When?

SEE if you can put an approximate date on the following paragraph from a book I am reading.

"A great deal of nonsense has been written about missionaries. When they have not been described as the servants of imperialists or commercial exploiters, they have been regarded as sexually abnormal types who are trying to convert a simple happy pagan people to a European religion and stunt them with European repressions. It seems to be forgotten that Christianity is an Eastern religion to which Western pagans have been quite successfully converted. Missionaries are not even given credit for logic, for if one believes in Christianity at all, one must believe in its universal validity. A Christian cannot believe in one God for Europe and another God for Africa: the importance of Semitic religion was that it did not recognize one God for the East and another for the West. The new paganism of the West, which prides itself on being scientific, is often peculiarly neurotic. Only a neurosis explains its sentimental lack of consistency, the acceptance of the historic duty of the Mohammedan to spread his faith by the sword and the failure to accept the duty of a Christian to spread his faith by teaching."

*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
To me it comes across as very modern, but is from Graham Greene's 1936 book Journey Without Maps.
I guess there are three clues that the writing is not modern:
a) using 'Mohammedan' rather than 'Muslim',
b) using 'recognize' rather than the modern UK English 'recognise',
c) defending Christianity rather than attacking it.

A Few More Historic Pix From Biel

A Knight To Remember

I BROUGHT a history book with me for my trip to Biel/Bienne: The Greatest Knight - The Remarkable Life Of William Marshal The Power Behind Five English Thrones.

Thomas Asbridge's The Greatest Knight

Without doubt it is one of the best books I have read in a long time - an exciting read made all the better by my almost complete ignorance of Marshal's life.
To describe him as The Greatest Knight might sound like hyperbole, but his life story really does seem like something out of an Arthurian romance, only better!
I will not give away details of what he achieved as I do not want to spoil the fun of reading the book for anyone who might follow my recommendation.
But, apart from a few minor quibbles I had from time to time as I raced through the almost-450 pages, I am very pleased I bought it.

Schloss Nidau

NOT far from Biel/Bienne is Schloss Nidau, a castle I came across by chance while seeing what lay on the other side of the (railway) tracks from the main town.

The first wooden castle on the site was apparently built in 1140, with a stone version following almost 100 years later.
The town of Nidau was not founded until the 14th century, but presumably there would have been some farming activity and work connected with the castle before then.
A river and water-filled moat surrounded the castle for many centuries, but disappeared due to major anti-flooding measures undertaken from 1868 in a region known as Swiss Seeland.

Swiss Treat

AM visiting a bilingual Swiss town that now goes under the official name of Biel/Bienne.

It has a population of under 60,000 and feels smaller, although tourism means it has a decent number of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Here are some photos of the town's 'medieval' sector:

Eyes Down, no Up

MY paternal grandfather used to advise me to keep my eyes on the ground when out walking - you never knew when you might spot dropped money.
There is some truth in this - I once found a £20 note - but in London there is more to be seen if you keep your eyes on higher things.
The picture below shows The Chandos pub, which is approximately equidistant between Charring Cross, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square.

Above it can be seen a working model of a breweryman, or possibly a pub worker, mandhandling a barrel, presumably of beer.
The barrel revolves and the man's head moves, but when it comes to action I have to say the astronomical clock at Olomouc in the Czech Republic is more animated, and I never thought I would have to say that.
Apparently there has been a pub on the site for more than 300 years, but the name has changed, it being called The Chandos, possibly after the Dukes of Chandos, since a rebuild in 1885.

Who He?

THIS statue in the City of London, near the former Mirror pub The Stab (in the back), is of a man who lived in the 18th century.

He is largely forgotten by the general public, but see if you can guess which of these two summaries of his life is the correct one.
1. MP - commanded militia that played a key role in suppressing the Gordon Riots - fathered at least two illegitimate children - magistrate.
2. Supported the rebels in the American War of Independence - jailed for insulting the king - radical journalist - declared an outlaw by the House of Lords.
The statue is of John Wilkes, and both these summaries of his life are correct, as can be seen in greater detail at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes 

Where In The World?

NOW the UK government is easing lockdown restrictions, including those on travel abroad, it is time to think of belated holidays.
I wonder if this is the type of place I could do with visiting?

Actually the answer is a definite No because I took this photo yesterday ... outside Hackney Town Hall in what I would call East London but I guess some might say is North London.
There is nothing very historic about the view or the site, but it cheered me, which is my excuse for reproducing the photo here.

Gone But Not (Quite) Forgotten

IN many countries a free-standing statue from 1681 would be spirited away into a museum.

The statue yesterday

But in London this statue of Charles II stands eroded, but open to public gaze, and touch, in Soho Square.
It is in a poor state of preservation, including a baton in the king's right hand that is long gone and replaced, temporarily, by a flower.
According to Wikipedia the area used to be called King Square in Charles II's honour, but at one point was so neglected that it was even forgotten whom the statue was meant to represent.

Standard Curry

AFTER enjoying a drink with some of the staff in my favourite 'Indian' restaurant - the Standard Balti House in Brick Lane, East London - I got to thinking about the peculiarity of naming.
For starters, as it were, the restaurant is run by people of Bangladeshi descent rather than Indian, although I guess Indian could be argued as correct if thought of geographically.
But the more interesting point is why this restaurant, and many others like it in Britain, is called Standard.
I have not been able to confirm this but I believe it goes back to the days of the British Raj, and specifically the East India Company.
Locals who wanted to sell products to the company, the story goes, had to have their goods certified as being up to standard, and so the word standard in Indian sub-continental English came to be associated with superior quality.
I cannot recall where I learnt this, but it at least sounds right ...

Ever Felt Like You've Been Cheated?

WHEN I take out an annual subscription to a monthly magazine with a promised number of issues, I expect to get said number.
But through my letterbox today came the "Summer Double Issue" of Literary Review.
As if that were not bad enough, it seems to have been edited by idiots without a basic grasp of general knowledge.
For example, a review of three books on swimming states: "The ancient Greeks often triumphed in battle due to their swimming prowess."
On another page we are told someone "studied PPE at Oxford." Did no one think that in today's climate the letters PPE might mean something other than a university course for teens?
I renewed my subscription to Literary Review for another year yesterday. I doubt if I would have done it today.

Boswell & Johnson

ONE of the great things about walking around London is there is so much history - more than can be taken in without great effort.
Wandering through central London the other day I came across this ordinary-looking former bookshop on the edge of Covent Garden.

It turns out to be where James Boswell first met Dr Johnson, prompting the following famous exchange:
Boswell: "Mr Johnson, I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it."
Johnson: "That, Sir, I find, is what a very great many of your countrymen cannot help."
Boswell's Life Of Samuel Johnson is a great read, but I also thoroughly enjoyed his accounts of travelling through Corsica and, with Johnson, through Scotland.
All three books are definitely on my to re-read list.

Thomas Who?

SO this was where I ended up having my first post-lockdown pint in a pub - the Thomas Neale in Watney Market off Commercial Road, East London.

If you reckon it looks unprepossessing from outside, you should have a peak through the front door.
It certainly is not the historic type of pub I was hoping would be my first after lockdown.
And yet it turns out that while the pub is modern, it commemorates someone from the 17th century who was a prominent man in his time but is very little known today.
Neale was a Master of the Mint - he was succeeded on his death in 1699 by Isaac Newton - and, according to Wikipedia, was at least partly responsible for developing major parts of London including Seven Dials, Shadwell and East Smithfield.
He apparently also invented special anti-cheating dice for use in gambling and was MP for Petersfield, which gives me a tenuous connection as that Hampshire town is where I went to grammar school.
I certainly did not get to drink my first post-lockdown pint in a historic pub, but the pub I ended up in meant I did come across some interesting history.

Lockdown Over? Try Telling That To Drinkers!

MY plans to celebrate the lifting of the lockdown by having a first pint in a historic London pub soon came unstuck yesterday.
I walked around much of Soho, Covent Garden, Holborn and parts of the East End, and overwhelmingly the picture was the same - most pubs remained shut.
Barbershops had queues outside, but bars were mainly closed. So much for "Super Saturday" ...

Name That Flag

CAN you place this flag?

It is being flown daily outside the High Court in central London.
I thought it looked vaguely Macedonian but I could not place it so yesterday I went over and asked the man, politely, what he is up to.
It turns out he is giving evidence, as he put it, by standing opposite the main entrance to the court as there are "political" reasons why he is not allowed to give evidence inside.
The flag is a"parody" of the EU flag and is part of his comment on "the BBC - the Big Brexit Conspiracy."
I was unable to get details of the said conspiracy (admittedly I did not try too hard), but it is a nice-looking flag.

Independence Day

AS a Brit I never thought I would be celebrating July 4.
To be fair I have been in the US on that day and not seen many signs of celebrating - certainly not to the degree you might expect from films and TV.
However July 4 will certainly be widely celebrated in England this year as it is the day people regain much of their freedom lost under Covid-19 lockdown.
Pubs and restaurants were ordered to shut 15 weeks ago on the evening of Friday March 20.
I hope to mark their official reopening tomorrow with a few drinks and a meal, and by watching Wolves play Arsenal at 5.30 in a pub with Sky.
The one thing I have not decided is where I am going to do these things, but I feel my first pub should have some historical significance ...

Another Covent Garden Gem

THIS reminded me of a still from a 1930s gangster film, or perhaps a newspaper drama.

Actually it is a photo of fruit sellers in London's Covent Garden in 1973.

Vaduz Castle

I MENTIONED yesterday about happily passing time staring at Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein.

Actually I see it almost every day, or at least a representation of it, as I have on my sitting-room wall a painting of the castle by my father.

The original castle was built in the 1100s, but later became an inn before being bought by the Liechtenstein family in 1712 as part of purchasing the county of Vaduz.

Seven years later the county and the adjoining lordship of Schellenberg, which had also been bought by the family, were combined to form a single political unit, more precisely a principality, which was then named Liechtenstein.

This gave the family enhanced status within the Holy Roman Empire, which was apparently the sole point of buying the land in the first place.

Indeed it is said no head of the family bothered to set foot in the principality for more than 100 years, preferring instead to live at Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria.

Nowadays the Liechtensteins' principal residence is Vaduz Castle, from where the head of the family is head of state with powers that were increased after a referendum in 2003.

An attempt to remove the prince's veto power over legislation was rejected by 76% of voters in a 2012 referendum.