lions will be displayed in a taxidermy case in Nottingham.

Whoever said buying a National Lottery ticket was a tax on the stupid.

Imagine this, only x3 and thirty foot tall, all for the bargain price of £500,000.