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Orderic Vitalis regrets the passing of a society far more refined and advanced than that which supplanted it.
Many have portrayed the Norman Invasion of 1066 as a welcome injection of Continental sophistication into a rustic England, but that was not the opinion of Orderic Vitalis (1075-?1143) somewhat nearer to the action. He was inclined to acquit William himself, but regarded his French lieutenants as barbarians unworthy of the civilisation they had ruined.
Picture: © Harrie Gielen, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.
Posted March 19 2020
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When the Normans came in 1066 they deliberately destroyed English chant, the last survivor in Western Europe of a tradition five centuries old.
After the Norman Conquest of 1066, ambitious Norman clergymen lined up to do whatever King William wanted in exchange for preferment — and what William wanted was to eradicate English identity, bringing the country into line with the ways of the near Continent.
Picture: By Tony Grist, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted March 18 2020
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The steering committee for the Great Exhibition of 1851 turned down all 245 designs submitted for the iconic venue.
Sir Joseph Paxton, a consultant to the Duke of Devonshire, was the man who designed the ‘Crystal Palace,’ the enormous cast iron and glass conservatory that housed the Great Exhibition of 1851 seen by over six million people. Not only was the design groundbreaking, but the way Paxton brought it to the attention of the Building Committee was decidedly modern too.
Picture: Photo by Philip Henry Delamotte (1821-1889), via Smithsonian Libraries and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted March 16 2020
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Advice is a dangerous gift, and for centuries our greatest writers have wondered how to dispense it safely.
‘It is always a silly thing to give advice,’ says Erskine in Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Mr W. H., ‘but to give good advice is absolutely fatal.’ Back in 1750 the Spectator, founded by Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729), suggested a way to sugar the pill.
Picture: By John Tenniel (1820-1914), via the British Library and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted March 16 2020
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After Joseph Paxton won the competition to design the venue for the Great Exhibition of 1851, he recalled how his rival had helped him.
In 1851, the Great Exhibition opened in the groundbreaking Crystal Palace, designed by Joseph Paxton (1803-1865). The decision to run with Paxton’s innovative concept was taken at the last minute, and was a disappointment to Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), who was hoping his Great Dome would become a London landmark. Paxton tells us Brunel behaved like a gentleman throughout.
Picture: By J. McNeven, via the V&A Museum and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.
Posted March 15 2020
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Gertrude Jekyll explains the difference between a garden and a collection of plants.
Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) provided designs for over four hundred gardens across the country, often in collaboration with architect Sir Edward Lutyens (1869-1944). In ‘Colour in the Flower Garden,’ Jekyll explained the difference between a mere collection of plants and a true garden.
Picture: © Ian Capper, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.
Posted March 13 2020