St Margarets and St Valentine
This year February 14th, St Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, opening the prospect of a whole weekend of love and laughter.
St Valentine’s Day on Sunday 14th February is one of three important dates in the social calendar that tumble upon each other in close succession; we also have Mother’s Day on Sunday 14th March and Easter on Sunday 4th April.
But, where did St Valentine’s Day come from? And, how do we celebrate it here in St Margarets?
There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day. It is thought that, indirectly the origin of this day that celebrates love is a long and bloody war campaign raged by Emperor Claudius II.
The Emperor was having great difficulty getting men to sign up for his war campaign, which he felt was because the men did not want to leave their wives and families. So, he cancelled all marriages and engagements.
St Valentine was a Roman priest in those days and he and another, St Marius, secretly married couples in love and for this defiance he was apprehended and martyred on February 14th, 269 AD. Legend says that St Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine”. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St Valentine.
4 February 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [0]
The Marathon De Sables: 8 Weeks to go
I’d firstly like to say a big thank you to all those who have kindly sponsored me to do this mad race, please if you would like to help me raise money for F.R.O.D.O.1 then please visit my just giving site at justgiving.com/georgie-islip Thank you for all your support as it will keep me going through the tough stages of the race.
Training this last couple of weeks has been rather tough. My body feels like a bus has run over it and then reversed by accident and gone over me again, several times. My motivation has been low, I’ve found it really hard in the cold and I’ve been wearing loads of layers. In fact, I’m actually quite looking forward to getting some sun! So all in all I’m glad to see the end of the last two weeks, however not too soon as this weekend is a big test to my training.
I’m running from Farnham to Merstham on Saturday and then back from Merstham to Farnham on Sunday. All being well I should have covered 66 miles by Sunday night. So here’s to my training on Monday morning, not quite sure how I’ll be walking… running…
4 February 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [0]
Mad Hatter's Fairtrade Art Competition
Exclusively for schools in Richmond!
Wake up, don’t be like
Dormouse! Don’t forget
to get your entry to us.
Closing date: 12th February.
To celebrate this year’s national Fairtrade Fortnight, 22nd February to 7th March, Richmond Fairtrade is organising an art competition for ALL schools in the Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.
Be inspired by Fairtrade and the Mad Hatter and create your artwork for our competition and you could be one of the winners to celebrate with us at a Mad Hatter’s tea party at York House, Twickenham on 26th February.
4 February 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [0]
The Batty Dr Battie
Twickenham has been home to many eccentric people over the years but none so strange as Dr William Battie who lived there from 1740 to 1759.
Dr Battie was born and baptised on the 1st September 1704 in Modbury is South Devon, the son of Reverend Edward Battie. His father had been a master at Eton and that is where young William went to school, moving on to Kings College in Cambridge where he studied law. Failing his bar exams and with insufficient funds to continue his legal training he “diverted his attention to physic” and took up medicine. After practising for many years in the field of psychiatry he bought two private “madhouses” near St Lukes in Cripplegate from which he gained a handsome income.
3 February 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [0]
Half Term at Orleans House Gallery
Welcome to an exciting array of arts activities over the coming half term … We hope to see you then! Coach House Club £25.00 per day. Materials included. Please bring a packed lunch. Booking is essential: Please call 0208…
29 January 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [0]
A Rock 'n' Roll Romance
“It had come to pass, that afternoon, that Miss Morleena Kenwigs had received an invitation to repair next day, per steamer from Westminster Bridge, unto the Eel-pie Island at Twickenham: there to make merry upon a cold collation, bottled…
28 January 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [0]
Drawing The Line at Hounslow
Cartophile — n. One who greatly admires and enjoys maps.
The next time you find yourself lost on a lonely hillside with only a map and a compass between you and missing the next episode of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ or standing in the rain checking your A-Z to find the nearest tube station consider this - virtually every map in this country owes its existence to 2 military engineers, 10 men from the 12th Regiment of Foot - and a straight line paced out on Hounslow Heath.
It all started with the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 when the “Young Pretender”, Charles Edward Stuart tried to kick George 2nd off the throne and replace him with “The Old Pretender” James Francis Edward Stuart. It ended in tears and defeat for the Jacobite cause in 1746 at Culloden in Scotland, the last battle fought on British soil.
21 January 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [2]
Event Reminder: Say Hello!
Free Family Fun Day celebrating cultural harmony in Richmond upon Thames. Hosted by the Mayor, Cllr Celia Hodges and Deputy Mayor Cllr Ben Khosa. Saturday 30 January 2010, 12-5pm at Clarendon Hall, York House Celebrate the New Year at…
21 January 2010 | Category » around town | Comments [1]
The Marathon de Sables: 1st April 2010. 10 Weeks To Go.
OK, I’ve now decided that this an April fool’s joke. It’s now only a matter of weeks until I leave to do this mad run on Easter Sunday. I was away over the Christmas period and managed to train in the heat and sand. It was excellent. However I did do one speed session of 4 × 800m repeats with 200m recover and I was nearly was sick! The temperature was only 35 degrees.
21 January 2010 | Category » news | Comments [0]
Richmond & Twickenham Times: Orleans Infant School expansion plans 'ripped up'
Plans to expand a Twickenham school to try to ease the primary place shortage have been scrapped, it has been claimed. A governor at Orleans Infant School said Richmond Council had ripped up a plan to turn the school and…
16 January 2010 | Category » news | Comments [6]
