A Brief History of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Races

27 March 2011

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat race is an annual boat race between the two universities in England, Oxford and Cambridge. The idea came about in early 1829 by two friends, Charles Merivale and Charles Wordsworth who were attending the two universities at the time. In March of 1829, Cambridge university invited Oxford university to a challenge, and ever since then the boat races have been a tradition for the two well established educational institutions.

The very first boat race was held on the River Thames in Henley, Oxfordshire and according to the local newspapers, 20,000 spectators attended to watch the two teams compete. There was a false start that year and the two teams had to row back for a restart. Oxford won the first race well ahead of Cambridge. Because of the popularity of the race, the citizens of Henley subsequently founded the Henley Royal Regatta which is now another annual boat racing event.

In 1836, the next boat races were held in Westminster in London, where it was held over the next 15 years. The next races didn’t take place until 1845, and the crowds had become so large that the location could no longer cater for such a high number of spectators and so the races were held in Putney, not far from Westminster. In 1856 races then became an annual event as it was so popular among spectators.

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Blast from the Past at the Lyndhurst Castle

25 March 2011

Have you ever wonder what it feels like to be in the 11th century? Think knights in shining armour on horseback and the whole royal family sitting on the long table to feast. Well, you can visit one located just outside New York City; the Lyndhurst Medieval Castle in New Jersey, built to orchestrate the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament.

Visitors will be ushered into the castle with the music of Trumpeters and Heralders. It is like a step into the past because once you are inside the castle, the workers there are all in medieval costumes and the best part of the replication would be the ancient speech spoken by them. Visitors have to make a selection for the Knight that they want to support during the tournament and the hostess will then arrange the visitors to the relevant check-in areas.

Upon checking in, crowns made from cardboard will be given to the visitors and the colours will match the Knights that they support. The King of the Castle, King Philippe and his daughter, Princess Leonore come and join the table for group pictures. The pictures are then sold to the tables as a memento of the evening.

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City Review of Bridgeport, CT

30 September 2010

Although it’s a relatively unheralded destination on the world scale, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, is one of the most historic and most populated cities in the country. Bridgeport is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area, and is also part of the New York statistical area which includes all five boroughs and even parts of New England.

Unlike many other vacation destinations and famous cities in the United States, Bridgeport doesn’t bring in gamblers, those looking for entertainment, or even really the honeymooner crowd. Bridgeport offers more history than anything, and with famous people like circus promoter P.T. Barnum to its credit, Bridgeport is steeped in the historic.

When Bridgeport was first inhabited, most of its residents were either farmers or fishermen. Its proximity to water and mass of fertile soil made this area very appealing to settlers hoping to carve out their respective niche in the American landscape.

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William Hill Casino

09 September 2010

William Hill began his bookmaking business in 1934 creating a number of innovations to not just the business of betting, but also the actual practice of making wagers against sporting events. The company has had an exciting history.

William Hill himself continued to be the main driver of the company until his retirement in 1970. In 1989 William Hill created an award for outstanding sports writing, the “William Hill Sports Book of the Year” award which is dedicated to “rewarding excellence in sports writing" with Previous winners including Nick Hornby and Simon Hughes.

2002 saw William Hill successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange and in 2008 a partnership with Playtech revolutionised the company’s online offering. In 2009 a move to Gibraltar ensured both an open access policy to UK players and a good security policy ensuring that you are always safe when playing at www.williamhillcasino.com.

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The Story of Champagne - The World's Most Exclusive Alcoholic Drink

03 June 2010

Champagne is one of the most recognized alcoholic beverages around the world. It’s used to toast special occasions, in christenings and in championship celebrations. The drink takes its name from the region of France it’s produced in, Champagne, and is a sparkling wine that has been fermented in the bottle for carbonation after fermenting in barrels.

Champagne is located in the northeastern region of France. The name “Champagne” comes from the Latin word Campania - which is a part of Rome, Italy. Now famous for its namesake sparkling wine, Champagne, France was once renowned for the large fairs held throughout the region in the High Middle Ages (11th - 13th centuries).

The early wine of the Champagne region was pale and even pink in color, using the Pinot noir brand of grape exclusively. It was a carryover from the Roman influence on the land. They were the first to cultivate this region and plant grapes. In 987, Hugh Carpet was named the King of France and the area’s wine was often on display at formal banquets.

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The Story of Silverstone Formula 1 Circuit

22 April 2010

Located in Northamptonshire, England, the Silverstone Circuit is globally known as being the home of the British Grand Prix and hub of all British Formula One racing. This legendary track has been hosting car races since 1948 and continues to be one of the more formidable tracks drivers race on to date. Since 1987, Silverstone has been a fixture in the F1 circuit.

The track crosses borders, with half of it located in Northamptonshire and the other half located in Buckinghamshire, and takes its name from the RAF Silverstone bomber base on which it was built. It’s a huge track, stretching out for an impressive 5.1 kilometers, and its 17 turns ensure that only the most skilled drivers in the sport stand a chance at beating this English beast.

Like many old and famous tracks, Silverstone offers much more than an annual F1 Championship Grand Prix race. Apart from hosting FIA Formula One and British Grand Prix races, Silverstone also hosts FIM MotoGP, Formula Three, FIM Superbike, Le Mans Series, Touring Car and Superleague Formula races among others.

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The History Of Times Square, New York

19 April 2010

Times Square is one of the most popular attractions in New York City and has kept people flocking to the large area for many years. Instead of the usual New York monument, Times Square is actually comprised of city blocks - it’s an intersection of the Manhattan borough, located at Broadway and Seventh and extended to Sixth and Eighth Avenue.

Although Times Square was always technically present in New York, it didn’t get its name until the early 1900s. John Morin Scott owned the area around the time of the American Revolution, and John Jacob Astor owned the property later on.

In 1904, after the New York Times moved to a skyscraper on the property, the paper’s publisher, Adolph S. Ochs, consulted the city’s mayor about constructing a subway station near the headquarters. This gave rise to a building boom and the area was named Times Square and promptly began the now-traditional electric advertising.

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Tattersalls Horse Auction - The Birth of Bookmaking

02 March 2010

Richard Tattersall did far more than open up an auction house for horses in 1766; he also enabled the invention of bookmaking. All around the world, and on a variety of sports, people lay down their money every single day on sporting events ranging from football and cricket to dog and horse races. The art has been popular for millennia and shows no signs of slowing down.

At Hyde Park Corner on the outskirts of London, Richard Tattersall set up shop for various horse auctions. On the premises also were two subscription rooms, supposedly reserved to only members of the Jockey Club. However, these rooms would become famous for something else entirely, despite Tattersalls original intentions.

Around 1780, a different type of member started to frequent these subscription rooms. Instead of jockeys filling the ranks, Tattersalls was inundated with men wishing to bet on a variety of horse activities. The bets would cover everything from popular horse races of the day to even which lucky stallion would be studded out and for how much.

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See A Darker Side to Sin City With The Vegas Mob Tour

05 February 2010

Long before Las Vegas became well known as the place to catch every washed-up act from sea to shining sea (as well as some great ones, mind you!), the common consensus was that the mob pretty much controlled much of the day-to-day activities. Going to Las Vegas these days, youd be hard-pressed to find signs of any gangster-style mafia activity.

The big-shot entrepreneurs proved that money talks and intimidation walks. But this is actually a good thing. Mob activity is much kinder and gentler when its fictionalized; and if you want to get close to the mob, minus the concrete boots, the Vegas Mob Tour is available in Sin City, showcasing the best - or worst, depending on your disposition - of what the mob had to offer.

The Vegas Mob Tour is carried out via bus and takes around two and a half hours from start to finish. During this time, youll be chauffeured around to many locations where the mafia and organized crime in general once had a firm grip on the landscape.

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The Reform Club, London - luxurious & proud home of the British Whig Party

03 February 2010

One of the largest private members clubs in London is also one of its oldest and most popular. The polar opposite of the Carlton Club for Conservatives, the Reform Club has been the proud home of Whig Party and Liberal members for nearly 200 years.

Although it’s labeled a gentlemans club - because that’s how they all started out some centuries ago - the Reform Club has allowed women full membership since the 1980s. Whereas most of these private clubs have tapered off in popularity, the Reform Club has maintained a high membership and remains one of the higher-priced and more elitist clubs in the immediate area .

Edward Ellice, Whig whip and purveyor of Hudson’s Bay Company, a wealthy bank in England in the 1800s, founded the Reform Club in 1836. Ellice is credited with nearly single-handedly seeing the Reform Act of 1832 passed, due to his relentless lobbying efforts.

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Concorde - The fastest commercial airliner in history

26 January 2010

The Concorde is a type of commercial airliner that flies through the skies well past the sound barrier. The plane is so fast that, on a cross-country trip from New York to California, it can actually land on the west coast before it took off from the east - according to the time zone differences, obviously.

Although the Concorde is a commonplace and popular aircraft today, there’s a story behind this airliner, showcasing a few struggles along the way. This story of officially begins around 1956. In November of that year, the Supersonic Transport Aircraft Committee was developed and funded in order to study supersonic air travel, and namely build an airliner that could break speed records.

For the next three years, the top engineers in the field worked to develop various plans and test theories, and were ultimately set on 2 separate designs for an airplane. This was a merger between the British Minister of Aviation and the French; the two countries would split the cost. This was a hard-fought battle, and it took the Sud Aviation of France and the British Aircraft Corporation a long time to reach an agreement in 1961.

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The Cobden Club London - A cornerstone of the free trade movement

22 January 2010

As the political landscape in England started to change in the mid to late 1800s, various political parties were doing whatever they thought necessary to grow their base, share and hone their ideas and ultimately effect change in the country.

While the Conservatives, Whigs, Liberals and other political parties had their fair share of property and membership, so too did lesser known parties, like those affiliated with the Free Trade doctrine. For the Free Traders, the Cobden Club was founded. Although not technically a recognized political party, believers in the Free Trade doctrine still had large numbers and a branch of the liberal base.

The original Cobden Club was founded in 1866 and had exclusive membership. All members, no matter what their main political affiliation, were firm believers in free global trade and how it would subsequently bring peace and prosperity to much of the world.

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Bio of Ferdinand Porsche - icon of automobile history

19 January 2010

No matter how you pronounce Porsche, Porsh or Por-sha, the overwhelming consensus is that it’s one of the greatest sports cars to ever surface on the planet. Of course, the car is only considered so great due to the man behind it all, Ferdinand Porsche.

The Austrian automotive genius was born September 3, 1875 in Vratislavice, Austria-Hungary and is responsible for the Volkswagen. Ferdinand’s son Ferry would be the Porsche to create the sports car, but one could have never happened without the other. The origins of Porsche are intertwined with the history of Volkswagen, the design of the former being based on that of the latter, and both car companies have a storied history.

From a young age, Ferdinand made it a point to work on various mechanical components, and at 18 years of age, his aptitude for mechanical engineering landing him a job at Bela Egger in Vienna. After five years with the company, Porsche decided to go his own way, entering into the automobile industry by way of Jakob Lohner & Co. Ferdinand joined the company in 1896, and by 1898, his name was already attached to a concept vehicle, the System Lohner-Porsche.

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Top US Restaurant Review - Antoine's, New Orleans

15 June 2009

Most commonly referred to as the Big Easy, New Orleans, Louisiana, is one of the most storied cities in America. With a population mostly comprised of descendants from the exiled French-Canadians and gold coast slaves, the true "melting pot" nature of America is personified in this city that sits below sea level. Not only has this city developed its own language, Cajun, but they also have a self-invented blended cuisine referred to as Creole. No other restaurant in Easy town serves up Narlins cooking like Antoine’s.

Antoine’s can be found on St. Louis Street in the French Quarter. For those who don’t know their way around New Orleans, the French Quarter is the only spot in the entire city that stands up above sea level. As such, Antoine’s was saved from the devastating water damage of hurricane Katrina, but the restaurant still took some heavy wind damage. Coming together, the community helped to rebuild the restaurant, and this 180-year-old establishment received a much needed makeover and all-around lifting of spirits.

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A history of the Kentucky Derby

15 October 2008

The Kentucky Derby is an annual horse race held in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May. This Grade 1 stakes race is for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, and it caps the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The total length of the race is one and a quarter miles and it is ran at Churchill Downs.

In the U.S.A., the Derby is coined "The most exciting two minutes in sports," and it often considered being the primary horse race in the world. The Kentucky Derby, like so many other races, didn’t start out as prestigious. Although today the Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, it has rather humble beginnings.

The region of Kentucky slowly climbed to horse racing prominence in the 18th century. The Bluegrass Region was considered a breeding ground for great thoroughbred horses. In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. traveled to England and visited the Epsom Derby, a famous annual horse race.

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Where Rolex excels is its long standing history

06 September 2008

Rolex is the most recognizable watch in the world. With unsurpassed quality and craftsmanship, Rolex’s timepieces personify luxury and are coveted by the well-to-do the world over. Rolex produces over 2,000 watches daily, and earns a reported $3-billion in annual revenue.

BusinessWeek consistently ranks Rolex in the top 100 of its list of most important global brands, always topping all other watchmakers. With brilliantly designed pieces such as the Vintage Daytona and the Yacht-Master, it’s easy to see why Rolex is atop the leader boards. But this powerhouse didn’t start out the most popular; Rolex has over 100-years in the watch-making business, and any success they have now is hard-fought.

In 1905, Hans Wilsdorf and his brother-in-law Alfred Davis founded a small company, Wilsdorf and Davis, in London, England. At the time, their main business was importing Hermann Aegler’s Swiss movements to England and placing them in Dennison-made quality cases.

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The background history of the FIFA Soccer World Cup

04 September 2008

The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition played between the men’s national teams of the members of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing global body of the sport. The tournament officially began in 1930, and the championship has been awarded every four years, except 1942 and ’46, due to WWII.

Whether you refer to the sport as soccer, footy, futbol, or football, it is an international phenomenon which attracts more viewers than any other worldly event. The tournament consists of two parts: qualification phase, final phase. And 32 teams participate for the World Cup championship (Final). In 2006, the World Cup attracted 715-million viewers, shattering numbers put up by other sporting events such as the Super Bowl.

FIFA was founded in 1904 as a way to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside of the Olympic network. At first, the attempts were utter failures, and FIFA was on the brink of disbanding multiple times.

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