NEWS of the PAST WEEK, Part Deux

IF YOU CANNOT VIEW THE PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY, GO BACK ONE POSTING AND START READING THAT ONE BEFORE CONTINUING ON TO READ THIS POSTING -- BOTH ARE FOR THIS CURRENT WEEK, AND WERE WRITTEN TOGETHER.  CHEERS!

Portia @ Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

This past week we have tried Indian food, Greek food, and traditional English food -- curries and rice dishes from India, cold and hot Greek dishes using cheeses, fresh veg, herbs and spices -- Elder Hawley's favorite was the grilled Halloumi [goat and sheep milk] cheese he's going to find in Utah; and English pasties [ours were chicken and veg], the "roast of the day" [again chicken on the day we were there, but it can be any roast meat or poultry], with Yorkshire pudding, two potatoes and gravy; and fish 'n chips -- and the diner is given the WHOLE fish, sans tail and head, and thankfully w/o skin, lightly breaded and deep-fried.  We chose "garden" veg over "mushy peas" [a favorite of unknown origin], and enjoyed all these different flavors.  The pubs and restaurants often advertize "the pie of the day" and on the day we were there the pie -- not a dessert item -- was ELK.  [Desserts are groupe into a general heading under "pudding", as in, What's for Pudding? meaning an inquiry as to what is being served for dessert.]

We are seldom hungry enough to order dessert, but at the Indian restaurant in Paddington we tried the ice cream -- served in popcicle form either in Mango or Pistascio flavored ice cream; and carrot+corn pudding.  Both were really good.  We tried a modern Greek restaurant next door to the Globe Theatre; and ordered the roast chicken and fish 'n chips at a nearby-to-our-flat "local" pub on Earl's Court Road.  English food might have been viewed as bland and boring at one time, but not any more.  Because it is such a diverse and multi-cultured city, as well as a world-financial and governmental base-of-operations, there is much to choose from in the way of good food to match accommodation and tourist attractions.  The PUB is uniquely British.  What makes a true "public house" is not its construction, architecture, furniture or selection of alcoholic beverages.  It is the "clientele."  A public house means just that--everyone is welcome, even Americans and Australians!

"The local," as most British pubs are lovingly referred to, is an organic part of each community, ranking in importance along with the local post office and the town hall.  The personality of a pub greets patrons at the door, and is a most important ingredient to any town, borough, or city.  It is the social gathering place in any area, and British pub food is usually excellently prepared and can often be served by the owner, who is usually onsite to meet-greet-and-socialize.

Sister Hawley has added a section below on British recipes:

Cornish Pasty

Yorkshire Puddings

In spite of the cold and rainy weather mid-week we traveled to do a temple session in the Preston England Temple, north of Manchester, and south of Scotland, and west of Leeds and Yorkshire.  The Preston Temple is actually located on a multi-use plot in the town of Chorley.  It was a wet, and bitterly cold day.  And yet having the opportunity to visit the temple once again was a wonderfully warm, spiritually fulfilling experience.

Preston England Temple in Chorley.

Grey stone is polished like marble.

Temple Walk -- the pathway we used to walk to the temple from our rented accommodation.

Exterior temple details #1--Entrance

Exterior Details #2--Side Glass Windows

Exterior #3

Temple Grounds

Chapel or possibly stake Center, Chorley Temple Plot.

Preston Missionary Training Centre or MTC.

Family History Centre & Distribution Centre.

Preston Temple Entrance.

When we returned by high speed train to London, we were grateful to get back to somewhat warmer weather.  And when Friday dawned warmer and with mostly clear blue skies we set out once again to explore another area of Westminster, Trafalgar Square.

Trafalgar Square is a square in central London.  With its position in the heart of London, it is a tourist attraction, and one of the most famous squares in the United Kingdom as well as the world.  At its centre is Nelson's Column, with a statue of Lord Admiral [Naval Hero] Nelson at its top, and with four bronze giant-sized male lions guarding its base.

There are four corners with pliths used for deplaying statues and sculptures, 3 being permanent, and the fourth being used for the display of contemporary art.  It consists of a large central area surrounded by roadways on three sides and stairs leading to the National Gallery on the other.  The square is also used as a location for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year's Eve in London.  The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar [1805], a British Naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars.  The northern area had been the site of the King's Mews since the time of Edward I.  The southern end was the original Charing Cross, where the Strand from the City met Whitehall, coming north from Westminster.  As the midpoint between these twin cities, Charing Cross to this day is considered the heart of London, from which all distances are measured.  The present architecture of the Square is due to Sir Charles Barry and was completed in 1845.  The Square is owned by the Queen in "Right of the Crown," and is maintained by the Greater London Authority.  

Don at Trafalgar Square.

Nelson's Ship in a Bottle, being displayed currently, is a replica of Nelson's Ship, the HMS Victory, with sails made of printed fabric in a colourful African pattern inside a large glass bottle stopped with a cork, the first artwork displayed specifically to reflect on the historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square.  It is also the first commission by a black British artist, and is viewed by the South Africa House, located diagonally across the Square.

Ship in a Bottle.

Trafalgar Square/National Gallery

National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square block.

St. Martin-in-the-Field Church, Exterior and Interior, Trafalgar Square block.

We enjoyed our visit to the National Portrait Gallery, and walked past [but did not go inside] the St. Martin-in-the-Field Church, an Anglican church on the northeast corner of Trafalgar Square and dating back to the 1200's Roman London, and rebuilt by Henry VIII in 1542 to house plague victims [and keep them away from the city--then it was a church quite literally 'in the fields', hence the name; we also saw another view of the London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament [Westminister Hall], what remains of the Palace of Whitehall [the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698, until all but the Banqueting House was destroyed by fire], and the World War II British monument to women who served in this conflict.

The London Eye.

CloseUp, Sun shining on Big Ben.

Westminster Hall, home of British Parliament.

Drawing of Old Palace of Whitehall.

Women of World War II Monument.

We may have to go home just to REST!  There are so many places to visit, and increasingly, more now to do to get ready to go home.  Today we are planning to make a run to Tesco's with our trolley; sort through the kitchen items prior to our inventory checkout next week; and see about boxing up some small items for shipping home.  We are so surprised to realize that we have only 2 weeks and 2 days left in England.  We never planned for the 'going home' part of missionary service!

Elder Jonathan David McColgan, a Scotsman born in Wales and serving in England.

The mission president telephoned us yesterday to ask us if we would accompany one of our missionaries to Oxford on the 4th of December so that he could take a university exam there.  He also invited us to their flat for our departing dinner on the 6th of December.  Sister Hawley has printed an 8x10" photograph that Elder Hawley took of the Patch's son, who is serving here and who will be released at the end of December.

Elder Christopher Isaac Patch, youngest son of Deanne and Renn Patch.

We plan to make a gift of this photo to the Patch's, along with the book, The Infinite Atonement, [which we gave them on their 1-year anniversary], and also the finished collection of missionary photographs requested by President Patch of Sister Hawley and put into an informal Picture-Pages format for them to assemble into gift books after they finish their mission in 2012.  It took quite a bit of effort for Sister Hawley to compile what has totalled 204 missionary photographs -- 22 couples and 182 single missionaries whose release dates spread from 1 July 2009, the Patch's first day, through 30 June 2012, their last day.  We will also have our departing interviews with President Patch then.

Sister and Elder Hawley, Balcony of their #72 Huntsmore House Flat,

35 Pembroke Road, London W8 6LZ, England