When I called Lords of the Manor to book the table, the French voice on the phone tactfully suggested that jeans and trainers would be inappropriate for the dining room. I couldn't agree more I'm so over jeans and trainers. A dress code that might have come across as incredibly square a year ago, suddenly sounded quite hip.
Lords of the Manor is the restaurant in the hotel of the same name in the village of Upper Slaughter, near Stow-on-the-Wold. It's the quintessence of Cotswold..........
PAINSWICK, England -- The main road through this picturesque village says a great deal about the timeless quality of the Cotswolds, a region of low, rolling hills in England's West Country.
A vision of tranquil English village life, the street is lined with charming, centuries-old stone houses and a half-timbered post office that dates from the Middle Ages........
But, as food preferences evolve, Britains great puddings, even the sweet variety, were being overlooked in favor of Black Forest cake and strawberry cheesecake. In 1985, to preserve this important piece of culinary heritage, Three Ways House Hotel, a historic hotel in the low hills called the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, 90 miles from London in southwest England, established the Pudding Club. The goal: to preserve the pudding from drifting into obscurity.......
What turned out to be one of our 'funnest' trip in years, unfortunately started out in a very stressful manner. But that's life. So let me tell you how it all began:
My partner Dianne Marie and I arrived at Heathrow Airport outside London, some 13 hours after leaving San Francisco. We immediately rented a car and attempted to drive to The Cotswolds. Yes, I said "attempted," because it took us forever to get there.
ED JONES is editor of The Free Lance-Star. He can be reached at 540/374-5401 or at edjones@freelancestar.com.
GLANCE AT THE stone walls inside the little old church in Sherborne, England, and you'll notice a roster of vicars who have graced the pulpit there. The list goes back 900 years.
But it was a reference of more recent vintage that caught my eye last week as I strolled around the sanctuary. A needlepoint pad for kneeling worshippers offered a simple but touching message: "God bless America. Stand beside her, and guide her. September 11, 2001."
That evening, as my wife, Peggy, and I were watching the BBC news in our rented cottage in the Cotswolds, 75 miles west of London, we heard about a survey that found that most Britons think it's time to put distance between their country and the United States in the war on terrorism.
Those sentiments surfaced as newspapers and TV reporters swarmed around the Labor Party infighting that forced Prime Minister Tony Blair, George W. Bush's most loyal and articulate ally in the post-9/11 period, to promise to step down from office within the next year. Blair, the fresh, boyish leader of the Brits a decade ago, has become stale..........
ED JONES is editor of The Free Lance-Star. He can be reached at 540/374-5401 or at edjones@freelancestar.com
I'M NOT PROUD of it, but I might as well confess. I recently purchased my very own copy of "British History for Dummies."
Now granted, there are many areas of expertise in which I would quickly qualify as a dummy. Plumbing and cooking are two that come to mind.
But being a dummy on British history hurts.
After all, I took a course on the Tudors in college. I subscribe to The Spectator, a weekly opinion journal from Britain that keeps me on top of politics across the pond.
I once had an electronic subscription to The Times of London. I still read an array of newspapers and magazines about the Church of England.
But as my wife, Peggy, and I prepare for a short trip to the Cotswolds, that rolling slice of England three hours west of London, I still feel like a dummy............
The Royal Shakespeare Company will prove that's true.
The troupe is sponsoring a yearlong festival at Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare's hometown, at which all of the Bard's 37 plays plus his sonnets and long poems will be performed.
It will be the first time that all of the works will be presented in a single event.
The festival will open on Shakespeare's birthday, April 23, and continue into April 2007..............
After spending the better part of last month in England, walking along the River Thames, a few random observations (mostly ecologically inspired) seem in order this week. So, with a tip of the hat to author Bill Bryson, who was encountered out there in a Cotswold field, here are some of my own "notes from a long, long river.".......
NEVER GO BACK.......I believe
that is a quote from Santayana. Whomever said it, got it right. My return to California
confirmed it.
Southern California, where I was brought up, has turned into a Spanish speaking shit hole. The place is dirty, the air is filthy (smog), and the black and Mexican gangs rule many of the streets. English is no longer the first language.
When I was a boy living in South Pasadena, we would leave the door open when going
out for a short time on a hot day. Try that now and when you came back none of the
furniture would be left. There are places I will not go in Southern California, especially
Los Angeles, without carrying a gun. As a retired police officer I could legally
do this. However, I would do it anyway as it is better to be tried by nine of your
peers than carried by six of your friends.
America has lost control of its borders. This result is a massive influx of illegal
aliens, mainly Mexicans. One big advantage of this inflow is that the Mexicans
are happy to do the work that the white folks are too lazy to do. Without
the illegal Mexicans you could forget going out to dinner or getting your lawn mowed. The
Mexicans do all the doggie work in the restaurants and provide the gardeners. Believe
me, the 'lazy Mexican' is a myth.
Incidentally, if you ever get to Pasadena, California, visit my friend Ernie Cruz's
restaurant, Ernie's Taco House. [He may have moved to nearby Eagle Rock]. I
would gladly give a week's income for one of his dinners.
Ernie, was a gunner in a helicopter in Viet Nam. As they say in the vernacular,
'Ernie has brass balls.' He is a terrific guy and one of my most valued friends. Say
'hello' for me.
If you are British and getting lonely for your countrymen, visit Santa Monica, just
west of L.A. The English have taken the place over.
That is it for now.
Have a merry Christmas.
God save the Queen and vote the
straight Republican ticket.
Right of Reply - 11
July 2007
I was greatly offended by
the article of Walter Wentz. He should not have described Southern California as
only pertaining to Los Angeles. There are many cities in Southern California, one
being San Diego where I live and does not have the problems that Los Angeles has. Yes,
we do have an influx of Mexicans here, but England also has a tremendous influx of many
minorities. When I visit England I am amazed, or horrified, by the different face
of England. I am an English lady living in San Diego and love the informality and
friendliness of Americans. Also the sunshine and beauty of this city is hard to beat. You
cannot compare a small village in the Cotswolds to Los Angeles. He should compare
London to Los Angeles. England is not the England that I left. I mourn the
loss of that peaceful beautiful country that I was raised in. It no longer exists. Maybe
in the Cotswolds, but go to any big city in England and the same problems exist unfortunately
that plague Los Angeles. Plus Los Angeles is not a typical example of American life. If
America is so bad how come so many English people come here each year and wish they could
live here. Yes, I have visited the Cotswolds and its villages and they are absolutely
beautiful, but just remember there are equally as beautiful places here too. Shame
on you Walter Wentz.
Ann Gerstmar, The McKinley Associates, Inc., 1818 First Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
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NEVER GO BACK
This page last modified
Monday, 09-Jun-2008 11:49:32 BST
The place is dirty, the air is filthy (smog), and the black and Mexican gangs rule many of the streets. English is no longer the first language. 
Mexicans. One big advantage of this inflow is that the Mexicans
are happy to do the work that the white folks are too lazy to do. Without
the illegal Mexicans you could forget going out to dinner or getting your lawn mowed. The
Mexicans do all the doggie work in the restaurants and provide the gardeners. Believe
me, the 'lazy Mexican' is a myth. 
The English have taken the place over.