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  • Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 173

    Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 173

    The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

    Keelhauling

    This is defined by Grose as “a punishment in use among the Dutch seaman, in which, for certain offences, the delinquent is drawn once, or oftener, under the ship’s keel: ludicrously defined, undergoing a great hard-ship”. As an aside, it’s interesting to see the word ‘oftener’ used here, which is still valid, although rarely used.

    It wasn’t the kindest punishment it has to be said, although it was an official sanction that could be used in the Dutch navy, known as ‘Kielhalen’. The word ‘keelhauled’ still exists in English in a more generic sense of being punished, but the naval version could be fatal. The sailor could hit the barnacles under the ship, which risked head wounds, as well as just hitting the vessel itself with some force.

    So, a punishment in the Dutch navy has managed to enter the English vernacular…..

  • London – City of London – Museum of London (Plate Owned by Samuel Pepys)

    London – City of London – Museum of London (Plate Owned by Samuel Pepys)

    This is a new acquisition for the Museum of London and it belonged to Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist. It’s one of only three items of silver belonging to Pepys that still exists, with the other two now being in the United States. The silver is hallmarked, so it’s known that it was made in 1681 by Mary King in Foster Lane, a street near St. Pauls Cathedral that is still there. The one thing that the museum doesn’t state though is where this plate has been over the centuries (or where they acquired it from), although they note that its importance has only recently come to light.

  • Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 172

    Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 172

    The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

    Jumblegut Lane

    This is quite beautiful, and how has this fallen out of usage? It’s defined by Grose as “a rough road or lane” and it conjures up wonderful images of rickety stagecoaches and the like flying over bumpy roads. It’s the sort of phrase that could perhaps be used again for those areas of the country where there seem to be more pot-holes than road……

  • London – City of London – Museum of London (Portrait of King Henry VIII)

    London – City of London – Museum of London (Portrait of King Henry VIII)

    The first thing I’ve discovered from this artwork is that the National Portrait Gallery is closed until the spring of 2023, I just thought that they were being a little slow to re-open after the health crisis. Anyway, this is one of the gallery’s artworks, currently on loan to the Museum of London.

    I’m puzzled that the Museum of London term this as a “portrait bust”, as I don’t know what that means. The National Portrait Gallery don’t use this terminology and it just looks like a portrait to me. It’s also mentioned to be after (ie, a copy of) a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger, with the gallery saying it was painted between 1536 and 1537, but other on-line sources say it might be 1538. Some people can be very precise….

    Anyway, it came into the collections of the National Portrait Gallery in 1871 and Holbein’s studio seemingly produced numerous versions of these paintings. It was painted during the process of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, relevant since the artwork is located within the exhibits on this subject in the Museum of London. I’m not sure that the King looks particularly strong in this image either, his eyes look tired and he doesn’t appear very magisterial. I’m not entirely sure who would have bought this and I don’t think that its provenance is known.

  • LDWA Training Walk – Wherryman’s Way (Second Time of the Year)

    LDWA Training Walk – Wherryman’s Way (Second Time of the Year)

    I completed the 37.5 miles of Wherryman’s Way a few weeks ago with Nathan, but the calling of the wild (not that the river banks of Norfolk are that wild) was too strong so I decided to do it again. This time with Rob Newell, the 100-expert (well, he’s done two, and that’s more than me).

    The start of the day didn’t begin quite as well as we would have liked, as Greater Anglia cancelled their train to Great Yarmouth. So, that meant a quick dash to the bus stop to get the First Bus to Great Yarmouth, which was on time and really useful, although it added a couple of miles onto our walking journey.

    We (by we, I mean me) hoped to stop off at Greggs in Great Yarmouth before leaving and Google said it should be opening, even with their new hours. We got there, and it was shut. Livid was not the word….. But, I found a shop and bought some healthy crisps and chocolate, ready to sustain me through the day. We then walked back past Greggs and it was now open and fully stocked. Grrrrr.

    Anyway, this is the start point of the 37.5 mile walk. I won’t go into huge detail, as I’ve walked it before and did that then, so will limit myself to general observations. I was slightly short on sleep and Rob had a cold, so there were times during the day when our energy waned a little. However, in general, it was all a successful meander around Norfolk and we were fortunate with the weather. It was never too hot and there was no rain at all, which was ideal.

    Unlike the problems on the previous walk, there were no overgrown areas this time, so we weren’t delayed or inconvenienced. Norfolk Trails have done well, there are only some minor issues along the route, but nothing that impedes access. We were also fortunate not to see too many dangerous animals, although there were some cows on the river bank. Rob didn’t seem worried, but I was, so we dipped down onto the road to avoid them. We did though see a dead grass snake later on and although I hate snakes, I don’t like seeing any dead animal.

    The Reedham ferry was busy, but as foot passengers we didn’t have to queue, unlike the cars who did have a bit of a wait. Our stop at the Co-op in Loddon was problem-free, and I was able to get a Guinness West India Porter as my lunch-time reward. From then on, there weren’t really any problems or issues, although I did put a blister plaster on my heel when I wasn’t happy it was rubbing. I’m writing this the following morning and I have no issues now, so that worked sufficiently well. We got back just as it was getting dark, knocking an hour off the time that Nathan and I did a few weeks ago.

    So, another lovely day out, with 40 miles churned through for each of us during the day. Anyway, here are some photos…..

  • Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 171

    Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 171

    The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

    Island

    I have absolutely nothing to add to this, but it’s a charming definition, “he drank out of the bottle till he saw the island; the island is the rising bottom of a wine bottle, which appears like an island in the centre, before the bottle is quite empty”. The only comment about this is that I wondered why they have these indentations, and apparently it’s historic and no longer necessary. It was just easier for glass blowers to ensure that bottles stayed upright if they could fold the bottom of the bottle in. Or at least that’s what I found on-line, so it must be true…..

  • Toppling Goliath Assassin 2020

    Toppling Goliath Assassin 2020

    I’ve never been to Iowa, just near to it, but this seems a very good reason in itself to go. From this month’s Craft Beer & Brewing magazine, this sounds a most decadent treat. And, looking at the score that the magazine has given, it looks to be the pinnacle of dark beer…..

  • London – Westminster (Borough of) – Wallace Collection (The Rainbow Landscape by Peter Paul Rubens)

    London – Westminster (Borough of) – Wallace Collection (The Rainbow Landscape by Peter Paul Rubens)

    I hadn’t realised how many artworks that Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) had painted, which was over 1,400, so it’s no surprise how many museums and galleries he appears in. This painting dates to around 1636 and it’s of the land outside Rubens’s country house, Het Steen, near Antwerp. It was painted towards the end of his life and the gallery say, as I hardly knew this, that it was only during this period that he worked on landscapes.

    Fortunately, the Wallace Collection have uploaded a clear version of the painting, one that doesn’t have a bronze animal in front of it. This is one of a pair of paintings, with the other being in the National Gallery in London (although it’s noted as not being on display at the moment), painted for his own enjoyment and to hang on his own walls. It must be handy being one of the greatest artists of the century if you fancy decorating your front room, it gives you some options….

    Anyway, the gallery has placed on its web-site a handy video of how to understand this painting, which is useful as I usually miss everything of note. It’s painted on wooden panels, and it is noticeable on the right-hand side where the artwork may have been extended. It was purchased by Richard Seymour-Conway in 1856 and was given to the nation in 1897 by Lady Wallace.

  • London – City of London – Museum of London (Fourteenth Century Royal Arms from Guildhall)

    London – City of London – Museum of London (Fourteenth Century Royal Arms from Guildhall)

    This rather lovely stone coat of arms is on display at the Museum of London and it dates to around the middle of the fourteenth century. The coat arms is from the Guildhall in London, which was where it was found in the roof during renovations of the building in 1864. The arms were for King Edward III after he claimed France (he claimed to be the heir as the grandson of Philip IV) and put the fleurs-de-lis into the coat of arms, alongside the English three lions. It wasn’t until 1801 that the fleurs-de-lis were finally dropped from the national coat of arms, a perhaps belated acknowledgement that the United Kingdom wasn’t going to include France.

  • Pret – Coffee Subscription

    Pret – Coffee Subscription

    Since I signed up earlier today to Pret’s new coffee subscription, I thought I should pop down to their now only outlet in Norwich. I was the only one paying using this method when I was there, although they have apparently had a few people use it so far today. It’s nice and easy, scan the QR code sent by e-mail onto their card reader and the coffee is presented free of charge. It can be used inside or outside, with a variety of drinks included as part of the deal.

    There’s a free one month’s trial and you’re allowed up to five coffees per day (spaced at least thirty minutes apart) for the £20 per month. I await to see what some of their rivals do…. But, all logical and efficient so far.