Posted by Jilly Bowen on Thu 16th July 2009 at 11:40 AM, Filed in Europe, July
A wonderful week celebrating the history of Whitstable, its heritage – and of course Oysters!
This year’s festival starts on Saturday 18th through to 25th July; and to whet your appetite I’ll start with its history.
As far back as Norman times fishers and dredgers held and annual ceremony to give thanks for their survival and the harvest. It was always held during the closed season for oysters so their business was not interrupted. It was considered a ‘Holy Day’, when the townsfolk attended a formal church ceremony and then the rest of the day passed with feasting, dancing, playing games and contests. The festival was reintroduced in the 1980’s (the industry was almost wiped out in the 1920’s due to disease and over fishing).
Here are a few more facts:
- Whitstable harbour was the world’s first railway connected port.
- The oyster is both male and female, but never both at the same time.
- Spawn is emitted from an oyster in immense quantities, like a puff of smoke, estimated to contain from 800,000 to some millions of organisms.
- The oyster’s worst enemy is the five-fingers (starfish), which can force an oyster shell open.
- The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway - known locally as the Crab & Winkle line, produced the world’s first railway season ticket.
- The sea diving helmet and suit were invented in Whitstable.
- The Whitstable Divers travelled around the world salvaging sunken ships, including the Mary Rose.
- 400 years ago the lower areas of Whitstable were swampy salt marshes - The Sea has tried to take them back several times.
- 2000-year-old oyster shells found in Italy have been proved to have originated in Whitstable.
Read more...
Want an unusual, eco-friendly, but comfortable camping holiday? The Really Green Holiday Company have set up three luxury Mongolian-style yurts (and two bell tents) in the Afton Park apple orchard at Fairwater Bay on the Isle of Wight.
Yurts are more spacious than regular tents, with solid wood floors, a wood-burning stove, lanterns and pine furniture. There are two family yurts that are 16ft in diameter that will accommodate up to 5 (on a double bed, a sofa bed and a single fold-away bed) and a smaller yurt sleeping 2-3 (a double bed and fold-away). The 16ft bell tents have low beds, ethnic furniture and sheepskin throws, and have either a stove or gas heater. All are equipped with tea and coffee making facilities.
Read more...
Why not visit the Medway Sweeps Festival (Rochester, Kent, UK) for a very traditional / pagan British experience.
The Medway Sweeps Festival started life some 400 years ago, when it was commonplace for children (in addition to men) to be sent up chimneys as sweeps. As a diversion this holiday (traditionally held in May) was market by a procession through the streets of Rochester and a ‘Jack-in-the-Green’ ceremony which was held at Dawn and involved the ‘waking’ of a 7 foot character.
Fortunately the practice of child sweeps was outlawed in 1896 (by the Climbing Boys Act) and the festival ceased in the early 1900’s until its resurrection in 1981.
Read more...
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Thu 19th March 2009 at 01:24 AM, Filed in Europe, March
Annually in March (in 2009 it will be on the 28th March) the beautiful, rich and famous of Monaco attend the state’s famous Rose Ball at the Monte-Carlo Sporting Club. Established in 1954 by Princess Grace (and now hosted by Princess Caroline) the Rose Ball is a charity event in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation, and is open to anyone who wants to / can afford to buy a ticket.
For a cool 750Euros a ticket you can dine, sup champagne, dance and be entertained and join in with the theme (in past years have included Jamaican Reggae and Spanish movida). The theme for 2009 is ‘Rock’n’Roll’. Whilst the tickets certainly aren’t cheap it isn’t every day you can buy the opportunity to mingle with Royalty and A-listers is it?!
Princess Caroline in an unpopular choice of dress at the 2008 Rose Ball.
In the lead up to lent many German towns and cities celebrate their ‘5th season’ – or ‘foolish season’. Some historians say its original purpose was to help people get over the dark days of winter and welcome in springtime, others say it’s a feat before the fasting of lent. The festivals occur most commonly (but not exclusively) in the more Catholic South of Germany.
Typically festivities start the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and each town / city have their own unique traditions and ways of celebrating it – with different carnival chants / cries and costumes. One thing in common is that they all seem to have parades – some more children oriented, others with large floats, some wearing bells parading throughout the night. Costumes vary – in the black country region you’ll find witches and ‘Brothers Grimm’ fairytale type characters, town councillors, Vikings, white night gowns and caps and a common dressing up theme seems to be the fool in varying guises. In one town it is tradition for children to wear costumes stuffed with straw which they take out and stuff down other peoples shirts (for luck) as they walk round their parade. At some parades chocolates, sweets and flowers are thrown to the crowds.
Read more...
