High Profile Battle Brewing Between Shakespeare Lovers and Developers

“Not In My Back Yard” or NIMBY is a modern phrase that most of us have heard of, and a battle is brewing between of all people the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and local developers in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

For the back yard in question, is not just any old back yard, it is Anne Hathaway's back yard. Anne (1556 – 1623) was better known as Mrs. William Shakespeare, and they were married in 1582. Although older than William by about eight years, she outlived him by a further seven years.

It is very likely that Anne was born in the cottage, the daughter of a yeoman farmer, and the property is obviously one of the jewels in the crown of the Birthplace Trust. The government has given the go ahead for up to 800 homes to be built near the cottage in Shottery.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is against the proposals and has taken its appeal to the High Court. The plans include a primary school, a health centre and shops and were given the green light by the government following a public local inquiry.

The inquiry came about after developers Bloor Homes and Hallam Land Management appealed against the district council's original decision to oppose the plans. Some of the land earmarked for development close to the childhood home of William Shakespeare's wife is owned by the trust.

Mr Richard Hyde, the deputy chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust said: "We looked at whether this application harmed or benefitted the cottage, the garden and the environment and we concluded that it actually harmed it and therefore we objected.

"We went through quite a careful process, weighed up all the evidence and concluded that to fulfil our charitable objectives we had to object, we did object and we are still objecting."

Mr Hyde said any decision over whether to eventually sell could be taken out of their hands because of "compulsory purchase powers".

The Trust is responsible for amongst other things for the care of Shakespeare's Birthplace, Nash's House and New Place, Mary Arden's Farm and Hall's Croft.

Showing us that it is not downhearted by the turn of events, Anne Hathaway's Cottage is putting its best Christmas face on this coming weekend, when on 1st December (1.30 to 3.30) it will host an event entitled “A Dickens Of A Do” allowing you to enjoy a true Christmas atmosphere in the gardens with carols and readings from “A Christmas Carol” to celebrate the bicentenary of Dickens's birth.

Young Farmers Offered a Chance to Run £1 Million National Trust Farm

Cast your mind back a year or so, when the National Trust launched an appeal to buy Llyndy Isaf, a remote farm located in the Nant Gwynant valley in Gwynedd, North Wales. The appeal was successful, and attracted support from high profile celebrities such as Catherine Zeta Jones and Matthew Rhys. With a target figure of £1 million, it was the largest such appeal since Sir Anthony Hopkins led the Snowdon appeal a decade earlier.

Having now established ownership, it is the intention of the National Trust to offer what will be known as the Llyndy Isaf Scholarship, handing the keys of the farm over to specially selected young candidates to run the farm for a period of a year.

The Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) will select candidates. To be eligible for the Llyndy Isaf Scholarship, candidates have to be members of Wales YFC and aged between 18-26. Candidates will be invited for interview and shortlisted before the first successful candidate is revealed next year.

The farm includes Llyn Dinas Lake, and includes threatened species like kingfishers and otters. Trystan Edwards, who is the the National Trust's farming adviser for Wales said that the successful person will have the support of specialists at the Trust. "This initiative will ensure that the successful candidate can build their confidence and develop their skills," said Mr Edwards.

Wales YFC chief executive Nia Lloyd said the successful candidate would have the opportunity and responsibility of managing all aspects of running the farm from practical work and stock management to administration.

Dafydd Jarrett, NFU Cymru policy adviser, said the union welcomed any development that provides an opportunity for young people in agriculture.

"Welsh farming needs highly skilled young people to help take the industry forward in future," he said.

"Skills development for running and taking management responsibility for a hill farm will be an unmissable opportunity."

The farm was put on the market by the former owner who was retiring and had no one to carry on the work. It took only eight months of campaigning to raise the necessary funds.

Walk This Way Please, But Not On The Isle Of Wight

There seems to be a difference of opinion on the Isle of Wight between two well respected groups as to the best way forward to include the Isle of Wight in the UK's Coastal Path. The protagonists are the the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the Isle of Wight Rambler's Association.

There has been a consultation process instigated by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and CLA responded to this by saying that there was an opportunity for the Island to provide coastal access in a better way rather than the slow and expensive duplication process currently taking place in the rest of England.

Isle of Wight CLA regional director Belinda Walters said: "The Isle of Wight already has an excellent coastal path, recognised to provide very extensive access to its coastal areas.

"It is difficult to see how this could be improved, given that any areas which are currently inaccessible are likely to remain so.

"Most inland diversions are for reasons of public safety, for significant environmental reasons or because of the presence of homes, private parks and gardens, hotels, caravan parks or other land that would be exempted under the Act.

"In Wales — where the Marine and Coastal Access Act does not apply — an 870-mile path has been completed in the same time it has taken to duplicate some 20 miles of the South West Coast Path in Weymouth."

The Ramblers Association claimed that a completed coastal path could be worth about £35 million a year to the Island's economy, although Isle of Wight CLA chairman John Harrison said: "Claims there will be significant economic gain following increased coastal access are very much overstated.

"Wildlife organisations and the CLA have huge concerns about the impact that bringing access to sensitive wildlife areas might have on the very special environments on the Island," he said.

With the government launched consultation period having recently ended, we await developments in due course.

Let Me Introduce You To Anthea

The Anthea in question is a most remarkable young lady that it has been my pleasure to exchange e-mails within the last week or so. Her name is Anthea Barteau and during this year which is gently coming to a close, she set herself the tall challenge of covering (including running, hiking etc. etc) a total of 2012 miles for charity, to coincide with the number of the year.

She achieved this incredible feat with half of November and all of December to spare, although there is a little self interest in that decision as it would allow her to have a celebratory glass of champagne at the O2E Charity Ball. She has raised in excess of £3,000 during this year.

O2E (Ordinary 2 Extraordinary) is Anthea's chosen charity, which describes itself with the following mission statement -

To make a difference to the lives of seriously and terminally ill children, whilst encouraging and supporting all ages to embrace sport and adventure, get out of their comfort zones and live life to the full.

Early indications coming out are that the Ball was its usual roaring success, with about £25,000 raised on the night. There are different charities supported every year by O2E, the lucky recipients this year have been Sparkle, GetKidsGoing, EACH and Riverside, which is located in the London Borough of Bromley..

Back to Anthea, because I think that this is a young lady we are going to be featuring a lot in the coming year. When I asked her what were the ups and downs of her year she replied, “ups have been losing nearly a stone in weight and the highs one gets from working out. The lows have been falling behind and then having to try and complete 100 miles in a week which was draining at times”.

What I find amazing is that she is setting herself a new challenge for 2013, and that is to swim 201.3 miles, all the more remarkable as she herself says, “This will be quite a task for me as I am not a swimmer. I am signing myself up for lessons soon”!

Having exchanged a few e-mails with Anthea, I very quickly came to the conclusion that not only is her enthusiasm almost indestructible, but she would also be a wonderful karaoke partner at a party. To that she would probably answer “I'm a hopeless singer, but I'm signing up for lessons shortly!”

We at Brit Breaks intend to feature Anthea and her chosen charity throughout the coming year and I look forward to following her progress.

Hay-on-Wye Festival Winter Weekend

Not content with having one of the top literary events in the spring and summer social calendar, the Welsh border book town of Hay-on-Wye is also staking a claim to a top spot in the winter season, with the increased popularity of its Winter Weekend. This extravaganza is taking place this coming weekend Friday 30th November to Sunday 2nd December, centered at the Swan Hotel but also covering other venues around the lovely market town famous for having around 35 book shops operating at both ends of the book trade.

There are twenty nine events in total, starting with an opening Ceilidh at the Swan, and then proceeding gracefully into Saturday where the BBC's political correspondent, Nick Robinson, will be live from Downing Street talking to Peter Florence. That perennial “have a go guy”, Ben Fogle is also headlining and will be making an appearance at the Swan Hotel Ballroom at 4.30 on Saturday 1st December.

One event that caught my eye was a focus on the year 1922 by Keith Jackson, who will be occupying the Swan Ballroom about an hour and a half before Ben. For those ladies seeking to make their way in business, Kitty Corrigan, former Deputy Editor of “Country Living” will be holding a workshop which will also be attended by successful local entrepreneurs who have a story to tell.

The children are not forgotten with the Sea Legs Puppet Theatre in attendance, and there is a master class with writer Horatio Clare, who will be encouraging young writers to write a book in a day. Booths Bookshop will be the venue for the making of Christmas decorations.

Something special to look forward to is the opening of Hay Castle's doors for the first time in a long while, with guided tours being available by the Friends of Hay Castle. Local traders will be out in force with a fine selection of local produce and handmade clothes and gifts to solve your Christmas Gift problems.

Many other events will take place and the whole outrageous weekend comes to a raucous end at the Swan Ballroom with the Remi Harris Quartet. No doubt, reputations will be won and lost as Hay leads the way into a month of Christmas festivities.

Already the town is gearing itself up for the next Hay Festival which starts next year on May 23rd and runs through to the 2nd June 2013.


http://www.hayfestival.com/winterweekend/index.aspx?skinid=11

http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/info/event_detail.asp?eventid=6

It's About Time That Gwrych Castle Was Treated With Respect

It may be a man thing, but I definitely fall into the category that believes that seemingly inanimate objects have a life and soul of their own. I know that I am not alone, because I have spent time in the company of grown men who used to burst into tears when Concorde flew over, and who gurgle with delight when a restored steam engine gets up a head of steam to carry out some heavy task, albeit these days connected to the tourist trade.

The gracious sea going Cunard liners of today are jaw dropping in their majesty and appearance, and this brings us to another point, which is why these things are always referred to as “she”. Concorde was a “she”, the Flying Scotsman which was patently a “he” is often called “she”, and the great liners are always called “she” because they are all called “Queen something or other.”

But what about buildings? Well I suppose that the “she rule” probably still applies, but what if the property is a former stately home that is in need of considerable renovation? I suspect that with due deference to the fairer sex, these buildings are referred to as “it”, particularly if it has been treated badly of late.

Step forward Gwrych Castle, near Abergele in Conwy, North Wales, which is in need of renovation and has certainly been treated badly of late. It would be a travesty to call this property “she” and so for the moment at least it will have to be called “it”.

This is another blow to a most beautiful looking building, now effectively a ruin, that really has had a raw deal since its construction in the period 1819 to 1825. Commissioned by the illustrious sounding Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh it was the home of the Dundonald family for thirty years from 1894 to 1924. Winifred Cochrane, Countess of Dundonald willed the property to the Royal Family on her death in 1924, but it was refused and passed to the Venerable Order of St. John. It was purchased in 1928 by the Earl of Dundonald.

It served as a shelter for Jewish refugees during the Second World War, and after the war it was open to the public until 1985, enjoying many uses including banquets and mock jousting, an occasional venue for the dragon rally motorcycle event and even as a boxing training venue.

Regrettably from that time on it has passed through a nefarious group of owners, each one less competent than the last, and all the time the fabric of the building has deteriorated including ownership by an American during which time it was extensively vandalised and looted. It did appear in the film Prince Valiant in 1996, but obviously not for its charm and beauty.

It appears that the building is currently in the last chance saloon, having been purchased for £300,000 by a local development company, who are currently in the process of applying for planning permission to turn the castle into a luxury hotel.

It will be a massive undertaking, but let's hope that it is successful, and once again we can refer to the building as “she”. In the meantime the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust has been set up to highlight the plight of this wonderful building, and we would urge you to make yourself aware of what is happening. We will certainly be returning to this story again in the future.

http://www.gwrychtrust.co.uk

Coal is Making a Comeback!

We have already featured the efforts of the country to increase our reliance on renewable energy, particularly talk of the chances of a barrage across the River Severn, and the never ending rise of wind farms. Therefore, it was perhaps a little surprising to learn that the old “bete-noire” of the energy world, coal, has been enjoying a surprising resurgence.

Without doubt coal is the dirtiest and most polluting of all the major fossil fuels, and in this day and age you would think that bad publicity alone would sink its chances of cleaning up its public image. But, no, apart from renewables themselves, coal was the fastest growing energy source showing a six
per cent increase over the last two years. In achieving these figures, it beat both gas and oil.

What is also strange to report is that the advance of coal consumption has been most marked in a part of the world that describes itself as being at the forefront of the cleaner energy campaign, namely Europe.

One of the reasons is that coal is value for money in these recessionary times. Over production has result in an over supply, and consequently the price of coal has dropped quite dramatically. Another factor is that there has been a dramatic increase in the production of shale gas in America that has resulted in a cheaper energy source over there. Excess coal in America is being exported to Europe.

Some fascinating figures have been discovered as a result of market research.

·Coal is responsible for about 40% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions from fuels
·Coal generates almost a half of the total amount of electricity produced in the US
·Coal emits almost a third more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than oil, and 80% more than natural gas
·Coal provides about a quarter of the world's energy needs and it generates almost 40% of the world's electricity
·Almost 70% of total global steel production is also dependent on burning coal.

Interestingly, Germany has just made a decision to discontinue the use of nuclear power stations and build more coal fired stations. This will only increase the demand for coal in the long term.

Lincoln Cathedral - The World's Tallest Building for Over Two Hundred Years

Religion has been responsible for some of the greatest buildings in Britain. London would be severely diminished if it no longer had St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, and cities such as York, Durham, Canterbury and Salisbury owe much of their fame and reputation to the fact that they are homes to wonderful cathedrals.

In days gone by, religious leaders held considerable power, and it was because of this reason that Henry VIII carried out the dissolution to curb the threat that he felt the church held over the monarchy.

These days, religious buildings, whether they be restored and in every day use, or whether they be ruins, left just as they were in Henry VIII's time, form the backbone of the British tourism industry, and one particular religious building that dominates its locality is Lincoln Cathedral.

Once described as “the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have”, Lincoln Cathedral dominates its locality in a way that few other buildings can match.

It is the seat of the Bishop of Lincoln, and it is suggested that work commenced originally in about 1088, and carried on for some considerable time, with periods of rebuilding required on several occasions. Taking its position opposite the newly constructed Lincoln Castle, it is constructed of local Lincolnshire limestone, and despite its historical ups and downs, it is suggested that the arches to the west front may date back to the time of the original construction.

The historical ups and downs that I refer to include a fire in 1141, and even an earthquake in 1185, enough to make any self respecting insurance company run for cover. From then on the construction of the cathedral appears to have been a case of two steps forward and one step back, with the experimental nature of the Gothic style resulting in the collapse of the cathedral's central tower in 1237. This was described by commentators of the time as “a great setback”, which is perhaps a slight understatement.

The central tower was built to its present height in the early fourteenth century, and as a result the cathedral was said to be the tallest building in the world until about 1549. From then onwards to this day, it has been subject to a continuing programme of maintenance and improvement, and subsequent generations have added the wonderful carved screen, the 14th century misericords, the Wren Library and the Duncan Grant frescoes.

Bishop Hugh was one of the witnesses to the signing of the Magna Carta by King John at Runnymede in 1215, another indication of the power held by the clergy. As a result, one of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta is in the ownership of the cathedral and sits these days in Lincoln Castle.

Lincoln Cathedral played a part in helping returning air crews in the Second World War. There were many squadrons based in the county and the cathedral, being such an unmissable landmark, was a marvellous way for the aircraft to get their bearings on the return journey. It has also been used as a film setting, particularly in the Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria, where it doubled as Westminster Abbey.

At the time that the spire of the cathedral was allegedly the reason that the cathedral was the tallest building in the world, it stood at 525 feet. These days the tallest building in the world is currently the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 2,722 feet, the best part of five times taller!

Jobs Boost At Wind Turbine Manufacturers

Whether you love them or hate them, wind turbines are in the news again this week, but this time it is for the right reasons. Areva, one of the biggest producers of wind turbines in Europe have announced their intention to locate the UK arm of the business in Scotland.

With the likelihood of up to 750 jobs in both the manufacturing and support supply chain, this is a tremendous boost to the Scottish economy. The work will revolve around the manufacture of blades and turbine casings and the deal setting out the intention to locate has been signed with the economic development agency Scottish Enterprise.

Possible locations around the country have been studied, with the current favourite being the east coast in the Firth of Forth.

Luc Oursel, chief executive of Paris based Areva, said “Scotland is known to be a pioneer in renewables and its commitment to offshore wind in particular was a key part of our decision to locate our future UK manufacturing base there.”

Areva said it will manufacture its five-megawatt turbines in Scotland for offshore projects in the UK, complementing its base at Le Havre which will supply France, Belgium and more southerly UK projects.

A third base in Bremerhaven, Germany, will help establish an operation to cover the European market, the firm said.

The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, who was a witness to the agreement signed by Mr Oursel and Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said “The manufacturing of nacelles (turbine casings) and blades for these turbines in Scotland will deliver nationwide economic benefits as well as much welcome inward investment to the chosen location once that has been agreed.”

“This is another powerful example of how attractive Scotland is for international investors - and is indicative of our shared energy future.”

Prime Minister David Cameron described the news as “brilliant for Scotland”. Of course there has been a series of mixed messages about wind farms from the National Coalition government of late. Lib Dem energy secretary Ed Davey was forced to remind his junior minister, Conservative John Hayes to tow the line on policy when Mr. Hayes recently said that the country was “peppered” with onshore windfarms and that “enough is enough” when he spoke in newspaper interviews.

The question of wind farms remains an emotive issue, but what cannot be denied is that the industry has been responsible for the introduction of nearly £3 million into Scotland's renewable industry since 2009, and in these recessionary times that, at least, has to be good news.

France Comes To England at Waddesdon Manor

Although by no means the oldest of the majestic country houses in Britain, you would have to go a long way to beat the “wow” factor of Waddesdon Manor in the Buckinghamshire village of the same name.

Taking on the Neo-Renaissance style of a French chateau, Waddesdon Manor was commissioned by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild and was constructed between the years 1874 and 1889.

With a French architect, Destailleur, and a design based on the chateaux at Chambord and Maintenon, Baron Ferdinand appears to have achieved exactly the design that he wanted. The steel frame was revolutionary at the time, and the specification included features that were very much ahead of their time, including an electric bell system for the servants, central heating, and hot and cold running water in the bathrooms.

Already the owner of exception eighteenth century ceramics, furniture and tapestries, as well as Dutch and English paintings, the Baron installed his marvellous collection on completion of the building.

Set in an elevated position overlooking the village, the Manor also has an English landscape park and formal gardens and once again contains a striking French influence produced by the landscape architect Laine.

There is a lovely story concerning Queen Victoria, who having invited herself in order to view the exceptional gardens, was equally impressed with the electrical system that had been installed, and spent a full ten minutes turning a newly installed chandelier on and off.

There was sadness in Baron Ferdinand's life, as his wife Evelina died giving birth to their still born son in 1866. He built, equipped and endowed the Evelina Hospital For Sick Children in Southwark in her name.

When he died childless at the Manor at the early age of 59 in 1898, his collection was bequeathed to the British Museum, and the Manor to his unmarried younger sister, Alice, and thence to their nephew James, who bequeathed it to the National Trust on his death in 1957. At the time, the Trust also received what is, to this day, their largest ever endowment, equivalent to about £13 million in today's money.

Nowadays, the property is one of the jewels in the crown of the National Trust and has often attracted around 400,000 visitors per year. In 2003, there was a burglary and over 100 French snuff boxes and trifles were stolen, none of which have ever been recovered intact.

Kelmarsh Hall Set For Major Renovation Works

Set on the Northamptonshire/Leicestershire border, five miles south of Market Harborough, Kelmarsh Hall is a delightful eighteenth century house, now in the care of the Kelmarsh Trust, which has been set up to protect the property for the benefit of the nation.

The Hall was constructed originally in 1732 for William Hanbury, who was a well known antiquarian. Even to this day it is surrounded by gardens and parkland and its working estate. There are about three thousand acres, with the gardens themselves being described as having a “haphazard luxuriance”.

What brings Kelmarsh Hall to our attention at the moment, however, is the fact that for the first time since 1820, the Hall is getting a new roof. Holding repairs carried out in 1970 have served their purpose, and the Westmoreland green slates in place are about to be replaced like for like.

These remedial works follow hard on the heels of another innovation, the installation of a renewable energy system, which seeks to reduce the annual oil bill by about 50%. E-On are seeking to set up a wind farm on the estate and support the energy system.

The Hall will be closed until Easter, which shows the balancing act that has to be carried out by attractions that rely on visitor income. The best time of year to carry out the roof repairs would be the summer, but this would dramatically impact on the cash flow.

Some events are still taking place in the Lime Shed, and details can be found on the Kelmarsh Hall website.

http://www.kelmarsh.com

Ladies Who Did More Than Just Lunch – Bess Of Hardwick

Although not quite fitting my previous criteria that I wanted to focus on women who had come from humble beginnings to defy the conventions of their respective times and became successful in a male dominated environment, Bess of Hardwick fits the bill all but the humble beginnings bit.

When born in 1527, hers was a relatively monied background, being an estate of some 5,000 acres, and Elizabeth as she was known was left a small dowry when her father died when she was still young.

Throughout her life she was married four times, the first being when both she and her husband Robert Barlow were only fourteen. Such was the speed of her life that she was only forty at the time of her fourth marriage.

Each marriage seems to have been to a man more distinguished and richer than his predecessor, and you are beginning to pick up a thread that Bess was quite a girl, not a recognised historical term maybe, but sufficient to tell you that this lady knew her way around Elizabethan society.

With a succession of titles which included Lady Cavendish, Lady St. Loe and ultimately the Countess of Shrewsbury, it is hard to keep up with her. You can find her legacy in a number of places around the Peak District which was her home.

Firstly there is Hardwick Hall at Doe Lea by Chesterfield, divided into the old hall and the new hall, these being relative terms as Bess herself was responsible the “new” hall in the latter part of the 1500's. Bess was known as an accomplished seamstress and at Hardwick Hall there is now the largest collection of tapestries, canvaswork and embroidery still in private hands.

When her husband of the time, the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury was the keeper of Mary Queen of Scots, the two ladies worked on what became known as the Oxburgh Hangings, beautiful tapestries that hang at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, the home at the time of the Catholic Bedingfield family.

Bess and Mary worked on these at Chatsworth, another beautiful and famous Derbyshire house for which Bess can claim responsibility. This came about as a result of her marriage into the Cavendish family, the name of the Dukes of Devonshire, who still own Chatsworth today.

During her life she was involved in manouevrings and machinations to work her family into the Royal Family by marrying her daughter to Charles Stuart, one of the Lennox family who had a claim to the throne.

There was a bit of a hullabaloo about all of this, as the marriage was considered a treasonable offence as no royal assent had been obtained. Bess was summoned to London, but ignored the summons and lay low at home until the row passed, so typical of her.

Bess passed away in 1608, aged 87, having lived a life sufficient to occupy two or three people. She had, at times received an annual income of the region of £13 million, and had enjoyed the company and patronage of some of the most famous and powerful people of her age, people that had treated her as an equal. In view of the efforts that she made to worm her way into the Royal Family, it is perhaps a point of great interest that our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth the Second is a distant relative of Bess.

Not quite what Bess had in mind, but success of a sort.

Children In Need Is Back Again!

As a mark of how quickly time seems to pass, it is once more the middle of November, and the whole country will be celebrating the arrival of the BBC Children In Need Charity Telethon. Using the day as an excuse to behave with wild abandon, many individuals and groups set out to do outrageous things with a view to raising money for their efforts, sometimes just on the day, or in many cases as the culmination of fund raising over a period of time.

Obviously caring little for the future of their careers, Sir Terry Wogan, Fearne Cotton, Nick Grimshaw and Tess Daly will be anchoring the celebration, when not for the first time, BBC 1 hands virtually all of its evening schedules over to the extravaganza.

Fund raising is set out in two ways, being money that is raised on the day, and further funds which are pledged and then collected a short time afterwards. The figures associated with this most popular of money raising events are mind boggling.

It is estimated that since 1980, it has raised around £600 million towards good causes relating to children. The most successful “on the evening” total is deemed to have been last year, when over £26 million was raised, a marvellous achievement in these recessionary times. The best overall total appears to have been in 2009 when over £40 million was collected.

The format for the evening has remained generally unchanged, with an invited audience full of people with out-sized cheques being entertained by show business acts either doing their usual day job, or making fun of themselves by parodying what has made them successful. Even shows from opposing TV channels are not safe, and the news readers have turned out to be good sports over the years.

Running money totals are flashed up, and there is generally a feeling of a jovial hard sell. Other stars that are appearing (and hoping that their careers will make a full recovery) include One Direction, Little Mix, Susan Boyle, Paloma Faith, Leona Lewis, Il Divo and Tim Minchin.

About twenty Olympian and Paralypian medal winners will be there, meeting Pudsey the Dog, winner of the 2012 Britain's Got Talent. The three day eventing team will dance “gangnam” style, and the aforementioned news readers will risk ridicule in a special edition of Top Gear. Kylie Minogue will be putting a more modern slant on some of her earlier hits.

So draw the curtains, sit back and marvel at the indomitable British spirit that allows so many people to make absolute fools of themselves ...all in a good cause.

Severn Barrage Arguments Still Rage

As we have mentioned before, the question as to whether to build a barrage across the River Severn from Weston-super-Mare to Penarth, next to Cardiff is one that is likely to run and run. With the potential to take advantage of the second highest tidal rise and fall in the world and provide up to one fifth of the energy required by the United Kingdom, it is obviously a scheme that could provide enormous benefits.

The suggested cost to complete the undertaking is put at about £35 billion, and although a previous government report has not looked favourably on the plan, the Prime Minister has inferred that he would consider proposals if they were deemed to be viable. Former Labour minister Peter Hain has also said that he would support the scheme.

The idea is being driven by a consortium based in South Wales, but perhaps not surprisingly, a group of four Local Enterprise Partnerships from the South West of England have decided that they would be opposing the scheme.

Colin Skellet, chairman of Bristol's LEP, said "We are all agreed the impact of the barrage on the environment far outweigh the benefits. The scheme is based on technology which is out of date and the carbon footprint of the barrage would be enormous."

Merlin Hyman, of environmental pressure group Regen South West, said "Of course if someone comes to the table with £35 billion of private finance to build this project, then the Government has to look at it. My principal concern is the barrage idea has stopped all discussions of alternative technologies, which we believe are more financially viable."

It can only be assumed that there may be other motives for this reticence to support the scheme, as one would have thought that as an island nation, we should be looking to harness the power of the tides, more so perhaps that the plethora of wind farms which don't always prove the answer.

Torch Auction Keeps Olympic Legacy Alive

If there were any doubts at the beginning of the year as to whether the Olympics would be a roaring success or an expensive failure, all doubts have surely been dispelled as we now come to the end of the year.

Leaving aside the incredible medal haul achieved by both our Olympians and the Paralympians, the games took up the baton (pun intended!) from where the Queen's Diamond Jubilee left off, and made sure that 2012 was a year never to be forgotten.

The feel good factor showed itself in many ways, including positive economic figures for the financial quarter in question, and even now, some two months after the last games finished, the benefits are still being felt.

For the Olympic torch that Sir Chris Bonnington carried to the summit of Snowdon is being auctioned at the Royal Geographical Society this coming Wednesday 14th November. There is a special significance relating to this particular torch as it reached the summit of Snowdon on May 29th, the fifty-ninth anniversary of the day that Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing reached the summit of Everest.

What appeals to me most is that the proceeds of the auction will go to help Community Action Nepal, a charity set up to help projects to benefit the country's mountain peoples. Surely this is a perfect way to honour Sherpa Tenzing's homeland for his efforts on that day 59 years ago, as well as recognising the wonderful contribution that the Gurkha Regiments have made to the British Army for many years.

“I really can’t think of a better use for my Olympic torch than to raise funds for this outstanding charity,“ said Sir Chris Bonnington.

He added “We often hear talk of an ‘Olympic legacy' - this will be a very useful legacy for some of the world’s poorest people.”

The auction is being arranged by Doug Scott, the first man to climb Everest’s south west face. He said “the aim of Community Action Nepal is to help the mountain communities remain sustainable, viable and to help stop the human drift into Kathmandu."

“The reality is that, with just a bit of support, the hill communities can provide a decent way of life, while the supposed attractions of Kathmandu invariably end in exploitation, despair and often tragedy for the hill people.”

The torch is being auctioned through open online bids at www.canepal.org.uk , and it is hoped to raise in the region of £10,000.

The SAS Are Involved, But Not The Ones You're Thinking Of!

If the SAS are involved, then there must be something serious happening involving the security of the nation. Well, there is something serious happening, but it's not the SAS that you are thinking of.

The SAS that is involved this time is the Surfers Against Sewage, and they are putting out a call for volunteers to assist in picking up litter from two of the country's most popular surfing beaches, Woolacombe and Saunton in North Devon.

The date when all this will take place is Saturday, 17th November, and is part of a continuing programme where the autumn has seen the SAS joined by the best part of five hundred volunteers who have removed about one tonne of rubbish from beaches around the country.

Those wishing to help are asked to meet at the foot of Saunton slipway for the beach clean, which runs from 10.30am–12.30pm and at Woolacombe, by the stream, for its event from 1pm–3pm.

Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Surfers Against Sewage, said "After the success of the North Devon Beach Clean Series in 2011, we are delighted to be working with The Crown Estate once again on the Autumn Beach Clean Series."

Tagholm added "Their support is helping us reach out to coastal communities across the UK to encourage people to get involved with protecting our precious beaches and marine environments from marine litter. "

This sort of public involvement brings the question of marine pollution right to the front of the many environmental issues that confront us these days. Apparently the last twenty years has seen an increase of about 100 per cent in the amount of man-made items being washed up on our coastline.

This includes fishing lines, carrier bags, bottles and plastic containers and general sewage-related debris. The effect on wildlife is devastating with more than 1 million seabirds, and in excess of 100,000 marine mammals and turtles dying each year.

The fact that the surfing community are getting so involved in this campaign should be a good lever to encourage the relevant authorities to try and take decisive action on this matter.

Subject to weather conditions, these hardy souls are one of the few groups who try and make use of our coastal seas three hundred and sixty five days a year, and most idealised views of a splendid coastline will always try and make use of a surfer of two, either seen striding majestically towards the waves, or as a series of bobbing heads at a distance.

If you live close to either of these splendid beaches, please see if you can find time to join the volunteers and play your part in trying to get the authorities moving.

What The Dickens Is Going On In Ulverston?

Ulverston in the Lake District, that perennial offender when it comes to organising festivals, is at it again! Coming up shortly, on the weekend of the 24th and the 25th November is the annual Dickens festival, probably one of the most popular and best supported of the many such events that crop up with regularity in this lovely Cumbrian town.

Now in its fourteenth year, the festival gives the locals an excuse to dress up extravagantly and generally make exhibitions of themselves all with a Dickensian theme. Find yourself transported back to the 1850's where Ulverston plays itself magnificently, providing a backdrop of specialist shops, great pubs and cafes, cobbled streets and great atmosphere.

All sorts of events and side shows have made an appearance over the years including hog roasts, mulled wine, old fashioned food, gifts, crafts and toys. There has also been free hat making, dance music, horse drawn carriages and balloon modelling. There's always a chance of a fairground, and music ranging from folk right through to brass band. All on all, a reason for people to join in and have a fabulous time. The event is popular so make sure that you allow enough time, because there is likely to be a Christmas market as well.

The organisers are being coy as usual, claiming that it is difficult to say in advance what attractions will be available, as so much depends on local support. But this has never been a problem in the past. As mentioned at the start of the blog, Ulverston portrays itself as very much a festival town, so I suspect we may be coming back here before long.

It also has another claim to fame, being the home of the only Laurel and Hardy Museum in the world. It has this unlikely setting as Stan Laurel was born in Ulverston in 1890. I can feel another blog coming on about that!

Somerset Levels Under Threat From Pylons

Yet again the battle between the environment and our insatiable demand for energy has moved to another sensitive part of the British countryside. We already have arguments raging in various parts of the country on the question of wind farms, and it won't be long before the proposed barrage across the River Severn becomes a hot topic.

Now another battle ground has formed over the plans that National Grid has for carrying power between the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station and Avonmouth.

Although a five mile stretch will be buried underground, under current proposals the majority of the rest of the journey will be by way of overhead pylons right through the middle of this most sensitive of environmental areas.

The National Grid are saying that whereas they feel that the intrusion is unavoidable, they intend using smaller pylons. They are quoted as saying “We are proposing to build an overhead line across the Somerset Levels and Moors... We have chosen the straightest route possible thereby minimising the scale of change to the existing landscape.”

Paul Hipwell, from the campaign group No Moor Pylons, said the fight to protect the countryside has just started.

"We are very frustrated and feel that National Grid has not listened to anything we have said," he said.

"The overwhelming view of everybody is that we want the cables underground and all we have got is a small section through the Mendip Hills.

"There is some very special countryside from Avonmouth to Hinkley and we want to protect all those wonderful areas."

Former cabinet minister Dr. Liam Fox is the local Member of Parliament for North Somerset and has said “The under-grounding of lines across the Mendips is welcome, but nothing is being done to reduce the environmental impact of potentially higher pylons across Tickenham Ridge.”

With different factions within the coalition government having diverse views on the question of wind farms, and strong words exchanged regularly between the relevant supporters of natural or nuclear power, it is hard to imagine a time when this thorny question of providing power without damaging the environment will be out of the headlines.

The Giant's Causeway, Now That's What Unique Really Means!

You would think that of all the words in the English language, “unique” would be one of the easiest to define. “Existing as the only one or as the sole example” or perhaps you prefer “having no like or equal”. To my mind these seem perfect definitions of my understanding of the word.

But as is the case in everyday life, the reality is that unique, like so many other words, has been slightly corrupted. Every beautiful landscape view is “unique”, but there are similar examples waiting around every turn particularly if you are touring places such as the Highlands of Scotland, the Lake District or the Snowdonia National Park in Wales.

Each person is “unique”, yet there seem to be an awful lot of us, and don't start me on the advertising industry, where the true definition of unique went out of the window ages ago.

Yet, I was recently watching the eye-catching series of adverts that the Northern Ireland Tourist Board run, and they showed the wonderful Giant's Causeway. Then I realised what the true meaning of unique was.

Comprising up to 40,000 interlocking basalt columns (what a job that must have been to count them!), the Giant's Causeway, or at least the Irish side of it, is to be found in County Antrim on the beautiful north east coast of Northern Ireland. Formed as the result of volcanic action dating back some 50 to 60 million years, the rock formation that we see today would have been formed in very much the same way that mud dries out after heavy rain.

As the lava cooled it created a series of mainly hexagonal columns (although there are also those of four, five, seven and eight sides) that can reach a maximum height of some forty feet and disappear into the sea. The solidified lava can be up to ninety feet thick in places.

Being Ireland, the Causeway is cloaked in legend and myth, some of it involving an Irish warrior named Finn MacCool and his enemy from Scotland, Benandonner. The fact that the Causeway appears to travel under the sea and reappear in slightly lesser form in Fingal's Cave on the Isle of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides, does make you wonder if there could be some truth in the legend.

As tourism became more popular in the nineteenth century, there was a danger that the site would become over commercialised, particularly with construction of the Giant's Causeway Tramway. Thankfully, the National Trust took the site into its care in 1960, and this commercialisation was reduced. A new visitor centre was opened in July 2012, and the Causeway itself is now about half a mile from the entrance to the site.

It is a recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this being awarded in 1986. A year later it became a National Nature Reserve , and in 2005, it was voted the fourth greatest national wonder in the United Kingdom by the readers of the Radio Times. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

Now that's what I call unique!

http://www.northantrim.com/giantscauseway.htm

Last Airworthy Vulcan Bomber Likely To Be Grounded

My contract with Brit Breaks is to write “challenging articles with a particular slant on Britain and what is happening in our beautiful homeland” I provide this introduction just in case you wonder what I actually do here.

But as the other administrators backs are currently turned, I'm writing a blog today about something that is close to my own heart. As you can see from the title, I'm referring to the last airworthy Vulcan bomber, also known as XH558. Now based at Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire, the phrase that is likely to spell its doom was uttered by the Leicestershire-based Vulcan To The Sky Trust, which has announced that the aircraft needs “challenging modifications” to both wings.

Having already spent in the region of £20 million on getting the aircraft back in the sky and keeping her there, the Trust plainly feels that this is just more than they can cope with. Funds have been provided by generous donations, but the specified works that are required are felt to be beyond anything that could be gained by the usual sources.

With shortages of parts already a problem, the Trust needs about £2 million a year to keep “her” airborne, and supporters have been told by Trust chief executive, Dr. Robert Pleming, that "we know that you would do your utmost to fund this work, but for a number of reasons we have decided not to ask you to take this risk."

Affectionately known as the “Tin Triangle”, XH558 has already flown over ten per cent more than was originally intended, and for a design that was only ever envisaged to last ten to fifteen years, her fifty two years of life are a great achievement.

There are some other figures that are quite mind boggling including the fact that there are fifteen miles of cabling inside an aircraft that weighs fifteen tons, and of that original fifteen miles, five have been replaced during the restoration work. Only three people can ride on board, two less than in its pomp, where the crew also included the navigator and the person to release the bombs. There is limited vision so that the aircraft could survive severe blast from a nuclear bomb being dropped.

It's been a funny few weeks for those interested in the history of the Cold War. Early last month, it was announced that with the help of English Heritage, two missile silos, one in Northamptonshire and one Rutland, had been given protected status, while here we are now digesting this sad news about XH558.

Guy Fawkes – Bad Man or Just a Bad Idea?

After all of the bad publicity concerning MP's expenses, there can't be many alternative comedians these days that haven't a joke somewhere in their repertoire along the lines of Guy Fawkes being a hero if he was living today. Of course, it's not a good idea to plan to blow up the legitimately elected members of the country's Parliament, but then Fawkes lived in an era when “plot” was the in-word.

There was always a plot somewhere, people plotting against other people who were plotting and possibly double plotting. One subject in particular that tended to outplot all of the other plots, was the thorny question of there being a Catholic monarch on the throne. As we prepare to celebrate Bonfire Night yet again, it's worth just scratching the surface to see how old Guy stands up to the test of time.

It is a peculiar fact that despite his wish to see a Catholic monarch on the throne, Guy Fawkes was actually born into a Protestant family. Guy was eight when his father died, and when his mother remarried, the Catholic influence was introduced into the family. Having turned to Catholicism, Guy even went as far as travelling to Spain to fight for Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch reformers.

It was there that he first met people who wished to kill James I in order to place a Catholic on the throne. The conspirators knew that James would be at the State Opening of Parliament on 5th November 1605, and despite worries that Catholic Members of Parliament would also be killed, the Gunpowder Plot (that word again!) was hatched.

At first, I couldn't understand how they had managed to get all that gunpowder into the Houses of Parliament, but apparently they had rented an undercroft to be found beneath the House of Lords. The gunpowder was duly stored, but acting on a tip off, the authorities made a search and found Guy Fawkes on guard.

As a final twist, I also learned that Guy Fawkes jumped from the scaffold immediately prior to his planned execution. He broke his neck and therefore avoided the sentence that would have included mutilation.

It all sounds so naïve and poorly planned as compared with this sophisticated world that we live in today. Radio signals, miniature bombs, etc etc, would have meant that Guy could have carried out his wish and have been many miles away when he did it. But you can't escape the fact that despite all of this, as plots go, it really was Premier Division stuff at the time.

What I find the strangest part of this vibrant part of our history, is that despite that fact that everyone seems to think of Guy as the “baddie”, why do we use the term “celebrate” when we refer to Bonfire Night?

Calke Abbey Is A National Trust Day Out With A Difference

Set in the county of Derbyshire, where you have a choice of some of the finest stately homes in Britain, Calke Abbey represents an entirely different face to the National Trust, one that is probably not repeated with any great regularity throughout Britain.

For, an institution that prides itself on its superb presentation skills has made a conscious and deliberate effort to retain Calke Abbey in the state of decline in which the house was presented to the nation in 1985 by the Harper-Crewe family in lieu of death duties. It seeks to show how many similar properties suffered as a result of a lack of investment, many indeed did not survive.

This is quite a decision by the National Trust, which has a reputation that is second to none in restoring the buildings in its care to a condition that shows how they would have been in their pomp. The attention to detail during improvement and restoration programmes is a byword for professionalism, and it is a brave, yet pragmatic decision to allow Calke Abbey to be marketed in the way that it is.

I suspect that pragmatism is the key to the decision as although it is more than a little surprising to see the condition when you visit the house, substantial sums have already been invested in securing the fabric of the building against further damage, and with the National Trust being a charitable body, it was felt that the limited funds of the Trust could be better spent in other directions. Such decisions are probably a regular occurrence for the Trust, but the reality is particularly stark at Calke Abbey.

Holding a Grade I listing, Calke Abbey can trace its origins back to the twelfth century and its time as an Augustinian Priory. It suffered dissolution by Henry VIII, but was rebuilt between 1701 and 1704 in the style of a Baroque mansion. It received the name Calke Abbey in 1808, although as can be seen, it has not served as an abbey during its lifetime.

The Harpur family had retained ownership for nearly 300 hundred years, starting with the first baronet, Sir Henry Harpur, purchasing the estate in 1622. The fourth baronet, Sir John Harpur was responsible for the construction of what we see today, with ownership passing down to Sir Vauncey Harper-Crewe the tenth and final baronet, whose devotion in life was to his collection of natural history specimens.

The family were noted for their reclusive eccentricity, a perfect example of this being the gift of a wonderful state bed in 1714 that was never actually put together. Despite all of this the property is a joy to visit, with marvellous parklands and gardens to enjoy. Look out for the wonderful heating systems in the greenhouses!

As with many National Trust properties, opening hours out of season can alter so check the web site below for information.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke-abbey