London's Kenwood House collection comes to US - Huffington Post
HOUSTON — A collection of paintings including works by Rembrandt, Anthony van Dyck and Thomas Gainsborough has left its home at London's Kenwood House and will travel to museums around the U.S. while the stately home undergoes renovations, marking the first time many of the works have been seen outside of the neoclassical villa on Hampstead Heath.
The collection's first stop will be at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where the exhibit "Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House" opens Sunday, running through Sept. 3 before going on to the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum and the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock.
"The draw will be big-name artists, sumptuous paintings and a nice trip through history," said Suzanne Ramljak, curator of exhibitions at the American Federation of Arts, which organized the traveling exhibition.
Almost all of the 48 works in the exhibit were given to England by Irish brewery heir Edward Cecil Guinness, the first Earl of Iveagh, who also bequeathed Kenwood House to the nation.
Lord Iveagh acquired most of the works in the exhibit in a short span – from about 1887 to 1891 – focusing on portraits, landscapes and 17th century Dutch and Flemish works characteristic of English aristocratic collections.
"It's a wonderful selection of masterpieces," said Susan Jenkins, senior curator for English Heritage, which oversees historic sites across the nation, including Kenwood.
One particularly notable work is a Rembrandt self-portrait called "Portrait of the Artist" from about 1665 – one of his last self-portraits.
"For me, this whole exhibition is really about painting. Every picture here is a winner, but so many of them are just tour de forces of the act," said Edgar Peters Bowron, the Houston museum's curator of European art.
One room in the exhibition is devoted to full-length portraits of elegantly dressed women including Gainsborough's "Mary, Countess Howe" from 1764 with the subject clad in a pink gown as she walks down a path with an overcast sky behind her and Joshua Reynolds' "Mrs. Tollemache as `Miranda,'" portraying the subject as a character in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
"(Lord Iveagh) obviously just loved their elegance, loved the way they were painted," Jenkins said.
She said Iveagh, a father himself, was also drawn to pictures of children. The exhibit includes Sir Thomas Lawrence's "Miss Murray" from the 1820s, which shows a beautifully dressed little girl in ringlets.
"She's sort of between a hop and a skip and a curtsy," said Bowron, who added that it was one of the post popular paintings of the 19th century, with the image reproduced on everything from boxes of chocolates to biscuit tins.
A handful of paintings in the exhibit were not part of the Iveagh Bequest but were added to the collection because of an association with the house, for instance "Three Long-Horned Cattle at Kenwood" by Julius Caesar Ibbetson from 1797 depicts cattle in the field near the home's dairy building on a lovely day, with fluffy clouds billowing in the sky.
Kenwood House, built in the early 17th century, was remodeled by the architect Robert Adam in the 18th century. Lord Iveagh bought Kenwood in 1925, planning to move his art collection there, but he died two years later, never living at Kenwood or placing the works of art there.
Jenkins said that she hopes those who see the exhibit in the U.S. are inspired to visit Kenwood House when it reopens in the fall of 2013, not only to view the paintings in their home setting but to also see some of the additional paintings that are part of the Iveagh Bequest but that did not travel with the show.
"On a sunny day, it is incredibly beautiful. It's on the edge of Hampstead Heath, which is this gorgeous, gorgeous, quintessential English parkland," Jenkins said.
Kenwood may also familiar to movie-goers for its cameo "Notting Hill," its white exterior appearing in the background in the scenes when Hugh Grant's character visits the character played by Julia Roberts on a movie set.
"The house itself is a star in its own right," Jenkins said.
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If You Go...
EXHIBIT SCHEDULE: After Houston, the exhibit goes to the Milwaukee Art Museum from Oct. 4 through Jan. 6, 2013; the Seattle Art Museum from Feb. 14, 2013 through May 19, 2013, and the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock from June 6, 2013, through Sept. 8, 2013.
(This version lower cases v in first reference to van Dyck, with capital V in show title correct. Deletes garble in If You Go. Recasts 1st paragraph. With AP Photos.)
VAUXHALL PRINCE HENRY COMMEMORATES WINTER TRIAL CENTENARY - 3d-car-shows.com
Luton - A 100 year old Vauxhall model has recently celebrated the centenary of the Swedish Winter Reliability Trial by retracing the steps of the original event.
The Prince Henry model, owned by Alisdaire Lockhart of Selkirk, was driven from Gothenburg to Stockholm and back again, closely following the 1912 route, completing 620 miles (nearly 1000kms).
Lockhart shared the driving with Andrew Duerden, Vauxhall’s Archivist. Kay Mordza, of the Swedish Vauxhall Owners Club, who arranged the journey, partnered them on the event. The car never missed a beat and averaged over 40mph for the entire event (cruising at 55mph on open roads) and achieving 30mpg.
In 1912, Percy Kidner, Vauxhall’s Managing Director, drove the Prince Henry model. He was the fastest entrant on the event, but incurred penalty points by arriving too early at checkpoints. The 2012 team were able to visit many of the points from the original route during their journey. At Norrkoping they visited the Standard Hotel building where the original photograph was recreated.
Alisdaire Lockhart’s long and painstaking reconstruction of the Prince Henry model paid dividends during the event with a reliable and speedy performance from the vehicle. Lockhart also paid testament to Kidner’s 1912 endeavours:
“We were lucky to have decent, asphalt roads and good weather. Kidner had snow covered surfaces with extremely chilly conditions which make his achievements even more astonishing”
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London 2012: June events calendar and diary - Daily Telegraph
David Nash at Kew, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens; June 9 – April 14 2013
The works of sculptor David Nash will go on display at Kew Gardens this month, with sculptures, installations, drawings and film in place in the open air, garden glasshouses and on-site exhibition spaces. Nash is renowned for his work with wood and the exhibition will see the artist work on a ‘wood quarry’ in Kew, where he will create new pieces for the exhibition using trees from Kew Gardens that have reached the end of their natural life.
Bt Artbox Project, throughout London; June 18 – July 16
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s traditional red telephone box is an icon of British design but this month it gets a temporary revamp from select artists and designers. Keith Tyson, Romero Britto, Zandra Rhodes and Giles Deacon are among those selected to participate in the BT Artbox Project, which will see them decorate a full-size, fibreglass replica of the K6 telephone kiosk, which will then be displayed in different areas of the city.
Codebreaker - Alan Turing's life and legacy, Science Museum; June 21 – June 2013
One hundred years after his birth, Alan Turing is celebrated with a free year-long exhibition at the Science Museum. Examining his life and legacy, the exhibition considers his contribution to computer science – which still holds influence today – and remembers his wartime codebreaking successes. The exhibition will display one of the most comprehensive collections of Turing-related artefacts, including machines he developed and worked on.
BP Portrait Award 2012, National Portrait Gallery; June 21 – September 23
The National Portrait Gallery follows its exceptionally popular Lucian Freud exhibition with the BP Portrait Award. This is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, with a £25,000 prize going to the work judged to best showcase contemporary portrait-painting technique. Admittance is free.
New London theatre and performing arts openings
London 2012 Festival, throughout London and nationally; June 21 – September 9
The London 2012 Festival is the cultural complement to the London 2012 Olympic Games and the culmination of the four-year Cultural Olympiad. Throughout the capital, and throughout the country, thousands of events will take place to ensure millions of people will have the opportunity to participate in this exceptional summer. Highlights in London include the BT River of Music festival, which will see act including the Scissor Sisters and the Noisettes perform at six separate Thames-side locations, and an enhanced West End LIVE in Trafalgar Square which will this year see the casts from every one of London’s West End musicals perform for free. You can see coverage of the festival as it progresses on our London 2012 Festival portal.
Southbank Centre Summer Festival; June 1 – September 9
The Southbank Centre has another summer’s entertainment sorted with its Festival of the World. With a focus on learning, the event seeks to showcase how art can transform lives with a programme that’s challenging, moving and engaging. Highlights include Bryn Terfel’s four-day celebration of Welsh culture and Unlimited, the largest series of commissions by disabled and deaf artists ever undertaken in the UK.
New London restaurant and bar openings
Chase and Country Tails Terrace, Harvey Nichols; June 4 - July 15
Hopes are high for a good summer and if clement weather does grace us then the Chase and Country Tails Terrace at Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols is going to be popular. Created by Chase Distillery, the terrace’s traditional English-countryside look is inspired by the Herefordshire countryside where the company is based. More a bar space that serves food than a restaurant, the terrace will serve drinks featuring Chase spirits and mini tasting dishes created by Fifth Floor restaurant executive chef Jonas Karlsson.
Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant, 24 Chart Street; June 12-15
Shoreditch cocktail bar Callooh Callay tries its hand at the food trade with the four-day opening of the Beard to Tail pop-up restaurant. The meat-heavy menu is set to feature plenty of hearty, homely dishes with mains priced at £8-£13. The space will accommodate only 35 covers. Annoyingly bookings aren’t taken but you can expect the cocktail list to provide compensation. The pop-up precedes the opening of a permanent Beart to Tail restaurant, currently set for September 2012.
The Cube by Electrolux, Southbank Centre; June 1 – September 30
A Room for London, the boat-shaped, one-bedroom hotel, is perched atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall already; now The Cube by Electrolux plonks itself above the adjacent Royal Festival Hall. A pop-up restaurant sponsored by the appliances manufacturer, it will feature dishes created by Michelin-starred chefs stationed across the British Isles, including Sat Bains, Claude Bosi and Tom Kitchin. Guests who dine here will be served at least five courses with matching wines, and only 18 people will be accommodated at a time. Lunch at the Cube by Electrolux costs £175 per person, while dinner costs £215. Bookings can be made through the website.
Eat London afternoon tea, Wyndham Grand; June 1-30
Chocolatier Damian Allsop newly created Eat London chocolate bars are influenced by London’s cultural diversity (coffee and banana crunch are used for the Brixton bar; ginger, peanut and soy for China Town) and to celebrate their launch the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour hotel has launched an Eat London afternoon tea for the month. The tea features traditional teatime treats that have again been adapted to represent different parts of the city and costs £28 per person. On June 9, Allsop will be present at the hotel to run a two-hour chocolate masterclass – that costs £40 per person.
Afternoon Rock tea, W London hotel; June 1 onwards
The W London hotel is now serving Afternoon Rock tea, its variant of traditional afternoon tea. Launched to coincide with this summer’s Jubilee and Olympic festivities, the tea celebrates all things British with a menu that’s inspired by great British rock bands. Served on a three-tier stand made from original vinyl records, items served are named after rock albums and songs. London’s Burning, for example, is a chocolate pudding and hazelnut crunch; Cherry Bomb is a chocolate, mascarpone and cherry dessert inspired by The Runaways’ 1976 song.
Other London openings
ZSL London Zoo Lates, London Zoo; June 1 – July 27
From now until the end of July, London Zoo will be open late on Fridays and the venue is offering a packed Zoo Lates programme of events to celebrate. Running from 6pm-10pm the adults-only event will feature live comedy and cabaret performances on site, a silent disco (loud music disturbs the animals) and, of course, the opportunity to observe the hundreds of different animal species resident in the zoo.
London 2012 unveils Olympic medal bearers' costumes and bouquets - The Guardian
The final piece of the London Olympics design jigsaw has been unveiled, with the first appearance of the Games podiums, the costumes worn by medal bearers and the bouquets presented at medal ceremonies.
In a distinct break with previous events, all but the floral arrangements have been created by students, a decision organisers say highlights the intention to provide a legacy to the city's young people.
Similarly unprecedented is the fact that the majority of the designers are not British nationals. Of the five co-creators of the "royal purple" podiums, which feature a zigzag edge to mimic the jagged lines of the official 2012 logo, two are South Korean, one from China, one is French and the other is a US national. All were Royal College of Art (RCA) students when Olympic officials launched a design contest.
The designer of the two outfits for female medal bearers and athlete escorts, fitted one-piece creations in the same colour, is another overseas RCA student, Trine Hav Christensen, from Denmark, whose final MA show at the college opened this week. The accompanying hat was created by a Briton, Zara Gorman, who left RCA in 2010.
For the first time at an Olympics, some of the medal bearers – all of whom are volunteers – will be male. Their sharply cut purple suit was designed by another recent RCA graduate, Tom Crisp from Kent.
London 2012 bouquets by Jane Packer The only established designers were used for the flowers, created by the studio of celebrated London-based florist Jane Packer, who died part-way through the process late last year.
Niccy Hallifax, who is organising victory ceremonies at London 2012, said the decision to use students was based on London's promise at the bidding process for the event to use the Games to help the city's young.
"The designs are very contemporary, very British, but also take on board our brand and/or stories," she said. "It was really important for us that, certainly with the podium and the costumes, we're launching the next generation of designers."
Once the decision was taken to use RCA students, Hallifax said, it was inevitable that those involved would come from the range of backgrounds. "We are a multicultural country and the RCA in particular draws people from all over the world. The creative industry is very strong in the UK, and the art colleges in particular.
"It was very important to us that we were truly inclusive. It's about bringing the world to London. The designers reflect that."
The bulk of the attention is likely to be focused on the volunteers' outfits, which Hallifax described as having "a very fresh look, which doesn't overpower the athletes".
Medal-bearer outfits have had a chequered history at previous Olympics, with designers generally opting for a variant, or pastiche, of the national outfits, such as the close-fitted cheongsam-type dresses used in Beijing in 2008, or the traditional, rural-style outfits seen in Athens four years before.
This can have its perils for nations where the national outfit is less clear – for example the awkward-looking bushranger coats and hats seen in Sydney in 2000.
The 2012 outfits have opted for a modern look, albeit one that, at first glance, veers closely towards the sort of clothes usually seen on airline cabin crew.
The designers said they had attempted to incorporate British elements: Christensen said the zips dotted around her women's outfits referenced punk; Crisp said he was inspired by Savile Row. Gorman said her sleekly cut hats were influenced by the lines of Olympic buildings such as the velodrome.
London gets ready to party for the queen - Cincinnati.com
LONDON (USA TODAY) — This is a city ready to party, with all the pomp, patriotism and eccentricity it can muster. And boy, can it muster.
Queen Elizabeth II's four-day Diamond Jubilee celebration gets underway Saturday, and London could hardly be more prepared. Or cleaner.
Spiffed up and shiny, festooned with Union-Jack bunting everywhere, including around park trees, with the queen's smiling visage plastered on every teacup and flat surface in sight, this city knows it will not see a moment like this come again soon.
It's been 115 years since the United Kingdom celebrated the only other monarch, Queen Victoria, to reach 60 years in reign; it won't happen again in the lifetime of anyone alive today.
So a million or more Brits are likely to crowd the streets and the riverbanks of London this weekend to shout, "Well done, Ma'am!" to the 86-year-old great-granny who's spent six decades on their throne, currency and stamps, and in their hearts.
"I have a lot of respect for the queen. I appreciate her dignity, the way she holds things together," says Ruth Pritchard, 62, visiting from Wales where she lives on the same island where Prince William and his wife, Catherine, duchess of Cambridge, live. "(The queen) is a very spiritual person, too, and she's a good role model."
She was wandering in St. James's Park opposite Buckingham Palace on Friday, observing the crowds and watching a marching band of military bagpipers, red-coated soldiers in bearskin hats and mounted troops march down The Mall. Her daughter, Eirian Pritchard, 30, says even young people are paying more attention to the royals, thanks to Will and Kate. "I like a love story," she says. "And Kate seems quite nice."
American tourists Maria and Mike Granatosky of Orlando watched the passing parade of sightseers and the construction workers building the stage for Monday's star-studded concert. They were heading out of London on their long-planned vacation and to "avoid the crowds," but they were still impressed with the buzz around the jubilee. "She's not our queen, but it's important to people here," Maria says. "But it's nice to see all this (preparation) beforehand."
Apart from the genuine desire to celebrate Her Majesty, the Diamond Jubilee is official London's chance to practice for the next big thing to hit town, the 2012 Summer Olympics, opening in July. Crowd and traffic control, not to mention security issues, will be even more challenging during the games, which last longer and are likely to draw more international visitors than the more homegrown jubilee celebration.
Homegrown does not mean humdrum not from the British, justly famous for their ceremonial flourishes. People here are not only proud of the queen, they're proud of their national talent for expressing their pride.
The next few days will see public events that encompass history and modernity, the future of the monarchy and the celebration of all things British. There will be horse racing and river sailing, a star-packed concert, a church service and gilded coach procession, bell-ringing, beacon-lighting and an air force flight over the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Right beside the queen throughout will be her family, with all eyes especially on her grandson and second-in-line to the throne, Prince William, and Catherine, the new royal stars. The jubilee celebrates the queen and all she's done for the country for the past six decades, but she and everyone else here know that Will and Kate are the future.
The Thames River Pageant on Sunday afternoon is the signature theatrical event of the weekend, a bow to history and to the river that has played so central a role in the life of the nation and the monarchy. A million people are likely to line the riverbanks, and millions more will watch at home, as the queen sails down the Thames accompanied by a flotilla of 1,000 ships of all shapes and sizes.
She and close family, including Will and Kate, will be on The Spirit of Chartwell, a luxury river cruiser redecorated in antique style and equipped with tiny robotic cameras operated by the BBC. It's the first time so many senior royals will travel together in one boat. Other members of her family will be on other boats in the flotilla.
Just ahead of them will be Gloriana (as in the first Queen Elizabeth), a 94-foot barge hand-carved and decorated to resemble the sort of barges royals used to travel the river hundreds of years ago. Manned by 18 rowers, including Olympians, it's the first such barge built in more than a century.
"The River Thames used to be the place where royal pageantry took place, and it's not happened for hundreds of years," says pageant master Adrian Evans, a river advocate who came up with the idea and spent two years organizing it. Now the pageant has "really caught the popular mood. It's a one-off event, very unlikely to be done again, and people will say, 'I just have to be there.' "
As is usually the case with the British, there are wacky aspects to the jubilee, with a variety of eccentric ways to honor the queen: Marmite, the yeast-based spread the British unaccountably love, has temporarily renamed itself Ma'amite.
There's bunting draped across Sloane Square and flags at the subway entrances, which would be normal for any national celebration. A giant crown-shaped floral sculpture in St James's Park? Not so much. It tops 12 feet, weighs 5 tons and took five weeks to make in Cornwall using 13,500 individual plants, according to media reports here.
There's a newly updated wax figure of the queen at Madame Tussauds, which is standard fare for any celebrity these days. The tiny Lego figure of the queen with a diamond-encrusted crown set in a miniature model of Buckingham Palace is more unusual. It's at the Legoland theme park a few miles from Windsor Castle. Even more unusual is the sand sculpture of the seated queen by artist Nicola Wood at the seventh annual sand sculpture festival in Weston-Super-Mare, a town about 140 miles west of London.
Even Heathrow Airport got into the jubilee spirit, painting a giant Union Jack with a silhouette of the queen on one of the runways so passengers can see it as they fly in.
Once famously derided (by Napoleon, no less) as a nation of shopkeepers, Britain's retailers are once again in the full roar of souvenir selling mode, just as they were for last year's royal wedding. According to a survey by consumer savings site Moneysupermarket.com, jubilee shoppers could spent nearly twice as much as last year up to $1.3 billion during the jubilee weekend.
Some of that will be souvenirs lots of souvenirs. From the jubilee tea towels sold on the streets to the shop windows cluttered with queen-emblazoned ceramic plates and canvas totes, to the elegant china and other baubles sold by the Royal Collection (royalcollectionshop.co.uk, which helps fund the upkeep of the royal palaces and art collections), queen kitsch is flying out doors and across the Internet.
Diamond Jubilee key chains and teaspoons, cookies and chocolates, hats and jewelery, bells and whistles are for sale for a few pounds (or dollars from the likes of Amazon.com). For pricier fare, the Diamond Jubilee Limited Edition Loving Cup from the Royal Collection is sold out (at about $280), but the Tea Caddy is still available at the same price, and the sky-blue Velvet Cushion is only about $150.
Hotels are selling Diamond Jubilee packages, restaurants and hotels are offering special Diamond Jubilee luxury tea service, pubs are selling Diamond Jubilee beer. Skyscrapers, such as the building Altitude 360 on the river, are selling spectacular sky-high viewing spaces, complete with picnic hampers of Champagne and crumpets, to watch the river pageant Sunday (only $800 per person). A giant portrait of the queen, made of 3,120 little cakes, will be on display (and later consumed) at a festival at the riverside Battersea Park, where thousands are likely to watch when the pageant sails by.
And for true luxury shopping, there's the all important Diamond Jubilee shoes. British designer ArunaSeth, whose shoes have clad the tootsies of Kate Middleton's younger sister, paparazzi queen Pippa Middleton, has created a line of limited edition Swarovski crystal-covered wedges in royal blue with Union-Jack trim. They're at Harrods. Only $4,800.
"I wanted to design something that celebrates being really proud to be British," she says. "And what better way than a flag? But they're really comfortable, with Italian nappa leather padding. The queen could wear them."
The queen, a woman famous for her sensible shoes? Maybe not.
Copyright 2012 USA TODAY
London Welsh to contest decision soon – Rugby News Update - Bettor.com
London Welsh to contest decision soon – Rugby News Update
London Welsh, a club that plays in the Championship, the second tier of rugby in England have defeated the Cornish Pirates over a two-legged final to be declared champions.
However, they are not being allowed promotion into the Aviva Premiership, the top tier of rugby in England, as they do not fill the minimum requirement criteria. Their application to join the country’s elite was rejected by the Professional Game Board, a decision that was upheld by the Rugby Football Union.
After securing the title, the club is keen to fight their case in order to secure their promotion into the top flight. They have a minimum of three months to know what tier they will be playing in, as the new season will start by then. It provides the club a very small window of opportunity to take the matter to court or settle for an out of court settlement. London Welsh were waiting till the season concluded, and now that they have emerged winners, they are in a strong bargaining position.
Club chairman, Bleddyn Phillips, said, "We shall be lodging an appeal in the very near future and in parallel we are pursuing all other available opportunities to make sure we can take our rightful and deserved place in the Aviva Premiership."
John Taylor, the managing director of the club has said that the refusal of the RFU has brought the situation into a tipping point. He referenced the need of the RFU to make the Championship a professional body, and they need to support the lower league teams, in order to create a culture where the teams have an opportunity to advance.
He said, "The feeling is that even if we were to be in a situation at the end of it for whatever reason we didn't win this appeal, and we are going to fight it very, very hard, things will never be the same again. They will not be prepared to go through this again at the end of next season.”
It is going to be a long summer for London Welsh and they have to make important decisions regarding the future of the club.
London 2012: Olympic organisers reveal the official scent of victory - The Sport Review
London 2012′s official scent of victory has been revealed – a potent combination of mint, rosemary, English lavender and wheat.
Organisers have unveiled the look of all victory celebrations by revealing how the podiums, ceremonial costumes and medallists’ flowers bouquets will appear this summer.
And it appears their favourite novel must by Alice Walker’s The Colour Purple.
Over 805 carefully choreographed victory ceremonies will be staged over 30 venues and for the first time in Olympic history the medal bearers will also be male.
The costumes and podium have been designed by a team of students from the Royal College of Art while UK florist Jane Packer has crafted a victory bouquet that combines a rose, the most iconic of English flowers, with traditional herbs.
“The victory ceremonies mark the moment athletes can celebrate and share their achievements with fans in the stadiums and a worldwide TV audience,” said London 2012 chairman Seb Coe.
“I’m delighted that we have worked with not only with established British designers but also with the next generation of designers to create this special moment for them.”
© Sportsbeat 2012
London 2012: Sarah Stevenson leads GB taekwondo team - BBC News
World champion Sarah Stevenson is among three taekwondo athletes named in Team GB, with Aaron Cook and Lutalo Muhammad vying for the last place.
Stevenson (-67kg), Jade Jones (-57kg) and Martin Stamper (-68kg) have had their places at London 2012 confirmed.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) vetoed GB Taekwondo's nomination of Muhammad ahead of world number one Cook, with a final decision imminent.
Stevenson, who won bronze in Beijing, is recovering from a cruciate injury.
The 29-year-old Doncaster-born athlete is the reigning world champion having regained her title in South Korea last year.
"This will be my fourth Olympics and me and the sport have come a long way since my first Games," said Stevenson. "When I went to Sydney in 2000, I was only 17 and hardly anyone knew what taekwondo was. But that's all changed and I don't even think you can class it as a so-called minority sport any more.
"If I win gold that will top everything I have ever achieved, but that might not happen because that's the way sport is. Just because you are the best doesn't mean you are going to win, but of course I will try like mad to win gold."
Jones, 19, won European Championships bronze in 2010 and took silver at the 2011 World Championships.
"I'm buzzing," said the Welsh athlete.
Sarah Stevenson's whirlwind 2011
"I had a big disappointment at the European Championships when I didn't win a medal, but I think it was a blessing in disguise. I have things to work on now and make sure I am 100% right for the Olympics."
Liverpudlian Stamper, 25, is an eight-time British champion and took World Championships bronze last year.
"If I fight my own game and fight to the best of my potential then I can achieve anything," he said.
"I don't want to put pressure on myself but I could get gold if I have four fights at my best and things go my way. It could happen."
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