Creative Connections - Family Crests

In my last dispatch, we were looking at a creative connection between Epcot's UK pavilion and present-day England -- namely, the signs hanging from several of the buildings.

As we saw in both Epcot and the Cotswolds, these signs incorporate images that evoke the name of the establishment, provide some clues as to what may be found inside, or even relate to the lineage of the owning family.

Consider, for example this sign from The Redesdale Arms in Morton-on-the-Marsh. Here is another case where a few internet queries suggest that the sign incorporates images from the Redesdale family crest:

More family crest imagery

In Epcot's UK pavilion, the "Sportman's Shoppe" displays a sign boasting a whimsical graphic design that is part family crest, part sporting-goods store, and part hidden Mickey:

The Sportsman's Shoppe, Epcot

While this is all in good fun, if we look beyond this sign to the window on the second floor we see some other crests worked into a nearby window:

What are those crests in the window?

Consulting The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World (a nice resource, by the way) provides some insight:

"The crests... represent the four regions of the 

United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Whales.  

When the first three are overlaid, they form the Union Jack flag of the United Kingdom".

Just across from the Sportsman's Shoppe, we find this sign outside the Rose and Crown:

Mmmm.... Guinness...

Compare this sign to Redesdale Arms sign above.   Here again, the Disney Imagineers combine history with whimsy. The image of a rose wearing a crown seems obvious enough, but digging a little deeper reveals that the two-color flower is The Tudor Rose -  the symbol adopted by King Henry VII at the end of the "Wars of the Roses" to symbolize the reunion of the royal houses of York (white rose) and Lancaster (red rose).

Consulting the Field Guide once again reveals that the motto under the rose "Otium Cum Dignitate" is Latin for Leisure With Dignity, which we at the Veranda strongly endorse.

And on that note, it is time to bring this dispatch to a close. I have more to say on the subject of family crests, but that will have to wait for another day. Storytelling is thirsty work, and I think it is time to enjoy some dignified leisure.

- The Management

P.S. - I've also been fortunate enough to visit the Rose and Crown Pub in Palo Alto, California.  Nice place for a pint.

Creative Connections - UK Signs

The artists who create Disney's themed environments often draw inspiration from a rich palette of past and present real-world locales. A cultivated appreciation for Disney Details inspires us to seek out similar treasures across the globe. Here at the Veranda, we look for these "Creative Connections" in our travels, and I'd like to share one of these connections with you today.

Those of you who have strolled Epcot's United Kingdom pavilion may have noticed the colorful signs hanging on several of the buildings. Here are a few examples:

The Queen's Table


Lords and Ladies Fancy Goods


The Toy Soldier

Although Epcot's UK takes inspiration from the past (with structures representing the 14th through 19th centuries), evidence of similar hanging signs can still be found in the present-day England.

Recounting her days in the United Kingdom, one of our members recalled seeing several such signs on display across the Costwold area. Consulting the Veranda photo gallery, she was quickly able to produce several examples:

The Balck Swan


Bakers Arms


Swan Hotel


The Bell Inn

The images on these signs often represent the name of the establihment, or provide some clue as to what may be found inside.

Sometimes, the images on the signs relate to family crests. The Lygon Arms Hotel in Chipping Campden appears to be one such example:

Although I'm a novice at such matters, a cursory internet search suggests that the two red lions(?) depicted on the sign are emblematic of the Lygon family crest.

In my next dispatch, we will "cross the pond" back over to Epcot to examine some more of the UK pavilion's signs, to see if the notion of family crests can provide additional creative connections:

- The Management