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Tag: Boxing Day sales

What Shall We Do On Boxing Day?

Published on December 26, 2016January 6, 2017 by milliethom12 Comments

Categories Customs and Traditions•Tags boxing day, Boxing Day sales, boxing day traditions, history of giving alms

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All creative works copyright © Millie Thom, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Millie Thom with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Normandy Hall is a typical, cube-shaped Regency mansion set in a 300-acre estate, 5 miles north of Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. There have been at least 2 earlier halls on the site but the present one was built between 1820-30 by Sir Robert Sheffield, whose family had lived on the site since 1539. The East Wing, which includes a ballroom, was added in 1905-7 and is known as the Brierley extension after the architect who designed it. A domestic service wing built at the same time was demolished in 1949, leaving the hall as it is today. . Most of the rooms are similar in style to other stately homes of this period but an added attraction at Normanby is the display of costumes worn by actors in a number of films and period dramas, including Pride and Prejudice, Victoria, Sense and Sensibility, and The King's Speech. They were designed by a company called Cosprop, and I'll probably show more of the costumes another time. . During WW1, the hall was used as an auxiliary hospital. Soldiers were sent there in the final stages of their recovery after receiving initial medical treatment elsewhere. Lady Julia Sheffield received several awards for her tireless work in the hospital. . The parkland and historic woodland have recently become a venue for one of the UK's 'Go Ape Tree Top Adventures' schemes. Groups of people of various ages can explore the forest canopy via a tree top course which includes zip wires and wobbly crossings! Several family groups were having a whale of a time when we walked through the woods yesterday. . Normanby Hall and Country Park is managed by North Lincolnshire Council and the entry fee is £7 (free to RHS members). The site also boasts a deer park, a farming museum, Victorian walled garden, duck pond, gift shop, land train and cafe. And, of course, there's always a yummy ice cream van to hand! . . . . #statelyhome #countrypark #normanbyhall #scunthorpe#northlincolnshire #rhs #deerpark #farmingmuseum #victorianwalledgarden #goape #treetopadventures #zipline #daysout #daysoutwithkids #historicwoodland #historic #historicalresearch #writerresearch #ww1hospital

Kenilworth Castle is one of the two fabulous castles I've visited several times in Warwickshire, the other being Warwick Castle. Although Kenilworth's fortifications were dismantled at the end of the Civil War in 1650, it is still one of England's most spectacular castles. Founded in the 1120s around a Norman tower, it continued to grow over the centuries as each new occupant took up residence. I particularly love the wonderful red sandstone from which it was built - quarried locally, I believe. . The castle was a royal residence for five centuries (12th-17th) and has played a part in a number of significant events in English history. It is also linked to several well-known historical figures, including King John, Simon de Montfort, Henry V, John O' Gaunt and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. In 1563, Elizabeth I granted the castle to Dudley - her 'favourite' - and he set about converting it into a great house for her entertainment. . My photos are of the outside of the castle, with just a couple of the Elizabethan-style gardens (the originals of which were created by Robert Dudley). But the interior of the Leicester Gatehouse is furnished, and displays provide lots of information about the castle and its 900 years of history. . Situated in the actual town of Kenilworth, Kenilworth Castle is an English Heritage property, but for non-members the entrance fee is £11.80. There is a cafe providing light meals and snacks, ideal for anyone wanting to spend some time at the site, particularly when events are running. . . . . . #warwickshire #kenilworth #historical #historicsite #daysout #gardens #authorresearch #writerresearch #robertdudley #englishheritage

Over the Bank Holiday weekend (August 23-26) the world's biggest Steampunk festival returned to Lincoln for the 11th time. Held along the cobbled streets of the Cathedral Quarter, Lincoln Castle and parts of Bishop Grosseteste University, the festival celebrates the steam powered world of the late nineteenth century and attracts visitors from all over the world. . This was our first visit to the festival and we didn't realise what a fun event we'd been missing. The costumes are terrific and so creative, and a number of events keep visitors entertained over the 3 days. With temperatures of 31-33 degrees (Celsius) it must have been unbearably hot inside some of the costumes, especially for those wearing gas masks and other weird head coverings, or items of clothing such as thick cloaks and coats, long boots or tight corsets! . We'll be sure to go again next year, and might even put together some wacky Victorian costumes for ourselves. . . . . #asylumsteampunk #lincolncathedralquarter #steampunkfashion #steampunkstyle #steampunkcostume #lincolncastle #steampunkers

Pure Land Japanese Gardens and Meditation Centre is located in the village of North Clifton, near Newark in Nottinghamshire. It is a mere 6.4 miles from where I live so we've visited several times. I particularly love the serenity of the place, and the colourful Japanese trees and plants, ponds with Koi carp, winding paths, bridges, pagodas, stone lanterns and crystal garden are a delight. An extra feature in August and September each year is the 'Lantern Lit Evening Garden' which can be enjoyed from Friday to Sunday. . The Centre was created by a lovely man called Maitreya, who is often around the gardens. His story of leaving Japan and eventually settling in England and creating 'Pure Land' from a 2-acre field is fascinating (and too long to relay here). . Refreshments are available in a small Japanese Tea House, which is also where payment is made on entry. . . . . . #japanesegarden #nottinghamshire #daysout #gardens #meditationcenter #maitreya #japanese #crystalgarden

Renshaw Hall in Derbyshire is a Grade 1 listed property. It was built in 1625 by George Sitwell, the High Sheriff of Nottingham, and has been the home of the Sitwell family ever since. The family made its fortune during the 17th-20th centuries as landowners, colliery owners and ironmasters. . The house has been extended over the years by the addition of new wings, and the lovely Italianate gardens were created over 115 years ago by Sir George Sitwell, father of the poet, Edith Sitwell (mentioned below). Colourful borders, ornamental ponds, a fountain, classical statues, woodlands, and extensive lawns edged by yew hedges are some of the features for visitors to enjoy. . As a 'lived in' home the inside of the hall can only be viewed as part of a guided tour, and no photography is allowed. There are fabulous rooms with pieces of antique furniture, tapestries and artworks to be seen, including paintings by John Piper, Red Whistler and John Sargent. . Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) is as well known for her looks as her poetry. She was lanky and six-foot tall with facial features described as angular and 'hawk-like', her eccentric clothing including velvet tunics, golden turbans and huge, elaborate finger rings. As a child, her father, George, called her 'ugly' and her mother made her wear a nose brace in an attempt to straighten her crooked nose! Unsurprisingly, Edith never got on with her parents and later moved to London to live with her two brothers (also writers) surrounded by people from the literary and art world of the 20th century. More can be learned about Edith and her brothers in the little museum. . Meals and snacks are available at the restaurant/cafe in the old stable block, although a lively food and craft fair was underway when we were there yesterday and many people were enjoying foods bought from the many stalls. . . . . . #renishawhall #derbyshire #daysout #daysoutwithkids #historicalresearch #historic #literaryresearch #statelyhome #edithsitwell #gardens

Newark Castle stands on the east bank of the River Trent in Nottinghamshire. It was built between 1135-39 on the site of a former Norman motte and bailey castle, which itself stood on a site occupied since prehistoric times. . The castle is probably best known for two main events during its long history. The first is the death of King John, the brother of Richard the Lionheart and one of the villains in the Robin Hood tales. John reputedly died from dysentery in 1216 after he'd eaten unripe peaches during a feast, although there are many who believe the poisoning was deliberate. . The second event occurred over 400 years later, during the English Civil War of 1642-49. Newark Castle was a Royalist stronghold during that war and at the end of the third and final siege by Parliamentary troops, the castle was 'slighted', i.e. cannoned down and left a ruin, rendering it unusable by any future Royalists. So today, Newark Castle consists of only two outer walls around what would have been the bailey. There are also towers, a dungeon and an undercroft to visit but only as part of a guided tour, due to safety regulations. . This castle has been our 'local' for some years, especially when we lived in Newark during the 80s and 90s. We now live mid-way between Newark and Lincoln and have two great castles to visit with all the fabulous events they host. . . . . #newark #nottinghamshire #historicsite #kingjohn #castle #englishcivilwar #daysout #historical #historicalresearch #historicruins

Millie Thom

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