Legal London And The Demise of The Templars

The Templar's success attracted the envy and concern of many other orders and eventually led to their downfall. Their two most powerful rivals were the Knights Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights. King Philip of France also had concerns about the Templars, both for financial reasons, and nervousness about an independent army that was able to move freely through all borders. 
At dawn on the 13th October 1307 scores of French Templars were simultaneously arrested by agents of King Philip. They were tortured into admitting heresy and were put to death. 
Despite the fact that the confessions had been produced under duress, they caused a scandal in Paris, with mobs calling for action against the blaspheming Order. In response to this public pressure, along with more bullying from King Philip, Pope Clement issued the Papal bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae, which instructed all Christian monarchs in Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets. 
In 1312, after the Council of Vienne, and under extreme pressure from Philip, Pope Clement issued an edict officially dissolving the Order. Many kings and nobles who had supported the Knights up until that time finally acquiesced and dissolved the Templars in accordance with the Papal command.
So widely was the injustice of Philip's rage against the Templars felt that the "Curse of the Templars" became legend. It is reputed that whilst burning at the stake, the Grand Master Jacques de Molay uttered the statement "Within one year God will summon both Clement and Philip to His Judgement for these actions". Both did die within the predicted year, which served to heighten the scandal surrounding the suppression of the Order.
The Templars were also persecuted in England, as the crown was deeply in debt to them. Their lands were forfeited and taken. King Edward II took control of the Church and gave the site to the Knights Hospitallers, who were the forerunners of the St John Ambulance Service. Many Templars were killed, some fled to Scotland. The buildings were then handed to two law colleges which eventually became the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple. 

Middle Temple 
The Lamb and Flag is a religious symbol known as "Agnus Dei" or Lamb of God. It is the adopted emblem of the Middle Temple and can be seen in many places around the Inn, There is a theory that the holy lamb was chosen as the emblem because it had originally been used by the Knights Templar whose arms were two knights mounted on one horse with a trotting Agnus Dei. It is believed that it dates back to the 17th Century. Historical accounts of the building describe a lamb and flag "carved in wood and always kept well gilded". Although the building was completely destroyed by bombing in 1941, it is clear from photographs taken in the aftermath that the lamb itself survived intact. The first production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night was performed in Middle Temple in 1602.

After a disruptive early period the Inner Temple was almost entirely destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt but it survived and flourished, becoming the second largest Inn during the Elizabethan period, and further expanded during the reigns of James I and Charles I with 1,700 students admitted between 1600 and 1640. Legal education was suspended during the First English Civil War's outbreak and the Inns almost shut down.

Following the English Restoration the Inner Templars welcomed Charles II back to London with a lavish banquet. After a period of slow decline in the 18th century, the following 100 years saw a restoration of the Temple's fortunes, with buildings constructed or restored, such as the Hall and the Library. Much of this work was destroyed during The Blitz when the Hall, Temple, Temple Church , and many sets of chambers were devastated. Rebuilding was completed in 1959, and today the Temple is a flourishing and active Inn of Court, with over 8,000 members.                                                                                                                               Bomb damage

This late 12^th century Temple Church is one of the few remaining round churches in England. Unfortunately it’s currently under renovation so it wasn’t possible to go inside which was disappointing as I believe there are nine full size effigies of the Templar Knights. Their churches were round in honour of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Chapel undercroft. 
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was not unusual for  unmarried girls to leave their newborn babies here. The Inn would adopt the babies and often gave them the name Lincoln.

The inscription, dated 1693, reads “This wall is built upon the ground of Lincolnes Inne no windor es are to be brocken out without leave” (That's not me miss-spelling, but the old English language of the day!). It refers to the need for keeping windows shut, because of the smells from the nearby Boghouse privies! 

This lovely little 'hut' was built in 1852 for Mr. Temple the head gardener at Lincoln's Inn. It was restored in 1998 and the concrete roof was replaced with lead. I think it’s the smallest listed building in the country. I've seen photos with tubs of pretty flowers around it, perhaps they plant them up for summer.

Wildy & Sons Law Booksellers & Publishers

Ede & Ravenscroft, the oldest tailor and robe maker in London, established in 1689

oh oh found myself in Carey Street! This phrase originates from the London street where the UK bankruptcy court used to be located. The court moved to Carey Street in the 1840s but the phrase didn't emerge as a synonym for bankrupt until much later.

This ornate, Victorian Gothic building, with a high-ceilinged great hall and law courts, was opened in 1882. Unfortunately photography wasn't allowed inside.

This lovely little shop is the original one founded by Thomas Twining In 1706. It is the oldest shop in the City of Westminster, trading on the same site with the same family and selling the same tea and coffee products. It also has a small museum.

Legal London And The Knights Templars

Tucked away between Fleet Street and the Embankment is an oasis of beauty and tranquility, a place where the outside world and the modern age are kept firmly at bay - The Inns of Court. Charles Dickens observed "who enters here leaves noise behind". London's lawyers train and work in one of the most picturesque parts of the city, and have been doing so since medieval times. There are four Inns of Court (the professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the Bar in England and Wales an individual must belong to one of these Inns. The Inn is a professional body that provides legal training, selection, and regulation for members. It also provides office accommodation (chambers) for many barristers. 
The four Inns are: Middle Temple or to give it its full title The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, The Inner Temple - The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.
Temple takes its name from the Knights Templar, a medieval order of soldier monks who were founded in 1119 by a French Knight Hugues de Payens, to protect the pilgrim routes and the various religious sites in Jerusalem. The Order, with about nine knights, most of whom were related to Hugues, had few financial resources and relied on donations to survive. Their emblem was of two knights riding on a single horse, emphasising the Order's poverty. Their shields bore a red cross on a white background, which was the origin of the flag of St. George.

High Holborn was the site for the first Temple Church in London, chosen because it was cheap, being outside the then City walls of London. The Templars' impoverished status did not last long though. In 1129 endorsement by the Church made them a favoured charity across Europe. Their fundraising campaigns were a huge success, with donations of money and land, with the implication that donations would help both to defend Jerusalem, and to ensure the charitable giver of a place in Heaven. Noble-born sons joined the Order and by 1161 the Templar's numbers had increased considerably. They decided to move and sold the site to the Bishop of Lincoln, who founded Lincoln's Inn and Lincolns Inn Fields.

                                                                                      Around Staple Inn and Lincoln's Inn

Despite their huge popularity The Order were strongly criticised by many who objected to religious men carrying swords. In response to these critics, the influential Bernard of Clairvaux wrote an article entitled "In Praise of the New Knighthood", in which he championed their mission and defended the idea of a military religious order by appealing to the long-held Christian theory of just war, which justified “taking up the sword” to defend the innocent and the Church from violent attack.  Bernard wrote: A Templar Knight is truly a fearless knight, and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armour of faith just as his body is protected by the armour of steel. He is thus doubly-armed, and need fear neither demons nor men. The Templars were legitimised and became the first "warrior monks" of the Western world. 

The Knights Templar were the elite fighting force of their day, highly trained, well-equipped and highly motivated, one of the doctrines of their order was that they were forbidden from retreating in battle, unless outnumbered three to one, and even then only by order of their commander, or if the Templar flag went down. Even their horses were trained to fight in combat, fully armoured. The combination of soldier and monk was a powerful one, and martyrdom in battle was a magnificent way to die.

They were also very shrewd bankers. When members joined the Order they often donated their own cash or property and had to take an oath of poverty, giving them the strength of a large and trusted international infrastructure. Joining the Crusades usually involved being away from home for many years so many of the nobles would place all their wealth and businesses under the control of the Templars. Having done this they had no further resources to call on during their travels, so the Templars introduced a kind of traveller’s cheque system. Pilgrims would visit a Templar house in their home country to deposit their deeds and valuables and the Templars would then give them a letter confirming those holdings. While traveling, the pilgrims could present the letter to other Templars along the way to "withdraw" funds from their accounts. This kept the pilgrims safe since they were not carrying valuables. It also further increased the power of the Templars.

Coming next ......... The Demise of The Templars

Empty Nest

The babies have flown the nest, I would have liked to see them go but that would have meant 
watching the nest all the time or setting up a webcam, neither of which I could do.

Full House

The baby blackbirds almost fill the nest now, I don't think it will be long before they venture out into the big wide world, or my back garden and beyond!

Bringing Up Babies

Mum and Dad Blackbird are doing a great job rearing their little trio.

Mum spends most of her time sitting on the nest with the occasional trip away 
whilst dad spends his time foraging for food.

The babies are thriving, growing rapidly and look really well.

Baby Blackbirds

Mr & Mrs Blackbird have 3 babies. Yesterday whilst Mrs B was away for a few minutes I had a peek in the nest and was greeted with this lovely sight. More excitement!

My grandson was with me and we were both looking at the babies. 
I was mindful that mum might return at any minute, 
I didn't want her to be stressed if we were there. 
I took a few quick shots and we moved away.

Mum was on the nest again later, so we didn't cause any harm.

They are so vulnerable at this stage of their little lives.

I'm So Excited

Mr & Mrs Blackbird have built a nest in my garden. Now I realise that in the overall scheme of things birds nesting in my garden isn’t anything to get excited about, but this is the first time I have been so close to one of my favourite birds. I just love blackbirds, love sitting in a quiet garden listening to their song, watching them searching for food, following me around as I’m digging, hoping I turn over a nice juicy worm. 
This morning I was tying in some rogue branches of a honeysuckle when I noticed some twigs in amongst the branches, it was then I saw her, Mrs Blackbird, sitting in the nest, I was so close, just inches away from her, she didn’t flinch, just sat there looking at me, I don’t know who was most surprised. 

This area has been neglected of late, which is probably why she chose it.

The fencing and support for the honeysuckle are due to be replaced. 

  I gently moved away and went to get my camera. I used the zoom so as not to disturb her.

Her tail sticking up out of the nest.

It was difficult to hold the camera steady and focus on the right spot. I tried sitting on a stool but that was the wrong angle, eventually I just clicked one after another, and voilà, result.

A little while later she left the nest for a few minutes so I carefully had a look inside, she has three eggs.

I feel very protective towards her, like they are my own babies!

A Good Read

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Fierce evangelical Baptist Nathan Price takes his wife, four daughters and his mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959, before its turbulent passage into independence as the state of Zaire. The story is told by his wife and daughters, a story of tragic loss, undoing, human endurance and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in post-colonial Africa.  
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't want to put it down, but I didn't want to finish it! The author's subject knowledge is excellent, she writes with great empathy and has worked the thorny threads of religion, race and politics into a powerful moving novel.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I’ve been very lazy with this. I actually started writing it weeks ago, soon after seeing the film. 

Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Celia Imrie

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Whatsapp Images

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows the story of a group of pensioners who have established new lives in India. Yes it was predictable, a little twee and some of the story lines were unrealistic but with such a brilliant cast it was easy to overlook a few foibles.  

In the First Exotic Marigold our pensioners, lured by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and imagining a life of leisure in lush surroundings, arrive to find that the Marigold is actually a shell of its former self. Though their new home is not quite what they had imagined, instead of returning home the retirees actually take on the responsibility of helping Sonny the manic, optimistic owner/manager turn the hotel around. 

Recently widowed Evelyn (Judi Dench) was emotionally and financially lost as she had, for her entire married life, depended on her husband for almost everything. She secured a job teaching call centre workers about British culture. This story line was easy to accept because it was credible that she would be the perfect person for such a role. 

Unhappily married Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton) were hoping to find an affordable retirement after losing most of their savings. The vitriolic Jean hated everything about their new surroundings and was truly vile to everyone, and everyone was overjoyed when she went home leaving the hapless Douglas to pursue Evelyn, with whom he was falling in love.

Madge (Celia Imrie), fed up with unsuccessful marriages behind her was searching for a new husband.

Muriel (Maggie Smith) needed a hip replacement, and despite being prejudiced against Indians and every other person of colour under the sun, had travelled to India where it could be done quickly and cheaply.

Norman (Ronald Pickup), an aged lothario struggling to accept his age and undesirability by younger women was hoping to find new possibilities.

Graham (Tom Wilkinson) a retired high court judge spent his first eighteen years in India and had returned hoping to find the man he fell in love with but was forced to abandon.

Sonny (Dev Patel) part owner and manager of the hotel, is determined to restore it to its former glory.

Sunaina (Tena Desae) is Sonny's girlfriend. She befriends Evelyn when Evelyn gets a job at the same call centre.

Mrs Kapoor (Lillete Dubey) widowed mother of Sonny. She admits that Sonny is not her favourite son, and wants him to move back with her to Delhi for an arranged marriage, not to Sunaina.

As the hotel improves our pensioners, instead of just relaxing, find employment, interests and love until eventually each one had found some kind of solution to their problem. We left them happily basking in the twilight of their years as the sun sets over their new home in India.

I was looking forward to catching up with the group and I wasn’t disappointed. In the Second Best Exotic Marigold Evelyn at the age of 79, had landed a prestigious job travelling the length and breadth of India sourcing fabric samples for a textile company - mmm this is where you have to suspend credibility.

Douglas has a job taking foreign visitors on terrible tours, whilst all the time fretting in his hapless fashion trying to work out how to make a romantic move on Evelyn.

Jean comes back in the sequel, still nasty and vicious, but thankfully only stays long enough to request a divorce and boast about a mythical relationship with a new lover.

Madge’s search for a new husband has resulted in not one but two suitors, both wealthy, slightly older and competing for her affections. She wasn’t portrayed very well, playing one off against the other, until eventually she realises that she has fallen for the modest noble driver who has been ferrying her around.

Muriel has undergone a major transformation. As a bit of an expert with figures she helped to turn around the fortunes of the hotel. The hip replacement was successful and her demeanour is positively euphoric, liking everyone. At the beginning of the sequel we find her jetting off to New York with Sonny for high level meetings with financiers to help secure funds for development of a Marigold Hotel chain. (suspend credibility again).

Norman has met newcomer Carol (Diana Hardcastle). He is keen to give monogamy a go but she has other ideas. He follows her, has a misunderstanding with a taxi driver, then it all gets a bit silly.

Sonny is juggling his forthcoming wedding to Sunaina and his determination to purchase another run down hotel to become the Second Exotic Marigold.

Sunaina is busy planning the wedding whilst Mrs Kapoor, Sonny’s mother is coming to terms with the approaching nuptials. She also has a blossoming romance of her own with the gorgeous Richard Gere who may or may not be a hotel inspector who can help Sonny get approval from investors to open a second hotel. Cue the arrival of another character, the real hotel inspector played by Tamsin Greig.

For me both films had all the ingredients for a sweet, funny, feel good experience plus the added bonus of Richard Gere.

Images were sourced from the web.

Dolls House No. 2

Dollshouse No. 2 has been sitting around for months with nothing being done to it because of some alterations I wanted to do. It was fine when I bought it, ready assembled and ready to decorate

but I didn’t like the doors or the stairs, so I sprayed them white, which was a good result.

My next project however wasn’t quite so successful - I decided to put windows in the sides of the house. I borrowed a jig saw and set to work. I’ve always been quite good at DIY, either figuring out how to do it myself or asking family or friends for help, so after a quick tutorial on Youtube I thought I would be good to go. Oh dear, BIG mistake, it wasn’t as easy as it looked, I couldn't control the machine very well, it was jigging away in all directions! Eventually I managed to cut the shapes but it made lots of marks which has created more work as now I have to spray the whole of both sides, or, if I can’t get a good match of paint, the sides and front! And of course I can’t do it inside because of the odour from the paint, and the time it takes to dry, so I have to wait for a long spell of dry weather to do it outside. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

First Potatoes Sown

I was hoping to get these in before now but the soil just hasn't been warm enough. They've been hanging around in the kitchen chittting and starting to get a bit soft and wrinkly so I couldn't wait any longer. My daughter said they looked like an audience which would make them spectatoes - get it - spectatoes - yes, oh well I thought it was funny :-) I had planted 4 using the red dibber when the endearing crotchety old boy came along and told me I was doing it wrong, he said they needed more space around them, he picked up the big fork, dug a hole and planted one, then he did another and another until he had done all of them, he's 85! I tried to say thank you I will carry on but he wanted to do it, he was on a mission. I thanked him profusely and gave him a peck on the cheek. I think he went away happy :-)

Happy Easter

Flowers And Chocolates

A winning combination

I'm a chocoholic and I absolutely adore Cadbury's mini eggs, I stock pile them
because they're only available between Christmas and  Easter! :-)

I'm also very fond of Easter eggs, there is something different and special
about the chocolate, perhaps it's because it's thinner for moulding.

Sometimes I prefer Easter to Christmas,
there is less pressure for everything to be perfect.

I hope you have a happy/sunny/fun/peaceful Easter x

April Fool's Day

Did you get fooled? I got my grandson, I told him the Football Association were going to increase the size of goal posts so that footballers would be able to score more goals. Bless him he believed me and commented that doing that would devalue the game and the skill of the players. A clearly thought out mature response I thought.