Today's Smile

Haven't things got complicated since then!

The Ice House - Blankney Park

The Ice House - Blankney Park

The above picture was taken a little way in from the entrance to Blankney Park. The mound, in the centre of the picture, is an Ice House that used to serve Blankney Hall. Below the mound is an underground brick built chamber where ice would be stored until required. Below is a brief reference to the Ice House.

To the right of the first fairway is the 'Ice House', which once acted as the Hall's cold store. From the 17th Century the rich and privileged increasingly built ice houses in the grounds of their large houses, to preserve food and to provide ice for the table, especially to cool wine. Much of the ice preserved would come from local frozen pools. During the 19th Century many ice houses would be stocked from commercial suppliers. The entry to the Blankney ice house has been blocked for many years, filled in with rubble. It is not known whether the whole chamber was filled, or just the entrance. Hopefully, one day the ice house may be restored to its former glory.

Today's Thought

The problem with jogging is the ice falls out of your glass!

St Oswald's Church - Blankney

The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Oswald and stands on the site of the original church, thought to date back to the 11th Century. Most of the church is Early English and Decorated Gothic style. It was rebuilt in 1820, during the Charles Chaplin era, and further restoration was carried out in 1879-80, by Henry Chaplin. The tower is from 1805-07.

According to the list of Rectors displayed in the church, the first known incumbent was Master Roger de Scaccario, taking up his position in 1228. The church seats about 300 people. Parish register entries start in 1558. The original vicarage stood adjacent to the church, but in 1880 a new vicarage was built on Longwood Lane, about a quarter of a mile west of the church. In 1980, the church became a subsidiary of Metheringham, with the vicar of that parish taking on the duties of St Oswald's. The existing vicarage is now privately owned.

The close ties between Hall and church are clearly evident within the church and dominated by the Chaplin family. The family vault lies beneath the chancel and some members of the family are buried there. Adjoining the vestry on the north side is a small chapel, known as the Chaplin aisle. It is here where, following the death of his wife, Lady Florence, in 1881, Henry Chaplin erected a life-sized sculpture of Lady Florence kneeling on a cushion (see picture above). Within the chapel, on the north wall, is a plaque to commemorate the death of Caroline, wife of Charles Chaplin, placed there by her nieces, Louisa, wife of H Sherbrooke Esquire, and Julia, wife of R Alexander Esquire.

A small stained-glass window left of the pulpit has an inscription below commemorating Edward Chaplin, who was Rector of the church from 1801-1854, placed there by his former nurse, Mary Sefton, following his death in 1883. In the same area a further tablet has been placed by the Chaplin family in memory of Mary Sefton herself, died 1890.

On the south wall of the church a plaque has been placed in memory of Francis-2nd Earl of Londesborough, died 1917, and his son, George Francis-3rd Earl of Londesborough, died 1920. The graves of both Henry Chaplin and Hugo William Cecil Denison-4th Earl of Londesborough are to be found in the churchyard.

The organ was gifted by Lady Florence Chaplin and the lectern by the Duchess of Sutherland. On the gate that leads into the church is a dedication which reads "Erected in Memory of Lady Florence Chaplin 1883" a final tribute from her husband Henry Chaplin.

George Bush - The Legacy

On Friday 13 February we published some statements made by George Bush during the time he was President of the United States of America, which in hindsight he may wish to forget. Here is a further selection.

"For NASA, space is still a high priority"

"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children"

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it"

"I have opinions of my own - strong opinions - but I don't always agree with them"

"The future will be better tomorrow"

"We have a firm commitment to NATO. We are part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are part of Europe"

Well I guess he's now got plenty of time to reflect on what he said!

Brainteaser - Saturday's Answers

So, how was your geography? In Saturday's brainteaser you were given a list containing the names of two places throughout the British Isles. You had to decide from each pairing which place was farthest north. Here are the correct answers:

01 Darlington or Middlesborough (Middlesborough)

02 Market Rasen or Louth (Market Rasen)

03 Rugby or Coventry (Coventry)

04 Shrewsbury or Wolverhampton (Shrewsbury)

05 Oxford or Swindon (Oxford)

06 Bristol or Bath (Bristol)

07 Swansea or Cardiff (Swansea)

08 Penzance or Lizard Point (Penzance)

09 Ilfracombe or Exeter (Ilfracombe)

10 Watford or Potters Bar (Potters Bar)

9/10 Excellent 7/8 Very Good 5/6 Good - Below 5 (3 Penalty points on your licence)