The Proms - billed as the World’s greatest classical music festival – starts today.
They started life in 1894 as ‘Mr Robert Newman’s Promenade Concerts’. Mr Newman, an impresario, had a vision of bringing the wide range of high standard classical music to the masses. Ticket prices were kept low. 5d a concert!
Mr Newman has long since been forgotten but not Sir Henry Wood, the first Proms conductor.
Read more about the History of the Proms
The British Open Golf Championship (or simply ‘The Open’) is in full swing at St Andrew’s, the ‘home of golf’. Many think it should always be here. It is, as always, being played on The Old Course. Non members cannot play on the Old Course but there are 11 other courses to choose from.
St Andrews for more information about St Andrew’s golf courses.
Silverstone is a small village in Northamptonshire but its’ name is synonymous with F1 motor racing. Today it will host the British Grand Prix, as it has over the past 60 years. In 1950 the first ever World Drivers’ Championship event was held here. It would have been a tragedy (well, a real shame) if Silverstone had lost the contract as was feared. However, an updated track will be tested today with two British Drivers heading the Driver’s table (if not on the grid!)
Read more on the Silverstone site
We are now at the end of the first week of Wimbledon or just ‘The Championships’. It brings back happy memories of school trips for me. We spent most of the time star spotting. I managed to get John Newcombe’s autograph one year (that’s showing my age!) It is much more popular now and it is far too much like hard work to get in, unless you are lucky enough to get a Centre Court or Court 1 ticket via the open ballot.
I am not going to talk abut the results as no doubt you are following if you are interested in tennis. In 1877 the All England Croquet Club became The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club and started the first Lawn Tennis Championship. The only event held in 1877 was the Gentlemen’s Singles which was won by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player, from a field of 22. About 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final.
A new code of laws was drawn up for the meeting. These have stood the test of time and today’s rules are similar except for details such as the height of the net and posts and the distance of the service line from the net.
Extracted from the official Wimbledon site
If you read my blog about the Oxford and Cambridge boat race you may have gleaned that I was somewhat bemused by it’s popularity. This series of boat races, however, are another matter. The regatta lasts for 5 days! What’s more, the time of year is conducive to sitting on the banks of the Thames idling away a sunny afternoon watching the rowing. In fact it has become a major social event with many people laying on lavish picnics, with champagne and the lot. To be ‘seen’ at Henley is as important as the sport!
The Henley Royal Regatta started in 1839 and has been ‘royal’ since H.R.H. Prince Albert became the Regatta’s first Royal Patron in 1851. The Queen is now the patron.
During the Summer months there are music festivals all over Britain. The most famous is Glastonbury. Or the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts to give it the full name. It is particularly popular with the young, although the music caters for a wide age range – no self respecting teen or twenty-something, or aging hippie for that matter, has not been to Glastonbury! It usually rains and people end up covered from head to toe in mud but that’s part of it!
The 2010 festival celebrates 40 years of the festival. But don’t rush over there if you haven’t a ticket – they went on sale in October of last year and are vastly over subscribed.
Stonehenge is the most requested place in Britain to be included in a tour itinerary. Unfortunately you cannot usually get up close to the stones in order to protect them. However on 21st June an excepton is made. Thousands of people flock to Stonehenge for the Summer Solistice and are allowed to wander within the circle of stones.
Why is this date significant? There are many theories around who built Stonehenge and why but what is undoubtedly true is that it is a calendar. The stones were positioned so that the sun would shine precisely from the outer ring openings to the central point on equinoxes and solstices. The Summer solistice is of course the start of Summer and if there is a clear sky around 5 am then the sight of the sun shining into the centre circle gives hope for a good Summer!
The Queen has two birthdays – a real one (21st April) and an official one on marked by Trooping the Colour, also called the Queens Birthday Parade, on the second Saturday in June.
The tradition dates back to about 1700 when the colours (regimental flags) of the monarch were first ‘trooped’ (paraded). The date probably comes from George lll’s birthday. In any case, it’s a colourful tradition that is now part of our annual rituals. Read more about the Trooping of the Colour
In 1907 the first ever motor cycle road race was held in the Isle of Man. The Tourist Trophy, or Isle of Man TT races as they are usually called, took place on this British Isle to get around the laws which banned racing on the highways of mainland Britain and the 20mph speed limit which was in force at the time.
Apart from interruptions during the two World Wars, these races have continued ever since and are still reckoned to be the most exciting road races in the World.
In the first week of June there is a long tradition for Gypsies and Travellers to descend on the small Cumbrian town of Appleby-in-Westmorland for the Appleby Horse Fair. People come from miles around to meet old friends and have a good time. Animals can no longer be bought and sold but the horses are washed in the river and raced in the streets. There are stalls of various kinds and general gaiety. Anyone is welcome.
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