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President and Hosting coordinator Frances Weekley 619-262-5512
[email protected] Vice-President Diane Roop 707-246-1999
2
nd Vice-President
Sharon Boskovich 760-496-4278 [email protected]
Secretary Terry Carpenter 619-697-5607 [email protected]
Treasurer (Assistant Webmaster) Melvin Weekley 619-262-5512
Trustee Steve Gonzales 619-260-8178 Membership Hilda Branch 619-469-5807
HPR Delegates Frances Weekley Melvin Weekley HPR Alt. delegates Diane Roop Sharon Boskovich Delphine Malone Webmaster Richard Steadham [email protected]
Newsletter Editors Frances & Melvin Weekley
HOUSE OF ENGLAND
www.houseofengland.org
House of Pacific Relations Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
NEWSLETTER July 2012
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, July 3th at 6:30PM- quick meeting, refreshments and then some fun
with Olympics competition!
NEXT HPR MEETING: Sunday July 1, 2012 at noon in the Hall of Nations.
LADIES’ AUXILIARY LUNCHEON: Wednesday July 11, 2012 - at 12:30pm in Hall of Nations, It will be hosted by House of Denmark.
MEMBER NEWS
June meeting minutes: These have been mailed or emailed with this newsletter to save time at the July meeting. Please read so that they can be approved (with any corrections needed). Birthdays for July: Sandra Gibson, Maggie Atterbury Diamond Jubilee Display: Come visit the cottage any Sunday to see the display and chat with visitors! The exhibit has been well received by the public. August picnic: Come to the next meeting to help plan our annual picnic and (or not) organ concert afterwards. January 2013 meeting: falls on New Year’s Day- should we meet a different day? Come to the meeting to discuss! Photos request: Please loan Fran any pictures/ souvenirs/ newspaper cuttings you have from the Queen’s visit to San Diego in Feb 1983. (to be copied and returned) Second Photos request: Please loan Fran any pictures/ souvenirs/ newspaper cuttings you have about the cottage activity when Princess Diana died. (to be copied and returned) Richard Lederer: Now has a series of fascinating facts questions/ answers about US Presidents running in the Union Tribune on Page 1 and a weekly language column too! Cottage Library: We have received some VCR tapes from Gladys Owen plus books from Beryl Clarke and Margaret Momparler about England and Wales. Please see Fran if you would like to borrow.
Queen & Country: Heads up! Four-part series on PBS debuting Sunday, July 1, and running for four consecutive Sundays. The series, hosted by veteran journalist Sir Trevor McDonald, explores the customs surrounding the British monarchy and takes viewers on a tour of the sites that are central to royal history.
July 4th
questions: What did King George think of the American Colonists? He thought they
were revolting! What ghost haunted King George the III? The Spirit of 76!
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HOSTING AND HOSTESSING AT THE COTTAGE
Thank you to our volunteers.
Call our hosting chairperson, Fran Weekley to volunteer for future dates. 619-262-5512
Commitment is from 12 noon to 4PM, providing light refreshments and milk (teabags and sugar are
provided) and chatting with the visitors. Donations are accepted for upkeep of the cottage. (Cottage must have the doors open a minimum of 4 hours between 12:00 noon and 5:00pm)
June 3 Victoria and Fran 2nd half
June 50meet Diane, Suzanne, and Margaret
June 10 Linda and Fran
June 17 Terry and Fran
June 24 Linda and Fran
July 1 Will and Hilary
July 3-meet Fran
July 8 Shirley/ Maureen
July 15 open- please call Fran
July 22 Chris and Nettie
July 29 open-please call Fran
Reminders: It is acceptable to take $6 per host from the donations towards cost of milk and food- just let the Treasurer know for accounting purposes.
Also, please let Fran know if you notice that any supplies need to be replenished.
Lapel Pins and 75th Anniversary Mugs
There are lapel pins and mugs on display at the cottage. If a visitor donates to obtain one, please let Mel know when turning in the donations money.
Made by Eileen
Ethnic Food Faire Day Margaret’s trifle and Suzanne’s
Sausage Rolls – great treats.
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You never know who you will meet when hosting at the cottage!
Terry Carpenter was a good sport for Ethnic Food Faire and dressed up as a British Guard while hosting in the cottage.
Terry was in the Army Nursing Corps from '58 to '66 and took two QARANC cap badges from her service days and sewed them into the collar of the uniform- added a smart touch.
A visitor, named Ursula, walked into the cottage and immediately recognized these badges from her days in the Army nursing Corps. She was in a little later than Terry but wore the same uniform when she was in service. She is a retired SRN and lives in Plymouth- visiting San Diego with husband Sid.
Terry and Ursula had a great conversation and exchanged email addresses. They swapped stories and Ursula brought Terry up to date on the status of British Military Hospitals in the UK and BAOR where they had both served. (Mostly demolished now).
Feedback from 20 pages of sign in sheets at the cottage:
For best, most people put ‘everything”- or just put name and no comments.
Here is a tally of the ones that did comment….piano (4) picture of Beatles (7), Diana tribute(6), Queen
picture (6), the tea (17), hostesses and interaction and accents (20), Royalty pictures (14) cricket for
Americans!,(2) Shakespeare (3), “soldier cut outs figures”(1), Dickens display (9), Cries of London
(1), the food (7) the video (5) Briton’s creed (1), Royal family lineage (5) old bone china (2) penny-
farthing (2) coins (2)
For least- all put “nothing’ or left blank…..
Missing? Mostly blank but random things like “corgis! “One Direction” (4), Harry Potter,
kilts! Scones (3), English movies/ theatre/concerts, ’money to go’! Sausage rolls! Pint of
ale! Soccer, the Prince!! Rain! Bed and Breakfast!
Some comments- ‘you can tell that the house is well loved” “a higher sign-in table needed” “just like
home’!
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Exceptional Additions to the UK 2012 Olympic Coin Program
November 17, 2011 By Michael Alexander
The Royal Mint announced (14th November) that two new coins will be
issued in conjunction with the 2012 Olympiad to be staged in London
from July of 2012. These two coins, one for the Olympic Games and one
for the Paralympics are issued in addition to the current “Countdown”
crown series. They were designed by members of the public and selected
following a Royal Mint competition for art and design students attending
higher education colleges and universities across the UK. Students were
challenged to create a design celebrating the capital’s role as host city of
London 2012, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games logos.
Designs were requested that could be symbolic or literal and could
involve the use of emblems or lettering.
London 2012 Olympics: Designed by 24-year-old architectural student
Saiman Miah, The inspiration for his design came from his love of
architecture and includes a detailed impression of London’s iconic
skyline. Saiman also incorporates pictograms of athletes around the edge of
the skyline to create a clock face referencing to another London icon, Big
Ben. The official London 2012 Olympics logo, which is given a “Union
Jack” colorized look (precious metal strikes only), is positioned at the top of
the primary design.
London 2012 Paralympics: Designed by graphic and media design
graduate Pippa Sanderson, who cleverly intertwines the elements of five
circular objects or those associated with circles, that of a spiked wheel, the
portion of an archery board, the familiar face of Big Ben, a stopwatch, and a
minute hand of a watch. Pippa’s design celebrates accuracy,
maneuverability and speed by using the round shape of the coin along with
circles split into these four sections. The official London 2012 Paralympics
logo, which is given a “Union Jack” colorized look (precious metal strikes
only), is positioned towards the lower left of the primary design.
The obverse of both coins includes the iconic effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which was sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley and
in use on British & Commonwealth circulation and commemorative coinage from 1998. The face value of five pounds and the year of
issue “2012” appears on the obverse legend.
The 2012 Olympic coin is produced in Proof 22 ct. Gold proof (.916 fine) with a weight of 39.94 grams and a mintage limit of 5,000.
Proof Sterling silver with a weight of 28 grams and a mintage total of 100,000 pieces. A proof quality sterling silver gold-plated issue
will have a mintage of 12,500 pieces. There will also be a special Piedfort proof issue in sterling silver with a weight of 56 grams and
a mintage of 7,000 pieces. An FDC Cupro-nickel version is also available without mintage limit, all coins have a diameter of 38 mm.
The Paralympic coins are available in most of the variations above with a mintage of 2,012 pieces for the Gold proof, 10,000 pieces
for the sterling silver proof, 2,012 pieces for the sterling silver piedfort and no limit for the cupro-nickel version.
For more information on these and other coins offered by the Royal Mint, please visit their website at:
http://www.royalmint.com/olympicgames/london-2012-official-coins/official-london-2012-coin.aspx
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10 best foods for optimal health Suzanne McLay MS RD CDE
Food is a necessary fuel for all the processes in our bodies.....without it our immune system suffers, we can't make red blood cells, and our muscles waste. We will lose weight but starvation is not a healthy diet plan! Nutrition and food science are still evolving and there is still much we don't know about the micronutrients in food and how these miniscule compounds affect our health and longevity. However, we do know that good health starts with good nutritional choices. So, here are the top ten foods we should eat on a regular basis.....of course, there is always a little wiggle room for a treat here and there! 1. Berries.: Nutritional powerhouses due to anthocyanins contained in their dark skins, thought to reduce inflammation in the body. Seeds on the outsides of strawberries and raspberries means fiber too. Use in salads, smoothies or just by the handful! 2. Dark, leafy greens: Kale, spinach, mustard and collard greens, Swiss chard all come under this category. Jam packed with vitamins A, K, and C as well as calcium, magnesium, fiber, and folate. Magnesium is thought to help with blood sugar regulation and Vitamin K helps with blood clotting. Cook quickly with some garlic and lemon juice and maybe a splash of low sodium soy sauce. 3. Greek yogurt (unsweetened). Nonfat: Avoid one ones with fruit...sugar overload! Instead add a little vanilla extract and some flax and fruit to your yogurt for breakfast or a healthy dessert. Greek yogurt is loaded with protein and has little added sugar. It is also a great source of calcium. Can also be used in place of heavy cream in sauces and recipes. 4. Wild salmon.: A great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which we all need more of. Omega 3's are thought to reduce inflammation in the body and help prevent strokes and heart attacks. Wild fish has less contaminants than farmed varieties. 5. Chickpeas: All beans and legumes are great due to their high fiber, magnesium and potassium content, but chickpeas are on this list because they are so versatile. Either soak and cook your own or buy no added salt varieties in a tin. Add to salads, stews, curries, and soups or blitz with tahini sauce and lemon juice and other flavourings of your choice to make our favorite dip...hummus. 6. Sweet potatoes: Loaded with Vitamins A and C and fiber if you eat the skin, these tubers are a nutritional star compared to regular spuds. Microwave and use spray butter and a touch of garlic salt! Yum! 7. Kiwi fruit: These fuzzy green fruit are loaded with Vitamin A and fiber. Because the skins aren't eaten there is less chance of pesticide residue. Cut the top off the fruit and eat with a small spoon like a boiled egg. 8. Eggs: With only 70 calories in a large one, these not only for breakfast orbs are economical, easy to store, easy to eat, and super versatile. They are the most bio available source of protein (the gold standard if you will) and are chock full of Vitamin E and lutein, thought to help with eye sight. Eggs have had a bad rap over the years due to their cholesterol levels but dietary cholesterol does not affect LDL levels...saturated fat is the culprit. 9. Dark chocolate: I know, Dietitians are the food police, but dark chocolate (70% cocoa and above) is loaded with antioxidants and 1 small square will not ruin your diet. These antioxidants fight free radicals in the body that are associated with high blood pressure and cancer risk. So, go ahead and enjoy in moderation. 10. Watermelon: When in season, there is nothing better than a ripe slice of watermelon. It is loaded with Vitamins A and C and lycopene and 2 cups weighs in at only 80 calories...no salt or fat either! Suzanne McLay MS RD CDE
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Jolly Good Sites A proper guide to England’s Summer Olympics venues
Westways November/December 2011
The United Kingdom takes center stage
on the world sports scene when London
hosts the Games of the XXX Olympiad
July 27 through August 12, 2012. This
summer’s games couldn’t ask for more
exciting and diverse settings. “Iconic
places such as Wembley and Wimbledon,
where visitors can go before or after the
games, are being used as Olympics
venues,” says Visit Britain’s Paul Gauger.
And each place has a story to tell.
Whether you plan to attend in person or
watch the games from the comfort of your
couch, enhance your Olympics pleasure
with this behind-the-scenes guide.
Olympic Park The park houses nine venues, including the Olympic Stadium, where opening and closing ceremonies will be held; the Basketball Arena; Handball Arena; and Velodrome. The Zaha Hadid–designed Aquatics Centre has a gravity-defying wavelike roof, whose span is larger than Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5.
Events: The stadium will host track and field events; other Olympic Park venues will have basketball, bicycling, swimming, and field hockey.
Where: The park is built on reclaimed land in Stratford in East London. Visitors can watch events from grassy hillocks on large outdoor screens.
Fun facts: The Olympic Stadium (pictured) is built on the original site of H. Forman & Son, famed for more
than a century for using a traditional method called the London Cure to make what might be the world’s best wild smoked salmon. Forman’s Fish Island, a new ultramodern restaurant and plant, overlooks the stadium site. Appropriately, the salmon-colored building is designed to resemble a salmon slice—the windows even look like
fish bones.
When the Olympics aren’t in session: After the games, the park will remain, with walking paths, acres of meadows, and some 300,000 plants in a celebration of English gardens. Before the games, the park offers a viewing platform and special guided tours conducted by Blue Badge Guides.
Getting there: Take the London Underground from central London to either the Stratford or West Ham tube stop. The park is a 15-minute walk; during the games, there’ll be signs and staff to direct you.
Wembley Stadium With 90,000 seats, Wembley is the largest of the six U.K. stadiums to hold football (soccer) competitions during the games.
Events: Gold medal games for both the men’s and women’s football tournaments.
Where: Wembley Park, about 20 minutes by Underground northwest of London.
A bit of history: In 2007, a new stadium replaced a 1920s structure. The 1948 Olympic games were held at the original Wembley Stadium, and it hosted the 1966 World Cup
Final. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass here, Nelson Mandela attended a concert here celebrating his release from prison, and The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Queen, and just about every major rock artist since the ‘80s has played at Wembley.
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Fun facts: The stadium’s signature feature is a towering 440-foot steel arch that’s equipped with beacons to warn low-flying planes.
When the Olympics aren’t in session: Tours that include the locker rooms and VIP lounges and cover the site’s history are offered most days, depending on scheduled events.
Getting there: Take the London Underground to the Wembley Park tube stop; during the games, shuttles will run to the stadium.
Weymouth and Portland The area along the sea here is a World
Heritage Site known as the Jurassic Coast, where one of the greatest concentrations of marine fossils in the world chronicle some 150 million years.
Events: Olympic sailing at Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbor (pictured) at the Portland
National Sailing Academy.
Where: Dorset, on England’s
south coast, approximately 130 miles southwest of London.
A bit of history: The site has long been considered ideal for sailing since it gets reliable winds from most directions but is sheltered from large
waves and currents. This was a staging area for the Allied troops before D-Day in World War II. Nearby Portland Castle was built for Henry VIII in 1539.
Fun facts: In Charmouth, West Dorset, people flock to the beach to pick up ammonites, belemnites, and other marine fossils. But don’t climb the cliffs to find them; it’s too dangerous. You can also visit nearby Abbotsbury Swannery, where swans have been raised since the 11th century.
When the Olympics aren’t in session: You can learn to sail at the sailing academy.
Getting there: Take a National Rail train from London’s Waterloo Station to Weymouth Station (three hours).
In Dorset, renting a car is the best way to get around.
Wimbledon Tennis’ most hallowed ground is home to the grass-court All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Events: The Olympic tennis competition occurs just three weeks after the end of the
annual Grand Slam event, which is traditionally held in late June and early July.
Where: In the southwest area of London, near Richmond Park and Kew Gardens.
A bit of history: Treasures from the first championship in 1877 to the most recent
are on display at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, including equipment,
clothing, and mementos belonging to Rafael Nadal, Martina Navratilova, Fred Perry, and other greats who have set foot on Centre Court.
Fun facts: The longest professional tennis match, in terms of both time and total games, was the Wimbledon first-round match between France’s Nicolas Mahut and American John Isner June 22–25, 2010. It took 11 hours
and 5 minutes of playing time to complete 183 games.
When the Olympics aren’t in session: Blue Badge Guides give tours that include the museum. You must book in advance through the Wimbledon website.
Getting there: Take a National Rail train from Waterloo Station to Wimbledon Station or the London Underground from central London to either the Southfields or Wimbledon tube stop. Buses take you to the entrance of the club.
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Eton Dorney Rowing Centre Near Windsor Castle and the town of Windsor, the centre has an eight-lane rowing course with a separate
return lane. It’s part of Eton College and is set in a 450-acre park and arboretum with a nature
conservation area.
Events: Rowing events and kayak/canoe sprinting events.
Where: Dorney Lake, about 25 miles west of London and near the River Thames.
Fun facts: You can watch the Changing of the Guard at Windsor Castle more easily than at London’s
Buckingham Palace. Settle in early at an adjacent coffee shop with outdoor seating and sip tea while
you watch the spectacle at 11 a.m. on alternate days.
Getting there: Take a National Rail train from London to Windsor & Eton Riverside Station or
Slough Station.
Lee Valley White Water Centre The spectacular site with two white-water courses lies at the edge of Hertfordshire’s 1,000-acre River Lee
Country Park, which is part of the 26-mile-long, 10,000-acre Lee Valley Regional Park.
Events: Kayak/canoe slalom races where competitors try to beat the clock in incredibly difficult
white-water conditions.
Where: About 19 miles north of London.
Fun facts: Water pumped down the course at nearly 4,000 gallons per second hits underwater
barriers that simulate rocks in a raging river. A large man-made lake supplies the pumps, creating a
totally artificial white-water river that outdoes the real thing.
When the Olympics aren’t in session: You can try your luck on the white water or just have a
pleasant afternoon watching others while enjoying a picnic lunch.
Getting there: Take a National Rail train from London’s Liverpool Street Station to Cheshunt
Station. The centre is a 20-minute walk from the station; during the games, shuttles will be
available.
I Say, Let the Games Begin
The Games of the XXX Olympiad will be July 27 through August 12, 2012. The London 2012 Paralympic Games will be August 29 through September 9, 2012. Athletes with disabilities will
compete in 21 events, including Paralympic archery, cycling, swimming, and equestrian events, and wheelchair fencing, rugby, and tennis. Information is available from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games website.
General information about London and the United Kingdom is available on the websites of Visit
Britain, Visit England, and London and Partners.
Good Shows The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad culminates in the London 2012 Festival, June 21 through September 9, 2012. The festival includes a David Hockney exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts
and a performance of Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony at London’s Barbican.
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World affairs correspondent, BBC News website June 2012
By Paul Reynolds
(Brought to Fran’s attention by Rick Richardson, a regular cottage visitor)
German sabotage agents developed an exploding bar of chocolate and what
was probably the first shoe-bomb during WWII.
Photographs of these and other devices, held in the files of the
security service MI5, have been cleared for release by the National Archives.
The devices were intercepted by British intelligence in various locations, including Turkey, but there is no evidence that any
such bombs were used - and certainly not in the UK.
These ingenious objects got no further than four explosive cans of peas, which were found on German agents who landed
in Ireland by small boat and claimed that they hoped to get them into Buckingham Palace. Details of this plot were reported two years ago.
The latest pictures show how a bomb could be hidden inside a chocolate bar and how explosives could be disguised as the soles of a shoe.
It appears therefore that Richard Reid, who tried to blow up an airliner over the Atlantic
in December 2001, was not the first would-be shoe bomber.
German agents planned to use exploding bars of chocolate
Part of the
Diamond
Jubilee
Celebration
Queen
Elizabeth II Second longest
reigning monarch