Real Britain Company News…

St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. His father was a Christian deacon. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice, which he believed to be God’s-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.

To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland
For the full story visit www.saint-patrick.com

Perhaps not strictly a musuem, Colman’s Mustard Shop in Norwich stocks mustards of all sorts, plus all the paraphenalia such as pots and spoons and other Colman’s memorabilia.The company has been making mustard in Norfolk for over 180 years. Norwich is also worth visiting for the cathedral, castle and medieval streets.

Haggis is traditional Scottish fare, toasted and eaten on Burn’s night (see www.worldburnsclub.com for the Ode to the haggis and its translation). It is still eaten today, not just on Burn’s night, and very tasty it is too!

So what it is? Well its not a little furry creature. The ingredients vary a little but traditionally include sheep ‘pluck’ ie. offal (liver, lungs and heart), onions, suet, oatmeal, salt and black pepper, all stuffed into a bag of sheeps stomach. A good hearty dish! Sounds disgusting? Don’t be put off – it really is tasty.
It is served with ‘neeps and tatties’. ‘Tatties’ are obviously potatoes (mashed) but ‘neeps’ need some explaining. Ian (who is Scottish) says they are ‘turnips’ and I, being English, call them ‘swedes’. Anyway, we both agree they are the orange and purple larger vegetables not the small creamy coloured ones.

Graphite was discovered in Cumbria 350 years ago and the first pencils were made in Keswick in the northern Lake District. The Pencil Museum is somewhere to go if the weather keeps you off the wonderful hills!

In the tiny north Cornish village of Boscastle lies one of the most weird and wonderful museums in Britain. The Witchcraft museum houses the world’s largest collection of witchcraft related artefacts and regalia. Not for the faint hearted!

The subject of many pantomimes, (I’m off to see it in Birmingham soon) this character was a real person, although of course his story has been embellished in the telling over the 400 years or so that it has been around.

The real Dick lived in the 14th century. As the younger son of a rich landowner, Sir William Whittington, of Pauntley in Gloucestershire, he wouldn’t inherit his fathers’ estate so he set off to London to become a cloth merchant. He was very successful and became a major benefactor of the city. He was also a fine politician, managing to stay onside with two kings as well as the people of London. In fact he was major of London not three but four times, although perhaps the first time didn’t count for the purposes of telling a good tale as it was by Royal appointment, and only three times elected by popular vote.

For the full story visit The Museum of London.

We all sing a version of this at New Years Eve but do we know the words or even still, what they mean?
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