Celebrating Paul McCartney
Ian Leslie gives us 64 ways to celebrate Paul McCartney. We look at a few of them today.
All posts tagged: National Trust of England Wales and Northern Ireland
A brilliant week of English charms and global lessons
In Cambridge – a lovely town with an international reputation for education – it was appropriate that the delegates to the 16th International Conference of National Trusts (ICNT) took in the charms of the East of England while also gathering so many valuable lessons from instructors both local and global. All in all – to use the British equivalent of great – it has been a brilliant week! The opening day’s remarks set the stage for discussions throughout the week. Dame Helen Ghosh – Director General of the National Trust for England, Wales & Northern Ireland – began by reminding the delegates of the need to be open to change as we seek to conserve our heritage. Jonathon Porritt challenged many of the assumptions the delegates brought to Cambridge, in a speech on our environmental challenges that was referenced throughout the week. Tuesday took Candice and me along with half of the delegates to Wimpole Estate, for conversations around cultural identities. This emphasis arose from the 15th ICNT in Entebee, Uganda, in 2013, which raised …
Sheep and chandeliers
“Sheep and chandeliers” is the title the National Trust of England, Wales & Northern Ireland has given to its brochure for Wimpole Hall and Wimpole Farm, where we joined a group of participants in the 16th International Conference of National Trusts for a day of in-depth discussions and tours on Tuesday. Over the course of the day, we gathered in small groups throughout the estate with National Trust staff and volunteers to discuss topics such as the spirit of place, ways to use the past to engage with contemporary issues, and cultural identities in a homogenizing world. All were fascinating, made even more so by the extraordinary setting of this estate and working farm. We learned of the site’s role in World War II, where it hosted American and British bombers on the large expanse of lawn in the front of Wimpole Hall, as well as some of the challenges of interpretation for a site with layered histories and traditional expectations of how an estate would be presented to the public. The discussion sessions were …
Opening views from the 16th International Conference of National Trusts
Cambridge, England, has proven to be a delightful host for the 16th International Conference of National Trusts, co-sponsored by the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO). More than 250 delegates and guests have arrived for the preliminary INTO meetings and the five days of conference sessions, tours, and discussions. Candice and I arrived mid-day on Saturday for the INTO meetings, which began the next morning at Anglesey Abbey, a wonderful National Trust property near Cambridge. While most of the day was spent in meetings, we were given a delightful tour of the house, gardens, and mill by National Trust staffer Justin Scully and his team. It was enough to whet our appetite for a return visit with the full conference later in the week. Each day we’ve taken our meals in the Great Hall at King’s College – a splendid space in which to enjoy good conversation with fellow delegates from around the world. And on Monday evening, it was also the setting for our opening …
Northern Ireland Photos
Late last month, Claire and Andrew took a trip to Northern Ireland with their youth group. While there they walked the wonderful coastline of County Antrim and the Giant’s Causeway; visited sites of the National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; met with groups focused on peace and reconciliation; and took lots and lots of photographs. In looking at those photos, my mind went back a decade to my own trip to Northern Ireland for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Like the children’s trip, mine was an eye and mind-opening experience. I recently looked at my diary from that trip and enjoyed reliving my experiences. So I’ll share Andrew’s (color) and Claire’s (black-and-white) photos from June/July 2009, and I’ll share a few diary entries from December 1998. 12/8/98 – I found Crom Castle most interesting. As we arrived, Irish deer – with huge racks – stared at us from the deer park…had my first Irish whiskey of the trip. Great for warming chilled bones! 12/8/98 – We have a late afternoon stop at …
More to Come... 