Let it snow!

Yesterday I had to cancel a board meeting of the Friends of the Edison, NJ Public Library (of which I am president) because of the snow. The snow was not particularly bad but we were expecting more in the late afternoon and early evening, and it was going to be very cold. Some of the members are seniors, and some have mobility issues. In addition, we did not have a whole lot to talk about, so to drag everyone out seemed a little foolish. Some schools in Edison closed or were opening a little later than usual. My daughter's preschool was operating as normal, however, so I took a push broom to my van, while warming it up, so I could pick her up (my Wife takes her in).



I admit it, I hate snow intensely and always have. I seem to recall telling other kids at school that I was allergic to snow, in an attempt to put them off pelting me with snowballs. Here in New Jersey, the summers are warmer than England (and more humid), and the winters are colder, so I have to live with it. At least I work from home, so I rarely have to go out in the snow. My Wife, brought up in Michigan, does not have any problem with the snow, or driving in it. On a recent trip to my Mother-in-Law's in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Christmas, I drove the non-snowy parts. My Wife drove the parts of the journey where the snow was worse - with me sitting white-knuckled in the passenger seat. I remember on my first trip to visit my in-laws that my Wife took the car up a very steep snow-covered hill a few blocks away from the family home, just for a lark, with me panicking all the way. My four-year old daughter has inherited my Wife's snow-genes, as she regularly demonstrates when we arrive home in the snow, and she takes off into the back yard to frolic. I am usually standing on the back step yelling for her to come back in.

Britain, especially England, is not used to much snow. However, it has had some the last few days. As is usual when Britain gets snow, the country pretty much stopped. Airports and other transportation closed down and so did the schools. Snow shut down London. The media was full of it. There were stories about how to cope with the snow (complete with ridicule from colder, snowier countries). Website Londonist had the headline Snow Bonkersness. The Daily Mail, in typical Daily Mail fashion, focused on business leaders' anger at school closures with their story entitled Frozen out by health and safety: Third day off lessons as schools close 'because children might get ice in their eyes'. There were sad stories, and there were plenty of wonderful photos.

The reason why Britain is never prepared for the snow is purely down to economics. It is because it hardly ever happens. Those same Daily Mail readers would have thrown a hissy-fit if a few weeks ago, Boris Johnson (The Mayor of London) had been spending money on snowploughs or if the railway services had increased fares in order to buy equipment for de-icing the rails.

Are you a snow-fan or snow-wimp? Are you going to be out in it, or inside drinking hot-chocolate? Please let me know by posting a comment.

Adding locations to The Great Fish & Chip Map

Here are some detailed instructions on how to add a location to The Great Fish & Chip Map:

1. Here is a direct link to the map
2. If you are not already logged into your Google account (or you don't have one), click on the Sign In link at the top right and sign in using your Google user name and password. (If you do not have a Google account, click on the Create an account now link and follow the instructions).
3. To the left of the map, a check mark should have appeared next to The Great Fish & Chips Map. Click on the Edit button and you will be able to add to the map.
4. You can enter an address in the search box and click the Search Maps button. When you find the location, you may click the Save to My Maps link and add it to The Great Fish & Chips Map. Once you have done this, you may type the details into the area that appears and click OK.
5. You can zoom into or out of the map using the slider control. Using the "hand" cursor, you can click and drag the map wherever you like. A double click will zoom into the area where you click. (NOTE: you may have to wait a few moments until you see all the detail in a map)
6. Another way to add a location is to use the "Add a placemark" (Pushpin) icon, one of the four icons near the top left of the map. It is the second one along. Click on it, then click where you want the placemark to appear. You will then be able to type a description. You may also format your description, or add photos or links, etc., using the tools near the description box. When you have finished, click OK.
7. When you have finished editing, click the Save button, then click Done. Remember to Save what you added before clicking on the Done button, or else what you added will not be saved.
   
8. Your favorite fish & chip shop should now appear on the map.
9. If you experience any problems, please contact me using one of the methods shown in the right-hand column of this page, or post a comment to this entry.

The Great Fish & Chips Map

Some of the comments about my blog post, The Quest for Fish & Chips, led me to realize that there were probably some great places to have fish and chips in the US. I just had not found them yet. I also recalled American friends of mine who had visited Britain and told me that they had tried fish and chips while they were there, but unfortunately found a bad place to have them.

Inspired by this, I came up with The Great Fish & Chips Map, an interactive world map where you can add your own favorite places to have fish and chips or find a place to have a good example of the dish.



View Larger Map

You can center the map on a different area by clicking and dragging. You can double click to zoom in on an area or double-RIGHT click to zoom out again. The pushpin symbols are the locations of good places to have fish & chips. Click on one to get details.

If you want more control, or you want to add a location, click on the View Larger Map link underneath the map.

How to add a location - Note: you will need to have (or create) a Google account, since the map is hosted at Google Maps

If you do wish to add a location, please keep it positive. Remember, this is a map of good places. Feel free to enter any comments or other information about a location.

I would love to hear what you think of it, so please do post a comment here. Likewise, if you have any problems using it let me know, so I can perhaps make improvements.

The Quest for Fish & Chips

One of the first things I do whenever I visit my family in England is to treat everyone to fish & chips. Invariably, I am craving them weeks before we go. My parents always warn me that the local "chippy" serves huge portions and not to get too much. I still end up with loads left over, even after we all have heaping plates. The chip shop near my parents' house is not the best, but it's not bad. They're nice people and it's close, so the food stays hot. They also serve mushy peas, the smooshed up processed peas, most often consumed in the North of England, that my Wife has inexplicably developed a taste for.

Since moving to the US, I have often been "tricked" into trying meals posing as fish & chips. My Wife was very excited when a fast food joint close to where we lived changed to a branch of Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips. The food was about as authentic as the premise that Arthur Treacher (an English character actor known for his portrayal of "The perfect English Butler" in movies of the 1930s) had anything to do with fish & chips. Encouragingly, they had malt vinegar, the best authentic condiment, on each table. However, the chips seemed to be made of extruded potato, and quite bizarrely, the meal came with hush puppies (fried cornbread balls) and coleslaw. I have frequently seen my favorite listed on menus, and just about every time I have been disappointed. The best fish and chips I tasted here were at O'Halloran's, the Irish pub I wrote about recently.

Nevertheless, the best fish & chips are British, and a little over a week ago, Chef Simon Rimmer announced the best of the best. Anstruther Fish Bar in Fife, Scotland, beat off about a thousand competitors to win the 2008 title National Fish & Chip Shop of the Year. The shop was frequented by Prince William when he was at university and has also been visited by Robert de Niro, Robert Duvall and Tom Hanks. Organizers Seafish said, "one in every £100 spent on food is in a fish and chip shop" and that chip shop profits are increasing as the economy gets worse. Chippies are caring about sourcing food responsibly too. The winner of the 21st annual award "serves ethically sourced North Sea haddock, Pittenweem prawns and Shetland organic cod from the world’s first sustainable solution to wild cod fisheries."

I'll settle for cod (or the more responsible choice, pollack) and chips at my parents' local chippy. How about you? Do you know a great place to have fish & chips? Please post a comment and let me know.

Only in America

It's like arriving late for a party, I know, but I am so naive that I've only relatively recently discovered that with a little common-sense and a bit of searching I can find (not always legitimate copies, of course) British TV shows available on the web. I was very happy to find a copy of the return of Friday Night With Jonathan Ross that aired on the BBC last week. For those who don't know, The BBC suspended Ross for three months following a stunt when he was a guest on a BBC radio show. Jonathan returned with a great line-up - and an apology for the prank. Tom Cruise, British comedian Lee Evans and one of my favorite Brits, Stephen Fry were his guests.

Stephen is always an interesting guest. He and Jonathan talked about Twitter (Fry and Ross are both Twitterholics), and how Fry had been trying to lose weight by walking long distances (his recommendation: walk while listening to audiobooks). They joked about what it would be like if Stephen had played Tom Cruise's part in Jerry Maguire: "Would you be kind enough to exhibit the money?" Perhaps the most interesting things I thought he had to say this time, however, were about America and Americans.

Fry recently made a series, Stephen Fry in America, where he visited each of the fifty states. He explained to Ross how he loved America, visiting often, and even having an apartment (flat) in New York City for a while. He said that, generally speaking, he had found Americans to be "honorable, polite, kindly, well-intentioned, thoughtful" and that any ideas of the British that Americans were a "morass of pig-ignorant fools" said much about a British superiority complex (ultimately an inferiority complex). He contrasted the American attitude, "Let's try it!" with the British attitude, "Oh, no...no...no."

I had a moment of recognition when he talked about the phrase "Only in America." He explained how in the US, the phrase was often used to describe something extraordinary happening. It's an optimistic phrase. He said that if there was a phrase "Only in Britain", it would bring to mind things like queues, rain, incompetency - "no, no you can't!" Of course, he omitted another use of the phrase "Only in America", oft used by Brits when they see some of the outrageous stories about America and Americans in the news. Things like frivolous lawsuits, someone leaving their entire estate to a cat, and so on. I find it fascinating how, depending on where it is used, one phrase can mean completely different things.

Can you think of any similar phrases that have different meanings like this? Please do post a comment and let me know.

Previous post about Stephen Fry

In Search of the Perfect Pub

English Diarist Samuel Pepys apparently wrote that the pub was England's heart, while the church was its soul. Not being much of a churchgoer, I can't say a lot about the state of religion in England, but I do know a good pub when I see it!

Pubs have been part of the British culture for hundreds of years. Most Brits are used to having a local pub within easy walking distance. We usually call this our "Local." Whenever we walk in, we know there will be someone there who knows us. We can "put the world to rights", drink to celebrate, drink to "drown our sorrows" or just be with friends. We'll meet our neighbors, old school-friends, and a selection of pub-poets, pub-politicians, and people who will help you fix your car, paint a room, or offer to get you anything you want, no questions asked.

When I first moved to the US, my dear Wife B. told me she'd spotted a place called "Polo Pub" on her way to work that might be worth checking out. I think she had visions of English gentry in jodhpurs talking about horses. Actually, the people who owned the Chinese restaurant next door also owned this particular establishment and there was even an open doorway joining the two places. It was not particularly British!

On a walk down to the nearest strip-mall (small arcade of shops), I discovered "VW's." In front, it was a liquor-store (off-license); in the back was a bar. A little rough-and-ready, it did however contain an array of regulars, and the bar-staff were very friendly. I spent quite a few evenings there. I even took my brother when he came over on a rare visit. When they stopped selling the draft beer I enjoyed there, I started going less frequently.

We moved to a different area of town and I discovered two pubs within walking distance. One was quite close but a little unfriendly, the other much friendlier but quite a hike.

Then, a wonderful thing happened - an Irish pub, "O'Halloran's", opened up within easy walking distance. Catherine, a Dubliner, ran the new pub, in what had once been a restaurant. It was a magical place. They had good live music, and the regulars were the kind of intelligent people with whom you could have interesting conversations. The food was tasty too. You could have real fish and chips with malt vinegar, or bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes), for instance, and wash it down with great draught Guinness. There was rarely any trouble there.

Unfortunately, the business began to struggle financially. It's traditional in our area of New Jersey for people to go to the "shore" at the weekend during the warm months, and a quiet summer put the final nail in the coffin. Catherine, very embarrassed by the failure, said little before the closure, although a fine party took place on the last night!

The pub became a "sports bar", and encouraged the very young. I have been there a few times since O'Halloran's closed, but it's not a patch on its predecessor. There is one other place reasonably close by, and a local band I knew from O'Halloran's plays there sometimes, so I pay a visit occasionally. Now there isn't a good bar within walking distance, so these days I am content to stay in with my family on a Friday night, and they are glad that I no longer come staggering back at 3 O'clock in the morning.

Do you have or remember a favorite bar or pub? Leave me a comment and tell me a little about it.

Welcome President Obama!

Not one normally for pomp and ceremony, I was prepared to quietly welcome incoming US President Barack Obama without watching the Inauguration. But my Wife asked me to record the ceremony for her to watch later, and I realized that BBC America was also covering the day's event.

So, I had the pleasure of watching the momentous American occasion live, together with British commentary - perfect! I got to see a largely black audience at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in North London, excitedly preparing to watch the historic proceedings. It's interesting watching British commentary on American politics, since they not only talk about the international effects and implications, but also are able to be a little less restricted by the need to be completely unbiased in their reporting. So they were talking quite a bit about how unpopular outgoing President George W. Bush was, and seemed a little surprised at the fact that any booing when he appeared was fairly muted.

I noticed that the BBC did not pass any comment when Obama stumbled a little over the oath of office (the error was, I believe, the fault of the Chief Justice). After his inaugural speech, they observed that although it did contain some soaring oratory, it had a businesslike tone. As if he wanted to prove that he wasn't just a good speaker; that he knew there was serious business to attend to immediately. And I agree with that observation.

Some wonderful moments for me were the mention of "non-believers" and "...know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

One BBC commentator mentioned how similar the speech was to John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech in terms of theme. They talked about America dusting itself off and rebuilding, and restoring the right balance between liberty and security. A correspondent spoke from Kogelo, Kenya, mentioning the excitement about "their son."

Controversial author and commentator Christopher Hitchens was invited to say something, but I have to say it was instantly forgettable. Coverage after the inauguration included Bush arriving by helicopter at Andrews Air Force Base - commentary of this included comparisons to a departing Richard Nixon and how unpopular Bush was.

The BBC America team, stationed outdoors at Washington DC, did give their audience a laugh when they had the camera pull back to reveal how they were all covered up in blankets!

At Noon precisely, the White House website was given a make-over: http://www.whitehouse.gov - it now has a blog!

Here's the complete text of the inaugural speech.

Let's hope that the positive change that the new President wishes to achieve is achievable. It's a momentous day in history, the day the first black president took office. But it's also the first day of a long haul. Now there are some major bridges to rebuild.

What did you think of the ceremony and coverage in the media? Please do leave comments.

AMC Frees Prisoner!

Following on from my recent article about the sad loss of Patrick McGoohan, I've learned that AMC has made the entire 1967 series The Prisoner available for free streaming viewing online. AMC is behind the remake of the series starring Sir Ian McKellen. There's also lots of interesting information about the classic and new series.

The Prisoner Classic Series 1967-1968 - Watch Online

Whether you've seen The Prisoner before, or want to find out what made it the cult hit it became, please do post a comment to share your thoughts here.

TV Artist Tony Hart Dies aged 83

Just recently, following the deaths of Patrick McGoohan and Dai Llewellyn, I referred to the world being a slightly less colorful place. Hearing the news today of the death of Tony Hart at the age of 83, brings that phrase to mind again, quite literally this time.

When asking most people for the name of artists, TV artists Rolf Harris and Tony Hart are most likely to be mentioned. Tony was best known for his role on children's show Vision On and later in his own series Take Hart and Hartbeat. He was well known for inviting viewers to send in their own artwork, and some of his methods were employed by school art departments. Most people will also remember him in association with Morph, an early creation of Aardman Animations, who appeared on Take Hart, getting in the way of Tony's art projects. In fact, Tony wrote what amounted to an Obituary for Morph, when Aardman Animations' storage warehouse was destroyed by fire in 2005.

Unable to join the Air Force when he left school because of poor eyesight, he went to India to join the Gurkhas. Always having a love of art, after finishing his service, he went to art school. A chance meeting with a TV producer at a party, drawing a fish on a napkin, led to his employment in TV, where he worked until his retirement in 2001. He would work in his Garden studio "until 4pm when I would change my shoes and set forth on a four-mile Gurkha-pace jog through the Surrey hills".

He continued to work on his art until two strokes resulted in him not being able to use his hands. He said "Not being able to draw is the greatest cross that I have to bear, for it has been my lifetime passion. But I endeavour to stay cheerful, as there is nothing to be done about my condition." Even though unable to sign autographs, he frequently made public appearances.

John Mortimer - A Great British Treasure

So here I am again, reporting the loss of another great British treasure. Friday saw the death of author, raconteur and lawyer Sir John Mortimer, aged 85. Although I remember the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey, starring Leo McKern being very popular, I only started reading any of Mortimer's books very recently. I thoroughly enjoyed Summer's Lease(1988) and Felix in the Underworld(1996), and made a mental note to read more, especially the Rumpole books.

Working as a practicing lawyer, and known as a defender of free speech (because of this and his association with publisher Penguin Books, it is often mistakenly thought that he was involved with the famous Lady Chatterley's Lover case), he started writing as a kind of retirement plan. He would often write in the morning, before going off to court.

There have been some great pieces written about John Mortimer today. Among my favorites are this one by Tony Lacey, Viking Editorial Director, and this one by Valerie Grove in The Times of London.

And if, like me, you want to read more Mortimer, check out these John Mortimer books on Amazon.com: