114 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Spring 2012

out & about n what’s on and where

Cheese or ham?If you are enjoying yourlunch while reading this,you might be interestedto learn that this year isthe 250th anniversaryof the sandwich.

John Montagu, the4th Earl of Sandwichallegedly invented thesnack in 1762 when heasked for meat to beserved between slicesof bread so that hedidn’t have to stop forlunch during a gamblinggame. As his friendsasked for “the same asSandwich”, the namethen caught on.

The celebrations ofthe anniversary in theKentish town ofSandwich on May 12-13will include a theatricalpresentation of thecreation of the veryfirst sandwich, a teddybears picnic and asandwich-makingcompetition, as well asa baguette versussandwich competitionbetween locals fromSandwich and theirtwinned town ofHonfleur.

The celebrations arepart of British SandwichWeek, May 9-15; formore information go towww.sandwichevents.info.

For nearly 200 years, residents of Stratford havecelebrated the birth of their most famousson,William Shakespeare. The bard’s 438th birth-

day, which fell on April 23, and the annual celebra-tions in Stratford-upon-Avon, kicked off the festivitiesfor the World Shakespeare Festival, which runsthrough until November. Produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the

festival is the biggest celebration of Shakespeare everstaged. Artists from around the world willtake part in almost 70 productionsacross the UK including London,Stratford-upon-Avon, Birminghamand Wales. Events include storytelling

sessions for children at the RoyalShakespeare Theatre, FamilyWorkshops and a series of actingand directing workshops. The WorldShakespeare Festival is part ofLondon 2012 Festival, bringing artistsfrom all over the world together in a UK-wide celebration for 2012. For more information go towww.worldshakespearefestival.org.uk.

This year’s Festivalof Speed, at LordMarch’s Goodwood

Estate in Sussex fromJune 28-July 1, will becelebrating motorsport’syoung heroes; driverssuch as EmersonFittipaldi, Colin McRaeand Lewis Hamilton allhad success from an early age. The festival, with the

theme of Young Guns –Born to Win, will alsocelebrate Lotus, the small

British company inspiredby Colin Chapman thatdominated all levels ofmotor sport with its tech-nical ingenuity. Festivalvisitors will be able to seethe latest road cars at theMoving Motor Show exhi-bition and to watch theCartier Style et Luxeconcours d’elegance.

Four-day tickets withgrandstand access cost £209per adult. For details go towww.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed .

While venues inLondon andaround the

country will be hostingthe Olympic Games thissummer, with traditionaldisciplines including ath-letics, swimming andcycling attracting worldattention, competitorswill be battling it out inless-celebrated eventssuch as cannon-fire,wrestling, shin-kickingand swordplay in the400th Cotswold OlimpickGames in June. England’s original

Olympics were introducedby English barristerRobert Dover, whose festi-val of sport and pageantrytoday still includes theWorld Shin-KickingChampionships. The sport involves

contestants, who are

allowed to protect theirshins with straw, holdingeach other by the shoulderand trying to kick theshins of their opponents tobring them to the ground.A Stickler, the judge,ensures the shins are hitbefore a fall can count. Chipping Campden

hosts the Olimpicks onJune 1 with the Scuttle-brook Queen processionand street fair the next day.For more details go towww.olimpickgames.co.uk.

Racing ahead

Take it on the shin

Happy birthday, Will

Visit

Brita

in

Joch

en V

an C

auw

enbe

rge

Visit

Brita

in

Visit

Brita

in/Ja

mes

Mar

shal

lVi

sitBr

itain

VisitBritain

n Shin-kicking contestants

n Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

n Shakespeare's gravestone

n A 1907 Fiat Mefistofele at Goodwood

n Sandwich anyone?

n Sandwich, Kent

O@Atlmspring12v1pp114-115_T&L 22/04/2012 23:25 Page 114

The City of Oxford is where Welshauthor Charles LutwidgeDodgson, better known as Lewis

Carroll, first outlined his fantasy worldstory to 10-year-old Alice Liddell andher sisters.

The city will mark the 150th anniver-sary of the first telling of Alice’sAdventures in Wonderland on July 4 byholding a special Alice Day and CaucusRace. The book was published three yearslater in 1865, with the sequel Throughthe Looking-Glass and what AliceFound There following in 1871. Sincethen, the books have been translated into

125 languages and turned into films.Alice Day events on July 7 will

include a Mad Hatter’s tea party, theQueen of Hearts’ Unbirthday Party andAlice-themed walks and talks, followedby the Caucus Race the following day inMerton Field, Christ Church, whereCarroll was a maths tutor.

In the story, the race was devised bythe Dodo as a novel way to get dry andwas possibly inspired by a picnic taken byLewis Carroll and the Liddell sisterswhere they got caught in the rain. Formore information, go to www.storymuseum.org.uk/alice.

Spring 2012 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 115

out & about n what’s on and where

London may be the focal point ofthe Queen’s Diamond Jubileecelebrations, but the occasion isbeing marked in other parts of theUK too. Here are some events:

Vintage funPortsmouth Historic Dockyardwill host a new event over thebank holiday weekend of June 2-3. Victorious Vintage will featurean array of beautiful vintage stallsthroughout the dockyard, withcolourful characters fromdifferent eras and live bands onthe main stage. Following the success of the

Victorian Festival of Christmas,the dockyard has teamed up

once again with Love Southseaand The Boutique Market for thisfree event, highlighting the bestof bygone eras. Both evenings will have a

headline act but groupsannounced already includeDodgy and the Lightning Seeds.For more information, go towww.historicdockyard.co.uk.

Punch up atQueen VicshowAlthough 2012 is all aboutcelebrating the present Queen’sDiamond Jubilee, the townsfolk

at Blists Hill Victorian Town, nearIronbridge in Shropshire will bestepping back in time tocelebrate Queen Victoria’sDiamond Jubilee from June 2-5. A daily concert on The Green

will feature patrioticentertainment, including bagpipeplayers and drummers from theSeaforth Highlanders band in fullScottish costume and theWellington (Telford) Brass Band. Strolling actors will perform

scenes from novels by CharlesDickens while younger visitorscan enjoy a traditional Punch andJudy show. For more information on

ticket prices and opening times,go to www.ironbridge.org.uk.

Light my fireA beacon chain was once usedas a tool for communication andthey have marked royalweddings, jubilees andcoronations in Britain forcenturies, with beacons being liton village greens, castlebattlements, church towers,beaches and mountain tops. In 1897, beacons were lit

nationally to celebrate QueenVictoria’s Diamond Jubilee and, in1977 and 2002, beacons were litto celebrate the Queen’s Silverand Golden Jubilees. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

Beacons will be lit on BankHoliday Monday, June 4, with theaim to light 2,012 beaconsacross the UK andCommonwealth nations. The 10 pupils of Britain’s highest

school, Flash Primary School inFlash, Staffordshire, will be lightingtheir own beacon, as will theresidents of Reigate, St Albans,Nottingham and Lowestoft. TheQueen will light the nationalbeacon at approximately 10.30pmin central London. For more information, go to

www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk.

Curiouser and curiouser

Right royal knees-ups

Mar

c Wes

t ©

Sto

ry M

useu

m

Sour

cew

ire.c

om

Visit

Brita

in

Ham

ilton

Stu

dios

n Celebrating atthe PortsmouthHistoric Dockyard

n Jubileepreparationsat Blists Hill

n JubileeBeacon

n The Queen ofHearts and tarts

O@Atlmspring12v1pp114-115_T&L 22/04/2012 23:25 Page 115

tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Spring 2012116

� GREAT DAYS OUT

£4.00 adults, £3.50 seniors, £2.00 children

116TLMspring 3/4/12 09:45 Page 1

Spring 2012 tlm � the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 117

GREAT DAYS OUT �

116TLMspring 29/3/12 12:56 Page 2