Happy St George's Day!

Today is Saint George's Day, an annual event that takes place on 23rd April to celebrate the patron saint of England.

These are some of the events happening today to celebrate St George's Day:

Celebrate St Georges Day at Trafalgar Square with a fresh and varied selection of English music. 12.30pm - 6pm FREE
St George's Day Concert, Trafalgar Square

Head to the V&A for a range of free events for St Georges Day at the Museum of Childhood.

Free afternoon talk (at 4 pm) at the National Gallery about the famous painting of St George and the Dragon (which is permanently housed at the National Gallery) by Paolo Uccello and the legend of the patron saint of England.

and some more events around England
England: the best St George's Day events, 2011 (via the Telegraph)

Classic English recipes, from traditional puds to brilliant bangers and mash, to help you celebrate St George's Day. (via BBCgoodfood.com)

Top Ten Patriotic Pubs For St George’s Day (via Londonist)

To all my English readers: enjoy celebrating England's national day!

Happy St George's Day!

Edited to add: I was puzzling over why the special Google Doodle to honour St George's Day has suddenly disappeared (it was there at 1:00 am this morning) and mentioned this on twitter. One of my followers provided this surprising information:

"this year it isn't st Georges day til 2 May cos it clashes with Easter" and she kindly provided a link about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/saints/george_1.shtml
Saint George's Day is April 23. In 2011 because this day falls on Holy Saturday, it will move to May 2.

I'm shocked! It's not as if today's event clashes with Easter Sunday. How many people even know about "Holy Saturday"? I think moving England's national day to a different date is totally ridiculous! Furthermore, that decision doesn't seem to have reached most of England (thankfully!) since there are still plenty of events happening across England to celebrate today. Quite right too!

What do you think about this decision to move the date for St George's Day to May 2nd?

Vintage film clips: England 1924 and 1926

This brief video is so cool. It's a vintage colour film of a charming scene in the picturesque village of Cockington, Devon, England (1924)



and another brief video. This one is Hyde Park, London (1926)



This extract comes from Claude Friese-Greene's 'The Open Road' - originally filmed in 1925/6 and now re-edited and digitally restored by the BFI National Archive.

The rather haphazard journey from Land's End to John O'Groats creates a series of moving picture postcards.

For more information about 'The Open Road' see http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/openroad/

You can watch the whole of 'The Open Road' and 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque

From today, England is the only UK country still charging for prescriptions

England now only place in UK with prescription charges

Scotland has today joined Northern Ireland and Wales in scrapping fees for prescriptions.
(link via telegraph.co.uk)
 
It's worth noting that Scotland scrapped all prescription charges on the same day that prices of prescriptions in England have increased by 20p to £7.40.
 
What the heck? Why are the three other nations in the UK able to offer free prescriptions and the English the only ones forced to pay for prescriptions?

Plans to sell England's public forests are under review

Ministers halt some forest sales after public outcry

The government has put on hold plans to sell off some English forests - but the main scheme could still go ahead.

[link via BBC News]

This is good news however the delay is regarding only the planned sale of 15% of state-owned forests in England. There is still widespread concern about the remaining 85% of the public forests.

Consultation: Future of the public forest estate prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Commission.

Forestry Commission - The future of the Public Forest Estate in England

If you are concerned, you can sign the petition via The Woodland Trust to support the Save England’s ancient forests campaign.





Save England's Forests

Online crime maps for all streets in England and Wales

Crime Maps Will Make Police More Accountable

Detailed crime maps for England and Wales are being published by the Home Office - the first time anywhere in the world such information has been released.
(link via Sky News)

Type in your postcode at http://www.police.uk and find out what crime or antisocial behaviour has happened on your street.

World Cup 2010 Football Song - There May Be Glory

The Dulwich Ukulele Club have pulled out all the stops to produce The Football Anthem for the World Cup 2010.



Brilliant!

Happy St George's Day!

St George is the patron saint of England.

Today, April 23rd, is England's national day: 

St George's Day!

Celebrations to mark St George's Day will take place across England today and over the weekend.

St George's Day 2010, Activities, Celebrations, Ideas  (via Enjoy England)

London St. George's Day 2010

St. George's Day gets Google Doodle  (link via metro.co.uk)

Facts about St. George's Day, England's national day  (link via Woodlands Junior School)

Urgup in Turkey seeks English twin on St George's Day  (link via BBC News)

Pageant of St George returns to London after 425 years  (link via BBC News)

Download a free copy of The Ricky Gervais Guide to The English to mark St George's Day
(link via guardian.co.uk)

St George's Day Crafts  (link via Activity Village)

Today is also William Shakespeare's birthday and it's appropriate to quote from his play, Henry V, with one of Shakespeare's most famous quotes:

 'Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

and another famous quote is by Sir Winston Churchill:

"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word,

which means more to me than any other. That word is ENGLAND."

Happy St George's Day!

ContactPoint children's database suffers security breaches

ContactPoint database suffers 'serious' security breaches during trial phase The controversial database containing personal details of all 11 million children in England has suffered at least three security breaches even before its nationwide launch. (link via Telegraph) I've written about the ContactPoint database before. I've always been against the idea but of course that doesn't matter. Parents don't have a say - unless you are a celebrity or a politician because they are concerned about the security of their children's details, and they can opt out!! And surprise, surprise! The big fear was that it wouldn't be secure (no database is 100% secure) and sure enough there have been at least three security breaches already - before its nationwide launch! I wonder how the parents in England that supported the idea of the database, feel about it now. Can there be anyone who still believes ContactPoint is a good idea?

England: Prescription Promise Campaign

The British Heart Foundation has a campaign to fight for free prescriptions in England: Gordon Brown promised last year to make prescriptions free for all those with long term conditions in the coming years so we have joined forces with 18 other charities representing people with long term conditions as part of the Prescription Promise Campaign. Prescriptions are free in Wales and will be in Scotland and Northern Ireland by 2011.

Inn England: Celebrate England's best pubs

Enjoy England have created a new website - Inn England - to recognise and celebrate one of the country's most important National Treasures, the English pub. They have partnered with The Publican to build a database of fine pubs and inns around the country. Each month Enjoy England will feature a selection of Top 10 pub and inns. I'm impressed with the website. It's not just about searching for your favourite pub. They are asking people to rate the pubs on the site and to leave comments. And if you've recently discovered a pub you want to recommend, you can add it to the website and leave a comment about what makes the pub or inn special. Where's your favourite pub?

Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 and the Tea Guild's Top UK Tea Place 2009

Best tea in London and Britain named The best place in London to enjoy a delicious cup of afternoon tea has been named as The English Tea Room, Brown’s Hotel, which has won The Tea Guild’s prestigious award for the capital. The Tea Guild has also announced that The Top Tea Place Award 2009 has been won by The Bridge Tea Rooms in Bradford-On- Avon, Wiltshire. (link via VisitBritain.com) Brown's Hotel London - The English Tea Room The Bridge Tea Rooms - Bradford on Avon, England Congratulations to both for your awards! Well done! I'm always keen to get recommendations for traditional tea rooms. Where is your favourite tea room? Related links from the web: Afternoon Tea - This site will help you to find the perfect Afternoon Tea location in the UK London's Best Tea Rooms (link via Time Out London) Afternoon Tea in London (link via Visit London) Tea and cake places (link via teaandcake.co.uk)

Scarborough: the most English town in England

By St George, resort clear winner for its Englishness LOOKING for somewhere traditionally English to spend St George's Day? Try the East Coast around Scarborough. The borough council, whose district includes Whitby and Filey, has more businesses and organisations with English characteristics per head of population than anywhere else in the country, according to a survey intended to promote St George's Day. Scarborough district has a cricket club, tea rooms, fish and chip shop, holiday camp or morris dancing troop for every 618 residents, claims the local information website, locallife.co.uk. (link via yorkshirepost.co.uk) I've seen a lot of England and we have visited the Yorkshire area many times (particularly York) but we haven't actually visited Scarborough. Now I think that we should plan a visit - it does indeed sound like a quintessentially English town. Do you live in Scarborough? Or have you visited the town? Do you agree that it is probably the most quintessentially English town in England? About Scarborough (via EnjoyEngland) Scarborough-Online Bradford most 'English' city, says St George's Day study The famously multicultural city of Bradford has emerged as one of the three most "English" places in England for patriots to spend St George's Day. The Yorkshire manufacturing, tourism and university centre comes second only to the coastal town of Scarborough and the Cornish district of Penwith for traditional English activities per head of population. Curries may win it more headlines, but Bradford has one of the country's highest ratios of fish and chip shops to people, and an astonishing number of cricket clubs and leagues. (link via guardian.co.uk) The top 10 in the survey, commissioned by the website locallife.co.uk, are: Scarborough Penwith Bradford York Blackpool Brighton and Hove Hastings Westminster Harrogate Tower Hamlets What do you think of the results of the survey? Do you agree with the list or are there other places in England that you think are more "English" and should be on the list?

Happy Birthday William Shakespeare!

Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations Marking the 445th anniversary of the Bard's birth Welcome to The Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations, a unique event that's been taking place in Stratford for over a century. This year everyone can look forward to a truly dazzling experience as 2009 sees the start of a three-year plan to develop the celebrations into a high profile, annual extravaganza ready for the World Shakespeare Festival in 2012. (link via shakespeare.org.uk) The Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations Stratford's streets will overflow with pageantry, music and theatre and over the birthday period you can enjoy a packed programme of special celebratory activities - great days out at Shakespeare's historic houses, poetry, literary and music festivals and amazing theatre. Celebrate Shakespeare's Birthday with a free event on Bankside, London Shakespeare's Birthday 2009 On Thursday 23 April, patriotically established as Shakespeare's birthday, there will be another free special event on Bankside before the Globe’s 2009 theatre season opens with Shakespeare’s most famous love-story, Romeo & Juliet.Time: 6.00pmTickets for Romeo & Juliet: £5-£33. (link via Shakespeare's Globe Theatre) Portrait of Shakespeare unveiled A portrait of William Shakespeare thought to be the only picture made of him during his lifetime has been unveiled in Warwickshire. The painting is on show at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon, to celebrate the playwright's birthday on 23 April. (link via BBC News) The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Happy St George's Day! (England's national day)

To all my English readers on this special day in England:

Happy St George's Day!

St George's Day events via Enjoy England Join the campaign to gain proper recognition for the Patron Saint of England by writing to your MP about establishing St. George's day as a public holiday in England. (link via St George's Day - A Site for England) It's nice to see that Google's homepage is honouring both St George's Day and Shakespeare's Birthday with a special Google doodle portraying a dragon and a knight. Well done, Google! About St George's Day - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Let's celebrate England's heritage and traditions!

Top 10 English foods

Simon Majumdar ( the co-founder of a food blog called Dos HERMANOS ) has an interesting article in The Times, Top 10 quintessential English foods.

Simon's top ten English foods are:

1) Melton Mowbray Pork Pie
2) Fish and Chips
3) Black Pudding
4) Kippers
5) Parkin
6) Cornish Pasty
7) Potted Shrimps
8) Grouse
9) Treacle Sponge Pudding
10) Cheddar Cheese

I think Simon's choices are interesting but my list of the best foods England has to offer is quite different.

My top ten English foods are:

1. Fish and Chips
2. Shepherd's Pie
3. Cheddar Cheese
4. Cornish Pasty
5. Yorkshire Pudding
6. Cumberland and Lincolnshire sausages
7. Lancashire Hotpot
8. Bakewell Tart
9. West Country Clotted Cream Tea
10. Full English Breakfast

What about you? Do you agree with Simon's choices? What English foods would be on your list?

Nursery and primary schooling in England: "nappy curriculum" too stressful for children

Primary teachers call for homework to be scrapped Three and four-year-old throwing tantrums because they cannot cope, association says Teachers will tomorrow call for homework for primary school children to be scrapped as a waste of time for children and teachers. Homework, frequent testing and the introduction of the government's "nappy curriculum" for early years classes have provoked criticism that nursery and primary schooling in England has become too formal and produces stressed children. This is leading to three and four-year-olds throwing tantrums in class because they are being forced to learn to read and write too early, say teachers. (link via guardian.co.uk) I was very impressed with the nursery school and primary school my sons attended but the curriculum has obviously changed since my sons were that age. I think the Government’s new curriculum is putting far too much pressure on young children which starts with the The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (all children under five are required to meet 69 targets covering areas such as numeracy and problem-solving). It's sad that young children have so much pressure put on them. What has happened to childhood? Do you have young children and live in England? What are your thoughts about the Early Years Foundation Stage? Do your children get stressed over homework?

Government reneges on promise for free bus pass in England for the over-60s

Last year - in April - I wrote about this offer in a post on my old blog: Free bus travel for over 60s anywhere in England As of April 1st. 2008 everyone aged over 60, or eligible as disabled, can get free off-peak* bus travel on local buses anywhere in England. (Over 60s in Scotland and Wales already get free national bus travel at any time of the day) *Off-peak is travel between 9.30am and 11pm weekdays and anytime during the weekend. It was good news but it didn't last long. This is the news about the scheme today: End of the road for free go-anywhere bus pass for the over-60s Are you 60 or over and do you fancy a free trip to the seaside? Grab your coat because this weekend is your last opportunity to take advantage of a benefit that the Government is quietly withdrawing. From next Wednesday - April Fool's Day - bus passes issued to the elderly and disabled will no longer be valid on hundreds of services. A year ago, ministers trumpeted the Government's generosity in giving 11 million people free travel on all local buses and coaches in England. Now pass holders will once again have to pay on coaches, park-and-ride buses, open-top bus tours and any services intended “primarily for tourism”. (link via timesonline.co.uk) Charming! And I bet the offer hasn't been changed in Scotland and Wales! Why is it we always get short-changed in England?! I thought it was bad enough that the offer was limited to off-peak bus travel in England - considering that over 60s in Scotland and Wales already were getting free national bus travel at any time of the day - but now most of the offer for over 60s in England has been withdrawn. I think this is outrageous! I am fed up with this Labour government! Edited to add a link from DirectGov (the website of the UK government for its citizens, providing information and online services for the public all in one place): There hasn't been any mention in the news about the free bus service being withdrawn or changed anywhere else in the UK apart from England so I assume this information from the goverment is still correct: Bus passes and coach travel for over 60s Local bus travel in Wales In Wales, if you're over 60, you're entitled to a free bus pass from your local authority. You can use it at any time of the day and are entitled to travel on all local bus services in Wales. The pass can also be used on some long-distance services. Local bus travel in Scotland In Scotland everyone 60 or over is entitled to free local bus and scheduled long-distance coach services within Scotland at any time of the day, including the morning rush hour. This scheme is run by Transport Scotland and you need to apply for a National Entitlement Card to travel for free.

Should Twitter be taught in primary schools?

The British government is proposing that Twitter, blogging, podcasts and Wikipedia be taught in primary schools (ages 4 to 11)in England: Pupils to study Twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-up Children will no longer have to study the Victorians or the second world war under proposals to overhaul the primary school curriculum, the Guardian has learned. However, the draft plans will require children to master Twitter and Wikipedia and give teachers far more freedom to decide what youngsters should be concentrating on in classes. The proposed curriculum, which would mark the biggest change to primary schooling in a decade, strips away hundreds of specifications about the scientific, geographical and historical knowledge pupils must accumulate before they are 11 to allow schools greater flexibility in what they teach. (link via guardian.co.uk) I'm all for keeping up with technology but not at the expense of learning about history! I hope these proposals will be rejected by the National Union of Teachers. I think a greater flexibility in the curriculum sounds good but I don't understand why it's necessary for young children - ages 4 to 11 - to learn about blogging and Twitter. What do you think about the idea? If you are a teacher, what are your thoughts about the proposals?

Free offer from Legoland for Mother's Day (UK)

Tomorrow (22 March 2009) is Mother's Day also known as Mothering Sunday in the UK. In honour of the day, there is a special offer from Legoland for a mum, female guardian or grandmother. You can get free adult entry to Legoland (usually £36 on the day) when you buy a full priced child ticket (£27). (link via moneysavingexpert.com) Mummies Day - LEGOLAND Windsor - Download voucher I'm not sure how many mothers will be interested in spending "their" day at Legoland but if you are interested, it's a way to save some money.

Mid-Suffolk best place to live in UK

The Halifax Quality of Life Survey has announced that Mid-Suffolk is the best place to live in the UK: For everything from sunshine to traffic levels, Mid Suffolk is top of the British table for quality of country life (link via independent.co.uk) Mid Suffolk sounds very nice but if I could choose anywhere to live in the UK, I would probably pick somewhere in Devon or Cornwall. I adore all the towns and villages in that part of England and I could see myself living in that area quite happily. If you could choose anywhere to live in the UK, where would it be? Or are you happy with where you live now?