text:
Cross Listed as COMP225
Poetry was the dominant form of literature in China for most of the pre-modern period. It could be used to justify the overthrow of dynasties or to court a beloved; Chinese poets sang about communing with the gods and about brewing ale, sometimes in the same poem. In this course we will read and discuss poems from the first 2000 years of the Chinese literary tradition. Some of the issues we will explore include the ways in which poems present the world and make arguments about it; how Chinese poets construct different notions of the self through their poems; and how poetry can give voice to conflicts between aesthetics and morality, between the self and the community, and between the state and other sources of social capital. We will also look at Chinese theories of literature and poetry and compare them with dominant Western models. This is an EDI course and we will be concerned throughout with differences in the way Chinese and other cultures thought about and utilized poetry. We will examine the implicit biases inherent in the ways Western scholars in particular have analyzed and translated Chinese poetry. All readings in English translation.
Class Format: lecture/discussion
Requirements/Evaluation: numerous short response papers, two longer papers (1700-2300 words), and a final exam; participation in class discussions required
Additional Info:
Additional Info2:
Prerequisites: none; no previous experience with poetry or Chinese required
Enrollment Preference: Chinese majors; open to all
Department Notes:
Material and Lab Fees:
Distribution Notes:
Divisional Attributes: Division I,Exploring Diversity,Writing Intensive
Other Attributes:
Enrollment Limit: 19
Expected Enrollment: 19
Class Number: 1125
|CHIN228-01(F) LEC Traditional Chinese Poetry (D) (W)
|Christopher M. B. Nugent
|TR 11:20 AM-12:35 PM Hollander 240


text:
Explore ACDA
Reprise Archive
- State ACDA Newsletter
- Spring 2017 (Current Issue)
- Fall 2016
- Spring 2016
- View Full Archive
Community Festival Chorus
Monday, July 13, 2015
We have reserved rooms at Hotel Capstone at a reduced group rate of $130/night.
Please contact them for room reservations.
320 Paul Bryant, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 350401
Contact: 205-752-3200 | Fax: 205-759-9314
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | hotelcapstone.com
The Alabama ACDA Community Festival Chorus welcomes all singers of high school age or older to register for and participate in this event. This opportunity is held in conjunction with the Alabama ACDA Summer Conference in Tuscaloosa, AL. All rehearsals and the chorus performance will be held at First United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa on Monday, July 13, 2015. Guest conductors will be Dr. Melinda Doyle and Dr. Ian Loeppky. The guest choir is the Huntsville Master Chorale from Huntsville, AL. Please join us, and encourage others to join us, for this memorable day of music making!
Community Festival Chorus Materials
- Flyer
- View, print, and share the Community Festival Chorus flyer.
- Schedule
- View the rehearsal schedule for Monday, July 13, 2015.
- Conference Registration
- For those who wish to also attend the Summer Conference.
- Last Words of David
- Randall Thompson
- Ave Verum Corpus
- Camille Saint Saëns
- Missa Brevis in D Major, K. 194
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- City Called Heaven
- arr. Josephine Poelinitz
- Amazing Grace
- Stephen Hatfield
Please register online using the form below. Please pay the registration fee of $20 by check made payable to Alabama ACDA and mail the check to Laura Moore (address below). You will receive notification once your registration is complete.
Registration, rehearsals, and performance will be held at First United Methodist Church of Tuscaloosa, 800 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
For those who want to register for the Summer Conference as well, we are offering Festival Chorus singers only a one day rate of $50. This includes your choice of the middle or upper level reading packet in addition to the festival chorus packet.
Rooms have also been reserved at Hotel Capstone at a reduced group rate. Please contact them for room reservations: 320 Paul Bryant, Tuscaloosa, Alabama; 205-752-3200.
What are you paying for?
The $20 registration fee includes: original copies of the festival chorus music, rehearsals and performance with accompanist and renowned choral directors Dr. Melinda Doyle and Dr. Ian Loeppky (see bios below), the opportunity to create music with other singers from around the state, and a performance for state choral directors at the evening concert of the Alabama ACDA Summer Conference.
Original copies of the music will be given to you on the day of the festival. In the meantime, please see the repertoire list above and download copies of the music for rehearsal purposes. Please come with as much of the music learned as possible.
Click Here to view the rehearsal and performance schedule.
Please wear what you would normally wear to a performance, whether it be a tuxedo or a choir robe. All black is also perfectly fine.
Lunch & Dinner
Lunch is on your own -- a list of restaurants convenient to the church will be provided to you at registration, and you will have ample time to eat and return to rehearsal in a timely fashion. Dinner is on your own. There are a number of restaurants a few blocks from the church on University Blvd. near 4th Street.
The concert will begin at 7pm at First United Methodist Church of Tuscaloosa. The Community Festival Chorus will sing first, for roughly 20 minutes, followed by performances by the Huntsville Master Chorale and the Magic City Choral Society. This performance is free and open to the public.
Please make checks payable to Alabama ACDA and mail to (or direct any questions to):
Dr. Laura Moore
Department of Music
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688
Guest Clinicians
Dr. Melinda S. Doyle is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Montevallo where she conducts the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and University Chorus and also teaches Undergrad Conducting and Choral methods.
In 2009-2010, she served as the Visiting Director of Choral Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University, where she conducted the FGCU University Choir and Chamber Singers as well as taught Choral Literature and Conducting. Dr. Doyle received the Bachelor of Vocal Performance (1995), Master of Music (Vocal Performance, 1997), Graduate Certificate in Advanced Music (Choral Conducting, 2003) from the University of South Florida, and D.M.A in Choral Conducting at the Louisiana State University. Previous choral appointments include a Graduate Teaching Assistantship at LSU; Conducting Associate of the renowned LSU A Cappella Choir; Director of Choral Music at Howard W. Blake Per- forming Arts High School, Tampa, FL; Assistant Director of Choirs at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, Tampa, FL; and the Director of Music at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Baton Rouge.
Frequently in demand as a clinician and adjudicator, she has conducted honor choirs both at the high school and junior high level. Ms. Doyle served as R & S Chair for High Repertoire for the Florida ACDA and remains an active member of the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA), National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), Florida ACDA, Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), and Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA).
Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Dr. Ian Loeppky has been a Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of North Alabama since the fall of 2003. His studies began at the University of Manitoba, continued at the University of Minnesota with Kathy Romey, and finished at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati with Earl Rivers and Stephen Coker. He has also studied with Helmuth Rilling, Dale Warland, Frieder Bernius, Martin Isepp, Charles Bruffy, and Bobby McFerrin. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Convention, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the Alabama Vocal Association, the International Federation for Choral Music, the Association of Canadian Choral Communities, Phi Mu Alpha, and Pi Kappa Lambda. He is currently the editor for the Alabama Reprise (the semi-annual publication of the Alabama chapter of ACDA).
Loeppky has worked as a singer, scholar, conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and arranger in Canada, the United States, and Portugal. He directs all three choral ensembles at UNA and teaches undergraduate and graduate choral conducting, choral techniques, world music, and graduate choral literature.
In addition, he is founder and artistic director of Florence Camerata and is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the region and internationally. He is a frequent contributor to the Choral Journal and the Alabama Reprise, and last spring appeared as a guest conductor with the Madison Honor Choir Girl's Chorus, the Mississippi GirlChoir, the Huntsville Master Chorale, and his Alma Mater choir, the University of Manitoba Singers. Under his direction, the UNA Chamber Choir completed a highly acclaimed tour of Ireland in spring 2013, and will tour again to Italy in May of 2015.
Guest Choirs
The Magic City Choral Society (MCCS) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit community-based choral organization that provides high quality choral/music education and performance opportunities to any male or female over 18 without audition. Access to the arts and excellent choral music performance specifically, along with community service, is central to the identity of MCCS. The MCCS fulfills its mission of creating an inclusive community of singers and supporters united around the performance of choral music by employing highly-degreed musicians/educators, offering one of the finest non-auditioned men's and women's choruses in country, providing scholarships/due waivers for people who desire to sing, offering music and vocal education to members, providing free concerts, and through collaborations and partnerships.
Every year more than 100 people participate, without audition, in the Magic City Choral Society's (MCCS) men's and women's choruses and MCCS makes up to $5,000 of scholarships available to people in need who desire to sing with MCCS. The choruses present 3-4 free concert series each year, and each concert is performed at least twice. Each concert series costs MCCS an average of $15,000 to produce and represents a total of 12-16 hours of live concerts. These include choral masterworks of the highest caliber that entertain, educate, and inspire more than 3000 concert attendees from across the region. Two of Birmingham's best cultural distinctions are always featured at each performance: the citizen performers and some of Birmingham's finest concert venues. Each performance represents more than 60 hours of music and vocal education that members receive during weekly rehearsals from August through May. MCCS is also committed to good citizenship and the community. We pay forward the good will and generosity we receive by singing an additional 10-11 outreach concerts for other earnest nonprofits, community groups, and organizations throughout the year. In the past seven years, dedicated volunteers have managed the administrative needs of MCCS; however, because of our steady growth, MCCS has grown beyond the ability of our volunteers to manage the organization without professional assistance. During 2013-2014 fiscal year, MCCS acquired the services of a part-time, volunteer general manager to meet these needs and usher MCCS into the next phase of its service to this community. MCCS hopes that this volunteer position will soon become a paid staff position.
Since 2007 the Magic City Choral Society has performed concerts in the following venues: Gadsden's Wallace Hall, Southside Baptist Church, UAB's Alys Stephens Center, Samford's Wright Center, BJCC Concert Hall, Bluff Park United Methodist Church, Grace Episcopal Church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Pell City Center for the Performing Arts, the Montgomery Convention and Visitors' Bureau and River Walk, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Covenant UMC in Dothan, Asbury United Methodist Church, Baptist Church of the Covenant, and Vestavia Hills Baptist Church. MCCS has also collaborated with the following entities: Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra, Blue Galaxy String Project, Magic City AIDS Walk, the Nature Conservancy's Earth Day Celebration, PFLag regional conference, First Light Women's and Children's Shelter, the Apollo Bal, Integrity Alabama, Alabama American Choral Directors Association, the Seasoned Performers, Birmingham AIDS Outreach, Episcopal Place, Pepper Place, Sloss Real Estate, Central Alabama Pride, AIDS Alabama, Southside Baptist Church Food Bank, West Alabama AIDS Outreach, the 1917 Clinic, Whatley Middle School, Ramsay High School Choir, UAB Choir, Macy's at the Riverchase Galleria, SAKS 5th Avenue at the Summit, and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center at their grand opening.
The mission of the Huntsville Master Chorale is to foster creativity by keeping excellent choral singing alive in North Alabama. Of particular interest is nurturing renowned and emerging composers by commissioning and performing new works. Past seasons have included new works by Emma Lou Diemer, Holland Hopson, Ray Braswell, Bryan Page, Adriana Perera and Susan Fletcher. Also the Huntsville Master Chorale performs a variety of chamber choral music from Renaissance to contemporary eras.
Originally the Eugene Brasher Chorale, the Huntsville Master Chorale was founded in 1998 by Dr. Eugene Brasher. Other directors through the years have included Handy Avery, Tom Dooling, and Dr. Erin Colwitz.
In May 2012, Dr. Patricia Ramirez Hacker was appointed as conductor of the Huntsville Master Chorale. The group is thriving under her direction and is attracting regional attention as a force in vocal music excellence.
Most concerts are provided free of charge for all to enjoy, with donations accepted to defray expenses. The Chorale relies greatly on corporate and individual sponsorships, as well as its annual Valentine's Day fundraiser, Mosaic of Love.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Edmonton Oilers saved their best for last.
Needing a win to keep themselves in the playoff race and avert a disastrous road trip, the Oilers came up with one of their strongest efforts in a 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday.
Shawn Horcoff, Sam Gagner, Magnus Paajarvi and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers, while Devan Dubnyk turned away 36 shots to earn his fifth career shutout, his last coming nearly a calendar year ago.
"You look at the pressure we were under after the Nashville game and how we felt about that, it was time to really look at ourselves in the mirror and figure out what kind of season this was going to be," said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. "Were we going to stay in the hunt, or were we going to leave the hunt? And beginning with Devan, all the way through the team, they decided to stay in the hunt with these two wins here."
The win gave the Oilers eight points on the nine-game road trip. The goal heading out for the club was to earn a point for each game they played.
While they failed to reach it, they did manage to keep their season from going completely off the rails.
The Oilers finished their franchise-long trip with a 3-4-2 record. They head home currently 12th in the Western Conference standings, three points back of the eighth and final playoff spot.
"Tonight was as a complete game as we've played, especially on the road," said Horcoff. "What we've been talking about seemed to sink in a little bit. They came really hard at us to start the game, but I thought we did a pretty good job of keeping them to the outside and Dubbie made some big saves when we needed. Then we were able to respond.
"We got a lucky little break on my goal and then we did a really good job, all four lines, of picking the pace up and getting to the net."
Horcoff opened the scoring just past the midway point of the first period on a breakaway, taking advantage of Gabriel Landeskog's blown tire at the Avalanche blue-line and firing a shot past goaltender Semyon Varlamov, bad knuckle and all.
Gagner increased the lead later in the period, pouncing on a rebound in front after Ryan Whitney's initial shot was stopped by Varlamov.
In the second, Paajarvi scored his fifth of the season, batting his own rebound out of midair after taking the puck to the net off the wing.
Paajarvi did well to stick around the front of the net in a situation where often players make a fly by.
"That's something we work on every day in practice, the coaches yell at you to stop at the net every time you shoot the puck," Paajarvi said. "That's definitely the coaches. When it went in the air, I just wanted to follow the puck. It came on a good loop and I tried to hit it when I could and it went in. It was pretty lucky, but I'll take it."
In the third, the Avalanche thought they had pulled one back when Jan Hejda's point shot found its way past Dubnyk.
However, the goal was waved off as Landeskog was judged to have been standing in the crease interfering with Dubnyk.
"That was the right call," said Dubnyk. "It's not much, but that's why they're the best referees in the world. The difference is that I got out to my spot, stopped and set and he moved back into me and didn't let me make the save. If it goes back the other way and he's there, I can't move out into him and try to sell it."
Soon after, the Oilers added a fourth, when Nugent-Hopkins took a pass from Taylor Hall in the slot and snapped it past Varlamov on the power play.
The goal was Nugent-Hopkins's second of the season, but it was his third point in two games, having picked up a pair of assists in a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
"I thought the two plays he made in Chicago were outstanding world-class plays on the power play, which he got some energy from, you could feel it," said Krueger. "The goal that followed showed how much has to do with confidence when you're a scorer like he is."


text:
- Home
- News
Parras robotics tourney a brain sport
by David Mendez It's early evening at Parras Middle School, and teacher Melanie Sullivan…
Sheriff McDonnell visits Manhattan Beach Rotarians, addresses sanctuary city opposition
by Mark McDermott Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell became a target for immigration…
Police Beat Hermosa Beach
String of bike thefts At least five bicycles were stolen from various South Hermosa…
- Sports
- Advertise with Us
- Best of the Beach Survey
- Business Directory
- Contact Us
- Digital Downloads
- Digital Magazine Flipbooks
- Drop Zone
- Easy Reader News in your Inbox
- Easy Reader Pick-up Locations
- Events Calendar
- Facebook Comments FAQ
- Frank Hallstein, Sr. was long Hermosa Beach locksmith
- gift guide added
- Hermosa Beach Real Estate
- Hermosa Kiwanis taste of the Beach
- Manhattan Beach Real Estate
- Obituary Announcement Form
- Order Cancelled
- Peninsula People
- Photo Archive
- Photo Contest
- Privacy Policy
- Proofed Images
- Real Estate Listings & Homes For Sale
- Redondo Beach Real Estate
- Search Results
- Shopping Cart
- Site Map
- Subscribe to Easy Reader News
- Terms of Service
- Thanks
- Wedding Announcement Form
- Calendar
- RSS Feed
Mira Costa gridders advance to CIF-SS Division 6 semifinals
By Randy Angel Ranked No. 9 in CIF-Southern Section Division 6, Mira Costa's football…
Redondo tips off basketball season hosting two tournaments
By Randy Angel The prep boys and girls basketball seasons are ready to tip…
Redondo begins State Open Division playoffs with road win
by Randy Angel Following its loss to Marymount in the CIF-Southern Section semifinals, Redondo's…
- Surfing
Hermosa Beach surfer rescued after breaking neck in large Manhattan Beach swell
Bill Klauer, 34, of Hermosa Beach, was rescued by fellow surfers after being slammed to the bottom by a large wave and breaking his neck Saturday morning at First Street in Manhattan Beach. Klauer was taken to Harbor UCLA Trauma Center, where on Monday, he was listed as being in stable condition.…
Big swell rewards South Bay Boardriders Club's patience
Saturday's overhead, WNW swell proved the South Boardriders' wisdom in having postponed their inaugural 2017 surf contest from two weeks ago, when the surf was flat. Even the tide, which hardly changed, and wind, which barely stirred, cooperated for the contest, moved to this past Saturday, in El Porto.…
Small surf, but plenty of it at Jimmy Miller Surf Fiesta
The 13th Annual Jimmy Miller Surf Fiesta attracted over 150 competitors and their families and friends for a day long contest the matched weighted, 5-surfer teams.…
- Dining
Wild, But Civilized [restraurant review]
Sometimes I'm delighted to be proved wrong. Usually that's when I'm being pessimistic, as…
Mexican, the way it used to be [Restaurant Review]
Shake Shack debuts, Rive Gauche closes, Wine Dinner in a Magical Setting, and More Dining News
A cult favorite arrives… California burgerphiles celebrate In & Out's offerings, Texans cherish their…
- Entertainment
- No categories
- RSS Feed
"The Crime of Monsieur Lange" – a crime to miss [MOVIE REVIEW]
by Neely Swanson In a new 4K restoration, Jean Renoir's too seldom seen 1936…
Circus Vargas, in town with "Steam Cirque"
by Bondo Wyszpolski It's been awhile since Circus Vargas has passed through the area,…
Surf City Theatre dips into the 1940s
And, after all is said and done… Surf City Theatre's "It's a Wonderful Life"…
- Opinion
- No categories
- RSS Feed
Letters to the Editor 11-16-17
Letters to the Editor 11-9-17
Letters to the Editor 11-2-17
- Photos
- Video
- Events
- Milestones
- 2017 Writing & Photo Contest


text:
The New York Review of (Little Red) Books
How many degrees are there separating Stanley Fish, Tom Cruise, and Maoist revolution? Scott McLemee finds out....
Late last year, The New York Review of Books ran a full-page advertisement fairly glowing with the warmth of the enthusiasm it projected for work of Bob Avakian. In case that name does not ring a bell, Bob Avakian is Chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. Once upon a time, Avakian was a student of Stanley Fish at the University of California at Berkeley; but amidst all the excitement of the late 1960s, the poetry of Milton could not compete with the slogans coming out of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China, and so a leader of the American masses emerged, even if the masses themselves didn't notice.
The NYRB ad praised Avakian's combination of "an unsparing critique of the history and current direction of American society with a sweeping view of world history and the potential for humanity." It called upon readers to "engage" with his work. As it happens, I was once in a punk rock band with a former Avakianite. (This was back when one of the party's slogans was "Revolution in the '80s – Go For It!") Having thus already had the opportunity to (as they say) "engage" with Avakian's work, I will testify that he is, at the very least, prolific and capable of extensive discourse. Nearly all of his writings are based on speeches to the party, and they do go on a bit.
In any case, the content of the full-page proclamation was much less interesting, all in all, than the list of people endorsing it. Among them were a few prominent academics. Cornel West was one of them. Members of the Harvard faculty were among the signatories. Ubiquitous cultural theorist Slavoj Zizek has recently added his name to an online version. The list also includes famous entertainers such as Public Enemy rapper Chuck D and Ricky Lee Jones, the folk-rock chanteuse. (The text and the most recently updated set of signatories can now be found here.)
Without quite endorsing the RCP slogan "Mao More Than Ever," all of them had "come away from encounters with Avakian provoked and enriched in our own thinking." Or so the text of the ad put it.
In the weeks since it appeared, a few friends who knew of my longstanding fascination with the Chairman Bob phenomenon asked about the New York Review ad. They were surprised to see it, and wondered whether all these people had actually taken up the cause of Avakianism.
My best guess, rather, was that very few of the signatories had read much Avakian. The abundance and verbosity of his pamphlets would exceed the stamina of any but the most disciplined of revolutionary intellectuals. What probably happened, I surmised, was that party cadres had pointed out various anti-Bush statements by Avakian in order to harvest a bunch of signatures from people who were angered by the course of recent history.
At the same time, it was easy to imagine how other people would probably understand the ad. They would look at it and conclude that the signatories were, in fact, hardcore militants looking to Avakian for leadership in establishing a revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry.
The belief that academia contains literally tens of thousands of such people has, of course, no basis in reality. But it is evidently quite profitable. There is an audience for such claims (the rate of propagation of suckers-per-minute having intensified since P.T. Barnum's day) and it constitutes a more robust market than the one for Marxist-Leninist pamphlets. One pictures right-wing interns stuffing envelopes with reprinted copies of the NYRB advertisement and sending it to the hinterlands – and humming "We're in the Money" all the while.
Well, not that it will slow down the fund-raising campaign one bit, but an article that ran on Sunday in the Ideas section of The Boston Globe helps clarify the motive of some of those who lent their signatures. Mark Oppenheimer, the editor of a new journal called The New Haven Review of Books, contacted some of the professors who endorsed the ad. He reports that they were much more interested in upholding Avakian's right to free speech than they were in the content of his revolutionary doctrine.
There also may be a little nostalgia going on. Avakian is "a living link to the '60s," writes Oppenheimer, "an era when American campus radicalism reached its apogee of influence. And he was an outspoken atheist back in the day, too, before Christopher Hitchens and others found bestsellerdom in unbelief; one professor told me he admired Avakian's stand against religious fundamentalism. But above all the Avakian narrative allows civil libertarians to register a vote for free speech, even if they have to ignore the fact that Avakian's speech is in no danger of being suppressed. Rightly concerned about Guantanamo and the Patriot Act, they figure that Avakian is a good proxy fight, or good enough."
This strikes me as a judicious estimate. But while for the most part concurring with the article (for which Oppenheimer interviewed me about my own sad misadventure of trying to arrange an interview with Chairman Bob), I think there is a little more going in with that manifesto than meets the eye.
Buying a full-page in America's premier journal of public-intellectual commentary is an expensive proposition for a small group on the far left. And it is not necessarily the most obvious use of resources for revolutionaries who have otherwise spent much of their energy trying to build "base areas" (as Maoist theory puts it) in ghetto areas.
To understand what was really happening, we might take a quick glance at what might look like a very different sort of cultural artifact. I mean the recently leaked video clip of Tom Cruise speaking about Scientology, which recently showed up on YouTube. Here's a link, for as long as it may be good.
A couple of weeks ago, a researcher for one of the television networks asked me if I might be willing to discuss the clip on one of the prime-time news programs. As with being interviewed for the Boston Globe article, this was a delayed side-effect of having once been in a punk-rock band – for another members of the group was a Scientologist. (A career as armchair subcultural anthropologist and the loss of hearing in my right ear seem to be closely related.)
It seemed as if a much better guest for the program might be Roy Wallis, whose excellent book The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological Analysis of Scientology was published by Columbia University Press in 1976. But Wallis is now teaching in Belfast, while I live about two blocks from one of the network's studios. Gore Vidal is said to have remarked that one should never turn down an opportunity either to have sex or go on TV. That seems like incredibly bad advice from the standpoint of hygiene, literal or spiritual. Still, I agreed to take a look at the clip to see if there were anything interesting to say about it.
And indeed there was. The video shows the famously enthusiastic actor discussing the miraculous powers he has gained from his years in the Church. The clip also demonstrates that Cruise can speak advanced Scientology jargon with a certain fluency.
Some commentary about his performance has been remarkably off-base -- treating it simply as a kind of recruitment film starring an extremely prominent celebrity. In fact, most of what Cruse says would be utterly incomprehensible to any potential recruit. You have to know the code, the inner lingo of the movement, to understand the implications of the points he was making.
Having studied Wallis's monograph, I was able to follow the message almost like a native speaker. And that message was aimed strictly at anyone in the Church inclined to doubt its leadership. Cruse was pretty clearly warning members that their only hope lay in the authority of its established hierarchy.
So I explained in a short memorandum for the TV people – who thanked me, then decided another talking head wasn't required for their program, after all. Gore Vidal might be unhappy, but I was slightly relieved. (Getting the Scientologists mad at you is no picnic. We're talking about a church for which litigation is practically a sacrament.)
With hindsight, I think the general point of my analysis also applies to that full-page ad, as well. Whatever the intention of Cornel West or Slavoj Zizek in signing the appeal from the Committee to Project and Protect the Voice of Bob Avakian, the most important audience for its message was not the public-intellectual world served by The New York Review of Books.
The force of the discourse was, in important respects, centripetal. Its real audience is the party faithful. Or rather, those supporters who, at certain moments, feel doubt about whether Chairman Bob Avakian Thought actually can change the world. (The Chairman himself thinks that failure to appreciate his contributions is a major weakness among his followers, according to recent discussion among people formerly close to the party.)
There is nothing like a full-page ad in NYRB – endorsed by celebrities, no less – to make the road forward look that much brighter for the rank-and-file. It must also lift the Chairman's own spirits. After all, the job of providing Maoist leadership in the world's most highly developed country, with not a peasant in sight, has to get kind of depressing, at times.
Read more by
Opinions on Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed's Blog U
What Others Are Reading
- Viewed
- Past:
- Day
- Week
- Month
- Year


text:
Browse Recipes by Stages Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Menu Planner
Browse Recipes by Stages Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Search Baby Recipes
Menu Planner
The perfect way to set up your baby's weekly menu selecting Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Snacks from Cuisinart Stage 1, 2 & 3 recipes.
» Start planning
» Start planning
Home > Baby > Recipes > Stage 3 > Family Sides > User Submitted > Grandpa Bert's Stuffing
Grandpa Bert's StuffingUser Submitted Recipe
2 packages of sage and onion stuffing mix
2 Sticks of unsalted butter, melted
3 cups of low sodium chicken broth
2 packages of pork sausage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cups of applesauce, (preferably homemade)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp kosher or sea salt
Optional add ins:
dried cranberries
golden raisins
cooked wild rice
Brown sausage, add onion and celery and cook until veggies are almost soft. Put in large bowl, add stuffing mix, butter, applesauce, salt and pepper and chicken broth, and mix lightly. Bake inside turkey or in oven at 350. (You can also put this in a slow cooker, on low, for about 4 hours).
Nutritional Information Per Serving
no nutrition information available
Close E-mail this page


text:
Join the Shenaniganz VIP Club and we'll email you the 411 on very interesting specials, invites to very impressive events, a very inexpensive birthday gift, and more cool stuff. We won't spam you or sell your digits to anyone.
LEAGUE BOWLERS - Yes, this is where you sign to be notified of new leagues!
By submitting your information, you verify you are at least 13 years of age. Your personal information will be kept confidential and not provided to third parties.
To opt out of our VIP club, please follows the links on the bottom of emails you receive from us.
Metro Design Loft
I'm a small Introtext for the Register Module, I can be set in the Backend of the Joomla WS-Register Module.


text:
Pumpkinnapper, my second story, is a Halloween comedy. Long-separated childhood friends rediscover love as they join forces to catch the thieves who try to steal the heroine's pumpkins. Complications arise in the form of hero and heroine's skewed expectations of each other, as well as from the heroine's jealous pet goose. Both novellas are with The Wild Rose Press.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Linda Banche
Pumpkinnapper, my second story, is a Halloween comedy. Long-separated childhood friends rediscover love as they join forces to catch the thieves who try to steal the heroine's pumpkins. Complications arise in the form of hero and heroine's skewed expectations of each other, as well as from the heroine's jealous pet goose. Both novellas are with The Wild Rose Press.
13 comments:
- Lindsay Townsend said...
Excellent interview, Allie and Linda!
I really like your dashing and noble heroes, Linda, and your laugh out loud humour. I'm full of admiration for those who can write comedy. How do you 'treat' a scene to make it amusing?
- 5:21 AM, May 13, 2009
- Joanna Waugh said...
've read Lady of the Stars. It's a wonderful story! Congratulations on all the good reviews it's been receiving, Linda!
- 5:28 AM, May 13, 2009
- Linda Banche said...
Hi Lindsay,
Thank you for the kind words. To my way of thinking, only an honorable man can be a hero. No bad boys for me.
As for the humor, I can think of several examples:
A parenthetical expression
...in my copious free time (ha!)
a reaction; time-traveling Caroline's reaction to the object under her bed in "Lady of the Stars":
"the object she'd found could only be a chamber pot. Why was she not surprised?"
A description, from my chapter in Pass the Plot 2 on Harlequin Community come Monday:
a hard pillow: "the pillow could replace any of the flagstones covering the floor."
How do I do it? I don't know. And what I consider funny, other people might not.
But if you think "Lady of the Stars" was funny, wait until you read "Pumpkinnapper"!
Joanna, thank you so much for liking my story. You've got plenty of great reviews for your "Blind Fortune", too, and well-deserved they are.
- 9:44 AM, May 13, 2009
- Jen Black said...
I must get myself on the web and over to Wild Rose Press - these stories sound good!
- 9:59 AM, May 13, 2009
- LK Hunsaker said...
Linda, I love having humor added to books, also. My favorite characters tend to be the funny ones as long as they have real substance, also.
I find it interesting that you don't find the modern world romantic!
- 10:54 AM, May 13, 2009
- Cate Masters said...
Great interview, Linda and Allie! Linda, your books sound intriguing. I love time travel - and humor. I wish I could write comedy, but it takes a certain flair, which you apparently have in abundance! Congrats on the excellent reviews!
- 12:40 PM, May 13, 2009
- Linda Banche said...
Oops, looks like I missed putting my website in my signature line. Silly me. Well, my website is www.lindabanche.com
- 1:07 PM, May 13, 2009
- Linda Banche said...
Hi Jen, thanks for coming over. The Wild Rose Press has lots of good stories (besides mine, of course). www.thewildrosepress.com
Loraine, I agree funny just for the sake of funny isn't enough. The character has to have something else, too.
Real life? AArg! Economic uncertainty, layoffs, spending your time at a job doing stupid stuff (they do pay me)--nothing romantic here.
Hi Cate, thanks. As for my humor, I like to think my stories contain a unique combination of elements that appeal to a lot of people. Doesn't everyone like a funny story?
- 1:16 PM, May 13, 2009
- Jacquie Rogers said...
Nice interview, Linda. :)
I prefer historicals and fantasy, too, and I also love humor in the books I read. If an author can make me laugh, I'm hers forever.
- 3:33 PM, May 13, 2009
- The Writer Resource Pit said...
Hi Allie:
I'm very impressed with your blog. I'm new to the blogging process, but I really like your interviews.
I'm a former teacher and although I didn't stay in the profession, I learned a lot from my experience. I wish you the best and I hope the rest of your year is successful.
The Resource Writer
- 4:18 PM, May 13, 2009
- Linda Banche said...
Hi Jacquie,
I'm the same way. If I find an author who writes the kind of books I like and adds humor, I'm a fan for life, too.
- 7:13 PM, May 13, 2009
- Margaret Tanner said...
Hi Allie and Linda.
Great interview.
A woman after my own heart Linda, I love historicals too, reading and writing them.
Couldn't write humour though, now that is a hard genre.
- 8:19 PM, May 13, 2009
- Linda Banche said...
Hi Margaret, great to see another historical fan. And they said historicals were dead. Not as long as there are enough people like us.
- 5:06 AM, May 14, 2009


text:
Beverly Hills turned 100 on Tuesday and celebrated with a concert and sing-along featuring notable current and former residents.
Betty White kicked off the evening at the historic Saban Theater by singing a spirited rendition of the Beverly Hills High School fight song. The veteran TV and film star, 92, was flanked by Beverly Hills High football players.
A capacity crowd of 1,500 sang along as maestro Gary Greene led the L.A. Lawyers Philharmonic in performing classics written by Beverly Hills notables, including George and Ira Gershwin's "Strike Up the Band" and Cole Porter's "Anything Goes."
Mayor John Mirisch played "Raindrops Keep Falling...


text:
If an item you ordered from TextbookRush does not meet your expectations due to an error on our part, simply fill out a return request and then return it by mail within 30 days of ordering it for a full refund of item cost.
Learn more about our returns policy
Limited time offer:
Get the first one free! (?)
All the information you need in one place! Each Study Brief is a summary of one specific subject; facts, figures, and explanations to help you learn faster.
List price: $16.00Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing GroupPublication date: 2/17/1998Binding: PaperbackPages: 352Size: 4.75" wide x 8.00" long x 0.75" tall Weight: 0.858Language: English
Morten Ramsland, born in 1971, has a degree in Danish and Art History. He is married, with a young son and daughter. Doghead is his first book to be published in English. It became a huge bestseller in Denmark, where he won Author of the Year, Book of the Year, the Reader's Prize and the most prestigious prize for literature, the Golden Laurel Prize.Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni was born in India and later moved to the United States to attend college. She earned a M. A. at Wright State University and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. Divakaruni held many odd jobs until she was able to become an accomplished writer. She was the president of MAITRI, a crisis hotline for female South Asian victims of domestic abuse, and is currently a professor at Foothill College in California. Her works have been recognized in more than 50 magazines and 30 anthologies. She also has been awarded two PEN Syndicated Fiction Project Awards, a Pushcart Prize, and the Allen Ginsberg Poerty Prize. Divakaruni's books include Arranged Marriage and The Mistress of Spices. Her Title One Amazing Thing made The New York Times Best Seller List.
*A minimum purchase of $35 is required. Shipping is provided via FedEx SmartPost®
and FedEx Express Saver®. Average delivery time is 1 – 5 business days, but
is not guaranteed in that timeframe. Also allow 1 - 2 days for processing. Free shipping is eligible only in the continental United States and excludes
Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. FedEx service marks used by permission."Marketplace"
orders are not eligible for free or discounted shipping.
Learn more about the TextbookRush


text:
Getting excited about our upcoming trip to London in February...The hubs and I have been to London twice, but this time we're bringing DS17 and DS11, plus our 17-year-old nephew. We're staying in a flat near the Notting Hill Gate tube station and will be there about eight days. On the agenda -- football match between QPR and Reading...
I've been in London in summer and fall. What's February like, weatherwise? If you had to pick one play or musical to see right now, what would it be?
We're thinking of going to Cambridge for the day, as well as Stonehenge. (We've been to Stonehenge, and our sons have, too. But our nephew specifically requested that trip.) Pros/cons of Cambridge? Other suggestions that would appeal especially to teens?
Thanks in advance.
Recent ActivityView all Europe activity »
- 1 Help/Critique Slovenia Trip
- 2 10 days in europe
- 3 Paris, Normandy & Amsterdam with College Graduate
- 4 London flat feedback wanted - yes, I'm going slightly crazy!
- 5 Adventureseeker returns to Italy! As glorious and detailed as before!
- 6 Sampling Some of Sicily and Bits of Italy Beyond
- 7 Buying a motorcycle in Europe??
- 8 Pubs showing NFL football in London?
- 9 GTG Paris December 2017
- 10 Tips for first trip to UK
- 11 Where to stay in Naples?
- 12 Help With Itinerary By Train: London, Paris, Nice, Florence
- 13 How many miles is a good 'walking tour'?
- 14 Rome, Tuscany & Umbria
- 15 European honeymoon help needed
- 16 paris to london- day trip
- 17 northern Italy this fall, dolomites and piedmont
- 18 land vs river cruise
- 19 Portugal
- 20 Lisbon neighborhoods
- 21 Leaving Paris. Just a little sad.
- 22 Planning to visit Italy in first 2 weeks of Jan
- 23 FCO hotel for late arrival?
- 24 Restaurant suggestion Bamberg
- 25 Browsing Barcelona
London in February -- suggestions
Getting excited about our upcoming trip to London in February...The hubs and I have been to London twice, but this time we're bringing DS17 and DS11, plus our 17-year-old nephew. We're staying in a flat near the Notting Hill Gate tube station and will be there about eight days. On the agenda -- football match between QPR and Reading...
Report Abuse
Count on cold and wet and count yourselves lucky if it isn't.
As for Cambridge and Stonehenge -- I'll throw out this suggestion:
I'd maybe 'eat' one night in the flat. Rent a car and visit Stonehenge, drive up to Oxford (very similar the Cambridge and better in some ways), stay the night. You can walk around Oxford one afternoon and the next morning and then either drive back to LHR to drop the car and take the tube back into London . . . or drop the car when you arrive in Oxford and take the train or bus back to London the next day.
You will lose one night you are paying for at the flat but can still be back in London early enough to do something in the late afternoon/evening . . . and the car and a motel on teh outskirts of Oxford probably wouldn't cost as much as paying for five tours to Stonehenge and the train to Cambridge.
This place for instance is right at the Wolvercote park and ride lot so you wouldn't have to deal w/ driving/parking in Oxford. http://www.pumahotels.co.uk/hotels/the-oxford-hotel/
Report Abuse
Oh - forgot to mention -- between Stonehenge and Oxford you can visit Avebury too.
The route could be done in either direction . . . London or LHR > Oxford > Avebury > Stonehenge > London or LHR - or - London or LHR > Stonehenge > Avebury > Oxford > London or LHR
Report Abuse
Thanks. Can you elaborate a little on the differences between Oxford and Cambridge -- that is, why you prefer one over the other? Just trying to decide...
Report Abuse
If you're staying near Notting Hill Gate, there's a nice farmers market on Saturday morning, just behind the Waterstone's. Look for the signs, there's a passage right next to the shop.
Weather in February is hard to predict, but probably cold and wet.
Report Abuse
Thanks. Can you elaborate a little on the differences between Oxford and Cambridge -- that is, why you prefer one over the other? Just trying to decide...>
You can ask this question to 1000s of folks who have been to both and get about a 50-50 answer - flip a coin - though they are not peas in pods they are similar in the experience and a fantastic experience no matter which one you chose.
If driving like janis suggests then Oggsford would be much better for driving from Stonehenge of course.
Report Abuse
Driving was a great suggestion, but we won't be doing that. We don't want to rent a car.
Report Abuse
>>Can you elaborate a little on the differences between Oxford and Cambridge -- that is, why you prefer one over the other?<<
The core of the two cities is very VERY similar. Medieval and newer colleges scattered throughout the center - some almost identical architecture since they were built at the same times, a river through the town/colleges, just a very similar experience. Now, Oxford is a much larger city - but the parts a tourist would go is very compact just like Cambridge. Plus Oxford has the (IMO) superior museums.
Cambridge does have the Kings College Chapel, but Oxford has several equally magnificent buildings. Plus if any of the kids are interested, there are the Harry Potter connections in Oxford.
Other than the fact I personally prefer Oxford (Cambridge is very nice too) the main reason I suggested this is Stonehenge and Oxford are both west of London and can make a really great 'two-fer', whereas Cambridge is in the opposite direction.
You'd be able to knock off Stonehenge/Avebury/Oxford in a little over a day and a half.
Report Abuse
Just saw your last post -- driving would be best. The guided tours to Stonehenge are VERY expensive and try to squeeze in Windsor and Bath on the same very rushed coach trip.
But if you really don't want to drive (it really is very easy as long as you collect the car at LHR and not in central London) You can take the train to Salisbury, a local tour bus to the Stones and be back in London on the train by late afternoon. In this case, another day I'd do Oxford by train from Paddington or bus from Marble Arch. Much quicker than getting to Cambridge from the Notting Hill area.
Report Abuse
I'd prefer Oxford in the winter, Cambridge in the summer. Oxford is a small city with more to see indoors, museums, the covered market, etc. Cambridge is smaller, the university more parklike. In the summer you can punt on the Cam.
Other winter-appropriate sights for the teens kinda depends on their interests. There's a wide variety of museums in London. Boys usually like the Imperial War Museum but it will be closed. The Tower's good for everybody. Maybe the tour of the Globe Theatre would be of interest. You can go up the Eye (pick a clearer day/evening), climb the Monument, St. Paul's dome.
I'm a great fan of London Walks (www.walks.com). Maybe you could let the boys each to choose a walk.
But it all depends on the weather. Everybody needs rain- and windproof jackets, waterproof shoes. And you need to be willing to go out in the rain. But it doesn't rain that hard in London, usually.
Report Abuse
Yes chose between which Oxbridge town to go to on such factors as janis suggests - which one is easiest to get to from your locale.
Report Abuse
Yes, we love London Walks. Already planning which ones we'll partake of.
Will the Churchill War Rooms be closed? Hubs, DS11 and I did that in 2011, but the older son went shopping instead. However, he and the nephew now have taken a couple history courses and would appreciate this experience.
How about theater? We saw War Horse in London in 2011. I was hoping for The Light Princess but see that it's closing a week before we arrive.
Anything new that's a must-see?
Report Abuse
I'm wondering if they'd enjoy a (covered) boat ride up the Thames to Greenwich while you're in London? And a brief (given ages) sojourn to British Museum and V & A (cool and odd artifacts there, if memory serves). Others will mention Hampton Court, Windsor, etc.
Personally I prefer Oxford to Cambridge; both are lovely but just seemed livelier given the brood you're bringing along, and an easy train ride.
We generally take trains everywhere when in the UK but maybe that's why we haven't made it to Stonehenge.
Report Abuse
Why would the War Rooms be closed? There opening times are here and they should definitely be open in Feb: http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms/directions
Highly recommend them!
You can see whats on at www.tkts.co.uk
Have you considered the 2for1 offers at www.daysoutguide.co.uk? Remember these dont work with Oyster cards, but a paper travel ticket bought at a national rail station. Do a search for Oyster here above to get more details.
Some other things they may enjoy:
Tower of London (1/2 day to do this)
Lunch at Borough Market (Thurs or Fri - Sat is horrendously busy)
Spitalfields market
Museum of London - great free museum by St Pauls/Barbican. Very easy for all ages and well done.
Hampton Court Palace (1/2 day to do this)
Hope this helps!
Report Abuse
Thanks for the suggestions, jamikins. We've already done much of those, and the kids loved them, especially Museum of London. However, might do that again for the nephew...
I have checked out the theater offerings but just wondered if there's a show that someone feels passionately about --
Report Abuse
the Victoria and Albert (V& A) museum is sure to please anyone - eclectic collection such as copies of many famous Greerk and Roman statues and others thru the ages
Report Abuse
Hmm as for shows, the popular ones right now seem to be Bodyguard and the Book of Mormon. Not sure they would be right for your group though. Wicked is always a great crowd pleaser if they like big splashy musicals. Mousetrap and 39 steps are classics.
Report Abuse
I think you'd get a much better experience of Stonehenge by going under your own steam rather than on a rushed tour in a large group; it needs to be seen in the context of the whole surrounding landscape. But you will need to book a timed ticket slot:
Report Abuse
In the past visits to Stonehenge, we took a train to Salisbury and then the bus to Stonehenge. Worked out OK. Last time, my DS11 (who was 9 then) listened to EVERY stop on the audioguide. Took a long time, so we had plenty of time to contemplate the stones. However, it was summer. And still chilly. Can't imagine what it'll feel like on that plain in February, but I know my nephew really wants to go there.
The Mousetrap is a good idea --
Thanks so much for all suggestions.
Report Abuse
How long is the bus ride from London to Oxford? Thinking that does sound like a better option than Cambridge, especially since the kiddos love HP.
Report Abuse
Is there a reason for bus over train to Oxford?
London Walks does an excellent tour of Stonehenge and Salisbury. They provide all the transportation (train then bus to the stones), a walking tour of the stones. Then transport back to Salisbury and time to eat or shop. Then a walking tour of the cathedral and the magna carta there...then back to London. We always send guests on this tour and they love it.
Report Abuse
>>Will the Churchill War Rooms be closed? <<
No -- it is the Imperial War Museum that is closed during your stay. It has been partial closed for quite some time for refurbishment but now it is closing completely til the summer reopening and commemoration of the start of WWII
Here is the Oxford Tube (not a tube but the name of an express bus from central London)
http://www.oxfordtube.com/londontube.aspx . . . And I see it has a stop at Notting Hill Gate tube station so even MORE convenient.
Report Abuse
Maybe Charlie & the Chocolate Factory? My 15-year old enjoyed that. I wouldn't advice Book of Mormon if you have an 11-year old with you.
I've seen the Oxford bus at Notting Hill Gate, very convenient indeed.
Report Abuse
teens will love the London Dungeon, one of the most popular London attractions - one of the very top paid attractions in spite of its steep price but one place teens will love.
Report Abuse
No particular reason for bus over train to Oxford, except variety. Just researching all options.
Report Abuse
Um. maybe I'm missing something here - but aren;t 17 year olds about to start college? People are talking about them in the same breath as the 11 year old - as if they are little kids and not adults.
As for weather - yes, chilly with some rain (not REALLY cold - or it would be snow) but I have been in Feb when the temps were in the 50s.
If you can rent a car the Stonhenge/Oxford deal would work out much better. We prefer Oxford for the museums - esp Ashmolean - over Cambridge. Both are pretty in nice weather - not so much in midwinter.
Report Abuse
The London dungeon ?!?
No, heck no!
Unless you run out of EVERYTHING else to do in and around the city.
Report Abuse
You can easily do both Salisbury/Stonehenge via train and bus and Oxford by bus (about 70 minutes) just not both on the same day.
Report Abuse
And Salisbury and its great cathedral should not be missed - a short walk from the Salisbury train station. Salisbury also has a nice pedestrian shopping street and neat walks along a small stream south of town into the cow pastures from which the artist who painted the cathedral's visage from here so many times often set up his easel (Constable I think but could be Turner or even someone else).
But do not miss Salisbury and also Old Sarnum on the edge of town - as historic in its own way as Stonehhenge.
The bus to and from Stonehenge I believe passes by Old Sarum - a bout a mile north of Salisbury's centre.
Report Abuse
(Constable I think but could be Turner or even someone else).
Constable - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salisbury_Cathedral_from_the_Bishop_Grounds_c.1825.jpg
Turner - http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-salisbury-cathedral-from-the-east-d00668
Report Abuse
What's February like, weatherwise?
Grey, damp, miserable is a good bet - but don't be surprised at anything else, UK weather shifts at the speed of a pubescent teenager with ADHD after drinking too much coffee
We're thinking of going to Cambridge for the day
Pick a day that isn't "Grey, damp, miserable" in London as Cambridge is likely to be even greyer, damper and more miserable - complete with a wind that will cut your soul out of you.
If you had to pick one play or musical to see right now, what would it be?
War Horse, Billy Elliot, Matilda.
Report Abuse
I bet you would all love One Man Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. (Once you settle in and realize you can understand the accents.) It's on till March. I'd love to see it again.
alanRow, don't let flanner see your weather forcast, or he'll think you're part of the anti-UK propaganda machine.
Report Abuse
Thanks for all the suggestions.
We are not daunted by weather -- we visited Avignon in February 2010 and experienced the Mistral. But we loved it, especially how uncrowded everything was. I like to visit places at less popular times. Plus our kids always have a break around President's Day.
Report Abuse
Grey, damp, miserable is a good bet - but don't be surprised at anything else,>
Yes indeedy - one February not long ago the weather for my 10 day stay was perfect, for the season - daffodils and flowers were blooming in all the parks - temps in high 50s and sunny - better than some summer days I have experienced in London.
And during that time London was hopping - it was during the time when French and German schools have long breaks and German and French school groups and families were everywhere - London was really busy which also surprised me - I mean really busy!
Report Abuse
London is always really busy . . .
Report Abuse
Regarding Salisbury, the view from which Constable painted the cathedral is known as the Water Meadows. There is a short walk through the meadows along the Town Path to the Old Mill. I don't think Turner painted the cathedral from this perspective, but I may be wrong. It's a short walk but very pleasant. You do not follow a stream. One is more likely to see sheep rather than cows in the meadows, and I've even seen llamas. Constable has cattle in his paintings, but I think he was partial to cows.
If visiting the cathedral I'd recommend the Tower Tour. An excellent option for the entire family. The Cathedral Close has much more to offer than the pedestrian shopping street.
Report Abuse
London is always really busy . . .>
Well I've been there several times in January and it was not nearly as busy as during those vacation times for Germans and French - though I guess I should say busier than normal in the off-season?
Report Abuse
Not sure London even has an off-season anymore. As janisj said,"it's always ... busy" sometimes it's just busier than others. Now 15 or 20 years ago, it would've been different. No longer.
Report Abuse
Ask the 17-year-olds to research the plays in the West End. Start by insisting that any show which has played Broadway and may creak into any fair-sized American city on a bus-and-truck tour be downgraded. Instead, look for a distinctly English comedy, or even a Shakespeare production.
And yes, at 17 the pair is likely to be sold a pint in at least half the pubs. Help them by treating them like the adults they are, at least in Europe. The youngest is welcome in pubs too and with luck will find a dog to pet.
Active stuff, like whatever double-decker buses Mayor Boris Johnson has kept running, or the cruise down-river to Greenwich and the flood barrier, may hold the youthful attentions. And the London area has plenty of war museums and relics. Also relics, but still kicking, are any places connected with the Beatles and other music of the Swinging 60s.
Report Abuse
>>Start by insisting that any show which has played Broadway and may creak into any fair-sized American city on a bus-and-truck tour be downgraded. Instead, look for a distinctly English comedy, or even a Shakespeare production.<<
Yes! (except my candidate, 1Man2Guv, which played Broadway for a short time to rave reviews.)
Report Abuse
I'd add to Southam's suggestion the idea that the teenagers can make themselves the experts on the buses (which are almost all double-deckers, including the new Boris-inspired model) and underground:
Comment has been removed by Fodor's moderators
Report Abuse
The London dungeon ?!?
No, heck no!
Unless you run out of EVERYTHING else to do in and around the city.>
janis - my teen son loved the London Dungeon and any teens would - try to put yourself into the teen mind and what they would like - the London Dungeon and Madame Tussauds are at the very top of London's paid attractions for good reasons.
and yes kids that age will love seeing their idols on display at Madame Tussauds too - the famous wax museum.
Yes they cost some money but in a city where on another thread you said $500 a night for a hotel was not extravagant well 20 or so quid for something teens will love is chump change!
Again try to think from young folks points of view!
Report Abuse
Hope you have a great time in London. Weather uncertain, but I had the same experience as an above poster years ago – beautiful in late February with daffodils everywhere.
On my last solo trip to London, I took note of those venues that I thought my grandchildren would enjoy (when they visit with mum and dad including:
the HOUSEHOLD CALVALRY MUSEUM (horseguards on Whitehall) where they can try on the military paraphernalia and see horses up close
the ROYAL MEWS near Buckingham Palace with coaches, limos etc. which should be especially of interest to boys
the BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HOUSE MUSEUM near Trafalgar Square, with effective "historical experience"
Also the BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM (free) in the heart of the City where visitors can "touch real gold"
As you can see, I have an historical inclination, but these sites might be of interest to the boys – especially since they are indoors if the weather does not cooperate.
Report Abuse
even if the kids think they might enjoy the Dungeon (and most wouldn't ) unless one has time to kill why indulge that silliness? what would you toss out to make time for the schlocky Dungeon? Even Madame Tussaud's would be a better use of the time/£££
Report Abuse
The main spring holiday week in 2014 is the first week of March (Carnival), when much of Germany, all of Belgium and part of France and the Netherlands have a week's holiday. February should be fine.
Report Abuse
even if the kids think they might enjoy the Dungeon (and most wouldn't )>
oh come on what kid would not enjoy the London Dungeon? Have you actually been there - certainly not to make such a ridiculous statement - why is it one of the top paying if not the top paying attraction in London now for years - I guess there are a lot of stupid folks out there.
what you call silliness insults the zillions of folks who pay a lot of money to go there - again it has been the top or one of the top paid attractions in London for years - yup a lot of silly folks I guess.
What would I substitute - well I don't know but too often adults plan trips without thinking about what kids may like - what is the difference between the Dungeon and say the Jack the Ripper Tours, also fabulously popular.
Report Abuse
I haven't been to the Dungeon, and my kids never asked to go, so cannot comment.
What my teenagers did like, was Camden market.
Go to Primrose Hill, to see the view over London, and walk along the canal to Camden Lock.
Report Abuse
If you are at Oxford, you are not far from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. When my twin sons were 16, we went there among other places in England and they enjoyed it. We also went to Stratford, an easy day trip from London, as well as Warwick Castle. Another day we went to Canterbury and visited the cathedral there. Their next year of high school when they were enrolled in a British literature course, they felt very smart because they had been to these places and had learned quite a bit about the context for the works they were reading. Your 17-year-olds may have already read those standard British works and might appreciate getting to see the associated sites. My sons also liked the Tate Gallery, so if your boys enjoy art they might, too.
Report Abuse
We enjoyed the Dickens Museum http://www.dickensmuseum.com/your-visit/
My kids also liked the London Dungeon when they were that age. They LOVED Hampton Court.
Report Abuse
My kids also liked the London Dungeon when they were that age.>
what kind of kid would not like the London Dungeon at that age? Some who call the Dungeon 'silly' are just so so out of touch with the younger generation - and would no doubt be appalled by what kids these days love in video games - to call it - the Dungeon silliness to me represents a haughty cultural attitude - that families in London should only do adult things and to me that is downright silly nonsense.
Not saying the London Dungeon is a must for families with teens but it is one things they nearly all will teens will love and it only takes about two hours or less out of their day - in fact if the Dungeon is where it was a few years back (official site says it has moved) - if it was then you could twin it with something more "culturally approved" - Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Experience - along with the Dungeon I did drag my then teen son to the Globe Experience as well - in fact they could be bundled together.
And The Globe is not only educational but can be fun too for teens even though they may have suffered already through Shakespeare in school - adds a new personal twist to the dull old Bard writing in some archaic language - seeing the Pit and who was in the Pit - the ribald nature of the plays - the fact that boys and men played women - the rabble in the Pit throwing things and not just insults, etc.
Report Abuse
Official site of The Globe - I would have the kids take in a Shakespeare play here in this replica of his original Globe - they may not like it much but it would be so so educational.
Don't think 2 for 1 entry tickets work for plays but probably do for The Globe museum, experience - whatever you call it.
Report Abuse
Well I would say that some parents may not want their kids to see the gore and blood that the London Dungeon is kind of over the top with IMO - and that is a legitimate concern but again the way it is presented makes it less terrifying than one would think.
But a valid concern I do agree.
Report Abuse
Again, I really appreciate everyone's advice.
Report Abuse
As for the London Dungeon--I took my three kids there 15 years ago when they were 15, 13 and 10 and they loved it. That was the one purely "fun" thing on the list among museums, tours, etc. I didn't think it was a waste of time or money at the time. It's at a different location now and Rick Steves is no fan, so it may have changed significantly.
Report Abuse
I've been polling my kids and nephew as to what they want to do. My two have been to London before, so we've done many of the things suggested. However, they'd like to do some again -- they want to show their cousin.
We're thinking of doing a Harry Potter London Walk. We did a ghost walk last time -- lots of fun. The hubs and I have taken the London Walk British Museum walk, and that was deluxe.
Report Abuse
We visited London in May. I have several recommendations that I think your 'kids' will love.
1) The Rock and Roll Tour is outstanding covering all the important Rock musicians over the past 50 years. You can even recreate yourself in the famous Abbey Road Album cover.
2) The Fawlty Towers Dining Experience at the Charing C
Report Abuse
Sorry, my computer isn't co-operating. continuing......Cross Hotel is perhaps one of the funniest shows we have seen.Your kids will love the cheeky irreverence of Sybil, Basil and Manuel.
3)The quirky off-beat 'Old Operating Room and Museum' was rediscovered after being shut up for almost 100 years has a fascinating display of 18th and 19th century medical instruments and practises - Thank your lucky stars that we live in 2014.
4)The 'Hop On/Hop Off' Bus Tour on a double decker bus is a good way to get an overview of London.
5) A stand-out outdoor walking tour that we highly recommend is the 'Jack the Ripper' tour. We went with 'London Tours'. The guide who was a part time actor enthralled us.
Have a good time!!
Report Abuse
though 4 years old this old Fodor's thread may be of interest.
Report Abuse
For a show, you might want to check out what's going at the Globe Theatre: There's a new, candlelit playhouse now, where they are doing a series of lesser known ELizabethan plays.
they're doing The Dutchess of Malfi, a cracking revenge play with lots and murders and blood. In the second half of february it's The Knight of the Burning Pestle: a play with in a play broad comedy.
There's a Nando's at Bankside, as is a Pizza Express, Wagamama, so, adolescent tastes are amply catered for, dinner-wise.
Comment has been removed by Fodor's moderators
Report Abuse
"I would have the kids take in a Shakespeare play here in this replica of his original Globe"
The Globe doesn't open in February. The largely open-air theatre operates only from mid-April to late September.
The Sam Wanamaker Theatre, a covered playhouse that shares the site and operates almost exclusively when the Globe's closed, is currently intended NOT to show Shakespeare.
It's rare indeed, though, to be in London and not find some other bit of the subsidised theatre empire (like the National, the RSC at the Barbican, the Old Vic, the Almeida, the Donmar Warehouse or dozens of others) showing Shakespeare.
Report Abuse
yes, that's what I indicated, flanneruk.
I think those potboiler non-Shakespeare plays are in many ways much more enjoyable than the Shakespeare ones. More blood, more revenge, more murder.
Shakespeare: overrated
Report Abuse
An interesting thing about the Globe museum or exhibition or whatever they call it the exhibits cast great doubt on who Shakespeare really was - that the one attributed to the plays simply did not have the education in classics, etc to write such stuff - pointing to the Earl of Something as a likely candidate.
Report Abuse
menachem, butting in here: I wish I could be in town for Duchess of Malfi, but plan to see Knight of Burning Pestle. I assume these productions are of Globe high quality?
Report Abuse
"the one attributed to the plays simply did not have the education in classics, etc to write such stuff - pointing to the Earl of Something as a likely candidate."
Only if you're uninformed enough to believe education in the Tudor grammar school Shakespeare attended was as awful as it is in today's comprehensive schools.
It wasn't. All you need to know about the theory that de Vere, Earl of Oxford, wrote his plays is that the idea was invented by a man called Looney.
Report Abuse
Knight of Burning Pestle is played by the Young Players, a Globe troupe of 12 - 16 year olds. I for one would be interested in seeing them play.
Report Abuse
Only if you're uninformed enough to believe education in the Tudor grammar school Shakespeare attended was as awful as it is in today's comprehensive schools.
It wasn't. All you need to know about the theory that de Vere, Earl of Oxford, wrote his plays is that the idea was invented by a man called Looney.>
Well flanner old chap what I wrote is the same as what I read at the Globe so they are as idiotic as me - I am surprised that they got it so wrong but not surprised you got it so right - tell it to the historians who no doubt researched the topic a whole lot more than you or flannerpoosch no doubt has done.
Report Abuse
Ha, thanks menachem.
Around here, USA Midwest, this might be thought too racy for under 17 year olds. I took my similar age drama class kids to A Flea In Her Ear dress rehearsal one time, and the management made the youngest girl sit out in the lobby with her mama.
Report Abuse
I think Greenwich and its myriad of offerings would be fun for everyone - cross the meridian into another hemisphere - see the home of time - visit the Cutty Sark - tour the old Naval College grounds - some of which are a museum now with really sweet stately classical buildings on the Thames.
And then walk thru the Greenwich foot tunnel - one of the oldest pedestrian tunnels in the world and an eerie experience and then hop on the Docklands Railways - uniquely at this point built on pillars as it slices thru the renovated Docklands - these are driverless trans so you can sit in the front seat like a driver would!
Fun for all - DLR takes you back to London - take a boat or train or tube to Greenwich for a great day out.
Report Abuse
Are the kids into soccer? If so maybe a visit to Carnaby Street - the famed shopping street that was trendy in the 1960s and now has bounced back has on it Soccer World where they can buy all kinds of jerseys, etc.
Report Abuse
"tell it to the historians who no doubt researched the topic a whole lot more than you or flannerpoosch no doubt has done"
They're not historians.
No serious English scholar or historian takes Looney's theories seriously. Any exhibition designer who does is merely demonstrating the snobbery the English theatre establishment has to working-class education.
All products of Britain's weird private school system, British actors reflect that caste's belief ordinary schools must be awful. They often are these days - but absolutely weren't in Tudor Stratford.
Shakespeare's school provided a deeper education in the Classics than most (I'd go as far as to say any) modern universities - and I'll guarantee I know more about modern university Classics courses than any exhibition designer.
It's simply not true that there's anything in Shakespeare a 16th century pupil at King Edward VI School Stratford wouldn't have learned.
And there's no evidence at all that an 8 year old impubes at Queens' Cambridge (like de Vere) would have learned any of it.
Report Abuse
In any case it just don't matter who writ those plays - the Globe Experience would be very educational in many ways for teens who will no doubt have to suffer thru reading them at some time in their academic careers!
Report Abuse
"In any case it just don't matter who writ those plays"
It does. Taking Looney's snobbery seriously means failing to understand the intellectual revolution the Tudors - of both faiths and Elizabeth's - brought to ordinary Englishpeople.
Shakespeare was taught, from 7 to 14, almost entirely in Latin, by Catholics (during Elizabeth's reign), 5.5 days a week, 11 hours a day, 44 weeks a year. No group of ordinary people in recorded history had ever been so intensely educated as the children of craftsmen in Tudor English small towns.
The prime reason the British colonies in the Americas moved effortlessly to democracy (while those colonialists' cousins back home invented the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions, but other countries' American colonies became slave-dominated plantations) is that heritage of widespread literacy and love of learning. Not to mention, for much of Elizabeth's reign, religious tolerance (till that fool Pius V stuck his oar in).
Looney wasn't just an idiot. He tried to deny what made England special. In a civilised world, he'd have been hung, drawn and quartered.
Report Abuse
"In any case it just don't matter who writ those plays">
I meant for a school student being forced to read them - they could care less is The Bard or David Cameron or David Beckham wrote them - that was my point!
Boring and archaic to teens is boring and archaic no matter who wrote them - even the Queen though I doubt her edikation equals that you say the Bard of Avon had.
Report Abuse
. . . forced to read them? When one sees the plays performed as they were meant to be, they are neither boring nor archaic. If students were taught to look forward to learning rather than preprogrammed to dread it, learning would be a lot easier and a lot more fun.
Pal, did they bring in Christopher Marlowe, too?
Report Abuse
carolyn as an English major in college I had to ready every D Shakespeare play and found most of them somewhat intriguing in plot but generally boring and archaic and wishing we could have studied something more contemporary - I mean why Shakespeare - does not say much if the peak of the English language literature was written by a country bumpkin around 1600 and nothing has equaled it since!
Being forced to watch a Shakespeare play was even more boring than having to read one.
Yup the pinnacle of English literature - 1600s and all downhill since! My campus has a Arthur Miller Theatre named for an alumna and a year of his plays would be just as justified as some old English bloke writing in a language that few can fully understand.
Report Abuse
If you can't stand Will's plays, read his sonnets then. Ye Gods!
Anyway, if Greenwich is going to be a destination, I'll add the wonderful Maritime Museum, especially its display devoted to amateur yachting.
Report Abuse
Oh my. Love love love Shakespeare. Was privileged to read his work to experience the plays and the poetry, though admittedly I never did take to Titus Andronicus.
Such wordplay, such spectacle, so many fluent and iconic references, such perception of human behavior. Even the parts where I needed the OED next to me to clarify the less familiar language I found it gratifying.
Time to view _Shakespeare in Love_!
Report Abuse
I saw Titus Andronicus on stage: splatter movie! And there was much more blood and gore in acting in Elizabethan days. Intermissions were enlivened with bear baiting and dog fights.
Report Abuse
If you go to Salisbury and check out the cathedral (both of which I highly recommend!), take a few minutes and go to Chapter House which holds one of the (arguably) 4 remaining copies of the Magna Carta.
You can tell your teens that JayZ named his last album after it!
Report Abuse
How about a trip up to Stratford, home of the Bard, to tour all the five or so Shakespeare properties there and learn more than you ever want to about the presumed alleged Bard.
Seriously a nice town and interesting Shakespeare properties. A very doable day trip from London.
Report Abuse
Menachem, it looks as if The Malcontent in April is the Young Players one.
Report Abuse
Well another respite you can give average teens for a few hours and several quid would be to let them go to the popular Trocadero Centre right at Piccadilly Circus and have a few hours in one of Europe's largest entertainment complexes - a multi-floor extravaganza of thrills. Something of a reward after so many museums, etc.
I mention this with intrepitude of being castigated for doing so but I honestly believe average teens would love a few hours here and perhaps the adults could go to a nearby pub for a few hours too.
Report Abuse
I've always loved Shakespeare. We were "forced" to read several of his plays in high school, but, as I wasn't an English major, I never was forced to read anything else of his. However, I've read all of his plays multiple times and expect to read them several more times before I die.
I once took my two children, ages 5 and 8, and a neighbor's child of about the same age, to a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in a park. I thought that if the children were bored, they could play quietly in the park while I enjoyed the play. I needn't have feared. All three sat spellbound, and for the next week, my kids played at acting out some of the parts. After that, I took them to other Shakespeare plays; I remember them enjoying The Tempest, but especially Twelfth Night, which they also acted out for weeks after seeing it, playing Sir Anthony Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch. Nobody told them this was great literature; they just saw it and loved it. They even loved the Elizabethan language, and repeated favorite phrases.
I don't care if I ever see Stratford on Avon, or the Globe Theatre. I have multiple editions of all the tragedies, as well as two different sets of the complete works, and that's all I need.
Shakespeare was the sort of genius who appears once in a millennium. You can't explain such people by their background or education. It's just as improbable that an Edward de Vere or a Charles Marlowe could have written those plays as it is that Will Shakespeare wrote them.
Report Abuse
The Trocadero? Pal you're scraping the bottom of the barrel. Little remains of the original except for a few arcades and dismal shops. Tacky would be an appropriate adjective. Regardless, why would a family spend thousands for an overseas trip and, then, have their kids visit an arcade?
Report Abuse
He puls out the Dungeon and Trocadero every time a poster mentions teens. Guess the teens I know are different than the ones he knows
Report Abuse
Stokebailey you're absolutely right. Also a great play though. I so like the emphasis on Jacobean plays, they're so underrated and one hardly has a chance to see them on stage.
Report Abuse
The trocadero???? It is the most hideous touristy thing in that area!!!! Which is saying a lot for that area! Isn't that where M&M World is beside???? Surely you jest!!!???
Report Abuse
He puls out the Dungeon and Trocadero every time a poster mentions teens. Guess the teens I know are different than the ones he knows>
On this we can agree - why can't teens have a few hours of fun and yes for the average teen that is fun - and the Trocadero Schlock is a unique experience - I enjoy just riding the escalators up and down and taking in all the energy and activity - I say give the kids and they are kids some free time from the rigors of sightseeing at yet another museum, a palace, etc and let them have fun for a few hours in a totally unique place the likes of which I have never seen anywhere else.
This is not your average entertainment center - I suspect some of the naysayers above have never ever even been in the Trocadero Centre to even know what it is all about.
Report Abuse
I walk by it every day..my office is a block from it!
Report Abuse
I've been in the Trocadero when it had more variety it now has, with my son, then 12: he thought it was boring. It's an arcade.
Report Abuse
Trocadero is so boring that every time I go through it it is mobbed - bots of young adults and perhaps 12 is too young as it is oriented to an older youngster - so so many abnormal teens having fun - I just present these things as options for folks with normal teens to consider as a respite for them from adult sightseeing and will continue to do so as information and there is never anything wrong with presenting options. And this type of place is very unusual - most young folk have never seen anything like it.
Report Abuse
Yes, menachem, about Jacobean plays!
We should able to make our own travel suggestions without then having to defend them on and on. Lots of things get suggested here that I wouldn't dream of doing, but I figure, you know, à chacun son goût and all that. Let people sort out what interests them.
Report Abuse
There are hoards of people at M&M World too...I don't understand that either...or the wax museum or the London Dungeons...
Report Abuse
I do think people can express opinions - some people do none of their own research and would benefit from hearing how others view things. That way they can make their own decision based on multiple views. If only one type of person answered we would all be at the same place
No harm meant, I just give another perspective...
Report Abuse
M&M World - that is new to me as I did not get to London in 2013 when it opened - here is what Wiki says about M&M World:
<On Monday 13 June 2011, M&M's World store in London officially opened to the public, in Leicester Square. It is the world's largest candy store, at 35,000 sq ft (3,250 sq metres).[8] The retail space was built as part of Westminster City Council's regeneration of the local area. Its aim was to make Leicester Square a "world class destination", based on the similar remodeling of Times Square New York.[9] it has a wall where you can see how it has changed over the years and a quiz to see which flavour you are.>
Sounds like something younger kids may enjoy -
Neat thing about London IMO - not afraid to taint itself with such yes Schlock which would be anathema to say a Paris or Rome or most any other major European city - but like Times Square in New York - the Piccadilly-Leicester Square area of London embraces the gaudy and to some that is nice to others something to lament.
Yes many folks would avoid this area but to me it is one of the most interesting in London - always thronged - adds an energy to a city that is unique for Europe - a bit of Las Vegas and Times Square in London.
London has something for everyone! Can't wait to go to M&M World!
Report Abuse
I think Pal enjoys the back n forth, though.
Report Abuse
I think Pal enjoys the back n forth, though.>
I sincerely post these things that are young people friendly as options for folks with teens - no one else ever mentions them. I think it is good info - more things to consider the better - like the London Dungeon - the following site:
lists the London Dungeon as the #1 thing for teens to do in London - talking about things teens will find fun - the average teens - enjoying the back and forth - well not really but it is more defending presenting information without the usual come back by the same posters who say such things are silly and a waste of time and should not even be mentioned.
Let's put all the options on the table and let the folks with kids going to London decide - without judgment from folks often who I think have never ever even gone to any of those places.
And my teen son loved the London Dungeon and Trocadero - it was kind of a carrot offered after lots of sightseeing which he did not really care for that much - yes I know he must be an abnormal kid (was - this was several years ago when I took him to London) to enjoy such tacky stuff.
Report Abuse
Phew! Well all the above (which I just read tonight) leaves me dizzy. However I always love to help with tourist advice (I am a frustrated/would have loved to have been a tour-guide .
I live in Newcastle, northern England, where it is VERY cold in Feb. However, yes London is never so bad. My suggestions for other interesting ideas:
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (Free) - every day
Horseguards parade - also a regular event, dont have details what time/when, but google it.
The London Eye - My fella and I loved it but pre-booking your "flight" is a good idea, as saves standing in a Q on the day.
Shepherd's Market - old area behind the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane. Not a market anymore but lots of interesting shops, small (some really inexpensive) restaurants and also a couple of really old English pubs, complete with a real fire when I was there a few weeks ago. Youngsters are ok to go in the pub with adults, especially for pub grub. Nice area for lunch or dinner.
The Tower of London!!! lots of heads chopped off there and a river trip to there from there/Westminster is possible and much more fun than the Tube. Hope you enjoy your trip.
Remember there is much more to England than London! Next time take the train to York (fab!), then stop off at Newcastle, and up to Edinburgh in Scotland. All great for 2 days, and all on the same East Coast Line. Bye! Madmo
Report Abuse
"The London Eye - My fella and I loved it but pre-booking your "flight" is a good idea, as saves standing in a Q on the day."
Agree with Madmo424 that the London Eye is great. The only problem with pre-booking is that if the weather is foggy/dense/rainy, the visibility would be very limited. In my view, better to wait for a clear day.
Comment has been removed by Fodor's moderators
Report Abuse
Are you really truely serious Andrew_Edwards? Site-seeing in a Ferrari or a Rolls.
Oh my ...
I do think, kind sir, that this is an attempt at an advert that the moderators have not yet picked up.
But for me, if I want to visit (as you say) 'every interesting places' in London, the tube will work just fine.
Report Abuse
We have been to London many times and lived there too and never run out of things to enjoy.
If you are staying near Nottinghill Gate we enjoyed the Prince Albert pub. A good cross between old fashioned and contemporary with good food.
Also, check out the websites of the various museums for special exhibits. One of our favorites one winter was the nature photography contest winners at the Natural History Museum. Also many of the museums have free docent led tours of various subjects. Some favorites of ours were the Roman Britain and Egyptian ones at the British Museum.
Finally for theatre check out www.timeout.com London section. There is lots of theatre in places other than West End.
And if you haven't been Greenwich is a great day out. You are still technically in London but the little village is appealing and the Maritime Museum and the Observatory on the time line are great.
Report Abuse
Thanks, everyone, for all the advice.
Just to clarify -- We've been to London before and have already taken in many of the "must-see" sites...just for grins, here's my 2011 trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/nine-days-on-the-ground-in-london-a-trip-report.cfm
Anyway, I appreciate all suggestions. I'll let you know what we do!
Report Abuse
Are your kids Dr Who fans - if so they may like the Chiselhurst Caves where some episodes have been filmed - in southseast suburban London - easy access by train:
Report Abuse
We visited London last October and had an amazing trip. I highly recommend the British Museum. Mummies galore, a crystal skull, the Rosetta stone and free to boot. Too much cool to be boring.
For a show, I suggest Spamalot. Why not see a Monty Python sanctioned show while in London?
Since you will be near the Nottinghill Gate tube stop, why not venture to Speaker's Corner (if you are in town on a Sunday) in Hyde Park? Neat free speach experience.
Report Abuse
Looking at the current London Walks brochure they have a Saturday day trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury, meeting 8.45am on Saturday 15th February at Waterloo railway ticket offices .
I've been on 2 of the London Walks Harry Potter walks and they're very busy, although in February might not be too bad. (I also thought the British Museum walk well worth it.)
If you have HP fans are you doing the studio tour at Leavsdon? - better than Oxford.
Don't think I would have been that interested in Cambridge when I was a teen (nor Oxford either).
Sign in to comment.


text:
Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter tight end Greg Hart is preparing to head south for spring break this week, but before starting his vacation there were a few recruiting tasks to handle, including adding three new schools to his offer list.
"I got Louisville in seventh period today and then I got Wake Forest at about 4," Hart reported Wednesday night. "Then I got Purdue [Tuesday]. They all three actually came out of the blue."
Initial contact with Louisville came several weeks back, but Hart had no serious conversations with the Cardinals' staff until the offer came through.
Article Continues Below
"I got a friend request from Coach [Charlie] Strong awhile ago. He never messaged me, so that was it really," Hart said. "Then, Coach Strong actually messaged me today, said he liked the way I played and wanted me to know I had an offer from Louisville. I don't know much about the program, but I am looking forward to knowing more."
Wake Forest is a program, like Louisville, that Hart only has basic knowledge of, and like Louisville, there were no serious conversations between the two parties until Wednesday.
"I never had gotten a letter or anything from Wake," Hart said. "Coach [Brian] Knorr, the defensive coordinator, sent me a message on Facebook and said he liked my film and liked how I was aggressive. He wanted me to give him a call, so that's what I did. We talked and he said he liked the way I play and I could be utilized well in that offense."
Hart has never visited Wake Forest's campus, but it is a trip he will consider making later in the recruiting process.
"It would be a hard trip to make, but I definitely have interest with the academic reputation they have," he said. "I'm definitely looking forward to learning more because I don't really know anything about Wake Forest outside of their academics."
Purdue actually began the theme of making their first contact meaningful. Their offer on Tuesday surprised the three-star tight end.
"I heard from Coach [Kevin] Wolthausen yesterday night," Hart said. "He is new at Purdue, but their offensive staff really liked my film and they really like how I can move for the frame that I have. They think I can be a downfield threat at tight end for them in the offensive scheme that they run."
One other order of business Hart took care of before embarking on his vacation was to make a trip to Ohio State for a spring practice on Wednesday. He drove up to Columbus after school and spent time around the Buckeye's coaching staff and players as they ran through their session.
"Coach [Urban] Meyer is an awesome guy," Hart said. "He looks you in the eye and is completely honest with you. His practice is one of the most intense ever. It seems like a great place, a great atmosphere all the time."
Ohio State is not one of the dozen-plus to offer the 6-5, 225-pound Hart, but the nation's No. 19 ranked tight end knows what he has to do to have a shot at that offer.
"They want me to come up to camp on June 10 to see a little bit more before they make anything official," he said. "I am planning to go to camp on June 10 to see what could happen."
Hart has no other trips officially scheduled in the coming months, but he is looking to get back out to Pittsburgh and Northwestern for follow-up visits sometime in May.


text:
A woman died in an explosion at her Hunterdon County, New Jersey home and police say neighbors frantically tried to save her, but were not able to reach her in time.
Authorities received a call about a possible explosion at a home located at 74 New Street in Hampton Borough Wednesday morning. When police arrived part of the home collapsed and the unidentified woman was trapped inside.
Investigators say four people rushed to the burning residence after the woman called from her cell phone for help.
"It was reported that she was communicating with them as they attempted to rescue her," said Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III. "Their heroic acts, although unsuccessful, are a credit to these individuals and their community should be proud of them."
It took about an hour for fire crews to bring the blaze under control. Authorities found the woman's body in the basement.
Another person was in the home at the time but was able to escape, according to investigators.
Fire officials said there was no natural gas line to the house, and the owner may have used a propane tank in the backyard. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Houses on either side of the wrecked home were evacuated as a precaution.