Perception of Space

 

Villa Borghese Gardens

‘Big is beautiful’ is a mantra so often quoted and so often misleads, particularly in the way we live. Are big homes really what we either need or crave? Certainly they are often seen as a measure of success but only if success is measured in financial terms, surely real success is found in contentment and calm. This is not brought about in the dimensions of a person’s home but by the space they create and occupy, either alone or with others.

Space is almost indefinable; it is a personal perception of what is around and about. We describe the infinity of the universe which we perceive as ‘above’ us, in reality all around our tiny planet, as space, not ‘a space’ but ‘space’. A strange use of the word in English, I prefer the use of the word ‘cosmos’, a dictionary definition of which might be ‘The universe seen as a well-ordered whole’. Which now leads me to something of a contradiction of my earlier sentence, space is definable, which the cosmos is not, despite the best efforts of astronomers, physicists and the scientific establishment and nor should it be in my opinion.

Having now determined that space is definable let us now think about space in relation to how and where we live. In 2007 the human population changed in a very significant way, it was in that year that more people on earth lived in large urban centres than lived in the country. Large towns and cities, by their very nature are very crowded places, thus affording each occupant very little in terms of individual space, a strange irony in that one major topic of conversation to be heard regularly is about space. Why then do we do move into cities? Economic forces, of course play a part, cities are where work tends to be and I would conjecture the human race, although resilient has become more risk averse in some senses, by gathering together in cities, populations feel protected.

So what can we do to give ourselves a sense of space that we know we crave but can’t always achieve?

In thinking about the building and design of cities, great spaces have often been the concern of architects and designers and remains so today. There is a marked move to return to urban planning allowing for the occupation of public spaces by people rather than buildings, roads and especially the ubiquitous motor car. Some spaces have been revived and renovated; The Great Court in the British Museum being a good example of bring a glorious space back into public use. The re introduction of atria, a Roman invention , back into public buildings is another way light and space are now seen as important to use of the space, the very recent renovation of The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is a wonderful example of this form. Similarly many city squares have been designed to accommodate people again thus reintroducing the idea of space and light, a place to both relax and congregate, to enjoy space.

The Great Court, The British Museum

In urban planning we have created the public park, the first of these possibly being The Grove in Tunbridge Wells created in 1703 . The first municipal park created in 1843 by Birkenhead Council was the precursor of many parks in towns and cities, prior to that there had been open spaces, village green and an abundance of countryside. Of course there were other open spaces, the Royal Parks, originally royal hunting grounds, there were forests, again used for hunting and other sports, the coastal regions and I could go on. All these places gave people ‘space’, defined space sometimes accessible only under certain conditions. Open countryside did not necessarily conform to these conditions but was still defined by natural boundaries or boundaries of ownership. We can see, as the great world cities developed. So did some of the most famous open spaces we know, Central park in New York, the Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome, The Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, and Regent’s Park in London and so on.

All very well but living in a park is not practical, many homes do have a garden and the British have a joy in gardening rarely exhibited anywhere else. Summed up in that wonderful line:
‘A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot!’ (My Garden – Thomas Edward Brown [1830-1897]).

A home, be it a house or an apartment with windows opening onto a garden has light and air, more importantly it has space. The space being projected both outward from the home into the garden but also into the home from the garden, however small that garden might be. If however the home is not fortunate to look out onto a garden and that is true of many urban homes it is important to think carefully about the use of space within the home, the way that windows are dressed and the way that light enters the different rooms. The larger the room the easier the job however clutter must be avoided where possible. In saying that I do not mean that objects be placed in serried ranks and furniture always be at right angles to each other. That might be appropriate in a minimalist or modernist setting but that is not how the normal family home would or even should work. An artfully placed piece of furniture, lamp or object can impart individuality and style, beginning to stamp the character of the occupant on the space. How, though, to create an illusion of space? This is something that has been addressed for thousands of years in domestic decoration; the Romans decorated their walls with murals often of mythical or bucolic scenes leading the viewer’s eye into the picture thus creating a illusion of space. This was however a distraction as often, especially in Roman villas, the rooms had only three walls the fourth opening onto an inner courtyard. This habit was revived in 18th century domestic decoration with beautifully painted murals and friezes in the great houses and continues today. Made easier by the creation of wallpapers illusory effects could be applied to walls thus changing the perception of space in a room, this method also allows the occupant to change the mood simply, easily and relatively inexpensively. Of course, this can also be made possible by the introduction of art; the use of art is, however for another discussion.
I mentioned windows, dressing windows has been something of an art form for hundreds of years. Early domestic architecture often meant the use of simple shutters which served a practical purpose but with the introduction of glazed windows it became possible to dress windows more and more elaborately.

In many great houses the windows each led out onto the vista of parkland or formal garden and the window dressing could act as a frame for these scenes. These gloriously extravagant falls of silk damask are really only suited to very high windows but can look truly magnificent. Returning to the reality of the 21st century domestic home, we are truly fortunate in the variety of ways we can frame the view, however limited the view we have. The ideal is not to prevent light entering a room, to that end curtains are not always the answer. The modern vogue for blinds means we can expose far more of the window to light but, when required, close the view out completely.
What then has this to do with the perception of space? I hope from what I have said, it is evident space does not begin and end in the room we are in, we do not have to drift into a dream to experience more of a sense of space, we need only try to allow as much light, possibly a view of the sky as we can to extend a feeling of space.

Let us not be despondent about the use of and access to space, space is there and simply needing to be experienced. I am always reminded of that when looking out to sea, by invoking awe and wonder space can also give us a feeling of great well being, something that I am sure went through the minds of the creators of our great public spaces.

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Love and the Rose

 

 

The 14th February is traditionally the day when love is celebrated; the day being the feast day of St Valentine, a saint no longer attested to in the calendar of saints of the Roman church although he does remain in the list. Historically a Christian who was martyred for his faith by Claudius II, much is written about Valentinus, supposed to be buried in Rome with relics dispersed throughout Europe. Still venerated in parts of Europe including Italy although this has become very localised.

In England St Valentine was associated with romantic love as early as the 14th century.
[…] ther sat a quene
That, as of light the somer-sonne shene
Passeth the sterre, right so over mesure
She fairer was than any creature.
And in a launde, upon an hille of floures,
Was set this noble goddesse Nature;
Of braunches were hir halles and hir boures,
Y-wrought after hir craft and hir mesure;
Ne ther nas foul that cometh of engendrure,
That they ne were prest in hir presence,
To take hir doom and yeve hir audience.
For this was on seynt Valentynes day,
Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make, (ll. 298-310)
[Parliament of Fowls – Chaucer c.1370].
Whether this is what we now expect of the 14th February is for debate but that reference was made cannot be denied.
The celebration of the day has become obscured and muddied being symbolised by the giving of roses and chocolates and possibly by other romantic gifts.
The rose is so commonly seen as a sign of love, traditionally a red rose which indeed, in the right hue, can be seen as a token of desire, also of respect, joy and friendship. One shade deeper however to crimson and it becomes a sign of mourning, a portent of death. Cleopatra is said to have scented the sails of her vessel with the scent of rose to attract Mark Anthony to her. we will never know whether that be true other than in occasional references to the habits of her personal toilette. We do know the Egyptians were prolific perfume makers from hieroglyphs and that the use perfume cones, cones of fat impregnated with perfumed oils, were placed on the heads of religious adherents which melted down their faces and bodies perfuming the whole were used.
What we also know is that the rose can be used to deadly purpose, the famous passage in Suetonius talks of his famous revolving dining room (which fortunately only revolved for a short time before Nero was invited to commit suicide). Discovery of Nero’s Revolving Dining Room:
‘All the dining room walls had ceiling of fretted ivory, the panels of which could slide back and let rain a shower of flowers, or of perfume from hidden sprinklers, shower upon his guests’ [Suetonius – The Twelve Caesars – Nero XXXI]

The rose called Peace – the rose first flowered on VE day 1945.

We can only conjecture, however the greatest rose growing fields known were only a short distance away in Capua, the likelihood is that roses were most commonly used and rosewater most commonly sprinkled. Many Roman aristocrats were fearful of being invited to these parties which could last for a very long time, until the Emperor decided they should end, or in their own death.
An anonymous source once wrote
“Love is like a rose. So beautiful to look at, yet so painful to touch.”
So true and yet, one of the most beautiful stories written is captured in the book ‘For Love of a Rose’ by Antonia Ridge. The truly enchanting story of two families who battle over the honour of making a rose flower. The rose in question finally flowered on the last day of the Second World War, a beautiful rose with creamy petals tinged with pink, the rose was called ‘Peace’ and can still be seen in gardens today. Love is not about chocolates and roses but might be summed up when Ridge writes of the Meilland family towards the end of her book:

‘How strange to stand back now, as it were, and consider how these four children had been brought together, and linked forever in one family – all by the love of the rose.
And they say there is no romance in life! What nonsense, what dreary nonsense’ [For Love of a Rose’ [Antonia Ridge 1965 pp250]
Love and romance are not about roses, they are embodied in the rose!!

England 23rd April

St George

St George that swinged the dragon, and e’er since

Sits on his horses back at mine hostess’ door.[1]

Eminent or exotic, saint or saviour Saint George, patron saint of England and many other lands is, possibly one of the greatest enigmas in the pantheon of saints.

It is matter of fact that George has been a matter of scholarly debate for hundreds of years. Likely to have been born in the mid-3^rd century AD in Palestine he rose in the ranks as a great military leader. Unfortunately for him he had Christian parents and was brought up in the Christian faith, unfortunate purely because he happened to rise to prominence under Diocletian, one of the three Roman emperors most closely associated with persecution of Christians together with Nero and Decius.

The Orthodox Church most fully expounds the idea of George performing miracles which would lead to his sanctification. It is reported that Diocletian having suppressed Christianity to uphold order in the Empire had all soldiers professing to be Christian brought before him and, if they did not bend to the will of the Emperor and renounce Christianity were to be executed. He was saddened to see George in this position as he had proved to be a loyal and able soldier. George remained steadfast to his faith and attempts were made to execute him including tying him to a spiked wheel and drowning him in quicklime all of which failed. His sanctity went before him and the church records him be surrounded by a heavenly aura and performing miracles, ultimately he was beheaded. His remains were returned to Palestine, only when Constantine became Emperor was George properly recognised and a mausoleum built to house his body at Lydda by Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine.

Stories of his bravery persisted and a myth arose that George slayed a dragon. This myth was partly confirmed in an icon of the Orthodox Church however allegorically the Dragon could be said to represent Satan and that George was driving the devil back to the underworld.

George was officially canonised by Pope Gelasius I in 494AD.

By this time Christianity had moved west and was establishing itself in the further reaches of the Roman Empire. When this came to an end a period of instability followed but pockets of Christianity remained. Out of the writings of Bede became known and he referred to George among the saints of the church. George became established as the foremost saint of England, being referred to by King Alfred, churches began to be dedicated to him, the earliest being that at Fordington in Dorset. The tradition of celebrating St George as patron saint of England increased until the reformation when a great many saints days were suppressed, but not that of St George, historically on 23^rd April.

Not only the feast of the Patron Saint of England but also the given birthday of England’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare thought to have been born on 23^rd April forged a career as the master of theatre and celebrated 450 years on as a master craftsman of his art and the founder of modern theatre.

Drawing the two men together Shakespeare, in his play Henry V wrote the now immortal lines:

Cry ‘God for Harry! England and Saint George![2]

---

[1] Shakespeare- King John 288

[2] Shakespeare – Henry V III.i.31

Walls…

Hadrians Wall

This man, with lime and rough-cast, doth present
Wall, that vile wall which did these lovers
sunder;
And through Wall's chink, poor souls, they are content
To whisper, at the which let no man wonder
This man, with lime and rough cast, doth present.

[Shakespeare - a Midsummer Night's Dream Act V Sc 1]

We are used to seeing walls, they are ubiquitous features in both town and country, they seem permanent and act as a barrier or a boundary. There are also walls of our own making, in our minds enclosing thought and, in a more sinister way acting as a barrier to freedom of thought and expression. Why then are these walls there? Why did man create walls? These do not exist in the natural world and are purely a man made invention.

As human beings we crave security, to that end for millennia we have built walls, some architecturally beautifully, some historically significant some of a more sinister form; all walls however which crave our attention.

The earlier walls constructed protected settlements and the inhabitants therein from ravening wolves and other creatures thought to be more dangerous than friendly. Stockade walls made from wood followed by more robust stone structures kept us safe. as habitations grew in size, so did walls. Town and city walls, protective and defensible walls, sea walls defending against the ravages of water, city walls surrounded by a moat, even individual houses surrounded by walls. Then as conflict grew walls across entire countries and borders. These huge man made structures emerges and became objects of wonder and of fear.

Lucca – a complete renaissance wall encircling the entire town.

The structure Hadrian built to encircle the empire he ruled over was in part ditch, in part settlement and in part wall, it is the latter that has become part of the history of that period, a wall that had become a geographical boundary and still visible.

Other walls have fared differently and for different reasons. The Great Wall of China, now one of the most visible landmarks in the world. Built over many millennia designed as a fortified defence the wall has become a place to visit and, in parts beginning to fall into disrepair.

Other walls designed to protect towns and cities have fared differently. The beautiful, and complete walls surrounding Lucca are monumental and allow for a circumnavigation of the town. Those of ancient cities, including Chester and York are extant but only in part.

Other walls have a more important, political past, the wall which divided the city of Berlin, a symbol of political division and conflict. The wall constructed in 48 hours saw much unhappiness and death, the destruction of the wall completed in 1992 was accompanied by much rejoicing and determination for political change.

Dry stones walls in Derbyshire

Walls can exist, crumble and on occasion be destroyed but they hold a solid determination, perhaps one exception are the beautifully made dry stone walls of the countryside. A sign of great skill and a will to divide the land in complete harmony with the countryside. These beautiful walls stand the test of time and can remain for generations despite the construction only being accomplished using only stones arranged in predetermined patterns.

However walls need not be a physical manifestation, walls can be created in the mind and committed to speech or written. Whether two people decide that interaction is not preferable or whether this is on a far bigger scale, perhaps countries, these walls can prevent dialogue and choice. As in the wall created in the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe, acted to comic perfection in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the wall though separating the lovers has no permanence.

Walls can survive, they can crumble over time or they can be torn down however walls are rarely permanent, even those walls supporting buildings. Walls of human make are never permanent and in that hope survives and thrives.

Autumn Leaves

 

The poet talks of a ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ [John Keats (1795-1821 ) To Autumn] and yet this can be a season of variety change and unpredictability. The underlying brown and russet shades of the leaves on the trees brought about by gradually shortening days, the lack of sunlight allowing the ever present tones to over power the green of summer. Yet the days can be remarkably balmy, warm sunshine encouraging a late flowering on the herbaceous border, a last gasp from the roses, a final farewell from the annual flowering border plants soon to be removed to make way for winter planting and bulbs for spring.

Autumn is a season of change, for some a season not to be relished with winter darkness impending, but the delights of the changing season are surely one of the joys of life; forward looking anticipation. The greatest joy of autumn has to be the harvest, the final ears of corn taken from the land, the fruit hurriedly gathered and stored, the preparation of preserves and frantic pickling, all to see the larder full until the new harvest.

All this to a backdrop of tumbling leaves and nightly dews so eloquently conveyed in the wonderful piano music of Ceclie Chaminade, her work ‘Autumn’, wonderfully, depicts the falling leaves and the quiet late sun shine, interrupted by an autumn shower, perhaps a brief storm, fading away to a late autmnal evening. Hope springs through her wonderfully recurring themes reminding us that a new year is just beyond the impending winter months.

http://youtu.be/L6a94sTBUrg This rendition is one I feel captures the mood so well.

As we bid farewell to warm summer days and settle back into the fireside, again in poetry we muse:

Pale amber sunlight falls across
The reddening October trees,
That hardly sway before a breeze
As soft as summer: summer’s loss
Seems little, dear! on days like these.

Let misty autumn be our part!
The twilight of the year is sweet:
Where shadow and the darkness meet
Our love, a twilight of the heart
Eludes a little time’s deceit.

Are we not better and at home
In dreamful Autumn, we who deem
No harvest joy is worth a dream?
A little while and night shall come,
A little while, then, let us dream.

Beyond the pearled horizons lie
Winter and night: awaiting these
We garner this poor hour of ease,
Until love turn from us and die
Beneath the drear November trees.

[Ernest Dawson (1867-1900) – Autumnal]

Where the bee sucks…….

Where the bee sucks, there suck I:
In a cowslip’s bell I lie; 

There I couch when owls do cry. 

On the bat’s back I do fly 

After summer merrily.   

Merrily, merrily shall I live now 

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough

(William Shakespeare – The Tempest Act V Sc I)

Sitting in the garden in the late afternoon the sound of the bees at work was almost deafening. The whirr and buzz, the sound of toil and labour made pleasant by the most beautiful of nature’s insect creation. We have been made aware of late of the decline of the bee and the danger that this poses to the natural order, indeed the possible decline of crops so drastic that ‘should they fail we might have only four years left to live‘ (Einstein). Although this seems somewhat extreme his words seem today to be prophetic, bees are now in serious decline to the extent that nations and international bodies have been stirred to action.

I find the company of bees comforting, they disregard the gardener tending the plants, they seem so totally self sufficient and yet they seem to enjoy the company of others. Tending the borders the bee flies around so as not to disturb, likewise the gardener will always move deferentially to allow the bee to collect the nectar from a plant adjacent to the one being tended to; the human world in perfect harmony with nature.

Although the bumble bee seems the most appealing it is worth a glance at the worker bee, the latter not so handsome but, nonetheless, of immense value. Without the worker the hive would not survive, honey would not be made and the amount of pollination would drop dramatically. I therefore always try to show the worker the respect they deserve. It is however the bumble bee we all crave to see, always brightly marked and with a soft, furry body it cannot fail to captivate. Of course, the fur captures more pollen so the delightful appearance has purpose as well as effect.

Aristotle said: “Concerning the generation of animals akin to them, as hornets and wasps, the facts in all cases are similar to a certain extent, but are devoid of the extraordinary features which characterise bees; this we should expect, for they have nothing divine about them as the bees have.”  To ascribe divinity to the bee seems quite fitting, hey live in mutual respect of the world around them, they exist to serve and their lives perfectly promote well being. Aristotle lived in a Greek society, deeply polytheistic in its view and greatly influenced by the natural world, that he should ascribe divinity to bees seems quite plausible. Later, in the early days of the roman Empire, Pliny the Elder, writing in The Natural History is concerned not with bees but with their circumstances and corrects some assumptions about the keeping of bees most especially the direction a beehive should face (Pliny – Naturalis Historia -XXI.47.80).

I should end this with a quote from that great lover of honey, that lovable bear who seemed never to be found too far from a spot of bother. In a sage moment Winnie the Pooh says ‘ You can never be too sure with bees’. After possible a search for more honey Pooh is chased by a swarm of bees and decides to retreat.

Leaving bees alone to their own work certainly seems sage advice.

For Love of a Rose

The rose, that most lordly of flowers evokes so many things; the elegance of nature, the most enchanting perfumes and a colour so beloved of textile designers and interior decorators and yet, so often a flower of sadness, even of despair. In his poem, Gautier moves from utter tragedy through contentment to complete peace, all at the behest of a rose:

 

O you, who caused my death:
Without the power to chase it away,
You will be visited every night by my ghost,
Which will dance at your bedside.
But fear nothing; I demand
Neither Mass nor De Profundis;
This mild perfume is my soul,
And I’ve come from Paradise.[1]

 

 

I have always loved roses and endeavour to have them in my home whenever I can but that is by no means the norm for all. I have encountered people, who have such a violent aversion to roses that they cannot have them in their house or garden, I find this surprising but, at the same time, affirmation that the human consciousness is alive and well. To that end I have very rarely found the colour rose, as a deep pink shade erring into the bluer spectrum of pinks is not to be found too often in the modern home. It is the task of the interior decorator to work with their client to achieve their client’s desires for their home, introducing polarising hues into a home can prove difficult, and however there does seem to be a movement to encourage experimentation in the home. I have spoken in an earlier writing, which I may recall, of my dislike of the colour yellow; this aversion is quite irrational as might the aversion to roses be but is it right that we can always explain our reactions and desires, one of the joys of the world is surely the unexplained!!

The use of the colour ‘rose’ is as ancient as the visual records we have, dating back 3500 years evidence suggesting that rose as a colour was used in textile dyeing and ceramic manufacture however this colour was not derived from roses but from Rubia tinctorum and called Rose Madder; the first colour to be synthetically reproduced in the 19^th century might suggest that its popularity was assured however is this the case? The explosion in colour and colourant choice has meant that the small palette available to our predecessors has been overwhelmed by modern choice. We demand choice in all areas of our life today, no less in colour and I wonder whether this is really such a good thing.

Despite a seeming lack of choice in colour it seems that our forebears did not lead a monochrome life. If we look at portraits of our Tudor ancestors they are attired in richly coloured garments and have homes which do not lack in colour, indeed the portraits of the time, using pigments of the time are highly coloured. Later in time, Georgian houses have drapery which is richly coloured, often in the deep pinks and reds which certainly remind me of the colour of the rose.

The colours, although of some age, retain their strength and vitality, proof if this were needed, that nature can always do what man strives to but so often fails at. Coming across a flower pressed between the leaves of a book many years ago might still retain its original colour.

The humble (or, some might say, not so humble!) rose can also evoke personal and national memory. In her, now classic, work, Antonia Ridge describes the rivalry between the Meilland and the Paolino families; For Love of a Rose[2] is a story of love and loss culminating on the very day during World War Two in Europe, when peace is declared, of the flowering of the most beautiful rose (ironically a deep creamy yellow flower tinged with pink), this quietly humble act of a plant acts as a memorial and, to this day, this rose is called Peace.

The rose called Peace – the rose first flowered on VE day 1945.

 

Despite all of this the rose, rose perfume and the colour rose can be deeply polarising however the rose as a symbol has more perceived meaning than any other flower; love, fidelity, gratitude, appreciation, beauty, pleasure, pain[3] and so I could go on. We sometimes encounter the joy of the rose and forget that the rose, in this country has been a symbol of war, The Wars of the Roses culminating in the beginning of the Tudor dynasty were a violent and bloody period in history fought over a red rose and a white rose albeit symbolic.

 

Perhaps then we should think about rose, its flower and its colour, although we almost automatically think of rose as a deep pink, nature tells us that this is not so. The rose has shaped human experience in so many ways; politically, socially and domestically, perhaps the last word should be given to Shakespeare:

 

O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give.
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem
For that sweet odour which doth in it live.
The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye
As the perfumed tincture of the roses,
Hang on such thorns and play as wantonly
When summer’s breath their masked buds discloses:
But, for their virtue only is their show,
They live unwoo’d and unrespected fade,
Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;
Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odours made:
And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,
When that shall fade, my verse distills your truth.[4]

 

 

[1] Le Spectre de la Rose (The Ghost of the Rose) Gautier – Trans, Emily Ezust

[2] For Love of a Rose by Antonia Ridge – Faber Pub 1965

[3] The Language of Flowers Margaret Pickston  – Penguin Books 1968

[4] Sonnet 54 – William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Examination – Quiet please!

 

 

‘It being a part of Mrs. Pipchin’s system not to encourage a child’s mind to develop and expand itself like a young flower, but to open it by force like an oyster’

[Dombey and Son – Charles Dickens 1848]
.
…and once open like the oyster it was, I suspect Dickens thought, full of pearls of knowledge which, at this time of year it is time to reveal to the world. It is the season for examination, for some a time to flourish for others a month or so of utter dread.

Working in examinations is to be enveloped in regulation and exactitude. The slightest transgression in the execution of regulation can result in the most unfortunate mishap for unsuspecting candidates. For such a reason the candidate must be completely secure in one thing, that the imposed regulations cocoons them for an hour or so whilst they recall the learning committed to memory.

Interesting to see, can be the reaction of the pedagogues, those trusted to the imparting of the learning. Usually precluded from the examination room they linger like ghosts, their usefulness receding into the distance, others sigh with relief that the responsibility has been passed to hands unseen, the examiners. For a short while frantic scenes of marking to precisely thought out mark schemes award each candidate marks culminating in an overall total which will determine the next phase in the candidates future.

Should we dread or embrace examinations? Are they an ordeal through which to endure or a time to shine. One thing is sure, despite the rigorous imposition of regulations, examinations are and will always be one of the most personal forms of expression.

I always enjoy watching the fevered brow knit as the candidate attempts to recall a half forgotten fact from the recesses of memory, the dismay turn to pleasure as disaster is averted; the fact retrieved and committed to paper. I wonder if the recall is secure or perhaps a false avenue down which the thinking courses.

From the first steps of public examination where a few words seem be the scaling of Everest to students working towards degrees and further where the writing simply seems to flow endlessly for hour after hour. This is possibly something that everyone has, at some time, encountered and which we hope our charges writing feverishly this year overcome and succeed.

The Beautiful Month of May

 

All in the beautiful month of May
While the birds sang clear at the break of day
The sun was driving the clouds away
And the dew on the daisies like silver lay.[1]

 

Spring gives way to summer and we are reminded to ‘ne’er cast a clout ‘til May be out’. Referring to the May Flower rather than the calendar month this serves as a warning that weather can be fickle at this time of year, from a taste of the inviting warmth of the summer to icy blasts from the North bringing late snow and frost. Yet in the garden and the countryside abundant life is emerging, hatched chicks and new born lambs are rapidly growing to maturity, the seasons of flowers now underway with the offering of brightly coloured tulips and the signs of flowering rhododendrons and azaleas, roses looking bushy and hosting tiny buds full of promise, the delights of the natural world unfold before us.

The traditional flower of May is Lily of the Valley, a shy, retiring flower which prefers shady habits also enjoys warmth and well-drained soil. Like so many things of visual and olfactory beauty these delightful, coy little plants are deadly, manifesting in a poison common to all parts of the plant.  All this aside Lily of the Valley has passed into the rituals of many countries, in France the 1^st of May is commonly signified by the giving of Lily of the Valley, a tradition founded in 1561 by Charles IX of France. He was given a sprig of Lily of the Valley and decided it would be a nice gift to give on the 1^stMay each year, the tradition persists.

In Christian tradition the flower is said to have been created from tears from the Blessed Virgin May upon seeing her son die on the cross. May is often given over to celebrations commemorating the Virgin Mary when great processions and pilgrimages can take place.

On a secular note May celebrations are many and varied, the emergence from the winter, spring moving into summer means a chance to process and parade, to hold celebrations and enjoy lengthening days. Dancing around a maypole is still practiced in many countries, sometimes thought to have derived from worship of the power of trees it was condemned as pagan in the later Middle Ages and suppressed by puritan religious authorities, certainly in England, until long after the Civil War. Revival was popular and the practice is carried on today. The celebration can start with the crowning of a May Queen, perhaps a reflection of the religious context of May but the lucky person chosen leads the celebrations of this most cheerful of events.

The Month of May is, perhaps, the most hopeful of months symbolised by pretty flowers, ancient ritual and, hopefully, benevolent weather, a hint of the balmy days of summer just around the corner.

And thus it passed on from Candlemass until after Easter, that the month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit: for like herbs and trees bring forth fruit and flourish in May, in likewise every lusty heart that is in any manner a lover, springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds.[2]

 

 

[1]Greensleeves – Anon (attributed to Henry VIII0

[2]Malory – Le Morte D’Arthur xviii, ch 25

England – 23rd April- The Feast of St George.

St George that swinged the dragon, and e’er since

Sits on his horses back at mine hostess’ door.[1]

Eminent or exotic, saint or saviour Saint George, patron saint of England and many other lands is, possibly one of the greatest enigmas in the pantheon of saints.

It is matter of fact that George has been a matter of scholarly debate for hundreds of years. Likely to have been born in the mid-3^rdcentury AD in Palestine he rose in the ranks as a great military leader. Unfortunately for him he had Christian parents and was brought up in the Christian faith, unfortunate purely because he happened to rise to prominence under Diocletian, one of the three Roman emperors most closely associated with persecution of Christians together with Nero and Decius.

The Orthodox Church most fully expounds the idea of George performing miracles which would lead to his sanctification. It is reported that Diocletian having suppressed Christianity to uphold order in the Empire had all soldiers professing to be Christian brought before him and, if they did not bend to the will of the Emperor and renounce Christianity were to be executed. He was saddened to see George in this position as he had proved to be a loyal and able soldier. George remained steadfast to his faith and attempts were made to execute him including tying him to a spiked wheel and drowning him in quicklime all of which failed. His sanctity went before him and the church records him be surrounded by a heavenly aura and performing miracles, ultimately he was beheaded. His remains were returned to Palestine, only when Constantine became Emperor was George properly recognised and a mausoleum built to house his body at Lydda by Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantin

Stories of his bravery persisted and a myth arose that George slayed a dragon. This myth was partly confirmed in an icon of the Orthodox Church however allegorically the Dragon could be said to represent Satan and that George was driving the devil back to the underworld.

George was officially canonised by Pope Gelasius I in 494AD.

By this time Christianity had moved west and was establishing itself in the further reaches of the Roman Empire. When this came to an end a period of instability followed but pockets of Christianity remained. Out of the writings of Bede became known and he referred to George among the saints of the church. George became established as the foremost saint of England, being referred to by King Alfred, churches began to be dedicated to him, the earliest being that at Fordington in Dorset. The tradition of celebrating St George as patron saint of England increased until the reformation when a great many saints days were suppressed, but not that of St George, historically on 23^rdApril.

Not only the feast of the Patron Saint of England but also the given birthday of England’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare thought to have been born on 23^rdApril forged a career as the master of theatre and celebrated 450 years on as a master craftsman of his art and the founder of modern theatre.

Drawing the two men together Shakespeare, in his play Henry V wrote the now immortal lines:

Cry ‘God for Harry! England and Saint George![2]

 

[1]Shakespeare- King John 288

[2]Shakespeare – Henry V III.i.31