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| Wednesday, 17-Jun-2009 20:12 |
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Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, Nottingham Castle, Nottingham UK
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The Legend of Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem
The original Castle of Nottingham was established on the rock in the year 1068 by William Perverill for William the Conqueror. Perverill caused the course of the River Leen to be altered to pass by the foot of the rock, partly as a moated defence and partly as a water supply for the Castle.
After the building of the Castle, one of the first additions would have been the Brewhouse. Since water for drinking was notoriously bad in the Middle Ages, ale was brewed and drank, because as well as providing alcohol, the brewing process served to sterilise the drink. The brewing of ale requires a steady temperature and the caves at the foot of the Castle Rock were ideal because they provided not only a very effective ‘air-conditioning’ system, but also necessary storage space.
Whilst there no maps of that era, examination of the caves suggest that the original location of the Brewhouse was in the area of Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem. Two vertical passages through the rock emerge into the open air outside the Castle walls - one of which leads from the present upstairs Lounge of the Inn. It seems very likely that these two passages were used in the malting process. This would have required a large fire and also a very wide ‘chimney’ and although these chimneys may have been partly natural, the similarities between the two suggest that they were probably altered to suit the needs and were thus the malthouses of the day.
Much of the history of the Inn is very poorly recorded. An archaeological dig in 1974 proved conclusively that the location of the original Brewhouse could only be that of the caves of Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem. This established that the Castle Brewhouse existed prior to 1189AD but the first dated reference is to be found is in the records of the City Council for the year 1618. The parochial rights to the area now known as the Brewhouse Yard did not in fact belong to the Castle but passed backwards and forward over time between the Priory of Lenton, The Knights Templar and the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem.
The black and white half-timbered section of the outer buildings of the Inn most certainly dates to around 1650 to 1660 and is shown accurately and in the correct location on Badder and Peat’s map of 1744. This was used as the basis for Charles Deering’s map in his 1751 book, “History of the Antiquities of Nottingham”.
Shortly later, the Inn was bought by William Standford who was responsible for many of the period buildings of Nottingham. This resulted in the structure of the Inn as it can be seen today and those with a keen eye for detail and old architecture will be able to spot the join between the old and new structures.
The first reference to the Inn with a name came in Deering’s book, where he referred to it as” The Pilgrim”. Bearing in mind the connection with the Court of St John of Jerusalem it seems but a short step to the name “Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem” which first appeared in Willoughby’s Directory of Nottingham, dated 1799. Interestingly, in deeds of sale recorded in 1834, the Inn was noted as “Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, formerly known as The Pilgrim”.
The next point of particular note was the acquisition of the Inn by George Henry Ward. A colourful character known to everyone as “Yorkey”, he had his nickname painted on the outside of the Inn where today the inscription “Well known throughout the World” is to be seen. Wright’s Directories of Nottingham record that “Yorkey” was the licensee of the Meadow Inn on Arkright Street in 1891 and the Fox and Owl on Parliament Street in 1893. By 1894 it is recorded that he had taken over the licence of Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem and remained there until his death in 1914.
Beers
As one of Nottingham's finest real ale establishments, the Trip to Jerusalem offers a selection of Hardys & Hansons branded beers which are now brewed by Greene King at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, where ale has been a feature of life since at least as far back as 1086. There is also a selection from Greene Kings’ own portfolio, such as Greene King IPA 3.6% abv (alcohol by volume) and Abbot Ale 5% abv, plus a wide selection of quality guest ales from an ever-changing selection.
http://www.triptojerusalem.com/index.php?page=the_pub
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| Monday, 25-May-2009 21:08 |
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History and Modernity together
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The entrance to Canterbury Cathedral and next to it, Starbucks!! B-)
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| Tuesday, 19-May-2009 19:33 |
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Swatow Restaurant Toronto
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I love to tell this story everytime I visit Swatow restaurant, on the east side of Spadina Avenue, just north of Dundas St. in Toronto. Swatow is the most amazing chinese food restaurant I've ever eaten at. The food is amazing. I was first introduced to Swatow by my pastry chef buddy, Steve Song who at the time was working at Ultra Supper Club on Queen St., said that this was the place that his chef friends used to hang out at after they finished their shifts.
Well he was right. The night we went, after watching April Wine and Kim Mitchell rock it up at The Docks, we stumbled into Swatow and there, sitting at the back of the restuarant, was Toronto's most famous chef, and now one of New York's leading chefs, Susur Lee, sitting by himself eating at Swatow. Hell, if it's good enough for Susur, it must be good enough for us, right?
The food is magnificent. It doesn't hurt to have a native speaker to help you, but the menus are in english and you'll have no problem finding something you'll like. Try the General Tao chicken or the Beef in Black Bean sauce, or the Fuk-kin Fried Rice  .
Of course while we were eating and catching up on old times, doesn't Susur Lee come over to our table to speak to Steve. I believe Steve had worked in his kitchen at one time, but certainly Steve is well know in the Toronto chef community, and I believe Susur was looking to see if Steve wanted to do some "guest gigs" at his restaurant. Of course we were hammered and it was only the next day that I realized that we should have invited Susur to sit and eat with us. Of course we neglected to do so and after getting nowhere with Steve, he returned to his table at the back of the restaurant to eat by himself. Susur now is in New York at his recently opened new restaurant Shang in the LES Thompson Hotel in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NY.
So get yourself to Swatow when you've been downtown and want some great food late at night. You won't be disappointed.
recent reviews
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| Monday, 11-May-2009 19:46 |
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They grow up so fast, don't they?
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| Monday, 11-Aug-2008 18:27 |
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Huge Explosion Wakes Up Toronto
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Yesterday morning, around 4 a.m., a propane storage facility burst into flame and multiple explosions resulted in thousands of people being woken up and evacuated.
Here is a great photo from photojunkie.ca
There are also some great videos on Youtube.
checkout the 2nd explosion on this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_sCj9YttH8
more footage here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMObNpz04RQ&feature=related
listen to the mini explosions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-5WQbx-dzA&feature=related
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| Tuesday, 15-Jul-2008 18:20 |
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Which Sports Car Are You?
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I'm a Lotus Elise!
You believe in maximum performance and minimum baggage. You like to travel light and fast, hit the corners hard, and dance like there's no tomorrow.
Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.
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| Wednesday, 9-Jul-2008 20:00 |
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RUSH plays Molson Ampitheatre
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The Toronto Sun, July 10, 2008
Rush has never been a band that rushes through its music in concert.
Intricate playing, challenging song structures, lyrics that don't quite fit simple rhyme schemes and tracks that often stretch into six minutes make for a lengthy prog-rock marathon as opposed to any semblance of a fast-paced sprint.
So with the trio of singer-bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart hitting the homestretch of their Snakes & Arrows world tour with a homecoming show at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre last night, the group proved once again that they might be getting long in the tooth, but when it comes to musicality there are few who can match them.
Beginning their roughly 160-minute, two-set journey with a video introduction and the strong Limelight, the group relied on Lee's high-register wails, Peart's constant pounding and precise fills and Lifeson's guitar work which at times resembled that of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
After the stellar, well-oiled Digital Man and the somewhat slower but heady Ghost of a Chance, Lee acknowledged the crowd quickly, stating that they were about to play "a ton of songs."
And they did just that, with the first half composed primarily of classics such as Mission and Freewill, the latter getting a huge ovation once the lyrical portion was done and the instrumental closing began.
With a backdrop that featured three video screens, lasers, the odd fireball and pyrotechnics (not to mention three chicken rotisserie ovens), Rush kept the energy going for the rabid, near-capacity crowd during The Larger Bowl and the leaner, mainstream rock feel of Red Barchetta which Lee said dated back to when "you guys probably had mullets."
Just before a well-deserved 30-minute intermission which Lee said was "due to the fact we're no longer spring chickens," Rush also nailed The Trees as Peart's large drum kit spun 180 degrees to show yet more surfaces to beat upon.
Probably to drive the fact home that they were touring behind a relatively new album, Rush opened the second half with a large batch of new material beginning with Far Cry. Although the volume seemed to reach another level for some reason, a few tunes fell short such as Workin' Them Angels and Spindrift.
Fortunately there were a few gems here, especially the edgier Armor and Sword and the great The Way the Wind Blows, a meaty, winding rock number that would not be out of place on Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti album.
From there Rush went back to the "veteran" songs starting with Subdivisions from 1982's Signals album and Natural Science. Yet the highlight of the second half and perhaps the evening was none of Lee's or Lifeson's doing.
Neil Peart went to work on a lengthy drum solo that was equal parts rock, ambient and jazz. Toss in some excellent tight camera shots of him hard at work and it was easy to see why he got such a loud, standing ovation.
Rush began rounding out the evening with the signature warhorses. The Spirit of Radio went over strong while Tom Sawyer, introduced by a video featuring South Park characters in the band Lil Rush, capped off the main portion of a roughly 90-minute second half.
Perhaps the only drawback with this current leg of touring is the fact that most of the show is not a huge surprise. A few changes from the 2007 set list were made but basically the recent Snakes & Arrows Live album release is what was performed on this go around.
Regardless, it's quite refreshing to see three musicians play their own instruments so well for so long.
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| Wednesday, 9-Jul-2008 17:18 |
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Tree Hit By Lightning, Falls and Blocks Traffic
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A 28-year-old man was killed last night when lightning struck a tree in Christie Pits.
Just before 8 p.m., as a violent thunderstorm swept across the city, a bolt struck a huge maple tree overlooking the baseball diamond in the park's northeast corner.
Witnesses said the victim had sought shelter from the rain under the tree.
Police said it was unclear if he was struck directly by lightning or fell victim to the electrical transfer after the tree was hit.
Curtis Puncher was sitting on his porch nearby when he saw the lightning flash in the park. After the rain stopped, he went to check the tree and found the prostrate man.
"There was a guy lying at the base of the tree and beside him was a book. I checked for a pulse and to see if he was breathing, but he wasn't," said Puncher.
Puncher called 911, and performed CPR under the guidance of a dispatcher until paramedics arrived. The man was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The man was from Toronto, but not from the Christie Pits area. Police are attempting to contact his family, who live outside the city.
An autopsy will be done today.
Environment Canada recorded 430 lightning flashes as the intense storm travelled across the GTA, said meteorologist Arnold Ashton.
The threshold for severe rainfall, 50 millimetres, was met in several places, including the Annex.
A fallen tree blocked Bloor St. W. near High Park, said Ashton.
this was the fallen tree...
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| Thursday, 26-Jun-2008 16:51 |
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Alex goes to the Prom...
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| Monday, 16-Jun-2008 20:18 |
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Random Photo Of The Day
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Taken at the Star Trek Museum, Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.
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