The Eagle & Child

Legend has it that Lady Margaret Beaufort had a dream of an eagle carrying a child after years of not being able to conceive and bring an heir to the throne. After this dream she conceived and gave birth to Henry VII the man who united the Houses of York and Lancaster and made England strong under the Tudor Line. Many public houses and eateries in England are named The Eagle & Child but none so well known as the pub on St. Giles in Oxford where the Inklings would spend time. The Inklings consisted of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis both beloved writers of fiction, fantasy and theology. I couldn't leave England without having a pint at this pub. I enjoyed a great hoppy, nutty ale from the pumps and had a good conversation with my colleague. What a way to end library school!

Liverpool

The above footage is early Beatles at The Cavern Club which is where I was this past Saturday night dancing and having a good time to Beatles covers. Liverpool was an amazing experience because it is just like any other midsized city in the UK except for the fact that the spirit of the place has been forever changed by a four piece band that played together only ten years. I am not sure that it can be said that any other musical group has meant more to a city than the Beatles mean to Liverpool. I was able to visit the childhood homes of John, Paul and Ringo. Even the Cathedral in Liverpool, despite being the largest Anglican church in the world, is forever known as the place Paul McCartney was rejected as choir boy. It was also the place where the memorial service for the slain John Lennon was held. All of the bars and clubs in Liverpool's city centre are named after something to do with The Beatles. Grapes was the pub where the band members would go to escape adoring fans. There is also a pub there called The Quarrymen which was the name of Lennon's first band that eventually became The Beatles. At the Beatles Story museum I was able to learn a great deal about the evolution of the band. I find their lyrics to be straight forward, catchy and heartfelt especially in the early days. As time went on The Beatles drifted apart artistically and in spirit but for ten years they created something very special and certainly put Liverpool on the map. You can't be in Liverpool and not think about them and after this weekend I have a much better understanding of what is meant by "Beatlemania".

Smart Board Video on Vimeo

Smart Boards at the FSU STudy Centre from Thomas Parker on Vimeo.

This is a preliminary version of a video that I have created for work. See I don't just travel, eat and run while I am here in London!

British Sea Power

The Spinnaker Tower


Admiral Lord Nelson's ship The HMS Victory

This weekend a took a trip to the coast again. Portsmouth is a little, somewhat sad, old sea town that is the home to the Royal Navy. There are some modern gray battleships in the harbor but also some antique ships there to attract tourists like the Her Majesty's Ship The Victory. Portsmouth also has some very modern attractions like an outlet shopping mall and The Spinnaker Tower. Both my roommate and I agreed that the tower looks like a swordfish. It was nice to get away from London for the weekend and to breathe the sea air.

We also took a Hover Boat across the bay to The Isle of Wight. Which is where Queen Victoria's summer home is. We never made it there because we got a bit lost but we did see some gorgeous homes, trails, ponies and then we happened upon an old Benedictine Monastery. There were the ruins of the abbey but also a new Abbey that was fully functional and so quiet. We took a late bus back to London and now here we are November.