The Brown Misspelling

I think I'll give the Prime Minister, Mr Brown, the "benefit of the doubt" in this exceptional instance. He wrote a letter to the grieving mother of Guardsman Janes, killed on active service last October whilst in Afghanistan.

Mr Brown is practically blind in one eye; and, to be fair, this is the most likely reason for the misspelling (presumably he wrote "James" instead of Janes).

Having said that, surely it must be of the utmost import that Mr Brown gets this kind of personal correspondence checked, either by his wife or by an aide, owing to his handicap?

My distaste for Mr Brown and most of his socialist colleagues is doubtless reciprocated, in equal measure, by their loathing of the Great Lady, whom I hold in inestimably higher esteem!

The Irish Guards' Insignia

The cap badge of the Irish Guards and the sky-blue bearskin plume are both modelled from the breast star and sky-blue sash riband colour of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick. HRH The Princess Royal is pictured presenting the Regiment with shamrock.

The Barony of Lurgan

The barony of Lurgan was created in 1839 for Mr Charles Brownlow, a County Armagh MP, as the Right Honourable Charles Baron Lurgan. his son, the 2nd Baron, joined the Liberal Party and became a government whip in the Upper House; and he was appointed a Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (KP) in 1864.

The 2nd Lord Lurgan owned the celebrated greyhound, Master McGrath; and his brother-in-law was Mr Maxwell Close whose home, incidentally, was Drumbanagher House, built to the design of William Playfair who also designed Brownlow House.

The barony became extinct in 1991, following the death of the 5th Baron.

Lord Lurgan's seat was Brownlow House (above), a large Elizabethan-Revival mansion built by William Playfair about 1836. Indeed, Brownlow House has recently been fully restored by its owner, the Orange Order.

The House is built of a honey-coloured stone, with numerous gables and lofty finials; abundant tall chimney-pots; oriels crowned with strap-work; and a tower with a dome and lantern.

The walls of three main reception rooms are decorated with panels painted to look like verd-antique; the ceilings grained to resemble various woods.

The windows overlooking the great staircase boast heraldic stained glass.

Brownlow House was sold by the Lurgan family to the Orange Order in 1903. The surrounding parkland is now reputedly the largest public park in Northern Ireland.

One hundred years ago, Lord Lurgan's great country estate extended to 15,166 acres, making it the second largest in County Armagh.

The memory of the Lurgan family lives on, in the form of a charitable trust.

Remembrance Day

For The Fallen

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

LAURENCE BINYON, 1869-1943

Conservation at Glastry

Yet another day of toil; a labour of love. We - the NT Volunteers - met at Glastry today. Glastry is a very small hamlet, about a mile from the fishing village of Ballyhalbert in County Down.

It is generally unknown to the general public that the National Trust owns the land which was once the old brick-works at Glastry. It closed a long time ago, in 1872.

The former clay pits filled naturally with rain-water; and now form a series of ponds surrounded by a lovely nature reserve.

We were cutting away gorse bushes today; and removing long, coarse grass from a row of saplings. There were about twelve of us today, and it wasn't half muddy! I munched contentedly at my smoked salmon sandwiches. I'd brought a dozen mini muffins along, too; so I handed them round at lunch-time.

Donard Lodge Revisited

Six months ago I wrote a piece about Donard Lodge in Newcastle, County Down, the Annesleys' marine residence.

Well, I can say, here and now, that I know of a splendid website pertaining to the Mountains of Mourne; and they have written a fascinating article about Donard Lodge.

There are a few photographs of the Lodge which are simply better than the vague one I published, too.

The article can be read here.

The Painting That Moves Me To Tears

Whilst "rowing" at the gym this morning, a programme on television caught my eye. It was about an exquisite painting of 1833, entitled The Execution Of Lady Jane Grey.

This poignant oil painting by Paul Delaroche is on display at the National Gallery in London.

The detail; the grief on the face of the lady-in-waiting; the stance of the executioner with his axe; and their expressions all bring tears to my eyes as as study this, one of my favourite paintings.

I shall view it the next time I am in the Metropolis - and bring a clean handkerchief.