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Monday 15 September 2014

ENGLAND V SCOTLAND THE BIG DEBATE...


According to the International Business Times    back on May 1st, 2014 both the British and Scottish flags were flying outside the Lloyds Banking Group's Scottish headquarters in Edinburgh.

I was just wondering if this is still the same today.

I guess I also need to wonder is if by Friday I need to change the name of this blog? ….

All we can do is wait and see.  

Wednesday 6 August 2014

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF 2014...



The Great British Bake Off  2014 started tonight this time on BBC 1.

Ten hour long episodes for us to follow amateur bakers battle to win the title of the UK's Best Amateur Baker. This year we even have someone from my neck of the woods in Nottingham.

Each week the bakers tackle a different baking skill, which becomes progressively more difficult as the show unfolds. Nancy was the star baker this week, can't wait for next week's episode.




Sunday 3 August 2014

A BRITISH MAN WHO DEVELOPED SPECTACLES...



Among the most famous Franciscan friars from this time, Roger Bacon studied at Oxford, and later worked on optics and the refraction of light through lenses, leading to the development of spectacles. He had a reputation as unconventional, pursuing learning in alchemy and magic - interests which earned him the soubriquet 'Doctor Mirabilis'. This led to his rejection from the Order and eventual imprisonment. He died in Oxford not long after his release.

Roger Bacon was ahead of his time: he sought reform the calendar and, among many other projects, he discussed the possibility of early concepts of automobiles, aeroplanes and submarines. In 1266, many of these observations were published in his Opus Maius, only recognised centuries later for its brilliance and astonishing modernity.
 



Source - We British

Monday 28 July 2014

LORD BYRON ON THE ENGLISH WEATHER...




lord byron (1788-1824) - english poet

"The English winter - ending in July, to recommence in August".

Monday 5 May 2014

GREAT BRITISH FISH AND CHIP SUPPER - FRIDAY 16TH MAY 2014...







In association with the Great British Fish and Chip Supper – Friday 16th May 2014
The Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) are delighted to launch the Fish and Chip Shop Challenge!
They want all 10,000 Fish and Chip Shops across the UK to organise a fundraising event at their shop, to raise vital funds to help support all those affected by spinal cord injury. The challenge, supported by Seafish, coincides with the Great British Fish and Chip Supper, a nationwide fundraising campaign held on Spinal Cord Injuries Awareness Day, 16 May 2014
Participating Fish and Chips Shops will be asked to come up with the wackiest idea to raise money on the day. Each fundraising event will be judged against others in the same region, and the organisers of the best event will be presented with a certificate and their details will be displayed on our Fish and Chip website www.siafishandchips.co.uk

In addition, the Fish and Chip Shop who raises the most money in the UK will presented with an award at the our annual awards ceremony in June 2014.

Every eight hours someone is told the devastating news that they will never walk again, as a result of damage to their spinal cord. The money raised from this challenge will help us to support spinal cord injured people as they come to terms with their injury, and rebuild their lives, at home and at work. We are there for them, from the moment their spinal cord injury happens, and for the rest of their lives.

Thursday 1 May 2014

THE BRITISH SANDWICH WEEK 11th - 17th MAY 2014...


The British Sandwich Week 2014 takes place from 11-17th May 2014.
Themed ‘Good for Everyone’, the campaign will promote some of the positive attributes of sandwiches and the importance of taking a break to buy a sandwich at lunchtime.
This will lead us up to British Sandwich Week in May (11-17th) when we are encouraging everyone in the industry to support an initiative (ideally throughout the month) to support a charity of their choice in the ‘Great Charity Lunch Munch’.
For more details and information head to their website 



GREEN TEA FOR A BETTER MEMORY... - AFTERNOON TEA

GREEN TEA FOR A BETTER MEMORY... - AFTERNOON TEA

Saturday 26 April 2014

OUR BEAUTIFUL AND LUSH GREEN BRITAIN...

 It's lambing time in the UK at the moment, wherever you drive in the country side you see the tiny little lambs jumping around and following their mothers every move.

There's nothing quite like Britain in April as it reaches the end of Spring and everywhere looks so green and lush. I don't think anywhere in the world can beat our views at this time of year.


Imagine waking up to a view like this.... This year everywhere is even greener than ever after our very wet winter. It's typical April weather with April showers popping up most days but May is on the horizon and can be a great month for the weather in the UK.

Thursday 17 April 2014

BRITAIN IN BLOOM 2014...



Growing for Gold – 50 Years of Britain in Bloom!

To launch the 2014 RHS Britain in Bloom campaign and to celebrate Bloom’s golden anniversary, the RHS is encouraging community groups across the UK to plant golden pollinator-friendly flowers in public spaces this year.


The RHS is providing over 500,000 golden sunflower seeds to Britain in Bloom community groups across the UK to plant in their neighbourhoods.

They hope that groups will get involved by holding ‘Growing for Gold’ planting events between 14 – 20 April 2014, to coincide with the national launch activity for RHS Britain in Bloom.

Add your events to the National Gardening Week website to promote your work to thousands of potential new volunteers.


They hope that groups will sow their golden displays in a public space(s) where the local community can enjoy them. Please ensure that you have permission from whoever owns the land before planting.

Monday 7 April 2014

THE GREAT BRITISH TELEVISION PROGRAMES...



We all enjoy the 'Great British' programes from the
'Great British Bake Off' to 'The Great British Sewing Bee' which is just about to finish.

Starting tonight for it's ninth series is 'The Great British Menu' on BBC2.

The first round of the competition starts where chefs around Britain go head to head for a chance to create a feast for this years chosen event, which is for a D Day Anniversary Banquet held at St. Paul's Cathedral. Many D Day veterans will also take part as judges, bringing their incredible experiences, personal memories and discerning taste buds to the judging chamber.



Wednesday 2 April 2014

AIR POLLUTION PROBLEM HITS THE BRITISH NEWS ...



All over the papers and for that matter all over our cars in Britain for the last couple of days, has been a type of Sahara sand dust.

According to the BBC News 'People with health problems are being warned to avoid strenuous activity after forecasts that air pollution will reach high levels in parts of England'.

Defra issued warnings as high pollution levels were recorded on Tuesday.
The pollution - a mix of local and European emissions and dust from the Sahara - is forecast in parts of south England, the Midlands and East Anglia.
The elderly and those with lung or heart disease are among those warned against exercising outside.
In February, the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the UK for failing to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution.
On Wednesday, Defra (the Department for Food, Agriculture & Rural Affairs) admitted it was a "challenge" to meet air pollution targets near busy roads but said air quality had "improved significantly" in recent decades.
Even the Prime Minister, David Cameron's car was covered in the Sahara dust.

Defra has a 10-point scale for measuring air quality - with level one implying a "low" risk of air pollution and 10 warning of "very high" levels.
Levels are determined by the concentration of five pollutants in the air, including NO2, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone.
High levels of air pollution are usually reached about five times a year, Defra said.
On Wednesday, levels were recorded at six - meaning moderate - in East Anglia and south-east England, with pollution readings reaching level five in London and areas of north-east England.
However, forecasters say pollution levels could reach high levels later in the day and on Thursday, before clearing on Friday.
The BBC weather centre said the highest recordings were likely to be in East Anglia and the East Midlands, while moderate to high air pollution levels were also forecast for large parts of southern and central England.

Monday 3 March 2014

‘THE WEEK’S STATS OF THE WEEK…




THE WEEK’S STATS OF THE WEEK…

Did you know that the fashion industry is worth £26bn to the UK economy, and supports 797,000 jobs according to The Daily Telegraph.

Did you also know that up to 5,000 people earning more than £100,000 per year live in council or housing association properties according to the Department for Communities and Local Government !!!!

For more stats of the week in ‘The Week’ magazine follow the link below for your free copy –

Claim a free copy of The Week magazine

  • The best of the British and international media
  • Clear unbiased journalism presenting you with the facts you need
  • Intelligent writing delivers you a concise and complete briefing in just one hour of your time
  • Keeping on top of the news has never been so easy or enjoyable – in print or through our dynamic digital formats

  • Our Review of reviews brings you the most interesting and entertaining insights on the latest books, plays, films, opera and exhibitions
  • What are top food critics saying about British restaurants?
  • Plus the most bizarre stories from the tabloids, a smattering of gossip and Talking Points

Follow this link to claim your free copy: http://subscription.theweek.co.uk/landing/bigshot/01/


Thursday 6 February 2014

UK STORMS GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE...



Life in the UK at the moment is frightening and daunting for some who are going through the terrible weather here at the moment.

A section of the sea wall in Dawlish, Devon, collapsed and left the railway to Cornwall suspended in mid-air, ( see picture above)
Residents of homes on the Somerset Levels were evacuated amid fears flood defences could be overwhelmed.
David Cameron chaired his first Cobra meeting this year and announced an extra £100m for flood works.
At Prime Minister's Questions he pledged £75m for repairs over the next year, £10m for urgent work in Somerset - where several rivers have flooded - and £15m for maintenance.
The forecast for the weekend is worse storms to come. On the Somerset Levels, police used a helicopter to advise the occupants of more than 150 properties in Fordgate and Northmoor to leave their homes.
If there is one thing that we have no control of whatsoever is the weather. We can only hope that there will be some let up soon for the sake of all people who are being affected by this unique weather front. 

Tuesday 4 February 2014

HALF TERM SHENANIGANS IN THE UK...



With the schools half term approaching you can find lots of offers on fun days with the children to meals out. You just need to spend a little time on the internet and hey presto your half term activities are sorted.

Hopefully my pick on a few half term shenanigans is ideal for you and your family.

RSPCA Animal Champion
If you’re aged between 6 and 12 you can take part in RSPCA Animal Champion and turn your half term into an adventure full of fun and exciting activities. You’ll receive a toolkit through the post with lots of fun things you can do with your friends and family during February half term. 
You could invite your friends over for an animal themed sleepover and a night of fun and games, or get your hands messy in the kitchen making cakes and biscuits. There are step by step instructions to show you how to complete each activity, and we’ll also send stickers, posters and much more.

Choose your favourite 5 activities and finish them by the end of half term to become an official RSPCA Animal Champion. Once you’re finished you will get a special award and certificate.

Every year the RSPCA rescues and cares for thousands of animals. We believe that every animal deserves a happy and healthy life, and it’s our job to help make sure this happens. If you want to help animals too, you can show your support by becoming one of our amazing RSPCA Animal Champions.
It costs £15 per child to register and you will need a parent to sign up for you by filling in the form below. There’s more information available for parents here
Registration closes on 12th February and we only have limited places available. Sign up now to avoid missing out.
- See more at: http://choices.rspca.org.uk/pages/events/v2/display.aspx?title=animalchampion&gclid=CLvKuPW7srwCFWLHtAodEiwAdA#sthash.xFH0GFPd.dpuf




Head down to Half Term Events http://www.halftermevents.co.uk/ to see their list of outings which include mountainboarding, cricket and Jungle Book with events taking place in -


Of course if you can make it to London then Time Out has the best list of activities available from


the Imagine Childrens Festival 2014 -
An annual festival of music, comedy, performance, interaction and theatre taking place throughout half term, with appearances by children's writers and entertainers. Kids from local schools will even be helping run the place by assisting light technicians, programme sales and on the tannoy.
To Saturday drawing workshops. The list is endless.

However all your local authorities will have a list of 'whats on' in your area where you could soon find out what's going on in your area this half term. Another excellent site is the BBC 'Things to do' site where you can pop in your post code to find out what is going on in your area.

Enjoy your half term, whatever you do.





Monday 13 January 2014

THE GREAT BRITISH GARDEN REVIVAL...

 If you haven't been following the 'Great British Garden Revival' which is a selection of top television gardeners who want to inspire the nation to save Britain's rich gardening heritage.


Its on BBC 2 at 7 pm on Monday and the final episode is on Tuesday 14th January.



On Monday's episode Toby Buckland meets a conservationist who works to save species of fruit trees that are close to extinction, while Christine Walken looks at the Victorian era and their love of ornamental bedding plants.


On the final episode on Tuesday Chris Beardshaw champions the herbaceous border, while Alys Fowler celebrates the merits of the kitchen garden and tries a range of unusual edible plants.

If you have missed this great 'British' garden series and cannot watch it on catch up then don't panic as you can look through lots of pictures and clips by just going to the link online. 


This is Joe Swift with his milk float full of plants to revive front gardens in London which was one of my favourite episodes. 


Monty Don at Kew Millenium Seedbank


Toby in a field of Orange 


Rachel de Thame and Louise Wesley at Kelmarsh Hall





Sunday 12 January 2014

GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS BBC2



The Great British Railway Journey series is on BBC2 at 6.30 nightly Monday to Friday and follows Michael Portillo travelling through Britain by train. Last week Michael traveled from Manchester to Bury and learnt how the railway helped to create a national institution - the great British Fish and Chips.

This week he starts his first leg of his journey from London's Euston Station to Leeds, calling at Chaddington in Buckinghamshire, which is close to the scene of the 1963's Great Train Robbery.

On Day two ( Tuesday) he carries on his journey to Leeds and meets up with a second world war secret agent at Bletchley. He also learns all about vellum making in Newport Pagnell.

On Day three (Wednesday) the train takes him from Northampton to Nuneaton, where he learns all about the Victorian methods of shoemaking and the legacy of Dr. Thomas Arnold at Rugby School of Warwickshire.

On Day four (Thursday) he travels from Leicester to Loughborough (down the road from us), where he hears all about the hunt for Richard 111's remains while travelling on the Great Central Railway.

On Michael's final day (Friday) he completes his journey to Leeds where he see's how rail workers shaped British history in Doncaster, and he also visits Britain's oldest continuously working music hall.

You just can't beat Michael's train journey's ...




Thursday 9 January 2014

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT 'BRITISH AIRWAYS'.....



According to Wikipedia British Airway is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom and its the largest airline based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. When measured by passengers carried it is the second-largest behind easyJet.

The airline is based in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport

British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, along with American AirlinesCathay PacificQantas, and the now defunctCanadian Airlines. The alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam and Star Alliance. British Airways merged with Iberia on 21 January 2011, formally creating the International Airlines Group (IAG), the world's third-largest airline group in terms of annual revenue and the second-largest in Europe. IAG is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the FTSE 100 Index.

A long-time Boeing customer, British Airways ordered 59 Airbus A320 family aircraft in August 1998. In 2007, it purchased 12 Airbus A380s and 24Boeing 787 Dreamliners, marking the start of its long-haul fleet replacement. The centrepiece of the airline's long-haul fleet is the Boeing 747-400; with 55 examples in the fleet, British Airways is the largest operator of this type in the world.

Monday 6 January 2014

POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS ACTION WEEK - 25th JANUARY - 2nd FEBRUARY...

About Action Week

Poverty & Homelessness Action Week has been running each year since 2008. It brings together two special Sundays which have been marked in UK churches for many years: Homelessness Sunday and Poverty Action Sunday.
The Week aims to:
  • raise awareness of the issues of poverty and homelessness in the UK
  • raise funds for projects and campaigns which work to tackle poverty and homelessness
  • involve people in campaign actions that tackle the causes of poverty and homelessness
Individuals, churches and groups are all encouraged to get involved in the week:
  • Churches can run worship services to mark one of the Sundays, praying for vulnerable people as well as raising awareness and funds.
  • Many churches also run special activities for children or young people.
  • Groups and organisations (including schools) can run events to raise funds or awareness.
  • Individuals can use our resources to reflect on the theme, and donate to support the cause.
Free resources are available from this website to support people doing all of these things. We also maintain a database of all events being organised each year, helping to promote and organise events.
Action Week is jointly organised by Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice and Scottish Churches Housing Action. It is sponsored and supported by many other organisations.

Action Week 2014: Standing alongside people in crisis

This year we have turned to Proverbs for inspiration: “Speak up for the rights of all who are destitute”.
There are people who are destitute in today’s Britain. The phenomenal growth of foodbanks has happened not because there is ‘infinite demand for free food,’ as Lord Freud put it last July – but because thousands of people have recognised something needs to be in place to fill gaps left by our creaking benefits system. Without them, families are starving.
Low wages, zero-hours contracts, outrageous interest charges by doorstep lenders, benefits cuts, benefits delays, ‘sanctions’ on job-seekers – all these and more contribute to a Britain where many are locked out of what the rest take for granted.
And there are plenty who are not destitute, but teetering on the edge. “Just two pay-packets away from homelessness” is how many feel.
So from Homelessness Sunday on 26 January to Poverty Action Sunday on 2 February, we call on churches across the UK to stand alongside people in crisis; to give, act and pray for justice.
In the Old Testament, we see an emphasis on social duties and community obligations: the periodic jubilee under which property debts were wiped out; the importance of supporting the widow and her children, of providing for the stranger and the refugee. In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates grace in the stories of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
These biblical approaches are a world away from the current fixation with driving a wedge between the poor and the comfortable in our land. Action Week is one opportunity for churches to stand together and speak up for people in poverty.

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