Big Apple Secrets: Bowling Green Park.The tale of two monuments. Part 1 Sunday, September 1, 2013 Bowling Green Park.The tale of two monuments. Part 1 Manhattan's Bowling Green park , sitting at the very beginning of Broadway, is the first official park in New York. At the early days of New York there was cattle market on this place. On March 12, 1733 the city Council authorized the enclose of the small lot in the front of the fort on the southern tip of the island for “the recreation and delight”. The world's oldest surviving bowling green in the world is the Southampton Old Bowling Green in England, which was first used in 1299. There are many forms of bowling - the Italianbocce , the French petanque and British lawn bowling. The bowling game was banned for many centuries for most people in England. Henry VII, the king of England , played the game, but banned it for the poor because "Bowyers, Fletchers, Stringers and Arrowhead makers" were spending more time at recreational events such as bowls instead of practicing their trade.

It was only in 1845 that the ban was lifted, and people were again allowed to play bowls as they wanted. The English, Dutch and German settlers all imported their own variations of bowling to America. One of the earliest mention of it in American literature is by american writer Washington Irving, when Rip Van Winkle awakens to the sound of "crashing ninepins." Before 1905 balls were done primary out of very hard wood. But in 1905, the first rubber ball, was introduced. In. In 1952 automatic production model of pinspotter was introduce. Today, the sport of bowling is enjoyed by 95 million people in more than 90 countries. Bowling Green in New York is the first permanent American bowling location for lawn bowling. Statue of King George III in New York This park is the site of one of the most symbolic moment of the War ofIndependence . There was an equestrian statue of King George III in the middle of the Bowling Green park erected by the British government in 1770. The monument mirrored the famous Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius in the ancient Roman, erected in 176 AD.

The statue in New York was cast in lead and gilded. The monument was huge with estimated weight about 4,000 pounds. King George the Third ruled England from 1760 to 1820, the longest reign of any of the male monarchs in England. There are three equestrian statue of King George the Third in Great Britain: in London, Liverpool and Windsor. Statue of George III on Snow Hill, Windsor Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome The statue quickly became unpopular and law against vandalism and graffiti was passed in New York in 1773 and an iron fence was built to protect the monument. But it did not help. George Washington, commander of the Continental forces in New York, read the document aloud in front of City Hall, just a mile to the north from the Bowling green. The wild crowd cheered the inspiring words , then full of revolutionary excitement rushed to the statue of the English king. A number of soldiers, sailors and citizens threw ropes around the statue, pulled it down, and cut it into pieces.

Washington later disapprove the act and expressed the hope that “the military would leave this kind of work "to the proper authorities." Do you want to know what happened next with the monument? Wait for my next post to come! Posted by White Lodge Gardens, Fareham - Properties White Lodge Gardens, Fareham This estate consists of RENTAL properties only No properties available Map White Lodge Gardens in Fareham is a development of 34 apartments and 3 bungalows with shared gardens, residents’ lounge, laundry and guest facilities. The landscaped gardens also include a popular wildlife pond. Located in a quiet residential area, the properties are close to local shops, post office, chemist and doctor’s surgery. There is also a regular bus service into the city of Portsmouth, just a 35 minute journey away. The buildings and grounds maintenance and repairs are all taken care of by your professional on-site manager. Should you need to access further help and support they will also be on hand with advice. There’s plenty of opportunity to get involved with the resident community, with regular games sessions, coffee mornings and takeaway suppers.

This estate benefits from a professional Estate Manager Service To contact this estate direct call Estate Manager: 01329 283811 Other services and facilities include: Car Parking Lounge Local facilities Fareham is a market town in south east Hampshire. It has a historic high street, several markets, theatres, museums as well as plenty of shops and restaurants in Market Quay. Southampton is nearby with a large retail centre. The world's oldest surviving bowling green is the Southampton Old Bowling Green, which was first used in 1299. Art and Culture A little further afield can be found the medieval castle of Portchester. A theatre, Ferneham Hall, is located in the town centre and the Ashcroft Centre specialises in amateur theatre productions. In the surrounding area, there are several attractions of national interest: The Royal Armouries Museum; The Hovercraft Museum, Portchester Castle, Titchfield Abbey and the Tithe Barn. The annual Southampton Boat Show is held in September each year. Location and transport links The development is conveniently situated just off junction 10 of the M27, near the A32.

The M27 motorway passes around the northern edge of Fareham, and is the main traffic artery into and out of the area. It provides easy access to both Portsmouth and Southampton and London. Fareham is served by a mainline station with frequent trains running along the south coast and into London. Distance to GP: 1 miles Distance to shop: 1 miles Distance to bus stop: 0.02 miles Distance to Post Office: 0 miles Copyright © Hanover Housing Association 2017 About the Southampton Area | LettingsDirect - Lettings | Property Management | Residential Sales About the Southampton Area About The Southampton Area... Overview... With a population in excess of 280,000 it makes Southampton the main City on the South Coast. Southampton covers a wide area stretching from the New Forest and the west side over to the Solent on the East and is divided into two distinctive areas (East & West) by the Itchen River. Located approximately 60 miles south of London, Southampton is home to one of the largest commercial ports in Europe and also boasts good road, rail and air networks.

There are two Universities, Southampton University and Solent University, which between them house over 40,000 students. Shopping... Southampton's largest retail centre is the West Quay Shopping Centre. Opened in September 2000 and hosting major high street stores, it is one of the largest in the country. Other major shopping areas in the city centre include The Mall Marlands, the Bargate Centre and the East Street area, which has been designated for speciality shopping, with the aim of promoting smaller retailers. In 2007, Southampton was ranked 13th for shopping in the UK. Demographics... Southampton is the 3rd most densely populated city in the UK and has large Asian, Chinese, Polish and Irish communities. It's estimated that 10% of the community are Polish, 4.6% Asian and 2.5% Chinese. Employment... Currently unemployment is 2.4%, just below the national average. Just over a quarter of the jobs available in the city are in the health and education sector. A further 19 per cent are property and other business and the third largest sector is wholesale and retail, which accounts for 16.2 percent.

During the latter half of the 20th century, a more diverse range of industry also came to the city, including aircraft and car manufacture, cables, electrical engineering products, and petrochemicals. These now exist alongside the city's older industries of the docks, grain milling, and tobacco processing. Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the city's largest employers. It provides local hospital services to 500,000 people in the Southampton area and specialist regional services to more than 3 million people across the South of England. Other major employers in the city include Ordnance Survey, Ford, HSBC and Lloyds register. History... Southampton's history dates back to Stone Age times, however it’s in the Norman Conquest of 1066, when Southampton became the major port of transit between the then capital of England, Winchester, and Normandy. Southampton Castle was built in the 12th century and by the 13th century Southampton had become a leading port, particularly involved in the import of French wine in exchange for English cloth and wool. During the middle Ages, shipbuilding became an important industry for the town. Henry V's famous warship Grace Dieu was built in Southampton.

From 1904 to 2004, the Thornycroft shipbuilding yard was a major employer in Southampton, building and repairing ships used in the two World Wars. The port was the point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower in 1620. In 1912 the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton. Southampton was subsequently the home port for the transatlantic passenger services operated by Cunard with their Blue Riband liner RMS Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth. In 1938, Southampton docks also became home to the flying boats of Imperial Airways. Southampton Container Terminals first opened in 1968 and has continued to expand to become one of the largest in Europe. The Supermarine Spitfire was designed and developed in Southampton. Heavy bombing of the factory in September 1940 destroyed it as well as homes in the vicinity. World War II hit Southampton particularly hard because of its strategic importance as a major commercial port and industrial area. Transport... Southampton is a major UK port which has good transport links with the rest of the country.

The M27 motorway, linking places along the south coast of England, runs just to the north of the city. The M3 motorway links the city to London and also, via a link to the A34 road at Winchester, with the Midlands and North. The M271 motorway is a spur of the M27, linking it with the Western Docks and city centre. Southampton is also served by the rail network, which is used both by freight services to and from the docks and passenger services as part of the national rail system. The main station in the city is Southampton Central. Rail routes run east towards Portsmouth, north to Winchester, the Midlands and London, and westwards to Bournemouth, Salisbury, Bristol and Cardiff. Southampton Coach Station, which is located near the West Quay Shopping Centre on, offers connections to all main UK towns and Cities. Southampton Airport is a regional airport located in the town of Eastleigh, just north of the city. It offers flights to UK and near European destinations, and is connected to the city by a frequent rail service from Southampton Airport (Parkway) railway station, and by bus services.

Southampton is the terminus for three internal ferry services, all of which operate from terminals at Town Quay. Two of these, a car ferry service and a fast catamaran passenger ferry service, provide links to East Cowes and Cowes respectively on the Isle of Wight and are operated by Red Funnel. The third ferry is the Hythe Ferry, providing a passenger service to Hythe on the other side of Southampton Water. Buses now provide the majority of local public transport. The main bus operators are First Southampton and Bluestar. Other operators include Brijan Tours, Stagecoach, Velvet, Dorset Sprinter and Wilts & Dorset. The other large service provider is the Uni-link bus service (running from early in the morning to midnight), which was commissioned by the University of Southampton to provide transport from the university to the town. Culture... A survey recently described Southampton one of the best places to live in the UK for single people aged 18 to 30. This was owing to its "low cost of living, wide array of bars and clubs and cheap transport". Women voted it second best behind London, while men rated it as seventh.

The largest theatre in the city is the 2,300 capacity Mayflower Theatre, which has hosted many West End shows. There is also the Nuffield Theatre based at the University of Southampton's Highfield campus. There are many innovative art galleries in the city, including the City Art Gallery at the Civic Centre, the Millais Gallery at Southampton Solent. The annual Southampton Boat Show is held in September each year, with over 600 exhibitors and runs for just over a week at Mayflower Park. Sport... Southampton is home to Southampton Football Club—nicknamed "The Saints"— who play at St Mary's Stadium, having relocated in 2001 from their 103-year-old former stadium, "The Dell". They reached the top flight of English football (First Division) for the first time in 1966. They lifted the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester United in 1976, returned to the top flight two years later, and stayed there for 27 years (becoming founder members of the Premier League in 1992) before they were relegated in 2005.

The city hockey club, Southampton Hockey Club, founded in 1938, is now one of the largest and highly regarded clubs in Hampshire. The city is also well provided for in amateur men's and women's rugby with a number of teams in and around the city, the oldest of which is Trojans RFC, other clubs include Millbrook RFC & Eastleigh RFC. The city provides for yachting and water sports, with a number of marinas. From 1977 to 2001 the Whitbread around the World Yacht Race, which is now known as the Volvo Ocean Race was based in Southampton's Ocean Village marina. Southampton was named "fittest city in the UK" in 2006 by Men's Fitness magazine. The world's oldest surviving Bowling Green is the Southampton Old Bowling Green, which was first used in 1299. Education... The city has a strong higher education sector. The University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University together have a student population of almost 40,000. THES - QS World University Rankings positioned the University of Southampton in the top 80 universities in the world.

The university considers itself one of the top 10 research universities in the UK. There are 79 schools in Southampton. Southampton and Surrounding Areas | Flickr Southampton and Surrounding Areas See all discussions Group Description This group is for pictures of the City of Southampton in southern Hampshire, England and it's surronding towns and villages. So if you have pictures taken from Southampton, Totton, West End, Fareham, Romsey, Winchester, Warsash, Netley, Calmore, Ower, Salisbury, Chandlers Ford, Otterbourne, Burley, Ringwood, Eastleigh, Lyndhurst, Lymington etc then post it here. From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southampton Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. It is the closest city to the New Forest, situated approximately halfway between Portsmouth and Bournemouth. Southampton lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water where it is joined by the River Test and River Itchen, with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The city represents the core of the Greater Southampton region. A resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.

Although Stone Age settlements are known to have existed in the area, the first permanent settlement was established by the Romans. Known as Clausentum, it was an important trading port for the large Roman towns of Winchester and Salisbury. The Anglo-Saxons moved the centre of the town across the River Itchen to its present location, and it remained an important port. At the time, it was centred around what is now the St Mary's area, and the settlement was known as Hamwic. This name was later to evolve into Hamtun, and later still to Hampton. The Viking King Canute the Great is supposed to have defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready here in 1014 and been crowned here, and his fabled attempt to "command" the tide to halt may have taken place in Southampton. However, its prosperity was assured following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when it became the major port of transit between Winchester (then the capital of England) and Normandy. By the 13th Century, Southampton had become a leading port, and was particularly involved in the wool trade.

The Wool House was built in 1417 as a warehouse for the medieval wool trade with Flanders and Italy. This building is today used as the Maritime Museum, and can be found near Town Quay. It includes an exhibition concerning the RMS Titanic. Bowls was first played regularly on the Southampton Old Bowling Green adjacent to God's House Hospital in 1299. It is the world's oldest surviving bowling green. The town was sacked in 1338 by the French, including the pirate Grimaldi, who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco. After this attack, the city walls were built, some of which remain as ruins today. Lacking proper finance for the construction of a full defensive wall, the townsfolk reached a compromise solution, which involved joining the existing exterior walls of existing merchant houses together to form part of the defensive structure. The city walls include God's House Tower, built in 1417, the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Today, it is open as the Museum of Archaeology.

The 12th century Red Lion pub on the High Street below the Bargate within the old walls is where in 1415, immediately prior to King Henry V of England's departure from Southampton to the Battle of Agincourt, the ringleaders of the "Southampton Plot", Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, were tried and found guilty of high treason, before being summarily executed outside the Bargate. During the Middle Ages, shipbuilding became an increasingly important industry, which was to remain for centuries to come. The city became a county corporate in 1447. King Edward VI Grammar School was founded in the city near God's House Tower as a school for poor clergyman in 1553 by William Capon. Isaac Watts, one of its locally born alumni, wrote the words of the hymn O God Our Help In Ages Past, the melody of which forms the four-hourly peal of the Civic Centre clock chimes. King Edward's survives as a selective independent co-educational secondary school.

The Watts memorial in the city's West Park - also known as the Watts Park - was unveiled in 1861. The port was the original point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower in 1623. A memorial can be found on Town Quay. Since that time it has been the last port of call for millions of emigrants who left the Old World to start a new life in the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and other parts of the world. The painter John Everett Millais was born in the city. Southampton Solent University's art gallery is named Millais Gallery in his honour. In common with most of the luxury liners of the time, the RMS Titanic sailed from here, and it is still an important ocean liner port frequented by luxury ships such as the RMS QE2, the MV Oriana, and most recently the Queen Mary 2. A memorial to the engineers of the Titanic may be found in Andrews Park, on Above Bar Street. There is a memorial to the musicians who played on the Titanic just opposite the main memorial. Also, the Maritime museum in Wool Hall includes an exhibition related to the vessel.

Most of Titanic's crew lived in Southampton; 549 Sotonians died in the sinking. The city is home to Sir Edwin Lutyens' first permanent cenotaph, a memorial to the city's dead of World War I. When it was unveiled on 6 November 1920, it was 1800 names, later raised to 2008. It can be found in West (Watts) Park, opposite the Titanic memorial. The Second World War hit Southampton particularly hard, partly because of its strategic importance as the major industrial area on the South Coast and partly because of the city's links to the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, which was invented and manufactured in Southampton. Pockets of Georgian architecture remain, but much of the city was levelled. The accuracy of the locally-based Ordnance Survey's maps did not go unrecognised by the Luftwaffe: the German bomber pilots used them to bomb Southampton. One notable building to survive the bombings was Southampton's oldest, St. Michaels Church. Thought to have been commenced in 1070, the building has been added to many times over the centuries but its central tower dates from Norman times.

The spire was an important navigation aid for the German pilots and consequently they were ordered to avoid it. The Spitfire was developed and initially manufactured in the suburb of Woolston. Its designer, Reginald Mitchell, grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, then had a house in Russell Place in the suburb of Highfield near the university (now identified by a memorial plaque). The plane was a direct descendant of experimental aircraft built by Supermarine that competed in the Schneider Trophy in the 1930s. Supermarine was taken over by Vickers in 1928. Mitchell's short life is documented in the film The First of the Few. On Sept 24th 1940, the Woolston factory was bombed, killing 100 workers, though not damaging the factory. Two days later, the factory was heavily damaged by bombing, and thirty more workers died, which interrupted production of the Spitfire for many weeks at a critical time of the UK's survival.

There were many aircraft companies based around Hamble, to the east of the city, from the 1930s to 1950s, including Folland Aviation, started by Henry P Folland, the former chief designer of Gloster Aircraft. Folland was taken over by Hawker Siddeley in 1960, and later as British Aerospace, the factory built the Hawk and Harrier. The history of the area's contribution to aviation is celebrated at the Southampton Hall of Aviation, near Itchen Bridge, and opposite the erstwhile site of the Woolston Supermarine factory. BOAC had a flying boat base in the docks serving British colonial possessions in Africa and Asia in the 1930s and 1940s. It closed in 1950 when land based aircraft became dominant. Nearby, Calshot Spit was a base for the military flying boat services. Southampton was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, and contained the parishes of All Saints, Holy Rood, St John, St Lawrence, St Mary, St Michael, and part of South Stoneham.

The town became a county borough under the Local Government Act 1888. In 1894, under the Local Government Act 1894, the part of South Stoneham within the borough became the parish of Portswood, and in 1895 the parish of Shirley was added. In 1920, Bitterne, and part of the parishes of North Stoneham and South Stoneham were added. The area of the Itchen Urban District was added in 1925. In 1967 it took in part of the Nursling and Rownhams parishes added. The boundaries have been largely unchanged since then, despite the loss of county borough status under the Local Government Act 1972, and subsequent regaining of unitary authority status with the Banham Review. Southampton was awarded city status in 1964 by Letters Patent. In common with many British towns and cities, Southampton was heavily bombed during the Second World War.

Many historic buildings were lost as a result, but the old city walls remain, as does the Bargate, formerly the main gateway to the city at the northern end of the walls (Southampton has England's second-longest stretch of surviving Medieval wall, the longest being in York). The Bargate is often used as a symbol of the city, and is a prominent part of the city council's corporate identity. There are numerous large parks in the city centre. Most of Southampton's municipal services, including the library and the well-endowed art gallery are to be found in the Civic Centre. The city is home to the University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University and West Quay shopping centre, which was the biggest city-centre shopping mall in Europe when it was opened. It is also the headquarters of Ordnance Survey, the UK's national mapping agency, and the location of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the focus of Natural Environment Research Council-funded marine research. The Lloyd's Register Group has announced plans to move its London marine operations to a specially developed site at the University of Southampton.[8] The local newspaper for the city is the Southern Daily Echo, a Newsquest publication. Southampton has always been strongly connected with maritime history and developments.

In particular, it is a primary port for cruise ships, its heyday being the first half of the 20th century, and in particular the inter-war years, when it handled almost half the passenger traffic of the UK. Today it remains home to many luxury liners, as well as being a very important container port. The outstanding harbour means it is the principal port on the south coast, and one of the largest in the UK. Sailing is a popular sport here. Much of this is centred around Hamble at the River Hamble and the Ocean Village development, a local marina which includes one of the South Coast's major independent cinema complexes, Harbour Lights. From 1977 to 2001 the famous Whitbread Around the World Yacht Race (now known as the Volvo Ocean Race) started in Southampton The area of Swaythling is home to Ford's Southampton Assembly Plant, where the majority of their Transit models are manufactured. Southampton is named the 'Green City' as it is graced with many green spaces and parks. Standing in any area of Southampton, if you turn 360 degrees you will see at least one form of greenery.

The largest green space is Southampton Common, parts of which are used to host the annual summer festivals, circuses and fun fairs. The Common covers a larger area than Hyde Park in London and includes a Wildlife Centre on the former site of Southampton Zoo, a swimming pool and several lakes and ponds. The city also boasts the Southampton Sports Centre which is the focal point for the public's sporting and outdoor activities and includes an Alpine Centre, Theme Park and Athletics Centre used by professional athletes. As with most cities there are several council estates such as those in the Weston district. Southampton has a vibrant nightlife and thriving café culture. Music is an important aspect of the city and there are several stadiums and outlets for this. The city is home to R'n'B soulstar Craig David, Coldplay drummer Will Champion, and was the birthplace of comedian Benny Hill. There is a large Polish population in Southampton, with estimates as high as 20,000, or 1 in every 10. Additional Info Members can post 8 things to the pool each day.

Accepted content types: Photos, Videos, Images, Art, Screenshots Accepted safety levels: Safe About the Southampton Area | Knights Porter - Residential | Investment | Buy to Let | Property Sales About the Southampton Area About The Southampton Area... Overview... With a population in excess of 280,000 it makes Southampton the main City on the South Coast. Southampton covers a wide area stretching from the New Forest and the west side over to the Solent on the East and is divided into two distinctive areas (East & West) by the Itchen River. Located approximately 60 miles south of London, Southampton is home to one of the largest commercial ports in Europe and also boasts good road, rail and air networks. There are two Universities, Southampton University and Solent University, which between them house over 40,000 students. Shopping... Southampton's largest retail centre is the West Quay Shopping Centre. Opened in September 2000 and hosting major high street stores, it is one of the largest in the country. Other major shopping areas in the city centre include The Mall Marlands, the Bargate Centre and the East Street area, which has been designated for speciality shopping, with the aim of promoting smaller retailers.

In 2007, Southampton was ranked 13th for shopping in the UK. Demographics... Southampton is the 3rd most densely populated city in the UK and has large Asian, Chinese, Polish and Irish communities. It's estimated that 10% of the community are Polish, 4.6% Asian and 2.5% Chinese. Employment... Currently unemployment is 2.4%, just below the national average. Just over a quarter of the jobs available in the city are in the health and education sector. A further 19 per cent are property and other business and the third largest sector is wholesale and retail, which accounts for 16.2 percent. During the latter half of the 20th century, a more diverse range of industry also came to the city, including aircraft and car manufacture, cables, electrical engineering products, and petrochemicals. These now exist alongside the city's older industries of the docks, grain milling, and tobacco processing. Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the city's largest employers.

It provides local hospital services to 500,000 people in the Southampton area and specialist regional services to more than 3 million people across the South of England. Other major employers in the city include Ordnance Survey, Ford, HSBC and Lloyds register. History... Southampton's history dates back to Stone Age times, however it’s in the Norman Conquest of 1066, when Southampton became the major port of transit between the then capital of England, Winchester, and Normandy. Southampton Castle was built in the 12th century and by the 13th century Southampton had become a leading port, particularly involved in the import of French wine in exchange for English cloth and wool. During the middle Ages, shipbuilding became an important industry for the town. Henry V's famous warship Grace Dieu was built in Southampton. From 1904 to 2004, the Thornycroft shipbuilding yard was a major employer in Southampton, building and repairing ships used in the two World Wars. The port was the point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower in 1620. In 1912 the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton.

Southampton was subsequently the home port for the transatlantic passenger services operated by Cunard with their Blue Riband liner RMS Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth. In 1938, Southampton docks also became home to the flying boats of Imperial Airways. Southampton Container Terminals first opened in 1968 and has continued to expand to become one of the largest in Europe. The Supermarine Spitfire was designed and developed in Southampton. Heavy bombing of the factory in September 1940 destroyed it as well as homes in the vicinity. World War II hit Southampton particularly hard because of its strategic importance as a major commercial port and industrial area. Transport... Southampton is a major UK port which has good transport links with the rest of the country. The M27 motorway, linking places along the south coast of England, runs just to the north of the city. The M3 motorway links the city to London and also, via a link to the A34 road at Winchester, with the Midlands and North. The M271 motorway is a spur of the M27, linking it with the Western Docks and city centre.

Southampton is also served by the rail network, which is used both by freight services to and from the docks and passenger services as part of the national rail system. The main station in the city is Southampton Central. Rail routes run east towards Portsmouth, north to Winchester, the Midlands and London, and westwards to Bournemouth, Salisbury, Bristol and Cardiff. Southampton Coach Station, which is located near the West Quay Shopping Centre on, offers connections to all main UK towns and Cities. Southampton Airport is a regional airport located in the town of Eastleigh, just north of the city. It offers flights to UK and near European destinations, and is connected to the city by a frequent rail service from Southampton Airport (Parkway) railway station, and by bus services. Southampton is the terminus for three internal ferry services, all of which operate from terminals at Town Quay. Two of these, a car ferry service and a fast catamaran passenger ferry service, provide links to East Cowes and Cowes respectively on the Isle of Wight and are operated by Red Funnel. The third ferry is the Hythe Ferry, providing a passenger service to Hythe on the other side of Southampton Water. Buses now provide the majority of local public transport.

The main bus operators are First Southampton and Bluestar. Other operators include Brijan Tours, Stagecoach, Velvet, Dorset Sprinter and Wilts & Dorset. The other large service provider is the Uni-link bus service (running from early in the morning to midnight), which was commissioned by the University of Southampton to provide transport from the university to the town. Culture... A survey recently described Southampton one of the best places to live in the UK for single people aged 18 to 30. This was owing to its "low cost of living, wide array of bars and clubs and cheap transport". Women voted it second best behind London, while men rated it as seventh. The largest theatre in the city is the 2,300 capacity Mayflower Theatre, which has hosted many West End shows. There is also the Nuffield Theatre based at the University of Southampton's Highfield campus. There are many innovative art galleries in the city, including the City Art Gallery at the Civic Centre, the Millais Gallery at Southampton Solent. The annual Southampton Boat Show is held in September each year, with over 600 exhibitors and runs for just over a week at Mayflower Park. Sport...

Southampton is home to Southampton Football Club—nicknamed "The Saints"— who play at St Mary's Stadium, having relocated in 2001 from their 103-year-old former stadium, "The Dell". They reached the top flight of English football (First Division) for the first time in 1966. They lifted the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester United in 1976, returned to the top flight two years later, and stayed there for 27 years (becoming founder members of the Premier League in 1992) before they were relegated in 2005. The city hockey club, Southampton Hockey Club, founded in 1938, is now one of the largest and highly regarded clubs in Hampshire. The city is also well provided for in amateur men's and women's rugby with a number of teams in and around the city, the oldest of which is Trojans RFC, other clubs include Millbrook RFC & Eastleigh RFC. The city provides for yachting and water sports, with a number of marinas.

From 1977 to 2001 the Whitbread around the World Yacht Race, which is now known as the Volvo Ocean Race was based in Southampton's Ocean Village marina. Southampton was named "fittest city in the UK" in 2006 by Men's Fitness magazine. The world's oldest surviving Bowling Green is the Southampton Old Bowling Green, which was first used in 1299. Education... The city has a strong higher education sector. The University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University together have a student population of almost 40,000. THES - QS World University Rankings positioned the University of Southampton in the top 80 universities in the world. The university considers itself one of the top 10 research universities in the UK. There are 79 schools in Southampton. Early American Gardens: The Bowling Green & the Machine in the Garden Plus their simple & grand European precedents. Personal, designed landscapes for food & ornament & social interaction Saturday, September 7, 2013 The Bowling Green & the Machine in the Garden It is thought that the game of bowls developed from the Egyptians.

Artifacts found in tombs dating circa 5,000 B.C. show that one of their pastimes was to play a type of skittles with round stones. Sculptured vases & ancient plaques show the game being played some four thousand years ago, & archaeologists have uncovered biased stone bowls from 5,000 B.C. which indicate our ancestors enjoyed the game of bowling more than seven thousand years ago. The sport spread across the world & took on a variety of forms, Bocce (Italian), Bolla (Saxon), Bolle (Danish), Boules (French) & Ula Maika (Polynesian). The sport of lawn bowls is the forerunner of curling, a popular winter version played in northern countries (including Canada) on ice. Depictions of early games of bowls in colonial America are very rare. Most paintings of the game seem to come from Flemish artists. When Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) ruled Rome, the game was known as “Bocce,” & conquering Roman Legions of centurians may well have carried the game to Europe & the British Isles.

By the 13th century, bowling had spread to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, & England. The oldest English Bowls green still played on is in Southampton, England where records show that the green has been in operation since 1299 A.D. 1600 Playing a Game of Lawn Bowls or Lawn Billiards The game became so popular in England and in France it was prohibited by law because archery, essential to the national defense, was being neglected. The French king, Charles IV (1294-1328), prohibited the game for the common people in 1319, & King Edward III (1312-1377) issued a similar edict in England in 1361. Statutes forbidding it & other sports were enacted in the reigns of Edward III, Richard II, & other monarchs. Edward III, the game was restricted by royal decree to “Noblemen & others having manors or lands.” Successive kings played & enjoyed the game. Even when, on the invention of gunpowder & firearms, the bow had fallen into disuse as a weapon of war, the prohibition was continued.

During the reign of Richard II (1452-1485) bowls were referred to as "gettre de pere" or "jetter de pierre," & describes throwing a stone, probably as round as possible. In the early 15th century bowls were made of hardwoods &, after the 16th century discovery of Santo Domingo, of lignum vitae, a very dense wood. King Henry VIII (1491-1547) was a lawn bowler, & had bowling greens installed at Whitehall, permitting the common people to play on Christmas Day. However, he banned the game for those who were not wealthy or "well to do" because "Bowyers, Fletchers, Stringers & Arrowhead makers" were spending more time at recreational events such as bowls instead of practising their trade. The discredit attaching to bowling alleys, first established in London in 1455, probably encouraged subsequent repressive legislation, for many of the alleys were connected with taverns frequented by the dissolute & gamesters.

The word "bowls" occurs for the first time in the statute of 1511, in which Henry VIII confirmed previous enactments against unlawful games. By a further act of 1541—which was not repealed until 1845—artificers, labourers, apprentices, servants & the like were forbidden to play bowls at any time except Christmas, & then only in their master's house & presence. It was further enjoined that any one playing bowls outside his own garden or orchard was liable to a penalty of 6s. 8d., while those possessed of lands of the yearly value of £100 might obtain licences to play on their own private greens.

However, the green could only be used for private play, & he forbade anyone to "play at any bowle or bowles in open space out of his own garden or orchard." (In 1845, the ban was lifted, & people from all walks of life were again allowed to play bowls & other games of skill.) David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) Game of Bowls The earliest documented use of the word 'Jack' in Bowls is either from 1611 "Was there euer man had such lucke? when I kist the Iacke vpon an vp-cast, to be hit away?" or alternatively Shakespeare (1564-1616) who used it in Cymbeline (thought to have been written in 1609), when he caused Cloten to exclaim, "Was there ever man had such luck! When I kissed the jack, upon an up-cast to be hit away." Shakespeare (Richard II, Act III, Scene IV): "Queen: What sport shall we devise here in this garden, To drive away the heavy thought of care?

First Lady: Madam, we'll play at bowls. Queen: 'Twill make me think the world is full of rubs. And that my fortune runs against the bias" John P Monro, Bowls Encyclopaedia (3rd ed), writes that the name 'jack' is derived from the Latin word jactus, meaning a cast or a throw. 'Jack-Bowl', was the little bowl, later shortened to 'Jack.' In 1697, R. Pierce wrote, "He had not Strength to throw the Jack-Bowl half over the Green." A sport played by young men called "casting the stone" is mentioned by William FitzStephen, a close friend of Thomas à Becket, in the preface of his biography Vita Sancti Thomae written during the twelfth century. Casting of stones translates in Latin as "jactu lapidum" & was a game in which rounded stones were thrown at or bowled towards a target object & so some are persuaded that the modern word 'Jack' derives originally from this term. A manuscript from the 13th century in the royal library, Windsor (No.

20, E iv.), contains a drawing representing two players aiming at a small cone instead of an earthenware ball or jack. The world's oldest surviving bowling green is the Southampton Old Bowling Green, which was first used in 1299. A 14th-century manuscript, Book of Prayers, in the Francis Douce collection in the Bodleian Library at Oxford contains a drawing in which two persons are shown, but they bowl to no mark. David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) Peasants playing bowls outside an inn Fortunately, no serious effort was made to enforce the ban against ordinary men playing at bowls, & it did not apply to Scotland. Almost every English monarch was a bowler, & the royal estates were all equipped with fine bowling greens. King James I (1566-1625) issued a publication called "The Book of Sports;" &, although he condemned football (soccer) & golf, he encouraged the play of bowls. King James I was an ardent bowler, as was his son King Charles I (1600-1649). Both monarchs are reputed to have enjoyed playing for high stakes.

King Charles, according to bowling tradition, lost over $5,000 in one encounter with a Barking Hill merchant named Richard Shute. A bowling green has been a permanent fixture at Windsor Castle. Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) was a bowler, as were many noblewomen, including the first Princess Elizabeth & Queen Victoria in the 19th century. David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) Playing at Bowls Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) mentions in his diary being invited to “play at bowls with the nobility & gentry.” Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) & Sir Water Raleigh (1552-1618) were bowlers. Ordinary people used public alleys and greens maintained by towns and taverns, and the well-to-do had private bowling greens on their estates. English & Scottish colonists brought the game to America in the 17th century. Apparently playing at bowls was a game to be wagered on in the early colonies.

Gambling was such a probem in the colonial South, that the Virginia General Assembly set a ten shilling fine for gaming with cards or dice at their first session in 1619. Unlawful games included bear baiting, bowling, cards, cockfighting, & dice. As early as 1737, the owner of the Centre House tavern on the eastern edge of Philadelphia's central square boasted that "gentlemen who would divert themselves at bowls" could avail themselves of the green on the grounds of his tavern. The proprietor Roger Ellicott also offered a billiard table for indoor sportsmen. In 1755, Daniel Fisher wrote in his journal while he was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: "I went into a Tavern called the "Centre House"...Here is a Bowling Green." (Daniel Fisher's Journal, Some Prominent Virginia Families, p 802) How did playing bowls become an attraction at commercial tavern gardens in the colonies? In the American colonies, bowling greens--hopefully smooth & relatively level lawns used for playing bowls--capped many colonial falling gardens.

By the 18th century, many bowling greens measured 100 by 200 ', & many were sunk slightly below the level of the ground surrounding them. Others could be irregular in shape or even oval. Sometimes called “squares” in late-18th- & early-19th-century America, bowling greens offered beauty & ornament as well as recreation. The game had simple rules. A small white ball of earthenware, called the jack, was rolled onto the green to serve as a target. Players rolled their bowls in turn trying to place them close to the jack. Bowls were slightly flattened at their poles, so that they could not be rolled in a straight line. An opponents ball could be aimed at to knock it out of its position close to the jack. Few colonial greens were level, and familiarity with the green was an advantage. David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) Playing Bowls at an Inn on a River Bowling greens were recorded in Boston in 1615, New Amsterdam, as New York was then called, & not long afterwards in Washington & Virginia.

There was a bowling green in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1632, & several states have towns named "Bowling Green" due to the early settlers abiding interest in the sport. On July 30, 1666, in Port Royal South Carolina, Robert Sanford recorded, "Found...a plaine place before the great round house for their bowling recreation." (Narratives of Early Carolina 1650-1708. p. 100.) Even though the Virginia council had outlawed gambling on bowls, it seemed to continue. In the mid-Atlantic & South, playing at bowls often involved wagering. William Byrd wrote in his diary of visiting the bowling green in Williamsburg on May 5, 1721, “After dinner we walked to the bowling green where I lost five shilling.” William Byrd II began his Bowling Green in 1722 at Westover on the James River. In 1724, the Rev.

Hugh Jones description of Williamsburg noted that "Not far from hene is a large area for a market place; near which is a play house and a good bowling green." Twenty years after Byrd built his bowling green, guests at Westover were still bowling there. In 1741, the last year of Byrd's diary, almost every July afternoon had a bowling game. David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) Playing Bowls at an Inn British officers installed bowling greens in the American colonies in New York in 1725. By 1733, the area was declared a public park.

1733, New York City: "Resolved...lease a piece of Land lying at the lower end of Broadway fronting to the Fort...to make a Bowling Green thereon, for the Beauty & Ornament of said Street as Well as for the Recreation & Delight of the Inhabitants of This City." (New York City Common Council Resolution, March 12, 1733) In 1735, this notice appeared in a New York City newspaper, "John Miller.—All Persons indebted to the Estate of George Montgomerie, deceased, are hereby desired to pay the same to John Miller, Gardner, at the old Bowling Green...—N.B. You may be furnished with the best kind of Garden Seeds, of several Sorts, that have been abus'd or spoil'd by ignorant Pretenders, to Silvering may be rectified & put in Order." (The New-York Weekly Journal, February 17, 1735) David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) Playing Bowls An ad for land in South Carolina advertised its location by using the bowling green as a point of reference.

October 10, 1740, Charleston, South Carolina: "TO BE LET...the house near Mrs. Trott's Pasture, where the Bowling Green." (South Carolina Gazette, October 10, 1740) A year later, an explanation of Williamsburg also touted its bowling green. 1741, Williamsburg, Virginia: "Near it is a good Bowling-Green & a Play-house." (Oldmixon, John. The British Empire in America. London: 1741. p. 408) Eliza Lucas Pinckney wrote to a friend in May, 1743, of William Middleton's Crow-Field in S. C.: "Opposite on the left hand is a large square boleing green sunk a little below the level of the rest of the garden with a walk quite round composed of a double row of fine large flowering Laurel & Catalpas which form both shade & beauty." (Pinckney, Eliza Lucas. The Letterbook of Eliza Lucas Pinckney 1739-1762. edited by Elise Pinckney, Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1972.

p. 61-62) Pieter Angillis (Flemish, 1685-1734) The Game of Bowls In the 1754 South Carolian Gazette, an ad announced a house to be sold, "together with all the Out houses, Bowling Green, Gardens, & other land." While taking over the management of Fort Pitt in Pittsburg, Capt. Simeon Ecuyler wrote in April of 1764, of a deer park and bowling green in the little garden there. Irish physician Dr. Henry Stevenson (1721-1814), had one of the earliest terraced gardens in the Baltimore area. His grounds displayed a flat four-bed garden on the north side of his home, called Parnassus, which Stevenson started constructing in 1763 & completed in 1769. On the south side of the house, facing the harbor, he built a bowling green & five grass terraces.

In 1770, Virginian Mary Ambler visited Mount Clare in Baltimore & recorded that she “took a great deal of Pleasure in looking at the bowling Green & also at the …very large Falling Garden thee is a Green House with a good many Orange & Lemon Trees just ready to bare…the House…stands upon a very High Hill & had a fine view of Petapsico River You step out of the Door into the Bowlg Green from which the Garden Falls & when You stand on the Top of it thee is such a Uniformity of Each side as the whole Plantn seems to be laid out like a Garden there is also a Handsome Court Yard on the other side of the House.” (Ambler, Mary. "Diary of M. Ambler, 1770." Virginia Magazine of History & Biography XLV (1937): 152-170) Pieter Angillis (Flemish, 1685-1734) The Game of Bowls Meanwhile, back in Virginia, Robert Carter wrote of his bowling green at his plantation Sabine Hall twice between 1770 - 1772.

He sent one of his slaves to cut the grass in 1772 and wrote, "Talbot set to work yesterday to shave the bowling green, he seems to do it well, but he is very slow." School tutor Philip Vickiers Fithian wrote of another plantation in 1773, Nomini Hall, Virginia: "The area of the Triangle made by the Wash-house, Stable, & School-House is perfectly level, & designed for a Bowling-Green." (Fithian, Philip Vickers. Journal & Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian, 1773-1774: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion. Edited with an introduction by Hunter D. Farish. Williamsburg: Colonial Williamsburg Inc., 1943) In Annapolis, Maryland, Charles Carroll of Annapolis wrote his son, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, in 1775, “Examine the Gardiner strictly as to . . . Whether he is an expert at leveling, making grass plots & Bowling Greens, Slopes, & turfing them well.” (1775 Carroll, Charles of Annapolis to Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

Charles Carroll Letterbooks MS. 208 Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore Maryland.) Pieter Angillis (Flemish, 1685-1734) Figures on a Bowling Ground Virginia's Colonel George Braxton wrote to a friend just after the Revolution between 1776-1781, "I agreed wth Alexander Oliver Gardener...to finish my...Garden wth a Bolling Green." (Colonel George Braxton's Letterbook. in Horner, Frederick, The History of the Blair, Banister, & Braxton Families. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1898. p. 147-148) In 1726 George Washington’s father, Augustus, took over management of the family estate at Mount Vernon; & in 1732, the year George was born, constructed the bowling green. At this time the game was highly favored as a genteel pastime by the ranking officers of the British Colonial Army. George grew up with the game, became an avid bowler in his youth, & apparently this love of the game was never lost. He kept the green busy through the years.

By 1754, he had come into his inheritance & settled down with Martha. They kept up the family tradition of sponsoring bowling on the green as “suitable for the intelligentia & ranking army officers.” George Washington wrote on October 28, 1785, at Mount Vernon, Virginia: "Finished levelling & Sowing the lawn in front of the Ho. intended for a Bolling Green." In 1798, visitor Julian Urysn Niemcewicz wrote of his visit to Mount Vernon, "Two bowling greens, a circular one near the house, the other very large and irregular, form the courtyard in front of the house." In 1813, Noah Webster described Mount Vernon as still having its bowling green, "Of Mount Vernon. On the western bank of the Potomac uine miles below Alexandria, is the seat of the late general Washington. The house stands within fifty yards of the brink of a high stcep bank, at a bend in the river,which affords a vicw of an extensive & delightful landskip. The house is large but more magnificent than elegant.

On the west is a handsome bowling grcen, & on each side serpentine walks, bordered with trces, a flower garden on one side, & on the other, a kitehen garden The position & the improvements all rendered it a charming rctreat, & 'worthy of the illustrious proprictor." (1813 Elements of Useful Knowledge Noah Webster & Washington, George. The Diaries of George Washington. Edited by John C. Fitzpatrick. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1925. 4 Vols. Vol 2:429) 1791 Edward Savage. Mount Vernon from the Court Yard Carriage Entrance. Visitor Moreau de St Mery wrote of his 1790s visit to New York City: "The Governor's House is at the lower end of Broadway...What really embellishes this place is an enclosed bowling green, surrounded by an iron railing in front of the house." (St. Mery, Moreau de. American Journey 1793-1798. Edited by Kenneth & Anna Roberts. Garden City: 1947.

p 150) Several ads also noted bowling greens in New York City in the 1790s. In 1792, New York City: "A bowling green is in front, & stables, wood house & other necessary offices in the rear of the house." (New York Diary; or, Loudon's Register, June 25, 1792). In 1794, 1794, Belvedere House New York City: "The little grounds into which the east front opens, are formed into a bowling-green, gravel walks, & some shrubbery." (New York Magazine, August 1794, p. 451) The machine in the garden seems to have regularized bowling greens & the rules that governed play. It is claimed that the patenting of the first lawn mower in 1830 Britain, is believed to have been the catalyst, world-wide, for the preparation of modern-style greens, sporting ovals, playing fields, pitches, grass courts, etc. This is turn led to the codification of modern rules for many sports, including lawn bowls, football codes, lawn tennis, & others. Posted by

Question: The world’s oldest surviving bowling green, first used around 1299, is located in which English city?
Answer: Southampton