UK facts and information pages from Ray Ruddick Tours

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1. "When will your Queen retire / stand-down / make way for Prince Charles / Prince William?"The simple answer is this: The Queen made various undertakings in the form of solemn vows at her 1953 Coronation. One of these was to serve her people with her life, for life. This means for her entire life, until death, however and whenever it comes. To "stand down"/"retire"/ or "abdicate" - the dirty "A" word amongst the Royal family - just doesn't reckon in the scheme of things; it would go against tradition and the correct role and responsibility of a Sovereign. Occasionally, I am asked a supplementary question, "Yes, but suppose she became senile in old age, wouldn't she then abdicate?" Again, the answer is "No." We had an occasion when King George III suffered final, permanent insanity in 1809. Parliament immediately passed the Regency Act (an 'Act of Parliament' in this country is the name given to a Bill which after readings/majority votes in the House of Commons and House of Lords finally becomes law after the formality of receiving 'The Royal Assent'). This 'Regency Act' handed the King's reponsibilities to his eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent (hence the term, 'the Regency Period'), until his father died in 1820. At the moment of his father's last breath, his reign as King George IV began. TOP

2. "Who will succeed the Queen?" As to who succeeds her - equally simple - the next male heir of lineal descent (presently, but possibly to change to 'next heir of lineal descent', regardless of sex, in future legislation). Therefore, if he is still alive on the death of his mother, Prince Charles will become King. He would normally succeed as King Charles III, but may decide to use another of his forenames, instead. Prince Charles' grandfather took the title King George VI on his accession to the throne in 1936, although his first name was actually Albert, so it's possible that he could follow his example.

I often get a follow-up question at this point: 'But they won't let Camilla be Queen, will they?' And here's the answer I give: As the wife of a reigning Monarch she would not only have the right according to historical precedents, but will be expected to be called 'Queen Camillla'. Simple as that. It may sometimes look like an ongoing reality show, helped by the often ridiculous amount of media coverage, but there is a serious side to this issue of British Monarchy. IMHO if we start trying to mess with things according to public whims we might as well forget the whole thing!

So if he decides not to use his first name, Charles, what possibilities? Well, it could be Philip (I - after his father), or Arthur (I - a romantic choice as the only King Arthur this country has known to date is the legendary Romano-British defender of his Kingdom against the Saxon invaders. The Arthur of the Knights of the Round Table fame). That leaves George (VII), after his grandfather. Personally, I think Charles III is favourite, he's been known to many people around the world as Prince Charles for a very long time, so I believe he will leave well enough alone. However, if Prince Charles should die before the Queen, Charles' eldest son, Prince William will succeed, as King William V. (Or Arthur I, Philip I or Louis I...!).

The surname, however is another matter. The Royal family name could be changed to Mountbatten, or linked to Windsor as Mountbatten-Windsor. This would remind us of the Prince's father's family. One of the most well-known Mountbattens was Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Prince's much-loved great uncle who was murdered in the most cowardly way in Ireland. TOP

3. "What does the Prince of Wales actually do whilst he's still waiting for the top job?" Well the Prince is a very busy man. He takes a close interest in The Princes Trust, a charity for enabling young people which he set up himself, when still quite young. It does a fantastic job, here's a link. Additionally he is 'getting his hand in' by taking on many of the duties of Head of State (Investitures, meetings, etc.) on behalf of his mother, HM The Queen. Many Brits believe that she's done a magnificent job since her accession in 1952 and is therefore entitled to take things a little easier. (After all she's well into her 80's now!). This short film gives us an idea of a typical day in the Prince's working life. Whilst another shows a recent powerful plea by the Prince for us all to do our part to save the World's rainforests. In the author's opinion he's becoming a real voice of 'common sense' in our often crazy world - and not before time - his contributions and hard work are being widely acnowledged and respected around the whole world, not just in the UK. TOP

4."Will your Queen decide that William succeeds her and not Charles?"The Queen does not have the power to change the succession, that would take an Act of Parliament, which would obviously re-open the whole 'Monarchy debate'. It's highly unlikely, except in the event of another abdication. It is also pretty well acknowledged by most commentators here that the Queen respects and admires the Prince's performance in Public Life, so again the question is very unlikely to arise.

5. "Why in this modern age do the Brits choose to retain a monarchy at all, don't you resent them?"Well, there are quite a few Brits who would like to abolish the institution, so this can become a highly-charged dinner-party discussion subject! In this context, it has to be said that the world's media have often incorrectly depicted the monarchy's role and activities, even in these so-called enlightened times, which certainly hasn't helped their image.

It seems that we have lived through an age of superficial media 'sound-bites'. The news people have appeared to want to simplify everything they report so that we wouldn't get too quickly bored - I believe that this has been a major failing on their part; as a result, ignorance has often prejudiced public opinion. The result today, is that many British people don't know too much about the real history of their own country and why and how its' institutions, including the Monarchy, developed!

On a more positive note, the Royals have taken some much-needed quality PR advice and succeeded in 'educating' many about their true role in modern British and Commonwealth society. I am thinking here particularly of the Government/Royal web-sites and the publicity given to the success of the various charities which they promote and support, not just at home but around the world, too. (The Prince's Trust; The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme; Save the Children; and The World Wildlife Fund are good examples from many).

From time to time British TV viewers witness a TV debate, with voting phone lines on questions like, "Should we abolish the Monarchy?", "Should the Prince succeed to the throne?'', or ''Should The Queen pass him over (sic.) and leave the throne to William?". Those that I have watched invariably produced a very heated debate, but come the final voting, a substantial majority always seemed to prefer the status quo. For the present, at least, it appears that 75% or more of the British people feel that they are better off with an accountable, slimmed-down, hard-working Royal family than without one. TOP

6. "But don't you British people resent the cost of keeping them ..?" Yes, this is something that's also often heard in the pub or the street. The 'Great British Media', again, occasionally play up the apparently high cost of subsidising the institution, and this provokes a response from the man in the street that 'they need to be slimmed down a bit'. However, this is another example of sensationalism conflicting with accuracy.

The Crown Estate 'owns' lots of land; farms, estates, residential properties, industrial and commercial properties, etc., mostly acquired before the 20th century. Nevertheless, it's a fact that many British people, not just the overseas commentators, are simply unaware that most of this income actually goes to the Government - or should I say, more correctly, 'the public finances'. (Under the Royal Properties Act of 1761 all income from Royal properties was surrendered to the State in return for an annual budgetary payment meant to meet the cost of running the Sovereign's office and household costs). (Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the British did not follow the French and others down the road to violent Revolutions).

The last time I checked the income figures for Crown Estates was in 2002. The Revenue from Crown Estates then amounted to around £195 million, collected from rents, leases, etc., of Crown property. Income is offset against the overall cost of all the Government Departments as well as individual Royal Family member's 'Households' or staff departments which exist because we have chosen to retain a working 'public' Royal Family. In that year I seem to recall a shortfall of around £8 million, which would mean less than one US Dollar per tax-payer per year. For what the country makes from the whole 'Royal Family' thing, I personally consider they represent excellent value for money; especially when compared to many other expenditures by our Governments of our money! TOP

7. What's the actual cost to the average British citizen of maintaining the Royals? The most recent estimates arrived at a figure of just over 60p, or around $1 US per person per year as the cost to UK-based tax-payers funding the annual budget or Civil List, as it is called. Of course, even $1 a year is too much for the anti-monarchists amongst us, and then there are others (especially those of us making our livings in the tourism business!) who think it's a veritable bargain.

Of course, in these modern times of so much 'Public Accountability', every Government department, including those who handle the business of running our Royalty, are trying to impress us with their efficiency and economy, and the day is not far off when we shall hear the announcement at a Press conference that the ''British Royal Family, Inc.'' made a profit that financial year and therefore didn't cost the tax-payer a bean! (You heard it here first, folks). Incidentally, the working Royal residences (Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, all in the London area, Sandringham House in Norfolk, and Holyrood Palace, in Edinburgh, Scotland) admit the public at various times of the year on payment. Some of these revenues also go to the Government.

See my links page and the Government web-sites to learn lots more about these subjects. The historic Royal Palaces (Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, Hampton Court Palace) are part of a non-profit making charitable institution called Historic Royal Palaces. They receive no state aid and rely on revenue from entrance charges, functions, corporate hire, etc., which is used to maintain and improve the properties and to further enhance the educational and visitor enjoyment factors. They also employ many more staff than they would have done as private Royal Residences and I believe that they all now make an annual 'surplus' whilst adding to the historic attractions for both visitors and local residents. TOP

8. "We saw lots of people, ladies in pretty summer dresses going into Buckingham Palace to a Party - what's that all about?"Three Summer Garden Parties are held in London at Buckingham Palace each year, and one later on at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. 10,000 people are invited to each party from a list which is submitted to the Queen's office by the Government, Armed Forces, various societies and institutions. Here's a short film which gives a better impression of what it is all about. TOP

9. "What do the British People think of Tony Blair, his successor Gordon Brown and the new Coalition Government led by David Cameron?'' The former PM continues to enjoy mixed fortunes. He now holds a post within the UN as Middle Eastern Envoy. Like many of his predecessors he has also profited after retiring from the 'top job'. Within months of leaving No 10 he collected several million for his memoirs, £250,000 a time for speaking engagements, and an annual £500,000 for providing "strategic advice and insight" to Morgan, the US investment bank. Thanks to the politically damaging decision to go to war in Iraq, his party came in with a drastically reduced majority in Blair's last election victory, but still had sixty more than the combined opposition of (mainly) Conservative and Lib-Dem members, (and that's a majority that Maggie Thatcher would probably have killed for!). Blair finally decided to resign the Premiership in 2007 and recommended his former 'running mate' and political ally Gordon Brown as his successor.

The Labour Party duly accepted Brown without a vote as no opponents to his leadership were to be found at that time. (He was spoken of as one of the best financial managers the country has ever seen - he had held the post of Chancellor of The Exchequer for 10 years of Blair's Government and the UK had enjoyed rapid economic growth throughout that time). However, by mid 2008 Brown's initial 'honeymoon' with the British electorate was well behind us; his inability to call a General Election the previous Autumn (fall) to give the people a chance to approve his party's choice had led to opposition taunts that he was scared of losing. (Not unreasonable given his party's opinion poll ratings at the time).

So we had an unelected Prime Minister at No 10, Downing Street! The polls continued to show his party and his personal popularity in great decline as both David Cameron, the Conservative leader, and Nick Clegg, new leader of the LIbDems continued to hammer away at Brown's leadership abilities.

The recent Global Financial Crisis gave Mr Brown a new opportunity. (Who said, '....silver lining' !) and he got a chance to show his mettle, both at home and abroad, and perhaps prove that he was the only British politician with a 'safe pair of hands'. Despite impressing some overseas leaders with his attempt to take on the role of 'the man to lead the world out of crisis', the people at home were not so convinced.

The General Election in Spring 2010 returned a small overall Conservative majority, but insufficient to form a Government. Subsequent deals were made and the Liberal Democrats, led by Nick Clegg have agreed to share power with David Cameron's Conservatives and we have a Coalition government for the first time since WWII!

Early signs are looking quite good. Cameron is shaping up well as a young, energetic Prime Minister, with Clegg looking the part as his keen, young and (so far) supportive Deputy. We will have to wait to see if this early promise is fulfilled, so keep watching this space! Incidentally, 10 Downing Street has an excellent website. TOP

10. "When do you re-elect your Governments? Is it a fixed term, and is there a limit to how many terms your Prime Minister can serve?"No, it's a flexible term within a maximum 5-year period. How it work is this: at any time during an elected Government's term the Prime Minister (having consulted in Cabinet) can call a General Election. (He first goes to the Queen, and she in her official capacity as Head of State issues a special notice that the Parliament is Dissolved, and a date for a General Election is set). The Prime Minister's decision to go to the country can be based on a number of factors:

a) How is his party doing in the opinion polls? Three and a half years into a term and riding high, but with the Treasury forecasting an economic downturn, and (cynically?) he'd almost certainly be advised to go the country and get his government re-elected whilst the going is good. However, if he misjudges, and his party lose their majority in the House of Commons, thereby becoming the Official Opposition, not only he, but his Cabinet and many of his colleagues will lose their jobs! He'll then probably resign the leadership of his party (if he/she's of the 'Old School'), or be pushed, and regret that election timing decision for the remainder of his political life. I'm minded of Edward Heath's decision in 1973 (?) to ask the people for support when he met a challenge from the miners unions. However, he lost that election, so you could say the miners won. He also lost his job as Prime Minister and party leader, being replaced by a relatively unknown junior colleague - one Margaret Hilda Thatcher. The remainder of his career is rather unkindly referred to by some as 'The Great Sulk'.

b) Perhaps a Government have a small majority in the Commons and are having difficulty getting their legislative programme through the Commons despite the pollsters saying the people hold them in fairly high esteem. By calling a surprise General Election, thereby hopefully increasing the Government's working parliamentary majority and gaining a nice fresh 5 year term - IF the polls were accurate - the PM would enhance his popularity and secure his postion within the party. Everyone loves a winner ....

c) Occasionally we see a General Election being called where the Government of the day have a small majority, are struggling to impress the people or Parliament and finally face and actually lose a 'No Confidence' vote in the House of Commons. In that eventuality, the PM would have no choice but to make that lonely trip to Buckingham Palace, ask the people and hope still to be running the country when all the votes are in and counted.

In theory, an individual Prime Minister can be re-elected many times. Lady (Maggie) Thatcher holds both the record for being our only female PM so far, and also for being the longest-serving PM of the 20th Century (13 years - four terms). TOP

11. "What are the UK's main industries today?" I love this one! Our main industries today are banking and finance, steel, transport equipment, oil and gas, and tourism! Other industries are machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railways equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods, defensive (sic) weapons manufactures, aerospace. farming; I.T.; fishing; specialist car manufacturing; gas and oil production - mainly offshore. The UK GDP (2005) is $1.782 trillion. TOP

12. ''How do the people remember all that history and keep all those Kings and Queens in their heads? The honest answer is that most don't! History teaching seems to be becoming less and less important in the National Schools curriculum in this country. Prejudiced types like me think this is all a bit sad. The basic history I've given on my History Notes page and certainly, the King & Queens poem reproduced there, were taught widely 50 or more years ago, but I don't know of any schools which teach elementary history to anything like this level now .. I would just love a contemporary English or UK/Irish History Teacher to contradict me on this!!

14. ''You told us about a movie called 'Goodnight Mr. Tom' when we toured the Chiltern villages in the Thames Valley. More information please?''The made-for-TV film Good Night Mr Tom is based on the book Goodnight Mr Tom, written by Michelle Magorian. It was shot in the Chiltern villages around Turville, Buckinghamshire. (As also were part of Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang and the popular recent BBC tv series, Vicar of Dibley, starring Dawn French).

Good Night Mr Tom starred John Thaw, one of my favourite actors who sadly died a few years ago. His wife, Sheila Hancock has written a lovely biography titled The Two of Us. If you do get the chance to see the movie don't miss it! TOP

15. ''When's the best month to visit the UK/Ireland?' This is a really tough one! Sometimes people from hotter parts of the world tell me they love ''your soft, gentle rain'' (!) as presumably they don't get to experience it very often. On the other hand I'm often asked, ''doesn't it normally rain all the time in England/London?'' Or, ''Is this exceptionally dry weather (or, ''warm weather'') we're experiencing?''. I'll try to answer those kinds of question below, and it's your choice which type of weather you'd like determines when you plan to come. But, be warned, this is an Island!! We can, and sometimes do, experience what seems like all four seasons in a single day! So as the saying goes, 'you pays your money and you takes your chances ...'.

As a general statement it's fair to say that as the climate continues to slowly change* the winters seem to be becoming milder and wetter and the summers drier and hotter, however, I would say that thanks to the Gulf Stream the winter climate can be very mild, especially in Ireland. It also happens to be wetter there though - hence, 'The Emerald Isle'! Generally, the West of the British Isles tends to enjoy most rainfall, the South and East being the driest.

Average annual rainfall ranges from just 611 mm (24'') in London to a wetter 1081 mm (42") in Cork, southwest Ireland.

London: 611 mm (24") Paris: 2089 mm (82''); Madrid: 438 mm (17''); New York: 1240 mm (49''); Rome: 793 mm (31''). (Source: World Climate).

The average number of hours of sunshine is greatest in the south and southeast of England and least in the north and west. Western Scotland, Wales, and Ireland have a little less sunshine than most of England. In Britain daily sunshine hours range from between one and two in midwinter to between five and a very respectable seven in midsummer.

Daylight hours also vary greatly, as this region is quite far north. (50 deg. in the extreme south to 60 degrees latitude in the most northerly Scottish Islands). Therefore, June brings daylight hours from 3.30 am to 10.30 pm in the south, with even more daylight further north. Conversely, December days are very short, just 9 hours or so daylight; so it wouldn't be a good idea to make a very long tour day-tour (like The Big One!) in winter. (Perfect in May, June, or July, of course!).

Summer school holidays in Europe tend to be shorter than in North America. Usually from late July to early September, so if you visit London then, be prepared for bigger crowds and longer lines/queues. Of course, another good thing about taking private tours at the busy periods is that your guide knows when is the best time to visit certain sites, and often has a special facility to 'jump lines' when buying entry tickets, etc. It makes a big difference ... and you'll see much more.

Jan: 7 °C (45 °F); Feb: 7 °C (45 °F); March: 11°C (52 °F); April: 13°C (55 °F); May; 17 °C (63 °F); June: 20°C (68 °F); July: 22°C (72 °F); August: 22°C (72 °F); September: 19°C (66 °F); October: 14°C (57 °F); November: 11°C (52 °F); December: 8°C (46 °F).Want to convert Fahrenheit to Centigrade? Subtract 32 from Fahrenheit and multiply by 5, then divide by 9. Or to convert Centigrade to Fahrenheit: Multiply Centigrade by 9 and divide by 5, then add 32.

* According to the Govt. website for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ''For the whole of the UK, 2006 was the warmest year on record with a mean temperature of 9.7 °C (49.5 °F), 1.1 °C above the long-term average.'' (Our weather records go back nearly 350 years, by the way). TOP

17. ''We saw some new statues of 20th Century Martyrs on the West Front of Westminster Abbey on our tour? Please tell us more about them.''

On July 10th 1998, the Anglican Archbishop George Carey of Canterbury welcomed the Queen and her husband Prince Philip, along with dozens of other state and church representatives to the 900-year-old Abbey. The view of the West Front of Westminster Abbey is one of the best known in the world. The gothic lower part was completed in the fifteenth century; the two towers were designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in a more classical style and were added at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The towers had niches which were presumably intended for statues but were never used. The Abbey exterior has recently undergone a major restoration programme, lasting 25 years and completed in 1995. It was decided by the Dean and Chapter of the Abbey that this was an ideal opportunity to complete Hawksmoor's original design brief, whilst also demonstrating the modern Anglican church's ecumenical approach. (Ecumenism is the religious initiative towards world-wide unity).

In 1992 the six niches high up on the towers were filled with conventional figures of saints and in 1995 four allegorical figures were placed in the niches on either side of the Great West Door: Mercy, Truth, Righteousness and Peace, the traditional Christian virtues from Psalm 85 verse 10, here to represent the values for which countless innocent men and women of all religious persuasions have been prepared to give their lives throughout human history.

1st from Left: Maximilian Kolbe who died at Auschwitz in 1941. Here's his story, abbreviated from The Second Exodus website:

Raymond Kolbe was born in Poland on January 8, 1894. In 1910, he entered the Conventual Franciscan Order. In 1912 Kolbe went to Rome, where he studied theology and philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1917 he founded the sodality (devotional association) of the Militia of Mary Immaculate, and was ordained a priest in 1918, taking the name Maximilian.

During the 1920’s Father Kolbe built a friary just west of Warsaw, the City of Mary Immaculate (Niepokalanów), which eventually housed 762 Franciscans. It became Poland’s chief Catholic publishing complex, printing eleven periodicals including a daily newspaper, The Little Daily, with a circulation of 230,000 and a monthly journal, The Knight of Mary Immaculate (Rycerz Niepokalanej), with a circulation of over one million. To better “win the world for the Immaculata,” the friars utilized the most modern printing and administrative techniques. This enabled them to publish countless catechetical and devotional tracts. Father Kolbe served both as superior of the City of Mary Immaculate and director of the publishing complex. Father Kolbe soon added a radio station and planned to build a movie studio. After travel to Asia, where he founded similar friaries in Nagasaki and India, and envisioned similar missionary centers worldwide, Father Kolbe was recalled in 1936 to supervise the original friary near Warsaw.

When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, he knew that his monastery would be seized, and sent most of the friars home. The Gestapo ransacked the City of Mary Immaculate and arrested Father Kolbe with about 40 other friars. They were sent to a holding camp in Germany, then to one in Poland. On December 8, 1939, the Gestapo released Father Kolbe. He returned to the City of Mary Immaculate, where he and the other friars began to organize a shelter for three thousand Polish refugees, including two thousand Jews. The friars shared everything they had with the refugees. They housed, fed and clothed them, and brought all their machinery into use in their service. Father Kolbe’s sheltering of these two thousand Jews aroused the Nazis to full fury. To incriminate him, the Gestapo permitted one final printing of the “Knight of Mary Immaculate” in December of 1940. It was in this issue that Father Maximilian wrote: “The real conflict is inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the catacombs of concentration camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are victories on the battle-field if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?”

On February 17, 1941, Father Maximilian was again arrested, this time on charges of aiding Jews and the Polish underground. Gestapo officers who were shown around the whole monastery were astonished at the small amount of food prepared for the brothers. Father Maximilian was sent to the infamous Pawiak prison in German Occupied Warsaw, and was singled out for special ill-treatment. On May 28, 1941 the Nazis closed the City of Mary Immaculate and took Father Kolbe, with four of his companions, to Auschwitz, where he died. At Auschwitz, after a prisoner escaped, the Nazis chose ten men to be killed. When Franciszek Gajowniczek, protested that he had a wife and children, Father Kolbe stepped forward and offered to replace Gajowniczek among those killed. Father Kolbe was thrown into a starvation bunker, where he taught the Catholic faith to the others in the bunker and prayed with them as they died one by one. After two weeks, Father Kolbe remained alive. Finally, on August 14, 1941 the Nazis injected phenol into his veins, killing him at last. Franciszek Gajowniczek survived and told the story of Father Kolbe’s heroic sacrifice to everyone he could until his death in 1997. More about him here .. TOP

2nd from Left: Manche Masemola, a 16-year-old Anglican convert in South Africa who was killed by her animist parents in 1928; Here's what the Abbey website says about her:

MANCHE MASEMOLA, a young woman of the Pedi tribe, passed her short life in Sekhukhuneland, in the Transvaal. Her people were confined to reserved lands that were barren, and they worked hard to eke out a living there. For some decades German and then English missionaries had settled in the Transvaal, and in the early twentieth century there existed a Pedi Christian minority, widely viewed with anxiety and suspicion by others of the tribe who remained true to the faith of their predecessors. It is believed that Manche Masemola was born around 1913, in Marishane. She grew up with her parents, two older brothers, a younger sister, Mabule, and a cousin, Lucia. She did not go to school, but worked with her family on the land and at home.

In 1919 Fr Augustine Moeka of the Anglican Community of the Resurrection had established a mission at Marishane, where the chief was content to see missionaries of all churches live and work. It was with her cousin Lucia that Manche Masemola first heard Moeka preach. She wished to hear more, and began to attend classes twice a week. Fearful that she would leave them, or refuse to marry, her parents sought to discourage her. But she defied them. When their prohibitions failed she was beaten. On a number of occasions Manche Masemola remarked to Lucia and Moeka that she would die at their hands. Then, on or near 4 February 1928, her mother and father took her away to a lonely place and killed her. she was buried by a granite rock on a remote hillside. A few days later her younger sister, Mabule, became ill and then died at the nearby mission hospital, the Jane Furse. Mabula was buried beside her sister. In remembrance, their father planted euphorbia trees beside their graves. In 1935 a little group of Christians made a pilgrimage to the grave. Another followed in 1941; a third in 1949. In 1969 her mother was baptized into the church. In 1975 the name of Manche Masemola was added to the calendar of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa. Now, hundreds visit the site every August. TOP

3rd from Left: Janani Luwum, a Ugandan Anglican archbishop assassinated during the rule of Idi Amin in 1977. Here's what the Abbey website says about him:

ON 6 JANUARY 1948 a young school teacher, Janani Luwum, was converted to the charismatic Christianity of the East African Revival, in his own village in Acoli, Uganda. At once he turned evangelist, warning against the dangers of drink and tobacco, and, in the eyes of local authorities, disturbing the peace. But Luwum was undeterred by official censure. He was determined to confront all who needed, in his eyes, to change their ways before God.

In January 1949 Luwum went to a theological college at Buwalasi, in eastern Uganda. A year later he came back a catechist. In 1953 he returned to train for ordination. He was ordained deacon on St Thomas’s Day, 21 December 1955, and priest a year later. His progress was impressive: after two periods of study in England, he became principal of Buwalasi. Then, in September 1966, he was appointed Provincial Secretary of the Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire. It was a difficult position to occupy, and these were anxious days. But Luwum won a reputation for creative and active leadership, promoting a new vision with energy and commitment. Only three years later he was consecrated bishop of Northern Uganda, on 25 January 1969. The congregation at the open-air Services included the prime minister of Uganda, Milton Obote, and the Chief of Staff of the army, Idi Amin.

Amin sought power for himself. Two years later he deposed Obote in a coup. In government he ruled by intimidation, violence and corruption. Atrocities, against the Acoli and Langi people in particular, were perpetrated time and again. The Asian population was expelled in 1972. It was in the midst of such a society, in 1974, that Luwum was elected Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire. He pressed ahead with the reform of his church in time to mark the centenary of the creation of the Anglican province.But he also warned that the Church should not conform to ‘the powers of darkness’. Amin cultivated a relationship with the archbishop, arguably to acquire credibility. For his part, Luwum sought to mitigate the effects of his rule, and to plead for its victims.

The Anglican and Roman Catholic churches increasingly worked together to frame a response to the political questions of the day. Soon they joined with the Muslims of Uganda. On 12 February 1976 Luwum delivered a protest to Amin against all acts of violence that were allegedly the work of the security Services. Church leaders were summoned to Kampala and then ordered to leave, one by one. Luwum turned to Bishop Festo Kivengere and said, ‘They are going to kill me. I am not afraid’. Finally alone, he was taken away and murdered. Later his body was buried near St Paul's Church, Mucwini. Amin’s state was destroyed by invading Tanzanian forces in 1979. Amin himself fled abroad and escaped justice. TOP

4th from Left: Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia - a member of the Russian Orthodox Church who was murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and also a great-aunt of Prince Philip, the Queen's husband. Here's what the Abbey website says about her:

ELIZABETH of Hesse-Darmstadt was born on 1 November 1864. She was named after Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-31), a Catholic saint of her own family. Her mother died when she was a child, and she came to England to live under the protection of her grandmother, Queen Victoria. If her childhood was Lutheran, the religious culture of her adolescence was distinctively Anglican. In 1884 Elizabeth married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the fifth son of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Elizabeth found Orthodoxy increasingly absorbing, and in 1891 she adopted the faith. Although her life had assurance and all the comforts of eminence, it rested on fragile foundations. The Tsarist state maintained its grip over a changing society by repression. Talk of revolution persisted, and grew louder. Acts of terrorism mounted. On 18 February 1905, the Grand Duke Sergei was assassinated.

This marked a turning point in Elizabeth’s life. Now she gave away her jewellery and sold her most luxurious possessions, and with the proceeds she opened the Martha and Mary home in Moscow, to foster the prayer and charity of devout women. Here there arose a new vision of a diaconate for women, one that combined intercession and action in the heart of a disordered world. In April 1909 Elizabeth and seventeen women were dedicated as Sisters of Love and Mercy. Their work flourished: soon they opened a hospital and a variety of other philanthropic ventures arose.

In March 1917 the Tsarist state, fatally damaged by the war with Germany, collapsed. In October, a revolutionary party, the Bolsheviks, seized power. Civil war followed. The Bolshevik party was avowedly atheistic, and it saw in the Orthodox Church a pillar of the old regime. In power, it persecuted the Church with terrible force. In time, hundreds of priests and nuns were imprisoned, taken away to distant labour camps, and killed. Churches were closed or destroyed. On 7 May 1918 Elizabeth was arrested with two sisters from her convent, and transported across country to Perm, then to Ekatarinburg, and finally to Alapaevsk. On 17 July the Tsar and his family were shot dead. During the following night Elizabeth, a sister from SS Mary and Martha named Varvara, and members of the royal family were murdered in a mineshaft.

In the Soviet Union Christianity survived in the face of periodic persecution and sustained oppression. But Elizabeth was remembered. In 1984 she was recognized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and then by the Moscow Patriarchate in 1992. More .. TOP

5th from Left: Dr. Martin Luther King, an American civil rights leader who was killed in 1968. Here's what the Wikipedia website says about him:

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was a Baptist minister and American political activist who was the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement. King won the Nobel Peace Prize before being assassinated in 1968. In 1977, King was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Jimmy Carter. For his promotion of non-violence and racial equality, King is considered a peacemaker and martyr by many people around the world. Martin Luther King Day was established in his honor.

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had been graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955 In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastorale of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated. TOP

6th from Left: Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was assassinated in 1980.

Days before his murder Archbishop Romero told a reporter, "You can tell the people that if they succeed in killing me, that I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realize they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the church of God, which is the people, will never perish. 'While it is clear that our Church has been the victim of persecution during the last three years, it is even more important to observe the reason for the persecution. ... The persecution comes about because of the Church's defense of the poor, for assuming the destiny of the poor."

"The church would betray its own love for God and its fidelity to the gospel if it stopped being . . . a defender of the rights of the poor . . . a humanizer of every legitimate struggle to achieve a more just society . . . that prepares the way for the true reign of God in history." "A church that suffers no persecution but enjoys the privileges and support of the things of the earth - beware! - is not the true church of Jesus Christ. A preaching that does not point out sin is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel's call." "When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises."

From a letter to President Carter: "You say that you are Christian. If you are really Christian, please stop sending military aid to the military here, because they use it only to kill my people."

More about him here .. TOP

7th from Left: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and theologian, who was killed in 1945 by the Nazis; Here's what the Bonhoeffer Organisation website says about him:

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - along with his twin sister, Sabine -- was born on February 4, 1906, in Breslau, Germany. Later a student in Tubingen, Berlin, and at Union Theological Seminary in New York -- as well as a participant in the European ecumenical movement -- Bonhoeffer became known as one of the few figures of the 1930s with a comprehensive grasp of both German- and English-language theology. His works resonate with a prescience, subtlety and maturity that continually belies the youth of their author. He wrote his dissertation, Sanctorum Communio, at the end of three years at the University of Berlin (1924-1927) and was awarded his doctorate with honors. Act and Being, his Habilitationsschrift, or qualifying thesis, allowing him to teach at the University of Berlin, was accepted in July 1930.

The following year, 1930-1931, Bonhoeffer spent a postgraduate year at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He assumed his post as a lecturer in theology at the University of Berlin in August 1931. In the winter semester 1931-1932 Bonhoeffer presented the lectures that were published as Creation and Fall. His final lecture courses at Berlin -- published as Christ the Center -- along with a seminar on the philosopher G. W. F. Hegel, were taught in the summer of 1933. His authorization to teach on the faculty of the University of Berlin was finally withdrawn on August 5, 1936. Bonhoeffer served as a curate for a German congregation in Barcelona during 1929-1930. Following his ordination at St. Matthias Church, Berlin, in November 1931, he was to help organize the Pastors' Emergency League in September 1933, prior to asssuming the pastorate of the German Evangelical Church, Sydenham, and the Reformed Church of St. Paul in London.

During his sojourn in England, Bonhoeffer became a close friend and confidant of the influential Anglican Bishop, George Bell. After the Confessing Church was organized in May 1934 at Barmen, Germany, Bonhoeffer returned from England in the spring of 1935 to assume leadership of the Confessing Church's seminary at Zingst by the Baltic Sea--a school relocated later that year to Finkenwalde in Pomerania. Out of the experiences at Finkenwalde emerged his two well-known books, The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together, as well as his lesser known writings on pastoral ministry such as Spiritual Care. His work to prepare pastors in the Confessing Church continued all the way to 1939. Bonhoeffer's early travel to Rome, his curacy in Barcelona and his post-doctoral year in New York (including regular work at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, as well as travel to Cuba and Mexico), opened Bonhoeffer to the ecumenical church. In 1931 he as appointed youth secretary of the World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship through the Churches, and in 1934 he became a member of the Universal Christian Council for Life and Work. At conferences throughout Europe he vigorously represented the cause of the Confessing Church and challenged the ecumenical movement about its theological foundations and its responsibility for peace. Bonhoeffer's theologically rooted opposition to National Socialism first made him a leader, along with Martin Niemueller and Karl Barth, in the Confessing Church (bekennende Kirche), and an advocate on behalf of the Jews. Indeed, his efforts to help a group of Jews escape to Switzerland were what first led to his arrest and imprisonment in the spring 1943.

His leadership in the anti-Nazi Confessing Church and his participation in the Abwehr resistance circle (beginning in February 1938) make his works a unique source for understanding the interaction of religion, politics, and culture among those few Christians who actively opposed National Socialism, as is particularly evident in his drafts for a posthumously published Ethics. His thought provides not only an example of intellectual preparation for the reconstruction of German society after the war but also a rare insight into the vanishing social and academic world that had preceded it. Bonhoeffer was also a spiritual writer, a musician and an author of fiction and poetry. The integrity of his Christian faith and life, and the international appeal of his writings, have led to a broad consensus that he is the one theologian of his time to lead future generations of Christians into the new millenium.

He was hanged in the concentration camp at Flossenbürg on April 9, 1945, one of four members of his immediate family to die at the hands of the Nazi regime for their participation in the small Protestant resistance movement. The letters he wrote during these final two years of his life were posthumously published by his student and friend, Eberhard Bethge, as Letters and Papers from Prison. His correspondence with his fiance, Maria von Wedermeyer, has been published as Love Letters from Cell 92. TOP

8th from Left: Esther John, a Presbyterian evangelist in Pakistan, who was killed in 1960. Here's what the Abbey website says about her:

ESTHER JOHN was born Qamar Zia, on 14 October 1929, one of seven children. As a child she attended a government school and, after the age of seventeen, a Christian school. There she was profoundly moved by the transparent faith of one of her teachers, and she began to read the Bible earnestly. It was when reading the 53rd chapter of Isaiah that she was suddenly overtaken by a sense of conversion to this new religion. When India was partitioned Qamar Zia moved with her family into the new state of Pakistan. Here she made contact with a missionary, Marian Laugesen in Karachi. Laugesen, at her request, passed on to her a New Testament. Her Christian faith grew privately, even secretly. Then, seven years later, she ran away from home, fearful of the prospect of marriage to a Muslim husband. She found her way back to Laugesen in Karachi.For a while Qamar Zia worked in an orphanage there, and it was at this time that she took the name Esther John. Her family still pressed her to return and to marry, but on 30 June 1955 she took a train north to Sahiwal, in the Punjab. Here she lived and worked in a mission hospital, stayed with the first Anglican bishop of Karachi, Chandu Ray, and celebrated her first Christmas.

Finding a vocation to teach, she entered the United Bible Training Centre in Gujranwala in September 1956. In April 1959 she completed her studies there and moved to Chichawatni, some thirty miles from Sahiwal, living with American Presbyterian missionaries. She evangelized in the villages, travelling from one to the other by bicycle, teaching women to read and working with them in the cotton fields. At times her relationship with her distant and perplexed family appeared calm; at others anxiety and tension brewed.

Her death was sudden and mysterious. On 2 February 1960 Esther John was found dead in her bed at the house where she lived at Chichawatni. She had been brutally murdered. Her body was taken to the Christian cemetery at Sahiwal and buried. Later, a memorial chapel was built in front of the nurses’ home in the grounds of the hospital there. Today, Esther John is remembered with devotion by the Christian community with whom she lived and worked. TOP

9th from Left: Lucian Tapiedi, killed in 1942 during the Japanese invasion of Papua New Guinea. Here's what the Abbey website says about him:

AT SANGARA mission station in Papua New Guinea there stands a row of graves: two of Australian women, Mavis Parkinson and May Hayman, and a third of Lucian Tapiedi. Tapiedi was born in 1921/2, in the village of Taupota, on the north coast of Papua. His father was a sorcerer, who died when his sons were still young. He was taught at mission schools and then, in 1939, he entered St Aidan’s teacher training college. Here Tapiedi became known as a diligent and cheerful presence, fond of physical recreation but also musical. In 1941 he became part of the staff at Sangara as a teacher and evangelist.

In December 1941 Japanese forces attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour. In the same month they invaded Malaya. British forces capitulated in Singapore in February 1942. The missionaries who lived in New Guinea watched events anxiously, and feared the worst. In January 1942 the Anglican bishop, Philip Strong, had broadcast an appeal to them to stay at their work, come what may. Many of the missionaries themselves wished this, and had already resisted calls to turn to safety.On 21 July 1942 the Japanese invaded the island near the mission station at Gona. Three of the residents, Parkinson, Hayman and James Benson, fled inland and there encountered other Australians in hiding. But they were soon caught. The soldiers murdered Hayman and Parkinson at Popondetta.

In Northern Papua, meanwhile, a second group of missionaries struggled to evade capture. Among them was Lucian Tapiedi, who was determined not to abandon the missionaries with whom he worked. In a few days this group swelled to ten people. They came to a village inhabited by the Orokaiva people, and found themselves escorted away by men of that tribe. One of the Orokaiva, a man named Hivijapa, killed Tapiedi near a stream by Kurumbo village. The remainder of the group perished soon after; six of them beheaded by the Japanese on Buna beach.

333 Christians lost their lives in New Guinea during the invasion and occupation of the island by the Japanese forces. The greatest number of those who died - 198 - were Roman Catholics. But there were also Methodists, Salvationists, Lutherans, Anglicans, members of the Evangelical Church of Manus, and Seventh Day Adventists among the dead.

Now a shrine marks the place where Lucian Tapiedi died. His killer later converted to Christianity. He took the name Hivijapa Lucian, and built a church dedicated to the memory of his victim at Embi. TOP

10th from Left: Wang Zhiming, a Chinese pastor and evangelist, who was killed in 1972 during the Cultural Revolution; Here's what the Abbey website says about him:

IN 1981 A MEMORIAL was erected in Wuding County, in the Yunnan region of China. It is the only monument known to commemorate a Christian killed in the Cultural Revolution. At its foot may be found the words, ‘As the Scripture says of the Saints, "They will rest from their labours for their deeds follow them." ‘Christian missionaries first settled in Yunnan towards the end of the nineteenth century, and came to Wuding County in 1906. After the Communist revolution the missionaries were expelled: Christianity was identified with imperialism. But the religion endured, despite the pressures of political campaigns and public discouragements. Christians who sought to reconcile the demands of their faith with the political requirements of their new state ould find the experience harsh and taxing.

Between 1966 and 1976 the Cultural Revolution brought an onslaught against all that was ancient or venerated in Chinese life. The young Red Guards who led the campaign sought to break free of the past and to create a revolutionary society that was utterly new. Religion must be destroyed. Churches were closed and Christians were forced to meet secretly.In the mid 1960s there were 2,795 Christians in Wuding county. Wang Zhiming lived among them as a pastor. Little is known of him. As a child he was educated in mission schools, and then he taught as a member of staff in one of them for ten years. In 1944 he was elected chairman of the Sapushan Church Council in Wuding. In 1951 he was ordained. Wang showed his loyalty to the state. But he also refused to participate in denunciation meetings held to humiliate landlords or foment hatred against foreign powers. Between 1969 and 1973 at least twenty-one Christian leaders in Wuding were interned. Some were intellectuals, other workers. Some were senior party officials. Many were sent to camps, were denounced or beaten. Muslims in the county were also persecuted.

Wang Zhiming was known to be a critic of the atheistic campaigns of local Red Guards. In May 1969 he and other members of his family were arrested. Four years later he was condemned to death. He was by then an old man of sixty-six. Wang Zhiming was executed on 29 December 1973 at a mass rally of more than 10,000 people. Immediately afterwards the crowd broke into confusion and the prosecuting official was assaulted by furious Christians there. The tumult is still widely remembered. Wang’s wife was imprisoned for three years; two of his sons for nine years; a third reportedly took his own life while under detention. The policy to destroy religion was seen to fail, and was abandoned. In October 1980 Wang Zhiming was ‘rehabilitated’ by party officials, and his family offered compensation. Today Wang is remembered reverently in the churches of Wuding, where there are around 30,000 Christians, and more than 100 places of worship. TOP

This is a complicated subject which often baffles the locals! The origins come from Britain's Empire days, and its members form what is a (mostly!) friendly and voluntary society of nations who share one aspect of their history: that of having been ruled by Britain rule at various times by settlement, conquest or cession. The administration of the 'colonies' subsequently evolved in various ways, according to their individual circumstances.

When India (the most populous Commonwealth nation) achieved Independence in 1947 they also became the first of a number of countries which decided that although wishing to become independant republics, they still wanted to remain in that family of nations which is now styled 'The Commonwealth', but known formerly as 'The British Commonwealth'. This was brought about by the 1949 London Declaration which recognised King George VI as Head of the Commonwealth. Following his death, the Commonwealth leaders recognised Queen Elizabeth II in that capacity.

Personally, I believe that the present day Commonwealth is a remarkable organisation which is still a major force for change in the world today. As an example of its collective success I would cite the ending of white supremacy and apartheid which assured the final democratrisation of South Africa as one of its most impressive achievements in recent times. Here's their website link.

Membership of the Commonwealth is entirely voluntary, and any member is free to withdraw at any time. The Republic of Ireland see below did this in 1949, likewise Zimbabwe in 2003.

Below are listed the 53 member nations of the Commonwealth. They vary Constitutionally as follows:

'Realms' (Queen) are nations who retain the Queen as Sovereign, she holds no political power there but acts the Ceremonial role of Head of State.

'Monarchies' (Monarchy) are Commonwealth countries who have their own monarch as Head of State.

'Republics' (Republic) are Commonwealth countries with an elected Head of State - a President or a Prime Minister.

                                                                                * The largest member of the Commonwealth - almost 10 million square kilometres.

                                                                                ** The most populous Commonwealth country - nearly 1.1 billion people.

                                                                                *** The world's driest and most sparsely populated country.

NOTE: Ireland withdrew in 1949, to the dismay of many of the Islands' citizens (of all persuausions), but there are complex issues regarding the Irish/British relationship which I will attempt to summarise briefly here.

Whilst it is true, and in view of the history very understandable, that many Irish people hold very strong anti-British opinions, it can also be honestly stated that many Brits in return hold anti-Irish sentiments for historic reasons; namely the often bloody struggle for independance followed by the Irish Republic's determined stance of neutrality during the dark days of WWII. At this perilous time Britain and Ireland (with the exception of Switzerland, Portugal and Spain - neutrals) were the only western European countries not occupied by the Nazis and Fascists and therefore still in a position to fight.

More recently, too some of this antipathy results from the British perception of Irish sympathy and practical support for the Provisional IRA - a truly murderous bunch - whose brutal methods were equalled only by their so-called 'Loyalist' opponents - during the recent 'troubles'. Many innocent people died during this forty year period of the late C20th, and as stated these events are now neatly wrapped up in that rather quaint term, 'The Troubles'. Sadly, the relatives of the dead will never feel like tidying the thing up so neatly. Their suffering will never end. Will man never learn?

So back to that Irish hatred of the Brits thing? Well, Irish independence was certainly granted clumsily and reluctantly, and over the centuries of British rule there were many examples of mis-rule, exploitation and suppression which have all fuelled this hatred.

Examples? Well, first there was Cromwell's terribly cruel suppression of an uprising in the C17th. Then there was the British Government's inadequate assistance, even indifference at times, to the great suffering and loss of life in the Potato Famine of the C19th.

Add to these the often ruthless suppression of attempts to gain independence - especially in the period leading up to it, plus the great loss of Irish lives (alongside English, Scots and Welsh, true), in many of the campaigns and wars Great Britain fought in, culminating in the awful losses in the First World War, and you begin to get the picture.

Incidentally, in that 'War to End Wars' there was a price of almost seven million military deaths: German, French, British, Irish, 'Empire' and Allies; innocent, naively patriotic and idealistic young men - many of them just boys really - who followed their leaders into hell. These young men are destined to be known for all time as 'The Lost Generation'. I repeat, ''Will man never learn?' TOP

Wimbledon is held every year in June/July. This year (2010) the dates are Monday 21st June to Sunday 4th July. The Public Ballot (see below) has closed for this year and the tickets allocated will be sold to successful applicants only.

Around 500 tickets for each of the Centre (except for the last four days), No. 1 and No. 2 Courts are reserved for sale at the turnstiles every day. Tickets can be bought on the day for that day's play at the ground. In the first week of the two-week tournament it is easier to get in without too long a wait in line. By the second week many are sleeping out - 'camping' - to get a chance of seeing one of the top matches as things hot up. These tickets cost between £25 and £85 each dependant on which court you go for - Centre Court costing the most, obviously.

Additionally thousands of 'Ground Tickets' are sold daily. These cost on average £20 before 5 pm, £14 after 5 pm. With a Ground Ticket you'll get access to lots of action but not inside Centre, 1 or 2 Courts. (There's a Giant screen showing the play there).

If you are planning ahead, by far the best way is to enter the Public Ballot for the next tournament - 2011- which although always over-subscribed still gives you a better than even chance of being offered tickets. Of course if you know a player, or a Debenture owner, you are one of the fortunate few, but for us lesser mortals this is the only way. (Unless you are very comfortably off (or just a tad crazy) - in which case you can always buy tickets through scalpers and ticket agencies. But great care is needed here, every year people get duped into buying forgeries which will NOT get you into the ground. One final point: tickets bought through scalpers / agencies WILL be very expensive!

The All-England Lawn Tennis Club (the hosts of the tournament) invite applications for tickets from August until December of the year before the tournament. The ballot is held by a computer system and successful applicants are informed by the following April when they can buy their tickets - online, if desired. The Ballot can only be entered by an Official Application Form - there is no online Ballot Application facility.

To obtain an application form, send in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: AELTC, P.O. BOX 98, London SW19 5AE by December 2010.

No letter required. If you do not send in a stamped, self-addressed envelope, you will not receive a form.

There is a separate ballot for wheelchair spaces so please make sure you write clearly “WHEELCHAIR” on both the outer and on your return envelope.

Non-UK residents should send in an International Reply Coupon instead of a stamp. If your post office does not provide these, please send your self-addressed envelope with a letter. The self-addressed, stamped envelope should have your return address and should be approximately 110mm x 220mm, (4 1/4 " x 8 5/8"). Good Luck! TOP

20. ''How do we get tickets to the big Ceremonial occasions like the Trooping of the Colour?''

Tickets are offered by ballot. You need to apply early to be included, and as with Wimbledon you need to send a stamped/addressed envelope. If you're unsuccessful in your application the processions can also be seen from from the Mall. Events begin at approximately 10am, with the fly-past at 1pm. The parade is also broadcast live on BBC television in the UK.

Before sending in your application you should check if the Tickets are still available for the year you'll be visiting by going going here.

The Brigade Major,
Headquarters Household Division,
Horse Guards,
Whitehall,
London SW1A 2AX

Or you can telephone +44 (0)20 7414 2479 if you want further information. TOP

21. "What was that stuff about Bonfires and 'penny for the Guy' and the rhyme you told us?"

On 5th November every year we remember the failed attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605 at the time of the State re-opening session when the King, Royal family and Government would all be in the House of Lords chamber at the same time.

The (mainly) Catholic group of conspirators decided to get rid of King James and a Government they detested by using the most radical means: 36 gunpowder barrels were secretly placed over a period of time in the cellars beneath the House of Lords. Access was gained via a nearby house which the plotters had rented.

A man called Guy (or Guido) Fawkes had drawn the short straw and stayed behind on the night before the occasion to light the fuse at the exact moment when all would be in the chamber above. Fortunately, (or unfortunately depending on where you come from!) the plot was discovered when one of the conspirators tried to warn a friend, with an anonymous note, that he should not attend the session as his life was in great danger. He duly notified the authorities and a search was conducted. Guy was taken, 'red handed', then tortured at the Tower of London, to reveal the names of his co-conspirators.

Fawkes colleagues were eventually identified and pursued. After a fight in which some died, the survivors were brought to join Fawkes at the Tower. Following their trial, all the conspirators were cruelly despatched by 'hanging, drawing and quartering'. Each year on the anniversary of their attempt - the 5th November - children make an effigy of Guy Fawkes (the 'Guy') using old clothes stuffed with newspapers. The Guy is placed on top of a large bonfire which has been built over the previous weeks, then burnt as a symbolic part of the 'Bonfire Night Celebrations'.

Few kids today will know the whole rhyme that used to be sung, but it's quite interesting so here it is:

For on-the-day deals go to Leicester Square TKTS booth (known as the Clocktower, located on the south side of the square). You may need to wait in line for a short time but there are genuine deals to be had for shows that day or the next - normally at half-price. To check out which shows are on offer today click here.

If you are looking to purchase London Theatre Tickets in advance go here for a list with links to the main London Theatre Ticket Agencies.

NOTES: These pages are constantly being added to so if you have any requests for subjects for future inclusion please tell me here. Where an opinion is offered please be aware that it is the personal opinion of the writer - invariably visitors like the opportunity to ask their own questions of a 'native'.

'So many FAQ's about Royalty!' Yes, though I am often amused by how the Royal family seems to intrigue our visitors so much; on some tours it's as if there's only one subject for questions! Perhaps this is due to the fact that most countries today have either abolished their monarchies, or never had one, or have come about as a result of a revolution or an independence movement. Or maybe the British Monarchy are of such interest to so many visitors to the UK for the same reason that many locals would give; that they represent a link with so much of our history, and a family that is descended from such a 'motley' assortment of characters, merely adds to the interest! Some of my compatriots have trouble understanding all the international interest though and seem quite surprised by it, but for we driver-guides it's certainly a good subject for the drive back to London at the end of a tour!

These pages are all my own work and do take quite a bit of maintenance so if you spot any errors or typos, or have suggestions for subjects omitted please help me to help others by telling me about them! My aim is to answer questions and relate facts honestly and accurately, but errors are bound to creep in sometimes. I would also add that my personal opinions may sometimes not reflect popular public opinion and where I believe this to be the case I have attempted to acknowledge it.