OKLAHOMA CITY —
As part of the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the British throne, a regatta was recently held on the Thames River that was led by the Royal yacht with the queen on board.
As documented in the recently published “Thames, the Biography” by author Peter Ackroyd, that waterway has played an important role in British history for centuries. Similar royal regattas took place on the Thames when England was ruled by King Henry VIII and later by his daughter Elizabeth. It was on the banks of the Thames at Runnymede in 1215 where King John was compelled to sign the Magna Carta that placed limitations on the powers of the British monarchy. The presence of both houses of the British Parliament on the banks of the Thames is indicative, Ackroyd asserts, of the waterway’s importance to the British nation.
Ackroyd reminds us that the Thames has been referenced by artists such as Shakespeare and Chaucer and has been the subject of both poetry and paintings for centuries. The author documents how when the Thames froze in the 17th century it hosted what were known as “Frost Fairs” that included sporting events, food stalls and merchants who opened stores on the ice.
At one time, Ackroyd relates, the port of the Thames was the busiest in the world, and it was said that it handled enough rum to inebriate the whole of England and enough sugar to sweeten the Thames. But in recent decades the amount of cargo handled on the river has dwindled, and some of its wharves have been converted into homes, retail centers and parks as a result. Canary Wharf in London’s East End is the best example of that transition, and the author believes that it will serve as a model for similar transformations on the Thames River’s docks.
It is possible that in time the Oklahoma River will play a somewhat similar role in the state of Oklahoma’s history and culture. For the past several years that waterway has hosted a Christmas parade that included vessels festooned with bright holiday lights that brought hundreds of people to its banks.
Regatta Park is adjacent to the waterway and there are walking trails connected to it that are popular with those who want to travel the length of the river. Fireworks recently exploded over the Oklahoma River as part of an Independence Day celebration sponsored by a local energy corporation.
In September that waterway will host the annual Oklahoma Regatta Festival that will include boat races and also events for children. Future historians may reference the arrival of the Dell Computer facility adjacent to the river as the beginning of Oklahoma City’s transformation into a high-tech city.
WILLIAM F. O’BRIEN is an Oklahoma City attorney.
Opinion
Thames River a big part of U.K. history
- Opinion
-
-
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
Lately, the media has been consumed by the controversies surrounding the White House. Among these controversies is the horrific terrorist attack on the United States’ diplomatic compound in Benghazi that took place Sept. 11, 2012. As more people come forward with additional information regarding the attack on the consulate, many Americans, including myself, are still asking for the truth.
The Obama Administration and the State Department have been less than forthcoming with key information on Benghazi and recent information points toward a major cover-up. -
Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
-
HEY HINK: Some people just are not cut out for command
Recent headlines cause me to remember an incident that occurred on an army base some years ago. Warning here: I’m taking some liberties with names and details, but the basic outline of events is accurate.
A certain company commander, let’s call him Captain Duntz, had command of a motor pool on a large army base in the continental U.S. -
We’ve become our own worst enemies
The past couple months have been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
You don’t want to dwell too long on the negative, but we do have to take notice of horrific human events and we owe it to ourselves to respond to them in some way. We don’t always agree on those responses, however, and that usually exacerbates the problem. -
Let’s reimburse higher ed for remediation costs
The good news: Oklahoma schools are teaching phonics. The bad news: It’s in college.
Students at Tulsa Community College, for example, can take a college English course called “Spelling and Phonics,” which “helps students master basic spelling literacy, principles of phonics and decoding skills.”
This sort of higher education brings to mind former Boston University president John Silber’s quip: “Higher than what?” -
AGAINST THE GRAIN: Department of Commerce highlights Main Street successes
The 24th annual Oklahoma Main Street Awards Banquet was at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum last week. Oklahoma Department of Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez addressed the gathering, and spoke of how the Commerce Department works with Main Street organizations throughout the state that are working to improve their downtown areas. Lopez pointed out that the partnership between his department and those local organizations has brought new life to those communities and that the attendees would see some of that revitalization in a video presentation. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also addressed the gathering, and said the Main Street program has resulted in more than $1 billion in investments in the state and more than 1 million volunteer hours in its 24 years of operation.
-
OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
-
No Americans forgotten in Benghazi
More than eight months ago on Sept. 11, the nation was shaken by the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Claiming the lives of four innocent Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, that horrific night still demands further investigation before it can be laid to rest. Due to an uncooperative administration and State Department who attempted to downplay the terrorist attack just eight weeks before the presidential election, we still don’t know the truth.
-
Saying goodbye to the earmark
When a new legislator, I worked to learn some of the more hidden and less-than-transparent aspects in the way Oklahoma politicians spent our taxpayer dollars. This wasn’t easy as even some legislators are left in the dark regarding the mechanics of how the legislative budget process is abused to the benefit of the most powerful of politicians.
-
HEY HINK: Think like a gaur before deciding on gun debate
Have you ever heard of a gaur? It’s the largest living member of the bovine family. A large gaur bull can weigh more than a ton and a half. His body may be nearly 11 feet long and he may be more than 7 feet tall at the shoulder. This is a huge, enormously powerful animal that could, no doubt, do a terrific amount of work if it would ever allow itself to be hitched to a plow. But it won’t. Man has never been able to offer the gaur a deal that would persuade it to become domesticated.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
Americans deserve the truth on Benghazi
