I am in New York and I opened Adelante Spanish School (http://spanishamerica.com) with my Partner, Monica Guerra, who manages day-to-day affairs in Quito. For free help in planning a Ecuador trip, arranging a room in Quito and especially to plan Spanish lessons please contact us (lee@spanishamerica.com in English or monica@spanishamerica.com in Spanish)

In my opinion Quito, Ecuador and Antigua, Guatemala are the best places in the world for a traveller to learn Spanish quickly and affordably and with a great deal of fun. There are hundreds of schools in either city and the competition keeps the quality high and the cost low. The cost of language instruction can be under US$5/hr for one to one instruction and you can experience room and board with a local family for about $15/day. Having experienced both I chose to start my venture in Ecuador.

Quito’s many schools are excellent and the instructors are experienced. You will find relatively few people who speak English inQuito but all are patient with foreigners making it very conducive to learning. You should have no problem mastering Spanish as long as you study. You don’t need to do or study anything before you go. There is a lot to distract in Quito. If you take classes for 4-5 hours a day, try to study for three hours or so either over lunch or at dinner. It is a great place and you will find the most difficult thing about studying is that there are many wonderful things to do in Ecuador.

Ecuador is a place where you can do a lot and don't need a formal plan, reservations, etc. It is very easy to decide to do something (visit: jungle, mountain, hike, colonial, market, coast) on a Thursday night, to get on a bus Friday afternoon and to find a hotel when you arrive. It is the best way to meet people and to make sure that your experience is the best possible. Furthermore, Spanish schools tend to be flexible and accommodating for the spontaneous traveller.

Small schools are less expensive and tend to offer more personal attention and a better immersion experience while more costly larger schools offer the opportunity to socialize with more American students and English speakers. If you want a large number of peers visit a large school as well as a smaller school.

Most schools specialize in one-to-one Spanish instruction. One to one immersion training offers the best way to rapidly develop your language skills. Most professors are skilled and experienced in engaging in interesting conversation with students that is gauged to their level and challengs them to improve at their best ability. Your professor should be able to tell where you need assistance and focus on that aspect of your language training. Discusssion in English can be a welcome relief but they do not often further the goal of learning Spanish nearly so well as struggling with Spanish. That is what immersion is all about. There are volunteer opportunities available in and around Quito. Schools work with organisations to arrange volunteer opportunities

Please contact lee@spanishamerica.com or monica@spanishamerica.com for information or look at their web site http://spanishamerica.com. We can pick you up at the airport even if you later decide not to study with us. We are also happy to discuss your plans and assist in arrangements without any fees.

Believe it or not, storm chasing has become something of a hobby. So when the weather is bad, throw away that jigsaw, that book, that piece of embroidery or the TV guide, get your waterproofs on, grab a map and jump into your car! Oh, and don’t forget your camera or camcorder and mobile (cell) phone! The real storm “techies” fit thermometers, barometers, hygrometers and even anemometers in their cars.

Why do this? It’s a lot of fun – generated heart churning adrenaline levels and can involve you in some of the most beautiful sky scenes. According to the UK storm chasers club, people who actively chase tend to have “a sound meteorological knowledge of the atmosphere and storms including their behaviour and dynamics. It is this knowledge that keeps them safe: storm chasing can be dangerous if undertaken by inexperienced individuals both for themselves and others. In the UK the danger is even greater due to our busy and congested road networks. When you encounter a local storm these already bad road conditions will rapidly deteriorate with copious amounts of standing rain water, flash flooding and sometimes even a hail covering.

So how do you do it? Again, according to the British club, the trick is to attempt to forecast where thunderstorms may develop and then head to a favourable area. There are hundreds and hundreds of people including storm chasers who attempt their own forecasts using internet data. There are lots of websites with information including Westwind.ch they make surface pressure charts and upper air charts freely available. You can also get various lightning detection products (often called sferics products) and you can now get free hourly radar images on the BBC Weather pages. If you wish there is also data available on line but at cost. For example there is a better radar picture now offered by Avbrief but there is a fee. “The majority of us are TORRO members which means images we capture and information we gather is gratefully received and put to good use,” says a storm chaser from Holland.

There are storm chasing groups in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, all over the United States and Australia. The Dutch Storm Chase Team formed last year when the guys got together for a one-off chase that ended up so much fun they decided to make a regular thing of it. “We started that afternoon,” says Bernard Hulshof, a meteorologist with Holland Weather Services, “and drove to the west near Schiphol Airport where we saw numerous showers, beautiful showers, large rainbows and deep blue skies. It was heaven for us and later on we followed the storm to the province of Flevoland, in the centre of The Netherlands. By then it had become dark, the sun was setting and the storm was producing lightning. It was all very exciting and very successful for us.”

In the US, there is a region known as Tornado Alley that stretches from Texas northward to the Dakotas. More tornados occur there than anywhere else on earth, so this is naturally something of a mecca for storm chasers. “I can't think of any other place on earth which would be more exciting for storms than Tornado Alley,” says Harald of the Netherlands’ club. “The situation in America is perfect for storm development, it's unique in the world. You can get any type of storm if you have time for it. But of course,” he adds, without even a hint of irony, “it all depends on the weather.”

The Beetle found a couple of companies that specialise in storm chasing “tours” – if this interests you, you might want to check out Silver Lining Tours, owned by David Gold, a meteorologist and self proclaimed outstanding storm chaser. He says he will take customers to watch incredible super cells, awesome tornadoes, huge hail and wild lightning.

Texas-based Tempest Tours are taking bookings now for Storm Chasing Expeditions in the 2003 spring season. The company, headed by three veteran storm chasers (with more than 50 years of storm chasing experience), will lead six tours into Tornado Alley in search of nature's most spectacular weather. The tours take place in May and June, the peak of tornado activity in the United States. Tours will depart from Oklahoma City and in minivans. Veteran storm chasers typically drive 100-400 miles a day to reach their targets.

Stormchasing.com say“if you're looking for adventure, you'll love this thrilling storm chasing holiday in America. We offer “10-Day” and “5-Day” tours where you'll travel across a number of states. One of our vans is the most highly equipped chase van in Tornado Alley — unlike any other storm chasing van on the road.” They go on to say that they are the only storm chasing company that has “real-time” weather information 100% of the time, delivered by satellite technology to our storm chasing van. You will get to ride in that van and be part of the action as we chase down severe storms and tornados in America's Tornado Alley!!

It was 8.30am and I was waiting for Rosanna White in the early morning sunshine, sheltered in the shade of a palm tree in front of the Independence Monument. Rosanna is the volunteer co-ordinator for the Sunrise Children's Village, a Phnom Penh orphanage with a high profile, due in no small part to the extraordinary efforts of its founder and patron, Geraldine Cox. Described by some as 'larger than life', Geraldine was on one of her regular trips abroad seeking out funds to keep the orphanage afloat and the day to day administration was in the capable hands of Rosanna. I'd been in e-mail contact with both of them for a few months before my trip and they'd kindly invited me to visit the orphanage, temporarily located in Takhmau, some fifteen kilometres south of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Geraldine's high profile – she's written a book, there's an award-winning documentary about her life and a feature film in the offing – and her tireless work go towards providing a home for around fifty disadvantaged Cambodian children between the ages of 3 and 18. Most are orphans, all have sad tales to tell, but the orphanage provides them with love, food and shelter as well as regular schooling and extra English, computer, sewing, music and dance classes, designed to give them the chance of a brighter future. It’s a worthy cause that many Australians support with individual and corporate sponsorship. However, as Rosanna explained on our drive out to Takhmau, a great deal of extra funding, as much as $600,000, is needed to fulfil the Sunrise dream envisioned when Prime Minister Hun Sen donated ten hectares of rent-free land to the orphanage. It's certainly an ambitious project and the publicity created by the support of some very famous Hollywood names is currently giving it real momentum, while Geraldine's powers of persuasion continue to play their part in making the dream come true.

A toot of the horn and the gates of a nondescript villa opened up as Sopheun, the orphanage’s housemother, welcomed us. Rosanna received an update on the latest batch of cuts and bruises, tantrums and colds (and the theft of a bicycle) since her last visit a couple of days earlier before giving me a guided tour of the tidy, but cramped house and grounds. On the ground floor were the girls’ dormitories (the boys sleep upstairs), with hammocks and mattresses taking up most of the space and a few of the girls busily drawing pictures with coloured crayons. Outside, the more boisterous boys were playing games of tag and marbles and I joined in a game of football with Chanry and Sin Long, two eight year olds, who were obviously best of friends and who hammed it up for my camera. I also showed my skills, or lack of them, with another group who were playing 'tot sey' (foot shuttlecock).

Nearby was the well-stocked computer room, where Phalla, the computer teacher, was fixing a PC on his day off with the help of a couple of the older teenagers. He showed me how the recent rains had flooded the room and damaged the wooden computer stands and was very keen to hear about my website devoted to my travels in Cambodia. Outside, I met Sok An, the head cook, who was preparing vegetables for the children's lunch with some of the older girls under an awning in the concrete yard, when Sary and her wheelchair (she's the only disabled child in the orphanage) whizzed past and came to a halt at the water tap, where she began washing some clothes. Rosanna explained that Sary, a polio sufferer, is now learning to walk with the aid of callipers and a brace and is fiercely independent, but an absolute sweetie.

Upstairs, we visited the volunteers’ room, which also houses the medicine cabinet and is where Geraldine, the patron, sleeps when she's in town. Next door, the dance and music practice was already in full swing. The children are working hard in preparation for a once in a lifetime visit to Australia for an arts festival, and rehearsals form a key part of each day for those lucky enough to be going. The orphanage is home to about fifty children and over half of them will be making the trip to Adelaide in March. Today was a Sunday, so no school meant extra practice sessions for the dancers and musicians. In a cramped room, I grabbed a seat to watch the dance teacher, Monitha, guiding a group of the youngest girls – six to eight year olds – through their traditional Khmer dance routine. They were delightful and were followed by the youngest boys who danced and banged their coconut shells in harmony as Srey Mao, the youngest of the girls with a smile and a nature guaranteed to melt any heart, sat on my knee to watch her friends perform.

At the back of the room, some of the children were playing traditional Khmer instruments to accompany the dances and were being tutored by 70-something year old Mr Chea and his daughter Thierry, both outstanding musicians in their own right. Next on the dance floor were the teenage girls and particularly 17 year old Srey Mich, the orphanage's leading dancer who glided across the floor with grace and poise in abundance. Following them, as the tempo increased, were a mixed group of four boys and four girls who moved in well-rehearsed unison and who rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable hour watching the children perform. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I forgot to take any photos until near the end. I was mightily impressed. This wasn't a performance staged for visiting guests but a daily practice session, yet the timing and elegance of all the dancers, whatever their age, was a joy to watch. They'd worn their normal clothes for the practice, so I'm sure they'll look even more professional when they wear their hand-sewn costumes for the real thing.

I had another quick kick-about in the courtyard with Chanry and Sin Long as Rosanna did her final rounds of the villa with most of the children giving her a goodbye hug. Then it was back in the 4WD and out into the busy back streets of Takhmau and our return to Phnom Penh. My visit to the orphanage had been a brief but thoroughly enjoyable one. The children I met were happy, the level of laughter and their playful nature made that abundantly clear, but their temporary premises are simply too small. It’s a stopgap until the Sunrise Children's Village and the dreams of Geraldine, Rosanna and the children themselves become a reality. I sincerely hope that's sooner rather than later.

To visit the Sunrise Children's Village website, click here.

For more information on Andy’s travels, visit his website which has lots of travelogue stories with pictures: http://www.btinternet.com/~andy.brouwer/index.htm

Costa Rica, a tiny country that forms part of the land bridge between North and South America, is almost too good to believe. It has more species of mammals and birds than the continental United States and Canada combined, unmatched flora that includes over 3,000 species of wild orchids alone and a world famous national park system.

It is a land of natural treasures: lush green jungles and forests, steaming volcanoes, mountains, Caribbean beaches, and Pacific surf. You can explore miles of nature trails that access a variety of unique natural habitats, drive to the edge of a volcanic crater or through the deep, rich mountain jungle, or soak up the rays on a magnificent tree-lined beach.

Costa Rica is a paradise for orchids, butterflies and hummingbirds. Near San Ramón you can visit a beautiful Orchid garden full of the national orchid – La Guaria. On Sunday you observe the families hanging around and playing with their children. San Ramón and its surroundings offer a lot of fun and entertainment with adventure, beautiful nature and also culture.

Where are we talking about? Costa Rica's Central Valley is noted for its eternal spring like weather. The district San Ramón de Alajuela is the biggest district of Costa Rica and is situated on the end of the Central Valley just in the heart of Costa Rica. San Ramón is a pleasant small town about halfway between the capital San José and Puntarenas, just off the Carretera Interamericana that joins San José with the Pacific coast. When you leave the airport and take the autoroute to Puntarenas the first sign you see is the sign to San Ramón and takes about 45 minutes.

San Ramón is situated on the tenth degree of latitude and 3,280 feet above sea level. This provides one of the best climates in the world with all year long average temperature of 77 º F (25 º C). The perfect climate to promote or maintain your health and to relax.

San Ramón is known locally as the city of presidents and poets because several of them were born or lived here. It is a clear, green and safe area and offers a lot of activities like sightseeing to the museum and to the beautiful church. The museum has interesting exhibits of local history and culture. The church looks very similar to European churches and is a combination of gothic and roman styles. It was designed by a German architect and construction started in 1925. The altar was built in Italy, the tiles from Germany and the bells from France. Artisans from around the world and many Costa Rican artists contributed to its creation. The construction was finished in 1954.

So, where to eat? A new restaurant has opened which is excellent by any standards. The owner of Alirass is a native of San Ramon who has also travelled. Her fusion Costa Rican food is a must. Try the fish with avocado and cheese and save room for the excellent home-made desserts. The owner/chef Ligia has contributed a gem to her hometown.

What to do? Life runs slowly in this part of the world and you can relax and enjoy. Visit the central market, the weekly market, the park in the centre of San Ramón and watch the people talking in the street and hear the loudspeakers from a passing car announcing good shopping offers or activities for the next weekend. There is no hurry.

You find around San Ramón big waterfalls, bungee jumping, canopy tours, hot air ballooning, hiking in rainforest, bird watching, and horseback riding, tours with mountain bikes and a beautiful Spa. From this central position you can travel very easily to most of the volcanoes or beaches. Near San Ramón you can visit the “Reservado Alberto Manuel Brenes”, a large area with an incredible variety of fauna and flora.

Getting around: it is best that you don't expect perfect roads but you will see this as a part of the adventure. You drive slowly and have time to look around. Of course you always need more time than you expected. But there is no reason to hurry. You will be rewarded with unforgettable occurrences. You will see animals and plants you never have seen before in your life. Guides are always available to take you around and to explain the nature of the area that is new and eye opening.

Come join us in what is still a relatively undiscovered part of Costa Rica, a very special country in these turbulent times.

Where to stay to chill out: I run the Hotel and Spa Casaelena that is 6 miles from town at 3000 ft. altitude with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. We have 24 acres of landscaped grounds with a large pool with a steam room and solar heated jacuzzi. Spa services such as massage and pedicures are available. It’s a great place for peace and quiet, for couples who want a romantic get away or for groups who want a real spa experience: yoga, meditation, nutrition advice, massage, beauty treatments, acupuncture and chiropractor services. For more information, contact me, Helene on: casaelena@racsa.co.cr or visit our website:

www.costaricarelax.com

Meeting news from our branches around the world.

Writing this sat at my university desk I can’t help frequently glancing up at the picture painted in Mikindani and the various photos of my gap year experience.

Having gone over the whole experience with true friend back home, I can’t say that I was overly enthused about the prospect of having to talk through the whole ‘year out’ thing to several strangers in fake bids to find new friendships. But even after thinking over what the visits to Mikindani have done for me, it wasn’t until I chatted about everyone else’s gap years that I realised just how valuable they were. Past volunteers will have all contemplated the commercial organisations and weighed up what volunteers are gaining but I’d like everyone to think about these again.

When I talked to people about my gap year, it was hard to sum up just how much I went through with George and Emily. The work we partook covered everything from teaching in the primary schools, running a tree nursery and planting program, teaching sports to the locals, improving vocational training in the hotel, and researching and writing for a guide book. Our cultural experiences were, for me, highlights of the stay; the learning of a new language, staying with a host family, going through Ramadan, Christmas abroad. The learning of a Swahili is something, which is pushed at Trade Aid, and rightly so, it is after all a key in developing our work and provides a great deal more scope in possibilities for volunteer input. But the thing that stuck out the most was purely being a little part of the village. In such a scale a project as this, your input is very direct and results or improvements are clear and achievable. At the end of the six month stay I could regard many locals as friends, not just people who had provided me with an experience. With huge mountains, natural wonders of the world, and exotic islands ahead, it was hell having to say goodbye to these people I had spent so much of every day with for some time. Not one person here at university has seemed to show as much sorrow as our group did when leaving and they all are impressed at how personal my experience seemed. It has sparked a true interest in Africa and the situation in developing countries, I would now definitely consider it as an option when working in healthcare once my physiotherapy degree allows me to.

Others tales tended to take two main routes. First were the ‘round the world’ people. An air ticket bought several thousand miles and covered a path generally following China, Australia, New Zealand, Los Angeles, and home again. All very well for getting lots of stamps in your passport but I often question how much these people got to know a place. In addition to getting off the plane, completing a quick tourist tour, and maybe eating a local dish, I heard little else of what they gained. Any past volunteer will know exactly how much of an opportunity is granted to get involved and mix with Mikindani’s people. The second lot arranged experiences through commercial companies, set up to provide students with trips and work in developing countries. Much of their work and goals were similar to those I aimed towards with Trade Aid and the satisfaction of doing something active to help others out was obvious in most. The contrast seemed to be in the socialising once the working day had finished. Those in bigger groups told of many nights together and parties in foreign beauty spots, fun but not on the same level as sitting on Bomani street joking and chatting to the locals during the evening hours, and not going down to Doa’s bar on a moonlight night with the Boma staff.

Of course although my opinion on things has been favoured towards what I found, having only experienced a year with Trade Aid, I realise also that every single person has had a ‘time of their life’ and each and every one is much the wiser because of it. Since returning home to study I have kept very much in touch with the charity and look forwards to revisiting in December to carry on with some work and maintain my interest.

For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website www.mikindani.com or e-mail Sherie on tradeaid@netcomuk.co.uk

Globetrotters meeting Saturday 7^th December 2002 By Padmassana

This afternoon our first speaker was Damian Welch, Royal Geographical Society (RGS) winner of a “Journey of a Lifetime “ Award, who took us to Tokelau, a group of remote Polynesian islands located north of New Zealand. His talk and slides demonstrating to us the effect that the 21^st Century has had on the islanders way of life. Tokelau’s population of 1,500 souls crowd onto just three islands. Damian's graphic photos demonstrated just how dependant the islanders are on the imported barrels of oil, petrol and diesel, which arrive like everything else by ship. The islanders life revolves around the ship’s comings and goings. The islanders share everything, from the oil, to the work and the food that sustains them. Though this system is rapidly being overtaken by the introduction of money, people are asking how much?, before doing tasks they would previously have just done. Fishing is one area where the old way carries on, the fish are caught and shared equally among the people when the catch is landed. Tokelau’s women folk prepare the food and then play noisy games of dominoes. Afternoons on Tokelau are often spent playing volleyball under the scorching sun. Unfortunately the once healthy Tokelau diet of fish and coconut is being replaced by imported corned beef, beer and vast amounts of sugar, resulting in the 21^st century diseases of obesity and diabetes. Damian’s idyllic photos of the islands peeping out of the blue sea and thought provoking talk on daily life made for a very interesting and educational 40 minutes.

Our second speaker was Robert Twigger, whose talk was entitled “Putting the adventure back into travel”.

Robert’s wanderlust was instilled in him by his Grandfather, who had returned from his own travels with Naga spears, which Robert has inherited, just as well as I don’t think you would be very successful at bringing them through Heathrow airport in the current climate.

Roberts’s plan was to try and replicate the epic 1793 journey of Alexander MacKenzie, who crossed Canada from east to west. Robert particularly wanted to repeat the last section down the Athabasca river in a birch-bark canoe. First though Robert and his friend Ben had to get the canoe to their starting point. They achieved this by delivering a van 3500 miles across Canada in three days, before being dropped off in the middle of nowhere to begin their journey. They set off paddling often against quite strong currents, seeing nobody else for days on end. Though they did see a lot of bears, which were not intimidated or scared off by the bear horn they carried with them. The locals all carry a gun for this job! Robert and Ben camped by the river and we saw some beautiful sunset photos, however this didn’t tell the whole story, as wherever they stopped they were set upon by millions of mosquitoes. Unfortunately Robert’s trip was limited by time and they have had to leave the canoe in storage having completed 600 miles until next year when he hopes to complete the trip all the way to the Pacific.

London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotter Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk

When going to places like South Africa, Singapore, etc. you might want to consider getting multi-entry visas if a visa is required. Although they usually cost a little extra, it is worth the hassle of having to queue up, complete the paperwork, provide photos etc.

From South Africa I went to Zimbabwe by bus to Bulawayo and then by train to Victoria Falls, walked over bridge to Zambia and then took train back through Botswana and then to South Africa. Also one might want to make a side trip to Namibia. (I met a South African soldier in South Africa that delighted to tell me he had been stationed in Nam. I thought he meant Vietnam and then he smiled and said Namibia.) From Singapore using it as headquarters, I made side trips to Bali and back, India and back, Malaysia and Thailand and back.

While you might be able to get new visas getting a multiple entry might save you some time. From Johannesburg I also took a bus trip to the township where they then allowed gambling and had a small Las Vegas. The township and I cant think of its name began with b long name and they had distinctive stamps for sale. A small diversion if you have the time. Happy Travelling Mac.

If you would like to contact Mac, a 78 year old retired military, and extremely well travelled, he is happy to answer any questions even if his information may be out of date. Mac can be e-mail him on: macsan400@yahoo.com

Our guest speaker at our december meeting was Amy Gissen, who gave a great slide show and lecture about Myanmar, truly one of Asia's jewels.

For details of forthcoming meetings email newyork@globetrotters.co.uk or register for email updates at click here at our website.

New York meetings are held at The Wings Theater, 154 Christopher Street (btw Greenwich St and Washington St), to the right of Crunch Fitness, in the Archive on the first Saturday of each month at 4 pm.

Novodevichiy Convent (Nunnery) is one of the most beautiful Moscow convents. By studying its history we discover many facts about the history of the State, which is extremely interesting.

It was founded in the early 16^th century. Its main cathedral was consecrated in honour of the Smolenskaya Icon of the Mother of God Hodigitria. According to the legend, St. Luke himself painted the icon, and it is closely linked with the convent’s foundation.

So Great Prince Vassily 3 founded the Novodevichy Convent in 1524 in honour of the seizure of Smolensk. The Convent stood on the road leading to southwest, in the direction of Smolensk, a small town 300 km away from Moscow.

The convent is like a miniature Kremlin. Its cathedral church was built with the Kremlin Cathedral of the Assumption as a model, perhaps by the Italian architect Aleviz Fryazin, and in 1525 the copy of the Smolenskaya Icon was placed in it. The convent’s fortified, toothed walls and the towers were added at the end of the 16^th century in the reign of Boris Godunov, and their design was also based on the Kremlin. In the 17^th century the towers were decorated with splendid tracery crowns.

It was the richest convent in Moscow. Noblewomen of the time became noviciates in it- wives and widows of the tsars and boyars, their daughters and sisters – and on taking the veil they handed over their jewels, pearls, gold and silver. Women were secluded into this convent for several causes: either if they couldn’t get a divorce, which was impossible at those times, or if they became widows, also if they were to be devoid of their political rights, like it was the case with the sister of Peter the Great. It was here in 1689 that Peter the Great confined the intelligent and power-loving Sofia, who did not wish to concede the throne to her brother after he had attained adulthood.

The same fate was in store for Yevdokia Lopukhina, the first wife of Peter the Great and mother of Tsarevich Aleksei. In 1727 she was brought here from the Shlisselburg Fortress in St. Petersburg after Peter’s death, and not long before her own. Both of Peter’s relatives are buried in the convent’s Smolensk cathedral.

It was here, in the Novodevichy Convent, that Boris Godunov was «summoned to kingdom» in 1568. In the fire of 1812 the convent was nearly ruined. At the beginning of September numerous French soldiers were billeted here and later on Napoleon himself visited the place on horseback. Without dismounting he looked round at the convent and gave orders for the Church of John the Baptist to be blown up, then he departed. On the night of 8 October the French troops were getting ready to retreat. Before leaving they stuck lighted candles on the wooden iconostases and threw them on to the floor where they had scattered straw everywhere. In the cellar of Smolensky Cathedral the nuns discovered open barrels of powder with smouldering fuses. With only seconds before a terrible explosion, the nuns managed to put out the fuses and prevent a fire in the convent.

A picturesque pond with ducks just near the convent makes it a wonderful place.

Novodevichy Convent has been witness to many historical events in its time, but it managed to go through it, endure it and not only preserve but also multiply spiritual heritage with centuries.

After the revolution the convent was secularised, then it housed a branch of the State History Museum. Today it’s a convent with 2 museums but it has been given back to the church.

For information on Ontario meetings, please contact: Svatka Hermanek:

shermanek@schulich.yorku.ca or Bruce Weber: tel. 416-203-0911 or Paul Webb: tel. 416-694-8259.

Meetings are held on the third Friday of January, March, May, September and November. Usually at the Woodsworth Co-op, Penthouse, 133, Wilton Street in downtown Toronto at 8.00 p.m.

Whether it’s a Bank holiday or any other weekend, Layer Marney is the perfect place to take the family for a fun-packed day out. Situated down a quiet, single-track lane, well signposted from the historic town of Colchester, it is hard to believe that anything so beautiful could exist in the heart of the Essex countryside – that is until you reach the gates leading to the estate.

Seeped in history, the tower is the tallest, most elaborate Tudor gatehouse in England and an initial glimpse of the striking building will take your breath away. Constructed in the Italian design, popular in the period in which it was built and made from terracotta bricks, the gatehouse is a vibrant red colour and very eye-catching.

The house spans either side of the tower itself and is currently occupied and so not open for public viewing. Beautifully designed gardens surround the building and a signpost to the left of the tower indicates the presence of the church of St Mary The Virgin, where regular Sunday worship is still practised.

Lying to the South of the main gatehouse is the very long and very narrow, Long Hall. Features include a wrought iron fireplace on the right hand wall and black iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The room itself is panelled with black wood and is the ideal venue to re-enact a Tudor banquet, where the staff will dress for the period and provide appropriate entertainment in the form of fire-eaters, jugglers or jesters.

On departing the hall you find yourself in a large courtyard, consisting of the Corsellis room (currently split into two housing the gift shop and the tearoom), and the barn that contains a collection of rare breed animals, many of which can be fed. There are also two farm walks, starting from the barn and varying in length, which include the chance to see the red deer that roam the grounds.

Entrance to the tower itself is via wooden double doors, passing a marbled jaguar cat on either side, into a small entrance room with archways to the left and right. All windows are arched and those in the entrance hall span the length of the wall. Dark curtains hang to the ground either side of the window and deer heads hang over each arch.

Those interested in Layer Marney’s history are advised to visit the History room – a large room thought to be the place where Queen Elizabeth I stayed on a visit to the tower in 1579 – which houses a model replica of the estate and also contains historical information. This room is found between the stairwells on the right and left of the tower and is reached via a well-maintained, spiral, wooden staircase. 95 steps lead to the top, where breathtaking views of the estate and surrounding countryside can be observed.

The estate is of interest to all ages and many events are held here, including craft fairs where there are activities and goods on offer for both young and old. It is also a popular venue for both civil ceremonies and wedding receptions and corporate events are often held here, where activities on offer include clay pigeon shooting, archery and jousting.

The tower has a colourful history and has seen many occupants over the years. It was built by Henry, the first Lord Marney, who wanted a home that would reflect his position as an important member of the royal court and it was originally intended to be a rival to Hampton Court Palace. By his death in 1515 only one side of the tower had been completed, however, the work was continued by his son until his death in 1525.

Though many others have lived at Layer Marney, the major restoration of the house was carried out by Sir Walter Zoete, who owned it from 1904. Following his death, ownership of the house passed to the Carrington family, descendants of whom currently occupy the property.

The history of Layer Marney Tower has led to it becoming a place of interest to those interested in paranormal activity. The voice of the first Lord Marney can often be heard echoing throughout the church that adjoins the tower and he may also be seen sliding down the banisters of the tower staircase as he attempts to scare those who interrupt his descent of the stairs.

All in all, if you’re ever in Essex with nothing to do, do pay Layer Marney Tower a visit. It’s a beautiful building set in beautiful countryside and is a little piece of history that should not be missed.

Layer Marney is open to the public daily from 1^st April till 5^th October 2003 and admission costs are £3 per adult or £2.50 per child. Further information can be gained from the website www.layermarneytower.co.uk

Clare is 27 years old and has a BSc in Anatomy and MSc in Forensic Science. She used to work at New Scotland Yard until she fell ill in December 2000 with ME. Clare is a first time mum to 8 month old Lauren and wife to Andrew. She writes freelance in any spare time and hope to begin writing a crime novel later this year (Beetle: PD James, watch out!) She is currently writing a children’s fairy story and various articles for mother and baby magazines.