So, did you watch the first episode of Downton Abbey last night? I did and I loved it. It's a new seven-part period drama, about what goes on above and below stairs at an Edwardian country house - very similar to Upstairs, Downstairs.
Downton Abbey was written and created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), and stars Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith. I love all the characters and all the scheming and the way the first episode has set up so many storylines. And the country house - Downton Abbey - is a star in its own right. The series was filmed on location at Highclere Castle.
It's fabulous! I'm well and truly hooked on the series and looking forward to the next six episodes!
There is an excellent website about the series with loads of interesting details. You can also follow on Twitter @DowntonAbbey for official tweets for ITV1's new costume drama.
Downton Abbey + Q&A - video via BFI Live (British Film Institute)
Director Julian Fellowes introduces his new TV drama Downton Abbey in a preview screening followed by a Q and A with cast members Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt and Executive Producer Gareth Neame.
If you missed the first episode, you can watch it via ITV Player (UK only). Highly recommended!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Garage sales, Rummage sales (USA) vs Car Boot Sales, Jumble sales (UK)
I was quite surprised today to see a neighbour holding a garage sale. Why was I surprised? This is the first time (that I know of) that anyone in my town has held a garage sale. I'm hoping the idea will catch on.
The British way of selling unwanted items from the household is to load up the car and drive to a Car Boot Sale - where you sell your items from your car's boot (trunk). These type of sales are usually held in a field or a car park (parking lot) and sellers have to pay a fee for their pitch (car space). The fees can vary depending on the day of the week (weekend charges are higher) and can range from about £6 to £12 for a car, £8 to £15 for a van. And buyers usually have to pay a fee for entry to the car boot sale! The entry fees also vary, from as little as 20p or as much as £5. Charges to enter are higher on weekends. There usually isn't an entry fee for children.
The other popular method of selling secondhand items is at a Jumble Sale. This is like an American rummage sale but whereas in the USA, the items would be sold either from the owner's garage or their yard or even sometimes from inside their home, the Jumble sale is held at a church hall or school or village/town hall. And yes, there are fees - the sellers have to pay a fee for a table to sell from and the buyers have to pay a fee (usually from 50p to a £1) to enter the sale. These sales are often (but not always) a way to raise money for a special cause and will be advertised as such.
As an American, I have to say that I miss seeing the widespread presence of garage sales. I always thought it was fun to see a sign pointing to someone's yard or garage and just stopping at the spur of the moment to have a look. Garage sales and rummage sales are a very common occurrence throughout the USA and not only an easy way to get rid of household clutter and make a bit of money or be able to find a good bargain but also a fun way to meet neighbours.
I don't really enjoy going to car boot sales and I've never felt like participating in selling items at one either. I dislike the idea of having to pay a fee to sell my items, and I'm also not keen to have to spend a day hanging out in a field for a whole day. I've also noticed that sellers don't put price tags on their items which means you have to ask "how much?" and then you have to wait while they seem to contemplate how much you will be willing to pay.
I have considered selling items at a jumble sale when our local schools or town hall have advertised about holding one but still think it's more trouble than it's worth. It involves loading up the car and taking the items to the venue and taking them inside and displaying them on a table and spending the whole time at that venue.
Also, I think it's odd that people are charged an entry fee to both car boot sales and jumble sales. In my opinion, charging an entry fee only makes sense if the fee is going to a charity. If it is for a charity or a local cause, I try to support them by going to their jumble sales and I usually buy something - but I've never felt inclined to be one of the sellers.
I'm not sure why garage sales are so rare in the UK. When I first moved to England, I was told it wasn't allowed because it was against the law to sell anything from your home or property without a special licence. I've never bothered finding out more about the law because whether it has changed or not, it seems to me that it's just not the done thing - at least in my area. That's why I was so shocked to see a garage sale in my neighbourhood today. I will be very interested to see if more British people start holding garage sales or yard sales. I don't think it will ever be as common as it is in the USA because most British garages are very small (most people use them for storage rather than for their cars). So, I think it might be easier for Brits to sell from their front or back garden (what Americans call the 'yard' is called the 'garden' in the UK).
It's worth noting that sometimes car boot sales are combined with other fun activities so it can be a fun day out. For example, the Country House Car Boot Sale is being held tomorrow in the Cotswolds. The sale also offers fairground rides, food stalls, licensed bars and a variety of arts and crafts stall, plus the National Trust property Lodge Park, part of the Sherborne Estate, will be open for visitors and the picnic areas and sculpture trail available for public access. All proceeds from the sale will go towards the South West Child's Voice Appeal - NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). I think these kind of organized events are much more fun to go to and a very British way of raising funds for a worthwhile charity.
What are your thoughts about car boot sales and jumble sales? Do you sell or buy from them? What are your thoughts about holding (American style) garage sales and rummage sales in the UK? What is it like where you live - do your neighbours hold garage sales?
Interesting trivia about car boot sales (via carbootsales.org)
The British way of selling unwanted items from the household is to load up the car and drive to a Car Boot Sale - where you sell your items from your car's boot (trunk). These type of sales are usually held in a field or a car park (parking lot) and sellers have to pay a fee for their pitch (car space). The fees can vary depending on the day of the week (weekend charges are higher) and can range from about £6 to £12 for a car, £8 to £15 for a van. And buyers usually have to pay a fee for entry to the car boot sale! The entry fees also vary, from as little as 20p or as much as £5. Charges to enter are higher on weekends. There usually isn't an entry fee for children.
The other popular method of selling secondhand items is at a Jumble Sale. This is like an American rummage sale but whereas in the USA, the items would be sold either from the owner's garage or their yard or even sometimes from inside their home, the Jumble sale is held at a church hall or school or village/town hall. And yes, there are fees - the sellers have to pay a fee for a table to sell from and the buyers have to pay a fee (usually from 50p to a £1) to enter the sale. These sales are often (but not always) a way to raise money for a special cause and will be advertised as such.
As an American, I have to say that I miss seeing the widespread presence of garage sales. I always thought it was fun to see a sign pointing to someone's yard or garage and just stopping at the spur of the moment to have a look. Garage sales and rummage sales are a very common occurrence throughout the USA and not only an easy way to get rid of household clutter and make a bit of money or be able to find a good bargain but also a fun way to meet neighbours.
I don't really enjoy going to car boot sales and I've never felt like participating in selling items at one either. I dislike the idea of having to pay a fee to sell my items, and I'm also not keen to have to spend a day hanging out in a field for a whole day. I've also noticed that sellers don't put price tags on their items which means you have to ask "how much?" and then you have to wait while they seem to contemplate how much you will be willing to pay.
I have considered selling items at a jumble sale when our local schools or town hall have advertised about holding one but still think it's more trouble than it's worth. It involves loading up the car and taking the items to the venue and taking them inside and displaying them on a table and spending the whole time at that venue.
Also, I think it's odd that people are charged an entry fee to both car boot sales and jumble sales. In my opinion, charging an entry fee only makes sense if the fee is going to a charity. If it is for a charity or a local cause, I try to support them by going to their jumble sales and I usually buy something - but I've never felt inclined to be one of the sellers.
I'm not sure why garage sales are so rare in the UK. When I first moved to England, I was told it wasn't allowed because it was against the law to sell anything from your home or property without a special licence. I've never bothered finding out more about the law because whether it has changed or not, it seems to me that it's just not the done thing - at least in my area. That's why I was so shocked to see a garage sale in my neighbourhood today. I will be very interested to see if more British people start holding garage sales or yard sales. I don't think it will ever be as common as it is in the USA because most British garages are very small (most people use them for storage rather than for their cars). So, I think it might be easier for Brits to sell from their front or back garden (what Americans call the 'yard' is called the 'garden' in the UK).
It's worth noting that sometimes car boot sales are combined with other fun activities so it can be a fun day out. For example, the Country House Car Boot Sale is being held tomorrow in the Cotswolds. The sale also offers fairground rides, food stalls, licensed bars and a variety of arts and crafts stall, plus the National Trust property Lodge Park, part of the Sherborne Estate, will be open for visitors and the picnic areas and sculpture trail available for public access. All proceeds from the sale will go towards the South West Child's Voice Appeal - NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). I think these kind of organized events are much more fun to go to and a very British way of raising funds for a worthwhile charity.
What are your thoughts about car boot sales and jumble sales? Do you sell or buy from them? What are your thoughts about holding (American style) garage sales and rummage sales in the UK? What is it like where you live - do your neighbours hold garage sales?
Interesting trivia about car boot sales (via carbootsales.org)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Warning! Twitter has been hacked!
I was on Twitter for a brief time just now, and I noticed some strange looking blacked-out links in my timeline. Soon after, I noticed a few warnings were posted by some of my followers about a Twitter bug. It seemed to be spreading rapidly, even during the short time I was on. I checked the Twitter blog for their latest status report and there was no mention of the bug so I signed out and looked for reports about the 'bug' in the news.
I found this report from Metro.co.uk :
Twitter 'hacked' by big letters of doom
The Twitter website has been invaded by a spate of gigantic letters and black boxes, thanks to a newly discovered 'onMouseOver' exploit that allowed tweets to repost themselves repeatedly or redirect users to other websites
My advice - stay away from Twitter until this 'bug' is fixed!
UPDATE: Twitter: The Bug Is Fixed
XSS attack identified and patched.
We've identified and are patching a XSS attack; as always, please message @safety if you have info regarding such an exploit.
We expect the patch to be fully rolled out shortly and will update again when it is.
Update (6:50 PDT, 13:50 UTC): The exploit is fully patched.
I found this report from Metro.co.uk :
Twitter 'hacked' by big letters of doom
The Twitter website has been invaded by a spate of gigantic letters and black boxes, thanks to a newly discovered 'onMouseOver' exploit that allowed tweets to repost themselves repeatedly or redirect users to other websites
My advice - stay away from Twitter until this 'bug' is fixed!
UPDATE: Twitter: The Bug Is Fixed
XSS attack identified and patched.
We've identified and are patching a XSS attack; as always, please message @safety if you have info regarding such an exploit.
We expect the patch to be fully rolled out shortly and will update again when it is.
Update (6:50 PDT, 13:50 UTC): The exploit is fully patched.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Scoop: free entertainment in an outdoor amphitheatre in London!
Do you know about The Scoop?
The Scoop is an outdoor amphitheatre situated between London Bridge and Tower Bridge on the south bank of the Thames.
You can enjoy free live entertainment at The Scoop during the summer months! And you may think summer is over but The Scoop offers free open-air film screening during September and on Oct 1st.
The movies on offer this week are:
The Hurt Locker
Wednesday 22 September
North by Northwest
Thursday 23 September
Pretty Woman
Friday 24 September
Next week:
Invictus
Wednesday 29 September
Up
Thursday 30 September
Dirty Dancing
Friday 1 October
The Scoop at More London is an outdoor sunken amphitheatre with seating for 800. Throughout the summer months it regularly hosts a variety of free events - from free films, free music and free theatre to local community events and activities. The Scoop at More London is open to everyone.
Food and drink is available on site from The Thames Bar.
In the event of rain the show may have to be cancelled.
The Scoop is an outdoor amphitheatre situated between London Bridge and Tower Bridge on the south bank of the Thames.
You can enjoy free live entertainment at The Scoop during the summer months! And you may think summer is over but The Scoop offers free open-air film screening during September and on Oct 1st.
The movies on offer this week are:
The Hurt Locker
Wednesday 22 September
North by Northwest
Thursday 23 September
Pretty Woman
Friday 24 September
Next week:
Invictus
Wednesday 29 September
Up
Thursday 30 September
Dirty Dancing
Friday 1 October
The Scoop at More London is an outdoor sunken amphitheatre with seating for 800. Throughout the summer months it regularly hosts a variety of free events - from free films, free music and free theatre to local community events and activities. The Scoop at More London is open to everyone.
Food and drink is available on site from The Thames Bar.
In the event of rain the show may have to be cancelled.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
British Food Fortnight 18 Sept - 3 Oct
The ninth British Food Fortnight starts today, 18 September, and continues until 3 October.
Hundreds of shops, pubs, restaurants, councils, schools and hospitals take part each year, by promoting British food in their menus.
The National Trust is celebrating British Food Fortnight with the best of home grown produce through various events (fruit and vegetable workshops, cookery masterclasses and food fayres plus many more) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Ten things you may not know about British food
Want to buy British - a new website designed to help you buy British food and drink.
Where to eat British - To find pubs, restaurants and cafes serving British food
To find out more about British Food Fortnight, including how you can take part, visit lovebritishfood.co.uk
Hundreds of shops, pubs, restaurants, councils, schools and hospitals take part each year, by promoting British food in their menus.
The National Trust is celebrating British Food Fortnight with the best of home grown produce through various events (fruit and vegetable workshops, cookery masterclasses and food fayres plus many more) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Ten things you may not know about British food
Want to buy British - a new website designed to help you buy British food and drink.
Where to eat British - To find pubs, restaurants and cafes serving British food
To find out more about British Food Fortnight, including how you can take part, visit lovebritishfood.co.uk
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Want to be a Games Maker (one of the volunteers) at the 2012 Olympics?
Applications to be a London 2012 Games Maker open today!
There are strict rules regarding availability - be willing to volunteer for a minimum of 10 days at either the Olympic Games or the Paralympic Games (or for a minimum of 20 days if you want to volunteer at both), able to attend a 30 minute face-to-face interview, able to attend at least three training sessions - and you must be eligible to volunteer in the UK in accordance with immigration rules.
You must undergo – and pass – the required screening, security vetting, right to volunteer and background checks. You must be able to speak and read English.
Find out more: Are you eligible?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Food rationing was introduced in Britain 70 years ago
I'm watching a fascinating programme on the Yesterday channel, called "Ration Book Britain" marking the 70th anniversary of food rationing. It's amazing how people managed despite such strict rationing!
Ration Book Britain Recipes
Ration Book Britain: In Pictures
[links via uktv.co.uk]
Ration Book Britain Recipes
Ration Book Britain: In Pictures
[links via uktv.co.uk]
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Blitz: 70th Anniversary
The famous Blitz on Britain from German airplanes carrying out bombing raids over Britain began 70 years today.
A memorial service was held today at St Paul's Cathedral.
Found in attic: Rare footage of London in the Blitz:
The London Blitz (Britain at War) 1941 (1946)
A memorial service was held today at St Paul's Cathedral.
Found in attic: Rare footage of London in the Blitz:
The London Blitz (Britain at War) 1941 (1946)
The £1 room sale at The Hoxton Hotel: 9th Sept
It's time again for the famous £1 room sale at The Hoxton Hotel in the city of London!
The sales starts at noon (UK time) on 9th September
On offer: 595 rooms at £1 and 595 rooms at £29 which are available from 10th September 2010 – 9th January 2011.
The number of rooms that can be booked on this £1 promotion is limited to a maximum of one room per person.
Hoxton Hotel
81 Great Eastern Street
London
EC2A 3HU
The Hoxton Hotel
Good Luck - this sale is extremely popular!
Please note:
I have no connection with The Hoxton Hotel - I just like to share information about a great deal such as this one!
The sales starts at noon (UK time) on 9th September
On offer: 595 rooms at £1 and 595 rooms at £29 which are available from 10th September 2010 – 9th January 2011.
The number of rooms that can be booked on this £1 promotion is limited to a maximum of one room per person.
Hoxton Hotel
81 Great Eastern Street
London
EC2A 3HU
The Hoxton Hotel
Good Luck - this sale is extremely popular!
Please note:
I have no connection with The Hoxton Hotel - I just like to share information about a great deal such as this one!
Tea Making Tips (from a 1941 film)
I love watching this old film from 1941 ("Sponsored by the Empire Tea Bureau") demonstrating tips for making a good pot of tea!
BFI (British Film Institute)
BFI (British Film Institute)
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