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August 17, 2010

The History behind Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace has been home to Henry VIII along with other members from the royal family. It is the home of formal gardens, beautiful works of art, and centuries of history. Fans of English historical past have a chance to see how royalty once lived, view majestic rooms from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and stroll throughout superbly restored gardens. It is a must-see attraction within the London area.

Hampton Court Palace is greatest known as the house of Henry VIII and can be a major tourist destination in the United Kingdom. It was constructed within the mid 1520s by Thomas Wolsey after he obtained a 99 year lease on the property in 1514. Henry VIII acquired the property from Cardinal Wolsey inside the late 1520s and commenced to make numerous additions to the palace. Not a lot of the initial building remains due to the intensive remodeling and rebuilding by Henry VIII. King Henry enlarged his own living quarters, reconstructed parts of the kitchens, rebuilt the Chapel Royal, replaced much of theGreat Hall, and included tennis courts to the grounds. By the time he concluded the redecorating around 1540, there were tennis courts, bowling alleys, gorgeous gardens, huge dining halls, and a vast hunting park.

The palace carried on to be employed by royalty, from Henrys kids through to the House of Stuart. In 1689, Sir Christopher Wren destroyed components of the Tudor Palace and started creating a new construction for King William III and Queen Mary II. In 1760, when George III became king, he determined that Hampton Court must no more be a royal house. Hampton Court Palace is basically two palaces from diverse eras: a Tudor palace developed by Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII, along with a Baroque palace built by William III and Mary II.

There is much to witness when visiting Hampton Court Palace. One of the most enjoyable things to experience may be the world famous hedge maze. Construction commenced in 1690 as a form of entertainment for William III. It is now over a half mile of winding paths encompassed by seven foot high hedges covering one-third of an acre. Sixty acres of natures most stunning shades mixed with vines, sculptures, and paintings produce an idyllic scene.

The Tudor kitchens should not be missed; these kitchens have been constructed between 1530 and 1737 and had been capable of providing meals for 600 folks. The chefs within the Hampton Court kitchens cooked a yearly average of 8200 sheep, 2330 deer, 1240 oxen, 1870 pigs, as well as other assorted animals. All this food was rinsed down with an annual consumption of 600,000 gallons of beer. The Royal Chapel, with its ornate ceiling should also be on everyones plan.

Coming to Hampton Court Palace is quick and effortless from London. It’s located next to the River Thames, southwest of London. It’s simply accessible by train, bus, taxi or car. It is a must-see attraction when traveling to the London area for those who like history, royalty, architecture, and stunning gardens.

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Filed under: History, School of Travel — Admin @ 6:44 pm

July 27, 2010

Necktie Facts

You may be using a necktie as an everyday part of your outfit, but here are some fun facts you are probably unaware of:

  • The neck tie was originated from a silk scarf that used to be worn by Croatian soldiers and it later came to be known as cravate.
  • In 1993, Mary Beloff invented the wooden bow tie. He sells nine basic homemade styles and insists that the only thing you should worry when you wear them is termites and fires.
  • British ties usually have stripes that run from top left to bottom right while the stripes on American ties run from top right to bottom left.
  • The English developed neck wear so thick that they could even stop a sword thrust.
  • At some point in history, merely touching a man’s tie knot was a cause for a duel.
  • Americans spend more than $1 billion every year to buy a staggering 100 million ties.
  • A good quality silk tie requires approximately 110 silkworm cocoons.
  • The city of Shengzhou in China is among the world’s biggest tie producers with about 200 million ties being made every year.
  • It is possible to buy a bulletproof tie that can stop a 9mm bullet.
  • A person who collects ties is known as Grabatologist.
  • Around the whole world, a neck tie is considered to be the most popular Father’s Day gift.
  • Shih Huang Ti, the first Chinese emperor wore a tie as long ago as 210 B.C.
  • The Bola tie is the official tie of Arizona, USA.
  • Al Pacino won the Tony Award for the best supporting actor in the play Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
  • In the year 2002, the tie industry in America saw sales slump by 10% due to the popularity of dress down days.
  • Elvis was often spotted wearing a skinny tie.
  • Tie trends have repeated themselves, the skinny tie was started in the 1950’s, repeated in the 1980’s, and has recently grown in popularity again.

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Filed under: Garb, History, The Fun Universe — Admin @ 4:49 pm

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