Traveling with H.G. Wells, Jane Austen, and Arthur Conan Doyle

In November, I read several graphic novels, lots of comics, and a book on geology. I also read three novels. The first, by H. G. Wells, transported me to Switzerland. Or, at least, so it seemed. 

Supposedly, A Modern Utopia takes place on a planet like Earth in another solar system, but the descriptions of the landscape, and the picturesque villages, reminded me of Switzerland. In many ways, it reminded me of one of his earlier novels, The Wheels of Chance. In that novel, his protagonist, a young draper, sets off on a bicycle holiday in the south of England. His descriptions of the landscape are so vivid, so evocative, and so overwhelmingly beautiful that it made me want to follow the hero's bicycle journey with my wife. In A Modern Utopia, I felt as though he was transporting me to Switzerland. It's a country I would very much like to visit some day, and Wells spoke just as passionately about his surroundings in this idealized world as he did in The Wheels of Chance. 

After A Modern Utopia, Jane Austen returned me to some familiar sites in her novel Persuasion. The story begins in a manor house in Somerset, a county in southern England. In fact, it's the same county in which the real-life manor in the TV series To The Manor Born is located. 

As in the TV series, Austen's protagonist Anne, through no fault of her own, is forced to leave her beloved country home due to the fiscal mismanagement of a family member: in this case, her father. So she travels to stay with a family friend, then another member of her family, and this second visit takes her to Lyme Regis. 

While she and her party tour the seaside resort, a crucial event in the story takes place on the Cobb. This is a long walkway or pier, and perhaps the town's most striking feature. 

Jane Austen's characters then make their way to Bath, a setting she used in Northanger Abbey, which I read in October. Sadly, she doesn't offer much description of Bath in Persuasion. Austen painted a more vibrant view of the historic city in Northanger Abbey. (Also, Charles Dickens set part of his first novel The Pickwick Papers there, which I read earlier this year). Still, reading about Anne's visit to Bath made me want to travel there. It was a fashionable resort town in Austen's time, and remains a popular town for tourists today.

Finally, I returned to England for The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. This second collection of stories took me back to London, the great town's suburbs, and other towns in rural England. Then for the last story, "The Final Problem", Arthur Conan Doyle returned me to Switzerland, as Holmes and Watson seek to evade the clutches of the evil Professor Moriarty. As all Holmes aficionados know, Holmes and Moriarty have their final confrontation at a very real place: Reichenbach Falls. Having seen many dramatizations of this beloved story, I enjoyed reading Doyle's words, and following the characters' journey through Switzerland. 

Ah, the places great stories can take us!

Dragon Dave

The Lord of the Manor

When searching for a new home, it's important to determine exactly what you want. If you want to get away from the city, and live in a cozy rural environment, then the English county of Somerset is worth a visit. There you'll find lots of stately homes, built from stone and lovingly maintained, such as this gentleman's manor house in Cricket St. Thomas. 

Looking for a property with an interesting history? It was here that writer Peter Spence set his TV series "To The Manor Born." His father-in-law owned Cricket St. Thomas back then, so it became a natural place to film the series.

Looking for a home in a pastoral setting? A stream flows through the grounds, which are filled with colorful trees and gardens.

Need some outbuildings to house your servants, and ample room for guests? As Cricket St. Thomas currently serves as a hotel, it can supply the most demanding owner.

Do you want to a house you can be proud of? Again, Cricket St. Thomas is for you. A walk around the manor house is a feast for the eyes. Every side of the building impresses, and tempts the budding artist to break out his sketch pad.

Is keeping fit an important consideration? Do you enjoy competitive sports? You'll find both needs fulfilled at Cricket St. Thomas. In addition to the ample grounds, you'll find a carefully manicured green, where you can while away the afternoons bowling with family and friends.

The only question is, can you handle owning such an important piece of English history? Can you really see yourself as the lord of the manor? 

Hmm....

Dragon Dave

Mystifying English Sports

After arriving in England back in May, my wife and I rode in a shuttle-van from Manchester Airport to our hotel.  I listened to the radio as commentators discussed the big name stars playing for teams of such large cities as Liverpool and Manchester.  As our driver unloaded our luggage, I asked what sport he was so interested in.  “Football,” he replied.

I blinked, making the mental adjustment.  “Ah.  Soccer.”

“No,” he replied.  “You’re in England now, mate.  “It’s Football.”

In the hotel lobby, as we lined up to check in, I asked how big a sport football was in England.  He went on for about five minutes, telling me about the various leagues and divisions, the latest results, attendance in stadiums, and how English fervor compared to that of other countries.  I smiled and nodded, bathed in the backsplash from his enthusiasm for football.  Sure, I had played soccer in my youth.  But in the United States, it was little more than a game children played at school.  Several times, San Diego had a professional team, but each championship-winning team went bankrupt from a lack of interest.

I find Rugby equally mystifying.  I had watched highlights on TV before we left, just to pick up an impression of this English game, and soon learned that there were several variations on the game.  The main reason I did this was because of a book.  In the late Reginald Hill’s “Dalziel and Pascoe” series, Superintendent Andy Dalziel is a hardcore Rugby fan.  In his first novel, A Clubbable Woman, he and Sergeant Peter Pascoe investigate the death of a small-town femme fatale.  For the most part, the two draw their suspects from a local rugby club. 

In the novel, Rugby was the club members' religion, and the club defined their lives, both business-wise and socially.  There was no greater sin, it seemed, than for a member to miss a scheduled game, or fail to complete any of his commitments to the club.  The members’ passion and commitment made the club the beating heart of community life.  One’s status rose and fell with regard to what happened on the field or in the clubhouse.  I had thought that I might find myself in a position to watch a local match at some point during our journey through Yorkshire.  It would have been interesting to gain some first-hand knowledge of the game, and see how reality compares with the depiction in Reginald Hill’s novel.  Sadly, that opportunity never materialized.

Finally, another English sport I find mystifying is Cricket.  It seemed as though we could never find any TV programs that interested us while staying in Holmfirth, so we watched Cricket while we ate dinner each evening.  Usually, I can pick up the rhythm (and reason behind) a game from watching it, but not this time.  Even after a few evenings, I still had no better grasp of it than I did of Whackbat, the game played by the characters in the Wes Anderson film “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.”  I was reminded of Eric’s description of the game in an episode of “Lovejoy,” when he’s impersonating a member of the aristocracy.  It went something along the lines of “So people go in, and then this happens, and your people go in, and then….”  Well, you get the idea.  Still, at least I got to watch several matches held at Lords Cricket Ground.  That's the one thing that will make Richard Devere take a break from running his vast grocery empire to watch in the sitcom “To the Manor Born.”

I had hoped that my trip to England might enlighten me in regard to these three mystifying English sports.  Still, I suppose that gives me more to discover on my next visit.  Right, mate?

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

A short video explaining Whackbat

A Surprising Discovery

The English can be particular about their cheese.  As with all aspects of life, this enthusiasm is reflected in their fiction.  In an episode of the sitcom “Chef!” Gareth Blackstock strives to assemble the perfect meal for another world-famous chef who will be visiting his restaurant.   He feels so strongly about this that he threatens to fire his usual cheese provider unless the man can secure for him some unpasteurized Stilton to serve at the end of the meal.  Gareth ends up leaving lunch preparations to his staff as he drives out to meet with a farmer who still makes this quintessential English cheese that has recently been “banned by the government.”  In an episode of “To The Manor Born,” the retired Brigadier drives to his local train station.  There he waits for the afternoon train, which is bringing him not a friend or family member, but a specially ordered head of Stilton from London.  Sure, he could have purchased a wedge from the local supermarket, but he wants the entire head so that he can pour a bottle of Port into it.  (Even though the government tells him that it’s not good for him!)  And in “A Grand Day Out,” when the cupboards run bare of his beloved Wensleydale, Wallace and Grommit build a rocket ship and travel to the moon.  For, as we all know, the moon is made of cheese, right?

The staff at Neal’s Yard Dairy answered all our questions about the various cheeses we wished to try.  Stilton, Wensleydale, even Cheddar: the government has strict laws governing each.  The cheese must come from farms in a certain region of the country to bear a particular name, they can only be sold so many days or weeks after being made, etc.  With Stilton, the decision has been made that all Stilton must be pasteurized in order to bear the famous name.  But, due to the desire of cheese enthusiasts such as Gareth Blackstock, Neal’s Yard Dairy sells a variety called Stichelton.  They can’t call it unpasteurized Stilton: that would be illegal.  But everyone knows what it is, and those with discerning palates know where to find it.

We scour London for fine, English cheese

When I was a child, I tried Blue Cheese dressing and disliked it.  Perhaps once or twice I was given salad with crumbled Blue Cheese on it, and again, disliked it.  But I steeled myself, sampled the Stilton and the Stichelton, and found that I liked both.  Since I’ve come home, I’ve purchased imported Stilton and found I enjoy it in the morning on toast or an English Muffin.  I’ve bought burgers in restaurants with domestically produced Blue Cheese in them and savored the flavor.  I’ve even tried Blue Cheese dressing and found I no longer dislike it.  It would seem that in the past few decades (and for no particular reason) my tastes have matured to the point where I can enjoy Blue Cheese.  Or could it be that I was so struck by Gareth Blackstock and the Brigadier’s passion for Stilton that I forced myself to thoughtfully reconsider the cheese’s entire flavor, rather than merely reacting its strong, initial bite.  Either way, I’m grateful to Gareth and the Brigadier for inspiring me to give Stilton another try.  Through them, I have made a surprising discovery: I now love Blue Cheese.  

I wonder what else I could learn from these fictional characters, were I only to try.

Internet sites to visit:

“Chef!”

“To The Manor Born”

Neal’s Yard Dairy

Some Cheesy Facts about Stilton

An article on pouring Port into Stilton by a Swiss writer

Faith, Religion, and the English People

When Daleks patrol Trafalgar Square, churchgoers had better beware.  Or at least that seems to be the underlying message behind one shot in the Doctor Who story “The Dalek Invasion of Earth.”  A Dalek rolls forward toward the camera, and in the background can be glimpsed St. Martins in the Fields, one of the more famous non-cathedral churches in London. But no Daleks patrolled the Square today, so we did not worry as we made our leisurely way to the one o’clock worship service.

Unlike Westminster Abbey, the interior is not covered with remembrances of famous personalities who are buried there.  No statues of famous politicians or saints tower above the visitor.  No priests herded us to our seats and warned us to keep our cameras in their cases.  Instead, we were welcomed warmly by a parishioner, found a place in one of the pews, and knelt comfortably to pray.  Outside all might be hustle-and-bustle, the noises of cars and conversations, and myriad distractions that could dilute one’s focus.  Inside St Martins in the Fields, we could compose our minds (and hearts) in silence, and look forward to an hour in which we could focus upon the one who is greater than all of us.  (No, I’m not referring to Lady Gaga).

Normally I’m not big on choral music, particularly not when sung in another language.  But I appreciated the efforts of the organist and the four-person choir, (even if I couldn’t understand the Latin lyrics), as well as the fact that they had given of their time this afternoon.  The pastor’s message--that the Church was a place for anyone, regardless of his or her economic or social status--came as a tonic after the rigid formality of Westminster Abbey.

I cannot state that any particular story brought me to St. Martins in the Fields.  Nor is it a secret that churches in England are less well attended than those in the States.  What I can say (regardless of the varying ways in which Church and Religion are presented) is that such elements of corporate and individual faith keep cropping up in the British TV shows I enjoy.  “Lovejoy” may not be a churchgoer, but in many of his mysteries, he ends up visiting one, talking with a priest, or even attempting to acquire a rare Bible.  The Reverend Dennis of “Waiting For God” has lost his faith, and consequently his mind.  (He accidently christens one child “ugly little bastard Jones”).  In “All Creatures Great and Small,” James Herriot may not attend services regularly, but his wife and children do.  The kindly old Rector in “To The Manor Born” might have been hen-pecked by Audrey during his career, but he remains devout, collects alms for good causes, is involved in his community, and takes nearly everything in stride.   Sergeant Hathaway in “Lewis” attended seminary before he opted for a career in law enforcement.  And then there is “The Vicar of Dibley,” where Geraldine is sent to a rural village filled with the wackiest parishioners imaginable.  Although they had expected a male priest, she soon wins them over.  Their bizarre weaknesses highlight her own foibles, and no matter how irreverent the situation becomes, she always yanks everyone back into line by relating a scriptural story that underpins a spiritual truth.  Clearly many differing views on Christianity and Faith exist in England.  That nearly every series I have watched touches upon such matters reveals how deeply embedded they are in English culture and everyday life.

I cannot say that I found anything about St. Martin’s in the Fields to be remarkable, spectacular, or mind-blowing.  (Believe me, you haven’t had your mind-blown, until it’s been blown in…oh, never mind).  But it was a comfortable and calming place to spend an hour after our continent-and-ocean-spanning journey, our short night of sleep, and our nonstop sightseeing.  We left refreshed, recharged, and ready for more adventures.

Some Related Dragon Cache links

More on “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”

More on “Lovejoy”

My First entry on Westminster Abbey

Some Links to the (Big, Bad) Worldwide Web

Visit St. Martins in the Fields

Learn more about this church

Audrey, Richard, and the Unknown Constable

While a Doctor Who story might have drawn me to Trafalgar Square, another British TV show was foremost in my mind as I stepped inside Britain’s National Gallery.

In the comedy “To The Manor Born,” Audrey has lost her beloved estate to Richard, the founder of a successful grocery chain.  In one episode, he asks her to pose as his wife to fend off the amorous advances of a beautiful French businesswoman with whom he is attempting to finalize a contract.  Unknown to him, Audrey arrives early to redecorate the manor according to her tastes, using many of the furnishings she was forced to sell, along with the manor, after her husband’s death.  When Richard escorts his guest into a sitting room, she inquires if the painting over the fireplace is a Turner.  He chuckles and replies, “No, it’s a Hockney.”  Then he looks, and sees not his modern painting (what appears to have been from the artist’s famous series on Los Angeles’ swimming pools) but a traditional seascape, and must correct himself.  “No, it’s a Turner.”  (Thanks a lot, Audrey!)

I’m not like Thomas Crown (played by Pierce Brosnan in the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”).  I may enjoy rereading my favorite books and stories, or re-watching my favorite TV shows and movies, but to stand or sit for extended periods to study famous paintings is not my normal practice.  Nevertheless, I did enjoy touring (parts of) the National Gallery.  I sought out the work of Joseph Turner, and agreed with Audrey that his famous seascapes and landscapes would better suit the architecture of an English country gentleman’s home.  I noticed that much of the art depicted people and events drawn from the Bible or early Church history.  I sympathized with Rick Steves: much of the great art that mankind has enjoyed for centuries would now be considered “too fleshy” by Americans to be shown in one of his travelogues (even on PBS stations).  And I happened upon the work of one artist whose work I found strangely compelling: the landscapes of John Constable.  My only disappointment was that I didn’t have enough time to explore the museum’s many halls, or listen to the various talks on offer, or simply to gaze in appreciation at so many attempts, on the parts on their creators, to transfer the imagery they saw in their minds into something that could bring joy and inspiration to everyone else.  

That is the power of all art, is it not?  Whether the subjects covered include a Saint, an animal that symbolizes a country, or the individual travel machines of an alien race that invades other planets, all artwork can enrich our lives, often in unforeseen ways.  I’m sure I never thought about visiting London’s National Gallery when I first started watching British TV shows.  But these stories awakened an interest in visiting the country in which they are set.  Seeing “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” drew me to Trafalgar Square.  Once here, “To The Manor Born” drew me into the National Gallery.  Now I have a new artist to learn about in John Constable, and a place to devote more time to on a subsequent vacation.  

One familiar refrain from all who worked on early Doctor Who is their amazement that this show has endured, and continued to entertain and inspire, while many of the other productions they contributed to (either on stage, TV, or film) have been forgotten.  That is the way of life, is it not?  We can never know the ultimate effects of what we do for others.  Out best-intended efforts may be misunderstood or unappreciated.  Some of the work we feel most proud of will be forgotten.  We can only hope that some of what we do will benefit others in the future.  I find that sufficient reason to give of my best to all that I undertake.

Dragon Cache Links:

The first entry in my England Series

My first reference to “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”

Links to the World Wide Web:

The National Gallery

 “To The Manor Born”

 “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999) 

A Journey into English Fiction: Part 2

Why I listened to her sweet whisperings I still do not know, but something in me found English Fiction desirable, and made me yearn for more.  Initially, this occurred through the imported programs shown on public television stations, and what episodes in other areas friends and relatives could share with me via videotapes.  There was something distinctly different and unique about British entertainment that I found at least as entertaining as its American counterparts.  I might have enjoyed comedies like "Family Ties" and "Home Improvement," but I also came to love "The Good Life" (or "Good Neighbors") and "To The Manor Born."  For all the flash, action, and great characters of shows like "Magnum P.I." and "Miami Vice," I also found the style and clue-detection of Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot to my liking.  And then there was Doctor Who, that timelord who could travel anywhere in space or time, and even bring himself back to life (albeit with a new face and personality) when his old body died.  How could a starship captain, even ones so great as James T. Kirk or Jean Luc Picard, compete with that?


Gradually, a love of such entertainment made me yearn to visit the country in which it was made, in order to learn what everyday life was like there.  I yearned to immerse myself in the culture that had given birth such enthralling characters, vivid settings, and world-threatening (even universe-threatening) situations.  But international travel is expensive, and the preparations for it much more laborious than that for destinations closer to home.  So for many years, I contented myself with the movies and TV programs I could watch, and the novels of English authors whom I admired.


Time has a knack of preparing the individual in ways which, on a daily basis, are not immediately apparent.  And so, one day I awakened to the realization that not only was I able to visit England, but that delay would only bring lessened capability to cope with the many differences I would find there.  The time to go was now: delay made little sense, and would only remove me further from that which had initially attracted me to visit this foreign country.  And so here I am, my bags stowed above my head and between my feet, writing these words in a small, black journal atop a wobbly plastic tray, and watching white, puffy clouds pass below the wing of an airplane.  Into my little notebook I plan to record some of what I learn and see and do, and plan to share some of those experiences with you when I return home, interspersing those blog entries with other topics I hope you will find interesting and enjoyable. 


But for now, I travel East, not only to connect with the land of my ancestors, not just to visit historic and interesting sites, but to better understand the places and the outlook of those who created such memorable characters such as Alec and Zoe Calender from the TV show "May to December," the Inspectors Morse and Lewis and Sergeant Hathaway inspired by the novels of Colin Dexter, and of course, those great rivals Miss Elizabeth Mapp and Mrs. Emmeline Lucas, immortalized in the Mapp and Lucia novels of E.F. Benson.


My arrival in Heathrow is but a few hours away, yet seems so unreal.  Despite all the preparations, my stomach is twisted in knots.  What will I find in England, and will it be to my liking?  Fear clings to anticipation; dread is mixed with yearning.  But the time for turning back has passed.  The path ahead is uncertain, unknown.  I find a measure of strength in the dogged determination of Captain Christopher Pike, and his willingness to still venture to alien worlds, even after the deaths of his crew on Rigel 7 and his imprisonment on Talos 4.  For one thing is certain.  Whether I am ready or not....


England, here I come!