Contining this sporadic series of Statues of Queen Victoria. This one is on
the northern side of Blackfriars Bridge, London.
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
Showing posts with label Queen Victoria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen Victoria. Show all posts
VR04 Leamington Spa
While I was in Leamington Spa recently I saw a statue of Queen Victoria
and it reminded me of a long forgotten attempt to record such statues where I come across them.
For others click the Queen Victoria tag.
Christmas with Kate Rusby on the Southbank 2019
As noted we were at the Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday evening for another of these annual Kate Rusby Christmas concerts. The format appeared to be similar to previous years - about 16 carols and other songs, lots of talking, a short period when Kate is off stage and Damien and the boys do some instrumentals, an audience video for Facebook and a two song encore. About half the twelve songs on the new album were done along with pieces from the other albums. One quibble our Barnsley nightingale suggested that many of the carols sung in pubs were kept out of the church by the Victorians. That would suggest that Kate has never heard of Sankey's Sacred Songs and Solos or Sankey's Sacred solos and sea shanties as some humorously call it. There aren't many carols in Sankey it is true but Rolling downward, Once in royal David's, While shepherds watched, Hark the herald, etc are all there. Great evening.
Books recently read
My reading schedule is a bit higgledy piggledy but I have recently finished three unrelated books of various sizes. One was George Orwell's first novel Burmese Days which is a fine novel, despite what Orwell came to think, and an unsentimental insight into English attitudes in the 1920s as the British Raj began to wind down. The more Orwell I read the more I admire his skill. The other two books are non-fiction. Victorians Undone is a large roving thing by the journalist Kathryn Hughes. With chapters on Darwin's beard and George Eliot's hand it is an unusual approach to history but a fascinating read. Some will want to avoid the book because of some of the subject material it gets into and the very occasional lapse of judgement in the expressions used. Otherwise it is well written, informative and thought provoking. The third and final one to mention is a little SPCK hardback by Tudor historian John Guy. The first half is excellent but it is supplemented in the second half with discussions of More's impact down the years, including the fascinating story of how he was made saint and how first Robert Bolt and then Hilary Mantel got hold of the character and shaped him to their own purposes. Really worth a read.
10 Longest Reigning British Monarchs
1 Elizabeth II 6 February 1952-September 8 2022 70 years, 214 days ie 25,782 days*
2 Victoria 20 June 1837-22 January 1901 63 years, 216 days ie 23,226 days
3 George III 25 October 1760-29 January 1820 59 years, 96 days ie 21,644 days
4 James VI of Scotland 24 July 1567-27 March 1625 57 years, 246 days ie 21,066 days
5 Henry III 18 October 1216-16 November 1272 56 years, 29 days ie 20,483 days
6 Edward III 25 January 1327-21 June 1377 50 years, 147 days ie 18,410 days
7 William I of Scotland 9 December 1165-4 December 1214 48 years, 360 days ie 17,892 days
8 Llywelyn of Gwynedd 1195-11 April 1240 45 years (approximately)
9 Elizabeth I 17 November 1558-24 March 1603 44 years, 127 days ie 16,198 days
10 David II of Scotland 7 June 1329-22 February 1371 41 years, 260 days ie 15,235 days
3 George III 25 October 1760-29 January 1820 59 years, 96 days ie 21,644 days
4 James VI of Scotland 24 July 1567-27 March 1625 57 years, 246 days ie 21,066 days
5 Henry III 18 October 1216-16 November 1272 56 years, 29 days ie 20,483 days
6 Edward III 25 January 1327-21 June 1377 50 years, 147 days ie 18,410 days
7 William I of Scotland 9 December 1165-4 December 1214 48 years, 360 days ie 17,892 days
8 Llywelyn of Gwynedd 1195-11 April 1240 45 years (approximately)
9 Elizabeth I 17 November 1558-24 March 1603 44 years, 127 days ie 16,198 days
10 David II of Scotland 7 June 1329-22 February 1371 41 years, 260 days ie 15,235 days
*Amended
10 Longest Lived British Monarchs
1 Elizabeth I1 21 April 1926-September 8 2022 96 years, 139 days and rising ie 35,204 days*
2 Victoria 24 May 1819-22 January 1901 81 years, 243 days ie 29,828 days
3 George III 4 June 1738-29 January 1820 81 years, 239 days ie 29,823 days
4 Edward VIII 23 June 1894-28 May 1972 77 years, 340 days ie 28,463 days
5 George II 10 November 1683-25 October 1760 76 years, 350 days ie 28,108 days
6 William IV 21 August 1765-20 June 1837 71 years, 303 days ie 26,235 days
7 George V 3 June 1865-20 January 1936 70 years, 231 days ie 25,797 days
8 Edward VII 9 November 1841-6 May 1910 68 years, 178 days ie 25,014 days
9 James II 24 October 1633-16 September 170167 years, 327 days ie 24,798 days
10 George IV 12 August 1762-26 June 1830 67 years, 318 days ie 24,789 days
(Inspired by a question on UC)
2 Victoria 24 May 1819-22 January 1901 81 years, 243 days ie 29,828 days
3 George III 4 June 1738-29 January 1820 81 years, 239 days ie 29,823 days
4 Edward VIII 23 June 1894-28 May 1972 77 years, 340 days ie 28,463 days
5 George II 10 November 1683-25 October 1760 76 years, 350 days ie 28,108 days
6 William IV 21 August 1765-20 June 1837 71 years, 303 days ie 26,235 days
7 George V 3 June 1865-20 January 1936 70 years, 231 days ie 25,797 days
8 Edward VII 9 November 1841-6 May 1910 68 years, 178 days ie 25,014 days
9 James II 24 October 1633-16 September 170167 years, 327 days ie 24,798 days
10 George IV 12 August 1762-26 June 1830 67 years, 318 days ie 24,789 days
(Inspired by a question on UC)
*Amended
10 well known people who heard Spurgeon preach
1. Lord John Russell, Prime minister 1846-1852, 1865/66
2. William Gladstone, Prime minister 1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886, 1892-1894
In January 1882 Gladstone requested a reserved seat in the Tabernacle to hear his friend Spurgeon preach. He arrived early with his son and sat in the vestry with Spurgeon until the service. Following the visit, the PM’s enemies criticised him as an Anglican for visiting a Dissenting Chapel. This did not deter Gladstone from inviting Spurgeon, on several occasions, to Downing Street for breakfast or lunch. The two split politically in 1886 over giving Home Rule to Ireland.
3. John Ruskin the art critic
Ruskin and Spurgeon shared social concerns and were firm friends. Ruskin regularly attended Spurgeon’s Surrey Gardens Music Hall services, and when Spurgeon was ill he visited him with gifts of pictures. Ruskin gave Spurgeon a complete set of his Modern Painters which the preacher annotated and frequently quoted.
Letters and visits were exchanged over the years, and when The Metropolitan Tabernacle was being built, Ruskin contributed 100 guineas, a considerable sum in those days.
4. George Eliot the female novelist
5. Matthew Arnold the poet and cultural commentator (who mentions Spurgeon several times in his Culture and Anarchy)
6. Queen Victoria (in disguise, allegedly)
7. Lord Shaftesbury the political reformer
8. David Livingstone the missionary and explorer
9. H H Asquith
MP (Later Prime minister)
10. David Lloyd-George (later Prime-minister) in 1884 and 1888
VR03 Aberystwyth
 |
| Now we have a series. This one is interesting as it is a figurehead salvaged from a ship. Probably carved around 1838 (soon after her coronation, before she married) it was transferred to The Victoria Tavern around 1870. The building remained a tavern until 1920 and has since housed various businesses. In 1989 the building was repainted and the figurehead was undercoated in black. It was restored in 1998. During restoration it was found to have been painted at least 20 times, at one stage, possibly when she died in 1901, in black. |
Victoria
I noticed it was the 108th anniversary of Queen Victoria's death last Thursday (22nd) then I heard this Kinks number on the radio and thought you might enjoy this live version. Wikipedia says it's a Ray Davies number, the opening track of the 1969 concept album Arthur (or the decline and fall of the British Empire) and a largely unsuccessful single. In the satirical style Davies had become known for in earlier works, the lyrics juxtapose the paternalist aspirations of Empire in the Victorian age, "Land of my Victoria/Land of hope and gloria", with the grim reality of life in Britain during the 19th Century, "Sex was bad and obscene/And the rich were so mean". It expresses the simple adulation of queen and country found among the working class, "Though I am poor, I am free/When I grow I shall fight/For this land I shall die". The original starts with a simple electric blues riff under the lyrics, and builds to an exuberant climax with brass and strings at the "Land of hope and gloria" bridge. The play-out features brass, heavy rock guitar and raucous background vocals from Dave Davies. A "psychedelic" effect is achieved by use of an Indian style drone. A version by The Kooks will be on the War child charity album, Heroes next month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)