A Suitably English Excursion, Pt.3: Shrewsbury Revisited

There's quite a gap between posts again, but I've been delighfully busy during the past weeks - studying Italian, singing in a choir, and doing other stimulating things to keep my mind off the coming darkness. Yet, since a while back I promised a selection of photos from my excursion to Shrewsbury way back in September, here they finally are.

I first visited Shrewsbury way back in 2004, while I was interrailing with another anglophile friend of mine. We both fell in love with the well-preserved charms of the town. Compared to some other historic English cities, Shrewsbury isn't too touristy, either (I'm looking at you, Bath). 

Although the town centre is lovely, too, my favourite spot is the park (called The Quarry)...

...and within the park, a particular spot called the Dingle:

The last time I went there, it was May and the rhododendrons were in bloom. Now, in September, the place was even more impressive. 

 

Looking at all these colous in the middle of November gloom makes my soul bleed. But in the nicest possible way. :)

A Suitably English Excursion, Part 2

I'm not a great fan of big cities; small places tend to have more character - and are also better for day-trips. England in particular is full of little gems that most tourists tend to overlook. Nantwich, for example.

The town certainly isn't the most happening place in the world - when I went there, it was a market day, and the high street was full of old ladies. This, however, only added to the olde-worlde charm of the place. The town musem, on the other hand, was full of noisy schoolchildren, who were apparently there to learn about the traditions of cheese-making.

I found my way to the canal completely by accident, and spent a couple of hours following random footpaths back to the town centre. The weather was magnificent, and I really envied the people who floated by on their canal boats, smiling and waving as they went.

The locals were friendly as well, if a bit curious.

The following day I took a train to Knutsford - another charming old Cheshire town. Nowadays it's perhaps best known as Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford (although Wikipedia tells me that the recent series was actually filmed in Wiltshire). Being more of a Brontë fangirl myself, my reason for going there was the town's main point of interest, Tatton Park.

Altough I'd done some research beforehand, I really wasn't prepared for the sheer size of the place. The park itself is HUGE: it took me almost an hour to make my way to the mansion.

Within the park, there were several big gardens, all of which were very impressive. Above the Italian garden behind the big house.

The Japanese garden, however, was my favourite. 

  I've seen quite a few historic houses in my time, but Tatton Park still managed to impress me. Also, five hours wasn't nearly enough to see everything; I would have liked to see the old Tudor hall, and to spend more time just walking around the park in the company of the deer and the sheep. Knutsford itself was a pleasant-looking place, and certainly worth more than a quick walk-through.

Still to come: A Suitably English Excursion, Pt. 3: The Wonders of Shrewsbury.

A Suitably English Excursion, pt. 1: Chester

Another year, another trip to England. My seventh, if my calculations are correct. You might think that there isn't much left to see in the Ol' Green and Pleasant after so many visits - but it seems that the more you see of the place, the more there is to see. Take Chester, for example. 

If a friend of mine hadn't invited me there, I'd probably never had even thought about going to Chester. Which would have been a shame, since the place is absolutely charming. The city has been compared to York - after all, both places boast a long history and a city wall (see Chester's impressive wall above). 

As York happens to be my favourite English city, I won't make any unfruitful comparisons here, especially as Chester is lovely in its own right - just quite a bit smaller. But let's just say that their wall still actually encircles the city centre. Almost, at least.

But there's a lot more to see in Chester: for instance, a cathedral (above, lurking behind the tree).

A historic town centre, complete with a clock dedicated to that most not-amused of monarchs, Victoria. 

 Some street art, found in the most unexpected places. 

 This was the part I loved the most, however: the waterways. Here the canal on a bright, cold morning. 

The River Dee on a muggier morning...

... and at sunset.

Coming soon: A Suitably English Excursion, pt. 2: Nantwich and Knutsford.

Saving the world, one second-hand skirt at a time...

I'm very fond of second-hand shops. In fact, nowadays I do most of my shopping at fleamarkets and charity shops - for several reasons. Price is of course one. Yet, the unpredictability of these places also really pleases me. Of course, if you're looking for something particular, then a round of the fleamarkets begins to resemble regular shopping - which isn't much fun in my experience. However, if you can keep your mind and eyes open, most of the time you can spot some treasures.

There are a few second-hand lovelies in the picture above - some of which are my mother's old possessions (her Afghan mat and old living room table). The yellow mirror I found last Saturday - I've been looking for one of those for some time now. This one cost 10 €. The flowery thing in the mirror is another secondhand find - a vintage lamp I bought a few years back. 

As you can see, I'm very pleased with my other two finds: a beautiful blue blouse (2 €), and a purple Vila skirt (4€). I seem to have a particular knack for finding secondhand Vila skirts in exactly my size. This might become a problem, as I'm already running out of cupboard space. 

On an altogether unrelated note, I began my Italian studies today. It's been a while since I've sat in a classroom and actually repeated phrases after the teacher. I loved every minute of it! I just hope my newfound motivation will carry me through October and November as well. 

But next week, I'm going to England for a few days. Will probably gush about it later.

Oi!, or, A Horrible Interlude

So the summer holidays are over, and I'm back at the drawing board, trying to finish the last draft of my PhD. Yet, I've got my eye on next summer already - mainly because next year's SHS costume party has a rococo theme, and that requires quite a bit of research. 

Luckily, there's always the Horrible Histories team to turn to: 

This is how I would have liked to learn history at school. Fortunately, it's never too late to brush up on important historical events - or, for example, the kings and queens of England: 

Although the HH people are a bit selective when it comes to exploding historical myths (the death of Nelson, for example), sometimes they do a very charming job of it, indeed:

Alma Mater

I've been studying at the University of Jyväskylä for almost ten years now, but until today I hadn't taken a single picture of our campus. I've meant to, many times, particularly in the autumn, but somehow my camera has always remained at home. Today, I finally decided to remedy this scandalous state of affairs, and spent a lovely hour walking in the oldest part of the Seminaarinmäki campus, dodging nervous entrance exam-goers. 

The building above is Parviaisen talo, in which our Contemporary Culture department was housed for a brief time - until it turned out that mould had taken over the house (despite, or because of, the recent renovations).

Most of us arts & culture people are now crammed into Juomatehdas - an old lemonade factory, which still retains its solid but bubbly atmosphere of old. 

A knit-graffiti attack! I've seen similiar artwork inside Juomatehdas, but these ones are quite new. 

 Seminarium is one of the oldest buildings on campus (completed in 1883). In the 19th century, it used to be one of the most visible buildings in the city, looming on its high hill. Nowadays it lurks amid some tall pines, and is quite easy to miss. 

Oppio and the Gardener's House are also among the older generation of buildings. 

The Main Building (here pictured from the back, which I've always thought to be more interesting than the front) was designed by Alvar Aalto. While tourists marvel at its bold modernity, we students have to put up with its unpractical quirks (echoing, red brick-clad walls, uncomfortable furniture, and unpredictable dimensions. The ladies' toilet on the ground floor is well worth a visit for this reason.)

Although I don't appreciate Mr Aalto's architecture (or his wonky vases) as much as I perhaps should, I have to admit that on a sunny summer's day even the main building looks fresh and appealing. Also the grassy roof of the library is an excellent place for sunbathing.

Alive and Flapping

As I predicted, it's been rather quiet here for a couple of months. With the third SHS party only a few weeks away, it's time to get back in the blogging business - and what better way to do it than by looking at some lovely ladies from the 1920s. 

Louise Brooks (above, click to enlarge) is by far one of my favourites flappers; there is something very elegant and at the same time something very outrageous about her. 

I don't know all that much about Evelyn Brent, but I like her hat, and her haughty expression. Wikipedia tells me that Brent was at one time married to Harry Fox, who gave his name to foxtrot. Live and learn. 

Norma Talmadge was a superstar of the silent film era. I love her dress and the pearls. 

I don't know who this girl is, but there is something captivating about the simple elegance of the photograph. Makes me wish I had shorter hair so that I could try to duplicate that do.

Mary Eaton was a popular dancer and actress, who appeared alongside the Marx Brothers in The Cocoanuts...

 ...as did the Brox Sisters.

Fanny Brice was a comedienne, and later an inspiration for Funny Girl.

Karla Gutchrlein was one half of the Sisters G - and incredibly cool. 

Josephine Baker didn't believe in wearing very much, but she also lived a fascinating life. Bring on the banana miniskirt!

And finally, a reminder that although not all 20s women were young and glamorous, they sure knew how to have a good time. If I didn't already have suitably jazzy shoes for our speakeasy party, I'd be seriously considering a pair of boots big enough to slip a bottle of whisky in.

(Source: All pictures are from Wikimedia Commons)