Indigo Jones was a famous architect of the seventeenth century known for his unique furniture and architectural designs. He was regarded as the first significant English architect of the modern era. He made various journeys to Europe and was also known as a designer of court masques. At first, his chief occupation seemed to be designing of masques. He introduced classic Palladian style to England. The buildings he created in England were quite unique which made him famous not only in England but in the whole of Europe. His furniture designs mainly consisted of finely carved colonial designs and relied mainly on his fine sense of proportion. The materials which were mostly used in his furniture designs were marble, stone and plaster in contrast to earlier periods where furniture were mainly made of wood. This was one of the unique features of his designs too. He rarely used woodwork and whenever he used wood, he would design it in such a way to make it look like some other material.

The furniture designs of Indigo Jones were mainly found in Italy. He made several varieties of chimney pieces and doorways. His chimney pieces were made of marble, stone or oak. These were supported by many classical pillars. He made carved brackets. These were used on English cabinets and beds. He made the hanging bell flowers to appear on his carvings. He also made many bookcases and cupboards, shapes of them were in a very lighter form. Indigo Jones introduced a change in the size and shape of the panels. He also made elegant designs to grace the top of chairs and the upper ends of chair legs. The doorway designs by Inigo Jones used to be quite different from that of chimney pieces.

All his designs were planned and designed on his own instead of taking inspiration from other architects. Only his theatrical stage designs were done with help from Ben Jonson who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. He died in June 21, 1652 but some of his drawings were also discovered during the early eighteenth century. One of the most important features of his exteriors, when compared to those of other existing buildings, is their perfect opposition to any exuberance of ornamentation. He also reduced the risk of the workers in originating the designs. This resulted in gradual refinement of craftsmanship during the seventeenth century. The hall at Raynham Hall, Norfolk, is good example of Jones’ architect and the architectural design differs from the contemporary halls built by Jacobean craftsmen. The ceilings were painted by the leading painters of the period and they were very rich and dignified. Jones became the surveyor of King’s Works and introduced his knowledge of classical architecture. The buildings at Wiltshire show his internal architectural design.

Inigo Jones was not only a great architect but his designs reflected the gradual transformation of furniture and architecture designs from the bulky designs of the medieval period to the artistic craftmanship of the modern era. He was also the first architect to bring the Renaissance architecture from Italy to England.

With the first and certainly the plum fixture of the weekend taking place at the Millennium Stadium tonight, here are some thoughts on this year’s six nations tournament.

Ireland is apparently the favourite, with England close behind. Unfortunately, owing to the lack of depth, Ireland is not likely to live up to the bookies’ enthusiastic appraisal. Despite a wonderful set of results in the autumn internationals, the Irish begin the tournament without Heaslip, Healy and Sexton, all absolutely vital to their cause. That should not trouble them greatly against Italy, even playing away but Sexton’s continuing problems with concussion must be creating huge anxiety, not only for this tournament but for the World Cup too. Their shortage of class replacements is highlighted by the selection, for this game, of loose forward O’Brien, who has played almost no rugby since his long term injury. Kearney, Bowe and Zebo make a potent back three, the centre combination in the post O’Driscoll/D’Arcy era is useful, O’Connell, O’Mahony, O’Brien and Best are all world class forwards but Ireland without Sexton is a side at least 20% less effective.

England should probably be six nations favourites, although they are particularly hard hit by injuries. Farrell, Tuilagi, Morgan, Lawes, Wilson, Launchbury, Parling, Barritt, Eastmond and Tom Wood are all missing for the visit to Wales. With a settled combination, Wales will expect to win this match but an upset will be a big boost for England and make them firm favourites for the title. None of the other teams has anything like the resources of the English. Even missing their best three locks for this game, they are able to put a solid second row on the field. The tight phases remain considerable weapons for them and there are still quality backs such as Mike Brown. On the outside, especially against Wales, weaknesses could be exploited if the Welsh are bold enough to ensure North and Cuthbert get the ball. As the tournament progresses, England will need to add aspects to their play outside forward dominance. In the World Cup, against southern hemisphere teams, the forwards will not be enough.

On paper, Wales look a good team but whether they have the sort of mental strength of the wonderful sides of the seventies is doubtful. With the addition of Webb at scrum half, the back line looks complete and very dangerous. Biggar must be the flyhalf at the world cup and outside him he has terrific three quarters. The loose trio of Lydiate, Warburton and Faletau is top class but much will depend on the front five. If they can match fire with fire against the old enemy tonight, Wales should be feeling well satisfied.

The most difficult team in world rugby to analyse is always the French. So unpredictable and so much a team of moods, nobody ever knows what to expect from the French. Two South Africans, Kockott and Spedding, make their starting debuts tomorrow and the Kockott/Lopez combination is the 14th halfback pairing of the Saint Andre era. After missing the whole of the 2014 campaign, Dusautoir is back and is part of a useful back three in the scrum. Bastareaud and Fofana are a dangerous centre pairing and there is pace out wide. France need to win at home against Scotland but whatever happens, we will probably be none the wiser as to the future possibilities for the French.

Scotland boast their best balanced team for many years. The tight five is impressive with Murray, Ford and Dickinson in the front row, backed by the very large Gray brothers at lock. Unusually for the Scots, they have pace and size on the wings in Visser and Seymour and the elusive Hogg at the back. However, once the injuries set in, the lack of depth will be exposed. As always, they will play close to their potential.

Italy are likely to be the whipping boys of the tournament. Only the admirable Sergio Parisse and the aging Castrogiovanni are world class. They will probably front up in the pack but are likely, as always, to find the going tough at the back, where they do not possess sufficient, pace, size or skill to bother the best.

It is a fairly open tournament this year and there are probably four sides that can win it.

Playing cards have long been a source of entertainment for the young and old alike. Card games have become a part of our lives so much that even in the age of the Internet; we still have digitalized versions of those games in our computers.

The usual appearance of cards has remained unchanged throughout the years. The symbols for each suit are the same as they were when they were introduced to England in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. The jack, queen, and king of today’s pack appear much as they did in that day; their costumes are similar to those of the royal court of England in the renaissance. Decks of cards were divided into four suits in China and this practice was continued in Europe. The French divided the deck into four suits supposedly representing the four main divisions of mankind: the nobility, represented by a sword (pique); the clergy, represented by a heart (cœur); the merchants and the tradesmen, represented by a diamond (carreau); and the peasantry, represented by a club (trèfle). These four suits were adopted by the English and are known today as spades (from the Spanish espada, which means sword), hearts, diamonds, and clubs. The highest cards in each suit, the royal, court, or picture cards, are of obvious derivation. The intricate patterns on each picture card are said to have specific meanings, as do the type and position of the symbols on the card. After the revolutions in the United States, France, and Russia, efforts were made in those countries to eliminate the references to royalty in playing cards, but the symbols had become so thoroughly accepted by card players that the attempts to change them were abandoned. Other efforts to alter the traditional appearance of playing cards have met with little success. Four colors instead of two have been used for the four suits, different arrangements of the pips on the cards have been attempted, and cards with black backgrounds have been introduced. In 1937 an extra suit was added, called Eagles in the United States and Crowns in England, and a five-suit bridge game was introduced. It met with limited success.

Usually four suits are maintained in every culture but they are not necessarily the same. The German suit used hearts, bells, acorns, & leaves or grass. The Swiss-German suit used roses, bells, acorns, & shields. The Spanish & Italian (north) suit had cups, coins, clubs, & swords. India has badam, charkat, kilawar, & ispik.

Mothers Day – an Ancient Celebration:

Did you know that a long time ago ‘Mother Goddess’ was celebrated rather than mothers. Yearly ‘Mother Goddess’ festivals originated in Egypt and were popular in ancient Greece too where they became so wild with fun that they were eventually banned!

A later incarnation in England fell on the 4th Sunday of lent and early Christians used the day to honor the church where they were baptized (their mother Church). Then something changed in 1600’s. A clerical decree in England broadened the celebration to include real mothers; earning the name ‘Mothering Day’. It was a compassionate day for working classes who were allowed to travel back to their place of origin to visit their mothers. It also was a one day reprieve from lent and all the fasting. Families around England could enjoy a family meal with ‘mother’ the guest of honor with cakes and flowers presented to her.

In 1907 Miss Anna Jarvis in the USA started a campaign that made Mother’s Day a national holiday by 1911. Anna’s mother died when she was 41. She felt that children should appreciate and celebrate their mother’s more while they are still alive. She hoped this day would increase respect and love for one’s mother and strengthen family bonds. She fought against it being commercialized. In 1912 the Mother’s Day International Association was incorporated to further promote meaningful observations. Mother’s Day celebrations are now a tradition around the world. Australia along with the USA, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey and Belgium all celebrate on the same day. Remember that the ‘mother’ figure today can be a male, a relative, friend or other caregiver who has taken on the ‘mothering’ role. Please remember to honor them on this day too.

Flower Traditions:

White carnations were Miss Anna Jarvis’s mother’s favorite flower. This flower was chosen to represent the sweetness, purity and endurance of mother’s love. The white carnation is now a tradition worn or placed in the home in honor of one’s mother that has died. A red carnation has since become the symbol of a living mother and is either worn on a lapel or again bunched and placed in one’s home to honor one’s mother.

How to make your mum feel special without spending money:

Here are a few suggestions to help your mum feel really good on her special day, remembering that holidays are more meaningful if we get away from buying gifts.

– Plan to do a secret act of kindness each day for 7 days leading up to Mother’s Day. This can include secretly doing one of mum’s chores for her each day. Imagine how good mum will feel by Sunday!

– Leave a note of appreciation in a different spot each day for the 7 days leading up to Mother’s Day eg inside her slippers, on the bathroom mirror, on her steering wheel, on her bedside lamp, under her pillow etc.

– On Mother’s Day don’t talk about yourself instead make the focus all about your mum. Focus on her by asking questions about her childhood, her favorite memories, her favorite subjects at school, her favorite hobby, favorite food when she was young, her first job, her most memorable holiday, her most embarrassing moment, how she met your father, what life was like when you were born, her funniest and fondest memories with her children etc. By focusing on your mum and her memories you are expressing your love for her.

Teach an old cake tradition:

Simnel cake was originally a ‘Mothering Sunday’ tradition. If you are a father of children still at home, make a special time with them to make this ‘Mothers Day’ cake as a surprise for mum on Mother’s Day. You can have fun and get creative by decorating it differently each year. Simply Google ‘Simple Simnel Cake’ to find an easy recipe.

Happy Mothers Day to all mums xx

Alton is a small village situated in the county of Staffordshire in central England. It is set in what is considered to be the most beautiful countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England.

Despite its small size, Alton is noted for the amazing theme park situated in the village, the Alton Towers. It is built around the site of Alton Mansion, which was designed by Augustus Pugin.

Alton is one of the villages mentioned in the Domesday Book, and finds its roots back in the medieval times. Due to its significance back then, but also the interest that its residents showed in the preservation of local landmarks, there are today many historical buildings of great significance: the Alton Castle, the Malt House, the Round House and the St Peter’s Church. Numerous books recount Alton’s history; according to the references Alton used to be a very prosperous place, a hub for traders during the 1800s.

The area surrounding Alton provides some of the most scenic walks in the county and England, offering a magnificent view from the Toothill. It is not surprising that this little village accepts thousands of tourists every year are left astound by the stunning and breathtaking features of the ambience. Some of the most beautiful walks are around the area of Dimmingsdale which is located amidst lush woodland. The Churnet Valley is also a major attraction both for locals and tourists.

The Alton Village boasts a great number of inns and hotels; accommodation options in the area are superb, while some well appointed Bed and Breakfasts all along the village offer a wonderful experience to the visitors who wish for something simpler and affordable, reflecting though the atmosphere of the English countryside.

Alton is renowned for this anyway; travellers visit the village and spend a few days so as to become familiar with the true essence of the British countryside.

The island of Jersey, Channel Islands has a more formal name in that it’s actually officially called “The Bailiwick of Jersey.” As a part of the Channel Islands it also belongs in what the UK calls a “Common Travel Area.” Additionally, the island is a British Crown Dependency, falling directly under the control of the monarchy, at present. With a population approaching 93, 000 citizens, it sits very near to France.

There are two official languages on Jersey, English and French. It is one of a number of islands within the Channel Islands, most of which are uninhabited except for Guernsey. It is somewhat smaller in total population and size, with Jersey coming in at about 45 square miles. Its history is directly due to its strategic location between the nations of England and France.

The island shows evidence of Stone Age settlement, along with later Iron Age human population groupings. Interestingly, there doesn’t seem to have been much of an effort by the Romans of the day to have tried to settle Jersey. Other than a few very small Roman temples in certain spots on the island, they largely left it alone.

Over the course of history, Jersey finally went English permanently when William I became England’s king in 1066. He naturally brought the Duchy of Normandy into the English camp. It was in this duchy that Jersey had belonged until then. Historically, the island fell to German forces for almost five years during the Second World War

In the present day, this British Crown Dependent island – which is a part of the United Kingdom, though it isn’t technically an official member – provides a geographically interesting area for residents and tourists alike. Jersey is also attempting to solidify its own distinct national identity, as evidenced by some sympathy among residents for an eventual breaking away from England.

The Channel Islands, the classification of islands in which Jersey is a member, are diverse and mainly composed, population-wise, of Jersey and Guernsey. The region is a favorite of sightseers and tourists mainly due to the easy mix of English and French cultures. They shouldn’t be missed, when traveling in the UK and England in particular.

Soccer is called “the beautiful game” due to its simplicity and popularity; unlike ice hockey or baseball, it can be played on a patch of dirt with nothing more than a bundle of rags. Yet soccer, like any other human activity, reflects more about the people playing the game than a mere scorecard or trophy. Simon Kuper’s new book Soccernomics looks deeper into the world of the most popular game on the planet to understand trends, suggest reasons for the current global hierarchy, and suggest the next nations to become superpowers in the worldwide competition.

Kuper starts out with a simple question. Soccer in the modern parlance began as association football between British clubs and universities. A working man’s game, it lacked the “gentlemanly” rules of cricket while emphasizing physical play and endurance over strategy and positioning. England, thus, had a head start that amounted to as much as a century and a half over some nations, yet they boast only a single World Cup victory in the past one hundred years. Why, asks Soccernomics, did the titans fall?

The book delves deep into this issue. It was never a case, argues Kuper, of England underperforming but rather over performing: the little island nation is too small to support a large talent pool, too chilly to sustain year-long play, and too isolated from competitors to forge improvement. He explores the financial decisions made by English clubs and explains their poor showings time and time again.

The book also jumps into the question of soccer on the global circuit.

Economics and performances are linked together throughout the text. Should big time clubs sign major players for big money? Should an organization be run as a business or as a model of on-pitch success? Can a franchise expect a hot player to repeat their success? Often times Kuper goes against conventional thinking, using the rational examples of statistical trends rather than the subjectivity of fans and ownership.

Soccernomics emphasizes how different countries are poised to break out. Nations like England, France and Italy have a large talent pool and a history of success, yet recent conquests by what were then considered as inferior soccer countries have proven the hegemony to be crumbling. The rise of African countries and Asian powerhouses such as Japan and South Korea come to mind. Such upsets, claims Soccernomics, are sure to be the norm rather than the exception in the near future of the sport.

For those who have a passion for the beautiful game, Soccernomics is one brilliant and highly informative book to form part of anyone’s collection of books or literature on soccer.

2011 Moira G Gallaga©

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is situated in the southeast of England, sitting along the Thames River. The Inner London, the Outer London and the London City consist of the Greater London, which is the London we usually talk about. It has an area of 1600 square kilometers with a population of 7.5 million. It is divided into 33 districts, and each city has a mayor, a parliament and a city hall.

This historic city was firstly built in the 43BC by the Romans. In around 1st century AD, under the rein of Rome, England has used the Thames River as the vital traffic line, and built the city construction along the banks of the Thames River. Even now people can see the ancient walls left by Rome. The ancient Romans dumped this city in the 5th century, and later Anglos, Saxons and Danish people all wanted to occupy this city. William the Conquer owned the city in 1060 which ended the fight. In 1087, William the 1st built the Tower of London in 1087, which is a well-known scenic spot all over the world.

12th and 13th centuries are extremely important in the history of London, because London has the basic frame of government during this period, which lay the foundation for the prosperous London in the Middle Age. The Westminster Abbey, the St. Paul’s Cathedral and many law schools were built in this period.

It enjoys a glorious history in the 16th and 17th centuries, during which the culture and power of this nation had been improved a lot. Then, the Protestant Reformation, the peasant uprising, and the civil war happened one by one. The Black Death, and the fires and the breakout of the Second World War brought severe damage to this city. However, no matter what adversity it is facing, this city survived. Today, London lost its dominant status in the world, but it is still attracting people from home and abroad.

Many people get to know the tower of London, the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Buckingham Palace, and the British Museum, even though they have not been to London. I think everyone has a London of their own after visiting this place.

One of England’s greatest contributions to Western Civilization is the card game Cribbage, at least in the opinion of avid Cribbage players. Sir John Suckling is the one responsible for bringing us the game that we love today. Although there is no evidence to truly prove that Sir John Suckling was the creator of Cribbage, he is, at the very least, the one responsible for publishing and spreading the game all through the land.

Sir John Suckling, poet, playwright, master bowler/gambler and notorious womanizer, was born at Whitton, between Twickenham and Hounslow, Middlesex, on February 10, 1609. He was born into a very prominent family in England, although after his mother died when he was four years of age, his father was in charge of rearing the young child. His father was a member of the English Parliament and was the “controller” of the King’s household until his untimely death in 1627. Sir John was at the age of 18 when his father passed and was old enough to inherit his father’s considerably large estate. After receiving the inheritance he spent countless amount of money traveling, womanizing and of course gambling.

In 1623 he enrolled in Trinity College, Cambridge and then to Gray’s Inn in 1627. At the young age of 18, he pursued a military career and joined the army of Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years’ War. At the age of 21, King Charles I knighted Suckling. The king quickly regretted the decision, so Suckling left the court and became involved in several different military adventures. He was said to have served in an expedition against France and it has been said that he fought in Lord Wimbledon’s regiments in the Dutch service. In October 1631, Sir John joined Sir Henry Vane who was serving under Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden. In 1632, Suckling quickly came back into King Charles’s good graces after delivering the dispatches, by orders of Vane, and after completing his mission he returned and remained in England.

After that he pretty much filled his time gambling, womanizing, and serving in the military for the rest of the decade. This is where he was said to have invented the beloved game of cribbage, which had some similar features to the games, Noddy and One-and-Thirty. Although when the Scottish war of 1639 began, he left his beloved cards and women to raise a troop of 100 horsemen and his army joined King Charles in the north. When the war ended, peacefully, in 1639, Sir John returned to London. He was elected to Parliament in 1640, but in May 1641 he was involved in a vain attempt to free a political prisoner, Thomas Wentworth, the earl of Stratford and held in the Tower of London. Sir John Suckling was then charged with treason and had to flee to France with very few belongings and almost no financial assistance, to avoid arrest.

In order to establish some kind of financial security in one of his darkest hours, Suckling started selling a large number of marked packs of cards and distributed them amongst the richest population in the region. He then started playing cards where the marked cards were distributed. In 1642, it was believed that Sir John Suckling committed suicide by taking poison. It has been said that his greatest accomplishments were the lyrics to “why so pale” and “wan fond lover?” and for Cribbage, which has changed very little since Suckling’s day and is one of the most popular card games in the English speaking world.

An amateur metal detector, Dave Crisp, uncovered 52,500 Roman coins in Somerset England. The coins date back to 293 AD, during the reign of self appointed British Emperor Carausius.

In April of 2010, Dave Crisp was allowed to use his metal detector to search for metal on a neighbors land. His metal detector began making really odd noises, so Dave began to dig in that area. As he dug down about a foot, he started to find small coins about the size of a dime.

“I put my hand in, pulled out a bit of clay and there was a little Radial, a little bronze Roman coin. Very, very small, about the size of my fingernail,” said Dave Crisp. “I’ve been detecting for twenty two years and I’ve never had a hoard before this weekend.” A hoard is two or more coins that are over 300 years old at the time of their discovery.

When he continued digging he could see some sort of pot and more coins. At this point that he made a critical decision to stop digging and notify professional excavators. He called archaeologists from the Somerset County Council to come out and take a look. Historians will be able to learn more because these coins were excavated by archaeologists. They were able to photograph and document the process of excavating these coins. When excavating was completed, they found approximately 350 pounds of Roman coins in a large clay pot.

So who owns the find? The land owner or Dave Crisp or England?

Generally, the landowner and the finder come to some sort of agreement as to what they will do with anything that is found before any metal detecting begins. The country’s laws need to be considered as well. England’s Treasure Act of 1996, states that anything found in the earth that is considered an artifact belongs to both the land owner and the finder. They must, however, offer the find for sale to the British Museum at a price determined by the Treasure Valuation Committee. The value of this particular find has been estimated at around $5 million. The proceeds will be shared by the land owner and Dave Crisp.

Worldwide interest in the historical find has inspired the creation of a documentary. The BBC TV is creating a movie called, “Digging for Britain,” which will be released in August of 2010. Before you go out and buy yourself a metal detector, be sure to study the laws regulating your finds. There are Federal and State laws that help protect and preserve artifacts. You don’t want to find yourself in jail because you found something and inadvertently broke the law.