July 2014
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
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THE MAYFLOWER TRAIL AMERICAN SPORTS • EATING OUT POLITICS • ARTS • REVIEWS WHAT’S ON TRAVEL
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Independence Day Enjoy it in the UK! Our guide to the best places to celebrate July 4th WIN top price tickets for The Crucible at The Old Vic
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Issue 734 July 2014 PUBLISHED BY SP MEDIA FOR
Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Old Byre House, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK Tel: +44 (0)1747 830520
Departments: News, Article ideas, Press releases: editor@theamerican.co.uk Advertising & Promotions: advertising@theamerican.co.uk Subscriptions: theamerican@blueedge.co.uk The team: Michael Burland, Content Director + Motors & Music michael@theamerican.co.uk Sabrina Sully, Content Director & Community Contact sabrina@theamerican.co.uk Daniel Byway, Content Executive dan@theamerican.co.uk Virginia E Schultz, Food & Drink (USA) virginia@theamerican.co.uk Michael M Sandwick, Food & Drink (UK) mms@theamerican.co.uk Mary Bailey, Social mary@theamerican.co.uk Alison Holmes, Politics alison@theamerican.co.uk Jarlath O’Connell, Theater jarlath@theamerican.co.uk Richard L Gale, Sports richard@theamerican.co.uk
©2014 Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Printed by Advent Colour Ltd., www.advent-colour.co.uk ISSN 2045-5968 Main Cover: Betsy Ross Flag, City Hall, San Francisco, CA, photo Makaristos; Circular Inset: The Crucible, courtesy The Old Vic; Square Inset: courtesy Liberty Cheesesteak
@TheAmericanMag
J
uly is the ultimate month to get out and see what Britain has to offer. The weather’s better (any complaints, contact the Met Office weather people not me please), the kids are off school, and there are so many things to do - some of which you can’t do at other times of the year. Read this month’s features for ideas on touring round Parliament, boating on Britain’s canals, tracing where the Pilgrims came from, and following Lincolnshire’s American aviation heritage. When you stop for while and put your feet up, there’s a fascinating look at the life of the BBC’s first news organiser in New York City, an article on Nancy Astor, née Langhorne, the American who became the first woman to sit in the UK parliament, and a story on how the English National Ballet is helping people living with Parkinson’s Disease through dance. Our sports pages range from big name players ruining perfectly good golf courses, via British drag racing and TNA wrestling, to the USA’s soccer World Cup. And don’t miss Miss Patricia learning - the hard way - about acquiring some British culture from a royal butler! Enjoy your magazine, Michael Burland, Content Director michael@theamerican.co.uk
Among this month’s contributors
Jarlath O’Connell The American’s theater reviewer’s pithy and witty reviews tell you what’s hot and, just as imprtantly, what’s not.
Miss Patricia Our new columnist loses more than her dignity while trying to acquire some Brit culture in front of an actual princess, no less .
Joshua Modaberi The freelance sports journalist writes on all major American sports including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and wrestling, with star interviews.
Read The American online at www.theamerican.co.uk The entire contents of The American and www.theamerican.co.uk are protected by copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information in The American is accurate, the editor and publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or any loss arising from reliance on it. The views and comments of contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers.
July 2014 1
The American • Issue 734• July 2014
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PHOTO © BOSTON GUILDHALL
In This Issue... Regulars 4 6 10 34 38 42 44 48 52 57 65
News Diary Dates - July 4th Special Features Wining & Dining Arts Choice Coffee Break Reviews Politics Sports American Organizations The A-List: American Products & Services
Features 5 COMPETITION
See The Crucible, one of the great US plays, at the Old Vic, a great British theater
10 Peggy Lee Loves London
T his month our canine correspondent is at City Hall, AKA Boris’ lair
12 A Tour Around Parliament
A nyone can take a tour around the Palace of Westminster, even former colonials!
PHOTO ©JAMIE MCDONALD/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONY)
14 Miss Patricia A former royal butler helps Miss P acquire
54
some British culture. Well, he tries...
16 A Different View of Britain
Industry reinvented for recreation, the UK’s fascinating and lovely canals
18 The Mayflower Trail
North Nottinghamshire lays claim as the birth place of the United States
20 Boston Connections Boston, Lincolnshire, was important in the
rise of the Puritans and the Separatists
22 Find a Notary in the UK
Need to find a Notary for a US matter and you’re in the UK? Here’s how.
25 Lincolnshire’s Aviation Heritage
American aviators play a large part in the county’s history
27 An Englishman in New York
Ron Onions, the mercurial genius who was the BBC’s man in the Big Apple
30 Dance For Parkinson’s
US choreographer meets English National Ballet, helps people with Parkinson’s
32 Nancy Astor
The London life of this political expat
42 Coffee Break
Sharpen your mind and have a laugh
44 Reviews
Bakersfield Mist, The Pajama Game, In The Heights, How To Build A Better Tulip
48 Politics
Ideas have consequences And animals need wilderness
52 Sports
Drag Racing UK-style, TNA wrestler and war veteran Gunner, NBL Preview, The USA’s World Cup progress and Golf’s Coarse [sic] Architecture
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The American
NEWS Latitude Festival Latest Signings
W
e’ve published the ad, we’ve run the competition, we’ve put it in Diary Dates but still the good folks at Latitude Festival keep adding new reasons to go to the beautiful lakeside location. The latest musical additions include Chrissie Hynde, soulful singer Alison Moyet and Doves mainman Jimi Goodwin who join Damon Albarn, The Black Keys, Booker T Jones and Haim. There are DJ sets From BBC Radio 6 Music’s Craig Charles and Simian Mobile Disco. Dara O Briain, Jack Dee and Keith Allen’s Establishment Club have been added to the comedy roster, while the Dance stage will be graced by Sadler’s Wells who are presenting German Cornejo & Gisela Galeassi in a contemporary rendition of the Argentinean Tango. Iconic photographer David Bailey talks about his work. Oh, and The American. We’ll be there with free copies of the magazine for American expats - look out for our banners and T shirts and come say hi!
Katrina Leskanich PHOTO: MIKE INNS
New Musical for Walking on Sunshine
L
eona Lewis stars in a new musical film titled Walking on Sunshine, featuring some of the greatest hits of the ‘80s. The film’s name, as you may know, emanates from the classic Summer anthem by Katrina and the Waves. Speaking of Katrina, the US born artist who
First Magna Carta Grants announced
T
he Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee, chaired by Sir Robert Worcester, the founder of the pollster MORI, has announced the first ten projects which have received grant funding for the 2015 celebrations of 800 years since the signing of the Magna Carta. The grants, which exceed £186,000,
4 July 2014
have been awarded to organizations including The American Bar Association, The Baronial Order of Magna Charta, The Pilgrims of Great Britain, the English-Speaking Union, Salisbury Cathedral and the Royal Commonwealth Society. This is the first tranche of grants from the £1 million funding provided by the Chancellor in this year’s budget.
An App to Track Expat Residency
A
PHOTO: MARC SETHI
lives in the UK, will be appearing at this August’s Retro Futura tour of America, see www.retrofuturatour.com. Closer to home, Katrina celebrates July 4th at this year’s Festival Too at the Tuesday Market Place in King’s Lynn, see www.festivaltoo.co.uk for details.
useful App for global expats has recently been launched for the iPhone. Called TracKingDays, it keeps track of the number of days and nights users spend in different parts of the world, aiming to simplify expat residency and tax issues, in particular the UK’s Statutory Resident Test (SRT), the USA’s Physical Presence Test and Substantial Presence Test, and the Canadian Snowbirds. It works without roam-
ing charges or the type of battery loss that’s associated with GPS based Apps. There’s a free 30 day trial, or to buy the full version costs £6.99. It offers secure data backup on a Swiss server and added privacy settings which can be set to collect only headline country locations. A counted days summary can also be sent to your accountant or e-mail address directly from the App. See www.trackingdays.com.
Photo by Jay Brooks
Reaching for the stars? PHOTO: ANDREW PARSONS, I-IMAGES
Richard Armitage stars in Arthur Miller’s classic American drama brought vividly to life in this visceral new production by internationally acclaimed director Yaël Farber.
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS! In which century were the Salem Witch Trials, on which The Crucible is based? A 16th B 17th C 18th
HOW TO ENTER Email your answer with your name, address and daytime telephone number to theamerican@blueedge.co.uk with THE CRUCIBLE COMPETITION in the subject line; or send a postcard to: THE CRUCIBLE COMPETITION, The American, Old Byre House, Millbrook Lane, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK; to arrive by midday 21 July. You must be 18 years old or over to enter. You are responsible for any travel, accommodation or other expenses. Tickets valid for Monday–Thursday performances, subject to availability. No cash alternative to the prizes, they are nonrefundable and non-transferable and not for resale.
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The American
Your Guide To The Month Ahead
See our full events listings online at www.theamerican.co.uk
List your event in The American – email editor@theamerican.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)1747 830520
The Battle Proms Open Air Picnic Concerts www.battleproms.com 01432 355 416 Britain’s premier picnic proms with Spitfire, cannons, cavalry and fireworks, all set in the grounds of some of the UKs most celebrated stately homes, including Blenheim Palace (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill), and Highclere Castle (setting of hit ITV series Downton Abbey). One of the most exciting summer proms concerts in the country, fans return to year after year, for a memorable night out with friends or a significant celebration. Tickets cost £35 in advance (£40 on the day) but readers of The American get a £2 per ticket discount by quoting AMPROMS14 at checkout. July 5th Burghley House, Lincs. July 12th Blenheim Palace, Oxford. July 19th Hatfield House, Herts. Aug. 2nd Highclere Castle, Berks. Aug. 16th Ragley Hall, Warks.
66 July 2014 August 2013
Henley Royal Regatta Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 www.hrr.co.uk July 2 to 6 Ostensibly a top international rowing events, for most it’s a pinnacle of the summer ‘season’. Ladies, check the strict dress code for ‘Enclosure’ areas. RWA Secret Postcard Auction Royal West of England Academy, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1PX www.rwa.org.uk July 3 Small artworks by leading British artists including Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry go under the hammer - but who did which ‘postcard’ remains a secret until after the auction.
AMA-UK Conference at Maverick Easton Farm Park, Woodbridge, Suffolk www.theamauk.org www.maverickfestival.co.uk July 4 to 6 The Americana Music Association UK returns to the Maverick Festival for its 2nd annual conference with panels, discussions and live music featuring Mary Gauthier, Benny Gallagher and DJ Bob Harris.
Frome Festival Various, Frome, Somerset BA11 www.fromefestival.co.uk July 4 to 13 Dance, music, cinema, literature and star comedians in the west country. The American Festival Choir Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, London SE1 9DA July 7 A range of sacred and Gospel works in the stunning Southwark Cathedral. Americana International Prestwold Airfield Near Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5SH www.americana-international.co.uk July 10 to 13 “The heartbeat of the USA in the UK” is the event’s slogan. Live music, US hot rods, custom bikes, American food and displays. Native American Pow Wow Bush Farm Bison Centre, West Knoyle, Wiltshire BA12 6AE www.bisonfarm.co.uk July 11 to 13 Experience the fi rst American lifestyle with real Native Americans. University of California Alumni Summer Picnic Hyde Park, London W2 2UH www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2014-universityof-california-alumni-summer-picnic-inhyde-park-tickets-11619057915 July 13 Fun and food, with lawn bowling, a raffle and even an egg and balloon toss! Southern Fried Festival Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth PH1 nicoleatkins.com July 25 to 27 Country, blues, bluegrass, gospel, soul, alt country. Headliners: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Steve Earle and Rosanne Cash.
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM IN BRITAIN Housed in Georgian splendor, co-founded by an American, the museum showcases America’s decorative arts. Exhibitions, workshps, Quilt collection. 01225 460503 www.americanmuseum.org
GARY POWELL’S LONDON WALKS American Walk - London’s US connections new for 2014 John Wesley’s London - Methodist Movement Founder www.garypowellauthor.co.uk +44 (0)7738 426017 powellgary_54@yahoo.co.uk
UNIQUE BRITISH TOURS Specialises in 17 Unusual Theme Tours such as The American Connection, Crimes, Curiosities & Eccentrics and Ghosts, Witches and Legends. +44 (0)1293 823566 enquiries@uniquebritishtours.co.uk www.uniquebritishtours.co.uk
GREENWICH ROYAL TOURS Fun and informative walking tours of historic Greenwich, London’s secret gardens, Law in London, and new for 2014, Shakespeare tours. www.greenwichroyaltours.com UK: 0800 542 1200 bookings@greenwichroyaltours.com
BERKELEY CASTLE (Gloucestershire) Visit the oldest castle lived in by the original family. American, Royalty and Shakespeare connections. Special events throughout the year. www.berkeley-castle.com +44 (0)1453 810 303 david.exworth@berkeley-castle.com
OLD COUNTRY MILITARY & HISTORY TOURS INC. UK, Europe, USA : Military, Kings & Queens, homes & gardens, art & architecture, genealogy. Relaxing, informative personalised tours.
THE MAYFLOWER (Rotherhithe) The co-owner of this stunning ancient pub captained The Mayflower, which set off from here in 1620. Decked jetty & upstairs candle-lit restaurant. Open 11am - 11pm Mon-Sun. Booking advisable.
SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL A priory established in 1106, parish church from 1540, now a South London cathedral, with strong American connections. +44 (0) 20 7367 6734 cathedraltours@southwark.anglican.org
0207 237 4088 info@mayflowerrotherhithe.com
+44 (0) 1747 828719 www.oldcountrytours.com
The American
Your Guide To Events in the UK
See our full events listings online at www.theamerican.co.uk Washington Old Hall The Avenue, Washington Village, NE38 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ washington-old-hall/ July 4 The Washington family historic home has presentations on the theme of Independence, and music from City Swing. Flag raising ceremony 11am.
Liberty Cheesesteak Phourth Phest The Normanby Pub, 231 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 www.libertycheesesteakcompany.com
1st annual Liberty Cheesesteak Company “Phourth Phest”. Celebrate Independence Day with us on Saturday, July 5 and enjoy our iconic Philly Cheesesteaks, tasty American beers, fries, pies and much more at London’s most authentic July 4 bash. Immerse yourself in Americana by having a go at “Flip Cup” or “Beer Pong” - or just sit back, relax and enjoy the All-American soundtrack and a refreshing drink with friends. Come early and stay late because this is one summer party you’re not gonna want to miss! Doors open at 12pm. Find us on facebook.com/ libertycheesesteakcompany and Twitter @cheesesteakUK
8 July 2014
Ulster American Folk Park 2 Mellon Rd, Omagh BT78 5QU www.nmni.com July 4 to 13 Live Bluegrass and Folk music, Punch and Judy shows and American games. Sulgrave Manor Sulgrave Manor, Sulgrave, Northamptonshire OX17 2 www.sulgravemanor.org.uk July 4 The ancestral home of George Washinton: battle re-enactments, American BBQ, Harley Davidsons, Cheer Leaders, an exhibition of Native Indian artifacts and a new exhibition. 4th July Limerick Limerick, Ireland July 4 An American family picnic, the Celtic Open Lacrosse Tournament and an American Raceday at Limerick Racecourse. American Museum in Britain Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD
www.americanmuseum.org 01225 460503 The only museum outside the US to showcase the nation’s decorative arts. Permanent: Kaffe Fassett and New World, Old Maps, exhibitions; Quilting Bees; kids’ & craft activities. This month: July 4th BBQ, Celebrate Independence Day with The American Museum; July 5th War of Independence Camps and Drills; July 5th 20th century music from the American stage and concert hall with Bath Opera; July 27th Albany-NY singer-songwriter Bryan Thomas skilfully blends acoustic rock with funk and R&B. Independence Day Picnic Portman Square, London W1 dauk-picnic-2014.eventbrite.co.uk July 6 Democrats Abroad UK’s biggest event of the year: live music, children’s activities and American food and drink! Tickets can only be purchased by American citizens.
The Blues Kitchen Southern Rock The Blues Kitchen, 111 Camden High Street, Camden, London NW1 7JN www.theblueskitchen.com July 4 The resident band performs everything from Creedence to The Allman Brothers. American Seasons by Candelight St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org July 4 Handel, Albinoni, Piazzolla, Barber, Vivaldi and Bach plus Mark O’Conner’s concerto, American Seasons. Benjamin Franklin House Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org July 4 Cake and a glass of bubbly in the home of one of the Founding Fathers of America.
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The American
The American’s expatriate canine UK correspondent goes tilting
The day my ears drifted
City Hall The Queen’s Walk, Southwark, London SE1 2AA 020 7706 8114 O London Bridge, Tower Hill Buses: RV1, 42, 343, 78, 47, 381, 188, 15
10 July 2014
PHOTO © KATRINA LESKANICH
C
ity Hall is a ‘green’ construction. Green because its unusual shape greatly reduces energy consumption and the heat generated by computers and lighting is recycled and they do something clever with the water too. The building tilts at 31 degrees, has a helical staircase and was designed by architect Norman Foster whose other London works include the Millennium Bridge and Wembley Stadium. City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London.
BUY THE BOOK: Extract from the book Peggy Lee Loves London, available on Amazon. Signed copies can be ordered from Katrina’s website www.katrinasweb.com/shop
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JAFFE & CO LLP AMERICAN TAX INTERNATIONAL US Expatriate Tax Services Established in 1981 and managed by Bruce L Jaffe, BA JD, we provide a full range of US and UK tax services for US expatriates residing in the UK and have over 55 years of cumulative experience preparing tax returns for US taxpayers. Please contact us today to see how we can help you. 020 8346 5237 www.jaffeandco.com info@jaffeandco.com 54 Hendon Lane, London N3 1TT
The American
A Tour Around Parliament You don’t have to be an MP or a Peer. Anyone can take a tour around the Palace of Westminster - even former colonials like us!
T
he Houses of Parliament are an iconic sight, seen on many a London postcard and a must-visit for those staying in the UK. Nestled on the bank of the River Thames, they are officially named the Palace of Westminster, and have been the permanent home of Parliament since the 16th century, when Henry VIII vacated the property preferring to take up residence in the Palace of Whitehall in 1512. Over 500 years later, it remains the seat of power in British politics; an evocative place of history, ceremony and democracy. To walk the hallowed halls and stand in the famous chambers of this great building is a oneof-a-kind experience. It’s also an experience which anyone can enjoy, courtesy of special opening days where members of the public and visitors can choose from a range of tour options to take a memorable walk around the Houses of Parliament. As spectacular as Parliament
12 July 2014
is from the outside, little can prepare you for the feeling of tracing the steps of such figures as Sir Winston Churchill, The Queen, and even Barack Obama. The tours take you into the heart of Parliament; through St Stephen’s Hall to Central Lobby, and then through the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the two key debating chambers in British politics. Each of these rooms is overflowing with history. The construction of Westminster Hall, where tours begin, was completed in 1099 by a Norman King, William Rufus, and has been the site of countless historic scenes – including King Charles I’s sentence of execution, which was decreed there in 1649 after the English Civil War. Today the Hall still carries out Royal and ceremonial function; in 2011 Barack Obama became the first US President to address Members of both Houses when he spoke in the
Hall, before taking a tour himself around the two chambers. Each room the tours visit has a thousand stories to tell. St Stephen’s Hall marks the spot where the old Commons chamber was situated. In 1812, in the Lobby of the old chamber, Spencer Perceval fell victim to the first and only assassination of a British Prime Minister. St Stephen’s Hall is also the site where, in 1909, suffragettes protested for women’s rights to vote, by chaining themselves to statues. You can still see the broken spur on the shoe of one of the statues, where the police cut their chains. Some stories are more recent. June 2014 saw the annual State Opening of Parliament, where Her Majesty attends the House of Lords to deliver her Government’s policies for the coming parliamentary year. Tours take in the Robing Room, where she prepares for her speech, known as The Queen’s Speech, by
Left: In the chamber of the House of Commons IMAGE CATHERINE BEBBINGTON Near right: Not everyone gets a conducted tour like this! President Obama in 2011with Speakers: the then Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, and The Speaker, the Rt Hon. John Bercow, Right: The Central Lobby between the two Houses ALL IMAGES © HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT
putting on her Crown and robes. The State Opening of Parliament is a prime example of the buildings’ continuing ceremonial role, and it’s incredible to think as you walk through its halls that you are in the presence of traditions, emblems and legacies which have lasted for centuries. Parliament remains a living piece of history, and continues to play an important role in the modern British political system. These tours allow you to discover that role, and the stories of how the Houses of Parliament have developed through the ages. Audio tours as well as guided tours are available and you can opt for the one which works best for you. We recently enjoyed an audio tour of the building with friends, and found its flexibility worked well for our itinerary. We were able to wander around each room as the audio devices informed us of the Palace’s history, and offered us the chance to listen in to further stories when we came upon particularly interesting parts of the tour. You’ll be glad to know that the audio tours are perfectly executed; the Houses of Parliament staff are friendly, courteous and happy to offer guidance and more information as you walk around, and this
particular tour proved to be one of our favorites in central London. The guided tours are an ideal opportunity for those who want to really learn more about Parliament. The guided tours follow roughly the same route as the audio tours, and are led by Blue Badge guides, who really know their history. The guided tours are invaluable for those who want to ask questions, gain some fascinating insights and learn some incredible stories about the building and the people who have worked and spent time there. Ultimately, if you enjoy history, you’ll enjoy either of these tours, but it’s good to know the choice is there so you can make a visit to Parliament your own. After your tour, a fantastic option is to take afternoon tea in the Terrace Pavilion. The Terrace sits on the bank of the Thames, offering incredible views of the river, Westminster Bridge and the surrounding area. The tea includes your choice of hot drink, delicious savouries and sweets, and gives you a moment of time to reflect on where you are, the building you’ve just walked through and the history that has taken place there. On a less lofty scale, it’s also a lovely place to discuss the tours with your friends and family!
What really impressed us about the Houses of Parliament is how smooth the whole experience feels. We visited on a hot, busy Saturday afternoon, and touring Parliament was as relaxing an experience as you could ask for in a central London venue. The guides and staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful, and the tours do justice to the great history of Parliament. Do allow 20 minutes for security checks using airport style scanners at the start of each tour, and be aware that visitors enter through the Cromwell Green Entrance. There is also a well stocked cafe and gift shop just by Westminster Hall for the start or finish of your tour. If you want to spend time walking in the footsteps of Churchill, Kings and Queens, countless Heads of State, and some American Presidents too, the Houses of Parliament are not to be missed. Both the audio and guided tours around the Houses of Parliament, including both the Lords and Commons chambers, are available on Saturdays throughout the year and on most weekdays during holiday periods including the summer, Christmas and Easter. Full details can be found at www.parliament.uk/visiting.
July 2014 13
The American
Miss Patricia Even The Butler Was Poor Introducing Miss Patricia, known to her first husband as ‘ex-Pat’, who shares her experiences with The American in hopping the pond. This month she learns - the hard way - about acquiring some British culture
E
ven the butler was poor... My mother used to say that. Her little joke came to mind recently when I went to hear a former butler speak about his experiences working for several Aitch-Are-Aitches, as he called them. With pale British skin, I pass as a local. But as soon as I speak, everyone knows that back home, we sit around the campfire farting after bean suppers, so I leapt at this opportunity to acquire some glossy British culture. At last! I could finally learn the answer to the burning question of whether milk is added before or after tea is poured! I polished my pearls and clattered on over, in heels as comfortable as broken glass. Grant Harrold was accompanied by his event management partner, the Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, who sat to one side gazing at him with the fond approval of a parent at a tap recital. Perhaps she was there as a minder? If he suddenly
14 July 2014
became hopelessly indiscreet, was he to be ‘taken out’, as my neighbors believe Diana had been? Recently I suggested at a party that a car accident seemed an uncertain way to ensure a murder, and my English companion replied darkly: “She was never going to reach that hospital alive.” Today’s princess looked competent enough, if duty called, to smother anyone with a hotel pillow. She mentioned that she was related to the royal family on BOTH SIDES: she doesn’t have to watch Who Do You Think You Are? to find out the answer. But my American upbringing prompted niggling doubts. Did she play a mean banjo? I checked for Pomeranian pop eyes, but she had the regular round kind. Mr Harrold had the shiny demeanour that keeps a man a boy for life: a beamish smile and eager-for-anything personality had helped him rise in the ranks of the well pressed. Royal servants seem
a bit like palace pets (although this one nipped the hand that fed him with a tiny lawsuit that went unmentioned). In fact, he reminded me of the second Mr Patricia, sometimes described as The Labrador of Husbands. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that marriage to me is very like being in service, and those ‘some’ are very unlikely to get juicy invites to my totally glam Mayfair flat. Loyalty is the real requirement for royal service, and I wondered how one tests applicants for that. An acquaintance, a footman at Buckingham Palace, once plopped himself down to table, announcing stoutly: “I work for the Queen, and I won’t hear a word against her!” In contrast, American bankers don’t announce who they work for; they confess. Mr Harrold had butled at Highgrove …now known for attractive country tartans, hen houses and hampers. The itchy topic of com-
The American
Butling 101: listen to your Master’s (or Mistress’ ) Voice
mercialism must be addressed another day, but the fact is that if one spurns filthy lucre a family estate may soon be the family’s no more. Highgrove! Great news: I would not only emerge with a sure hand at the teapot, but gossip about Charles, about whom I have divided feelings. On the one gloved hand, we share common interests in organic food and model community development. On the other, I haven’t forgiven him for marrying those other women, when I was plainly better suited to running England while he was out riding. Although in fairness, William would have been a lot shorter and couldn’t tower imposingly over other future monarchs in times of crisis, perhaps threatening the course of history. Time mellows these wounds. The milk question never was fully resolved. Our man made the point that adding milk first prevents cracking antique china. But OTHER
Former Butler Paul Burrell, disgraced after trading royal secrets for squillions, claimed it’s tea first; milk after. It’s The Battle of the Butlers! Ultimately, it appears that rich people get to have their flavored water however they like it. Americans often believe that England is very formal, because they haven’t watched Frank chasing his benefits in Shameless, and I did find myself laughing politely at the correct times instead of when I really wanted to. But it sure is dull being good. I vultured the room when the event was over, and plucked naughtily at a cake tier on another table — it was the hotel’s fault really, for limiting chocolate in a room full of women. But by doing so, I cosmically shoved my star into a falling phase, and just when I was doing so well, too. The campaign to fill the finishing school-sized hole in my life was destined to fail. I’d retreated to a ladies room with a sort of mule pack,
Downton Abbey ‘s Carson and Lady Mary PHOTO COURTESY CARNIVAL FILM & TELEVISION
smuggled in for a change before leaving. Halfway to nature, my Marks and Sparks value-for-a-pack-of-five was exposed by none other than the Princess Katarina, who burst in trailed by wittering groupies. I couldn’t help but notice that everyone but me had clothes on. At the moment when the Princess-Related-on-Both-Sides was demonstrating just how low to bow to the Queen, I took advantage of the distraction to zip off my tights. The dead silence that followed was a clue to glance down, where I discovered that static had caused more than the tights to come off, so my first personal meeting with royalty was even more memorable than I had hoped. Other ladies making the same display to royal persons have received handsome rewards, like Marble Hill House, so I am hopeful.
July 2014 15
A Different View of Britain Industrial heritage with a fascinating history - Canals have been reinvented for recreation. Tony Ricks, volunteer at The London Canal Museum, tells us more
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he canals of England and Wales form, with the natural rivers, a network of navigable waterways that have proved a great national asset over their 250 year history. Built through hard labor and inventive engineering they made the industrial revolution possible by enabling the bulk transport of raw materials and finished goods. Accessible and easy to explore on water, or by foot or cycle along the towpath, canals are now used for leisure purposes and are a great way to explore the country’s rural and urban life. Several museums tell the story of canals.
History
The great age of canal building was the century between around 1750 and 1850. The industrial revolution created the need for transport of bulk materials, especially coal and iron ore, as well as finished goods such as pottery. Before that time bulk goods were transported over long distances by river or sea with local transportation dependent on horse and cart. The canal
16 July 2014
network grew rapidly and linked the industrial areas of the North and Midlands with already navigable rivers, sea ports and large centers of population like London, Manchester and Birmingham. The emergence of the railways in the mid 19th century meant that canal companies were forced to cut costs, but even so commerce on the canals gradually declined. One way of cutting costs was the introduction of family run boats. Where previously two bargees would have worked a boat while supporting their families living ashore, now one man and his family lived in a small cabin behind the cargo area, all of them working hard afloat as boats plied their trade. It was a new way of canal life.
Engineering and Craft
Canals were an engineering marvel, reliably transporting floating cargoes over an often highly contoured landscape. The supply and conservation of water was the uppermost problem for canal engineers. Where possible canals
were dug to follow the contours of the landscape but where this was not possible or economical a variety of imaginative solutions were employed, many of which can still be seen today. Locks were the usual way to enable a canal to climb and descend, but they use up to 50,000 gallons of water each time they are used. Rivers can be a useful supply of water for replenishment and reservoirs were sometimes built to feed canals. Steam pumps and other water saving devices such as double locks and lock side ponds were also used to conserve and recycle water. There are some fine examples of canal engineering to be seen such as tunnels, aqueducts and mechanical boat lifts. The longest canal tunnel, at 3Âź miles, is the Stanedge on the Huddersfield Canal in Yorkshire. The majestic 1007 ft long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal 126 feet above a valley in North Wales and the Anderton Boat Lift in Cheshire lifts boats 50 feet between the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal.
The American
The canal narrow boat was developed as the standard canal craft although wider barges were used on broad canals. Just seven feet wide and up to 70 feet long, narrow boats were designed to navigate the narrow canals and locks typical of many parts of the network. Traditionally painted in the ‘Roses and Castles’ style they evolved from being horse drawn via the towpath to become diesel powered in the 20th century. Canal tunnels were generally too low and narrow for horses and did not have towpaths, so barges were ‘legged through’, two people walking the tunnel wall as they lay on the boat’s deck – a slow and laborious process. The horse-drawn era has left a legacy of canal towpaths which are now enjoyed by walkers and cyclists.
and dereliction. In 1948 they were formally nationalised but were not seen as being important and continued to decline. The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) was formed in 1946 to campaign for retention and restoration of canals and, through a series of legal battles and by mustering the support of enthusiasts and volunteers, many canals have been, and still are being returned to use. In 1967 it was recognised by government that canals should become a valuable and profitable leisure asset. Today they continue under the ownership of the Canal and River Trust and are open for all to enjoy and explore while enthusiasts still labor to restore other disused canals.
Restoration
Modern narrow boats for residential or holiday use are fitted out to a high standard to accommodate two to eight people on a self catering, self drive basis. Many companies hire out boats, typically for a week, and you can expect a relaxing time cruising countryside and town, stopping where you please - there are lots of lovely canalside pubs!
Well into the 20th century canals remained a vital part of the country’s transport infrastructure and were important in the two World Wars when they were taken into government control. After World War II canals became increasingly uncompetitive as road transport took over, and many fell into decay
Taking to the Water
Some effort is required to operate the locks though, which sometimes run in series. Alternatively you can take a short pleasure cruise from many places on the network.
Heritage
There are several museums whose aim is to preserve and to tell the story of canal heritage. The London Canal Museum, for example, located on Regent’s Canal tells the fascinating story of canals in the capital.
Links
MAPS www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers www.waterways.org.uk/pdf/wwwaterwaysmap INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION www.waterways.org.uk CANAL AND RIVER TRUST www.canalrivertrust.org.uk ENGINEERING: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/standedge-tunnel www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/anderton-boat-lift LONDON CANAL MUSEUM www.canalmuseum.org.uk TRIPS AND HOLIDAYS canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boat-trips-andholidays
July 2014 17
The American
The Mayflower Trail by Sue Allan
I
mprobable as it may seem, the rural Bassetlaw district of North Nottinghamshire may lay claim as the birth place of the United States of America. It was here 400 years ago that a small band of men of faith, hope and vision came together to forge the spirit and ideals that would mark out this future great nation. At the heart of this group were William Brewster, Post Master of Scrooby Manor and his young protégée, William Bradford, men who would later become known as ‘Pilgrim Fathers’. Brewster and Bradford were amongst those known in England as ‘Separatists’, Bible-based Christians who were originally a part of a wider movement known as the ‘Puritans’. The Puritan aim had been the reform of the Anglican Church which they regarded as ‘tainted’ by superstitions and ceremonies that held no Biblical basis. When reform failed to materialize the Separatists decided it better to leave the Church of England altogether and to form their own autonomous congregations. The problem was that the the head of the Anglican Church was the monarch. To turn against the Church of England was seen as akin to turning against the
18 July 2014
King, and to do that was treason. William Brewster allowed one such congregation to worship in secret at Scrooby Manor until they were ultimately forced to flee to Holland in 1608 and then sailed to the New World aboard the Mayflower in 1620. Brewster’s involvement with the Separatists had begun in earnest on his return to Bassetlaw in 1588. He was around 22 and had been away serving under high profile diplomat William Davidson. When Davidson fell from grace, Brewster returned home to Scrooby Manor to help his terminally ill father. During his absence the radically reformist clergyman, Richard Clifton, had become vicar of the picturesque church of All Saints at nearby Babworth. Disregarding the Anglican diktat that people could only worship within their own parish church, Brewster was soon breaking the law and travelling to Babworth to hear Clifton preach. Winding northwards from All Saints’, modern day pilgrims can still walk a narrow track, leading through the trees and echoing with birdsong, that was originally a section of the original Great North Road leading from London to Edinburgh through Scrooby.
MAP ©BASSETLAW DISTRICT COUNCIL
For a group of people who ultimately rejected the Anglican Church, once inside All Saints’ the eye is met with much to celebrate these local Separatists. In the porch is a plaque commemorating the 1955 visit of 150 Mayflower descendants and entries in the church visitor book bear the names of countless other Americans who have visited since. Just inside the main church the cover of the font is made of the same wood as the construction of the 1950’s replica Mayflower. By the organ in the nave is a model of the ship crafted entirely from matchsticks and on the north wall hangs a charming painting of Separatists walking to Babworth church, both were made by inmates of nearby Ranby Prison. Also in the treasured possession of All Saints’ Church is an Elizabethan silver Communion chalice and paten almost certainly used by Clifton and his congregation. It was discovered in 1950 under the church floor and had probably been hidden away from looters during the English Civil War. The church also holds an ancient copy of the Geneva or ‘Breeches’ Bible favored by Separatists.
The American Right: Austerfield Church where William Bradford was christened.
following the A614 is the tiny village of Austerfield, the childhood home of William Bradford. The house he is believed to have grown up in still survives and is a private family home. In the almost one-thousandyear old St Helena’s Church visitors can see and touch the font in which the infant William Bradford was baptized in 1590. Joining the Scrooby Separatists as a teenager, Bradford would become a prominent member of the congregation during its exile in Holland and later as Governor of Plymouth Colony, regarded as one of the leading figures in 17th century New England. It is also due to Bradford that we have a first-hand account of the Separatist’s struggle for religious freedom,
PHOTO ©ROGER VORHAUER
Outwardly William Brewster’s home village of Scrooby remains a small, ordinary place. Opposite the aptly named ‘Pilgrim Fathers’ pub a tiny lane leads to the mostly 14th century St Wilfrid’s Church where for a long time the Brewster family had worshiped before their escape from England to Holland in 1608. A short walk from St Wilfrid’s is the six acre site where the great timber-framed Archbishop of York’s Palace of Scrooby Manor once stood enclosed within a moat. It was here that William Brewster’s father served as Bailiff to the Archbishop of York and as the Master of the Post for the Crown. All that remains of the Palace today is the Tudor brick-built ‘House on the East of the Great Court’ dating back to the early Tudor period and referred to today as Scrooby Manor House. Within this building the features of an ancient private chapel have only recently come to light. Although Scrooby Manor is now a private family home, entrance onto this historic site is permitted as a part of a locally run ‘Mayflower Pilgrim Tour’ with ample opportunity to photograph the outside of William Brewster’s childhood home and General Society of Mayflower Descendants memorial plaques. Scrooby Manor may also be viewed independently from across the fields in Station Road (opposite the church). A few minutes’ drive northwards from Scrooby the Great North Road crosses out of the county of Nottinghamshire and into South Yorkshire at the pretty town of Bawtry. A mile or two further and
PHOTO ©ROGER VORHAUER
Below: A wing of the original Scrooby Manor
their flight to Holland, the momentous voyage of the Mayflower and of life in the early colony. In the north wall of the St Helena’s church is a modern stained glass window commemorating the life of William Bradford and depicting the historic signing of the 1620 Mayflower Compact, a document that firmly set down the principle of equality amongst all citizens and that would later lay the foundations of the American Constitution. Find out more about The Mayflower Trail at www.pilgrimfathersorigins.org. Sue Allan, the ‘Mayflower Maid’, is an expert historian on Bassetlaw’s Pilgrim connections and runs Mayflower Tours www.mayflowermaid.com
The American
Boston Connections The cells in which they were held
B
oston, on the East coast of Lincolnshire, also has a strong heritage in the rise of the Puritans and the Separatists. Records show that in 1607, the year that Jamestown was founded, the Separatists first tried to leave the country to escape religious persecution. After gathering as a group from various parts of the country the Separatists walked 60 miles from Scrooby to Scotia Creek on the edge of The Wash, where they had paid for transport across the North Sea to Holland. They boarded the boat (we don’t know its name) with all their belongings, but the ship’s master double-crossed his passengers and the local militia turned up to arrest them. The entire party of around 30 men, women and children were rounded up at a point near the Witham, now marked by the Pilgrim Fathers memorial near Fishtoft, and brought back to the town of Boston in open boats. Their incarceration in the medieval Guildhall proved a problem, the two cells, each measuring around seven feet by five-and-a-half feet, were overcrowded, and there appears to have been local sympathy for the prisoners. They were given free range in the kitchen area and the women and children were soon released. The seven male ring-
20 July 2014
Inside the Guildhall
leaders were detained for around a month. They were brought before the magistrates in the courtroom in the Guildhall, charged and released on bail to make their own way to Lincoln assizes (criminal courts). Not surprisingly none of them arrived! But they were not really pursued with vigour, and a year later sailed to Holland, spending the next 12 years in Leiden. Concerned that the children were growing up to be Dutch rather than English, and finding it difficult to speak the language and find work, on July 22,1620 they embarked from Delfshaven to Southampton, England aboard the Speedwell, which they’d bought, to meet the sister ship, Mayflower, which had been chartered by merchant investors. In Southampton they joined with other Separatists and the additional colonists hired by the investors. The Speedwell was already leaking, and the ships lay at anchor in Southampton almost two weeks while the Speedwell was being repaired and the group had to sell some of their belongings, food and stores, to cover costs and port fees. The two ships began the voyage on August 5, 1620, but the leaky Speedwell necessitated the two ships put into Dartmouth for repairs. They then set out for America, but 300 nautical miles
PHOTOS COURTESY BOSTON GUILDHALL
(350 miles) beyond Land’s End in Cornwall, the Speedwell was leaking again. Both vessels returned to Plymouth, and they all boarded The Mayflower for the New World. Puritan-leaning Rev John Cotton was appointed vicar of St Botolph’s Church parish church, Boston, (known as ‘The Stump’ because of its extraordinarily tall tower), in 1612. He attracted an educated and free-thinking Puritan congregation. Among them were a mayor, aldermen, a lawyer, MP, the headmaster of Boston Grammar School, a vicar, a merchant and a surgeon, who with many others attracted by Cotton’s charismatic personality and persuasive preaching, sailed for America in 1630, 1633 and 1634. Many of these movers and shakers from Boston became movers and shakers in the new and developing city of Boston, Massachusetts.The so-called “Boston Men” dominated the colony for its first 85 years and founded the Boston Free Latin School, modelled on the Boston Grammar School they had left behind – the foundation of state education in America. Based on information from the book Tales of the Guildhall, £3.50, from Boston Guildhall
PHOTO COURTESY SUMEET MOGHE
The American
A Notary in the UK ? It’s easy to find a lawyer here, but how do you get certified documents acceptable in the US? Edward Young explains all
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any US citizens require Notary services in the United Kingdom, be it for a court action or more commonly for a property transaction, but many struggle to find someone who can help and understand the difference between Notaries in the US and UK. Notaries in the United Kingdom are qualified lawyers regulated by the Court of Faculties. They require legal training which in total takes at least 6 years. Most of a UK Notary’s work has an international element, so the training they receive equips them to provide advice in processing documents for any country in the world. A UK Notary’s key job is to help domestic clients make their documents legal in a foreign jurisdiction. There are about 1,000 Notaries in England most of them work as solicitors as well but there are also some firms of Notaries in London who deal exclusively with Notarial work. Notaries have a duty of care to ensure that the person signing the document understands the docu-
22 July 2014
ment and is willing to be bound by it. So what are my options if I need a Notary for a US matter and I’m in the UK? You have two options. Firstly you can get an appointment with the US Embassy Notary – see http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/acs/ scs/notary.html. Or secondly and if you are in a hurry, you can use a UK Notary. UK Notaries are recognised and accepted in all US States. In some instances however, the authority of the UK Notary must be certified by the UK Government and this is done by a certificate on the Notary’s signature called an Apostille. The Apostille is issued by the UK Government’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office confirming the UK Notary’s standing. The best person to ask about whether an Apostille is required or not is the person you are dealing with in the US who can ask the court or land registry. From experience, the following 5 states require Apostilles for land and court matters: California,
Florida, Nevada, New York and Texas. Apostilles can be obtained on the same day and the Notary should be able to offer this service for you. What about fees? You will also find that being lawyers, UK Notaries charge more than their US counterparts, expect to pay anything from £75 upwards for Notarial services in the UK. Notaries in the UK usually break their charges down either by document or time. How do I find one? All UK Notaries belong to The Notaries Society, and they have a helpful search facility by town or postcode on their website www.thenotariessociety.org.uk. Edward Young is a Notary in London in the firm Edward Young LLP (incorporating Kober-Smith & Associates LLP). Office address: 9 Carlos Place, London W1K 3AT (next to the US Embassy) www.NotaryPublicInLondon.com 020 7499 2605
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Lincolnshire’s American Aviation Heritage
The American
Phil Bonner of Lincolnshire’s Aviation Heritage takes us on a tour
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radled between the Humber Estuary and The Wash, Lincolnshire was the second largest of England’s traditional counties with its ancient cathedral sitting proudly on Lindum hill in the city of Lincoln. It is a very diverse county which has much to offer the American visitor with its coastal attractions, the undulating wolds dropping down to the fens which lead to the port of Boston and its strong connections with the Pilgrim Fathers and Boston Massachusetts. The city of Lincoln was founded by the Romans which gave rise to the name of the city and hence the county. Originally known as Lindum the Romans established a colony there known as Lindum Colonia, which became shortened to Lincoln. The county has a rich and diverse aviation heritage and whilst it is often referred to as ‘Bomber County’ following the role it played in World War Two, Lincoln’s flying heritage goes back to World War One and features American aviators over the years. Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire (AHL) promotes the county’s aviation history, including this contribution made by those Americans. Following the entry of the United States of America into World War One both the United States
Naval Air Service and the Army’s Aero Service had a presence in the county. In 1918 the naval air base at Killingholme was handed over to the United States Navy. Members of the ‘Millionaires Unit’ who played an influential role in the early development of American naval aviation were stationed here, flying patrols in the North Sea looking for enemy shipping and just as importantly the raiding Zeppelins. A walk along the coastal footpath leads you to the remains of the jetty from which their seaplanes were launched. Meanwhile members of the US Army’s 11th Aero Squadron spent some time at what is now the present day Royal Air Force Waddington prior to moving across to the Western Front in France. After the war, members of the Squadron wrote up their memories of Waddington, which is located just south of the city of Lincoln. They spoke fondly of visiting such pubs as ‘The Wheat Sheaf’ and ‘The Horse and Jockey’, pubs which are still in existence today and are highly recommended to the tourist. Prior to the tragic events of Pearl Harbor, America was neutral and it was against American Law for anyone to sign up with a nation that was involved with hostilities. Nevertheless, 9,000 Americans
PHOTO’S COURTESY AVIATION HERITAGE LINCOLNSHIRE
crossed the border into Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and subsequently flew in combat from Britain against the enemy. During the Battle of Britain about 10 Americans took part, flying as either members of the RAF or RCAF. Shortly after the Battle the RAF formed three fighter squadrons manned by American pilots but commanded by an RAF Squadron Leader. These were Nos 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons of the RAF and were known as the ‘Eagle Squadrons’. All three squadrons were based at RAF Kirton in Lindsey in the north of the county at one time or another, where two of the Battle of Britain veterans, ‘Shorty’ Keough and Philip ‘Zeke’ Leckrone sadly lost their lives. Shorty has no known grave but Zeke is buried in the Kirton in Lindsey cemetery but as an officer in the RAF, not as an American. After Pearl Harbor the Eagle Squadrons’ pilots were no longer an embarrassment to the American Government but a much needed source of combat-proven fighter pilots and on 29th September 1942 the three squadrons were transferred to the American Air Force as 334th, 335th and 336th Squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group. Still active today at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base the squadrons are justly proud
July 2014 25
The American
The remains of Killingholme jetty PHOTO COURTESY PHIL BONNER
PHOTO COURTESY PHIL BONNER
of their Eagle Squadron heritage. On 29th September 2012, 70 years after that transfer, AHL arranged for a memorial to be unveiled in Kirton in Lindsey (below) to those brave Americans who stood up to the mark to fight for freedom. Another American who joined the RCAF was John Gillespie Magee who forsook his place at Yale University to train as a fighter pilot. Known as the ‘poet pilot’ he penned the aviators’ poem High Flight which was quoted by President Reagan on national television following the Challenger tragedy. John Magee was just 19 years of age when he lost his life flying from a Lincolnshire airfield and is buried in
Scopwick cemetery, again not as an American but as a member of the RCAF. He died just four days after Pearl Harbor. However it was not just American fighter pilots that flew with the RAF squadrons. Possibly the greatest bombing raid mounted from the county was by 617 Squadron on the DamBuster Raid and piloting Lancaster ED825 was Flight Lieutenant Joe McCarthy. Already the holder of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Joe was another American who had joined the RCAF and who flew from Scampton that night. He survived the war and remained in the RCAF before retiring back to Virginia, USA. The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa became the Officers Mess for 617 Squadron and is an ideal stopping off point for any tourist to the county, either as a place to stay or for a visit to sample the afternoon cream teas. Do make a point of visiting the ‘DamBusters’ bar and see the branch brought back from Russia by Nick Knilans, and read how he came by it. Nick was another American flying with the 617 Squadron, but after the Dams Raid. Nearby to Woodhall Spa is the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which is also well worth a visit. Included in the Flight is Spitfire AB910 which flew on active service with the American 133 Eagle Squadron. Appropriately it was this aircraft that flew over the
The Petwood Hotel
PHOTO COURTESY PHIL BONNER
memorial which was unveiled at Kirton in Lindsey. During the D-Day landings Major General Paul Williams commanded all of the American 9th Air Force Troop Carrier Squadrons from St Vincents House in the Lincolnshire town of Grantham, previously the Headquarters from where the RAF masterminded the Dams Raid. It was from nearby North Witham airfield that the advance party of the 101st ‘Screaming Eagles’ and the 82nd ‘All American’ Airborne Divisions were taken into battle, arriving on the drop zone just after midnight in the morning of 6th June 1944, the first Americans to land in Normandy. Now owned by the Forestry Commission one can take a nostalgic walk down the runway at what is now Twyford Wood. Lincolnshire has so much to offer not just to the aviation historian but to the tourist in general. Lincoln Cathedral owns one of the original copies of the Magna Carta upon which the American Declaration of Independence was based, and it will soon be on display in the nearby Lincoln Castle. To learn more about the county go to www.visitlicolnshire.com and for the aviation historians amongst you check out www.aviationheritagelincolnshire. com or e-mail aviationheritage@ lincolnshire.gov.uk
The American
An Englishman in New York
Almost every news programme on British TV and radio bears the stamp of Ron Onions, the mercurial genius who in the 1970s and ‘80s created the ethos of commercial radio news and current affairs. His surviving daughter Sarah reminisces on his sojourn as the big Apple’ s first BBC News organiser
M
y father had the enviable job of being first in the post of BBC News Organiser based in New York, so he really could make it his own. But even Ron Onions had to bow to local custom and an early test for him was waking up on the day after Christmas in 1967 and wondering – from our 18th floor apartment in Manhattan – where all that traffic noise was coming from. A call from the BBC office alerted him to the fact that Americans don’t celebrate Boxing Day. Fortunately LBJ had prepared a customary festive message so my father was able to oversee the production of that package for London’s consumption. The BBC office was based then in the Rockefeller Center so Dad could walk the few blocks to work from the BBC apartment on 1st and East 53rd Street up to Fifth Avenue. And there wasn’t time to worry about that gaffe, as he noted in Don’t Bring Lulu - Her Family’s Tale of Trial and Triumph. ‘Soon, though, there would be the New Year celebrations. That was the big event, a much grander affair than the rather dismal festivities we recalled watching in black and
white on television in Britain’. America provided a new canvas for Dad which meant he could move on from ‘Blighty’ as he called it. Many of his heroes were American: Jefferson, jazz greats, writers – some of which stemmed from his boyhood experience of listening to the US forces radio in London and later meeting GI’s at parties with his wife Doris. He made the best of opportunities based in New York – perhaps inspired by what he described as ‘All that lovely American energy’. He listened to and watched a wide range of radio and TV. He noted the catchy format of WINS – a New York city radio station who’s catchphrase was ‘Give us 22 minutes and we’ll give you the world’. He borrowed this idea when he took over the editorship of LBC Radio in London, scheduling segmented slots of news which broadcast through 24 hours for the first time in Britain. And for my father the move to America did represent a chance to perform on a world stage. The stretch of time that he served as News Organiser saw several dramatic events which seemed to mark
the end of a decade of social change as well as an ongoing military conflict and an astronomical first. It also meant he was able to work alongside some wellestablished ‘America hands’. These included Gerry Priestland, Charles Wheeler, Reginald Turnill and Leonard Miall. This was a team which the BBC liked. Gerry Priestland was twice Washington correspondent for the BBC and wrote a book called America – The Changing Nation. He worked in conjunction with Ron to cover the growing social conflict in the late sixties. Incidentally, he was also, earlier in the decade, the brave soul who was the on-air face of BBC 2 the night it went on air – or rather, it didn’t quite. The power failed and Priestland was reduced to broadcasting by candlelight. Four years later Priestland had more success as a reporter in that he was able to preview one of the most tragic assassination: that of the civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King. He had conducted an interview with Dr King several weeks before
July 2014 27
Far Left: Reg Turnill and Ron Onions check a moonshot script before transmission Near Left: Charles Wheeler reporting live
but it was broadcast on BBC 2 only three hours before he was shot. In New York my father took up the coverage of the assassination from the BBC apartment where we lived which was then on East 53rd street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan. We were sitting waiting for dinner which my mother was preparing in the galley kitchen. As normal, the Huntley and Brinkley news programme was on. The show presented by Chet Huntley and David Brinkley did not use photographic stills of movers and shakers for its news coverage, rather sketches set against a dark background. I saw a sketch of the civil rights leader flash onto the screen, my father turned around and immediately jumped up and crossed the large sitting room over to the phone where he called London. In those days newspapers still dominated journalism in Britain but my father still had time to book a satellite feed and send coverage of the shooting for the newsroom at TV Centre to include in a newsflash and the lunchtime news the next day. That was the last we saw of him that evening. As he commented on another newsflash, in Don’t Bring Lulu - Her Family’s Tale of Trial and Triumph: ‘Some days were long because of the five-hour time difference between London and New York. One night Doris and I had dozed off after dinner in the apartment with the television on at a low level. Suddenly we were aware that the
28 July 2014
president, Lyndon Johnson, was on the screen and halfway through a major announcement. Had he said, what we, only half-awake thought he had said? … The telephone began to ring off the hook and half an hour later I was in the NBC studios arranging a satellite transmission to London.’ Another member of the team at Dad’s disposal from his New York base was Charles Wheeler. Wheeler had been deployed with Ian Fleming’s Royal Naval Reserve in the Second World War. He moved to Washington in 1965. It was a period of massive change in American society with increasing pressure from the burgeoning civil rights movement. Sir Charles (he was knighted for services to broadcasting and journalism overseas in 2006) covered the race riots and Dr King’s assassination, as well as the growing opposition to the war in Vietnam. He and my father covered antiwar riots with a camera crew in Washington (where Charles lived with his wife Dip) and they all came back to us in Charles’ house at the end of that day talking about the acidic tang of tear gas. No flak jackets or health and safety training for journalists in those days. Reginald Turnill joined the Moonshot coverage later, after covering the Moscow angle of the space race. Reg died last year at the age of 97. He reported one of the stranger space missions – that of Apollo 13. By 1970 the American
TV networks had got bored with the Apollo Space programme and wasn’t broadcasting live. But Turnill kept an eye on the unlucky mission. He had interviewed all of the Apollo astronauts and was friends with Wernher von Braun, the architect of NASA’S moon programme. Earlier he covered the Apollo 11 moon landing and here you can see him writing a script in July 1969 with my father leaning over his left shoulder in the Mission Control Press Center (see above). The story of the ill-fated mission kicked off late in the evening of the 13th of April. Turnill had wrapped up his day’s reports on what was the 7th moon mission and was about to leave the almost deserted press area. He was preparing to go home and happened to take a routine look in on Mission Control. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the voice of astronaut John Swigert uttering the famously understated words: “Houston we’ve had a problem here”. Reginald Turnill broke the story to the world that Apollo 13 was in trouble. The news package was fed from Houston to the BBC New York office – then in Rockefeller Center – and then sent on the satellite link after Dad had checked it. Reg looked very full of chutzpah as he delivered this report, knowing he was one of the first to broadcast the story. While the US networks did not bother with the story, Hollywood later returned to it, recognising its worth, with the film Apollo 13
Left: New tourists in NYC Right: A rare moment at home
grossing $355 million. The final big player to work with my father was Leonard Miall, the United States representative of the BBC. Miall was an avuncular type of the old school who made my father welcome – Miall had been educated at Cambridge and was sent to work on psychological warfare in New York and San Francisco in 1942. He clearly did not duck tricky tasks as he was the journalist who had to tell General de Gaulle that a postSecond World War interview had not recorded on tape and had to be re-done. He returned to America in 1966 to run the BBC’s New York office, in charge of editing news coverage and also selling BBC costume dramas to American television channels. So my father had a talented team from which to organise news, including an office in a smart location in a Mad Men-style era where all the drinks were doubles. I later met a reporter who said the Beeb finally disbanded the office because of the high costs of the entertainment expenses. Dad also followed the age-old tradition of making contact with other journalists working out of the Rockefeller Center to try and get a handle on covering a big, busy young nation. He made use of the knowledge and experience in the offices of NBC and indeed on one occasion, overheard an experienced New York reporter known in the trade as a ‘stringer’ discussing Jackie Kennedy’s engagement to the Greek shipping
heir Aristotle Onassis. Dad immediately rang the duty Foreign News Editor at BBC TV Centre and asked him to ‘order up’ a still of Jackie Kennedy from the film and stills library. He asked if the still had been ordered. ‘Yes, they are running for it’ came the reply. He then revealed the story and unusually, the BBC ran the news of Jackie Kennedy’s second marriage using one source only, thereby scooping the opposition. The position of the BBC’s news organiser in New York gave him confidence to act on the world stage. When he returned to Britain that confidence took him into the development of commercial radio. He was invited to work at the soon to be launched Capital Radio by the film director Richard Attenborough. He went on to be the editorial director of LBC and IRN (Independent Radio News) where he established the credibility of LBC as a news radio station for London. Using the ideas he got from listening to WINS Radio in New York, he and a strong team of journalists and radio presenters built the listenership of the station to a level in 1979 where there were more listeners in London to LBC’s morning show ‘AM’ than to the BBC’s Today programme. His chutzpah launched the careers of distinguished journalists like Jon Snow and Peter Allen, and established Carol Thatcher as a phone-in host. When the Falklands conflict began, Ron had the confidence to successfully challenge the Foreign
The American
Office over its accreditation of reporters which had left Independent Radio News out of the coverage. He won that battle and journalists Kim Sabido and Antonia Higgs covered the conflict for Independent Radio News as well as the establishment broadcasters. As my father used to say, quoting from the Laugh-In programme which we used to watch in our Manhattan apartment on Monday nights, “Look that up in your Funk and Wagnall!” Don’t Bring Lulu by Ron, Doris and Sarah Onions can be bought from the Book Guild. £17.99, hardback. ISBN:978-184624-709-5. Order by phone +44(0)1235 465577 (weekdays only) or online via http://dontbringlulu.co.uk
July 2014 29
Dance For Parkinson’s PHOTO ROSALIE O’CONNOR
The American
W
ith the onset of Parkinson’s Disease goes a loss of dopamine in the brain. This chemical functions as a neurotransmitter, sending signals to nerve cells - for example, controlling movement and keeping energy levels high. Without dopamine, movement becomes involuntary and energy levels drop. Depression features high on the list of other symptoms, with 40% of patients feeling a lack of self-worth. Confronted with these symptoms, it is easy to understand why some people withdraw from life, never leave home and – most importantly – never exercise. However, many studies have shown that exercise can be enormously helpful in combating some of the worst symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease – but what sort of exercise is best? Two years ago, Olie Westheimer, the founder of Brooklyn Parkinson Group voiced her recognition of the importance of her members to participate in exercise - not alone but in a group social atmosphere totally unrelated to hospitals and doctors. She enlisted the help of the renowned American choreographer, dancer and director, Mark Morris, and the question of “which
30 July 2014
American choreographer Mark Morris’s programme of dance and movement can revitalize people with Parkinson’s Disease - and it has found a home at English National Ballet, discovers Judith Potts
exercise” was answered. With the support of The National Parkinson Foundation, Mark Morris devised a programme of dance and movement geared specifically for the bodies of Parkinson’s sufferers – and Dance for Parkinson’s was formed. Weekly classes are now offered in many American cities and the programme is rolling out across the world. In London, one of English National Ballet’s rehearsal rooms hosts a class every Saturday afternoon for Parkinson’s sufferers, their families or carers. Alan, a long-standing friend of mine who now has Parkinson’s, invited me to attend a class and see the remarkable effect that this dance form has on the people who participate - and their symptoms. So - having searched in vain for my old be-ribboned ballet shoes, not worn for 40 years - I visited my local ballet shop, acquired a new pair and joined Alan at Markova House, in London’s Kensington. Alan explained to me that, for all participants, “an important part of the experience is being in the professional arena. Not only do we have professional teachers but we also have the opportunity to learn how a production is put together;
to meet the dancers and musicians; to watch rehearsals and attend productions.” The mirrored and barred ground-floor rehearsal room, decorated with an archive of posters from productions of the London Festival Ballet which morphed into English National Ballet, was set with enough chairs for up to 40 people. Headed by Danielle Jones, ENB’s Lead Dance Artist for the Programme, the class today was led by Becky, ably assisted by Angela and several other ex-ballet dancers - not forgetting Nathan, who accompanied us on the piano and drum and led the voice-work. The class was conducted as if we were professional dancers but with a natural cheerfulness, un-patronising encouragement and a great understanding of Parkinson’s. Based on the method devised by Mark Morris, these classes allow participants to spend some time concentrating on the art-form that is ballet, rather than on their disease. Talking to people taking part, I heard how the classes “take me out of my every-day life” and, through carefully constructed exercises “help loosen my spinal area which, in turn, aids my stability and pos-
PHOTO ROSALIE O’CONNOR
PHOTO AMBER STAR MERKENS
The American
Left: Olie Westheimer partners Sam at Dance for PD at Mark Morris Dance Center Above and Right : Dance for PD at Mark Morris Dance Group.
ture” (something that can be lost as the disease takes hold). Mobility is improved, the rigidity of the muscles eased - and dyskinesia (the constant movements - often produced by chosen over-medication as an alternative to the stiffness), can be calmed - if only momentarily. The class time is certainly not “a piece of cake” but is a “joyful and joyous experience” for the participants and “the most rewarding class I teach” for Becky. “People leave uplifted and feeling totally positive”, was how Angela put it. The classes are always based on the current performance by the Company. Usually this involves the teachers selecting scenes from the ballet which can be simplified - but still kept as ballet steps - and danced by the class. However, the latest production will be four ballets under the title of “Lest We Forget” - using the different styles of choreographers Akram Khan, Russell Maliphant, Liam Scarlett and George Williamson. These have yet to be completed so, this term, the class is building an improvisation on the theme - using voice and movement.
Akram Khan’s background is in classical Kathak dancing from northern India. In contrast to the grace of classical ballet arm movements, Kathak movements appear rhythmic, sharp and with a direct intention. Sitting on our chairs to perform this section, I watched Alan out of the corner of my eye and realised that, as he concentrated on the Kathak movement routine, he had stopped shaking. The atmosphere in the room was one of exhilaration and elation. Indeed, one gentleman, with whom I paired to do a standing Kathak dance exercise, told me that at the end of each session he feels “Like I have had a drink”. Dance is not just physical exercise. Dr. Sara Houston, from the University of Roehampton, has conducted a research project into the benefits of dance for Parkinson’s disease. The results prove that the “communal motivation of the classes is an important part of life for people with the disease. Joining together to dance precipitated feelings of well-being, determination and achievement; provided a vehicle for social interaction (socialising
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP / BROOKLYN PARKINSON GROUP AND DANCE FOR PD ®
after the class with tea, biscuits and conversation); and offered opportunities to create movement and stimulate the imagination.” Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet, emphasised to me her belief in the importance of the programme and her determination to support the roll-out to other cities in the UK and globally. English National Ballet’s sister company in Queensland, Australia is already providing the classes. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is helping to fund the programme and to train teachers and musicians. So far, in the UK, there are classes offered in Liverpool and Oxford too but, given the numbers of people afflicted by Parkinson’s and the fact that there is at least one ballet school in each town, surely it should be possible for a teacher from each school to complete the training and offer the classes? For more information about taster classes and training please look on the website of English National Ballet, www.ballet.org.uk. Judith Potts writes a Health Blog for The Telegraph blogs at telegraph.co.uk/news/judithpotts/ She can be contacted at judith.potts@ telegraph.co.uk Twitter @JudithPotts
July 2014 31
The American
No. 4 St James’Square
Nancy Astor N ABOVE & LEFT: PHOTO ©GARY POWELL
ancy Witcher Langhorne (1879-1964), born in Daneville, Virginia, arrived on British shores in 1905, aged 26 years. She had survived a childhood of relative poverty (her father losing a fortune during the American Civil War) and a failed, violent, marriage from which she had custody of her young son. On a previous visit to England she had fallen in love with the country. During her second trip across the Atlantic in 1905, following her divorce, she met New York born Waldorf Astor, who had lived in Europe for most of his childhood and settled in England in 1889. After a short courtship they were married in May 1906. As an independent woman Nancy Astor would have been greatly influenced by the British suffragette movement, at its militant peak, at the time of her arrival; hunger strikes, public demonstrations and imprisonment of women were everyday headlines. She chose to distance herself publicly from the women’s plight, a decision that would have some effect on her later political ambitions. Waldorf, with Nancy’s support,
32 July 2014
PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Gary Powell looks at the life of this famous US Expat
was elected as Member of Parliament for Plymouth in 1910; a seat he would occupy until the death of his father and his elevation to the House of Lords in 1919. The death of her father-in-law was an opportunity for Nancy to make her mark in the world of politics and as a woman. She stood for the seat vacated by her husband. Her election win was a great personal triumph considering she was viewed as aloof and out of touch by much of the British electorate and had never publicly supported the suffragette movement. Her antialcohol stance also failed to impress the naval community living in her targeted constituency. However, she had earnt great respect for her charity work during the Great War and was seen as the strongest hope of giving women a voice at Westminster. Following her successful election in November 1919 she became the first woman to take a seat in the House of Commons in December of that year (the first woman actually elected, in 1918, was an Irish Nationalist, Countess Constance Markiewicz, who refused to take her seat).
Astor held her seat in Parliament for a further twenty-five years; devoting herself to issues of health and education for women and children before standing down at the end of the Second World War. Nancy was out-spoken and put her point of view across with vigour during parliamentary debates, often interrupting senior parliamentarians such as Winston Churchill. On one occasion she confronted the great war-time leader with some venom: ‘Sir, if you were my husband I would poison your tea’, to which Churchill retorted; ‘Madam if I were your husband I would drink it’. A blue plaque honoring Nancy Astor can be viewed at No.4 St James’ Square, London, a former home of the Astor’s. It was unveiled, appropriately, by Britain’s only female Prime Minister – Margaret Thatcher. Gary Powell, a retired London detective, is author of Square London a social history of the London square. His latest book Death in Disguise is published in October 2014 (History Press). He also conducts several walks of London. Garypowellauthor.co.uk
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The American
Jenius Social J
enius Social is a new foodie funhouse a stone’s throw from Holloway Tube in North London. Founder Jennifer Yong has combined her two loves, food and socialising under one roof. Great idea!
34 July 2014
London has gone absolutely mad about food. Open markets, street food, restaurants of every ethnicity and a slew of TV shows have taken the country by storm. The genius of Jenius is combining all of these culinary trends in a social setting where you can meet and eat. Oh yes, and drink. The space is very versatile and can accommodate events both in and outdoors. You can simply hire the space for private or corporate functions. Jen can pair you up with one of her partners who can cater to just about any type of food event you can imagine. I’m sure you could just sit and be served, but the point of the place is to get everyone cooking together. You know, bonding over butternut or filleting and flirting; that sort of thing. The heart of Jenius though, is the multitude of master classes and workshops for people to improve
Studio 8, The Studios Islington, 6 Hornsey Street, London N7 8GR www.jeniussocial.co.uk Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick their culinary skills while meeting others who are equally passionate about food. All classes are one-off so there is no long term commitment and each runs from 2 to 4 hours with a bit of socialising afterwards. Prices range from £25 to £45 depending on the ingredients used. The champagne and oyster class however is £60. On offer are classes in various ethnicities, patisserie, knife skills, dinner parties…the list goes on and on. The wet workshops include cocktail dating, whiskey and pairing, coffee masterclass and organic wines. In short, there is something for just about every taste. Or should that be a taste for just about everyone?
The American
Reform Social & Grill Mandeville Place, London W1U 2BE www.reformsocialgrill.co.uk Reviewed by Michael M Sandwick
I
went to a Reform Social & Grill event last week to sample their new menu. Smart move! Each of the seven courses was paired with an ab fab wine. So good in fact, it was very difficult to say no to a second glass. So I didn’t. Hmm…that’s 7 courses x 2. Do the math. Needless to say, I was feeling no pain by the end of the evening. In my defence however, neither was anyone else. Weakness loves company! Reform gets its inspiration from the classic tradition of English gentlemen’s clubs. Its location at the Mandeville Hotel in the Heart of Marylebone is the perfect spot for it. It is a place to get comfortable and hang out, hence the Social & Grill. On occasion they have entertainment for those who want to make a night of it. Too, there is breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea. Gentleman’s tea at that, if you prefer a sausage roll with your Darjeeling. Seven courses gave me a good sense of the food. It’s not ground breaking, just good solid Lamb Chop with lamb kidney, and a mint and caper sauce
food. Think posh pub. The emphasis is on the fact that it is 95% British sourced, ensuring its quality. Chef Sergio Neale has gone for simple and delicate, rather than bold. At times I might have preferred a little more wow factor, but I was never in doubt about the quality of the ingredients. And the presentation was always beautiful. Prices are reasonable for that part of town. Starters run from £5 to £9.50, mains £12 to £29.50 and desserts are all £6.50. As usual it’s the booze that will determine the final outcome. Wines start at £19.50 a bottle and end at £299 for Louis Roederer champagne but most are mid range and there are some real gems. Ad Hoc Wallflower Riesling from Western Australia was a stunner. Larry Cherubino is the only Aboriginal
vintner in the world. He is a star. I defy anyone to drink but one glass of this wine! Of all the food, my favorite was the black pudding Scotch egg with real ale ketchup, apples and pickled celeriac. Perfectly cooked, the marriage of flavors was exceptional. I generally snub my nose at ketchup unless it’s served with chips. This one though was fantastic. Dark, rich and smokey, they should bottle it and give Heinz a run for their money. This dish was paired with a San Marzano, Primitivo from Puglia, Italy. Very dark with an amazing concentration of grape. A top up was absolutely required. Second was the lamb chop with lamb kidney, mint and caper sauce. The lamb was very tender and flavorful. Top. Served with a Marlborough Pinot Noir by the New Zealand vineyard Saint Claire, which has been named best winemaker in the world five times. So how could I possibly say no to a second glass? Or the Hamilton Russell Chardonnay…or the Hess, Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel...
July 2014 35
The American
Cellar Talk Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye B
efore the Depression, rye was the United States’ favorite whiskey. This knowledge came to me when 222 bottles – 195 bottles of twenty year old bourbon and 27 bottles of rye – of Van Winkle whiskey were stolen from Buffalo Trace Distillery about a year ago. The loss to the company was about $26,000, which in my math comes to about $117 a bottle. None of these bottles were specially packaged or bottled in crystal, just 222 bottles of what most people consider great American whiskey. The interest in American whiskey is growing. I’ve met a number of people who are switching from wine to their greatgrandfather’s favorite drink. The demand for whiskey over twenty years old is at an all time high which means the price is moving up fast. Twenty year old bourbon is almost impossible to locate but a rye that ages is no
36 July 2014
Above: The Few Spirits distilery at 918 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, IL
By Virginia E Schultz
longer around. Recently, 273 bottles of Michter’s Celebration sold for $3,500 each. Other brands haven’t quite reached that high, but who knows what will happen in another few years if you can find it? This has created some concern in the American whiskey industry. Will newcomers turn their noses up at bourbon or rye under twelve years old when they’ve been told the best is 15 years and older? I have friends who refuse to drink anything but premier cru French wine which is fine if you can afford it. Unfortunately, most of us can’t. Of course, my theory is that too much of a good thing can become boring. One of the memories from childhood is sitting on my grandparent’s patio with my grandfather and watching him enjoy a glass of whiskey with a cube of ice. Even my grandmother from a Quaker background would indulge in a glass from time to time.
Bourbon began to take over rye because its main ingredient, corn, was cheaper. In the early 1900’s, a Civil War veteran would want his Manhattan or Sazerac made with rye, his nose turning up at the thought of any other whiskey. The young professional would have probably chosen bourbon, a sign he lived in a big city like New York or San Francisco. I might add, both the Manhattan and the Sazerac trace their origin back to the 19th century. Recently I enjoyed Few Spirits Rye with two friends who know their whiskey. It’s a craft-distilled American whiskey retailing at around $60 a bottle. My friend, a Scot, was very impressed. He is planning to go to a 'whiskey fest' in New York on October 29th. There is a similar one on October 3rd in San Francisco. Tickets run out quickly. For more information: www.whiskyfest.com.
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The American
American Impressionism: A New Vision
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Rd, Edinburgh EH4 3DR July 19 to October 19
Xavier Pick ,On Psychological Operation in the Garden of Basra, Iraq, 2009-10 mixed media drawing, pen and ink, digital print on Hahnemühle German etching paper Photoshop digital manipulation, acrylic paint and glazes ©RWA PRESS
Back From the Front: Art, Memory and the Aftermath of War Royal West of England Academy, Queen’s Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX July 19 to September 14
War has been at the forefront of minds during 2014. This event explores the theme of conflict and memory. Incorporating four exhibitions: Brothers in Art reunites the work of leading British landscape artists, John and his lesser known brother Paul, Nash, who were Official War Artists in both the World Wars. Spanning each artist’s career, the exhibition features over forty works, including watercolors and drawings from public and private collections. Shock and Awe looks at the more recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans.
38 July 2014
Among the artists are Tim Shaw RA, David Cotterell, and Elizabeth Turrell RWA, plus Mario Minichiello and Xavier Pick, who were commissioned to record British and US troops in the war zones of Iraq. The Death of Nature is an ongoing series by contemporary artist Michael Porter RWA – and fits in well with the wider event’s theme of the environment, the world around us and conflict, while Re-membering, in partnership with the Bristol 2014 Project, features responses from artists, writers, architects and composers to commemoration and memorialisation. Frank Weston Benson, Eleanor, 1901, Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Gustav Radeke. ©MUSEUM OF ART, RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN, PROVIDENCE
This exhibition, sponsored by the Terra Foundation for American Art, looks at the discovery of Impressionism by American artists in the late 19th century. The artists featured fall into four groups. The first sees the display of works by major figures such as Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargeant and James McNeill Whistler, who lived in Paris and were friends of French Impressionists including Degas and Monet. The second were American artists who were trained in Paris, or who settled near Monet at Giverny in 1887, whilst the third group were Impressionists working from within the USA such as William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam and Theodore Robinson. The final group known as The Ten, were ten Americans who left the Society of American Artists and built a reputation for their support of Impressionism. For more details see www.nationalgalleries.org.
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The American JD Fergusson, Grace McColl, Paris 1930 oil on canvas 36 x 29 in. (91.4 x 73.7 cm) ©RICHARD GREEN
Max Weber: An American Cubist in Paris and London, 1905-15 Ben Uri Gallery, 108A Boundary Rd, London NW8 0RH June 25 to October 5
The Scottish Colourist: J. D. Fergusson
Pallant House Gallery, 9 North Pallant Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1TJ June 26 to September 21 If you missed it at the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, here’s another chance to see the first major retrospective in almost 40 years of the work of John Duncan Fergusson (1874-1961), one of the four Scottish Colourists. Bringing together over 60 paintings and sculptures from major public and private collections from across the UK, including two series of landscapes reunited for the first time in almost 100 years. With a career encompassing the birth of modern art in Paris, to revitalising the arts scene in Glasgow after the outbreak of World War Two, Fergusson is the most international and diverse of the Scottish Colourists. An artist of passion and sensuality, he is best known for his depictions of women. The exhibition includes some of his most admired paintings such as The White Dress: Portrait of Jean, 1904, a life-size image of Edwardian femininity featuring Fergusson’s partner Jean Maconochie, and Portrait of Anne Estelle Rice, a striking depiction created in 1908 of the American artist.
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Running until October 5th 2014, the first major UK Museum show dedicated to works by the RussianAmerican Jewish artist, widely acknowledged within the United States for introducing Cubism to New York. The exhibition explores his life and work and his key role in the cross-cultural dialogue between London and Paris. Covering the breadth of his career, the exhibition feature pieces created in Paris, such as Weber’s graphite Portrait of Matisse, and works such as Apollo in Matisse’s Studio. It also documents Weber’s meetings with American photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn in New York. Coburn’s album of 79 photographs of Weber’s work, together with an important portrait of Coburn by Weber, and Coburn’s reciprocal photograph of Weber are on display. His influence on the British avantgarde is also reviewed, through his inclusion in Roger Fry’s first Grafton Group Exhibition at the Alpine Club Gallery, London in March 1913. Max Weber, The Dancers, 1912 © UNIVERSITY OF READING
Felicia Fletcher, Link Cast stone, 183 x 122 cm, £7,500 IMAGE© ANNABEL MOELLER
Open Air Sculpture at Knebworth Knebworth House, Knebworth, Hertfordshire SG3 6PY July 9 to August 31
This new open air exhibition, curated by British Art Portfolio in association with Knebworth, sets up home in the idyllic gardens of Knebworth House, showcasing the work of 19 sculptors. Each displays pieces which have been made using materials including bronze, wood, marble, stone, copper and stainless steal. The sculptures themselves cover a wide range of subjects and styles. Among the highlights of the show are two pieces by David Worthington, who was shortlisted for the Jerwood Sculpture prize in 2009, titled Staman and Erythrocyte. John Sydney Carter, whose work can also be seen outside the Anglo-American building in Carlton House Terrace, London, brings his love of the sea to the event with Heron Form, a 140cm high bronze sculpture inspired by sea life. Also on display are works by eminent sculptors including Felicia Fletcher, Helen Denerley, Mark Coreth, Jo Seccombe, Tessa Pullan, Geoffrey Dashwood and Rupert Merton.
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Coffee Break GENERAL QUIZ ➊ What is the smallest Independent State in the world? ➋ In the UK, what does VAT stand for? ➌ Which presenter hosted the US version of game show The Price is Right for over 30 years?
Who is this Confederate spy? (see It happened 150 years ago)
➍ What was the name of the family dog in The Jetsons?
⓭ What is the State Bird of Texas?
➎Who was the third Astronaut of the Apollo 11 mission
⓮ Robert Sean Leonard played which character in the
➏ Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel were members of which
⓯ Which book features Bertha Mason, the character
2013 production of To Kill a Mockingbird at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre?
which took Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon?
British rock band?
colloquially known as “The Mad Woman in the Attic”?
➐ Which English poet wrote the epic poem Paradise
⓰ Which of these gases is lighter than air?
Lost?
➑ What subject did Milton Friedman write on? ➒ What was the name of the flagship Greenpeace boat
a) Hydrogen b) Oxygen c) Carbon Dioxide
⓱ What material is not used when growing plants using hydroponics?
which was sunk in 1985?
➓ Which actress played Xena in Xena: Warrior Princess? ⓫ Under which US Attorney General was Alcatraz Prison closed?
⓬ Bobby Ewing is a fictional character in which US soap opera?
⓲ As of 2013, which South American country has the largest proven reserves of oil?
⓳
The plastic horn known as a Vuvuzela made a noise at which Soccer World Cup?
⓴
Which year is known as MMX in Roman Numerals?
Right: The infamous Alcatraz, but when did it close? (see question 11) PHOTO RONNIE MACDONALD
PHOTO COURTESY NASA
The Apollo 11 crew. Can you name them? (see question 5)
2
ANNIVERSARIES QUIZ
6 7 3 8 1
6
It happened 50 years ago...
8
➊
July 2, 1964: the Civil Rights Act was signed into US law, abolishing racial segregation. Which president signed it?
9 5 7
It happened 100 years ago...
➋ J uly 29, 1914: The first transcontinental telephone link is made between New York, and which other American city?
3
4
5 7 1
5 9
1
7 4
6
5 7 2 8 6
5
It happened 150 years ago...
➌ July 29, 1864: Which female Confederate spy was
arrested by Union Troops during the US Civil War in July of 1864?
It happened 200 years ago...
➍ July 19, 1814: Marked the birth of which
Connecticut born American, who later became famous as the inventor of a well known type of revolver?
It happened 250 years ago...
➎ July 23, 1764: James Otis Jr.’s tract The Rights of
the British Colonies was published in Boston; what pervading subject did Otis argue?
It happened 300 years ago...
➏ July 20, 1714: The UK Longitude Act was passed, launching the Longitude prize. For what?
Quiz answers and Sudoku solution on page 65.
July 2014 43
Audrey Braddock (Zoë Ann Brown) and daughter Perci (Zoë Simons ) discuss wheaty matters
How To Build A BetterTulip
PHOTO ©RICHARD DAVENPORT
The American
Tabard Theatre 2 Bath Road, Chiswick, London W4 1LW Reviewed by Peter Lawler (Run ended May 31)
O
h so much more than it at first appears to be, Mark Giesser’s play, How To Build a Better Tulip, is a story about science, ambition, calming the voices in your head, family, loyalty... and tulips. It takes us first into South Holland University’s Horticulture Department, where we meet wickedly sardonic plant scientist Audrey Braddock, played with artful cool by Zoë Ann Brown. Recently returned from South America, Braddock finds herself embroiled in a territorial dispute over greenhouse space with a rival academic. So far, so entertaining, especially watching Braddock’s heroine sting her unironically and gratingly chipper assistant Sheila Crouch (played with brilliantly artless innocence by Molly Vevers) with a series of incisively delivered one liners. What adds depth to this comedy is what happens once Braddock is left alone with her thoughts. It turns out that being the descendant of a pioneering 17th century Dutch plant scientist dedicated to breeding the elusive black tulip is a bit of a psychological burden, as Braddock’s
ancestor, Carolus Hoofdorn (played with a wily and mischievous charm by Martin Wimbush) comes to life and attempts to achieve his dream vicariously, egging Braddock on to resort to unethical means to breed the rarest of flowers, a black tulip. When we find that Braddock’s young rival, Adrian Vanderpol, also has a voice in his head (played with avaricious and delightfully desperate cunning by Vevers) spurring him on, and that he is romantically entangled with Braddock’s duplicitous femme-not-so-fatale daughter Perci (eminently watchable Zoë Simon), the farcical ball rolls itself further and further towards a mixture of intrigue and hilarity as the four compete for control in a perfectly timed syncopatic verbal dance. Giesser draws his inspiration, loosely, from a nineteenth century novel by Alexander Dumas, but seems to hint along the way at other, more contemporary narratives. Chiefly, the play reminds one of the superb Charlie Kaufman film Adaptation, also heavily concerned with the discovery of
rare flowers, and in its stylistically surreal psychological conceit there is a dash of Kaufman’s earlier Being John Malkovich, with the larger than life Dutch ancestor characters vying for and traversing the brains of their gifted descendants with amusingly whimsical abandon. This piece is skillfully constructed and masterfully executed, so my complaint is minor but at the same time niggling and significant. And it is the same as the issue I had with the last play of Giesser’s that I saw, The Code of The West. It is this: he builds this risky whirlwind of characters cutting each other down in verbal tête a têtes, the stage sizzling with a coquettish sort of chemistry between Perci and Vanderpol, a breakdown of the psychological and the social boundaries and all these unstable ingredients that seem to have such explosive potential. Yet it ends up feeling pretty mannerly and inoffensive. Intriguing, amusing and yet, conforming to certain comedic structures that close almost too neatly. Great fun, but it leaves you yearning for a little more chaos.
TKTS – FOR ALL YOUR THEATRE TICKET NEEDS We bet you know tkts in Times Square but did you know that the Society of London Theatre, the UK equivalent of the Theatre Development Fund, also runs a London booth? TKTS in Leicester Square offers tickets to the best shows in the West End with many at a discount. Come and see us today. www.TKTS.co.uk 44 July 2014
PHOTO © TRISTRAM KENTON
By Stephen Sachs Duchess Theatre, Catherine Street London WC2B 5LA www.duchesstheatre.co.uk Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell
The American
Bakersfield Mist T his new play marks a welcome return to the West End stage by Kathleen Turner who last wowed us in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Sadly, this slight piece doesn’t do justice to the talents of her or Ian McDiarmid. Set in a trailer park in Bakersfield, California, it explores ideas about the value of art and whether authenticity matters when a painting speaks to the heart. Based on a true story, Turner plays Maude, an eccentric, blousy broad who purchases a painting she actively dislikes for $3 in a thrift store as a joke present for a pal. A lonely ex-barmaid with time on her hands, she becomes fixated on the idea that it is an original Jackson Pollock. Trying to prove it, her final port of call is to employ the services of an art expert to deliver his verdict on its authenticity. Enter Lionel (McDiarmid), pursued by the neighbor’s rampaging hounds, a fastidious Manhattan art connoisseur who thinks this encounter should take him no more than 5 minutes. At 80 minutes the piece is both too long and too short. It might have worked as a 30 minute one-acter, but the attempts to flesh
it out by having both unburden themselves to each other doesn’t ring true for a second. What is it with commercial plays about art e.g. Art, which seem to be written as mere amuse bouches? The strategy seems to be, ‘Flatter them about art but get them to their restaurant reservations by 9pm’. We are to believe here that a prissy British (of course), ex-director of the Met, with a preening self regard bordering on the comic, would waste time, or his erudite put-downs, on this woman - or worse, engage in personal reminiscences with her. Sachs pits the effete connoisseur against the trailer trash moll and whaddaya know? She turns out to be smarter than him. We are also taken down a familiar intellectual cul-de-sac. Her trailer may be crammed with kitsch paintings, ornamental junk and wind chimes crafted from beer bottles (designer Tom Piper has done wonders) but she knows what she likes and, of course, Lionel hates it. Why bother with this pointless debate when in the ridiculously inflated art world, financial value has long ceased to have anything to do with
aesthetics? At one stage Lionel declaims, “nobody knows anything” and what would have given this play some edge would have been if he’d decided to cut her a deal. He is, after all, disillusioned with the commercialisation of the gallery world and feels he’s been screwed. That would cut through to the cynicism of the art world and be true to the essence of this piece, which while it flatters its audience with snippets of art theory, is as obsessed with money as a Wall St trader. This meditation on the nature of connoisseurship would benefit too from some degree of stillness. These are intellectual arguments. Instead, director Polly Teale (famous for physical theater) gives us farcical face-pulling, running about, even a brawl. Turner is wheezy rather than breathy and sports a lioness mane of hair, surely never that groomed by a sozzled trailer park ex- bartender. McDiarmid too is in the realm of cartoon caricatures and his ludicrous slow motion dance as he first examines the painting is straight out of the Marx Brothers. The programme notes however are excellent...which is never a good sign.
July 2014 45
The American
The PAJAMA GAME
The Shaftesbury Theatre 210 Shaftesbury Avenue London WC2H 8DP 020 7379 5399 www.shaftesburytheatre.com Reviewed by Tim Baros
Y
ou know a show is in trouble when it ends and the audience isn’t too sure that it actually ended. This is the dilemma facing The Pajama Game, now playing at The Shaftesbury Theatre. Sure, the performance is pleasant enough, with good music, good songs, a good and goodlooking cast, but it’s missing the WOW factor. There is no actual show stopping number, and scenes are just a bit above the radar. And as mentioned above, the show ends on a not very high note (meaning the finale is met with a thud instead of a thunderous ovation). The Pajama Game was a theatrical production in London in 1955 (running for 18 months) and then turned into a 1957 film (starring Doris Day), and this new theater version hasn’t really been updated since both appeared. It tells the story of factory workers at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory. They want a raise, seven and a half cents, but the company bosses won’t give it to them. The factory workers are represented by Babe what kind of name is that - played
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by Joanna Riding. She is a tough, pretty, single, ballsy woman not afraid of standing up to the bosses. The bosses, meanwhile, include Sid (Michael Xavier - a young Rupert Everett look-a-like). He’s a handsome, single and tall boss who has to answer to the company’s owner, Mr Hasley (Colin Stinton). So when the factory workers don’t get their raise, they simply just stop working. This puts Babe and Sid head to head in the negotiations, and its very predictable to see what’s going to happen between them - they will fall in love with each other. Between the striking and the negotiations, we are treated to fantastic dance sequences which are the best parts of the show. The best one takes place at the company picnic, the dancers are so in sync that they practically dance as a single entity. Alexis Owen–Hobbs (secretary to Mr Hasler) and Dan Burton, who plays a worker, are the most talented dancers I’ve seen perform in the West End all year. In her role as the secretary, Hobbs brings a dumb blonde personality to the
role, though one which we’ve seen done dozens of times before. Also noteworthy was Peter Polycarpou’s Vernon Hines. He plays the company goofball and shines in every scene he is in, taking the spotlight away from the show’s main stars. His scenes as a bumbling, knife-throwing and funny man are memorable. But one scene he is in that is supposed to be funny with him trying on a defective pair of pajamas goes nowhere. A factory workfloor is the main set but then the stage morphs into a picnic ground (with cardboard trees), and in another scene to a cabaret room. But it’s no consolation to the audience that at the end of the show the cast comes out wearing pajamas and Mr Xavier’s top is unbuttoned so that he can display his massive chest is a sight we really don’t want to see. So the bad things about the show outweigh the good things, and it’s unfortunate that The Pajama Game is at The Shaftesbury Theatre, as its previous show, From Here to Eternity, didn’t last that long. Expect The Pajama Game to do the same.
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In The Heights Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD 020 7407 0234 www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk Reviewed by Tim Baros (Run ended June 7th)
T
he Heights is the northernmost part of Manhattan, and it’s also the setting for this new musical. Finding itself not in Manhattan (after winning four Tony’s in 2008 including Best Musical) but at the Southwark Playhouse near Elephant and Castle, In The Heights is a musical about the various cultures living and surviving in The Heights, a vibrant mix of lower middle class, blacks, Hispanics, Latinos - the kind of cultures that many people say represents the true New York City. The show, which has a cast of what appears to be a couple dozen, is about Nina (Christina Modestou), a young woman who returns back home to The Heights after a stint at Stamford University in California. She lost her scholarship because of bad grades and has to break the news to her hard-working father Kevin (David Bedella) and mother (Josie Benson). Her father owns a cab company and employs a young black employee Benny (Wayne Robinson). Benny and Nina always had a thing for each other, but her father doesn’t want them to date because he feels that Nina could do better. There’s a corner bodega, run by Usnavi (a brilliant Sam Mackay) and his sidekick Sonny (a very good Damian Buhagiar). Across the
‘road’ there is a beauty salon run by the voluptuous Daniela (Victoria Hamilton-Barritt), who has the best lines in the show, and she delivers them perfectly - Sofia Vergara-style. Mix these various types of people and you get a show full of flavor and spice, and what a taste it is! The cast can sing, they can dance, they can move, they smile while running all over the small stage and continue to sing their hearts out. Nina’s father Kevin decides to sell his business in order for Nina to be able to go back to school, meanwhile Nina’s abuela Claudia (grandmother, played by Eve Polycarpou) tries to make sure the neighborhood stays safe, clean and peaceful. Claudia is lucky enough to win the lottery ($96,000) and decides to give some of the money to Usnavi, who always had a free cup of coffee for her. With the money he plans to go back to his home country. But there’s an intense heatwave, and a blackout (excellently played out), and the theater gets dark, and everyone’s lives are thrown into chaos for the night. Nina spends the night with Benny, while Claudia unexpectedly passes away. The next morning Nina’s parents have to deal with Claudia’s death, a very emotional scene as all the
characters gather around to pay their respect. Usnavi realizes that home is right there, in The Heights, so he no longer wants to leave, and Nina plans to go back to school. The true star of the show is Sam Mackay. He raps, and what a voice he has. He’s an excellent dancer and a great actor and he really comes into his own halfway during the show. If anyone breaks out of this show, it will be him. Also excellent is Buhagiar, he’s tiny but boy can he rap dance. The whole cast is very good and there is not one false note throughout the show. Director Luke Sheppard and choreographer Drew McOnie have successfully put on a show that was a huge Broadway success and turned it into a successful off off West-End show that is full of energy and talent. Southwark Playhouse is a bit too small for a show with huge ambitions, and a very large cast. A West End Stage would better suit it. But then again Southwark (and the surrounding area) has a large Latino and Black population, which is who the show represents. Would mainstream West End audiences embrace this show? I’d bet they would, and no doubt they would be infected with the fever that is In The Heights.
July 2014 47
The American
Who Are We...
And How Are We To Live? Ideas have consequences and it’s up to all of us to get engaged, says Alan Miller
N
ietzsche has some answering to do. Pronouncing that “God is Dead,” like a Shakespearean pact, we as humanity sway bloodied and stained…and altogether unhinged. In The Gay Science he famously declares in 1882, “And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?” He cannot answer of course, in the most obvious sense, although we are in constant dialogue with his Thucydides (below) faces down Nietzsche (opposite)
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ideas – whether we pursue them forcefully daily or merely meander through life; the ideas that inform our every notion and cultural landscape have been forged and carved by so many preceding giants. I feel as though I cheated myself at University. There I was, ready to absorb and learn and understand, yet demoralized by the pedestrian nature of higher education. A slice of economics here, a piece of epistemology there; some psychology and geography with history seeming insular and far off all meant a superficial dipping in without much depth. The demise of what the Academy should be has sadly continued since then. Students are ‘consumers’ who must be ‘edutained’. Knowledge for knowledge’s sake is out and MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses) are the vogue. Hard work, striving, painful pursuit of the truth have been replaced with a dumbed down edu-lite certificate. Still, I had no excuse – I could still read more, work harder and pursue further. There is little in our archipelago of thinking to encourage such behavior. Sadly today the entire ethos and spirit of higher education has been emptied out of much of its worth and meaning – like so many other institutions in the western world. This is why I’ve signed up to be a part of The Academy, an initiative by UK outfit The Institute of Ideas. For three days in July, attendees who
have spent months reading as much as they can go to discuss the ideas and work of some of the giants that have shaped our intellectual world. We are told so often today that “it is all relative” or “I don’t want to judge,” yet the cultural conformity and lack of exploration of ideas is astounding. We think we are free, yet are we everywhere, to paraphrase Rousseau, in our own chains? My inspiration to explore the world of the classics, great literature and history is utterly selfish; I want to be better. Also, I happen to think that a by-product of being more informed about where exactly we have come from, what ideas have paved the way for our current juncture, also positions us very well to understand it. And understanding something is always the precursor to changing it. Over the past couple of years, I have had my breath taken away by Frankenstein, been carried away with the passion of Wuthering Heights, struggled and raced with Moby Dick, and fallen in love with Goethe’s Faust, exploring the identity of the individual with Robinson Crusoe, pondering family life, the role of women and the changing map of society in Jane Eyre, Madam Bovary and Fathers and Sons. I knew nothing, to speak of, about Rome and the relationship between the Hellenistic world, Christianity and today. When Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door I got to see how an entire world
The American
becomes transformed gradually – then extremely quickly. From The Renaissance through to The Enlightenment there is a trajectory where humanity goes on a voyage of discovery. Alasdair Macintyre’s mindblowing After Virtue invokes Aristotle and the Greek idea of Fortuna to take issue with much of how we think today. Machiavelli’s The Prince provides a piercing glimpse into early mercantilist attitudes to ruling. These and more have helped choreograph a deeper understanding of the world we inhabit today. So when David Cameron declares that what Britain needs is further evangelism – or when much of the world declares that “the problem with the world today is religion” – I have a bit of a heads up. The problem of a ‘web of meaning’ – and of whether or of how to live The Good Life, if at all – is really the profound disillusionment in belief per se and a disdain for commitment to any ideas (and to anything much else too). In relationships, we find it hard societally to commit. The very notion of a commitment – an honor bound agreement – is smirked or outright scoffed at. Marriage? Well, y’know, we have ‘lifestyles’… Our inability to have any confidence in belief, I would suggest, is wedded in some deeply unsettling ideas about ourselves. I contend that we have drawn the conclusion that we, this bunch of hominids, are a pretty nasty bunch. This idea, or series of ideas actually, that humans are untrustworthy, nastily ambitious with greed, and simply corrupt toxic destroyers – some may even venture a virus on ‘Mother Earth’ – is concluded very much from the experiences of the Twentieth Century – of Stalin’s Gulag and
Hitler’s Auschwitz. Superimposed on this was the eventual collapse of the only apparent alternative to Capitalism leaving us living in a world not so much at the ‘end of history’ but in a world with increasing historical and cultural amnesia and ignorance. Living in the ever–present, cut off from the ‘nasty’ past and too fearful to contemplate a dreaded future. It is also however, part of a more profound relationship with authority. So reading The Peloponnesian Wars by Thucydides has been an absolute revelation. Not only does the author sound like he is speaking today, one is catapulted into the trials and tribulations of how a society should be – What do we mean when we say honor? What is virtue? What does it look like to live freely? How should we understand the moral life? How are we to, in fact, live. I find myself excitedly engaging with Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism – having only read captions previously – and finally struggling honestly with Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France. I am overwhelmed with Aquinas and yet determined; all these names and minds that have had such a profound affect on how we understand ourselves today… Thucydides does not provide the answer to the conflict in Ukraine. We form our own ideas (mine? West should step away and stop interfering in the region, exacerbating tensions and local issues). However, reading the warnings of war and its consequences when parties debate back and forth in this most early of historical novels can leave nobody unclear of the gravity of war. The most extraordinary idea though – is that we make the world every day. It is quite simply put, after
all the reading and discussing, up to us. We choose. We are free. What are we then thus to do? It is with this in mind that I am also to embark on reading Being Cultured: In Defence of Discrimination by Angus Kennedy who is one of the organizers of The Academy. I shall no doubt have much to think about and say – and I invite each and all of you at The American to come join us and to participate from July 19 to 21. After all, ideas have consequences… H The Academy, run by The Institute of Ideas, runs from July 19 to 21: www.instituteofideas.com Alan Miller is Director of The NY Salon, co-founder of London’s Old Truman Brewery cultural center and MD of The Vibe Bar, and is headed to Cannes with some films… Twitter: @alanvibe
July 2014 49
The American
The End Of Wilderness Are we removing ‘wilderness’ from wild animals? Dr Alison Holmes investigates.
N
ature programming gives us the opportunity to share the miracles of nature and the boundless diversity of life. Chances are, any of the current generation of green political figures, and any young scientist searching for new and better answers, were glued to the set on a Sunday night to watch the natural world hunt and bloom. Public broadcasting in the United States has always envied the mellifluous voice of David Attenborough and the depth of his BBC documentaries. The time, money and resources that BBC Nature puts into its programming puts almost all other broadcasters throughout world into the shade. Even the ‘greats’ like Marlin Perkins, our guide to the Wild Kingdom (protected by Mutual of Omaha - someone had a sense of humor) with his camera and pith helmet or Jacques Cousteau with his exotic accent and submersible can’t compete with the supreme assurance of Attenborough’s Home Counties Queen’s English. The moment his honeyed tones begin the factual narrative about anything from the penguin to the fire ant, the eagle to the iguana, the audience knows it is in for both a visual and intellectual feast. Voyeurs all, we trekked, paddled, climbed and crawled beside him to the best possible vantage point
50 July 2014
and then listened, spell bound, while he explained each facet as the scene unfolded. It felt as if he were whispering directly in our ear about the technique for tracking this particular animal or the benefits of chomping that specific plant. On some level we knew we did not ‘belong’ in that world and that our presence would irreparably alter the delicate balance we were witnessing. It is this need for balance that prompted the use first, of camouflage, hides and binoculars then powerful telescopic lenses and remote cameras and now radio controlled devices and computer chips. Conservationists have long used technology to track migration paths, eating grounds, mating territories and the rise and decline of difference species. They clip and tag and mike and chip in the name of conservation, always conscious that they want their tools to be ‘unobtrusive’ and not a burden for the animal. However, we apparently have a problem. We have always understood that our presence as humans alters the behavior of other animals, but we have not, until recently, had a real sense of how profound that effect might be. Elephants in Mozambique have relatively few deadly enemies. Humans are at the top of the list in terms of predator, but we can also
be the elephant’s strongest ally and advocate. To that end, elephants are caught and given tracking collars so that those helpful humans can help keep them safe from those who intend to do them harm. In the case of elephants, this type of device is not small. The collar is wide and has to go around a pretty non-existent neck. A data collecting box sits at the base of the elephant’s skull. Not content with creating a world in which humans must be available 24/7 and carry an electronic device to transmit their whereabouts, we have taken the wildness away from wild animals. The same can be said for countless other animals captured and fitted with harmless radios and mikes to plot their life trajectory. Few now praise the circus as we have generally concluded it to be out of date, an exploitative spectacle designed for human entertainment at the cost of the humiliation of the animals. Yet in the name of conservation we continue to tether them - if only via electronic signal. New research into animals’ responses to their captors presents compelling reasons that current habits may need to be reexamined. Obviously lab animals are an entirely different category from those we track in their natural habitat - though arguably only
Sir David Attenborough on South Georgia with a wandering albatross chick, filming the BBC’s Life in the Freezer PHOTO COURTESY BBC
because cages are a literal form of enclosure vs just ‘data capture’ - but the research raises many interesting questions. Using a mouse ‘grimace scale’ researchers were attempting to gauge whether their presence might change the response mice had to pain, or in the way they showed it. They found that not only do mice not grimace as much when a male is present, they don’t show their pain as much when T-shirts worn by male researchers are put nearby. Nor do they show pain as much when bedding used by male cats, dogs, rats and guinea pigs is placed in the vicinity. Females, on the other hand, elicit a considerably increased grimace response from the mice. It is all a matter of steroids. Intuitively, we might wonder if the presence of a female means the animal is hoping for more sympathy or care by showing more pain. Similarly, they might fear that showing pain to males would make them look weak, and would therefore mask their pain to protect themselves. It is impossible to tell if the animal is actually feeling more or less pain when different genders are nearby, but the fact remains,
animals ‘not noticing’ or even ‘no longer noticing’ a person’s presence doesn’t seem to be a credible assertion for a researcher. Animals notice on a level far more refined than we have allowed ourselves to believe, and further, ‘noticing’ changes their behavior on a micro level we have not yet been able to explore. One need only think of the preponderance of female researchers to wonder if they have found different animals to be more emotional/social by virtue of their own gender or as a fact of the process of observation. Sadly, the way we have found out about our effect on the behavior of animals is by putting them in a cage or trapping them so we can force our man-made devices onto their bodies. The changes we have wrought by such actions in their outward behavior, let alone their inner life, are unknowable, but as we increasingly anthropomorphize animals in the privacy of our homes through the lavish treatment of our pets, might we also be creating a world in which wild animals are no longer wild? Many animals are independent, lone creatures. It is humans who have an insatiable
need to be in constant contact, unable to be alone with themselves in the quiet of their activity. Hopefully, the generation of ‘iChildren’, who can’t be without their phone and believe the world truly wants to know what they are doing every moment, will eventually learn they have a private, inner space that is more important than their Myspace. But animals who have been pursued by a researcher or a tracking device against their will - for how can they give consent? - have been robbed of their privacy, at what cost? H Dr. Alison Holmes is Asst. Professor of International Studies and Politics at Humboldt State University in northern California. Previously, she lived in the UK for over 20 years and worked in national politics and at the BBC, ran the London office of BritishAmerican Business and was speechwriter to the US Ambassador. After being awarded a PhD in International Relations from the LSE, she has been an Associate Fellow at the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford, a Churchill Memorial Trust History Fellow and the Transatlantic Studies Fellow at Yale.
July 2014 51
PHOTO © ADAM MULLIGAN
Drag Racing Daniel Byway gets his fix in the UK
M
otorsport isn’t just about racing; it’s about the experience. The smell of rubber and petrol, the heat of the track, the sound of engines – even the aroma of grilled burgers. Drag racing ticks all those boxes – an American tradition that you may be surprised to know has a home throughout the year in Bedfordshire, in the East of England. Santa Pod Raceway, named after the Santa Ana strip in America and the local village of Podington in the UK, hosted its first drag race in 1966, becoming Europe’s first permanent drag racing venue. The sport, which sees all manner of motors sprinting down a straight course, tests the speed and acceleration of engine, chassis and driver in a first-to-thefinish race. Its US origins are similar to those of NASCAR. During the era of Prohibition in the 1920s, illegal alcohol sellers souped-up their
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everyday automobiles with bigger, more powerful engines to outrun the cops. Even after Prohibition ended, the long, straight main roads running through US towns were perfect for testing the speed of these motors, and for settling whose machines (or Hot Rods as they became called) were fastest. Although the sport was born in America, it soon found popularity in the UK as well – Santa Pod being one of many disused airstrips which were turned into drag racing venues from the 1960s onwards. Santa Pod is a ¾ mile strip on the runway of a former World War II American airbase at RAF Podington, which was used by the USAAF 8th Air Force between 1942 and 1945. It hosts a range of drag racing categories and competitions, including the finale of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship, which this year takes place in early September.
The great thing about Drag Racing is its variety; Santa Pod hosts everything from Funny Cars to motorbikes, American models to Japanese cars, and methanol drag racers to Mini Coopers. Drag racing is the essence of motorsport; big engines, fast speeds and no-nonsense competition, and every event at Santa Pod delivers the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere and the thrills. There are Run What Ya Brung events for those brave enough to take their own set of wheels out on track, and plenty of other sessions including a Dragstalgia weekend on July 11th to 13th, dedicated to drag racing, hot rods and bikes from a bygone era with classic dragsters, funny cars, altereds, hot rods, and muscle cars. At the Euro Mopar Nationals from July 25th to 27th, American Muscle Cars take the top billing. Check out www.santapod.co.uk for more details.
The American
Interview: Gunner Gunner joined TNA in 2010 but his story goes back to 2001 when he began wrestling, but a year later he joined the US Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner and reached the rank of Lance Corporal serving in the Iraq War. “I’ve been a wrestling fan since the age of five and I started wrestling in 2001,” he exclusively told The American. “A year later I joined the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2006 and I served a bit of time in Iraq. “I was wrestling before I went to bootcamp and during my time in the Marine Corps I would travel 20 hour round trips or so every weekend so I could to wrestle on certain shows, so I was juggling both at the same time.” In a recent feud with James Storm, Gunners’ former tag team partner, some of his real life experience’s became story lines and it even saw the involvement of Gunner’s father. “James and I have our differences and we just don’t like each other,” Gunner continued. “Having said that, he is still an amazing performer, he can fight and he knows what he is doing in the ring. “Those matches I had with James enabled me to step up even
more, and it has given the fans the opportunity to invest in my character. Bringing my father into the storyline was a great experience that I enjoyed, it was nice working with him on national television. “Wrestling is totally different now to when I was a kid, when everything was larger than life and seemed as though it had just come out of a comic book, the guys could still work but now the fans want to know what the wrestlers are like in real life.” TNA have announced the first set of wrestlers that are going to be part of the annual UK Maximum Impact tour in January 2015 and Gunner is one of those heading over. “I think for all of us in the locker room the UK tour is our favorite part of the year,” the 32-year-old added. “Fans can expect just a fun filled night, first of all, they spend their hard earned money to support our company and support us as wrestlers. “Fans will get their money’s worth and it is just a great opportunity to be part of a live television taping or PPV, they’re going to have a blast, no doubt about it.” When Gunner returns to the
Photo courtesy TNA
The TNA wrestler and war veteran talks exclusively to The American’s Josh Modaberi
UK with TNA as part of the January tour, his intentions are crystal clear, he wants to be the top dog. “I’ve got my eyes on the big prize, the TNA Heavyweight Title,” he said. “I feel like I was robbed on the last TNA tour in the UK when I wrestled Magnus for the title and James Storm interfered. “I think I’m ready for another title shot. Eric Young is the champion and we have a friendship but when it comes to business we both want to be world champion. Obviously he doesn’t want to lose it, but I want to win it, that is my main goal - to be champion!” In January TNA will be visiting Glasgow, Manchester and London, MAXIMUM IMPACT 7 Tour tickets are available via www.facebook.com/ tnawrestlinguk, www.gigsandtours. com/go/tna2015gen, and www. ticketmaster.co.uk/TNA-Wrestlingtickets/artist/1008830
July 2014 53
The American
World Cup 2014
USA kicks off with a great win. Gary Jordan reports on USA’s opening game against Ghana
T
he 2014 World Cup has started at a pace that has some saying it will be the best ever tournament. After winning their opening game on a warm Monday evening, the USA will not be arguing with that. A game that flowed throughout was bookended by two US goals that gave Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s men a superb 2-1 win over the more fancied Ghana. It wasn’t all plain sailing as the Ghanaians had the majority of attacking play, especially during the second half when they were pressing for an equaliser after a blistering start to the game. The fifth fastest goal in World Cup history was scored by journeyman striker Clint Dempsey, who currently plies his trade for the Seattle Sounders. Showing the calmness in front of goal that has seen him have very successful spells in the English Premier League, Dempsey collected a pass from Jermaine Jones on the left side of the Ghana penalty area, cut inside his marker and dispatched his shot neatly into the goal as the clock hit 29 seconds. It was a truly astonishing start, and one which was unexpected, but that’s the beauty of the game and the World Cup. Maybe it was no surprise to Klinsmann as he has a 100% record as both player and coach in
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World Cup opening games. Having done his homework Klinsmann clearly had the game plan of attacking Ghana early, and so to prove the opening strike was no fluke the US team went forward with real intent in the early stages but failed to really threaten a second goal. Dempsey was to have his eventful first half continue and received a bloody and broken nose after a high challenge by Ghana right back John Boye. “I was having trouble breathing. I was coughing up blood,” he said after the game. “I think I broke my nose” With a half time lead there was much to admire from the USA performance. Tim Howard was looking assured in goal and Kyle Beckerman was on a personal mission to cover every area of the pitch, great in breaking up play and covering his defence well. There were some lows and the tournament looks over before it really begun for Jozy Altidore who was helped off the field after pulling up on 23 minutes with a badly pulled hamstring. Michael Bradley was missing for most of the game, and Matt Besler was replaced at half time through injury. The second half was a case of survival as Ghana knew they had to get something from the game,
but for all of their strength in attack they rarely forced a significant save from Howard. The signs were there though and as USA were tiring and sitting deeper trying to defend their slender advantage the inevitable happened. Ghana’s talisman striker Asamoah Gyan teed up Andre Ayew with a back heel pass and Ayew’s shot was driven past Howard in the 82nd minute. At this point if you were to back a winner it would have come from the Africans. In what seemed like a moment to just alleviate the pressure the US won a corner. Failing to produce any attack of merit in the second half a set piece could offer a chance, this was to be taken up as a great corner kick was flighted into the box for the injured Besler’s replacement John Brooks to head home an unlikely winner just 2 minutes after Ghana had leveled the score. When Brooks entered the game it was just his fifth appearance for his country and his first in a competitive match. A relatively unknown player was soon to be across all the back pages and some front ones too, as his celebration after his headed winner was one of pure joy and disbelief. The 21 year old, born in Germany and play-
The American
Right: Clint Dempsey (right) eyes up the action after scoring the USA’s first goal, teammate Kyle Beckerman and Ghana’s Mohammed Rabiu compete for the ball. PHOTO BY MICHAEL STEELE/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONY
Middle Right: Enthusiastic fans
PHOTO BY JAMIE MCDONALD/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONY
Below Right: John Brooks scores the United States second goal against Ghana at Estadio das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, June 16, 2014 . PHOTO BY JAMIE MCDONALD/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONY
ing for German side Hertha Berlin, jumped up and punched the air only then to realize the enormity of what he just achieved. He then jogged slowly toward the sideline and lay face down on the turf, until his teammates surrounded him with equal parts glee and shock. “Every team wants to start with a win, and we did it. I had a dream like two days before that I scored in the 88th minute and now it’s the 86th minute - but I’m happy about it.” He said during the post match celebrations. So what does this win mean for the chances of progress to the knockout phase of the World Cup? Well the game was played a few hours after the opening game in Group G in which Germany showed they are tournament ready as they steamrolled over Portugal 4-0. With the next round of games in the group coming this weekend, USA again has an advantage playing second. Saturday sees Germany play Ghana and USA may only need a draw against the Portuguese to qualify for the next stage, a win and it’s certain. Keep up with Gary’s blogs on the USA’s progress in the tournament at www.theamerican.co.uk
July 2014 55
Eagle Eyed O
f the many memorable things I’ve seen in professional golf so far this year, the images which have stayed with me the longest come from the recent BMW European PGA Championship. I’m not talking about Thomas Bjorn’s sixth birdie in a row on Saturday, or Luke Donald’s amazing chipin at the 16th on Sunday, or Rory McIlroy’s double triumph over a worldclass field and premarital heartbreak. No, I’m talking about the fairway mowing patterns at Wentworth, which (as shown above) looked like webs spun by a spider high on Benzedrine. My eyes, my eyes! I used to rather like Wentworth. Easily the most recognizable golf course on the normal European Tour rota – particularly when it hosted the World Match Play event every autumn as well as the PGA in May – it had a refined parkland elegance and a memorably unusual finish of back-to-back par 5s with oddly angled tee shots rewarding direction far more than distance. But then Ernie Els was brought in to “modernize” the course, his most notable addition being the artificiallooking pond now guarding the 18th green. And then some idiot greenskeeper decided to cut the short grass nine different ways and draw as much attention away from the natural splendor of the property as possible.
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PHOTO COURTESY WENTWORTH GOLF CLUB
The American
It gives the lingering impression of a former beauty queen now botoxed and liposuctioned to within an inch of her life, the scars more obvious than the fixes. Sadly, meddling with classic golf courses seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Some tinkering can be beneficial, particularly when the goal is restoration rather than renovation. But more typically, such changes involve lengthening and toughening courses to defend them against the ever-increasing distance a small minority of golfers can gain from newer and newer clubs and balls. In a sane world, the USGA and R&A would regulate this technology and roll back the ball; after all, when the world’s finest javelin throwers start threatening to impale runners beyond the infield grass, the IAAF doesn’t get into the stadium architecture business. But the R&A is currently overseeing a two-stage renovation to “toughen up” the Old Course ahead of the 2015 Open in St. Andrews, a project about which I’m deeply in denial, and many other golf clubs with pretensions and/or delusions of grandeur routinely spend extravagant sums – money a stagnant industry could surely spend better elsewhere – to keep up with the Joneses. When will the arms race stop?
Darren Kilfara’s view on Coarse Architecture It seems depressingly apt that the hottest name in golf course architecture is currently Donald Trump. Now the owner of resorts like Doral and Turnberry as well as the venue for the 2022 PGA Championship (Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey), Trump’s brand of bluster perfectly fits the increasingly muscular world of professional golf. Shortly after Trump suggested he could make Turnberry “even more spectacular”, I played in a competition at Ganton, one of the finest courses in Britain and a venue at which many famous names in amateur and professional golf – Wethered, Faulkner, Bonallack, McEvoy, Wolstenholme, Faldo, Olazabal – won events in the 20th Century. Thing is, Ganton still measures less than 7,000 yards from its back tees. Should that disqualify Ganton from being a serious tournament venue? Should it get into the renovation game? I don’t really want to golf in a world where either of those answers is yes. Darren Kilfara formerly worked for Golf Digest magazine and is the author of A Golfer’s Education, a memoir of his junior year abroad as a student-golfer at the University of St. Andrews. His new book, a novel called Do You Want Total War?, is available online at Amazon and elsewhere.
American ORGANIZATIONS
American Friends of the Jewish Museum London Stephen Goldman Tel. 020 7284 7363 stephen.goldman@jewishmuseum.org.uk www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/american-friends American Friends of the Lyric Theatre Ireland Crannóg House, 44 Stranmillis Embankment, Belfast, BT9 5FL, Northern Ireland Angela McCloskey info@americanfriendsofthelyric.com www.americanfriendsofthelyric.com/
An index of useful resources in the UK
American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery Stacey Ogg and Charlotte Savery, Individual Giving Managers 020 7312 2444 individualgiving@npg.org.uk www.npg.org.uk/support.php
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CIVIC & SERVICES American Church in London Senior Pastor: Rev. John D’Elia. Sunday School 9.45am, Sunday Worship 11am, child care provided. 79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD Tel: 020 7580 2791/07771 642875 www.amchurch.co.uk churchsecretary@amchurch.co.uk American Institute of Architects 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX 020 3318 5722 membership@aiauk.org, www.aiauk.org American Citizens Abroad (ACA) 5 Rue Liotard, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland +41.22.340.02.33 info.aca@gmail.com www.americansabroad.org American Red Cross RAF Mildenhall
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American Friends of Historic Royal Palaces Chris Martin and Harriet James 020 3166 6321, harriet.james@hrp.org.uk www.hrp.org.uk/supportus/donatingfromtheusa American Friends of the Almeida Theatre, Inc. USA: 950 Third Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10022 UK: Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London N1 1TA www.almeida.co.uk/supportus/individual-support/ american-friends
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American Friends of St. Bartholomew the Great U.S.: John Eagleson 2925 Briarpark, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77042 UK: 20 7606 5171 admin@greatstbarts.com
American Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery 020 8299 8726, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk American Friends of English National Opera (ENO) American Friends Coordinator London Coliseum, St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES 0207 845 9331 Americanfriends@eno.org www.eno.org/support/individual/memberships American Friends of the British Museum The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG. 020 7323 8590, www.britishmuseum.org American Friends of the Donmar Inc. 020 7845 5810, sdittmer@donmarwarehouse.com www.donmarwarehouse.com/p46.html American Friends of Gladstone Library Britain’s only Prime Ministerial library. www.gladstoneslibrary-us.com annette.lewis@gladlib.org
American Friends of the Royal Institution of Great Britain U.S.: c/o Chapel & York Limited, PMB #293, South Building Washington, DC 20004 UK: The Development Office, Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BS 020 7670 2991 kdodd@ri.ac.uk www.rigb.org
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July 2014 57
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American Museum in Britain Director: Dr Richard Wendorf Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD. 01225 460503. Fax 01225 469160 info@americanmuseum.org www.americanmuseum.org American Women Lawyers in London www.awll.org.uk info@awll.org.uk The Anglo-American Charity Limited Jeff rey Hedges, Director. 07968 513 631 info@anglo-americancharity.org www.anglo-americancharity.org The Association of Americans Resident Overseas 34 avenue de New York, 75116 Paris, France + 33 1 47 20 24 15 www.aaro.org Anglo American Medical Society Hon. Sec.: Dr. Edward Henderson, The Mill House, Whatlington, E. Sussex, TN33 0ND. 01424 775130 ed@themillhouse.eclipse.co.uk Association for Rescue at Sea The UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Association does not have an American Branch but to make a tax effi cient gift to the RNLI, contact AFRAS. Mrs. Anne C. Kifer P.O. Box 565 Fish Creek, WI 54212, U.S.A. 00-1-920-743-5434 ackafras@aol.com Atlantic Council Director: Alan Lee Williams. 185 Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2UF 0207 403 0640 or 0207 403 0740 acuk@atlantic-council.org.uk Bentwaters Cold War Museum Erroll Frost c/o Bentwaters Aviation Society, Building 134 Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham, Woodbridge, Suff olk IP12 2TW 07588 877020 info@bcwm.org.uk Bethesda Baptist Church Kensington Place, London W8. 020 7221 7039 offi ce@bethesdabaptist.org.uk Boy Scouts of America Mayfl ower District Executive: Cristina Priddy The Old Coach House, 81A London Rd, Brandon, Suff olk IP270EL 075 9210 1013 crpriddy@bsamail.org British American Business Inc. 75 Brook Street, London, W1K 4AD. Tel. 020 7290 9888 www.babinc.org ukinfo@babinc.org British American-Canadian Associates Contact via The English Speaking Union – esu@esu.org Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 66-68 Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2PA 020 7584 7553 adcockmp@ldschurch.org https://lds.org.uk http://mormon.org
58 July 2014
Church of St. John the Evangelist Vicar: Reverend Stephen Mason. Hyde Park Crescent, London W2 2QD 020 7262 1732 www.stjohns-hydepark.com parishadmin@stjohns-hydepark.com Circumcision Matters Problems arranging circumcision for your new-born? Call 020 7390 8433. www.circumcisionmatters.com Commonwealth Church Rev. Rod Anderson, PO Box 15027, London SE5 0YS www.savestmarks.com
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Junior League of London President: Jennifer Crowl 9 Fitzmaurice Place, London W1J 5JD. Tel: 020 7499 8159 Fax: 020 7629 1996 jrleague@jll.org.uk www.jll.org.uk Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 19 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PT. Tel: 020 7713 2030 Fax: 020 7713 2031 info@jdrf.org.uk www.jdrf.org.uk Liberal Jewish Synagogue 28 St John’s Wood Road, London NW8 7HA Services 6.45pm Fridays and 11am on Saturdays except for fi rst Friday each month when service is held at 7pm with a Chavurah Supper. Please bring non-meat food dish to share. 020 7286 5181 ljs@ljs.org Lions Club International Lakenheath & District 105EA, 15 Highfi elds Drive, Lakenheath, Suff olk IP27 9EH. Tel 01842 860752 www.lionsclubs.org Lutheran Services, St Anne’s Rev. Timothy Dearhamer. Lutheran Church, Gresham St, London EC2. Sun 11am-7pm. 020 7606 4986 info@StAnnesLutheranChurch.org www.StAnnesLutheranChurch.org Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London SW1H 9NH Services every Sunday at 11am and 6.30pm. Bible study groups & Monday guilds also held. 020 7222 8010, church@mchw.org.uk www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk North American Friends of Chawton House Library US Offi ce: 824 Roosevelt Trail, #130, Windham, ME 04062 +1.207 892 4358 UK Offi ce: Chawton House Library, Chawton, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1SJ 01420 541010 www.chawton.org/support/nafchl5.html Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner 5th Floor, Counting House, 53 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QN 0207 211 1500 info@oisc.gov.uk www.oisc.gov.uk Republicans Abroad (UK) Chairman Dr. Thomas Grant chairman@republicansabroad-uk.org www.republicansabroad-uk.org Rotaract in Great Britain & Ireland For 18-30 year olds, an international membership www.rotaract.org.uk Rotary Club of London
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution Head Office, West Quay Road, Poole BH15 1HZ 0845 045 6999 www.rnli.org.uk
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The Royal Oak Foundation Sean Sawyer, 35 West 35th Street #1200, New York NY 10001-2205, USA 212- 480-2889 or (800) 913-6565 ssawyer@royal-oak.org www.royal-oak.org
American Society in London c/o The English Speaking Union 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED info@americansocietyuk.com 020 7539 3400
St Andrew’s Lutheran Church Serving Americans since 1960. Whitby Road & Queens Walk, Ruislip, West London. (South Ruislip Tube Station). Services: 11 am. 020 8845 4242 pastorvan43@hotmail.com www.standrewslutheran.co.uk Other Lutheran Churches in the UK: www.lutheran.co.uk
American Stamp Club of Great Britain Chapter 67 of the American Philatelic Society. Hon. Publicity Secretary: Stephen T. Taylor 5 Glenbuck Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6BS. 020 8390 9357
6 York Gate, London NW1 4QG. Tel. 020 7487 5429
Rotary Great Britain and Ireland www.ribi.org
T.R.A.C.E. P.W. (The ‘original’ Transatlantic Children’s’ Enterprise reuniting children with G.I. father’s and their families) Membership Secretary: Norma Jean Clarke-McCloud 29 Connaught Avenue, Enfield EN1 3BE normajean78@hotmail.com www.tracepw.org United Nations Association, Westminster branch Chairman: David Wardrop 61 Sedlescombe Road, London SW6 1RE 0207 385 6738 info@unawestminster.org.uk www.unawestminster.org.uk www.wethepeoples.org.uk USA Girl Scouts Overseas – North Atlantic Stem Kaserne Bldg 1002, Postfach 610212 D-68232, Mannheim, Germany. +49 621 487 7025. girlscouts@cmtymail.26asg.army.mil www.norags.com
SOCIAL American Club of Hertfordshire President: Lauryn Awbrey 63-65 New Road, Welwyn, Herts AL6 0AL 01582 624823 amclubherts@aol.com American Expats of the Northwest of England The Ruskin Rooms, Drury Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA. expatsnw@gmail.com American Friends of English Heritage US: 1307 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington DC 20036. 202-452-0928. UK: c/o English Heritage, Attn: Simon Bergin, Keysign House, 429 Oxford Street, London W1R 2HD. 020 7973 3423 www.english-heritage.org.uk
American Womens Association of Bristol 0800 0834804 awabristol_membership@fawco.org American Women of Berkshire & Surrey PO Box 10, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4YP. www.awbs.org.uk info@awbs.org.uk American Women of Surrey PO Box 185, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3YJ. www.awsurrey.org American Women’s Association of Yorkshire The Chalet, Scarcroft Grange, Wetherby Road, Scarcroft, Leeds LS14 3HJ. 01224 744 224 Contact: Carol Di Peri The American Women’s Club of Dublin P.O. Box 2545, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 IRELAND www.awcd.net info@awcd.net American Women’s Club of London 68 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LQ. 020 7589 8292 awc@awclondon.org www.awclondon.org American Women’s Club of Central Scotland P.O. Box 231, 44-46 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4BF info@awccs.org www.awccs.org American Women of South Wales 07866 190838 awsouthwales@fawco.org Association of American Women in Ireland aawireland@fawco.org Association of American Women of Aberdeen PO Box 11952, Westhill, Aberdeen, AB13 0BW email via website www.awaaberdeen.org British Association of American Square Dance Clubs Patricia Connett-Woodcock 87 Brabazon Road, Heston, Middlesex TW5 9LL 020 8897 0723
tricia_baasdc@btinternet.com www.squaredancing.co.uk
Canadians & Americans in Southern England 023 9241 3881 contactcase@casecommunity.com Canadian Womens Club 1 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 4AB Tues – Thurs 10.30-3.30 0207 258 6344 info@canadianwomenlondon.org www.canadianwomenlondon.org Chilterns American Women’s Club PO Box 445, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 8YU membership@cawc.co.uk www.cawc.co.uk Colonial Dames of America Chapter XI London. President Anne K Brewster: AnneBrewster@hotmail.com Daughters of the American Revolution – St James’s Chapter Mrs Natalie Ward, 01379 871422 nattyward@aol.com or UKDARStJames@aol.com http://mysite.verizon.net/jean.sutton/main.htm Daughters of the American Revolution – Walter Hines Page Chapter Diana Frances Diggines, Regent dardiana@hotmail.co.uk www.dar.org Daughters of the American Revolution – Washington Old Hall Chapter, North Yorkshire Mrs. Gloria Hassall, 01845 523-830 Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Great Britain President: Mrs. Sheila Roberts, Morvan House, Shoreham Lane, St. Michaels, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6EG email: saroberts123@aol.com www.deltakappagamma.net Delta Zeta International Sorority Alumna Club Mrs Sunny Eades, The Old Hall, Mavesyn Ridware, Nr. Rugeley, Staffordshire, WSI5 3QE. 01543 490 312 SunnyEades@aol.com The East Anglia American Club 49 Horsham Close, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7HN 01440 766 967 eaacexpats@karej.co.uk English-Speaking Union Director-General Peter Kyle Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED. Tel: 020 7529 1550 esu@esu.org Friends of Benjamin Franklin House Director: Dr. Márcia Balisciano Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven St, London WC2N 5NF 0207 839 2006 www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org
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Hampstead Women’s Club President - Betsy Lynch. Tel: 020 7435 2226 email president@hwcinlondon.co.uk www.hwcinlondon.co.uk High Twelve International, Inc. Local Club Contact – Arnold Page High Twelve Club 298 Secretary, Darrell C. Russell, 1 Wellington Close, West Row, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 8PJ 01638 715764 russelld130@btinternet.com. International American Duplicate Bridge Club Contact: Mary Marshall, 18 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RP. 020 7221 3708 www.ycbc.co.uk/american.htm Kensington & Chelsea Men’s Club Contact: John Rickus 70 Flood Street, Chelsea, London SW3 5TE. (home): 020 7349 0680 (office): 020 7753 2253 johnrickus@aol.com Kensington & Chelsea Women’s Club President: Susan Lenora. Tel. 0207 581 8261 president@kcwc.org.uk Membership: 0207 863 7562 (ans service). membership@kcwc.org.uk Knightsbridge Village Private invitation-only network for discerning mothers in Knightsbridge, Kensington and surrounding areas. For a limited period The American’s readers are invited to join online with this key: american2014. Membership is £10 per month. info@knightsbridge-village.com www.knightsbridge-village.com New Neighbors Diana Parker, Rosemary Cottage, Rookshill, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 4HZ. 01923 772185 North American Connection (West Midlands) PO Box 10543, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands. B93 8ZY 0870 720 0663 info@naconnect.com www.naconnect.com Northwood Area Women’s Club c/o St John’s UR Church, Hallowell Road, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 1DN 01932-830295 info@northwoodareawomensclub.co.uk www.northwoodareawomensclub.co.uk Petroleum Women’s Club Contact: Nancy Ayres, 01923 711720 nanayrs@btopenworld.com Petroleum Women’s Club of Scotland pwcscotland@yahoo.co.uk www.pwcos.com Pilgrims of Great Britain Allington Castle, Maidstone, Kent M16 0NB. 01622 606404 sec@pilgrimsociety.org
60 July 2014
Propeller Club of the United States – London, England propellerclubhq.com
American Legion London Post 1 Adjutant: Jim Pickett PO Box 5017, BATH, BA1 OPP 01225-426245 info@amlegionpost1london.org.uk www.amlegionpost1london.org.uk
Royal Society of St George Enterprise House, 10 Church Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 1LA. +44 (0) 20 3225 5011 info@royalsocietyofstgeorge.com www.royalsocietyofstgeorge.com
American Overseas Memorial Day Association Dedicated to remember and honor the memory of those who gave their lives in World War I and II, whose final resting places are in American Military Cemeteries or in isolated graves in Europe. info@aomda.com, aomda.com
Stars of Great Britain Chapter #45 Washington Jurisdiction. Lakenheath, England sogb45@yahoo.com http://starsofgreatbritainchapter45.com
Bentwaters/Woodbridge Retirees’ Association President: Wylie Moore. 2 Coldfair Close, Knodishall, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1UN. 01728 830281
St John’s Wood Women’s Club Box 185, 176 Finchley Road, London NW3 6BT membership@sjwwc.org www.sjwwc.org
British Patton Historical Society Kenn Oultram 01606 891303
Thames Valley American Women’s Club Membership: Claire Mangers-Page PO Box 1687, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8XT. 01628 632683, membership@tvawc.com www.tvawc.com
Brookwood American Cemetery The American Battle Monuments Commission Superintendant: Craig Rahanian Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0BL 01483 473237 www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/bk.php
UK Panhellenic Association Contact Susan Woolf, 10 Coniston Court, High St. Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex HA1 3LP. 020 8864 0294 susanrwoolf@hotmail.com
Cambridge American Cemetery (WWII Cemetery) The American Battle Monuments Commission Superintendent: Bruce D Phelps Madingley Road, Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PH 01954-210-350 cambridge@abmc.gov www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ca.php
UK Anglian Shrine Club (Master Masons) Secretary: David A. Mostyn Long Furlong House, Holt, Norfolk NR25 7DD 01263 740223 davidmostyn@longfurlong.plus.com
Commander in Chief, US Naval Forces Europe US Naval Forces Europe-Africa - US Sixth Fleet www.c6f.navy.mil, CNE-C6FPAO@eu.navy.mil
W.E.B. DuBois Consistory #116 Northern Jurisdiction Valley of London, England, Orient of Europe Cell: 0776-873-8030 mjack36480@aol.com
Eighth Air Force Historical Society Gordon Richards/Michelle Strefford UK Office, The Croft, 26 Chapelwent Road, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 9SD 01440 704014 www.8thafhs.org
Women’s Writers Network Cathy Smith, 23 Prospect Rd, London, NW2 2JU. 020 7794 5861 info@womenwriters.org.uk www.womenwriters.org.uk
Friends of the Eighth Newsletter (FOTE News) Chairman: Mr. Ron Mackay. 39b Thorley Hill, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM23 3NE. 01279 658619
MILITARY 290 Foundation (UK Confederate Navy memorial) Ian Dewar, President, 2 Thompson Drive, Middleton on the Wolds, East Riding, Yorkshire YO25 9TX 01377 217 442 sites.google.com/site/290foundation 290admin@ onetel.com AFJROTC 073 Lakenheath High School. Tel: 01638 525603 Air Force Sergeants Association UK POC Timothy W. Litherland CMSgt, USAF (ret). Chapters at RAFs Alconbury, Croughton, Lakenheath, Menwith Hill and Mildenhall. timothy.litherland@outlook.com www.hqafsa.org
Joint RAF Mildenhall/Lakenheath Retiree Affairs Office Co-Directors Dick Good & Jack Kramer Unit 8965, Box 30 RAF Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, IP28 8NF 01638 542039 rao1@us.af.mil Marine Corps League Detachment 1088, London, England Commandant Mike Allen Creek Cottage, 2 Pednormead End, Old Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 2JS detachment1088@mcl-london-uk.org www.mcl-london-uk.org Military Officers’ Association of America www.moaa.org msc@moaa.org
The American
Navy League of the United States, United Kingdom Council Council President: Steven G. Franck steven.franck@googlemail.com www.navyleague.org
USNA Alumni Association UK Chapter Pres: LCDR Tim Fox ’97, timfox97@hotmail.com Vice Pres: Miguel Sierra ’90, mrsierra@chevron.com Treas/Membership Coord: Bart O’Brien ’98, bartonobrien2@yahoo.com Secretary: Matt Horan ’87, matthoran@btinternet.com
Non-Commissioned Officers’ Association (NCOA) – The Heart of England Chapter Chairman: Ronald D.Welper, Pine Farm, Sharpe’s Corner, Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk 1P27 9LB. Thetford 861643. Chapter Address: 513 MSSQ/SS, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Commander: Ernest Paolucci 24, rue Gerbert, 75015 Paris, France 00 33 (0)1.42.50.96.34 Western UK Retiree Association President: R. Jim Barber, MSgt (USAF), Ret 01280 708182
Society of American Military Engineers (UK) UK address: Box 763, USAFE Construction Directorate. 86 Blenheim Crescent, West Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7HL
EDUCATIONAL
Reserve Officers Association London Col. B.V. Balch, USAR, 72 Westmoreland Road, Barnes, London SW13 9RY memberservices@roa.org www.roa.org
ACS International Schools ACS Cobham International School, Heywood, www.acs-england.co.uk Alconbury Middle/High School RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE17 1PJ, UK. www.alco-hs.eu.dodea.edu AlconburyHS.Principal@eu.dodea.edu
Society of American Military Engineers (UK) UK address: Box 763, USAFE Construction Directorate: 86 Blenheim Crescent, West Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7HL London Post. President: W. Allan Clarke. Secretary: Capt. Gary Chesley. Membership Chairman, Mr. Jim Bizier.
American Institute for Foreign Study 37 Queensgate, London SW7 5HR 020 7581 7300 www.aifs.co.uk info@aifs.co.uk
US Army Reserve 2nd Hospital Center 7 Lynton Close, Ely, Cambs, CB6 1DJ. Tel: 01353 2168 Commander: Major Glenda Day.
American School in London 1 Waverley Place, London NW8 0NP 020 7449 1200, www.asl.org admissions@asl.org
US Air Force Recruiting Office Bldg 239 Room 139 RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 8NF +44-1638-54-4942/1566 phillip.guffa@mildenhall.af.mil
Retired Affairs Office, RAF Alconbury Serving Central England POC: Rex Keegan Alt. POC: Mike Depasquale UK Postal Address: 423 SVS/RAO, Unit 5585, Box 100, RAF Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 4DA Office Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 10:30am–2:30pm 01480 84 3364/3557 RAO@Alconbury.af.mil Emergency Contact: 07986 887 905
American School of Aberdeen Craigton Road, Cults, Aberdeen. 01224 861068 / 868927. Benjamin Franklin House 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF. Tel 020 7839 2006 Fax 020 7930 9124 info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org
Boston University – London Graduate Programs Office 43 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7244 6255 www.bu.edu/london
2nd Air Division Memorial Library The Forum, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1AW 01603 774747 www.2ndair.org.uk 2admemorial.lib@norfolk.gov.uk
British American Educational Foundation Mrs. Carlton Colcord, 1 More’s Garden, 90 Cheyne Walk, London SW3. 020 7352 8288 www.baef.org anncolcord@compuserve.com
USAF Retiree Activities Office Director: Paul G Gumbert, CMSgt (USAF), Ret 422 ABG/CVR, Unit 5855, PSC 50, Box 3 RAF Croughton, Northants NN13 5XP 01280 708182 422abg.rao@croughton.af.mil
BUNAC Student Exchange Employment Program - Director: Callum Kennedy, 16 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0QH. 020 7251 3472 www.bunac.org enquiries@bunac.org.uk
US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) UK Chapter President: Allison Bennett, bennett.ac@gmail.com Facebook: Kings Point Alumni - London/United Kingdom
Butler University, Institute for Study Abroad 21 Pembridge Gardens, London W2 4EB 020 7792 8751 www.ifsa-butler.org/england-overview.html
Centre Academy London 92 St John’s Hill, Battersea, London SW11 1SH Tel: 02077382344 , info@centreacademy.net www.centreacademy.net Centre Academy East Anglia Church Rd, Brettenham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7QR Tel: 01449736404 admin@centreacademy.net www.centreacademy.net Central Bureau for Educational Visits Director: Peter Upton, The British Council , 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN 020 7389 4004 Wales 029 2039 7346 Scotland 0131 447 8024 centralbureau@britishcouncil.org Council on International Educational Exchange Dr. Michael Woolf, 52 Portland Street, London WIV 1JQ Tel 020 7478 2000 Fax 020 7734 7322 www.ciee.org contact@ciee.org Ditchley Foundation Ditchley Park, Enstone, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 4ER Tel 01608 677346 www.ditchley.co.uk info@ditchley.co.uk Dwight School London Formerly North London International School Viviene Rose, Admissions Director 6 Friem Barnet Lane, London N11 3LX 020 8920 0600 vrose@dwightlondon.org www.dwightlondon.org European Council of International Schools Executive Director: Jean K Vahey Fourth Floor, 146 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TR Tel 020 7824 7040 www.ecis.org ecis@ecis.org European-Atlantic Group PO Box 37431, London N3 2XP 020 8632 9253 justinglass@btinternet.com www.eag.org.uk Florida State University London Study Centre Administrative Director: Kathleen Paul 99 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3LH. Tel 020 7813 3233 www.international.fsu.edu/london/ intprog1@admin.fsu.edu Fordham University London Centre Academic Coordinator: Sabina Antal 23 Kensington Square, London W8 5HQ 020 7937 5023 londoncentre@fordham.edu www.fordham.edu Fulbright Commission (US-UK Educational Commission) Dir. of Advisory Service: Lauren Welch Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London SW8 5BN 020 7498 4010 www.fulbright.co.uk
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Halcyon London International School Co-educational International Baccalaureate (IB). 33 Seymour Place, London W1H 5AU +44 (0)20 7258 1169 , hello@halcyonschool.com halcyonschool.com
Schiller International University Royal Waterloo House, 51-55 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TX. Tel. 020 7928 1372 www.schillerlondon.ac.uk admissions@schillerlondon.ac.uk
Harlaxton College UK Campus, University of Evansville Harlaxton Manor, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 1AG. Grantham 4541 4761 01476 403000 harlaxton.ac.uk.
Schiller International, Wickham Court School Layhams Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 9HW. Tel 0208 777 2942 Fax 0208 777 4276 Wickham@schillerintschool.com www.wickhamcourt.org.uk
Huron University USA in London 46-47 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 4JP Tel +44 (0) 20 7636 5667 Fax+44 (0) 20 7299 3297 folu@huron.ac.uk www.huron.ac.uk
Sotheby’s Institute of Art Postgraduate Art studies, plus day /evening courses 30 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3EE Tel: 0207 462 3232 www.sothebysinstitute.com info@sothebysinstitute.com
Institute for the Study of the Americas Director: Professor James Dunkerley. Tel 020 7862 8879 Fax 020 7862 8886 americas@sas.ac.uk www.americas.sas.ac.uk International School of Aberdeen 296 North Deeside Rd, Milltimber, Aberdeen, AB13 0AB 01224 732267 admin@isa.aberdeen.sch.uk www.isa.aberdeen.sch.uk International School of London 139 Gunnersbury Avenue, London W3 8LG. 020 8992 5823 www.islschools.org mail@ISLschools.org International School of London in Surrey Old Woking Road, Woking GU22 8HY Tel +44 (0)1483 750409 www.islsurrey.com mail@islsurrey.com
Southbank International Schools Kensington and Hampstead campuses for 3-11 year olds; Westminster campuses for 11-18 year olds. Director of Admissions: MargaretAnne Khoury Tel: 020 7243 3803 admissions@southbank.org www.southbank.org Syracuse University London Program Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE http://sulondon.syr.edu TASIS England, American School Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Nr. Egham, Surrey TW20 8TE. Tel: 01932 565252 Fax: 01932 564644 http://england.tasis.com ukadmissions@tasisengland.org
Ithaca College London Centre 35 Harrington Gardens, London SW7. Tel. 020 7370 1166 www.ithaca.edu/london bsheasgreen@ithacalondon.co.uk
UKCISA - Council for International Education 9-17 St. Albans Place, London N1 0NX 020 7354 5210 www.ukcisa.org.uk
Marymount International School, London Headmistress: Ms Sarah Gallagher George Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7PE 020 8949 0571 info@marymountlondon.com www.marymountlondon.com
University of Notre Dame London Program 1 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HG 020 7484 7811 london@nd.edu www.nd.edu/~ndlondon/lup/future/ introduction.htm
Missouri London Study Abroad Program 32 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4JU. 020 7373 7953. www.umsl.edu/services/abroad/universities/ molondon.html web_office@umsl.edu
Warnborough University International Office, Friars House, London SE1 8HB. Tel 020 7922 1200 www.warnborough.edu admin@warnborough.edu
Regent’s University London Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NS. 020 7486 9605. www.regents.ac.uk exrel@regents.ac.uk
Webster Graduate Studies Center Regent’s College, Regent’s Park, Inner Circle, London NW1 4NS, UK. Tel: 020 7487 7505 www.webster.ac.uk webster@regents.ac.uk
Richmond, The American International University in London Richmond Hill Campus,Queen’s Road Richmond-upon Thames TW10 6JP Tel: +44 20 8332 9000 Fax: +44 20 8332 1596 enroll@richmond.ac.uk www.richmond.ac.uk
Wroxton College Study Abroad with Fairleigh Dickinson University, Wroxton, Nr. Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6PX 01295 730551, www.fdu.edu admin@wroxton-college.ac.uk
62 July 2014
ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS Alliant International University (formerly United States International University) England Chapter Alumni Association Chapter President: Eric CK Chan c/o Regents College London, Inner Circle, Regents Park, London, UK chane@regents.ac.uk, www.alliant.edu Amherst College Bob Reichert RAreichert26b@aol.com Andover/Abbot Association of London Jeffrey Hedges ‘71, President 07968 513 631 hedgeslon@hotmail.com Association of MBAs Leo Stemp, Events Administrator Tel 020 7837 3375 (ext. 223), l.stemp@mba.org.uk Babson College Frank de Jongh Swemer, Correspondence W 020 7932 7514 babson.alumni@btinternet.com Barnard College Club Hiromi Stone, President. Tel. 0207 935 3981 barnardclubgb@yahoo.co.uk Berkeley Club of London Geoff Kertesz berkeleyclublondon@gmail.com http://international.berkeley.edu/LondonClub Facebook: www.facebook.com groups/223876564344656/ Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/groups/Berkeley-ClubLondon-4186104 Boston College Alumni Club UK Craig Zematis, President +44 7717 878968 BCalumniclub@gmail.com www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/BTN/cpages/ chapters/home.jsp?chapter=41&org=BTN Boston University Alumni Association of the UK Will Straughn, Snr International Development Officer, University Development and Alumni Relations, 43 Harrington Gardens, Kensington, London SW7 4JU 020 7244 2908 020 7373 7411 bstraugh@bu.edu Brandeis Alumni Club of Great Britain Joan Bovarnick, President http://alumni.brandeis.edu office@alumni.brandeis.edu Brown University Club of the United Kingdom President: Tugba Erem. Communication: Patrick Attie Alumni Club & Liaison: Vanessa Van Hoof Brown Club UK, Box 57100, London, EC1P 1RB contact@brownuk.org www.brownuk.org
The American
Bryn Mawr Club Lady Quinton, President. Wendy Tiffi n, Secretary/Treasurer, 52 Lansdowne Gardens, London SW8 2EF wendytif@ukgateway.net
Harvard Club of the United Kingdom Brandon Bradkin, President president@hcuk.org Verity Langley, Membership vll@me.com www.hcuk.org
Claremont Colleges Alumni in London Hadley Beeman hadley_beeman@alumni.cmc.edu
Indiana University Alumni club of England Anastasia Tonello, President 020 7253 4855 iuinlondon@yahoo.com www.alumni.indiana.edu/clubs/england
Colgate Club of London Stephen W Solomon ‘76, President 0207 349 0738 swsolomon@hotmail.com Columbia Business School Alumni Club of London 6 Petersham Mews, London SW7 5NR www.cbsclublondon.org londonadmin@gsb.columbia.edu Columbia University Club of London Stephen Jansen, President london@alumniclubs.columbia.edu www.alumniclubs.columbia.edu/london Cornell Club of London Natalie Teich, President nmt4@cornell.edu www.alumni.cornell.edu/orgs/int/London Dartmouth College Club of London Sanjay Gupta, Andrew Rotenberg sanjay.gupta.96@ alum.dartmouth.org andrew.l.rotenberg.92@alum.dartmouth.org www.dartmouth.org Delta Kappa Gamma Society International www.deltakappagamma.org/GB (Links to all the USA and international members’ sites) Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity London Alumni Chapter. Ashok Arora, P O Box 1110, London W3 7ZB. Tel: 020 8423 8231 bertela@yahoo.com www.dspnet.org Duke University Club of England Ms Robin Buck buckrobin@yahoo.com Tim Warmath timwarmath@yahoo.com Kate Bennett jkbennett@btinternet.com www.dukealumni.com/england
KKG London Alumnae Association emilymerrell@gmail.com LMU Alumni Club London (Loyola Marymount University) Kent Jancarik 07795 358 681 kent@jancarik.com Marymount University Alumni UK Chapter President: Mrs Suzanne Tapley, 35 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7QT. 020 7581 3742
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email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk MIT Club of Great Britain Yiting Shen, Flat 8a, 36 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6PB 0789 179 3823 yshen@alum.mit.edu http://alumweb.mit.edu/clubs/uk/ Mount Holyoke Club of Britain Rachel L. Elwes, President rlelwes@yahoo.com Karen K. Bullivant Vice-President kkbullivant@alumnae.mtholyoke.edu www.mtholyoke.co.uk Notre Dame Club of London Hannah Gornik, Secretary: ND_Club_London@yahoo.co.uk
Emory University Alumni Chapter of the UK Matthew Williams, Chapter Leader 079 8451 4119 matthew.eric.williams@gmail.com www.alumni.emory.edu/chapters-and-groups/ chapters/international.html
NYU Alumni Club in London Jodi Ekelchik, President alumni.london@nyu.edu
Georgetown Alumni Club Alexa Fernandez, President GeorgetownLondon@Yahoo.com
Ohio University UK & Ireland Frank Madden, 1 Riverway, Barry Avenue, Windsor, Berks. SL4 5JA. Tel 01753 855 360 frank@madant.demon.co.uk
Gettysburg College Britt-Karin Oliver brittkarin@aol.com Harvard Business School Club of London www.hbsa.org.uk
NYU STERN UK Alumni Club Matthieu Gervis, President sternukalumniclub@hotmail.com
Penn Alumni Club of the UK David Lapter Tel. 07957 146 470 david.lapter@alumni.upenn.edu
Penn State Alumni Association Penn State Alumni Association Ron Nowicki - 0207 226 7681 pennstatelondon@yahoo.co.uk www.alumni.psu.edu Princeton Association (UK) Carol Rahn, President Jon Reades, Young Alumni carol.rahn@orange-ftgroup.com jon@reades.com www.alumni.princeton.edu Rice Alumni of London Kathy Wang 07912 560 177 kathyw@alumni.rice.edu Skidmore College Alumni Club, London Peggy Holden Briggs ‘84, co-ordinator 07817 203611 peggyhbriggs@gmail.com Smith College Club of London Kathleen Merrill, President smithclubgb@googlemail.com http://alumnae.smith.edu Stanford Business School Alumni Association (UK Chapter) Robby Arnold, President, robby@blueyonder.co.uk Lesley Anne Hunt, Events, lesley.hunt@blueyonder.co.uk www.stanfordalumni.org.uk Syracuse University Alumni UK Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE SUalumniUK@syr.edu www.facebook.com/SUalumniUK Texas Tech Alumni Association - London Chapter David Mirmelli, Ferhat Guven, Bobby Brents president@texastechalumni.org.uk www.TexasTechAlumni.org.uk Texas Exes UK (UKTE) President: Carra Kane 7 Edith Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 8TW 0778 660 7534 carrakane@alumni.utexas.net www.fornogoodreason.com/UKTEMain.htm Texas A&M Club London Co-Presidents Ashley Lilly, Devin Howard london@aggienetwork.com http://clubs.aggienetwork.com/londonamc/ The John Adams Society Contact: Muddassar Ahmed c/o Unitas Communications, Palmerston House, 80-86 Old Street, London EC1V 9AZ 0203 308 2358 johnadamssociety@unitascommunications.com www.johnadamssociety.co.uk Tufts - London Tufts Alliance Vikki Garth Londontuftsalliance@yahoo.com
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The American
UK Dawgs of the University of Georgia Rangana Abdulla ukdawgs@hotmail.com UConn Alumni Association ucaa@uconnalumni.com UMass Alumni Club UK Julie Encarnacao, President (0)20 7007 3869 julesje32@gmail.com University of California Matthew Daines (Program Director) 17 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA 020 7079 0567 matthewdaines@californiahouse.org.uk University of Chicago UK Alumni Association c/o Alumni Aff airs and Development – Europe, University of Chicago Booth School of Business Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall Street, London EC2V 5HA +44(0)20 7070 2245 www.ChicagoBooth.edu University of Illinois Alumni Club of the UK Amy Barklam, President 07796 193 466 amybarklam@msn.com University of North Carolina Alumni Club Brad Matthews, Club Leader 2 The Orchards, Hill View Road, Woking GU22 7LS brad.matthews@alumni.unc.edu http://alumni.unc.edu University of Michigan Alumni Association Regional Contact: Jessica Cobb, BA ’97 +44 (0) 788-784-0941 jesscobb@yahoo.com
Details changed? Let us know email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/umich_uk_alumni/
University of Rochester/Simon School UK Alumni Association Ms. Julie Bonne, Co-President 0118-956-5052 julie_bonne@yahoo.com University of Southern California, Alumni Club of London Jennifer Ladwig, President, Chuck Cramer, Treasurer usclondon@gmail.com www.usclondonalumni.org University of Virginia Alumni Club of London Kirsten Jellard 020 7368 8473 londonuvaclub@yahoo.com http://members.aol.com/UKUVACLUB/UVA-london.htm US Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) UK Chapter President: Allison Bennett bennett.ac@gmail.com Facebook: Kings Point Alumni - London/United Kingdom
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USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter President: LCDR Greta Densham ‘00 (gretaj@mac.com) Vice President: Tim Fox ‘97 (timfox97@hotmail.com) Secretary: Mike Smith ‘84 (Mike.Smith@polycom.com) Facebook Group - USNA Alumni Association, UK Chapter Vassar College Club Sara Hebblethwaite, President 18 Redgrave Road, London, SW15 1PX +44 020 8788 6910, sara.hebblethwaite@virgin.net Warnborough Worldwide Alumni Association c/o International Offi ce, Friars House, London SE1 8HB Tel. 020 7922 1200 Fax. 020 7922 1201 www.wwaa.info admin@warnborough.edu Wellesley College Club Farida El-Gammal ‘98, President www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/groups/clubs/intlclubs/ wellesley_uk_club WCLondon@alum.wellesley.edu
British Baseball Federation/ BaseballSoftballUK 5th Floor, Ariel House, 74a Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QJ. 020 7453 7055 British Morgan Horse Society 01942 886141 www.morganhorse.org.uk admin@morganhorse.org.uk Eagles Golf Society Sharon Croley c/o Eventful Services, 49 Hastings Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 6PH sharoncroley@blueyonder.co.uk Ice Hockey UK 19 Heather Avenue, Rise Park, Romford RM1 4SL Tel. 07917 194 264 Fax. 01708 725241 www.icehockeyuk.co.uk ihukoffi ce@yahoo.co.uk
Wharton Alumni Club of the UK Gina Mok, Pres., yi.mok.wh00@wharton.upenn.edu Yoav Kurtzbard, ykurtzbard@youngassoc.com 020-7447-8800 www.whartonclubuk.net
Infinity Elite Cheerleading (founded by C.A.C) Mondays 4.30-8.30 – Maiden Lane Comm. Centre, 156 St. Paul’s Crescent, London NW1 9XZ. Tumble: Thursdays 6-8 – Paget Centre,18-28 Randells Rd, Islington, London N1 0DH. Tel. 077 9132 0115 http://londoninfinityelite.clubbz.com www.facebook.com/InfinityAllstars
Williams Club of Great Britain Ethan Kline: ethankline@gmail.com
Herts Baseball Club Adult & Little League Baseball www.hertsbaseball.com
Yale Club of London Joe Vittoria, President, president@yale.org.uk Scott Fletcher, Events, events@yale.org.uk Nick Baskey, Secretary secretary@yale.org.uk www.yale.org.uk
Lakenheath Barracudas Swim Club Open to all military affi liated families. Charlie Midthun, Pres., laken.barracudas@yahoo.com; Head Coach, Dean Reed, smurfathome@earthlink.net www.barracudas.moonfruit.com
Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae Kristin Morgan. Tel: 07812 580949 kristinamorgan@gmail.com www.zetataualpha.org
LondonSports Instruction & competitive play in American flag football, baseball, basketball and soccer, boys/girls aged 4-15, newcomers or experienced players. Sports in a safe, fun environment for children of all nationalities. www.londonsports.com vll@me.com
CIVIL WAR SOCIETIES American Civil War Round Table (UK) Sandra Bishop, 5 Southdale, Chigwell, Essex IG7 5NN sandra-bishop@hotmail.com www.americancivilwar.org.uk Southern Skirmish Association (SoSkan) Membership Secretary, Bob Isaac, 3 Hilliards Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3TA membership@soskan.co.uk www.soskan.co.uk
ARTS
London Warriors American Football Club Kevin LoPrimo info@londonwarriorsafc.co.uk www.londonwarriorsafc.co.uk
Has your group done something you’re proud of? Tell us email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk
American Actors UK Administrator: Kelly Harris, 07873 371 891 www.americanactorsuk.com
SPORTS English Lacrosse PO Box 116, Manchester M11 0AX 0843 658 5006 info@englishlacrosse.co.uk www.englishlacrosse.co.uk
We rely on you to keep us informed. Every effort is made to ensure that these listings are correct but if your entry requires amendments please tell us. Send profiles, news or articles about your organization for possible publication in The American. email sabrina@theamerican.co.uk, tel +44(0)1747 830520, fax +44(0)1747 830691
The American To find out whether you’re eligible to advertise your products and services here, and for rates, call Sabrina Sully on +44 (0)1747 830520. You’ll reach Americans living in and visiting the UK as well as Britons who like American culture and products.
Suppliers of quality products and services hand-picked for you FINANCIAL ADVICE
ACCOUNTANCY & TAX BDO LLP The UK member fi rm of the world’s fi fth largest accountancy organisation. 55 Baker Street, London W1U 7EU 020 7486 5888 info@bdo.co.uk www.bdo.uk.com Jaffe & Co., incorp. American Tax International Comprehensive tax preparation and compliance service for US expatriates in the UK and Europe. America House, 54 Hendon Lane, London N3 1TT 020 8346 5237 www.jaff eandco.com Tax & Accounting Hub Professional service at aff ordable prices. Fixed fee U.S. Expatriate tax preparation service in London. Federal/ State, Foreign bank account/IRS audits response +44 (0)20 3286 6445. M: +44 (0)79 1439 3183 152 Burford Wharf, 3 Cam Road, London, E15 2SS www.taxandaccountinghub.com Montage Services, Inc. For all your US tax needs in Europe: individual & corporate, international & domestic. Offi ces in San Francisco, Houston, London, Toronto and Berlin. 020 3004 6353 sam@montage-services.com www.montage-services.com
ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES Stephen T Taylor Your American stamp dealer in Britain since 1995. 5 Glenbuck Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6BS 020 8390 9357 info@stephentaylor.co.uk www.stephentaylor.co.uk
COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY Transitions Therapy Psychotherapy & Counselling for Expatriate Individuals, Couples, Families & Adolescents. London, or via Skype. 07557 261432 transitions_therapy@hotmail.com www.transitionstherapy.co.uk
Tanager Wealth Management LLP Integrated financial and investment advice for US expats living in the UK provided by US expats. Global account consolidation, UK/US savings and retirement planning together with investment advice. Contact us for a no obligation meeting or telephone conversation. 020 7871 8440 www.tanagerwealth.com contact@tanagerwealth.com @tanagerwealth
INTERIOR DESIGN Rolando Luci Luxury lighting, including American brands, some unique to the UK. 01778 218121 www.rolandoluci.co.uk
LEGAL Chambers of Miss Kristin Heimark Legal services direct to my neighbors, fellow American ex-pats and US Forces personnel stationed in England. 143 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 OUH +44(0)781 126 4290 www.stokenewingtonchambers.co.uk @stokenewington LinkedIn KristinHeimark
Setfords Solicitors Family lawyers and mediators with particular experience in expatriate cases. 01483 408780 www.setfords.co.uk lthomas@setfords.co.uk
NOTARIES Edward Young LLP Edward Young LLP (incorporating Kober-Smith & Associates) is a full practice Notary Public in London. We can solve your problems. Full notary service. By appointment only. 9 Carlos Place London W1K 3AT (near US Embassy) 00 44 (0) 20 7499 2605 notary@NotaryPublicInLondon.com wwwREAL ESTATE RE/MAX Property Group Notting Hill Gate Branch: 49 Cottesmore Court, Stanford Road, London W8 5QW 07511-895090 www.remax.co.uk
WEDDING PLANNING Extraordinary Days Events An American wedding planner in London creating elegant, sophisticated, and unique weddings in England. Bespoke services ranging from full service planning to day-of coordination. 020 7433 0300 www.extraordinarydaysevents.com
Coffee Break Answers
SOLUTION
1. Vatican City; 2. Value Added Tax; 3. Bob Barker; 4. Astro; 5. Michael Collins; 6. Genesis; 7. John Milton; 8. 5 7 8 1 9 4 2 6 3 Economics; 9. The Rainbow Warrior; 10. Lucy Lawless; 11. Robert F. Kennedy; 12. Dallas; 13. Northern Mockingbird; 4 9 3 6 2 8 5 7 1 14. Atticus Finch; 15. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte; 6 4 1 8 5 9 3 2 7 16. a) Hydrogen; 17. Soil; 18. Venezuela; 19. 2010 World 7 8 5 3 6 2 4 1 9 Cup in South Africa; 20. 2010. A1: President Lyndon B 3 2 9 7 4 1 8 5 6 Johnson; A2: San Francisco; A3: Belle Boyd; A4: Samuel 9 5 7 4 3 6 1 8 2 Colt; A5: Otis argued against taxation without representation; A6: ‘a simple and practical method for the precise 8 6 2 9 1 5 7 3 4 determination of a ship’s longitude’. It was eventually 1 3 4 2 8 7 6 9 5 awarded in 1765 to John Harrison for his chronometer, and was the subject of the TV drama Longitude which aired on A&E and Channel 4 in 2000. 2
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