Filling In The Gaps

The story behind some of the people, places and events used in Lovatts crosswords. Please make a selection below:

• Albert, Prince Consort
• Annie Oakley
• April Fool's Day
• Attila the Hun
• Big Ben
• Billy the Kid
• Boston Tea Party
• Buffalo Bill
• Cenacle
• Chinese New Year
• Christmas Day
• Cupid
• Dr Jekyll
• Dr Spooner
• Draconian
• Dunlop
• Earl Grey
• Edgar Allan Poe
• El nino
• Eric the Red
• Eros
• Eva Peron - Evita
• Friday the 13th
• J Edgar Hoover
• Jesse Owens
• Joern Utzon
• Jolly Roger
• Lady Godiva
• Marco Polo
• Mata Hari
• Ned Kelly
• Nell Gwyn
• Nero - Roman Emperor
• Old Vic
• Pyramids of Egypt
• Rasputin
• Saint Patrick
• Shaka Zulu
• Sitting Bull
• Taj Mahal
• The Oscars
• Titan
• Uncle Sam
• Utah - the Mormon State
• Valentine's Day
• Wessex
• Yuan Tan
• Yuri Gagarin

Wessex

Last modified on 2009-09-30 05:33:18 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

We clue this variously as ‘Alfred the Great’s kingdom’, ‘Thomas Hardy’s fictional area’ or even ‘Prince Edward, Earl of …’. So what or where is Wessex? The story of Wessex is really the story of the beginning of England.

Wessex was the Kingdom of the West Saxons, founded around AD 500 by Cerdic. The kingdom grew slowly over the next 350+ years and in 871 when Alfred became king it was one of the island’s strongest kingdoms and were better able to face the marauding Danes than many others. After Alfred (who became known as ‘the Great’) defeated the Vikings at Edington, the lands were divided and Alfred was now king of the English (though there is debate about who was truly the first king of all England).

Alfred’s defeat of the Vikings led the way to the unification of England under Alfred’s grandson Athelstan and Wessex became an earldom and no longer a kingdom. After William the Conqueror’s arrival the earldom was split up.

Wessex covered most of Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, and the former county of Berkshire. The capital of Wessex was Winchester. Author Thomas Hardy, who came from Dorset, used Wessex as the fictional name for the county where his now well-known stories were set.

When Prince Edward was made Earl of Wessex the title had not been used for over 900 years. The last earl was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Earl Grey

Last modified on 2009-10-08 04:04:47 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

We all know of the famous Earl Grey tea but how did the tea get its name? Well this is not a simple matter.

According to Twinings, Prime Minister Earl Grey was given a case of this black tea flavoured with bergamot oil by a Chinese Mandarin and loved it so much that he asked Twinings to make a similar tea for him.

Jackson’s Of Piccadilly disagree and say the original Earl Grey is theirs, the recipe having been given to Robert Jackson by Lord Grey.

Tea was still quite a  ‘new thing’ and what is clear is that the Earl was a big fan. Jane Austen was another early fan of the beverage but she didn’t have the honour of a tea in her name.

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, was born in Northumberland in 1764 attended Eton then Trinity College, travelled Europe and then entered politics. He was prime minister from 1830-34, under the reign of William IV. His term of office saw the passing of the Reform Act 1832, which aimed to correct anomalies in the electoral system. Charles and his wife, Mary had 16 children - so a big pot was needed at tea time in their house!

Bergamot is a pear-shaped citrus fruit and the aromatic oil comes from the rind. As well as being used in tea it is used in perfumes. Because of its strong aroma Earl Grey is sometimes known as ‘Old Stinky’. Lady Grey tea also has the bergamot oil but with the addition of orange and lemon.

With such tea flavours as cherry & cinnamon, honeybush & lavender and pineapple now available, Earl Grey’s bergamot doesn’t seem quite so unusual as it once did.

Lady Godiva

Last modified on 2009-04-22 04:08:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Lady Godiva is renowned for riding through the streets of Coventry — naked! What is less known however, is why such a pious woman would do such a thing.

Lady Godgifu, her real name, was married to Leofric, the Earl of Mercia. She was a beautiful woman who cared greatly for the people of Coventry who were ruled over by her tyrannical husband. He imposed heavy taxes on the people and he and Godgifu quarrelled about it frequently. She begged him to be more merciful.

One day Leofric made the extravagant promise that if she were to ride naked through the streets of Coventry on market day, he would cancel the tax altogether. Her passion for the people and their well being spurred her on to take the challenge and in 1040, Lady Godgifu rode through the streets, clothed only by her long, beautiful blonde hair.

Surprisingly, Leofric kept his promise and the people of Coventry were exempt from paying taxes. Eventually, he changed his ways and instead of persecuting the church, mended his relationship with Godgifu and founded a Benedictine monastery with her.

One version of the tale says that she requested everyone stay indoors during her ride, with their windows and doors shut. The story goes that only one man peeped and that was Tom, the tailor, who is said to have been struck blind for his moment of weakness. You’ve heard of Peeping Tom haven’t you?

Old Vic

Last modified on 2009-04-22 03:58:50 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Have you seen the clue ‘London theatre, Old …’ and wondered who Old Vic was?

This famous London theatre was originally named The Royal Coburg Theatre when it first opened in 1818 but was renamed the Royal Victoria Theatre in 1833. It soon became known as the Old Vic and the name has stuck.

From 1914-1923 the Old Vic produced all of Shakespeare’s plays and from then on the theatre’s fame grew.
The building was severely damaged during WWII, but was rebuilt and reopened in 1950.

Old Vic not only referred to the building but to the theatre school and also to he repertory company who have toured around the world and spread the Old Vic’s reputation for fine theatre.

In 1946 the Bristol Old Vic was established and in 1973 the Young Vic was created. In 1998 when the theatre was for sale it was suggested it could be converted to a pub or club but was rescued by the Old Vic Theatre Trust charity in 2000.

Many great names are associated with the Old Vic, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Alec Guinness and Sir John Gielgud, Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith. In 2003 Kevin Spacey became the artistic director.

 

Joern Utzon

Last modified on 2009-04-22 04:25:12 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Danish architect, Joern Utzon,  probably one of the most accomplished architects in the world, never saw his finest achievement - the magnificent Sydney Opera House.

Utzon’s  submission was selected from amongst 230 others competing in a worldwide competition run by the NSW State Government to design an opera house.

Construction began in 1959 but it soon became apparent that Utzon’s original design was structurally impossible. After a few more years of research, Utzon was able to solve the complex geometry of the Sydney Opera House ‘sails’, although production was put back several years.

All went well until February 1966 when a dispute with the government caused Utzon to resign and leave Australia, never to return. Three Sydney architects were then hired to complete the building, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973.

In June 2007 Sydney’s Opera house was listed in the World Heritage sites. In 2008 Joern Utzon died, aged 90. In march 2009 a memorial concert was held at the Opera House he designed for Sydney.