I Never Knew That About the English

by Desconhecido

  It is largely for these two works that Milton is regarded as one of the greatest poets in the English language. Thomas Jefferson conceded that he was greatly influenced by the style and ideas of Milton when he was writing the American Declaration of Independence.

  Milton’s Cottage now houses a museum in his memory.

  West Wycombe

  The picture book village of WEST WYCOMBE, slumbering on the old London to Oxford coach road, is kept safe by the National Trust. It consists of a street lined with timbered houses, a grand Palladian mansion with park and, forming a prominent landmark on top of a steep hill, the distinctive church of St Laurence. Crowning the 14th-century church tower is a golden ball with seating for six where, in the 18th century, SIR FRANCIS DASHWOOD and his friends would meet and play cards, drink and sing ‘jolly songs very unfit for the profane ears of the world below’.

  In fact, in the world 300 ft (90 m) directly below, profanity and worse was a regular occurrence, for here, in caves dug out of the chalk, would meet the infamous Hellfire Club. Sir Francis Dashwood, who owned West Wycombe, was a wealthy London merchant with a wide circle of friends centred on Frederick, Prince of Wales, who made up ‘The Knights of St Francis of Wycombe’, or the Hellfire Club. In the 1750s Dashwood had mined the hill below the church for material to make the straight stretch of road into High Wycombe that you can see from the hill. The Hellfire Club, which used to meet in Medmenham Abbey a few miles away, began to gather in the caves, which reached quarter of a mile (0.4 km) into the hillside. The meetings, for which the men were dressed in white flowing robes, were secret, lasted all night and gained a reputation as wild, Bacchanalian orgies – especially as only ladies of ‘a cheerful and lively disposition’ were invited.

  In 1763, as so often happens, rough-house led to tears, and the club was disbanded. One night at Medmenham Abbey, Sir Henry Vansittart, Governor of Bengal, brought along as his guest a baboon from India. John Wilkes, the cross-eyed radical, journalist and MP for Aylesbury, thought what fun it would be to dress the animal up as the Devil and conceal it in a box. At just the right moment he let it out and the poor creature sprang from the box on to the back of the Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, who cried out in terror, ‘Spare me gracious Devil, thou knowest I was only fooling, I am not half as wicked as I pretended!’ The Earl and the baboon both fled from the chapel. The baboon was never seen again, while the Earl retired into private life to do Good Works. The Hellfire Club limped on as a pale imitation before finally closing in 1774.

  The church is often open and it is sometimes possible to climb into the golden ball. There are daily tours into the caves, which can also be hired for dinner parties, wedding receptions or other entertainments.

  English Hymnal

  The hymn ‘AMAZING GRACE’, which became a No. 1 hit for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 1972, was written in the 1760s by slave-trader turned hymn-writer JOHN NEWTON, while he was a curate in the north Buckinghamshire village of Olney. His great friend, who also lived in Olney, was poet WILLIAM COWPER, whose most famous work was the comic ballad THE DIVERTING HISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN. Together they wrote the Olney Hymns, a collection of nearly 350 hymns, including ‘God Moves in a Mysterious Way’ and ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds’.

  Pancake Race

  Olney is famous for its annual Shrove Tuesday PANCAKE RACE, dating back to 1445. Apparently it began when a harassed housewife, hearing the church bells, rushed off to church still clutching her frying pan. Those taking part must be women over 18 who have lived in Olney for over three months. They must wear the clothing of a traditional housewife and run 400 yards from the market-place to the church, while tossing pancakes. The winner gets a kiss from a bell ringer and a silver cup.

  Well, I never knew this

  about

  BUCKINGHAMSHIRE FOLK

  John Hampden

  1594–1643

  HAMPDEN HOUSE, hidden in the hills near Princes Risborough, was the ancestral home of England’s greatest parliamentarian, JOHN HAMPDEN, a cousin of Oliver Cromwell. In 1637 Hampden refused to pay the King’s Ship Tax, originally levied on ports but extended by the extravagant Charles I to include inland areas as well. Hampden’s defiance of the King on a point of principle – that the King could only raise taxes through Parliament – made him a hero, and he was one of the five MPs the King tried to arrest in Parliament in January 1642. The King took the Speaker’s chair and asked Speaker Lenthall if the men he wanted were there, to which the Speaker answered, ‘May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak in this place, but as the House is pleased to direct me…’ ‘I see my birds have flown,’ replied the King.

  This incident lit the fuse of the English Civil War, and resulted in the Monarch being banned from the House of Commons for evermore. It is the origin of the ceremony during the State Opening of Parliament, when Black Rod goes to the Commons, on behalf of the Monarch, to summon MPs for the Queen’s Speech, and has the door slammed in his face in a gesture that symbolises the Commons’ independence.

  Hampden was killed at the Battle of Chalgrove Field in 1643 and is buried amongst his ancestors in the lovely old church next to Hampden House. He was the staunchest architect of parliamentary democracy and the greatest defender of its privileges. As one commentator said, ‘Never Kingdom received a greater loss in one subject.’

  George and William Grenville

  In Wotton Underwood lies the prime minister whose actions sparked the American War of Independence. GEORGE GRENVILLE (1712–70), whose family were once Dukes of Buckingham, introduced the Stamp Act in 1765. This stipulated that the American colonies should bear some of the cost of ‘defending, protecting and securing the British colonies and plantations’. Every document in America was made subject to a stamp duty, in one of the first attempts to impose taxes on goods imported into the colonies. The colonies, who had no voice in the British Parliament, naturally protested, calling for ‘no taxation without representation’. They were ignored, and thus were sown the seeds of rebellion.

  In Burnham church, nestling amongst the beech trees, lies George Grenville’s son WILLIAM WYNDHAM GRENVILLE (1759–1834), who also had a profound effect on the United States, for he was the prime minister under whose ‘Ministry of all the Talents’ the Slave Trade was abolished in 1807.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  1804–78

  Queen Victoria’s favourite prime minister, and England’s first and only Jewish-born prime minister, BENJAMIN DISRAELI lived at Hughenden Manor near High Wycombe, and is buried in a vault in the church next door, beneath a memorial erected for him by the Queen herself.

  Sir George Gilbert Scott

  1811–78

  SIR GEORGE GILBERT SCOTT was born in the village of GAWCOTT, just south of Buckingham. He restored over 500 English churches and left us with some fine English icons – the Martyrs’ Memorial in Oxford, the Albert Memorial in London, for which he was knighted by a grateful Queen Victoria, and most spectacular of all, the immense gothic St Pancras Station, now restored as the terminal for the Channel Tunnel railway.

  His grandson, SIR GILES GILBERT SCOTT (1880–1960), designed England’s biggest cathedral at Liverpool, Battersea and Bankside power stations – the latter is now the Tate Modern – and the original red telephone box.

  Poppies

  Sleeping in the churchyard at HAMBLEDEN is war hero MAJOR GEORGE HOWSON MC, the man who brought us the Remembrance Day poppy. Disabled in the First World War, he founded the Disabled Society specifically to find work for disabled war veterans like himself. In 1921 the British Legion started to sell poppies to help ex-servicemen, and Major Howson designed an artificial poppy that could be made by someone who had lost the use of a hand. He set up a workshop for five disabled veterans off the Old Kent Road, but this quickly outgrew its premises, and in 1922 he founded the Poppy Factory in Richmond, Surrey, which still produces millions of poppies every year.

  HERBERT AUSTIN, 1ST Baron Austi
n (1868–1941), founder of Austin Cars, was born in LITTLE MISSENDEN. In 1906 Austins became the first cars to be manufactured at the Longbridge plant, in Birmingham. In the 1930s Austin was Britain’s biggest car manufacturer, producing the iconic Austin Seven.

  ROALD DAHL (1916–90), children’s author, is buried in GREAT MISSENDEN, location of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. He is remembered for stories such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Big Friendly Giant.

  Cambridgeshire

  THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MILE IN THE WORLD

  ∗ CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE ∗ SPIES ∗ FOOTLIGHTS ∗ BOOKS ∗ CHIMES ∗ BOAT RACE ∗ PEAS PLEASE

  The Cambridge Bridge of Sighs, inspired by the bridge in Venice over which condemned prisoners were led to their deaths.

  CAMBRIDGESHIRE FOLK

  Octavia Hill ∗ Thomas Clarkson ∗ Sir John Berry ∗ John Maynard Keynes ∗ Michael Ramsay ∗ Sir Christopher Cockerell ∗ Ronald Searle ∗ Sir Richard Attenborough ∗ Olivia Newton-John

  Cambridge

  CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY was established at the beginning of the 13th century by scholars fleeing from Oxford, where the students were in dispute with the townsfolk. It is THE SECOND OLDEST UNIVERSITY IN THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD, and the first Cambridge college, PETERHOUSE, was founded in 1284.

  The stretch of river at Cambridge known as the ‘BACKS’, where the backs of the colleges run down to the river, has been described as ‘the most beautiful mile in the world’. One of the buildings to be seen from the Backs is KING’S COLLEGE CHAPEL, begun by Henry VI, completed by Henry VII and considered by many people to be ‘the most beautiful building in the world’. Under its matchless roof of fan vaulting England’s most famous choir sings, and those who wish to attend the traditional Christmas carol service here often have to queue outside overnight.

  Cambridge Science

  FRANCIS BACON and ISAAC NEWTON, pioneers of modern scientific thought, studied at Cambridge. THE CAVENDISH LABORATORY is named after the 18th-century scientist HENRY CAVENDISH, who discovered hydrogen and measured the weight of the Earth. Here, in 1897, PROFESSOR J.J. THOMPSON discovered the electron – the particle that makes up the atom, which was previously believed to be the smallest structure known. In 1952 the structure of DNA was discovered in the laboratory by JAMES WATSON and FRANCIS CRICK. This discovery has led, amongst other things, to forensic testing (pioneered at the O.J. Simpson trial) and cloning (Dolly the sheep).

  Cambridge Spies

  Cambridge idealism, allied to a degree of arrogance, could sometimes lead to unfortunate consequences, as in the case of the Cambridge spy ring of the 1930s, whose members were motivated by the belief that capitalism was corrupt and communism offered a better social model. PHILBY, BURGESS and MACLEAN were all recruited as spies by ANTHONY BLUNT while they were studying at Cambridge, as was a fifth man, JOHN CAIRNCROSS, whose identity was not revealed until 1990. Cairncross’s activity was particularly damaging, as he leaked details of the code-cracking work going on at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, which allowed the Russians to change their own codes before they were broken. He also gave away information about the atomic weapons research being pursued by the British and Americans, which the Soviets then used to set up their own nuclear programme.

  Cambridge Footlights

  Since it was set up in 1883 the Cambridge Footlights has been at the cutting edge of English comedy. In the 1920s and 30s the Footlights produced a wave of performers who went on to shine in the professional theatre, such as JACK HULBERT, JIMMY EDWARDS and RICHARD MURDOCH. From the 1950s came JONATHAN MILLER, PETER COOK and DAVID FROST. Two of THE GOODIES, BILL ODDIE and TIM BROOKE-TAYLOR, and three of the original MONTY PYTHON team, JOHN CLEESE, GRAHAM CHAPMAN and ERIC IDLE, learnt their trade in the Footlights, as did STEPHEN FRY, HUGH LAURIE, GRIFF RHYS JONES, EMMA THOMPSON and TONY SLATTERY. The first woman member was ELEANOR BRON in 1959.

  Eleanor Bron

  Cambridge Books

  The CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS is THE OLDEST PRINTING AND PUBLISHING HOUSE IN THE WORLD, and stands on the site of BRITAIN’S OLDEST BOOKSHOP – books have been sold on this spot since 1581.

  Cambridge Chimes

  In 1793 a new clock was installed in the tower of GREAT ST MARY’S CHURCH, which stands in the centre of Cambridge between King’s College Chapel and the market place, and Regius Professor of Civil Law, THE REVD DR JOSEPH JOWETT, was asked to compose a chime for it. His composition, possibly inspired by the fifth bar of the opening of Handel’s aria ‘I Know that My Redeemer Liveth’, proved popular and was adopted in 1859 for the new Great Clock of Westminster, more widely known as Big Ben – with the result that the simple tune first heard in Cambridge is now the most famous clock chime in the world.

  The Boat Race

  In 1829 Cambridge University challenged Oxford University to a boat race and this took place on the River Thames at Henley. Oxford, wearing their dark blue shirts, won. The next race was run in 1836 from Westminster to Putney, and this time Cambridge, wearing light blue shirts, triumphed.

  Since 1856 the race has been staged annually, except during the two world wars, over a 4½-mile (7-km) course between Putney and Mort-lake. To date, Cambridge have won 79 times and Oxford 73. There was one dead heat, in 1877. According to Oxford legend the judge on the finishing line, one ‘Honest’ John Phelps, was asleep under a bush when the crews flashed past, and awoke to declare ‘a dead heat to Oxford by four feet’.

  The first woman to take part was SUE BROWN, who coxed Oxford to victory in 1981 and 1982.

  Cambridge holds the course record with a time of 16 minutes and 19 seconds, recorded in 1998.

  The Boat Race is one of the highlights of the English sporting calendar and some quarter of a million people normally line the riverbank to watch. Boat Race night has been known to be a rowdy occasion.

  Peas Please

  Anyone who thinks peas are dull should go to WITCHAM, near Ely, in July, when the pretty village hosts the WORLD PEA-SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIPS, attracting determined competitors from all over the world. There are rounds for target and distance shooting, and a specialist round devoted to hi-tech weaponry such as steam-driven or laser-guided pea-shooters.

  Well, I never knew this

  about

  CAMBRIDGESHIRE FOLK

  Octavia Hill

  1838–1912

  OCTAVIA HILL was born in WISBECH in 1838 into a family of reformers. Greatly influenced by both Christian Socialism and the ideals of John Ruskin, she was particularly concerned with decent social housing, and her vision was one of ‘well ordered, quiet little homes behind neat little doors’, rather than huge blocks of soulless, dreary tenements. Ruskin provided the finance for her first project, and the money raised in fair rents was ploughed back into maintaining and increasing the housing stock. In this way she created the template for modern housing associations.

  An important feature of Octavia Hill’s vision was the preservation and provision of open spaces, and in 1895 she was one of the co-founders of the National Trust, donating to the Trust one of its first properties, the gardens at Toys Hill in Kent, in 1898.

  Thomas Clarkson

  1760–1846

  The abolition of the slave trade across the world owes more to THOMAS CLARKSON than to almost anyone. He was born in WISBECH, where his clergyman father was headmaster of the grammar school. As a student at Cambridge he entered a competition to write a Latin essay on the subject of whether it was lawful to enslave anyone against their will, and during his research he came across accounts of the slave trade that horrified him. On a trip to London he pondered on what he had learnt, and at a point between Wadesmill and Ware, in Hertfordshire, he got off his horse, sat by the side of the road and resolved to do something to halt the ghastly trade. Today a memorial stands on the very spot where he made that resolution.

  His essay won the competition, and he translated it into English to be read by a wider audience. The essay brought him to the attention of anti-slavery cam
paigner Granville Sharp, and together they set up the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, which included nine prominent Quakers and William Wilberforce, the MP for Hull, who agreed to be their spokesman in the House of Commons.

  Clarkson’s job was to go around the slave ports and gather the evidence of cruelty and inhumanity they needed to support the case for abolition. Over a seven-year period he travelled the country inspecting ships in Deptford, Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth and Bristol. He just escaped with his life in Liverpool, after being attacked by a party of sailors sent to kill him by the ship owners whose livelihoods he was threatening. Amongst the hardware he collected were branding irons, leg shackles, handcuffs, whips and jaw locks.

  After many setbacks Clarkson and his companions achieved their first goal when, in 1807, Parliament passed an ‘ACT FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE’. While this only abolished the slave trade in the British Empire, not slavery itself, it was a start and encouraged Clarkson to continue campaigning throughout Europe and America. Finally, in 1833, an attempt was made in the Slavery Abolition Act to abolish slavery itself, in that the Royal Navy was charged with closing down the trade wherever in the world they came across it.