Life in the UK - Plough Sunday

Today in the United Kingdom, people are marking Plough Sunday, a day that celebrates the centuries-old ritual of the blessing of the plough.  My ancestors, as well as hubby's UK family, lived by the plough.  It was their way of tending fields to feed the family, whether consuming what they grew, or selling crops for cash.  Honestly, I did not know a lot about Plough Sunday.  But in following the Lyme Regis Museum blog, I learned more about the celebrations they will be having.  Dark Dorset's blog gives more history here. 

Image by Dipity.com

What's a Girl to Do?

OK, so last night, hubby tells me, somewhat apologetically, that he has no interest in spending time in the evening reading my blog.  He works all day, he’s tired when he comes home, blah, blah, blah…  His employer’s IT department blocks Blogger and similar sites (the nerve!), so he can’t even read it at lunch time.  That's OK, my feelings are not hurt, he supports me in more than a million other ways, and I do understand, because he does work hard, he is tired in the evening, blah, blah, blah...

But he cannot bear it when I comment that there will be an omission in one of my posts, especially if he thinks it is something that may be available with a bit of research.  

Perhaps as way of apology, today he emailed me at work, regarding today’s earlier Doctor Who? post. 

The email is one line:  “Time and Relative Dimension in Space”  

A Real British Police Box.
Courtesy Wikipedia.

I guess you have to read the earlier post for it to make sense, but all I can say is, that’s why I love the guy!

Doctor Who?

Blue Police Box, or
"What TARDIS Looks Like."

Today is Doctor Who Day.  For those who don't know, (and that includes me), Doctor Who is a British science fiction television show on the BBC (British Broadcasting Company). 

As a boy, this was my Welsh husband's favorite TV show.  That is, even though at times he was so frightened by the concept of what he was watching that he had to shield his eyes and peek between his fingers!



Doctor Who is a time-traveler whose time-travelling machine looks like the blue police box pictured here.  In the show, its name is TARDIS.  Don't ask, because I don't know what TARDIS stands for. 

Hubby says that as a boy, he didn't see many blue police boxes.  They are mostly extinct now.  In reality, one could enter a police box and pick up the telephone inside and get an instant, direct connection to the police station.

These blue police boxes are a kind of cultural icon in Britain, mostly for their representation as TARDIS.   Dorothy's ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, or Fonzi's leather jacket from Happy Days have a similar cache in the U.S.

The Doctor Who character time-traveled with a group of friends, and also fought enemies to right wrongs.  The show is the longest-running science fiction TV show in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  It first aired on this date in 1963. 

When hubby tells me stories of watching Doctor Who while visiting his Grandma, I can only laugh.  I recall similar evenings in front of the television, slightly terrorized by episodes of The Twilight Zone.  We children, we're the same all over the world!

Remembrance Sunday

Today is Remembrance Sunday in the United Kingdom, a day to honor veterans.  It's also sometimes called "Poppy Day".  The brilliant flower came to represent World War I veterans because it was native to some WWI battlefields.  Remembrance Day is held on the Sunday nearest November 11, which as we know is Veterans Day in the US.   


Cities and towns all over the UK will hold ceremonies at the village war memorials.  Current and former members of the armed forces, as well as members of cadet forces and youth organizations, will place poppy wreaths on town memorials.  Moments of silence will take place, and church bells will ring.  Even the soccer teams will wear an armband with an embroidered poppy to mark the day. 

  

All of these activities are a way of expressing gratitude for the sacrifices made by the soldiers and their families over the years, as if a parade and a wreath could ever be enough. 

Earlier this year, my family and I traveled to Belgium, where we visited Tyne Cot Cemetery, among other World War I sights.  It's a peaceful place in the middle of the beautiful Belgian countryside.  The cemetery is the final resting place for almost 12,000 British Commonwealth servicemen from World War I.  A staggering, heartbreaking 8,000+ of these are unknown.  A nearby piece of land, know as the Ypres Salient, was the subject of five battles from 1914 to 1918.  The soldiers of Tyne Cot fought in those battles. 

On Remembrance Day, we remember these soldiers, their families, their sacrifices.  On this Veteran's Day weekend, we also remember all of our soldiers, past and present, who have fought for our freedoms.  We thank them and their families for every sacrifice.  I can sit at home and write this post today because sometime in the past, a veteran thought of his countrymen first.  I cannot say "thank you" enough. 

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

Remember, Remember the fifth of November...

So begins a rhyme from the childhood of generations of British people, my husband being one of them.  Something about this little poem always rings in his memory as November 5th rolls around.  And on that day, as we share morning tea or coffee, he realizes the date, and recites the poem...

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

The plot to blow up the British Houses of Parliament  in 1605 was hatched by Guy Fawkes, a gentleman who, it's easy to see, must have been seriously unhappy with the way things were going in Britain at the time.  Perhaps an earlier version of "Occupy Britain."  My husband tells me that today's "Occupy" protesters, not just in Britain, are wearing Guy Fawkes masks!

London protesters wearing
Guy Fawkes masks.
Courtesy Wikipedia.

This date is celebrated now with firework displays and bonfires.  On top of the bonfires is an effigy of Guy Fawkes.  Neighbors gather in the street to warm themselves by the bonfire, drink hot chocolate and enjoy the fireworks.  One of hubby's memories is of eating delicious potatoes that had been baked in the embers of a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night.  Sounds so quaint, doesn't it?  But I promise you, this happened in the 20th century!

As a kid, when hubby and his friends didn't have money to buy fireworks (and their parents were sensible enough not to give it to them), they would build an effigy and carry it around town, asking people they passed for "a penny for the guy."  And people donated heavily, knowing they'd spend the money on sparklers!

It's kind of amazing that hundreds of years later, Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated faithfully.  While this event is not a legal holiday, it does mark the survival of the Monarchy, even today held dear in the hearts of most of Britain's subjects. 

Or maybe they just like a good street party?!!