Dickens.

Rochester holds a festival called the Dickens festival it is held on the first week of June.

How many of us have heard the story of Oliver Twist "Please Sir may I have more?" those words stuck and engraved in our heads of a little lad asking for more food.

How about A Christmas Carol which has even been immortalized by Disney with Jim Carrey playing Scrooge himself.

A Christmas carol has so reached many generations, making many of us think about where our lives are, where they have been and where they are going. Some perhaps go a step further and like Scrooge choose to change their lives.

Charles was born on February 7th 1812 in Lanport, Portsmouth.

This man's work still read to young and old and taught in schools.

Before I mention the festival that celebrates his work.

I dare you to think how this one man's writings could change your life if you let him.

Dickens is very similar to C.S. Lewis in a certain way he chose a character and in my eyes allows us to question ourselves and where we are going.

Two great writers who are still read today.

It's amazing how if you write about the truth it can change lives from generation to generation.

Just read the Bible.

So these next few blogs are going to be about Dickens and also the festival held in Rochester, Kent.

Hold on tight it will be a time of looking back and just seeing like Scrooge how far we have come and how far we have to go.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

There's always room for one more.

Last photos of the sweeps festival.

Well in finishing up about the sweeps festival. I believe that this festival is a light that brings people together to enjoy history, song and dance and festivities. It is truly a place where British history is captured and also given a new lease on life.

I really hope that one day I get to take my children there and enjoy this first hand.

Until then you enjoy what I have found out and place let me know if you have been there.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Beauty kept in tradition.

Here are more pictures from the sweeps festival. Look at the amazing bright colors. The wonderful dancers and the amazing costumes. The amount of time that has gone into preserving history. By learning the dances, by making the past come to life. The planning that the Midway council must have to do must be pretty lengthy. But as you can see how wonderful it is that history is preserved it has now been re-birthed to bring life back into a very sad time in history. Sweeps I am sure were thought of quite lowly. Now people come to Rochester and enjoy the history and tradition and the re-birth of something that may well of been forgotten.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Sweep,sweep those chimneys.

Today I thought I would share more pictures of the sweeps festival. It truly depicts the heritage of England and the vibrant colors. It also display the wonderful atmosphere. Which I love about England it is a place anyone can call home.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Lets brush all those chimneys.

To finish up about the Sweeps Festival in Rochester. Firstly how amazing that Gordon Newton would research and bring back to life this festival taking forth his idea to the Midway Council now who run it. I have to question if other historians did this how much more history would be kept and preserved for generations to come. Perhaps instead of computers on all the time our lives would be so much more richer with knowledge of where we came from. The most famous sweeps dance that I ever remember is that of Dick Van Dyke who starred in Mary Poppins as Bert. Perhaps in truth this dance was taken from the origins of the Sweeps Festival.

Lets hope that more people like Gordon Newton grace our history books to leave a new chapter of the past for our children and their children to come.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Rochester Sweeps Festival

The Sweeps Festival is held in Rochester and is held in honor of the men and children who swept chimneys or were even used as chimney sweeps themselves. The sweepers would have only one time out of the whole year to leave their jobs and go to celebrate. It would usually be held on May 1st, and they would go celebrating through the streets of Rochester. The Jack-in-the-Green, a seven-foot character, would be woken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham, and would then parade through the streets with the sweepers. An act was passed through Parliament in 1868, called the Climbing Boys' Act, which made it illegal for young boys to be used as sweeps. After this act, the festival gradually declined with the last celebration held in the early 1900s.

This year marks the 31st year of the celebration. It is a three-day event, that wouldn't even be held if it wasn't for Gordon Newton, a historian, who brought it back in 1981. Next year in 2012, it will be held on May 5-7. It is celebrated by Morris dancing and music that is directed by Doug Hudson. Today, it is known as the largest May Day celebration in England.

On this link, you will find how they celebrate the Sweeps Festival today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFtIPgCB8ZA

Emily

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights.

"There's always room for one more."

History of Rochester Kent

This is my home town the place where I was born. I lived there three years of my life and never returned until I was in my late 20's and found the place a amazing store of history and a place I was proud I came from.

Rochester was a little Saxon Village. Romans first came over in 43AD and Rochester was one of their most important towns. They built a stronghold and a bridge over the River Midway. After the Norman invasion in 1088 Rochester had it's first castle.

Charles Dickens family moved from Chatham to Rochester and many of his novels refer to my home town. Rochester to this day holds two festivals in his name The Dickens and The Dickensian Christmas Festival.

Other festivals are celebrated Sweeps Festival and concerts held in the Castle grounds throughout the summer. Sweeps festival is held on May day and can be described as the only typical English Day of the year. This I was there to see, it was amazing seeing dancers and such friendly people.

The high street is quaint and charming with it's Victorian charm and Victorian buildings.

Rochester is situated 2o miles East of London.

Next time I write I will go into more detail about the Sweeps Festival.

So until then

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

The new English Delights. Welcome to Rochester Kent.

A friend yesterday pointed out that she had thought English Delights Blog was about gardening.

The original plan to start this blog was to write about my deserts that I made for tea rooms near me. A long the way my blog did get a little side tracked. To that I am sorry to my readers. After much thought I am trying again to use this blog not to just write about British recipes but also my England and some of the crafts that me and my friends have made.

Today I would like to show you pictures of where I lived. Rochester Kent and is a wonderful town with much history it is located in Kent, the southern part of England. I lived here three years of my life and I re- visited it again in my late twenties.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and the next time I write I will tell you some wonderful history and places you can visit in Rochester.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Samaritan of books

The Book Samaritan is a great non profit organization that goes the extra mile to bless home schoolers. If you are in a position where you cannot afford to buy home school books this year then this group might be able to help http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/.

So many children just chuck their school books away at the end of the schoo year not realizing how those books could bless others. If you donate your books to this group you will receive a tax deductible note. This blesses you and many families. Their one thing that they stress if you do receive books from them is that you do not sell them.

This is such an amazing organization taking thought into how hard it is for many families. The Samaritan story in the Bible has been told for so many years but how many of us put that story into action. Well here is your chance.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

A cup of tea of words of love.

I am very blessed to have some wonderful friends. In life we all need that wonderful cup of tea, that drink that soothes our souls and makes us smile. I have many friends that I love to sit and drink tea with smile and laugh with. The ones I love the most are ones that are true to who they are.

As you drink your tea today or whatever you love to drink.

Think if you are being true to yourself, do you portray to one lot of people a kind and gentle spirit but to others and by yourself you are very different.

Make sure you walk in love and with a heart that is true.

Then your tea will taste amazing and your heart will be full.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Brits love of animals.

I have two small dogs. I love them dearly. In truth many Brits love their animals more than people. Just watch What a girl wants and the comments made on it. Us Brits love our horses, if you are that lucky to have one. Our dogs are more than man's best friend they are man's hero they the all and end all of life itself.

So today one of our babies got sick. It is amazing how animals love each other. My other dog laid with the one that was sick. It was compassionate and caring. To be honest as I watched them I had to wish that more humans had that much compassion.

So today if you have an animal and you love them with all you heart, remember to love some of the unlovable people in your life. You never know how much it might bless them.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Daisies of Hope.

I love daisies, in England every little girl makes daisy chains. I loved making them. My daughter has one pressed from the last time we were there. I guess in truth I took it all for granted for now I wish I could sit in the garden and make one.

Before my sister in law died I wrote a story called "The Pink daisy of Hope" it was about passing on daisies to others to give cancer patients hope. It was a Awesome story I will have to say that The American cancer society liked and also Pretty in Pink Foundation.

So as you see the many Gerber daisies or little daisies in England please remember that daisies can signify hope to others.

Please plant a pink daisy to spread the awareness of Hope for Cancer patients.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

Washing line in America YES.

Well a friend put us up a washing line. We had it all tangled up. So we had it all out on the floor, trying to undo it.

I have never seen three people so eager to put clothes on a washing line.

One thing is for sure a bit of my England is now alive in my garden, a rotary washing line.

I might not be able to go home but this washing line brought a smile across my face this early July.

Just remember to count those small blessings.

I never once was grateful for the washing line in England but I sure would hug this one that is up now.

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights.

Anyone for hot tea?

When I was a child I use to give my mum and dad cold tea. I mean what kid in England doesn't, we drink tea like there is no tomorrow and so a child is bought up to drink tea at an early age.

I often think people are like tea cups.
I have a wonderful friend she has lovely tea cups around her home, another her tea cups are a little used lets put it that way, with tea stains still on them when you have tea. Then there are the bone china tea cups never used but only for fine occasions, then the chipped ones and the old faithful ones a little used but always loved.

I loved staying at the Aspinalls house as soon as you arrived you found your tea cup. It was love, it was home.

People often are walking around with cold wet tea slurping out of them so to speak, they forgot to even take the tea bag out, it is cold wet and the smell is not to pleasant. These people just are true misery dicks. They complain at everything they see no good.

But in the house where the used tea cup is you can be yourself. Like the Aspinalls love flows, the tea is not cold the bag is taken out and happiness is seen from the smile of the one handing it to you.

They see people in the fullness of a good cup of tea, they see you as if you were in a bone china cup.

Cold tea is horrid, we need to ask ourselves which are we serving to others cold tea or home brewed tea with love and compassion.

Make sure the tea you give is filled with love.

wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.

The wow factor. Carpe Diem Day

The wow factor it might just come in a normal package but you know what it will amaze you.

Ever gone to the doctor and the doctor that you thought was amazing, was well just human. I had that experience when I had one of my daughters. One doctor everyone loved the other well her bedside manners lets put it this way were not so great. However at the end of the day she delivered my daughter and was amazing she was awesome. I could not of wished for a better person to be there that day.
It is so easy to judge the Bible says "not to judge least we be judged ourselves" and I am para phrasing that into my own words but it is so true.

A few nights ago I had the privilege of hearing an amazing singer Cindy Chang on Americas got talent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGdzxxr-O9o Lets face it no one thought she was going to belt out an amazing voice like that.

It is not in what we see as the wow factor that matters but people having, people believing in them and us each day knowing that God truly loves us.

The wow factor is over rated the wow factor is, Faith it is doing a kind deed, it is loving when you have no energy to love, it is seeing your dreams ceasing the day. "Carpe Diem'

It is in that moment that life changes and we see the true light.

I don't know when your "Carpe Diem" Day is it might well surprise you when it happens but boy when it does you will know.

Go on dare to dream a " Carpe Diem Day"

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights

There's always room for one more.