More beauty (or "when I was a tourist")

When I was in England in 2009 I took a couple of days off to visit the County of Dorset.  Though not well known by tourists it is a gorgeous part of England.  If  I were a rich man I would choose to live somewhere in Dorset.

A word of instruction to my American readers:

1.  Dorset is a county, but it is never known as Dorset-shire.(nor are Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Surrey, Sussex etc.  Not every County is a shire).

2.  The word "shire" (as in Gloucestershire) is pronounced "shure", not "shyre".
 
3. But when referring to English counties as a group they are (or were)  called "the shyres".
 
Have I confused American readers?  I damn well hope so!
 
Back to 2009
 
 
1. I went to Dorset to enjoy the lovely countryside (see pictures below), but more especially to visit Tolpuddle:  see  http://www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/
 
This is the home of men who were not (strictly speaking) "martyrs",  but who were entirely important in the history of workers who chose to combine together  (unionize?)  to resist the oppressive tactics of employers.
 
I am a great supporter/advocate of workers' unions and I wish that they were more powerful in the face of the oppressive policies and practices of big business.
 
 
2. I could not resist a visit to see the Cerne Abbas Giant, one of the great chalk figures of England.
 
 
Is he as ancient as some other English chalk figures?
 
Is he an erotic/fertility symbol?
 
Is he "Oliver Cromwell"?
Who knows?  You pays your money and you takes your choice. (see

 

 
"Whatever!"   The Cerne Abbas Giant is a great English endowment.
 
 

3. I also spent some time in the gorgeous town of Dorchester.  ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorchester,_Dorset. )
 
It's a lovely town and a busy place, made famous by the "Bloody Assize" of Judge Jeffreys.  


My parents and schoolteachers talked about Judge Jeffreys as if he were their contemporary.
 
4.  I ended my visit to Dorset in the seaside town of Weymouth and Melcombe Reis. It's mostly referred to as Weymouth  but there is also the Melcombe Regis part.
 
 
-------------------------------------------
 
Here are some Dorset pictures.
 
 
Countryside near Weymouth.
Countryside near Dorchester
Weymouth, U.K.
 
Hooke Farm, a Dorset B and B.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not remember the words “ar
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were able to get together a few
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur
Read more