Happy Easter from London! This is Springtime in England -- cold, with variable weather, often rain, yet with blossoms beginning to bloom and brighten any day. We hope to hear church bells ringing around the city this morning. Surprisingly, it is rare to hear them, with all the churches they have in the city. How grateful we are for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for His infinite and atoning sacrifice for us, and for His and our Heavenly Father's love for and knowledge of each one of us. We are grateful for each of you, our family and friends. How blessed we are! Nature is beginning to show us the wonders of Springtime -- even with it being still cold and quite rainy. The daffodils are blooming in clusters in parks, around trees, along fencelines and sidewalks. A few trees are full of pink or white blossoms, and many more have buds eager to burst open. Spring always gives us hope, just as thoughts of and prayers to our Heavenly Father and our Savior. How very blessed we are!
It is also General Church Conference for us this weekend. Time-delayed sessions are shown at the Hyde Park Chapel. For those who have laptop computers, the senior couples, the option is available for us to listen to conference sessions via the Internet, which is what we have chosen to do this weekend. We are strengthened, uplifted, and given personal revelations for our own situations through our faithfulness. Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, thanked Church membership for their service and faith -- certainly we should be thanking him for these qualities, and for leading us in humility and righteousness, and by example.
Elder Hawley is finally feeling better; so many others here have been sick with this cold/cough that just hangs on. Some have had lung infections, even pneumonia. We are greatful that we have found times for Elder Hawley to rest and to recover his energy.
A sweeping transfer was completed relatively smoothly this past week. Changes were made in iMOS, preimbursements assigned, and over 26 companionships were changed across the board. We greeted a new sister missionary from Switzerland, Nicole Muller [in blue], seen in the picture below with her new companion Jamilyn Ostler [in pink], and President and Sister Patch. Sister Hawley takes the photos of all the new missionaries, usually in the office [with the ELM presidents' board behind them]. if there is a small group of incoming missionaries. If there is a large group pictures are taken in the Hyde Park building foyer on the ground floor, with orientation in either the high council room on the 2nd flooror the Institute room on the 1st floor.
Sister Hawley prints a copy of all new missionary photos and sends it with a letter from President Patch to the parents of the new missionaries to let them know that their son or daughter has arrived in the mission field and is well and happy and already busy in missionary endeavors with guidance from a loving companion. President & Sister Patch always greet new missionaries.
Another senior couple, Sherrie and Bob Harbrecht, two of our ELM missionaries assigned to the Family History Centre, invited us to visit Canterbury and Dover with them. Because of poor [cold and rainy and windy] weather, we four chose to see Cambridge instead. [We definitely want to have good weather when visiting the Cliffs of Dover, so this trip has been postponed for several weeks until the weather improves.]
The FHC was closed for England's Easter Friday, so the Harbrecht's wanted to go to Cambridge on this day as they did not have assignments for this day. We asked the Miles to come and they covered the office for us so that we could go with the Harbrecht's. We arose early and met at King's Cross National Rail Station in time to take the fast train at 8:45 a.m. to Cambridge; the trip takes about 45 minutes without stops. Trains at other times make several stops and the trip takes about 60 minutes. These computer trains certainly are comfortable and make traveling from one place to another very easy.
At the train station we found the tour bus and took a full tour around the Cambridge area. From this bus ride we were able to pick and choose the areas we wanted to spend more time seeing, and for our second go-round we spent time at those places. Our tickets were good for 24 hours with the option to get off and get on at any points along the tour route as often as we wanted. For most of our trip, the crowds were minimal, and the rain held off until about 2 p.m. It was cold and we were grateful to have coats and scarves and sweaters beneath the coats. Along the bus tour route we also listened to history about the Cambridge area via sets of headphones.
Some factual highlights about Cambridge--The Romans were the original settlers of the area, and, after the Romans came the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans came to influence and enhance the settlement. The three Christian cultures are represented in the names of various old structures. In the 11th century Cambridge was one of eastern England's largest towns with a population of some 1,600 citizens.
In 1209 King John declared Cambridge to be a royal borough; a merchant's guild wa established and regular fairs were held on Midsummer Common. Many goods were transport by boat, and Cambridge's wharf trade boomed. In the early 13th century, riots broke out in Oxford, and later Paris, causing many of those cities' scholars to flee, fearing for their lives. For unknown reasons many headed to Cambridge, and small groups of young men gathered in groups to lessons all taught in Latin. Because these groups lacked formality they were unruly, and problems soon prompted teachers and townfolk to impose some sort of order. Students were gathered in hostels and rules were established. In 1284 the Bishop of Ely founded Peterhouse--this was the first of the Cambridge colleges and the only one without "college" in its name. Over the next 70 years, seven more followed. The Old Court of Corpus Christi College is the oldest surviving university building. During the years of the black death there was a shortage of priests to bury the dead so a college was founded just to boost the number of priests. Corpus Christi or "body of Christ." The town and its university have survived time, age, plague, peasant uprisings and fire, and in the 15th century more colleges were founded.
Cambridge was at the centre of the English Reformation. The University has evolved slowly and for much of the time it has been more like a collection of monasteries than the University that exists today. King Henry the VIII destroyed the monastic system in England in the 16th century in order to quell opposition to his rule and to accumulate wealth and greater power. He did not destroy similar institutions in the universities, probably because he valued the technological advantage that might derive from their knowledge. He endowed Isaac Newton's Trinity College. The current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, attended Trinity College.
In 1800, 150 "freshers" "came up" [began their studies]; by 1870 this figure had risen to 800. Reforms centralized university facilities. In the 1820's rowing, cricket and other sports became college pursuits. The first college for women was founded in 1869; although women were allowed to study there since the 1840's they were not allowed to receive full university membership until 1947, and all male colleges only began admitting them in the 1970's. Today there are 2 all-women undergraduate colleges, with the rest being co-educational.
When the railway arrived this ended the riverside wharves, and "punting" became and remains a popular pastime. Over the 20th century "town and gown" have learned to work togetehr. In 1951 Cambridge was granted city status by King George VI. The University now has 35 colleges, the newest being Robinson, founded in 1977. Over 50 Nobel Prize winners come from Cambridge University.
King's College [see below] and the Fitzwilliam Museum [one of the best museums outside of London for its collectin of porcelean and Egyptian artifacts] were both closed when we were there. Also closed [too early in the season] were the Botanical Gardens. Before Henry VIII the monarchs of England focussed their patronage mainly upon King's College and [located next to it] Queen's College. Colleges are made up of groups of buildings, and both these have some beautiful and striking architecture. Inside the King's College, for example, is an amazing fan-vaulted ceiling.
We saw two very, very old churches: the Round Church [an Anglo-Saxon church dating from 500-600 AD] and a small Catholic church created in 1306 in the Norman period and continuously used since then, both downtown and easily missed. Fortunately, as we passed St. Mary's Chapel we happened to be there while an Easter service was in progress, and we went inside and sat in on a small portion of this service where a replica of the Cross was carried down the center aisle and members of the congregation were invited to approach it, which many did, to kiss the cross, kneel in front of it, or embrace it.
We were also touched by the World War II American cemetery and memorial just outside the city, where both Christian and Jewish airmen are buried, including Joseph Kennedy, oldest brother to President John F. Kennedy, and bandleader Glenn Miller, as well as markers placed here -- crosses for Christians and Star of David for Jewish -- those who were unidentified.
Punting is riding a flat-bottomed wooden boat propelled by thrusting a long pole into the water and pushing the boat along. There are many boats floating along the River Cam to see the back views of many of the college buildings and chapels, and the view along the river is one of the best -- hence, "punting along the Backs" is one of the most popular pastimes.
Another interesting site in Cambridge is the Mathematical Bridge, originally built out of wood without any nails. It was the first bridge in the world to be designed according to mathematical analysis of the forces in it. Years after it was built it was taken apart but those who tried to rebuild it were unable to do so, and now its pieces and parts are bolted together.
Christopher Wren, architect of the famous St. Paul's Cathedral in London, built his first project, a chapel copula, in Cambridge. There is a library here named after him. Other sites to see include Trinity College with, among other things, a statue of Henry VIII holding an orb AND a wooden chair leg placed there as a joke. Lord Byron studied there and kept a pet bear that he went swimming with because dogs as pets were not allowed. The Erasmus building in St. John's college is the oldest surviving building in Cambridge but access is restricted; the views from the tops of St. John's College Chapel and St. Mary's Chapel are spectacular, but don't climb the stairs on the latter when the bells are ringing. And, on the Fens [open space] is a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales.
Here are some photos of the streets of Cambridge as we saw them--
The favorite mode of transportation, and the most needful one, is the bicycle, for students, professors, and residents alike.
We tasted the world-famous Chelsea "sticky" [definitely] buns at Fitzbillie's confectionery shop, and had lunch at Brown's Restaurant. We enjoyed our time in Cambridge with the Harbrecht's and enjoyed learning about its historic significance. We see now where the prototypes for our own colleges and universities in the U.S. have come from. When it got really rainy we returned to the train station just in time [3 minutes to hop on] to catch the next train back to London. Throughout the day we took with us Flat Stanley, a school project that our grandson Tanner Hawley is doing with his 1st grade class. Flat Stanley is thin enough to be mailed around the world, and so we took him with us and took his picture in various places in London and in Cambridge. We will write up our travels and print our pictures and send them back to Tanner so that he can share Flat Stanley's adventures with GG Hawley in England.
At the train station we found the tour bus and took a full tour around the Cambridge area. From this bus ride we were able to pick and choose the areas we wanted to spend more time seeing, and for our second go-round we spent time at those places. Our tickets were good for 24 hours with the option to get off and get on at any points along the tour route as often as we wanted. For most of our trip, the crowds were minimal, and the rain held off until about 2 p.m. It was cold and we were grateful to have coats and scarves and sweaters beneath the coats. Along the bus tour route we also listened to history about the Cambridge area via sets of headphones.
Some factual highlights about Cambridge--The Romans were the original settlers of the area, and, after the Romans came the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans came to influence and enhance the settlement. The three Christian cultures are represented in the names of various old structures. In the 11th century Cambridge was one of eastern England's largest towns with a population of some 1,600 citizens.
In 1209 King John declared Cambridge to be a royal borough; a merchant's guild wa established and regular fairs were held on Midsummer Common. Many goods were transport by boat, and Cambridge's wharf trade boomed. In the early 13th century, riots broke out in Oxford, and later Paris, causing many of those cities' scholars to flee, fearing for their lives. For unknown reasons many headed to Cambridge, and small groups of young men gathered in groups to lessons all taught in Latin. Because these groups lacked formality they were unruly, and problems soon prompted teachers and townfolk to impose some sort of order. Students were gathered in hostels and rules were established. In 1284 the Bishop of Ely founded Peterhouse--this was the first of the Cambridge colleges and the only one without "college" in its name. Over the next 70 years, seven more followed. The Old Court of Corpus Christi College is the oldest surviving university building. During the years of the black death there was a shortage of priests to bury the dead so a college was founded just to boost the number of priests. Corpus Christi or "body of Christ." The town and its university have survived time, age, plague, peasant uprisings and fire, and in the 15th century more colleges were founded.
Cambridge was at the centre of the English Reformation. The University has evolved slowly and for much of the time it has been more like a collection of monasteries than the University that exists today. King Henry the VIII destroyed the monastic system in England in the 16th century in order to quell opposition to his rule and to accumulate wealth and greater power. He did not destroy similar institutions in the universities, probably because he valued the technological advantage that might derive from their knowledge. He endowed Isaac Newton's Trinity College. The current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, attended Trinity College.
In 1800, 150 "freshers" "came up" [began their studies]; by 1870 this figure had risen to 800. Reforms centralized university facilities. In the 1820's rowing, cricket and other sports became college pursuits. The first college for women was founded in 1869; although women were allowed to study there since the 1840's they were not allowed to receive full university membership until 1947, and all male colleges only began admitting them in the 1970's. Today there are 2 all-women undergraduate colleges, with the rest being co-educational.
When the railway arrived this ended the riverside wharves, and "punting" became and remains a popular pastime. Over the 20th century "town and gown" have learned to work togetehr. In 1951 Cambridge was granted city status by King George VI. The University now has 35 colleges, the newest being Robinson, founded in 1977. Over 50 Nobel Prize winners come from Cambridge University.
King's College [see below] and the Fitzwilliam Museum [one of the best museums outside of London for its collectin of porcelean and Egyptian artifacts] were both closed when we were there. Also closed [too early in the season] were the Botanical Gardens. Before Henry VIII the monarchs of England focussed their patronage mainly upon King's College and [located next to it] Queen's College. Colleges are made up of groups of buildings, and both these have some beautiful and striking architecture. Inside the King's College, for example, is an amazing fan-vaulted ceiling.
We saw two very, very old churches: the Round Church [an Anglo-Saxon church dating from 500-600 AD] and a small Catholic church created in 1306 in the Norman period and continuously used since then, both downtown and easily missed. Fortunately, as we passed St. Mary's Chapel we happened to be there while an Easter service was in progress, and we went inside and sat in on a small portion of this service where a replica of the Cross was carried down the center aisle and members of the congregation were invited to approach it, which many did, to kiss the cross, kneel in front of it, or embrace it.
We were also touched by the World War II American cemetery and memorial just outside the city, where both Christian and Jewish airmen are buried, including Joseph Kennedy, oldest brother to President John F. Kennedy, and bandleader Glenn Miller, as well as markers placed here -- crosses for Christians and Star of David for Jewish -- those who were unidentified.
Punting is riding a flat-bottomed wooden boat propelled by thrusting a long pole into the water and pushing the boat along. There are many boats floating along the River Cam to see the back views of many of the college buildings and chapels, and the view along the river is one of the best -- hence, "punting along the Backs" is one of the most popular pastimes.
Another interesting site in Cambridge is the Mathematical Bridge, originally built out of wood without any nails. It was the first bridge in the world to be designed according to mathematical analysis of the forces in it. Years after it was built it was taken apart but those who tried to rebuild it were unable to do so, and now its pieces and parts are bolted together.
Christopher Wren, architect of the famous St. Paul's Cathedral in London, built his first project, a chapel copula, in Cambridge. There is a library here named after him. Other sites to see include Trinity College with, among other things, a statue of Henry VIII holding an orb AND a wooden chair leg placed there as a joke. Lord Byron studied there and kept a pet bear that he went swimming with because dogs as pets were not allowed. The Erasmus building in St. John's college is the oldest surviving building in Cambridge but access is restricted; the views from the tops of St. John's College Chapel and St. Mary's Chapel are spectacular, but don't climb the stairs on the latter when the bells are ringing. And, on the Fens [open space] is a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales.
Here are some photos of the streets of Cambridge as we saw them--
The favorite mode of transportation, and the most needful one, is the bicycle, for students, professors, and residents alike.
We tasted the world-famous Chelsea "sticky" [definitely] buns at Fitzbillie's confectionery shop, and had lunch at Brown's Restaurant. We enjoyed our time in Cambridge with the Harbrecht's and enjoyed learning about its historic significance. We see now where the prototypes for our own colleges and universities in the U.S. have come from. When it got really rainy we returned to the train station just in time [3 minutes to hop on] to catch the next train back to London. Throughout the day we took with us Flat Stanley, a school project that our grandson Tanner Hawley is doing with his 1st grade class. Flat Stanley is thin enough to be mailed around the world, and so we took him with us and took his picture in various places in London and in Cambridge. We will write up our travels and print our pictures and send them back to Tanner so that he can share Flat Stanley's adventures with GG Hawley in England.
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