Pillar Boxes in Ireland

Photo courtesy: David Lentell

Travelling around Ireland, David Lentell took many photographs of green pillar boxes. Although the same shape as pillar boxes in England, many boxes in Ireland are painted green rather than the customary cherry red colour seen in England. I believe the colour change took place after the Irish independence in 1922. The pillar box shown in the photograph displays the emblem of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria.

We owe the concept of the pillar box to Anthony Trollope. Following is an excerpt from Christmas Past in Essex ISNB #9780752444635 by Elizabeth Wallace.

As an adult, he worked as a teacher but then took a position at the Post Office. He quickly gained prestige within that organisation and in 1841, was sent to Ireland where he met and married Rose Heseltine. A happy family life and his new position as Post Office Inspector seem to have agreed with Anthony. He is credited by the postal service for the invention of the pillar box. Over the years, more than 156 designs of the pillar box were manufactured, often with the initials of the reigning monarch. In 1840, the Penny Black made its debut. It was the first stamp to have an image of a monarch, Queen Victoria, and also the first stamp to have an adhesive.

Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings, Colorado

Native American Indians have performed their special dances for generations at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. The dances are carefully designed to take into account the sun’s rays (see shadow of dancer). The traditional dances have been passed down from father to son and grandson, each bringing new life into their extraordinary customs that continue to this day.

A visit to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings is an excellent way to spend an afternoon. The dwellings are open year round, but the American Indian dancers only appear from June to August. They perform daily at specific times, and, as you wait for their program to begin, a visitor can explore the dwellings, museum and gift shop.

Following is an excerpt from the Manitou Cliff Dwellings site.

Chief Manitou
In the first decade of the 20th century Cayete, a great uncle of Mike's and Bob's grandmother, performed here at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. At a time when Native Americans were more of a curiosity to western tourists, "Chief Manitou," as he was nicknamed by old timers in Manitou Springs, and other Indians would meet arriving passenger trains at Colorado Springs' old Rio Grande Railroad Terminal, now occupied by Giuseppe's Restaurant. He also sold Indian "trinkets" at the Narrows in William's Canyon, below the Cave of the Winds.

Joseph Tafoya, Sr. (Chief Little Deer), 1892-1972
Chief Little Deer entertained and educated Cliff Dwellings visitors from 1916 until his death in 1972, right here in the Pueblo building. A volunteer, he was one of the original Seabees during World War I. He attended Carlisle University with Jim Thorpe. Later, he served as governor of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. During the 1940's he was Chairman of the All Pueblo Indian Council.

Joseph Tafoya, Jr. (Whitecloud), 1922-2000
Bob and Mike's father, Whitecloud (okhuwa-tsa in his native Tewa language), died July 19, 2000, at the age of 78. Following in the footsteps of his own father, he performed for decades here at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. He was a man of many talents. While attending Santa Fe Indian School, he studied with well-known Indian artists Pablita Velarde and Allen Houser. Later, while attending high school in Española, one of his paintings of traditional Pueblo life won a national art competition judged by Norman Rockwell.

Mike Little Deer Tafoya, 1948-2001
Cliff Dwellings visitors and staff will miss Mike Little Deer Tafoya. He died on August 4, 2001, following a short illness. He was 53. Born at Santa Clara Pueblo in Northern New Mexico, Mike was already dancing at the age of two with his Grandfather, Joseph Tafoya Sr. (Chief Little Deer), and others at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. He traveled around the world with members of his family, sharing Native American Indian culture and dance with others. In his later years he acted as emcee for the Cliff Dwelling dancers, lacing his descriptions of dance origins and significance with a unique brand of humor.

The Tafoyas are members of the Winter Clan, also known as the Corn People, who are connected to the Hopi. According to their creation story, they are the Ice People, who emerged from the Earth at a point between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Southern Colorado.
info@cliffdwellingsmuseum.com

Opera House - Central City, Colorado

Central City is a great place to visit, not only for the casinos if one likes to gamble, but also to visit the little shops and diners around the town. It is also known for the wonderful performances that are held every year in the legendary opera house (c. 1877). The following information was taken from their official Opera House site.

Central City Opera’s 2008 Festival Season offers three productions of 20th century works in English, celebrating and coinciding with the National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) in Denver in 2008.
The 2008 Festival opens earlier than usual, in honor of the Convention, running June 6 to Aug. 10. It features a new production of Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, the rarely performed chamber opera about a faithful woman scorned amongst political rebellion in ancient Rome; a new production of Leonard Bernstein's popular West Side Story, the modern twist on Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet tale of two lovers divided; and American composer Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, the story of an innocent heroine accused of immorality and shunned in the eyes of her rural Tennessee community.
Single tickets start at $45 and two-pack subscriptions start at just $75. Purchase tickets online now.

Mysterious Gargoyles

They come in many different shapes, forms and sizes and are believed to have originated in France during the 12th century; however, a lion mask on the Acropolis in Athens dating from the 4th century indicates a much earlier history. In any event, strange and mysterious gargoyles can still be seen perched strategically on the corners of buildings as rainwater gushes from their mouths. Some sculptures resemble half man, half beast creatures with grotesque features that must have scared the ancients into believing these very beasts warded off evil spirits.

As I researched my book Extraordinary Places…Close to London I came across many strange sculptures in various churches and important buildings. For instance, in the village of Thaxted in the county of Essex there is a variety of sculptured faces in the church of St. John the Baptist, St. Mary and St. Lawrence.

Following is an excerpt from Extraordinary Places…Close to London (Thaxted, Essex.)

The church is quite exquisite and still dominates the town. It has been described as one of the most beautiful and architecturally pleasing in the country. The foundations were laid and work began on the church in 1340 but it was completed until 1510. No one knows for sure who the original benefactors of the church were but the Cutlers, townspeople and the House of Clare who owned the Manor are all thought to be instrumental in its construction. The influential family of the House of Clare had connections to the Crown, so it is assumed that royalty also contributed to the initial funds.

The walls of St. John the Baptist Church are made of flint with decorations in limestone. The roofs are constructed of lead with the exception of the tiled north and south porch chambers. During construction of the church the artisans were asked to carve their own likeness in the rafters. Some have portrayed themselves with smiling faces, others are quite grim but yet some have shown a sense of humor by poking their tongues out. There are various ancient chests around the church holding age-old linens that are still used during services. The splendid organ used by Holst as he composed The Planets Suite and some of his other works sits quietly against a wall in the church.

It is believed the famous St. Thomas of Beckett, who was killed at Canterbury Cathedral on orders of King Henry II, was interred under the floor of the church.

Amber Lodge Hotel, Norfolk

If you are looking for a great place to stay while touring in Norfolk, why not use the Amber Lodge Hotel as your base? Pride of ownership shows in this ten bedroom hotel, all with bathrooms on suite. It has about four acres of well maintained gardens with beautiful flowers and shrubs, plus a large patio. There is also ample parking accommodations.

Located about one mile from the center of Acle, the hotel is midway between Norwich and Great Yarmouth on the A47, and is therefore idealy suited for all sightseeing adventures.

The owners operate the hotel and it shows! Service is good and so was the food. A full English breakfast is offered and is included in the cost of the room. An evening meal is also offered to guests and there is a wellstocked hotel bar that opens to a large patio.

Amber Lodge
South Walsham
Acle, Norwich, NR13 3ES, United Kingdom+44 1493 750377

http://www.amberlodgeacle.com/

Room Prices
All prices are per room, per night (not per person) and inclusive of VAT
£55 - Single room£70 - Double room
£75 - Twin room
£85 - Luxury king-sized room (with Jacuzzi bath)
£85 - Family room (double bed & bunk bed)

The Thameside Mummers

An excerpt from Christmas Past in Essex (ISBN 9780752444635) by Elizabeth Wallace.

Richard Peacock and Derek Oliver both members of the “Fabulous” Thameside Mummers describe how the group collects stories and maintains the tradition of Mumming plays.

“Plays have been discovered from villages all over England, mostly collected by local gentry or churchmen and written in their diaries or books of ‘local customs’ the tradition even reached Wales where the Mari Llwyd (Grey Mare) and her entourage would visit homes and perform a ritual song/play in return for food.

The villagers would perform their play but once each year, the parts being handed down from father to son; the costumes would be a suit of rags, with each character being introduced by the wording of the play ‘In come I…., or by a ‘calling-on’ song. These rags would be simple and cheap to produce but would also hide the ‘real’ identity of the performer, important if the play included some line, or ad-lib, critical of the church or the local gentry. For this reason, the Mummers would frequently blacken their faces with soot to hide their identity…. The Mummers would of course perform for the Lord of the Manor and his guests, expecting (and probably receiving) a considerable amount of reciprocal entertainment from the kitchen and wine cellar. Nowadays, the remuneration tends to be in the form of cash, though a free pint or two and the occasional meals are gratefully received and faithfully consumed.”

The Mayan Temple at Coba, Mexico.

Climbing the Grand Pyramid at Cobá was a truly wonderful experience. Hiking the 120+ steps to the top and then looking over the vast expanse of what was once a huge Mayan community was the highlight of my trip. At the top, there is a small temple with a carving over the entrance. There are many theories about the origin of the effigy over the mantle, but one is that it represents a “bee god” and is associated with the planet Venus. In any event, reaching the top of the Grand Pyramid and viewing a canopy of jungle with smaller pyramids protruding above the trees was absolutely fantastic.

The site dates from 600-900 AD and is located at Quintana Roo, 120 miles south of Cancun, Mexico. It is believed that approximately 100,000 people lived in and around the area. More than 50 sacbes (ancient roads) led directly to Cobá which was obviously once a thriving city center. It is a mystery as to why Cobá was eventually deserted – one theory is that a disease decimated the Mayan civilization. Another is that the Mayans overworked the once rich soil and since the land could no longer produce a decent harvest, they moved to more fertile land to sustain their community. Either way, they left the city and it was soon overtaken by the jungle. Only a small percentage of the site has been excavated, and so we can only marvel at the actual size.

I highly recommend a visit to Cobá but suggest using a tour guide service. I was grateful of the running commentary about specific items of interest such as the bee hives (the area is known for its excellent honey) the sacrificial stones, Mayan games and the gum trees from which chewing gum originated.

For visitors with small children or who those who need a little extra help, “human taxis” are available for the 2 mile round trip. The taxis use “peddle power” and are basically a tricycle with two of the wheels and a bench seat up front. They can carry up to two adults and two children. The cost is minimal and provides a unique way to visit the site.

For more information go to here.