Ireland Scotland Travel Blog

Paddington Bear

Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared in 1958 and was subsequently featured in some 14 books written by Michael Bond born in Newbury, Berkshire and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and has evolved into a franchise. The illustrations show him more as a teddy bear than a real bear, in the original style of Winnie-the-Pooh. According to legend, Bond based the bear on a teddy bear, that he and his wife saw in a store around Christmas, and that they bought because it was the only one left on the shelf and thought it was lonely.

Paddington is an anthropomorphised bear. He speaks English, wears a battered hat which he refuses to part with, and carries with him everywhere a battered suitcase (later revealed to have a secret compartment in which Paddington keeps those items he considers most important – such as his passport, for example) containing his personal belongings. When found and in the early editions, he also wore a duffle coat, and wellington boots. He is always polite (always addressing people as "Mr.", "Mrs." and "Miss", and very rarely by first names), well-meaning (though he inflicts hard stares on those who incur his disapproval), likes marmalade sandwiches and cocoa, and has an endless capacity for getting into trouble. However, he is known to "try so hard to get things right".

Ellen McNulty is President of www.lynotttours.com>

You may choose from the best Irish B&B's, hotels, guesthouses, inns in Ireland, unusual manors and even the most elegant Irish castles to form your perfect vacation! We have 3 star relaxed castles to 5 star elegant ones.

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Irish-English Names

Common equivalent forms of Christian names in Irish and English

Many Irish given names were replaced by English equivalents that sounded something like the original Gaelic form (at least to English ears) but were etymologically unrelated. Examples include:

Treasa Teresa/Theresa

Irish (Gaelic) name	English/anglicised form
Aodh	Hugh
Aoibhe	Eva
Aoife	Eve
Caoimhín	Kevin
Cathal	Charles
Cú Chonnacht	Constantine
Seán	John
Donnchadh	Dennis
Domhnall / Dónall	Daniel
Éamon(n)	Edward
Fearganainm	Ferdinand
Fionnuala / Nuala	Frances
Giolla na Naomh	Nehemiah
Síle	Sheila/Cicilia
Gráinne	Grace
Maol Mhuire	Myles
Maoileachlainn	Malachy
Pádraig	Patrick
Siobhán	Joan
Sorcha/Saoirse	Sarah
Tadhg	Timothy
Tomaltchach	Thomas or Timothy
Tomás	Thomas
Toirdhealbhach	Terence
Úna	Agnes

British roots

Celebrity Connection

Just like a sports car or a fabulous frock in which to stroll down the red carpet, British ancestry can be the perfect accessory to a career as a celebrity. Just ask the following famous faces, all of whom have British roots in their family trees.

English roots:

Halle Berry, actress
George W. Bush, politician
Hillary Clinton, politician
W.C. Fields, actor and comedian
Audrey Hepburn, actress
Angela Lansbury, actress
Sandra Day O'Connor, Supreme Court Justice
Keanu Reeves, actor
Brooke Shields, actress

Scottish Roots:

Neil Armstrong, astronaut
David Duchovny, actor,
Tommy Hilfiger, fashion designer
Ray Liotta, actor
Heather Locklear, actress
Jay Leno, TV host and comic
Julianne Moore, actress
Jackson Pollock, artist
Elvis Presley, singer
Donald Trump, real estate mogul
Christopher Walken, actor
John Wayne, actor

Welsh roots:

Tom Cruise, actor
Bob Hope, actor/comedian
Anthony Hopkins, actor
Catherine Zeta Jones, actress
Bob Marley, musician
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect

How did Big Ben get its Name?

How did Big Ben get its Name?

Big Ben is such a familiar sight it's hard to believe there's mystery still attached to the landmark's history, but there is…

Big Ben was originally the name given purely to the bell. Over the years, however, it has also become the name of the chimes, the clock tower, the mechanism and even the surrounding area. But no one is sure how the name Big Ben came to be used.

Every large bell needs a name - for example Great Paul, the bell of St Paul's Cathedral, is named after the saint to whom the church has been dedicated. The same goes for Great Peter, the bell of York Minster.

But what to call this mighty bell?  There are no official records on the subject, but it is thought the original idea was to call the bell Victoria, or Royal Victoria, in honour of the Queen. St Stephen and Great Stephen were also suggested after the Chapel of St Stephen inside the Palace of Westminster, whose crypt was saved from the fire in 1834.

Big Ben - the bell
©TopFoto.co.uk

Namesakes

There are different theories about how the bell actually came to be named. At almost 16 tonnes, it would have appeared colossal and it is believed to have been inscribed with the name of "Sir Benjamin Hall MP Chief Commissioner of Works". (Sir Benjamin did a lot to smooth relations between the clockmaker and the architect during difficult times and furthered the progress of the clock.)

It has been suggested that some of the workmen responsible for testing the bell were very  impressed with its great size and on seeing the name Benjamin on the inscription, decided to call it Big Ben.

The inscription of the present, second Big Ben bell (the first one cracked) does not show the name of Benjamin Hall - by the time it was cast he was no longer Chief Commissioner.

House of fun

There is another, better-known story of a special sitting held in the Commons to decide on a name for the bell in 1857. This seems to have run into a long session, and Members were becoming increasingly tired of the whole thing, when the Chief Commissioner of Works, Sir Benjamin Hall, MP for Marylebone, launched into a long ramble on behalf of the government. 

He was popular with both sides of the house, had a good sense of humour, and was very tall at 6ft 4in (with a stomach to match) and was affectionately known as "Big Ben". The story goes that as Benjamn Hall was speaking, a backbencher, longing to see the end of the debate, interrupted and said, “Why not call it Big Ben?” 

According to the tale, the house erupted with laughter and the name stuck. It is a shame, but there is no mention of this episode in Hansard (the official record of debates in Parliament), so we'll never know if this is what really happened.

There is also the possibility that the bell was named after Benjamin Caunt, a heavyweight prizefighter who was very popular at the time. At one stage he weighed 17 stone, and he too earned the nickname "Big Ben". 

Ellen McNulty is President at www.lynotttours.com

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London Tube Map

The London Underground map designed by Harry Beck in 1931 was so revolutionary in concept that, when London Transport first distributed it, they fully expected the public to reject it. How wrong could they be? It was readily appreciated for its bold simplicity, and for the fact that it got you from A to B.

Its main innovation lay in the way it makes free with the realities of geography, as though underground was subject to different spatial laws to the outside world. The design appears on official merchandise all over the place, from mugs to tea-towels, making it as widely reproduced as certain works of modern art.

Ellen McNulty is President at www.lynotttours.com

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Quirky Facts about Ireland Scotland

Did You Know?

1.Bedlam - The sense meaning madness, uproar, or confusion comes from the
Hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem in London. The hospital was founded as a
priory in 1247 and is first mentioned as a hospital in 1330. In 1547 it was
incorporated as a lunatic asylum.

2.  Fact: The odd formula for ascertaining when the date of Easter falls was
decided in Yorkshire.

3.  Baker's Dozen ..Medieval law specified the weight of loaves of bread in
England in 1266. During years of good harvests, bakers could make more bread
than they could sell locally, so they would sell the excess loaves to
middlemen. The only way for these distributors to make money would be to give
them extra loaves. The baker would give the huckster a thirteenth loaf for each
dozen. This extra loaf provided the profit for the middleman.

4.  The Chelsea Garden Show  has been the world's leading horticultural event since 1913.  In 2007, the show runs  22 - 26 May 2007. During May the grounds of the Royal
Hospital in Chelsea come alive with the sights and smells of the finest
collections of flowers in the world.  More info: Chelsea Garden Tour

5. Some famous Scots
Alexander Graham Bell - Inventor of the telephone .
Sir Alexander Fleming - Won the Nobel prize as discoverer of penicillin.
Captain William Kidd - famous pirate
John Loudon McAdam - Improved a tar-based road surface which became known as "tarmac" or macadam.
Allan Pinkerton - Founded the detective agency in Chicago.
John Duns Scotus- One of the greatest of medieval thinkers, he gave his name to the word "dunce".
William Cullen -The first known artificial refrigeration was demonstrated by him.

6.  Future Venues for 'The British Open'
Carnoustie Links 19th - 22nd July 2007
Royal Birkdale, Southport 17th - 20th July 2008
Turnberry, Ayrshire 16th - 19th July 2009
Old Course, St.Andrews 15th - 18th July 2010   Scotland Golf

7.  When is St. Andrew's Day? St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and this is celebrated on 30 November. In St Andrews there are a number of events during St Andrew's Week including an 'Open Doors' day, usually on 30 November, when a number of local institutions including the Royal and Ancient Golf Club allow the public free access.

8. Dickensian Christmas Rochester comes alive with the Dickensian Christmas the first weekend in December. Very much similar to the summer festival but with the emphasis on the Christmas novel “A Christmas Carol.” Join in with the Dickens characters and street entertainers The atmosphere is full of Christmas tunes. It always snows in Rochester with the addition of an artificial snow machine, unless the real stuff turns up! The smell of roasting chestnuts fills the high street. You can skate on the ice rink in the castle gardens. The finale of the festival is the Dickensian candlelight parade through the High Street to the cathedral for Christmas carols.

9. When in London: The best way to judge travel time on the London tube is to estimate 3 minutes between stops.

10. What is worn under the kilt? There is the answer given by all Scotsmen - regardless of whether they have underwear on or not - is: NOTHING WORN, ALL IN FIRST CLASS WORKING ORDER!

Ellen McNulty is President of Lynott Tours. experts in travel to Ireland and Britain.