South Downs to become National Park

Britain is to gain another National Park – the South Downs – joining such other protected areas of natural beauty as the Lake District, the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor.

The decision has finally been confirmed to make this area of south-east England a National Park, 60 years after it was first recommended.

The South Downs area – stretching from Beachy Head in East Sussex to the edge of Winchester in Hampshire – takes in a varied landscape of scarp slopes, cliffs, river valleys and woodland, as well as historic villages, churches, and hill-top forts.

The South Downs will be the 15th National Park in England, Scotland and Wales and is expected to be established by April 2010 and become fully operational a year later. Continue reading South Downs to become National Park

Stanfords Launches New Online Mapping and Data System

Stanfords Business Mapping, a leader in the provision of large-scale mapping, height and imagery data, has launched a new online one-stop shop for all business map products.

One of only three suppliers to meet the stringent requirements for Planning Portal, Stanfords is the proud recipient of Ordnance Survey’s Outstanding Achievement Award for the past two years and was recently awarded OS Premier Partner status (the highest level possible).

Unlike other suppliers, Stanfords Portal offers all of the following benefits: Continue reading Stanfords Launches New Online Mapping and Data System

Principles of Geology – Charles Lyell

In 1650 and 1654 the great biblical scholar James Ussher published two Latin treatises on the chronology of the Old and New Testaments. By analysing and linking the various genealogies recorded in the Bible, Ussher arrived back with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he felt confident in fixing the date of the creation of the world as occurring in 4004 BC, on 23 October of that year, probably at four o’clock in the afternoon.

This chronology was printed in many Bibles down to the late 19th century, and consequently Ussher’s name became notorious as a pillar of fundamentalism, and an enemy of science. This was quite unfair on Ussher, who was simply following and refining the knowledge and beliefs of his time. His chronology was a testimony to the unity of knowledge which then prevailed: it connected the biblical tradition with real history, and no one in the 17th century would have found anything odd in that. As the natural sciences slowly developed in the years after Ussher’s work was written, his chronology offered a base-line, to be weighed, tested, and ultimately rejected. Continue reading Principles of Geology – Charles Lyell

10 Things You Never Knew About Darwin

The 12 February 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and we found out some lesser-known facts on the famous naturalist…

Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on 12 February 1809 and went on to become one of the most important figures in our history, by forming the basis of the evolutionary theory and changing forever the face of science.

His two most famous works, On the Origin of Species and The Voyage of the Beagle, revolutionised the thinking of Victorian, orthodox England, and indeed, the rest of the world.

Darwin exploded the established creationist beliefs, demonstrating through years of experiments and discoveries the evolution and natural selection of living beings.

However, who was the man behind the marvel? I went to a special Darwin exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London to find out more… Continue reading 10 Things You Never Knew About Darwin

John Simpson Takes Explorers to War Zone

John Simpson is to teach adventurers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston how to file news reports from a war-zone in a new BBC series.

The BBC world affairs editor will take the pair to Afghanistan, as he files reports for the BBC News.

In return, the explorers will lead Simpson on the type of trips they are more familiar with, to hone the broadcaster’s adventure skills.

Sir Ranulph, whose records have included making the first surface journey around the world’s polar axis, will guide the others on a week-long journey to the Arctic Circle in temperatures as low as -50C.

Sir Robin, the first person to sail single-handedly and non-stop around the world, guides the voyage around South America’s dangerous Cape Horn. The team have just completed filming there and John Simpson kindly spared a moment to send us some photos. And here are the trio at Cape Horn (top right) and a shot of the treacherous waters they encountered (left).

 

The three-part series – Top Dogs: Adventures in War, Sea and Ice – will be shown on BBC2 in spring this year.

Read our interview with John Simpson.

‘True’ World Place Names Revealed in New Stanfords Maps

New maps have come into Stanfords that are truly unique – the atlases of true names around the world and Europe.

These maps are the first to use etymology – the study of the origin and history of words – to provide an unusual insight into familiar geographical names – with intriguing results.

Once the names have been taken back to their roots and translated into English, it is apparent that our world also has an affinity with Middle Earth – the mythical continent in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

The etymological world map reveals place names such as Italy to be ‘Land of Calves’; Scotland as ‘Land of the Wanderers’; the Sahara as ‘Sea of Sand’; Burma as ‘Land of the Quick and Strong Ones’ and Antarctica as ‘Opposite to the Bear’s Land’.
Continue reading ‘True’ World Place Names Revealed in New Stanfords Maps

Stanfords Supports International Development Charity

Stanfords were pleased to be able to donate nearly £125 to international development charity ActionAid after a special Christmas shopping evening.

ActionAid joined us in our London store for the Christmas shopping evening on 20 November when we offered customers 10% off their purchases, plus we pledged 10% of the evening’s proceedings to go to the charity. Continue reading Stanfords Supports International Development Charity

Strictly the River Avon

Our manager of Stanfords in Bristol appeared on TV to defend the city’s river following a gaffe made by Strictly Come Dancing judge, Len Goodman.

Goodman has become well-known on the BBC TV series for always giving every competitor 7 out of 10 for their efforts, which led to presenter Bruce Forsyth sending him up on a recent show. Forsythe grilled Goodman with questions related to the number 7, such as, “How many dwarves did Snow White have?” However, one of the questions was, “Which river runs through the centre of Bristol?” And to the horror of the West Country, Goodman answered “Severn”. As we all know, it’s in fact the Avon.

Continue reading Strictly the River Avon

Christmas Around the World

Ranulph Fiennes

At Stanfords, we’re lucky enough to work together with people from all over the world. From burning shepherds, and carps in the bath to an ugly old woman who leaves presents, here a few of us share how we celebrate Christmas when we’re back home…

Italy

Margherita

Christmas starts in Italy with Advent – we put up an Advent calendar and display a nativity scene (presepe) from 1st December, but the figure of baby Jesus is not put in place until 12.01am on the 25th and figures of The Three Kings arrive on 6th January. There is a huge, wonderful museum of nativities in Naples.

Christmas is then generally celebrated on the 24th with a dinner with everyone together. We follow the northern European traditions of the Christmas tree and of Father Christmas (Babbo Natale) coming down the chimney and putting presents under the tree and they are opened on the 25th. A star is then added above the nativity and to the tree when Jesus is born.

Italian Nativity Scene PresepeFood is really regional, but a food eaten all over Italy is Panattone or Pandoro (traditional Italian dry sponge cakes). In my family in Tuscany, we always have crostini toscani (little toasted breads) with liver pate served hot; my aunty would hand-make tortellini and put them to dry on the ironing board and I would steal them. We’d cook them in a meat stock that my mum prepared – bollito – from a big pot with all different vegetables and meat. The main cut of meat in my family was the ox tongue – we’d have this just at Christmas. Another aunty would make a vegetable tart. There’d be mandarins, clementines and nuts. After lunch we open presents, play cards, watch TV, go for a walk.

The Panattone is good the morning after, dipped in tea. On the 26th it’s great because all the leftovers are re-cooked in different ways.

The Christmas period ends on Epifania (Epiphany; 6th January) – we have a saying that “Epiphany is bringing away all the festivities” – when The Three Kings are added to the nativity scene, and la Befana (the ‘witch’, but really an old ugly lady who flies on a broom) comes and leaves presents – or coal – depending on your behaviour – in stockings.

Sweden

Karl

Sankta LuciaWe follow Advent to count down to Christmas. Each week we light one, two, three and then four candles in the window. Sankta Lucia(St Lucy) comes on 13th December when little girls all dress up like her in white sheets and with fake candles in their hair, while boys dress up as gingerbread men or elves. At high schools one girl is selected to be St Lucia – with real candles in a crown – and other girls are chosen to be her maids walking behind her and singing.

The 24th December is the big day for us, when most people celebrate. We start with a midday lunch when you visit relatives. The close family then gather together in the evening when we have a big dinner with typical Swedish dishes – ham, spare ribs, meatballs, salmon, herring, eel, and various salads. For dessert, we have a traditional rice pudding with an almond hidden in it – whoever gets the almond is the one who is getting married next. After dinner, we gather together round the Christmas tree – in the old days you danced around it – and hand out the gifts with some mulled wine and gingerbread.

On the 25th we don’t do much, just relax and eat leftovers. The holiday lasts for most people until the new year.

Poland

CarpsLukasz

On the 24th December it’s the most important day, when we would kill carps that we had kept in the bath for two days and then eat them. The traditional Christmas Eve supper should have 12 dishes and the carp is the main dish. We fast until the evening supper and we don’t eat meat at all on the 24th. We always leave one plate empty for an unexpected guest, and in the countryside they put a bundle of straw under the tablecloth for baby Jesus.

It’s a big family thing – all the generations come together. Santa Claus – Swiety Mikolaj – comes and puts gifts under the tree, but if you are bad you get a twig. Grandpa Frost replaced Santa Claus between 1945 and 1990. We open gifts either on the evening or the next morning. There is midnight mass as well. On the 25th and 26th all we do is eat meat.

Basque Country, Spain

Julio

The Three KingsIn the Basque country we have a celebration on the 24th December of Olentzero– a shepherd figure who lives in the mountains and comes to tell that Jesus was born – and he brings presents to celebrate. So in my town, we have a parade with a puppet representing this figure, and for some reason he is burned at the end of the procession!

On 6th January, The Three Kings bring presents to children, although the rest of Spain also has Father Christmas on the 24th December. On the 24th, we have a dinner with close family. In my house we don’t have a tree or nativity scene, which others in Spain do. The guests stay til the 25th when we eat the leftovers. It all happens again on New Year’s Eve – we have a family dinner, but with many more people together this time, and again we have leftovers on the 1st January.

England

Rachel

Board Game Close UpYou have to have an Advent calendar from the 1st December, even if you’re grown up. And a stocking that you put at the end of your bed on the 24th to find it stuffed with little gifts – some useful, others silly – on the morning of the 25th. There are also presents left by Father Christmas under the tree (a real one – Norway spruce for the scent) and they are all opened on Christmas morning. Lunch is roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pigs-in-blankets (sausages wrapped in bacon), Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Much more than anyone could ever eat is cooked. The afternoon is for playing games, taking a walk (or a nap) and if there’s a good old film on, that plays on the TV in the background.

In the evening we have a buffet tea with a gammon ham, vol-au-vents, sausage rolls, turkey sandwiches, cheeses, crackers, crisps and French fancies, chocolate yule log and hot mince pies. More games are played and when the energy levels flag, the TV goes on til bedtime.

Boxing Day (26th December) is for examining the presents you received and then visiting relatives in the afternoon, although annoyingly, this is when the best films are on TV.

Author: Rachel Ricks

Stanfords Stocks Large-Format Personalised Historical Maps

Here at Stanfords, we’re about to add another product to our range. In partnership with Cassini Publishing, we will shortly be offering Mapmaker-80 which provides site-centred historical maps of any part of England and Wales. These will match the 80x80cm format of the popular OS Select maps of the present-day landscape.

“We receive numerous requests for historical maps that match present-day OS Select maps,” says Stanfords’ Martin Greenaway, “but previously this hasn’t been possible. Present-day OS maps are available in a set of seamless tiles, but until recently historical maps were not. Fortunately, Cassini has changed all that!” Continue reading Stanfords Stocks Large-Format Personalised Historical Maps