Humanities

Kings Of Calamity: English Heritage Search For Britain’s Worst Ever Monarch

Picking someone as Britain’s worst ever ruler is certainly no easy task. How does one pit someone like the Saxon Ethelred the Unready with say the 20th Century’s Edward VIII? In spite of this, a group of high profile historians have got together with English Heritage and come up with a top three failures; a trinity of shame if you will.

The first on the blacklist is Mary I of Scotland. More commonly refered to as Mary Queen of Scots, Mary I was crowned Queen of Scotland and betrothed to the infant son of Henry VIII before she was even nine months old. Coronated on the 9th September, 1543, Mary’s reign was fraught with difficulties and bad decisions that ended with a period of crushing incarceration before a grisly execution.

When her second husband, Lord Darnly, died in an explosion, Mary was considered the prime suspect in his murder and seriously began to fall out of favour with members of the Scottish court. She then severely exasperated the controversy by marrying the other chief suspect in the case, the then Earl of Bothwell, just three months after Darnly died.

Forced to abdicate her position, Mary fled to England believing that Elizabeth I would protect her from an uprising of her nobles. Instead, the Queen of England was forced to inquire into the death of Darnly and threw Mary in prison.

For the next 19 years Mary devoted herself to plotting the Queen’s downfall. Involved in countless Catholic conspiracies, Mary was executed for Treason in February 1587.

After her death, Mary’s reputation blossomed as a symbolic and romantic figure. A Catholic martyr, Mary Queen of Scots has never been officially canonised by the church but the intensity of her suffering at the hands of both Darnly and Bothwell and then Elizabeth, has lead many to sympathise with her plight.

In spite of her more endearing treats (she was a renown beauty and had mastered several languages), if one is to judge the success of her ability to rule then she certainly doesn’t come off too well. The historian Sarah Gristwood, for example, described her actions while Queen of Scotland as “irresponsible to the point of criminality.” Whatever we may think of her personally, she was undoubtedly a lousy monarch.

The second candidate in the top three is King George IV. Ruling as the Prince Regent whilst his father, King George III, was prone to bouts of madness, and then as King from 1820-1830, George was a serial womaniser and huge squanderer with lavish and gaudy tastes. Frivolous at a time of great social distress, many of his subjects held the King as a fool and a playboy.

Despite seeing Britain’s victory over Napoleon’s French military, George spent far more time and money on expensive palaces like the opulent Royal Pavilion at Brighton and on his various affairs and strings of mistresses.

A total cad and a bounder, George IV (played to the hilt by Hugh Laurie in Blackadder III) earns his position in the trinity of shame by exhibiting almost complete disregard for his office and his subjects.

The final candidate on the shortlist is Edward II. A terrible soldier, during Edward’s reign he managed to lose control of Scotland to Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314. He also lavished expensive gifts and privileges on his male favourites, especially the French knight Piers Gaveston, a relationship which formed the basis of the king’s rumoured homosexuality.

Edward was forced to abdicate under grounds of incompetence and was imprisoned by his wife’s family. One thing that is famous about Edward II’s demise is, of course, his rather grisly end. Most famously described by the historian Raphael Holinshed in the 16th century, the account of Edward’s murder has gone down in history as one of the most gruesome of all time. The whole ‘Did they? Didn’t they?’ was made all the more famous when Christopher Marlowe decided ‘that they definitely did’ and used Holinshed’s description to close his play, called simply: Edward II.

So, there’s the shortlist. Not exactly Britain’s finest moments, granted, but are they really the worst rulers? What about Edward VIII who completely chickened out? Or what about Richard the Lionheart? Who, despite being born in Oxford (and having a cool name), was quite clearly French, spoke very little English, tried to overthrow his father Henry II and spent almost the entirety of his 10 year reign off in the Middle East murdering Jews and Saracens in a vain quest to capture the holy lands. Nice chap.

I suppose, just as in deciding Britain’s best monarch, it all comes down to matters of personal opinion. After all, was Queen Victoria the elegant Empress of India that dutifully resided over a commonwealth on which the sun never set; or, was she a vainglorious tyrant that condoned the disgusting exploitation of the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet?

It just comes down to perspective doesn’t it.

Samantha is a London theatre fanatic and regular West End theatregoer. She writes and researches some of the biggest London shows you can view examples of her work here Oliver and Show and Stay.

An Inside Look at Five of Austin’s Top Museums

Austin, Texas, is well known for its nightlife, but there is plenty to do during daylight hours, too. With a wide variety of museums and cultural centers catering to most every interest, Austin provides visitors and residents alike with countless options for cultural outings. Here is a closer look at five of Austin’s best.

1)Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum
Dedicated in 1971, the Lyndon B. Johnson presidential library and museum houses the single greatest collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the life and presidency of our nation’s 36th president, including documents, photographs, clothing and automobiles. In addition to the permanent collection, the museum also houses traveling exhibits on American culture and lifestyle. Located on the edge of the University of Texas campus, the museum is open daily (except Christmas day) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and admission is free.

2)Austin Children’s Museum
The Austin Children’s Museum, located downtown at the Dell Discover Center, was founded in the early 1980s by a grassroots coalition of parents and educators striving to equip and inspire the next generation of creative problem solvers. With more than 12,000 square feet of museum space, the Austin Children’s Museum houses a wealth of interactive, thought-provoking displays and exhibits designed to get kids working together and thinking outside the box. In addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum also offers rotating exhibits and community programs to further engage young and old visitors alike some of these include Discovery Time, Science Sunday and various on-site Spring Break and summer camps. Museum hours and admission prices vary.

3)Pioneer Farm
Located in North East Austin, Pioneer Farm is Austin’s one and only outdoor living history museum. With historically accurate clothing, tools, architecture, livestock, crops and furnishings, the Pioneer farm and its costumed interpreters portray the realities of rural Central Texas life in the 1880s. Pioneer Farm operates on a seasonal schedule, and admission fees vary.

4)Blanton Museum of Art
One of Austin’s premier art museums, the Blanton Museum of Art (or simply the Blanton, as it’s often called) is renowned for its modern and contemporary American works, Latin American art, European Old Master paintings and an extensive collection of prints and drawings. Affiliated with the University of Texas, the Blanton is in fact the largest university art museum in the country, and the largest museum in Texas. The Blanton offers a wide range of community and educational programs year round, including an artist-in-residence program. Museum hours and admission prices vary.

5)Austin Nature and Science Center
Located in Zilker Park, one of Austin’s most popular outdoor attractions, the Austin Nature and Science Center is a hands-on eco-exploration of the city’s natural habitat. With more than 50 unique native mammal and bird species housed in its various wildlife habitats and a wealth of ancient fossils, visitors to the Austin Nature and Science Center can experience first-hand the richness and diversity of the central Texas ecosystem, both past and present. Center hours vary, and admission fees entail a suggested donation of $2.

Ki helps buyers in the Austin area. His site has a search of the Austin MLS and provides general information on Austin real estate and mortgage interest rates.

Profiles in Historical Places in East Austin : French Legation Museum

The French Legation Museum provides a uniquely historic experience. Both a historic site and a house museum, the story behind the establishment of the museum is fascinating, and helps to illuminate a way of life experienced by the residents of old Austin before Texas was a state. Visiting the house and grounds, with its carefully chosen artifacts, brings the story to life. With many cultural events, educational programs, and supplementary information on their web site, the museum preserves and perpetuates a unique piece of Austin’s colorful heritage.

The word “legation” originally referred to a diplomatic representative office just below the status of embassy. Sent by the French Legation of Washington D.C. in 1840, Monsieur Jean Pierre Isidore Dubois de Saligny intended to establish the French Legation of the fledgling Republic of Texas. Renting quarters on Pecan (now Sixth) Street at the corner of Guadalupe, de Saligny was appalled with Austin’s lack of urban sophistication, evidenced most egregiously by the pigs a local farmer allowed to run free in his yard. He determined to build a home and office worthy of a French diplomat.

De Saligny found himself at odds with the locals, both culturally and politically, and he was soon recalled from his post, leaving his servants behind in the building he had designed. A short time later, when the seat of the government was moved from Austin, the building was abandoned. When Texas was annexed as a state, the structure and its surrounding grounds were sold, eventually being purchased by John and Lydia Lee Robertson, who raised their eleven children in the house. When the last of those children died, in 1940, the property was placed under the custodianship of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who have operated the site as the French Legation Museum since 1949.

Restoration of the property began in 1953, with an effort be faithful to the period in which it was built. Although only three pieces of furniture currently on view belonged to de Saligny, many pieces remain from the Robertson family’s ownership of the home. Gardens and outdoor landscaping, although not authentic to the bare dirt yards of early Texas, provide a refreshing oasis of green in a busy city, and make this one of the premier locations for weddings and other formal functions.

The French Legation Museum is committed to education, providing guided tours in addition to having curriculum supplements for elementary and middle school teachers available on their web site. During the summer, the museum often hosts a history-based summer camp, allowing children to immerse themselves in 1880’s Austin. They offer different cultural events as well, including a twice monthly tournament of the traditional French game petanque on the lawn, and evening concerts under their beautiful old oak trees. Their annual Bastille Day celebration features French music and food, and their association with the Alliance Franaise d’Austin helps perpetuate a unique piece of Central Texas heritage.

Ki looks with buyers interested in Austin Texas real estate. Buyers can search for homes online using a Austin Texas MLS search or read updates on the market on his blog covering Austin real estate.

Information To Known Before You Get A Tattoo!

Before you decide to get a tattoo, you should always take a little bit of time to talk to your tattoo artist. When you speak to him, you should be sure to ask questions and find out anything you can about your new tattoo. You should also find out information about his background, and other important bits of information that will assist you in moving forward with your decision.

The first thing you should find out is how long the parlor has been in business. This will let you know just how professional the quality of tattoo work is and the overall reputation for the business. If the tattoo parlor belongs to the Better Business Bureau you can always check their record and see if any complaints have been files about the business in the last few years.

You should also find out about his qualifications as well. Experience is a must here, as infections and other diseases can easily be contracted if the equipment isn’t clean. Tattoo artists deal with needles on a daily basis, making experience very important. Finding out how much experience and qualifications a tattoo artists has will tell you quite a bit about what you can expect from them.

You’ll also want to find out if the tattoo studio guarantees their work. In the unlikely event that you don’t like the outcome of the tattoo, you’ll obviously want it to be fixed. The better studios will fix it without requiring any money. Refund policies are also important, especially if you don’t like the quality or the workmanship of the tattoo.

The cost is also very important. Before you decide to get a tattoo or agree to anything, you’ll obviously want to know the full cost. The bigger tattoos can be quite expensive, although even the smallest of tattoos can be expensive as well, especially if you’re on a budget. You can save yourself a lot of time and prevent any type of surprises by knowing the costs upfront.

Infection is also something you’ll want to find out about. The better tattoo artists can provide information about infections, and tell you how to prevent them. They will also tell you about their services, and how they can prevent you from getting an infection. When you ask infections, he should also be able to tell you exactly what to do if you think you are developing an infection as well.

If you suffer from a fear of needles, you should always ask if there is a way to help you. You should never feel bad about asking, as many people are deathly afraid of needles. Needles are used with tattoos, as there is no other way to put the ink in the skin. If you are afraid of getting a tattoo due to the needles, you should make sure that you let your tattoo artist know. Chances are, he may be able to take extra steps to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

Asking questions is never a bad thing when it comes to getting a tattoo. If a tattoo artist hesitates to answer any question you ask or acts hasty towards you, you should always leave and find another tattoo artist. Tattoos always have risks and concern, which is why tattoo artists should be more than willing to answer any questions that you may have. Asking questions can help to ease your concern and make you feel better about the artist, which is why you should always make sure you write a list of questions before you visit the tattoo parlor.

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Detroit Soup Kitchen Feeds the Body and Soul

Like every other community in the United States, Detroit experienced devastating poverty during the Great Depression of 1929. It was during this time that the city’s poor came knocking at the St. Bonaventure Monastery on Mt. Elliot Street, home of the Capuchin Order. Friar Solanus Casey urged the order to feed the hungry with soup and sandwiches. Eventually, the lines grew to more than 2,000 people waiting for their single meal of the day. The friars knew they had to do more.

The friars turned to the men and women of the Secular Franciscans and joined together with them to collect food from farms, make soup, bake bread, and serve meals in the hall next to the monastery. From these beginnings grew the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

Today, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen serves the poor who suffer from the lack of basic human needs: material needs, such as food, clothing, and household necessities; psychological needs, such as motivation, self-esteem, and rehabilitation; and social needs, such as support systems and meaningful relationships.

The outreach provides a variety of services including 2,000 hot meals served at two locations, distribution of approximately 30,000 articles of clothing to clients, showers and a change of clothing for up to 30 homeless and poorly housed persons on a daily basis, a children’s library and art therapy studio, and a 25,000-square-foot urban farm project, to name a few. In order to serve as a positive healing force in the spirits and lives of needy individuals, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen strives to promote encouragement, direction, and material assistance to foster growth and wholesome independence.

Due to the friars unwavering commitment to their mission, and the dedicated efforts of volunteers and donors, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen spends an unprecedented 87 percent of each dollar on direct client services.

One of the most successful fundraising events for the soup kitchen, the annual SOCK Dinner (Support Our Capuchin Kitchen), has grown to become one of the most successful fundraising events in Michigan. It has been listed in Crain’s Detroit Business as one of Detroit’s top grossing fundraisers.

SOCK first originated in 1942. Billed as the “Men’s Only” Baseball dinner, more than 100 men showed up for the event which was held at the old Soup Kitchen building on Mt. Elliot Street. Each attendee paid five dollars and listened to Connie Mack talk baseball. Over the years such notables as Ted Williams, Casey Stengel, Mickey Mantle, and Joe Garagiola came to the event to talk baseball.

The evening now includes a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner and entertainment. Mr. Jim Harper, long-time supporter and morning radio show host, has served as the Master of Ceremony for numerous years. Past entertainers include Johnny Trudell and his Orchestra, MOSAIC Youth Choir, and Karen Newman of Red Wing fame.

Even though the format has changed, one thing has remained the same: to assist those less fortunate in the community, Metro Detroiters are still dedicated to attending and supporting this annual Soup Kitchen event. The outpouring of devotion has seen a number of distinguished chairpersons in recent years, including the 2004 Chairs, Anthony and Darlene Soave of Soave Enterprises; Richard and Cathy Wagoner of General Motors Corporation; Bill and Lisa Ford of the Ford Motor Corporation; Bill and Ann McCormick of CMS Energy Corporation; The Hon. Mayor Dennis W. Archer and Hon. Trudy DunCombe Archer , Mayor of the City of Detroit; Art and Mary Van Elslander of Art Van Furniture; and Dr and Mrs. Dieter Zetsche of the Daimler-Chrysler Corporation.

Soave Enterprises is a privately held, Detroit-based company with holdings in dozens of companies. Its substantial financial and managerial resources bring strength to these entities.