Tuesdays at St. Pauls
St Paul’s Church holds a lunchtime concert on Tuesdays. I started going to these sometime in November. The church is a sturdy grey brick building, with a huge steeple, good stained glass windows, and is surrounded by a cemetery. Now, this is in the center of downtown Bedford, traffic is whipping around the surrounding streets, and each Wednesday and Saturday there’s a big Farmers’ Market in St Paul’s Square; it’s very much an urban church.
So on Tuesdays, I walk down by the Embankment, around the corner, cross High Street and go through the big doors of St Paul’s Church. I join about 30 other old people (I’m usually one of the youngest there) in the sanctuary under the vaulted ceiling, sunlight streaming through colorful stained glass, slate floors, and surrounded with lots of dark oak paneling and brass plaques dedicated to dead people. Altogether, quite nice – oh, there are also lots of religious statues and crosses in this Anglican Church, and each chair has a kneeling pad, which of course, we don’t use.
For just a couple of quid, you can also partake of the lunch provided by the ladies auxiliary. I’ve never been tempted, as the sandwiches look rather pale and utilitarian, and the cakes and biscuits rather bland. Some things just aren’t worth it, even at bargain prices!
A Lovely Woman, Heather, assembles the program by arranging for the musicians, and writing up an intriguing introduction to the music. Mostly, we’ve heard pianists from Cambridge, all serious music students and graduates who have won awards and performed all over the world. The choir and orchestra from the local Dame Alice Harpur middle and high school have performed, as well as a violinist. I missed the trumpet player.
It’s a wonderful interlude, in the midst of the hustle of a city, to enter a quiet place, sit with others, and hear music. I wonder if the musicians care (or notice) that half the folks have nodded off to sleep?
February 10: Moggerhanger Snow Drops
Spring is sprouting around here – and, I got a phone call (we get so few that it’s truly amazing when the phone rings!) from a friend to tell us about the snowdrops at Moggerhanger Park. Evidently this weekend is the height of the season. It was another sunny Saturday, so we decided to drive out and take the woodland walk around the grounds of this old country house.
Between Bedford and Sandy (we had seen this park when we went out to the RSPC bird walk), is the small Moggerhanger Park with a Grade One Georgian Country House. Evidently, the house is the most complete surviving example of architect Sir John Sloane. Of course we haven’t a clue why that’s significant, but it is quite a lovely setting, the woodlands were carpeted in blooms of white snowdrops, and we had a lovely walk on a sunny morning. Of course, the hot tea and biscuits the tearoom wasn’t bad, either!
It looks like this would be a great spot for special dinner. The menu selections include Pheasant breast filled with chestnuts and orange, as well as aubergine and courgette gateaux (that’s eggplant and zucchini in American).
Learning to Drive All Over Again
Since I’ve been rather reticent about driving here, I decided it would be a good thing to hire someone to help me transition to driving on the “wrong” side and feeling good about it. So, Den got the name of a fellow who came highly recommended. I made the call, found out that it would be 22/hour or the bargain price of 32/1.5 hours (that’s like, over 60 USD!). But, I figured it would be worth it to, you know, build up my confidence.
First off, Colin is a nice enough man; I actually like him. And, I think he likes me, although I don’t think I’d go so far as saying he enjoys my company, at least when I’m behind the wheel of his car.
Second, I now understand why there are always cars with these “learning to drive school” signs atop them – you cannot go outside without seeing one every 5 minutes, and I do not exaggerate.
Third, and probably the most important, the Brits are very proper. There’s always the right way to do something, and that includes how to drive a car. And, just as British high school students quake at the fear of not passing their A-levels, that seems nothing compared to passing the English driving test. If you get a license to drive an automatic car, it does not qualify you to drive a stick shift; why so picky?
Here are a few things I’ve learned, besides the fact that after 40-odd years of driving in the US, I know nothing. There’s a proper way to hold your hand on the gearshift knob, your thumb should point down if going into first and second, and point forward for third and fourth. The proper way to stop at a light is to shift down, put the car into first gear, leave your left foot on the fully engaged clutch, the right foot on the gas, and use the parking brake! Who woulda thought? (I swear this is what my father called “riding the clutch.”)
The average first-time learner needs about 45 hours of individual instruction (you figure out how much that costs!) There’s a theory test and a driving test. Less than half pass the test the first time, which costs around 50 each time you take it. Now I’m wondering whether it’s worth the embarrassment (let alone the pounds sterling), as I may never pass the test before we leave!
About Those Roundabouts
In all of Bedford there is only one stop sign, and very few street lights, which turn yellow-red-yellow-green, so you always can anticipate the green light (and take off the hand break in time!). Of course, there are hundreds of roundabouts.
Roundabouts come in all sizes and shapes. You thought they were all round, didn’t you? There are mini roundabouts (just about the worst, I think, for running into someone), double and triple roundabouts. It’s truly amazing to see an HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle, an 18-wheeler in American) come barreling around a roundabout – these trucks literally lean over like a motorcycle!
The good thing about a roundabout is that you only have to stop if there’s traffic coming, and usually that means you just slow down a bit to wedge yourself into the traffic. If you get confused, just go around again. And, traffic is only coming from one direction, which is a good thing.
Den & I finally came up with a way to talk about how to exit the roundabout; we use the clock method. When giving direction, you say “Take a 9:00,” meaning exit on the left. If it’s high noon, go straight through. Sometimes a roundabout has 7:00, 9:00, noon, 2:00, and 4:00 o’clock exits. Cars are ripping through those things like salmon swimming upstream.
Of course, if you’re walking, it’s a bit difficult to maneuver through a roundabout, as no one stops. Cars really can’t stop for you, or they’d get rear-ended. I’ve figured out how to walk most places to avoid roundabouts all together. When walking I instinctively look for cars in the American way, then quickly look the English way. Stepping off the kerb is a bit daunting, I feel like Linda Blair in the Exorcist because my head is spinning in so many directions! Fortunately, I must not be the only one, because there are signs painted on the pavement at many intersections: LOOK LEFT or LOOK RIGHT. I’m sure it saves lives, probably mine on more than one occasion.
February 24: A Day at the Tower of London
After a brisk walk to the train station, we got onto the train and found seats just we pulled out of the Bedford Station. Good timing.
We’ve wanted to go to the Tower of London ever since we got here – there’s something mysterious and appalling about this historical place. After getting our tickets, we went immediately to see the Crown Jewels. Sunday is supposed to be a busy day, but we almost had the jewels to ourselves. We took our time ogling at the gloriously ornate crowns, scepters, and other royal paraphernalia. The Cullinan I (the First Star of Africa) is a diamond weighing just over 530 carats (about the size of my fist!) and sits atop the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross. Queen Elizabeth wears the Imperial State Crown every year at the State Opening of Parliament.
Yes, these are the real thing – the Crown Jewels have been at the Tower of London since at least the 17th century, and in 1761 there was an attempt to steal them. It is amazing that you can stand a couple of feet away (granted, there’s several inches of glass) from these outrageous pieces. There were gold platters the size of dining tables, gold goblets, salt cellars, punch bowls – truly mindboggling.
After a cup of coffee and scone, we were ready to go on a guided tour by a Yeoman Warder, all dressed up in a red and black uniform. The Warders are not only tour guides (given with quite a performance), but also watch guards and managers of the Tower. There’s an official “locking up” of the Tower each night that has been carried out for over 700 years. The warders and their families live inside the Tower complex. Cool place, for sure!
After our tour, which just consists of showing you where the buildings are and talking about what’s inside, we got the audio tour and took off on our own. These audio tours are the best, often giving great insights and historical anecdotes.
The Tower began as home for William the Conqueror in 1066. But, the Romans had some type of building there at least 1000 years earlier. Over the years, the Tower was expanded and modified, and it’s uses varied from a home to a prison to storage for supplies and warriors.
Of course, the most infamous is the Tower as royal prison, where Henry VIII beheaded his wives Anne Boleyn (his second wife), Catherine Howard (his 5th), and Lady Jane Grey, who was queen for all of nine days. Although most executions were done out for public viewing, those of queens were deemed too sensitive and were done on the grounds of the Tower. A new memorial of glass and steel commemorate the site of these executions.
There’s Traitor’s Gate, where prisoners could be brought into the Tower out of sight via a boat off the Thames. Wakefield Tower where instruments of torture can be found, Bloody Tower for the imprisonment of many. The Chapel Royal, with its whitewashed walls, was the burial site for some of the most famous executed.
Inside the White Tower, there are displays of all sorts of military guns, shields, armor, as well as portraits. Seeing the armor worn by Henry VIII, including that of his horse was pretty cool. And, of course, there’s the chopping block and axe for beheadings.
We walked, and looked, and read, and listened until we could take no more. We had spent the entire day – from 10:00am to closing at 4:30, and still didn’t see everything we’d like to see. And, since we regretfully left the camera at home, I know we’ll need to go there again some day. We walked to the Tower Hill Underground station in a light rain to catch the Tube to St Pancras, then the First Capital Connect train to Bedford. It was raining when we got home, so got a taxi – and had to tell the driver how to get to our flat. I guess we really are residents now!