The truth behind the “Roman Baths” in London, the Chihuahua in the Mexican National Guard, and the Arab Music Festival apology crisis

In one of the quiet alleys behind Somerset House in central London, hides one of the city's most strange historical tales. On the wall of an old building at No. 5 Strand Lane, a faded wooden sign indicates the presence of a “Roman Bath” run by the National Trust (British National Trust).

But the sign doesn't tell the whole story. The site known as the “Strand Lane Baths” was not Roman in origin, and was not built to be a bathhouse in the first place. What today appears to be an ancient relic of Roman baths is in fact nothing but the remains of a water tank built in 1612 to feed an ornamental fountain in the gardens of the old Somerset House, according to the London newspaper “Metro”.

At that time, Somerset House was a royal palace designated for the residence of the wives of members of the royal family. As the palace entered a long period of neglect since 1688, the reservoir was also left to its fate, until it almost disappeared.

About a century later, in the 1770s, the site was revived by James Smith, who moved to a house on a secret street behind the reservoir. In 1776, Smith began promoting the place as a cold bath for women and men, stressing that its water came from a natural spring.

Not only that, he added a second bathroom, known as the “Essex Bath,” and it was decorated with tiles and marble.

The baths continued to receive visitors after Smith's death in 1782, but their reputation began to decline after the place was linked to a number of strange incidents, including the death of a member of Parliament.

With the need to restore the site's attractiveness, it seems that those responsible for it resorted to re-presenting it in a more exciting way. In 1838, under the management of a man named Charles Scott, the place began to be known as the "Old Roman Spring Baths."

The name quickly turned into a story firmly established in the minds of the public, to the point that the alleged Roman origins of the pigeons found their way into literature, and were referred to in the novel “David Copperfield” by the British writer Charles Dickens.

For decades, it was believed that the site dates back to the Roman era, before the National Trust took over the management of the place in the 1940s. The historical truth gradually revealed: There is no Roman trace here, but rather a water tank from the seventeenth century that was transformed, after more than a century and a half, into a public bath.

Despite the truth being revealed, the old name remained part of the magic of the place. The story that began with a water tank and a commercial pulse turned into a legend that is nearly two centuries old, becoming a funny example of London's ability to keep its secrets, even when those secrets are not what they seem at first glance.

The 7-kilogram Chihuahua “Commando” has become the most unusual and smallest member of the Mexican National Guard, especially after he was equipped with miniature goggles, a tactical vest tailored to his size, a helmet, and even a small camera mounted on his head.

Officers said that the 13-month-old puppy is receiving training not only to be a symbol that dazzles the masses, but also to work in search and rescue, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

The diminutive “Commando”, measuring 21 centimeters in length, does not resemble at all the powerful dogs usually associated with military or police units.

During a training session in Mexico City last week, the little dog ran up the stairs and over obstacles while a much larger dog and trainer named Rocco watched him.

Lieutenant Debra Hernandez said that “Commando” challenges two stereotypes: that only big dogs can serve in the National Guard, and that a military-style force cannot build a warmer connection with the public. She said his presence reminds people that “underneath the uniform, we are human beings.”

The National Guard adopted “Commando” about six months ago in the state of Chihuahua, which is located in northern Mexico, and inspired the name of the dog breed, after his elderly owners became unable to care for him.

“Commando” now appears at civil ceremonies, school events, and community outreach programs.

“Commando” is considered an exceptional case in the National Guard’s dog force, which includes about 350 dogs, most of which are traditional working breeds such as “German Shepherd” and “Labrador Retriever” dogs.

Although Chihuahuas, known for their large erect ears, strong personality and expressive eyes, can be alert and energetic, they are rarely considered candidates for serious field work.

“Commando” has already appeared in a Mexican Independence Day parade, inspiring its own cartoon version and a growing wave of memes on social media.

The crisis of apologies for the 34th edition of the Arab Music Festival, which will begin its activities on October 20, witnessed a noticeable breakthrough after the return of some stars and the hiring of new stars to perform at the concerts.

The artist Ali Al-Haggar expressed his gratitude through his Facebook account to the Opera House and its president for responding to the musicians’ demands, confirming that he will perform two concerts in Cairo and Alexandria, after the crisis of his apology for not participating in the festival with a number of other singers, in protest against the statements of the head of the Egyptian Opera House, Reda El-Wakil, during which he addressed the weak budget and the house’s financial crisis, in addition to his praise of specific names. Because she donated her wages, which upset some people and called on them to apologize for not participating, according to their posts.

The “list of apologies” began with Muhammad Tharwat, then Ali Al-Hajjar wrote an explanation for not participating for the first time, and the list continued to be open to include Marwa Naji for logistical reasons, Assi Al-Halani, who refused to “enter into a debate,” and Ahmed Gamal for personal reasons. As for Muhammad Mohsen and Reham Abdel Hakim, they did not mention their reasons on “social media,” in addition to other side-part singers.

The artist Yasmine Ali, who will return to singing with “Arabic music” after an absence of 9 years, confirmed to “Asharq Al-Awsat” that the opera is her home, and that she is preparing from now to perform it before the public, pointing out that she has apologized for performing several activities for his sake, and that the financial compensation did not concern her as much as she was busy and happy with singing in the most important and prestigious festival.

Yasmine Ali, who has already contracted to perform at the festival, explained that she had offered to participate in the next session some time ago, but Dr. Reda Al-Wakil assured her of “the formation of the festival,” and that he could not “infringe upon the powers of the festival director, Maestro Mohamed Al-Moji.”

Commenting on the recent wave of apologies, and whether she could apologize again, the Egyptian artist confirmed that she had said her word, and that she was honored by it and could not go back on it, as this is “a principle that she learned and grew up on.” She explained that the speech of the head of the Opera House, whose idea and artistic project she believes in, did not offend any star, but the extent of the financial crisis that she experienced at the house; Being one of her sons, he invited him to address her at the conference to clarify his goal of reducing the costs of the current session.

Egyptian music critic Amjad Mostafa spoke about the scenes of his intervention in the return of artist Ali Al-Haggar to the festival, explaining that the crisis of Al-Haggar’s participation lies in some of the requirements of the musical band accompanying him, and that he apologized before the press conference and the matter was over, and he did not explain it on “social media” until after the conference.

Amjad Mustafa added to Asharq Al-Awsat: “After I contacted Al-Hajjar, he confirmed to me within a few seconds his approval, saying that he would never abandon the festival. Then Dr. Reda Al-Wakil contacted him and all the details were agreed upon.”

Amjad Mustafa refused to criticize any other artistic names, stressing that every artist has his own priorities and agenda, and has absolute freedom to do what he deems appropriate, whether by acceptance or apology, but he rejected the “social” justifications that “may give the problem another dimension and unnecessary connotations, and as was the agreement in the halls of the opera, so is the apology, especially since the majority of them are children of the house and have a long history together.”

Mustafa, who participated for years in the festival’s preparatory committee, noted that “over the course of several years, the scenes witnessed a long list of apologies, but they did not witness going out in public to talk about the reasons, as is happening now.”

In this context, the artist Rami Sabry entered the crisis line and put himself at the disposal of the Opera House, before retreating from that, which prompted some “social” accounts to write posts accompanied by pictures of the artist Medhat Saleh, and they asked in a funny way: “When will you announce your apology for not participating?”; Being one of the few stars who have not apologized for not participating yet.

The list of stars of the 34th session of “Arab Music”, dedicated to the late artist Hani Shaker, in addition to an elite group of opera artists and musical groups, includes the stars: Medhat Saleh, Mohamed Al-Helou, Ali Al-Hajjar, Ghada Ragab, Khaled Selim, and Nadia Mustafa, the latter of whom will participate in the opening ceremony bearing Hani Shaker’s name.