Weekend in Warwickshire

What's this? Sarah went away to Warwickshire for the weekend? Well… actually Warwickshire is the county that you would say Birmingham is a part of. Except for nowadays, people just say 'Birmingham, West Midlands'. But I'm using the historical name of 'Warwickshire' not only for the wonderful alliteration it creates when paired with 'weekend', but because I spent some time this weekend getting to know the historical Birmingham.

I didn't have any plans yesterday, so, on a whim, I went to check out Soho House. Soho House is one of Birmingham's many free museums (score) and it houses a museum about Matthew Bolton, his famed manufactory and his buddies, the Lunar Society. It was pretty cool (although the house itself is a little spare… I think maybe there's another Matthew Boulton exhibit going on somewhere else in the city at the moment). Matthew Boulton worked with a whole bunch of different partners over the years to improve goods (buttons, belt buckles, tea services, decorative vases for rich people) and their manufacturing processes. He also worked with James Watt, to perfect the Scotsman's steam engine. At one time, Boulton's manufactory employed around 700 people and included a foundry and a mint.


Also, Boulton's friends in the Lunar Society were pretty sweet. They met on every full moon to discuss many areas of interest. However, their group seemed to revolve around science. Some of the members include Erasmus Darwin (father of Charles Darwin), Josiah Wedgewood (maker of English porcelain), Joseph Priestly (who discovered oxygen and proved that water was made of 2 elements) and Dr. William Small, a professor of Thomas Jefferson's. Many of the society's members were interested in improving society. They were very strong supporters of the abolition of slavery.

Today, I visited Aston Hall. Aston Hall is a truly magnificent manor house, built in the early 1600's by Sir Thomas Holte, a wealthy Baronet. If you ever visit Birmingham, go see this place! It was free to get in and today they had a special event going on, with actors dressed in costume wandering around the house and grounds. The original plaster ceiling and friezes show detailed reliefs of unicorns, lions and many other mythical creatures as well as biblical heroes and other great men. All the furniture and wood paneling gives the massive house a warm feeling, even though many of the ceilings are cavernous. The gardens are gorgeous, too. They are laid out in geometric patterns with a fountain and everything. But, this awesome manor house also gives a bit of a glimpse into the lives of the servants of the place. You can see the servants' staircases as you pass in some of the hallways, and you can see the servants' dining hall as well as the kitchen.

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Last night, I also went to an Eid party. Now, I know what you might be thinking: "What's a Christian girl doing at a Muslim celebration?" Well, here's your answer: First of all, I was hired by the woman organizing the party to do balloon animals for all the kids. Second of all, I went with the family I live with, who are also non-Muslim. Thirdly, I was a little curious. It was nice. First, I did balloons for the kids and then an Imam got up to speak about what Eid is and what Ramadan is and why they are celebrated. Islam has always been a bit of a mystery to me, so it was interesting to hear about. I knew already that Islam has similar roots to the Judeo-Christian tradition, in that Muslims learn about Adam and Eve, Noah and Abraham, but that's all I know. Many of the things the Imam said made sense to me. For instance, the reason for the month of Ramadan, he said, is to fast in order to focus on God (he said Allah, but that means God, right?) I would like to do some more research about Islam because I wonder how and why it is broken off from the Judaism and Christianity and why it is viewed as being so different. What does the Koran even say? Do Muslims worship the same God as me, or their own version of Him? (and if so, why don't they believe that Jesus is the Son of God or that he died from our sins and rose from the dead?)

Anyways, maybe I'll go to the library this week to check it out. Shalom!