They're Hoping That Bownessie Could be a Monster of a Success

Something monstrous is happening in the Lake District, but no-one seems to have any objection to what is going on. And two people in particular are hoping that it will lead to fame and fortune.

A business woman is aiming to lure young visitors to the Lake District with the launch of a Bownessie brand based on the famous Windermere ‘monster’. Naz Craig has created a whole range of products associated with the creature – depicted as a friendly green character – including a children’s colouring book, post card, soft toy, posters and a 6.5ft wooden Bownessie.

The former legal secretary has self-funded the project, which has involved her gaining property rights to the ‘Bownessie’ brand. “When children go to Disneyland they get a Mickey Mouse, and I hope when they come to Windermere and Bowness they will pick up a Bownessie,” she said. “I want to put some more fun into tourism for kids as I think that’s so important. Long-term I’d like to open a cafe and have a Bownessie trail – I just want to keep developing the idea.”

Miss Craig, the managing director of the Bownessie Trading Company, said she had always wanted to do something to attract tourists, but it was a spell of illness that gave her the inspiration. “When I was in hospital last year my friend Robin, who is an artist, drew me a card with a fun Bownessie image on it and I loved it,” she said.

That friend was Robin Evans, of Kendal, who has helped ‘massively’ by designing all the Bownessie products. “He’s been brilliant,” said Naz. “He understands what I say and has been magical in the way he has created everything.”

Bownessie has been made amphibious, complete with cap and rucksack to make him unique to the Lakes. “It was important he had a personality,” said Naz. The giant green creature will feature outside the Windermere Tourist Information Centre, where managing director Mark Prada said: “I think it is great to see someone developing a quirky brand for Bownessie with a range of stunning products that should appeal to the family market. “With the passion and drive that Naz has devoted to the concept, we couldn’t help but give our support.”

The first sighting of Bownessie was made in 2006 by university lecturer Steve Burnip and was reported in The Westmorland Gazette. Bownessie has been ‘sighted’ several times but efforts to track him down by Crypto-Zoologists have so far proved fruitless. The story has been covered globally and has brought TV crews and underwater scientists to the lake.

Merchandise and the website will be available from February 15th.

London Set to Celebrate the Chinese New Year

London's Chinese New Year celebrations are the largest outside Asia. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people descend on the West End to wish each other "Kung Hei Fat Choi" (or Happy New Year). Chinese New Year 2013, the Year of the Snake, falls on 10 February.

The Chinese New Year festivities begin in the morning with a parade through the West End to Trafalgar Square where there's an opening celebration with stage performances and special guests. A second stage on Shaftesbury Avenue hosts performances from local community groups and schools. Over the years the stage has seen fashion shows, plays and even Chinese hip-hop artists.
Chinatown is at the centre of the New Year party. Food and craft stalls line the streets and a lion dance snakes through the crowds, stopping at restaurants to wish the owners good luck for the coming year.

Chinese New Year Schedule

10am: The parade will begin in Trafalgar Square and the colourful floats and beating of drums can be followed through Chinatown ending in Rupert Street at 11am

12pm: On the main stage in Trafalgar Square, the Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture, Munira Mirza, His Excellence Liu Xiao Ming and Stanley Tse, President of Chinatown, will commence the Dotting of the Eye ceremony, which will bring the dragons and lions to life

1pm-5.30pm: Live entertainment on stage including performances by Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter Emmy the Great, the world-renowned Chen Brothers Flying Lion Dance, Paul Potts and performers from Guangdong and Sichuan Provinces

5.55pm: A stunning fireworks display will mark the end of the day's celebrations

Chinese New Year is a huge festival among Chinese communities in London and across the world.Based on the lunar and solar calendars, the actual date of Chinese New Year varies, but always falls between late January and mid February. Each year in the Chinese calendar is represented by one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

http://www.chinatownlondon.org

Leicester Determined to Keep Itself in the Tourism Spotlight

It looks as though Leicester is reveling in its nearly acquired fame due to the confirmation of the discovery of the remains of Richard III in the city centre car park. So much so that the local press and tourism groups are seeking to highlight the delights that will attract you to Britain's tenth largest city.

They have come up with the following and although there may be a little tongue-in-cheek with some of the advice, it nevertheless goes to prove that many British cities have something to commend them.

A hunchback

The city has certainly got itself in good shape to seize every single Richard III PR opportunity. The city's Guildhall hosts a special exhibition about Richard, which opens on 8 February. There is also a forty five minute walking tour , and even a Richard III minibreak. King Richard III short breaks were launched today, featuring entry to two new exhibitions, guided walks, afternoon tea and hotel b&b for £79 for couples and £99 for families. Plus not forgetting a Facebook page of course. Is the old boy tweeting yet? Get that account set up Leicester!

A field

The exact location of the defining battle of the Wars of the Roses is a little imprecise but the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre was built in 1974 on a site 13 miles west of Leicester. Here, you can find a new exhibition on Richard III and children can dress up and re-enact Richard III's fatal final charge on Henry Tudor – or, at least, Tudor propagandist Shakespeare's version – by crying out: "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse."

An old wall

Leicester is one of the oldest cities in the country, but lost its city status for the best part of 800 years, only regaining it in 1919. Its first recorded name was as the Roman town, Ratae Corieltauvorum, and remains of the Roman baths can still be seen at the Jewry Wall, an impressive, 2.5m-thick piece of Roman walling.

Pork pies and stilton

Lovers of traditional British fare can still find rich pickings in Leicester: pork pies from nearby Melton Mowbray and stilton cheese both have EU protected status. Leicester hosts the East Midlands food festival every October. "We're very proud of our food and drink heritage ," says Simon Gribbon of Leicester Shire Promotions.

Infinity and beyond

Handily placed midway between Leicester's inner and outer ring roads (every proper city needs two) is the National Space Centre , Britain's largest attraction dedicated to space. Don't let the fact that the website is still boasting that "the Olympic torch visited us" put you off. Leicester has long been a hub for space research and the centre is offering a science-fiction special this half-term, a Robin Ince comedy evening and a "Cosmic Valentine" special coming up. Shame they can't teleport visitors back to 1485, yet but I'm sure they are working on it.

http://www.goleicestershire.com

http://www.spacecentre.co.uk

Experts Toast French-Scottish Wine Maker

William Jonqueres d'Oriola's family tree includes a happy mix of nations, with a French father, and a mother who hails from Scotland. His looks are undoubtedly Scottish, all Celtic complexion and flaming red locks, but thanks to his French heritage, he has an undeniable skill as a wine maker,

He is a member of one of the most well-known aristocratic families in the south of France who have been making wine for 27 generations – since 1485. But he considers himself half- Scottish thanks to his Fort William-born mum, Ruth McWilliam. The 30-year-old is fast becoming the toast of the French winemaking industry, with experts hailing the new techniques he has introduced.

William, middle son of Earl Philippe Jonqueres d’Oriola, supplies his fine wine from a vineyard in south-west France to Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. His home is a 12th-century castle in Corneilla del Vercol, Roussillon, 20 miles from the Spanish border. The family consider themselves Catalan as the Spanish region historically stretched over the border.

William, who is at the helm of the business, Chateau de Corneilla, said: “My mother is a proud Scot and my dad is Catalan, it’s a very strange mix. I am very proud of my two identities. I have inherited my red hair from my mum and, as you can imagine, it’s very unusual where I live. I’m known as Will Barberousse – Will with the red beard – or the Catalan Highlander. I have family in Stirling and come back to Scotland at least twice a year.”

William’s parents met in London in the 70s and set up home in France. While his two brothers – Christophe, 33, and Thomas, 27 – are based in Paris, William is head of operations at the family business, who produce around half a million bottles of red, rose, white and sweet wines a year. The family’s 150-acre estate at the foot of the Pyrenees makes 22 different wines and has an olive grove.

He said: “I took over three years ago after travelling round the world and working in different vineyards. We’ve introduced new technology and new ways of doing things, like harvesting grapes at night because of the difference temperature can make to the taste.

“Our wines are served at events such as the French Open and Cannes Film Festival but I’d love our wines to be sold in Scotland. Our wine is not expensive – at our chateau shop, a bottle of our Heritage wine costs just £5.”

William’s great-granddad built a big well at the castle, which now houses the family’s private wine collection. He said: “We hold private tastings by candlelight in there, which are pretty special.”

The Jonqueres are also famous for their sporting prowess and boast several world champions in fencing and the equestrian world. William’s great-uncle Pierre, who died in 2011 aged 91, won Olympic gold medals in showjumping in 1952 and 1964.

Sir Paul McCartney is Still to Visit Childhood Home

National Trust members who now have the chance to visit the childhood homes of both John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney may be interested to hear the admission from the musical knight that he has yet to pay a return visit to the house in Forthlin Road and indeed was a little worried as to what memories may come back when he eventually goes there.

Talking to Radio 4's The Food Programme, he was asked why he has not been back. "I don't know why - I don't know whether I will be a little worried that it'll be too nostalgic or whether there will be a sadness about it that I don't associate with it at the moment. But I think I will one of these days."

The home was bought by the National Trust and fans can make a pilgrimage to the terraced house along with the Mendips home of John Lennon. In the interview, Sir Paul discussed his memories of food while growing up in the house, which was acquired for the nation in 1995. His appearance on the programme ties in with his connection with vegetarianism since the 1970's.

He remembered being horrified when his mother prepared tongue for the family. "I remember vividly tongue arriving and she was trying to vary our diet and it was 'no way am I going to touch that' - because it was a tongue," Sir Paul told presenter Sheila Dillon. He pointed out there had been no effort to disguise the dish. His mother Mary died when he was 14 and he said the food was less memorable when he, his father Jim and brother Mike were living in the house without her.

Sir Paul said the food was "only good when my aunties came round and they would cook a proper meal".

Showing the very best of marketing skills, the National Trust arranges combined visits by minibus tour to Mendips, the childhood home of John Lennon and 20 Forthlin Road, the former home of the McCartney family.

https://kiosk.iristickets.co.uk/k?ntbeatles

Ladies Who Did More Than Just Lunch – Nell Gwynn

Nell Gwynn, a perfect example of the type of subject that I am seeking to highlight in this series of blogs about women who fought their way up the social ladder often from very poor and deprived origins. So often referred to in music-hall type terms, Nell Gwynn was certainly a lot more than the comic figure that she is perceived to be, all oranges and busty figure.

'Pretty, witty Nell' was perhaps the best known and remembered mistress of King Charles II. She was one of many (there were 13 in all during his lifetime), but she was the least 'greedy' of them all. When the King lay dying he begged his heir, the Duke of York, "not to let poor Nellie starve".

Whereas we are pretty certain that Nell grew up in unsavoury surroundings, there are a considerable number of “maybes” “possiblys” and “unlikelys” about all aspects of her birth and early life. It is thought that her mother's name was Ellen (or similar), and Nell is variously described as being born about 1650 in either Oxford, Hereford and London, the latter perhaps being the favourite as this is where Ellen raised her children.

There is no suggestion of a father being present at any time in her life, and it is thought that Nell's mother kept a brothel in order to make ends meet.

When King Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 after the protectorate rule of the Cromwells, he quickly reinstated the theatre. One of his early acts as king was to license the formation of two acting companies and to legalize acting as a profession for women. Mary Meggs, a former prostitute nicknamed "Orange Moll" and a friend of Nell's mother, had been granted the licence to "vend, utter and sell oranges, lemons, fruit, sweetmeats and all manner of fruiterers and confectioners wares" within the theatre and hired Nell and her older sister Rose as scantily clad "orange-girls", selling the small, sweet "china" oranges to the audience inside the theatre.

It was here that Nell made her first tentative steps on the stage, although as she appears to have been illiterate all her life, she must have had great difficulty in learning her lines. Theatres were closed during the Great Plaque during 1665-6 and Nell and her mother followed the King's Court.

It is likely that Nell appeared in front of the King as part of the King's Company playing parts that were especially written for her to exploit her talents as a comic actress.

She became the mistress of Charles Hart, a fellow thespian, and called him Charles the First. She was then passed to Charles Sackville, Lord Buckhurst, whom she dubbed Charles the Second, and later the King, calling him her Charles the Third. Lady Castlemaine (Barbara Palmer) had been King Charles' mistress for many years when he became enamoured of Nell.

The rivalry between Nell, Lady Castlemaine, Frances Stuart, Louise de Keroualle, Lucy Walters, Moll Davis and sundry others made the King's life difficult at times. Nell was not greedy and grasping like her rivals, but did receive a house near Pall Mall and when she first knew the King, she asked for just £500 a year, although he gave her a pension of £4000 a year from rents in Ireland and later another £5000 a year out of the Secret Service Fund.

As 1669 drew to a close, Nell withdrew from the stage because she was pregnant. The child was a boy: however her other son, born two years later, died, aged nine. Although Nell herself took no title, she ensured that her eldest son was granted a title, being known as the Earl of Burford later the Duke of St. Albans.

Despite being a royal mistress and the mother of the King's child, Nell briefly returned to the stage in the latter part of 1670, although it was a short lived episode and in February 1671 she moved into the house in Pall Mall, initially as a tenant, and eventually after much complaining as the owner. The second son was born in the same year, and after being sent to Paris at the age of six, appears to have sadly died in 1681.

Nell had other residences in London including Burford House on the edge of Windsor Great Park and a summer residence in Kings Cross Road where she continued to entertain the King.

Upon the death of King Charles in 1685, his brother,James II paid off some of her many debts as well as giving her a pension of £1500 per annum. Nell survived for only another two years after the King and died at the early age of 37. Although still in considerable debt she left a legacy to the Newgate prisoners in London.

As with so many women who fought their way up the social ladder from impecunious beginnings, Nell never forgot her roots. On one memorable occasion her coachman was fighting with another man who had called her a whore. She broke up the fight, saying, "I am a whore. Find something else to fight about."

June Date Set for Enquiry into National Park Expansions Plans

A decision to examine controversial plans to expand two national parks before a public inquiry has been welcomed. Minister for the natural environment Richard Benyon said Natural England’s proposals to extend the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District would be examined at a four-week public inquiry in June.

The hearing into the plan, which would increase the park’s combined area by 193 square
miles, was triggered after five councils lodged objections. Mr Benyon told MPs: “Over 3,000 objections, representations or expressions of support were received in response to the proposals, including objections from five local authorities.

“It is a statutory requirement that a public inquiry is held if at least one local authority with land in a proposed extension raises an objection to a relevant variation order. No venue has yet been announced for a pre-inquiry meeting, which will take place in March.

Following the inquiry the inspector will make recommendations to Environment Secretary Owen Paterson who will decide whether to modify, approve or reject the plans.

A Natural England spokeswoman said it welcomed the public inquiry. She said: “This is a significant decision and it is important that it is fully and carefully considered.”

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority member Stuart Parsons said the hearing would enable a national debate. He said: “A public inquiry will give everyone the chance to have their say whether they are rich or poor, farmers or non farmers, whoever wants to put their views forward, this is the proper forum.”

The Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales were two of the first seven National Parks created in England and Wales in 1951 and 1954 respectively. Between them, it is estimated that they have over 23 million visitors a year.

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk