Which book was made into a 26 minute animated TV special in 1982, and had David Bowie as the narrator in the US version?

the snowman : definition of the snowman and synonyms of the snowman (English) Language English The Snowman is a children's book without words by English author Raymond Briggs , first published in 1978 by Hamish Hamilton in the U.K., and by Random House in the U.S. that November. In the U.S. it received a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1979. The Snowman was adapted as a 26-minute animated film by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling British public-service Channel 4 . It was first telecast late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. It was nominated for the 1982 Academy Award for Animated Short Film and it has been shown every year, becoming part of British and international popular culture at Christmas . The film story is told through pictures, action and music, scored by Howard Blake . It is wordless like the book, except for the song " Walking in the Air ". In addition to the orchestral score, performed in the film by the Sinfonia of London , Blake composed the music and lyrics of the song, performed by a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty . The film ranks 71 on the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes , a year 2000 list drawn up by the British Film Institute , based on a vote by industry professionals. It was voted number 4 in UKTV Gold 's Greatest TV Christmas Moments. Contents 9 External links   Plot of the film The Snowman is the tale of a boy who builds a snowman one winter's day. That night, at the stroke of twelve, the snowman comes to life. The first part of the story deals with the snowman's attempts to understand the appliances, toys and other bric-a-brac in the boy's house, all while keeping quiet enough not to wake the boy's parents. The two then venture back outside and go for a ride on a motorcycle, disturbing many animals: pheasants, rabbits, a barn owl, a fox and a brown horse. In the second part of the story, the boy and the snowman take flight — the song "Walking in the Air" appears at this point. They fly over the boy's town, over houses and large public buildings before flying past the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and West Pier and then out into the ocean. They continue through an arctic landscape and fly past many sights and animals such as penguins . Flying into the aurora they reach their destination. The two wander hand-in-hand into a snow-covered forest and attend a snowmen's party, at which the boy is the only human. They meet Father Christmas and his reindeer, and the boy is given a scarf with a snowman pattern. The story ends after the return journey. However, the sun has come out the next morning and the boy wakes up to find the snowman has melted. The boy begins to wonder if the night's events were all a dream, but he discovers that he still has the snowman scarf given to him by Father Christmas. Realising the night's events were real, as the credits play, the boy mourns the loss of his friend.   Plot of the book Pages 30 pp The original book has a slightly different plot. While the first half of the story remains the same, the boy and the snowman do not visit Father Christmas. In fact, all of the Christmas elements of the film were not present in the story. Notably, the boy's family does not have a Christmas tree in the house. After the snowman comes to life, they proceed to explore the boy's house. After they see the family car and play with the lights, the boy prepares a feast that the two eat by candlelight. Here the snowman takes the boy outside again, and they begin to fly. Once the boy and the snowman take flight, they only fly as far as the pier seen in the film. They stop there and wait for the sunrise. They hurry back, as the sun is rising, and the boy hurries inside again, like the film. The finale does not show James finding the scarf in his pocket, as they never made the trip to Father Christmas, but he finds the snowman melted in the same fashion.   Alternative beginnings After the initial showing on Channel 4, and in its initial showings on U.S. television, an alternative introduction was sometimes used. Instead of Raymond Briggs describing how much it had


Which 1983 film starring Glen Close, Jeff Goldbloom, Kevin Kline and Tom Berenger was nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Picture?

The Big Chill (1983) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina winter house after the funeral of one of their friends. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 27 titles created 19 Feb 2012 a list of 26 titles created 28 Aug 2012 a list of 25 titles created 23 Jul 2014 a list of 36 titles created 13 Nov 2015 a list of 25 titles created 13 Dec 2015 Title: The Big Chill (1983) 7.2/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for     3     Oscars. Another    3 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards  » Videos An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles. Director: Lawrence Kasdan In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman convinces her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband. Director: Lawrence Kasdan Grand Canyon revolved around six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern-day Los Angeles. At the center of the film is the unlikely friendship of two men from ... See full summary  » Director: Lawrence Kasdan Take two rival TV reporters: one handsome, one talented, both male. Add one producer, female. Mix well and watch the sparks fly. Director: James L. Brooks Edit Storyline A seminal Thirty-Something movie in which a group of old college friends who are now all grown up and hardened by the big wide world come together for the funeral of Alex, a barely glimpsed corpse, who was at one time the brightest and the best of them, and yet who never managed to achieve half as much as any of the others. The friends use the occasion to reacquaint themselves with each other and to speculate as to what happened to their idealism which had been abundant when they were younger. Written by Mark Thompson <mrt@oasis.icl.co.uk> In a cold world, you need your friends to keep you warm! See more  » Genres: 30 September 1983 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: $56,968        (USA) (6 November 1998) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider . See more » Goofs The fog completely disappears after Harold's brief close-up shot when he and Nick are jogging through town. See more » Quotes Nick : [in a high-pitched voice] Hey. everyone, it's J.T. Lancer! Let's all go watch this incredible show! [everyone runs into the living room] Karen : Come on, Sam. Ok, I've seen it at last. Now what? 31 October 2001 | by (nts78rpm@hotmail.com) (Florida) – See all my reviews When I said I had never seen this film, people gasped and told me they couldn't belive it. They said it was a ground-breaking film, a cinematic landmark etc etc. Worth seeing for the soundtrack alone. So I rented it and watched it. What I saw was a group of unpleasant, self-obsessed, angst-ridden yuppies whom I liked not at all and cared about even less. We get a little light-relief once or twice with the Tom Beringer character but apart from that we are expected to spend a weekend with these people as they mull over the fact that one of the college friends has killed himself. A little sex thrown in for variety and Glenn Close chooses to have her hissy-fit in the shower so while we watch her acting we can also see her breasts. The piece ends suddenly, with little changed, nothing concluded and the audience thinking "So what?" We never find out why Alex killed himself but my theory is he realized that these people were the best he could do for friends so he threw in the towel. As for the soundtrack, a selection of fifteen or so different numbers of roughly the same period, well K-Tel have been doing that sort of thing for years. No need to put yourself through a movie like this to hear


A famous guitarist, or an young attendant upon a person of rank?

Top 10 Greatest Guitar Players (Famous Guitarists) - Toptenz.net Toptenz.net Posted by Shell Harris on September 14, 2008 in Music , People | 135,814 Views | 559 Responses From guitar faces to the different kinds of axes, here is the Top 10 Greatest Guitar Players. Squeezing the talent that’s blessed our ears for all these years into a list of 10 is just as difficult as choosing which limbs to lose or keep. The list is by no means definitive, but it’s an accurate representation for the uniqueness of the music the guitarist has made. In short, these famous guitar players have played the melodies that have made grown men cry, and probably gave you a taste of how your guitar face would look like pretending to play that solo. Of course many great guitarists may not have made this top 10 list, but feel free to add your own favorites in the comments. 10. Tom Morello The guitar player who makes his guitar sound anything but a guitar. Helicopter rudders, disc scratching, and his use of the kill switch for staccato like guitar riffs has made him probably the most innovative guitar player of our time. He is a guitarist who can take feedback, and ground hum from his own body into coherent music. Be it Rage Against The Machine , or Audioslave you can always see Morello’s signature licks shining through. 9. John Mayer Whoa whoa wait, what? This pop artist? A guitar player? If all you’ve ever heard from Mayer is Your Body Is Wonderland, or Daughters, then you’ve got to give his album Continuum a listen to. He is no Shakespeare , but his guitar playing speaks to your soul. His songs will make most glorified tough guys miss their old girlfriend, and the rest just go to a corner and cry. If you think that his songs are all too depressing, then watch some videos of him playing. His guitar face is priceless. 8. Jack White   Mr. White is an incredibly underrated guitarist. His singles (From the White Stripes) always span with just three to four chords and his simplistic blues rhythm and picking styles have him overlooked most of the time. However, his masterful use of the Digitech Whammy and is erratic playing make for some of the most memorable guitar solos ever. Check out Ball and a Biscuit and try not to like that solo. One of my favorite Jack White moments was during the 2004 Grammys , where he took 7 Nation Army and went into a cover of Son House’s Death Letter (another artist who I had to unwillingly cut out of the list). In an awards show celebrating Justin Timberlake and Missy Eliot, Jack White took time to give a salute to where things got started, to an artist born a century ago. 7. Jimmy Page Admit it. You’ve slow danced to Stairway To Heaven before. Page’s playing have influenced so many guitar players of today, and Led Zeppelin revolutionized Rock and Roll blending acoustic guitars, banjos , and mandolins while still staying with the same gritty rock image. His guitar riffs are forever etched into Rock and Roll’s hall of fame. How influential was he? Step into a guitar store, and you’ll see. Thousands of 12 year old kids across the globe are playing the intro to Stairway. Now that’s how you know you’ve made it. 6. BB King Yeah. He may have to sit down when he plays, but he’ll have you on your feet when he does. BB’s creamy yet piercing tone, his unique vibrato and his absolute flawless ability to express his emotions through the guitar earn him a spot in the top ten. King’s years of fame haven’t gone to his head. He is still as humble as ever giving front row seat tickets to fans waiting in a cold parking lot just to have a glimpse of him. BB King can’t play chords. Nor does he sing and play at the same time. But he has worldwide recognition of his accomplishments as an artist. That’s a mark of a truly great guitarist. 5. David Gilmour Gilmour was made famous by his haunting guitar scores in Pink Floyd. This “replacement” guitarist surpassed expectations and helped shape Pink Floyd’s unique sound. You can always expect hairs at the back of your neck to stand whenever you hear one of his solos – be it for the first or hundredth


Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours, or a craftsman who produced wooden chests?

Theweekend 01nov2013 by Weekend-BristolPost - issuu If you keep your eyes open Treasure hunt ������ �� ��� ����� ��� ��������� ������ �� ��� ������ ��� ������ ��� ���� ��� ������ �� ������� Iy{ Xhnl =8 If you want a good read \lytz huk jvukp{pvuzB \ol ~puuly ~pss il {ol mpyz{ uhtl wpjrlk h{ yhukvt myvt hss lspnpisl lu{yplz6 Iss lu{yhu{z t|z{ il v}ly 9@ lhyz vsk6 Xov{vnyhwopj QL ~pss il ylx|pylk6 Xypl t|z{ il {hrlu i 9=79:7:89;6 Xyplz h{ kpzjyl{pvu vm ihy thuhnly6 Zl}vs|{pvu lujv|yhnlz v| {v kypur ylzwvuzpis6 \ol wyvtv{lyz hyl Zl}vs|{pvu Kols{luoht6 MLQ\WZQITB ���� ������ ���� ��� ����� ��������������������� IL^MZ\Q[QVOB ���� ���������� ���� ��� ����� ������������������������� TMINTM\ QV[MZ\[B ����� ������� ���� ��� ����� ����������������������� ������� �� ����� ������� �� ��������� ������ �������� 2 Brakes ����� ������ ����� ����� ���� ��������� ����������� ����� �� ��� ������� U|zpjB Xhnl ;8 ���� ������� �������� �� ���� 3 SHOPPING CARVING A NEW NICHE Independent of the week Simon Bennett tells Natalie Banyard how he saw a gap in the market for high quality furniture W hether your style is traditional, modern, quirky or classic, Bristol’s Green Woods Furniture offers stunning, quality wood furniture that you won’t be able to resist. Not only that, the Redland retailer’s furniture, beds and organic mattresses are all sustainably sourced, hand-crafted in the UK by skilled carpenters and can be made-to-measure. The impressive independent shop was launched in 2007 by Simon Bennett, who saw a gap in the market while working for other furniture stores in Bristol. Simon tells me: “The furniture would come in from an agent and it had all been flown in from Indonesia or China. “Customers would ask questions about the background of the wood and half the time the agent didn’t even know what sort of wood it was, let alone whether it was ethical. “The furniture also came in set sizes, which was restricting. In the UK we have little alcoves and unusually shaped fireplaces. They don’t have that abroad, so they don’t cater for it. “With all that in mind, I decided to open a shop that offered ethically sourced wood 4 furniture, crafted in the UK, often within 100 miles of the Bristol shop, at bespoke, made-to-measure sizes.” The formula has proved to be a winner, outgrowing its previous premises in nearby Hampton Road a year ago and taking up residence in its spacious corner property on Redland’s Coldharbour Road. “I had my eye on this shop for a while, but thought it would be out of my price range to be honest with you,” Simon smiles, “but then it became available, I discovered we could afford it, and here we are. “It’s a great sized shop with a basement, in a lovely area, surrounded by a nice community of unusual, independent shops. It’s perfect.” Although it can only keep a fraction of its extensive range on the premises, items on display allow customers to get a feel for the quality of the workmanship and the materials used. There’s a selection of beds in store, including the superbly crafted Plank Gate bed, constructed from sustainably sourced Quebec pine, and the attractive solid Hinton bed with its sloping headboard, made by a Bristol-based carpenter. There’s a number of coffee tables made from various woods and in a range of designs from the one-off, characterful, waney Nyvt Nypkh4 Vv}ltily 94 :89; edge elm table, which would provide a stunning centrepiece to any room, to the more standard oak coffee table, available as a single or as a nest. There are enormous cabinets, dressers and dining tables as well as the smaller mirrors, turned bowls and pretty trinket boxes. Green Woods’ full product range can be viewed on their website or in the catalogues in the shop. If you don’t see exactly what you want, just ask. Everything can be made to the shape and size you require, plus Green Woods can cater for completely bespoke designs. Simon explains: “We can do anything from giving a piece of furniture in the shop a little tweak to help it fit a customer’s space, to designing a completely unique piece of furniture. “Recently, we d


This character lived at 11 Coronation Street, and is also the name of a leather maker?

"Coronation Street" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes Overview 23 out of 24 people found the following review useful: Corrie on regardless from York 30 November 2000 TV is a fickle business and never more so than in one of its dramatic mainstays - the humble soap. Getting the balance between comedy and drama can be a tricky affair, not to mention having (and keeping) a cast of likeable characters who make you want to tune in for more week after week. While Eldorado and Albion Market failed to capture the imagination of the nation, there are others that manage to shrug off the birth pangs, cope with a difficult adolesence and settle down while seizing the heart of the nation. In case you didn't know it, Corrie is 40 this year and as one of the world's longest running soaps it has earned its place in the record books. It began not with a bang but with a whimper. The opening scenes are still etched in the mind of creator Tony Warren, who developed the show while still a mere slip of a lad. Mrs Lappin slipped a coin into a bubblegum machine outside her corner shop, and Ena Sharples, scowling like a bulldog beneath THAT hairnet, demanded: "Are those fancies today's? I'll take half a dozen - and no eclairs. NO eclairs." Lest we forget, the show gave rise to some of the best actors and writers in the business, including Joanna Lumley, Ben Kingsley and The Royle Family's much loved mate, Twiggy (Geoffrey Hughes). Scriptwriters like Jack Rosenthal (Yentl, London's Burning) and Frank Cottrell Boyce (Jude, Hillary and Jackie) gave us dialogue and scenes that went above and beyond the realms of most shows while it enlivened many a dull night's TV by its very presence alone. Over the years, we have relished the clashes between Ena (Violet Carson) and Elsie (Pat Phoenix), thrown soft furnishings at the TV while dithery Derek (Peter Baldwin) and Mavis (Thelma Barlow) tested the patience of saints and wept buckets as Judy Mallett (Gaynor Faye), Des Barnes (Phil Middlemiss) and most of Ken Barlow's (William Roache) wives became another statistic in the suspiciously high list of Weatherfield residents who met their maker far too early. This year has been as unmissable as any in its four decade history with the Tony Horrocks murder and the 'Martn' (Sean Wilson) and Rebecca (Jill Halfpenny) affair coming to a head, not to mention Jez (the excellent Lee Boardman) and Alison (Naomi Radcliffe) reaching a sticky end as polar opposite characters both cut short by some brutal scripting. The Street has become so ingrained in people's hearts that, over the years, many have lost sight of that thin line between fact and fiction. When Elsie Tanner was lying unidentified in a London hospital after being knocked down by a taxi, viewers wrote to her husband to tell him where she was. Dozens of women took up their knitting needles to make dustman Eddie Yates a new woolly hat when his own was shredded in the washing machine, and when Ena lost her post as secretary of the Glad Tidings mission, the job offers flooded in. People have even tried to book Christmas parties at the Rovers Return and rent the houses which become vacant in Britain's most celebrated terraced street. Former producer Bill Podmore once said: 'All over the country, old terraces like Coronation Street are disappearing, but a change in the Street could destroy the roots of the programme, because the architecture is as much a part of its character as the people.' But it was regular script writer Harry Kershaw who summed up it's enduring popularity and extraordinary success both at home and abroad. 'Coronation Street is about life,' he said, 'and life has its universal situations, its problems and laughter; therefore it has an international appeal.' We have laughed, cried and run screaming by the sight of hamster-faced Gail (Helen Worth) and the haircut from Hell, poodle-haired Liz (Beverley Callard) dressing like a woman half her age and Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) working his way through the Street's female resident


Which British mathematician created a basic computer in 1835?

Ada Lovelace | British mathematician | Britannica.com British mathematician Alternative Titles: Ada King, countess of Lovelace, Augusta Ada Byron, Lady Byron Ada Lovelace Augusta Ada Byron, Lady Byron born London or Piccadilly Terrace, England died Charles Babbage Ada Lovelace, in full Ada King, countess of Lovelace, original name Augusta Ada Byron, Lady Byron (born December 10, 1815, Piccadilly Terrace, Middlesex [now in London], England —died November 27, 1852, Marylebone , London ), English mathematician, an associate of Charles Babbage , for whose prototype of a digital computer she created a program. She has been called the first computer programmer . She was the daughter of famed poet Lord Byron and Annabella Milbanke Byron, who legally separated two months after her birth. Her father then left Britain forever, and his daughter never knew him personally. She was educated privately by tutors and then self-educated but was helped in her advanced studies by mathematician-logician Augustus De Morgan , the first professor of mathematics at the University of London. On July 8, 1835, she married William King , 8th Baron King, and, when he was created an earl in 1838, she became countess of Lovelace. She became interested in Babbage’s machines as early as 1833 and, most notably, in 1843 came to translate and annotate an article written by the Italian mathematician and engineer Luigi Federico Menabrea, “ Notions sur la machine analytique de Charles Babbage ” (1842; “ Elements of Charles Babbage’s Analytical Machine ”). Her detailed and elaborate annotations (especially her description of how the proposed Analytical Engine could be programmed to compute Bernoulli numbers) were excellent; “the Analytical Engine,” she said, “weaves algebraic patterns, just as the Jacquard-loom weaves flowers and leaves.” Babbage only built a small part of the Analytical Engine, but Lovelace’s efforts have been remembered. The early programming language Ada was named for her, and the second Tuesday in October has become Ada Lovelace Day, on which the contributions of women to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are honoured. Learn More in these related articles:


Selenologist - definition of selenologist by The Free Dictionary Selenologist - definition of selenologist by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/selenologist Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia . sel·e·nol·o·gy  (sĕl′ə-nŏl′ə-jē) The astronomical study of the moon. sel′e·no·log′i·cal (-nə-lŏj′ĭ-kəl) adj. sel′e·nol′o·gist n. selenology (Astronomy) the branch of astronomy concerned with the moon, its physical characteristics, nature, origin, etc selenological adj sel•e•nol•o•gy (ˌsɛl əˈnɒl ə dʒi) n. the branch of astronomy that deals with the nature and origin of the physical features of the moon. [1815–25] se•le•no•log•i•cal (səˌlin lˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl) adj. sel`e•nol′o•gist, n. selenology The astronomical study of the moon. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: 1. selenology - the branch of astronomy that deals with the moon astronomy , uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Copyright © 2003-2017 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.


Which is the oldest theatre in current use in London?

Where’s London’s oldest…(still-in-use) theatre? | Exploring London A blog about London and its history… Where’s London’s oldest…(still-in-use) theatre? July 11, 2011 While the remains of some of London’s oldest purpose-built theatres – such as The Rose and The Globe – can be found in once notorious Southwark, London’s oldest, still-in-use theatre is in fact in the West End. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane (not to be confused with the Theatre Royal Haymarket) apparently takes the honor – the latest incarnation of a theatre which has still on the same location since 1663. First built on the orders of Restoration-era dramatist and theatre manager Thomas Killigrew, the original theatre on the site – where King Charles II’s mistress Nell Gwynn apparently trod the boards and which was originally known as the Theatre Royal in Bridges Street – was burnt down in 1672 only to be rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren two years later. This building lasted for more than a century before it too was demolished – this time to make way for a larger theatre which opened its doors in 1794. Fire seems to have been a perennial problem, for it too burned down in 1809, being rebuilt and opened again in 1812 with a performance of Hamlet (the current building, designed by BenjaminWyatt). Now owned by star composer Andrew Lloyd Webber via his Really Useful Group, the building has associations with some of London’s theatreland’s finest names – everyone from eighteenth century actor David Garrick (one of the theatre’s managers) to early nineteenth century child actress Clara Fisher and, in more recent times, Monty Python. Currently hosting Shrek: The Musical, other recent productions there have included Miss Saigon and a musical adaption of Lord of the Rings. Share this:


1. What is made using soda, lime and silica? - Jade Wright - Liverpool Echo 1. What is made using soda, lime and silica? 2. What type of material is produced in a ginnery?  Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email 2. What type of material is produced in a ginnery? 3. Who has written a series of letters entitled `Dear Fatty` in the form of an autobiography? 4. Who did Ted Turner, the media tycoon, marry in 1991? 5. What is the common name for epistaxis? 6. Who played Jane opposite Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan in 1932? 7. Which three letters did SOS as a Morse mayday signal? 8. Who created Wikipedia on the World Wide Web? 9. What was the breed of Columbo’s dog? 10. Which song contains the line “Spare him his life from this monstrosity”? 1. Glass; 2. Cotton; 3. Dawn French; 4. Jane Fonda; 5. Nose bleed; 6. Maureen O`Sullivan in Tarzan The Ape Man; 7. CQD - CQ was a general call to all ships and D signalled Distress; 8. Jimmy Wales; 9. Basset hound; 10. Bohemian Rhapsody Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent


Which English Queen had 17 children and outlived all of them?

Queen Anne – 18 Pregnancies, No Living Children – the stars apart kate November 12, 2012 Thats terrible… I think at the back of my mind, where the facts I learnt at GCSE history live, I did know about this. One bit that strikes me is that at the start of 1687 she had a miscarriage and then lost both surviving children to small pox within a month! It is totally tragic but I bet this kind of thing happens today in developing countries. I spent some time working as a teacher in rural Kenya and there was a clinic in the same compound as the school (it was a convent community centre type place) Anyway in the month I was there we had several people bring in babies dying of tummy bugs that would be so quickly treated in the U.K and if you were premature then that was it, no NICU. Also, no proper operating theatre so if the baby was in distress there were no ceaserians, you just had to wait and see unless you had money and transport to go several hours in to the city to the big hospital- which most people didn’t. At least my boys, at 24 weeks +3 stood a chance here and were well cared for. they certainly wouldn’t there or indeed in the 1600s! Natasha Papousek November 12, 2012 Oh. Oh, how awful! How tragic! How did she manage to keep going? I can’t even imagine. I’ve had my own miscarriages (one in England when we lived there in 1994), and I eventually just stopped getting pregnant because I couldn’t deal with losing them all. What depth of tragedy for the women of earlier times. marwil November 13, 2012 What a terrible way to live back then, really horrific to lose so many babies. I can’t imagine how she could go on trying, how much heartbreak can one person hold I wonder. November 13, 2012 Wow. I can’t even imagine what her life must’ve been like losing that many children. Missymaise November 14, 2012 Wow that is incredibly sad – and to think she was one of the priviledged people what happened to the poor?! I heard a programme on the radio a while ago about a figure from history (I don’t recall who) Who had had 9 pregnancies and only 1 surviving child. In so many ways I’m so grateful to be alive now and have the health care that I do, knowing that my stillbirth was due to a placenta problem and that they will induce me early to try and prevent it happening again, along with loads of scans, aspirin and monitoring cord blood flow. I guess there are still places in the world where this could happen. It reminds me to count my blessings even after stillbirth. Thanks Fiona Caroline November 15, 2012 oh how awful. Given the time, the lack of support for such a horrible thing and how she was just expected to, and did, continue to try and produce a living heir to the throne – all the while probably not being allowed to publicly grieve for any of those babies. Just awful. So heartbreaking. Nick May 2, 2013 A particularly dreadful feature is that the one child who did survive infancy died at the age of eleven – William, Duke of Gloucester. It may reveal something about the other tragic deaths that poor William’s life was beset by illness – fevers, fits and water on the brain. Of course, he was so precious to the Stuart lineage that every quack remedy available was administered, making his short life all the more miserable. However, from a medical point of view it is worth pointing out that Anne’s sister Mary married her first cousin William (becoming William and Mary in the Glorious Revolution) and the two failed to produce any children – inter-breeding was a feature of European royalty with fairly tragic results at times. Anne married a relative – although a little more distant – in George of Denmark … perhaps no co-incidence that they produced so many frail offspring. Astonishingly, Anne did her duty and ascended to the throne on the death of her brother-in-law even though she was destroyed physically by her preganacies. Legend has it that she became so inactive she gorged herself half to death and had to be buried in a square coffin. Terribly sad – she was bitterly unhappy but felt unable to side-step her royal duty to produc


Which Carry-On actor starred in Bless This House?

Sidney James - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS Actor | Soundtrack The star of the Carry On series of films, Sid James originally came to prominence as sidekick to the ground breaking British comedy actor Tony Hancock, on both radio and then television. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa and named Solomon Joel Cohen, James arrived in England in 1946, second wife in tow, having served with the South African Army ... See full bio » Born:


What is the name for small round pieces of lamb, or chocolates with hazelnuts?

Noisette | Define Noisette at Dictionary.com noisette [nwah-zet; French nwa-zet] /nwɑˈzɛt; French nwaˈzɛt/ Spell [nwah-zets; French nwa-zet] /nwɑˈzɛts; French nwaˈzɛt/ (Show IPA) 1. a loin, fillet, or other lean section of meat: an entrée of lamb noisettes. Origin of noisette Latin 1890-1895 1890-95; < French: a round, rather thick slice of fillet or loin of lamb or mutton, diminutive of noix choice part of a cut of meat, literally, nut, kernel < Latin nucem, accusative of nux; see -ette Dictionary.com Unabridged


Mr. Men (TV Series 1974– ) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The Mr Men are a whole host of brightly colored characters that live in Misterland. All of them have names like Mr Happy, Mr Clumsy and Mr Greedy and their appearance and personality match their name. Narrated by Arthur Lowe. Creator: "No Small Parts" IMDb Exclusive: 'Edge of Seventeen' Star Hailee Steinfeld Hailee Steinfeld has received critical acclaim for her role in the coming-of-age comedy The Edge of Seventeen . What other roles has she played over the years? Don't miss our live coverage of the Golden Globes beginning at 4 p.m. PST on Jan. 8 in our Golden Globes section. a list of 294 titles created 04 Nov 2012 a list of 2739 titles created 23 Aug 2013 a list of 72 titles created 27 Feb 2014 a list of 79 titles created 22 Jul 2014 a list of 699 titles created 09 Aug 2014 Search for " Mr. Men " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Button Moon (TV Series 1980) Family Mr Spoon and his family live on Junk Planet. He travels in his baked bean tin spaceship across blanket sky to Button Moon. There he meets many strange characters and watches stories unfold on other planets using his telescope. Stars: Robin Parkinson The Wombles (TV Series 1973) Animation | Family The misadventures of a fantasy folk community dedicated to cleaning up litter and put it to their own use. Stars: Bernard Cribbins, Dieter Hallervorden The life of the Mr Men and little Misses presented in short skits. Stars: Alicyn Packard, Joey D'Auria, Paul Greenberg Children's puppet programme featuring music and stories. Stars: Geoffrey Hayes, Roy Skelton, Stanley Bates     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.5/10 X   A team of 6 contestants play a series of physical, mental, skill and mystery games across 4 themed zones gaining as many crystals as possible which determine how many seconds they get as they attempt to win a prize inside the Crystal Dome. Stars: Richard O'Brien, Edward Tudor-Pole, Sandra Caron Dungeons and Dragons-style show that lets contestants explore a computer-generated fantasy world, with wicked special effects and cunning puzzles. Stars: Hugo Myatt, David Learner, John Woodnutt The adventures of Spot, a little yellow puppy and his family and friends. Stars: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Paul Nicholas, Peter Hawkins A man runs a shop in Manchester with fun, mischievous puppets Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Little Cousin Scampi. Stars: Matthew Corbett, Brenda Longman, John Bird In a toy factory, after being made, a teddy bear is put in a storeroom after being deposed. The teddy bear is found by a cosmic being from outer space known as Spotty Man, and Spotty Man ... See full summary  » Stars: Derek Griffiths, Peter Hawkins, Jon Pertwee Popular British children's animation series, repeated almost constantly since 1971. Mr Benn is the ordinary, bowler-hatted office worker who lives in the ordinary suburban street of Festive... See full summary  » Stars: Ray Brooks The Trap Door (TV Series 1984) Animation | Adventure | Comedy 3D plasticine animation, featuring Berk, a blue creature who lives as servant to the unseen 'Thing Upstairs' in an old dark house. Every time the trap door opens a new adventure begins for ... See full summary  » Stars: William Rushton


Mick Robertson and Jenny Handley presented which Children's TV Programme?

Three for joy: Reunion of Magpie presenters after 29 years apart | Daily Mail Online Three for joy: Reunion of Magpie presenters after 29 years apart For a generation of children in the 1970s, they were the cooler, trendier alternative to the BBC’s conservative Blue Peter. Inevitably, these days the jawlines are slacker and the hair less luxuriant. But the years rolled away when the three main presenters of ITV children’s classic Magpie were reunited. Like old times: The presenters of 1970s Magpie - the Blue Peter rival - meet up again Jenny Hanley, Mick Robertson and Douglas Rae fronted the teatime programme together for three years, pulling in audiences of as much as 10million. They have remained in occasional contact but all three of them got together for the first time since 1980 at a fete in the Surrey village where Rae lives. Miss Hanley, now 61, was asked to open the fete and decided to organise the reunion by contacting Robertson, who grew up in the next village. Prime: Rae (left), Robertson and Hanley The trio greeted each other with hugs before spending the afternoon chatting about old times. Miss Hanley said: ‘It is so lovely to see the guys again – as if we last saw each other only yesterday. We worked together for three and a half years and got on so well together back then, and clearly still do now.’ Robertson, 65, said: ‘It is great to see Jenny and Douglas again – we used to really look out for each other.’ Magpie was first broadcast in 1968 and was initially presented by Susan Stranks, Tony Bastable and former Radio 1 DJ Pete Brady. The show’s mascot was a fat magpie named Murgatroyd. It had rock-based theme music which used the old rhyme about the bird ‘One for sorrow, two for joy’. Bastable and Brady left Magpie in 1972 and were replaced by Rae and Robertson. Miss Stranks left in 1974 after which Miss Hanley joined. The only other change came when Tommy Boyd took over from Rae in 1977. All the presenters were invited back for the last episode in 1980. In her heyday, Miss Hanley’s angelic blue-eyed, blonde look won her a legion of fans, while Robertson looked a bit like a pop star. Their image was in contrast to Blue Peter rivals such as John Noakes and Peter Purves. There was tremendous rivalry between the shows with many children branding the BBC’s show as too ‘goody two shoes’ and ‘worthy’. Magpie concentrated more on pop music, fashion and fun than its public service rival, but still ran charity campaigns and offered viewers badges for good work. But Rae, 61, who is now a film and television producer, revealed that the rivalry was sometimes friendly, describing how he had a brief fling with Blue Peter star Lesley Judd. They kept the relationship secret for fear of causing controversy. ‘Lesley was very pretty and, when I met her at a charity function I asked her out for dinner,’ he said. ‘She accepted and we had a bit of a fling. That was the most daring thing I could have done then.’


In Sex in the City, what was Carrie's last name?

HBO: Sex and the City: Homepage Sex and the City Watch Sex and the City NOW & GOAvailable HBO NOW Spend a Girls Night in: Sex and the City Is Streaming NOW Are you Team Aiden or Team Mr. Big? Ponder life's big questions with Carrie Bradshaw. Every episode of Sex and the City is available on HBO NOW. Start your free trial today. Watch Sex and the City NOW & GOAvailable Watch Sex and the City NOW & GOAvailable All availability Full HBO Schedule ways to watch HBO HBO is home to the most talked about programs on television - from groundbreaking series, films, documentaries and sports to the biggest blockbuster movies available anywhere. And it's never been easier to watch HBO programs - when you want, where you want. Order HBO from your service provider.


What was Coronation Street originally to be called?

Coronation Street | Television New Zealand | Entertainment | TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2   In the beginning… Coronation Street began at 7pm on Friday 9 December 1960. The first episode was transmitted live. Nearly 8000 episodes later Coronation Street continues to be a ratings success, captivating audiences worldwide. A young scriptwriter called Tony Warren created the series, originally titled Florizel Street. The first episode was penned within 24 hours, 13 episodes were commissioned and the face of British television was set to change forever. Broadcast facts Viewers were given their first glimpse of Coronation Street in full colour when the first colour episode was transmitted on 3rd November 1969. A live episode was broadcast to mark the series' 40th anniversary in December 2000 - the first time the show had been broadcast live since 1960 and 1961. Another live episode aired to mark the 50th anniversary in 2010. The 1000th episode was transmitted on 24th August 1970. Famous fans include: Anthony Hopkins; Michael Parkinson; Julie Walters; Cliff Richard; Victoria Wood; Cilla Black; Cheryl Cole; Snoop Dogg. A number of famous faces have paid visits to the set including: Diana Dors; Dustin Hoffman; Alfred Hitchcock; Howard Keel; Boy George; Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair; Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. On 8 August 1979, the programme was taken off air as part of an ITV strike. It returned to the screen on 24 October. The series originally aired twice a week. A third weekly episode was introduced in 1989, and a fourth in 1996. Coronation Street has broadcast five times a week since 2002. The production team has travelled abroad to film at foreign locations on seven occasions: Majorca (1974); Torremolinos (1987); Normandy (1994); Amsterdam (1998); Paris (2000 and 2006); Malta (2007). There have been five spin-off video/DVD releases: The Feature Length QE2 Special (1995); Viva Las Vegas (1997); Out of Africa (2008); Romanian Holiday (2009); A Knight's Tale (2010). A six-part series ('After Hours') set in Brighton, featuring the returns of Bet Gilroy and Reg Holdsworth, aired in November 1999. Cast facts William Tarmey and Elizabeth Dawn both appeared as background artists for several years before making their debuts as Jack and Vera Duckworth. Rita ( played by Barbara Knox ) first appeared on screen on 2 December 1964. Famous faces who have walked on the Weatherfield cobbles include: Joanna Lumley; Ben Kingsley; Ian McKellen; Stephanie Beacham; Patricia Routledge; Patrick Stewart; Martin Shaw; June Whitfield; Anna Friel; Nigel Havers. Celebrities who have appeared as background artists on the show include: Cliff Richard; Mel B; Peter Schmeichel. Roy Barraclough played three different characters during the 1960s, before first appearing as Alec Gilroy on 26 June 1972. After 13 years, Patricia Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) left the programme on 8 October 1973. She returned in 1976 and remained for 8 more years, appearing in 1641 episodes. Mike Baldwin made his first appearance on 11 October 1976 and bowed out 30 years later on 7 April 2006 after 2383 episodes. He remains one of the 10 longest-serving cast members in the show's 53 year history. Doris Speed was awarded an MBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 29 November 1977. Violet Carson made her last appearance as Ena Sharples after 1150 episodes on 4 April 1980. Jean Alexander made her last appearance as Hilda Ogden on 25 December 1987 - an episode watched by 26 million people. In 1988, she became the first soap opera performer to be nominated for a BAFTA award. HRH The Prince of Wales made a pre-recorded cameo appearance in the 40th anniversary live episode on 8th December 2000. In HM Queen Elizabeth II's 2010 birthday honours, Barbara Knox and Eileen Derbyshire were awarded MBEs. Corrie firsts First birth: Elsie Tanner's grandson Paul Cheveski on 12 June 1961. First marriage: Jack and Annie Walker's daughter Joan to Gordon Davies on 8 March 1961. First death: The first death was the original resident of No.13, May Hardman, in Episode 7 on 31 December 1960


Who starred alongside Polly James in the first series of The Liver Birds?

BBC - Comedy - The Liver Birds The Liver Birds The Liver Birds The Liver Birds began life as a Comedy Playhouse pilot. Created by friends Carla Lane and Myra Taylor (who'd met at a writers' workshop), the show - their first contribution to television - was very much based on their own lives in Liverpool. With the BBC keen to develop the production into a series, the duo were assigned experienced writer Len Schwarz as a mentor during the early years, with Eric Idle on script-editing duties. The first series followed the exploits of Dawn and Beryl sharing a flat on Liverpool's Huskisson Street. With women beginning to enjoy new freedoms at the start of the 1970s, the show followed the friends as they hit the dating scene, partied and generally tried to improve their lot in life. After the first run, Pauline Collins left, to be replaced by Nerys Hughes as Sandra. It was here The Liver Birds' golden era dawned - the newcomer proving to be a refined foil to the outgoing Beryl. More change followed at the end of series four. With Polly James now deciding to move on, Beryl was married off, and in came scatty Carol. She brought with her an extended family - the Boswells. Clearly the inspiration for Lane's 1980s series Bread, this incarnation of the clan included rabbit-loving brother Lucien and God-fearing parents. The series came to a conclusion 1979, but that wasn't the end of the story. In 1996, The Liver Birds return for a seven-part, continuity-mangling reprise.  Set 20 years on, the show's golden pairing of Sandra and Beryl were back together again, contemplating life after divorce. Lucien was now Beryl's sibling, while Carmel McSharry played her mother, Mrs Hennessy. Cast


What was the name of the character played by Frances de la Tour in Rising Damp?

Frances de la Tour interview: From Shakespeare to Rising Damp, the actress has lit up stage and TV for 50 years - and found new fans in Vicious | The Independent Profiles Frances de la Tour interview: From Shakespeare to Rising Damp, the actress has lit up stage and TV for 50 years - and found new fans in Vicious Back in the 1970s, the TV sitcom ‘Rising Damp’ brought Frances de la Tour such recognition that she could be forgiven if she’d never been able to move on. But at 70, she continues to flourish - and to beguile Friday 22 May 2015 17:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online De la Tour's major strength is to radiate a slightly weary, seen-it-all romanticism Kalpesh Lathigra It takes approximately 90 seconds to register that Frances de la Tour is a shocking flirt. As she perches beside me on the sofa in the first-floor bar of the Ivy Club in Soho, her eyes lock on to mine, her expressive mouth widens into a cheerfully on-for-it grin and, as I babble through a chaotic question about her recent adventures, she cuts straight across it and says, fingering the sleeve of my suit: "This is a nice piece of schmatter – is it linen or cotton?" This year, in which she turns 71, she celebrates 50 years of stage acting at the highest level – at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and in London's West End. She has played classic roles from Chekhov, Webster, Shaw, Albee and Eugene O'Neill as well as the Bard, while descending, from time to time, to the less rarefied level of television comedy. Her major strength is to radiate a slightly weary, seen-it-all romanticism, expressing a perfect balance of disappointment and optimism via that uniquely rich contralto voice. She's equally at home playing tragedy or comedy – you could say that she had a head start, given that she possesses both the most melancholy eyes and the most dazzling smile in British theatre. In the public consciousness, she is stuck fast in the 1970s with her role in Rising Damp as Miss Ruth Jones, the poodle-haired and breathless object of Leonard Rossiter's urgent desire and seedy gallantry. Their double-act entered the collective cultural memory and stayed there, a fact that does not please De la Tour. "It's the tombstone thing, isn't it?" she says. "I just know that, when I die, the papers will say, 'Rising Damp Woman Kicks the Bucket'." To be fair, I say, the 1980 movie version won you Best Actress at the Evening Standard Film Awards. "Oh yes," she says, with a bitter laugh. "I remember. The Standard people got in touch and said, 'You're up for Best Actress in the Film Awards.' I said, 'But I haven't made a film this year.' They said, 'It's for Rising Damp.' I said, 'Oh, that.' It made me laugh so much."   Thirty-five years later, she's playing a different quality of sex object in another TV sitcom, Vicious. The show stars two veteran stage knights, Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi as Freddie and Stuart, a long-term gay couple and sparring partners in a battle of theatrical bitchiness that amuses or horrifies everyone drawn into its orbit. De la Tour plays Violet Crosby, the neighbour who pops in every day (as they do in sitcom-land) to exchange brittle banter with the senior queens and utter cougarish remarks of sleek seductiveness at Ash (Iwan Rheon), the handsome (and straight) 22-year-old boy upstairs. Remarkably, the show was the joint creation of Mark Ravenhill, the controversial playwright behind Shopping and Fucking and Mother Clap's Molly House, and Gary Janetti, the American TV writer and producer behind Family Guy and Will & Grace. Where fans of both writers might anticipate super-explicit or super-brittle dialogue, Vicious is rather sweetly old-fashioned in its gay bitchery and non-PC idiom. McKellen and Jacobi swish about with a camp extravagance that Kenneth Williams might have found a bit extreme, and relish the exchanges. When Violet is told that there's a strange man (namely Ash) in the gay pair's lavatory, she cries: "You let a complete stranger use your loo? What if he comes out of there and rapes me?" McKellen's mout


Getting Ready for the 1940 Census This article appeared in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (December 2011).   Background   The US census has been taken every ten years starting in 1790.ï¿½ In 1942, all censuses up to and including the 1870 census were made available to the public.ï¿½ And since then, each census has been made available to the public 72 years after the census was taken (73 years in the case of the 1900 census).ï¿½ As of this writing (October 2011), the last census that has been made available is the 1930 census.   The pages of each of these censuses (with the exception of the 1890 census, most of which was destroyed due to a fire) have been scanned and placed online at various free and pay websites.ï¿½ And the names of all people in these censuses have been indexed, making it possible to search for people in the census by name.   Opening Day for the 1940 Census   The census day for the 1940 census was April 1, 1940.ï¿½ That doesnï¿½t mean that the census taker knocked on the door on April 1 and took down the information.ï¿½ He probably came a few days after April 1.ï¿½ But the questions he asked pertained to April 1.ï¿½ Uncle Sam wanted to get a snapshot of the nation as it existed on April 1.   Since the census is sealed for 72 years, opening day for the 1940 census should be April 1, 2012.ï¿½ But it will be delayed to April 2 since April 1 falls on a Sunday, and the National Archives is closed on Sundays.   In previous years, the release of each census involved making microfilm copies of the master census microfilms (the original census pages have long since been destroyed).ï¿½ These microfilm copies were then made available to various archives and libraries.ï¿½ It was from these microfilm copies that several companies and organizations scanned the census images and placed them online.   That will not be the case for the 1940 census.ï¿½ The master microfilm will not be copied onto distribution microfilm.ï¿½ Instead it will be scanned and put directly online. ï¿½That will make it available to anyone with Internet access on opening day.ï¿½ Furthermore, it will be accessible to all for free.   But a complete name index will not exist until at least six months (best guess at this time) after opening day.ï¿½ That means that the only way to access the census initially will be by location.ï¿½ However the census is not organized by address but rather by the Enumeration District (ED).ï¿½ So to access the census, you will need to obtain the Enumeration District of your desired location.   Enumeration Districts   An Enumeration District is an area that can be canvassed by a single census taker (enumerator) in a census period.ï¿½ Since 1880, all information in the census is arranged by Enumeration District.ï¿½ If you do not know the Enumeration District, you cannot access the census by location!   Each Enumeration District within a state has a unique number.ï¿½ In 1930 and 1940, the number consists of two parts, such as 31-1518.ï¿½ The first part is a prefix number assigned to each county (usually alphabetical) and the second part is a district number within the county.ï¿½ In 1940 (but not in 1930) some of the larger cities have their own prefix number.ï¿½ Such city prefix numbers come after the last county prefix.   As an example, in 1930 the prefixes in California in 1930 went from 1 (Alameda County) to 58 (Yuba County).ï¿½ Los Angeles County was somewhere in the middle with prefix number 19.ï¿½ Long Beach City is in Los Angeles County, so in 1930 it too had prefix 19.ï¿½ But in 1940 it was given its own prefix, namely 59.ï¿½ It was followed by Los Angeles City (60), Oakland City (61) and San Diego City (62).     Now that you know what an Enumeration District is, youï¿½ll need to know how to obtain the Enumeration District for the location you are interested in.   Where did the family live?   Before you can determine the familyï¿½s Enumeration District, youï¿½ll have to know where they were located.ï¿½ If you donï¿½t already have their address, here are several ways of finding it.   Address


Apt 56B, Whitehaven Mansions, Sandhurst Sq, London

Whitehaven Mansions Whitehaven Mansions Whitehaven Mansions Whitehaven Mansions A popular question asked at Hercule Poirot Central is: where in London is Whitehaven Mansions, Hercule Poirot's home  as seen on the television series "Poirot"? Such a question deserves an article, c'est vrai. It is found on Charterhouse Square in London. Many buildings surround the square, but the residential building  known as Florin Court (known as Poirot's "Whitehaven Mansions") is located on the eastern side of a park there. Finished in  1936, the building houses a swimming pool in the basement and a roof garden (as seen on satellite images). Florin Court (and  Charterhouse Square) is just north of the Museum of London (at London Wall). The Museum of London's postcode is EC2Y 5HN, whereas it is known that Charterhouse Square's postcode is EC1. For visitors not familiar to London, Charterhouse Square is just west of Goswell Road/Aldersgate Street and one  block north of Beech Street. One can always go to Holborn Circus, and from there take Charterhouse Street in a  northeast direction up to the Square. Another thing: if you're near the Barbican Centre, home of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare  Company, you know you're close. The Barbican Centre is adjacent to the Museum of London. There are some excellent photos of Florin Court (and Charterhouse Square) on the flickr site . The following satellite images below are taken from Google Earth. I have labeled a few places for  idea of proximity/location. To enlarge a picture below, simply click on it. All original content © 2016, Hercule Poirot Central. This site is not endorsed by Agatha Christie Ltd. or the Acorn Media Group.


Festing Road SW15 Residents Honour Their Doppelganger Festive Road Participate Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Comment on this story on the On Saturday author David McKee unveiled the commerative paving stone to him and his creation the cartoon character Mr Benn. This happened in Festing Road, Putney which he renamed Festive Road for the series. In the series Mr Benn leaves his terrace house and goes to a dressing up shop and from there into different adventures. On the day nearly twenty Mr Benn's and their families dressed as Mr Benn characters-clowns, chefs, knights, pirates, cavemen not to mention the distinctive shop keeper in his fez and coloured waistcoat ï¿½all turned up to celebrate. Nearly 100 turned up for the event which was filmed by ITV News and well as an independent film crew. Councillor ex Wandsworth mayor Jim Madden said a few words but the day belonged to David McKee and the present residents of Festing Road . The author personally drew Mr Benn in the dozen or so books which had been donated by the publishers as prizes for the children's fancy dress. Special mention must go to Ben Nicholson (wizard) and Zac Hyner (caveman). After the unveiling the party went back to no 52(Mr Benn's house in the series) and enjoyed refreshment and a specially made cake shaped as the distinctive bowler. Street resident and organiser Hugh Thompson said: ï¿½It was a wonderful day for the street and fans came from all over London, quite incredible. David was an absolute saint, such a modest genius. All Mr Benn stories end with the world being a better place and this one was no exception .Deeper friendships and a stronger sense of community have been achieved in the street and the world now has a permanent Residents dressed up as characters from Mr Benn's adventures reminder of one of its favourite cartoon characters". Current residents clubbed together to purchase the paving stone as a tribute to author & illustrator and ex-resident David. In 1965 When David McKee purchased his house on Festing Road he paid £4,200 - to buy it today would cost over £800,000! November 30, 2009


1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights, USA.

Grandpa Munster – Mockingbird Heights, USA | Home › Television › Grandpa Munster – Mockingbird Heights, USA Grandpa Munster – Mockingbird Heights, USA Posted on December 4, 2014 by jaholst — Leave a comment Grandpa Munster is a 350-year-old vampire (Count Dracula) who has a dungeon laboratory at 1313 Mockingbird Lane on the CBS fantasy comedy THE MUNSTERS (1964-66). Grandpa (Al Lewis) lives with his 157-year-old vampire daughter, Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo) ; her Frankenstein husband, Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne); their wolfboy son, Eddie (Butch Patrick), and Grandpa’s pet bat Igor who hangs out in family’s basement with Grandpa who concocts things like an alarm-clock pill that wakes you up on time, and a pill that turns water into gasoline. Grandpa main reference book is the “ Encyclopedia of Voodoo .” Occasionally, Grandpa’s potions require the assistance of special spell to get them going. Some sample spells: “Abracadabra and asee dosee, allakazam and Bela Lugosi!” (to help Herman wrestle); “Ibbidy-bibiddy, rinkidy-dink, make like a statue and freeze, you fink! (to hold a criminal frozen for police); “Don’t let time and space detain ya, off you go to Transylvania (the spell backfired and sent the whole family to Happy Valley Motel in Kansas City). Here are some of Grandpa’s potions: Episode No. 2 “My Fair Munster” – Grandpa creates a love potion to improve his niece Marilyn’s sagging love life (the potion backfired and influenced the wrong Munster). Episode No. 12 “Sleeping Cutie” – One of Grandpa’s potions puts Marilyn into a state of semi-permanent sleep. Episode No. 19 “Eddie’s Nickname” – Eddie’s schoolmates call him “Shorty” so Grandpa mixes up a “magic milkshake” to make him grow six-inches. Instead, Eddie grows a beard. Episode No. 32 “Mummy Munster”  – A sleeping pill created by Grandpa gets Herman mistaken for an Egyptian mummy when he falls a sleep in a museum sarcophagus. Episode No. 43 “Herman, Coach of the Year” – Grandpa made a pill to enhance the athletic performance of his nephew Eddie Munster (Butch Patrick). The vitamin pill’s ingredients included “a derby flown in from Kentucky; a feather from “the worlds’ fastest bird,” the ostrich; a bit of lint from the pouch of a kangaroo; and a zap of lightning from Grandpa’s fingertip to top it off.” Episode No. 62  “The Musician” – Grandpa whips up a potion to improve Eddie’s trumpet playing. The potion included: “Three strands of Leonard Bernstein’s favorite sauerkraut; a glass of water from the “Blue Danube”; one chopped photograph of Ludwig van Beethoven; a stein of beer from the “Whiffenpoof” song; and a bucket of bilge water from the “HMS Pinafore.” Episode No. 41 “Bronco Bustin’ Munster” – Herman Munster begs Grandpa to concoct an instant bravery potion to steady his nerves before a rodeo bronco ride. Grandpa once whipped up an instant bravery pill for King Richard in the Middle Ages. “I’ll have you know that before he took these, he was known as Chicken-Dickie.” Episode No. 48 “A Man for Marilyn” – Grandpa attempts to make a husband for his niece in his laboratory. Other inventions and potions included a pill that turned water into gasoline; a medicine for which there is no disease; a machine that takes electricity from the air and stores it; a cough medicine that gives you a three-day cough; and an alarm clock pill that can be set to make you sleep and wake at chosen times. Beside his potions and pills, Grandpa was quite a mechanic. When his son-in-law Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) needed to win a drag race, he whipped up a stylish dragster called the “Drag-u-la” using a gold coffin for the car’s body. NOTE: On the 1988 syndicated remake of the series THE MUNSTERS TODAY, Vladimir “Grandpa” Dracula (Howard Morton) enjoyed eating leeches and cream; had a computer named Sam; a rat named Stanley; and belonged to the AVA (American Vampire Association). This time round, the Munsters lived in the future because one of Grandpa’s experiment backfired, suspending the family in time until they awoke 22 years later to discover a much different would. Grandpa Munster


What name was given to privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French crown?

The Last Corsaire by Frank Leguen - YouTube The Last Corsaire by Frank Leguen Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 2, 2014 Corsairs (French: corsaire) were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds. Although not French Navy personnel, corsairs were considered legitimate combatants in France (and allied nations), provided the commanding officer of the vessel was in possession of a valid Letter of Marque (Lettre de Marque or Lettre de Course, the latter giving corsairs their name), and the officers and crew conducted themselves according to contemporary admiralty law. By acting on behalf of the French Crown, if captured by the enemy, they could claim treatment as prisoners of war, instead of being considered pirates. Because corsairs gained a swashbuckling reputation, the word "corsair" is also used generically as a more romantic or flamboyant way of referring to privateers, or even to pirates. The Breton town of St Malo is famous for its Corsairs and this song is about my three times great-grandfather reputed to be the "Last Corsair of St Malo". Having fought the English during the Napoleonic wars, he later teamed up with his English brother-in-law in a number of commercial enterprises, not least opening up China to the opium trade something which would be frowned upon today but was considered a fine initiative at the time! As fate would have it most of his descendants ended up living in England although there are still a number in France and even Belgium! The song is written, performed and produced by Frank Leguen and published by TuneCore publishing (c) 2014 Category


In 2002, who filed for divorce from his wife Lisa Marie Presley after being married for just three months?

Cele|bitchy | Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from fourth husband, Michael Lockwood Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from fourth husband, Michael Lockwood Divorces , Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley has filed for divorce from her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood, after ten years of marriage. The two have seven year-old twin girls together, Harper and Finley. Lisa has an adult daughter and son, Riley and Benjamin Keogh, from her first marriage to Danny Keough. In between she was married to Michael Jackson and to Nicolas Cage (who is coincidentally just separated from his wife, not that I’m suggesting that has anything to do with this). ET confirms that Lisa has filed: These are Lockwood's only children, while Presley also has a daughter and a son -- Riley and Benjamin Keough -- from her first marriage to Danny Keough, which ended in 1994. In addition to Lockwood and Keough, Presley was married to Michael Jackson from 1994 to 1996, and to Nicolas Cage from 2002 to 2004. [From ET Online] TMZ reports that they have a postnup and that Lisa is seeking full custody and wants to give Michael visitation, but that she wants it monitored for some reason. She is not seeking spousal or child support and lists their date of separation as June 13th. Their source states “She doesn’t want any of his money.” I’m surprised that we’re just hearing this news, because I assumed these two had already separated or filed for divorce. The National Enquirer reported in February of this year that they hadn’t been seen together in nine months at that point. They live in Tennessee with their daughters according to the Enquirer’s reporting and had previously lived in East Sussex England, where Lisa used to own a very large estate. She put her property up for sale last year. Lisa has a ton of money, having sold the rights to her father Elvis’s name and image in 2004, before she married Michael, for $100 million. It will be interesting to see how this divorce pans out. I’ve also heard that Lisa either left Scientology or has major issues with it, and it’s thought that Michael is a Scientologist . I wonder if that factors into their divorce at all, or maybe he’s out of Scientology too. She keeps a lockdown on her personal life so I doubt we’ll get any insider information. photos credit: WENN.com


What was the original name of Wembley Stadium?

Old 1923 Wembley Stadium - England | Football Tripper Capacity: 82,000 Opened: 1923 The original Wembley Stadium officially went by the name of Empire Stadium but fans of the iconic sporting venue almost never referred to the ground by this name. Stadium Guide History England’s Wembley Stadium first opened in 1923 under the grandiose yet horribly colonial sounding title of “British Empire Exhibition Stadium”. Constructed by Sir Robert McAlpine and costing £750,000, the stadium was ready to be demolished after the end of the exhibition but it managed to survive and become a fully fledged football stadium at the suggestion of Sir James Stevenson who was the Chairman of the organising committee for the Empire Exhibition. Following a period immediately after construction when Wembley’s ownership changed hands, Wembley really came into its own as the original piece of “Hallowed Turf” after World War 2 when the popularity of Football exploded. With the F.A Cup final held each season at the iconic venue, The Twin Towers became synonymous with English football and part of history as the F.A Cup was then regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments back in the 20th Century. Outside of Britain, Wembley Stadium gained a famous reputation by hosting the 1966 World Cup with legendary Brazilian footballer Pele calling it “The cathedral of football. It is the capital of football and it is the heart of football”. For English fans, the only thing better than hosting the World Cup would be winning it, and the three lions managed to do this in their own backyard, by defeating West Germany 4-2 in extra time in an event which we haven’t managed to shut up about ever since. 30 years later England hosted Euro 1996 , and the Germans got their revenge when they defeated England in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw. Once again Wembley Stadium hosted the final as well as all of England’s home matches, and further weaved it’s way into Britain’s footballing history. The final game at Wembley was held on the 7th October once again against rivals Germany, with Dietmar Hamann scoring the winner in a narrow 1 nil defeat. New Wembley Stadium opened 7 years later in 2007 with a slightly larger capacity of 90,000 seats. Stands The Original Wembley Stadium consisted of four stands: North, East, South and West. Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand. By Football Tripper


Charles-Ădouard Jeanneret-Gris was better known as who?

1000+ images about Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris) on Pinterest | Le corbusier, Chandigarh and Pierre jeanneret Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris) Swiss architect, urban planner, painter, writer, designer and theorist, active mostly in France. In the range of his work and in his ability to enrage the establishment and surprise his followers, he was matched in the field of modern architecture perhaps only by Frank Lloyd Wright. He adopted the pseudonym Le Corbusier for his architectural work c. 1920 and for his paintings c. 1930 174 Pins866 Followers


Which British aircraft manufacturer produced the Spitfire?

Spitfire | British aircraft | Britannica.com British aircraft R.J. Mitchell Spitfire, also called Supermarine Spitfire, the most widely produced and strategically important British single-seat fighter of World War II . The Spitfire, renowned for winning victory laurels in the Battle of Britain (1940–41) along with the Hawker Hurricane , served in every theatre of the war and was produced in more variants than any other British aircraft. Supermarine Spitfire, Britain’s premier fighter plane from 1938 through World War II. Quadrant/Flight The Spitfire was designed by Reginald Mitchell of Supermarine Ltd., in response to a 1934 Air Ministry specification calling for a high-performance fighter with an armament of eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) machine guns . The airplane was a direct descendant of a series of floatplanes designed by Mitchell to compete for the coveted Schneider Trophy in the 1920s. One of these racers, the S.6, set a world speed record of 357 miles (574 km) per hour in 1929. Designed around a 1,000-horsepower, 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine (later dubbed the Merlin), the Spitfire first flew in March 1935. It had superb performance and flight characteristics, and deliveries to operational Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons commenced in the summer of 1938. A more radical design than the Hurricane, the Spitfire had a stressed-skin aluminum structure and a graceful elliptical wing with a thin airfoil that, in combination with the Merlin’s efficient two-stage supercharger , gave it exceptional performance at high altitudes. The version of the Spitfire that fought in the Battle of Britain was powered by a Merlin engine of 1,030 horsepower . The plane had a wingspan of 36 feet 10 inches (11.2 metres), was 29 feet 11 inches (9.1 metres) long, and reached a maximum speed of 360 miles (580 km) per hour and a ceiling of 34,000 feet (10,400 metres). Faster than its formidable German opponent the Bf 109 at altitudes above 15,000 feet (4,600 metres) and just as maneuverable, Spitfires were sent by preference to engage German fighters while the slower Hurricanes went for the bombers. More Hurricanes than Spitfires served in the Battle of Britain, and they were credited with more “kills,” but it can be argued that the Spitfire’s superior high-altitude performance provided the margin of victory. Similar Topics F-16 Meanwhile, Supermarine was developing more-capable versions of the Spitfire driven by progressively more-powerful Merlins. The eight 0.303-inch machine guns gave way to four 0.8-inch (20-mm) automatic cannons, and by war’s end the Spitfire had been produced in more than 20 fighter versions alone, powered by Merlins of up to 1,760 horsepower. Though outperformed by the German Fw 190 upon that aircraft’s introduction in 1941, the Spitfire restored parity the following year and eventually regained the advantage. It remained a first-line air-to-air fighter throughout the war. Spitfires were used in the defense of Malta , in North Africa and Italy , and, fitted with tail hooks and strengthened tail sections, as Seafires from Royal Navy aircraft carriers from June 1942. Spitfires helped to provide air superiority over the Sicily , Italy, and Normandy beachheads and served in the Far East from the spring of 1943. Fighter-bomber versions could carry a 250- or 500-pound (115- or 230-kg) bomb beneath the fuselage and a 250-pound bomb under each wing. One of the Spitfire’s most important contributions to Allied victory was as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft from early 1941. Superior high-altitude performance rendered it all but immune from interception, and the fuel tanks that replaced wing-mounted machine guns and ammunition bays gave it sufficient range to probe western Germany from British bases. In late 1943 Spitfires powered by Rolls-Royce Griffon engines developing as much as 2,050 horsepower began entering service. Capable of top speeds of 440 miles (710 km) per hour and ceilings of 40,000 feet (12,200 metres), these were used to shoot down V-1 “buzz bombs.” During World War II, Spitfires we


Who said When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life?

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life: Samuel Johnson The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page -> London -> When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.   When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. "Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." — Samuel Johnson Boswell and Johnson were discussing whether or not Boswell's affection for London would wear thin should he choose to live there, as opposed to the zest he felt on his occasional visits. (Boswell lived in Scotland, and visited only periodically. Some people are surprised to learn that Boswell and Johnson were far from inseparable over the last twenty years of Johnson's life, the period Boswell knew him.) This discussion happened on September 20, 1777, and Johnson, someone who hated to spend time alone, was always going out and enjoying what London had to offer. For more of what Johnson had to say about London, click here . For more of what he had to say about city life, click here .


What was Marble Arch in London originally designed to be?

Pastscape - Detailed Result: MARBLE ARCH MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES + / - Triumphal arch designed in 1828 by John Nash who was inspired by Percier and Fontaine's Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, and modelled on the Arc of Constantine in Rome. Originally the arch was intended to commemorate the victories of Trafalgar and Waterloo but was changed with panels representing the Spirit of England inspiring Youth, Valour, Virtue, Peace and Plenty, with much of this work executed by Flaxman, Westmacott, Rossi and Baily. The arch was originally designed as the grand forecourt gateway to Buckingham Palace but was finished by Edward Blore without much of its intended sculpture, for example the equestrian statue of George IV which now stands in Trafalgar Square. It is constructed of Seravezza marble and comprises three archways flanked by Corinthian columns rising from plinths. The bronze gates were by Samuel Parker. The arch was moved to present position, the north east entrance to Hyde Park in 1851 but is now isolated from the park on a roundabout. (1-2) The arch was designed by John Nash in 1825 and was originally intended as a national memorial to British Military and naval triumphs during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) and would bear trophies and commemorative sculptures. It was also the formal, ceremonial entrance to Buckingham Palace. John Flaxman was commissioned for the commemorative sculpture. The east front and north end would depict a record of the Battle of Waterloo, the west front and south end the Battle of Trafalgar. The top of the arch would have an equestrian statue of the king. However, following Flaxman's death in 1826 several sculptors were commissioned; Sir Richard Westmacott was offered the principal frieze around the attic level of the arch comprising a continous panel of the Battle of Waterloo, and three sections depicting Nelson's life and a low relief of Fame displaying Britain's recent military and naval triumphs. He was also to be responsible for the east side of the arch which depicted the Battle of Waterloo - which included two reliefs, three keystones, six victories and four warrior statues to surmount columns on the Waterloo side. Edward Hodges Bailey was commissioned work on the Trafalgar side of the arch - four statues for the columns, two panels, and for the attic pedestal - a relief of Britannia supporting a medallion of Nelson flanked by a lion and a unicorn. The attic pedestal would also have a Victory at each corner. John Charles Rossi was commissioned to undertake the relief on the other side of the pedestal comprising Europe seated on a horse and Asia on a camel, supporting a medallion bearing the head of the Duke of Wellington. Francis Chantrey designed the equestrian statue for the summit of the arch. Construction started in 1827 and was undertaken by Joseph Browne. However, due to rising construction costs work ceased in 1830 and Nash was replaced by Edward Blore. A much simplified plan of the arch which excluded the attic stage, much of its sculpture and equestrian statue was imposed in 1832 and work was completed in 1833. The gates at the centre of the arch, originally designed by Samuel Parker, were made by the firm Bramah and Prestage and erected in 1837. Pieces of the unused sculpture including parts of Westmacott's frieze of Waterloo and Nelson panels were used at Buckingham Palace. His victory statues and Rossi's relief of Europe and Asia were used at the National Gallery. In 1843 the equestrian statue was installed on one of the granite pedestals in Trafalgar Square. Due to expansion of Buckingham Palace the arch was dismantled by Thomas Cubitt in the autumn of 1850 and rebuilt at Cumberland Gate as a ceremonial entrance in the northeast corner of Hyde Park following a decision by Decimus Burton and W A Nesfield. The rebuilding of the arch was by Thomas Cubitt, who incorporated three internal rooms, was completed in March 1851. From December 1851 the arch was used by the Metropolitan Police as a Police Station. The arch measures 18.3 metres east-west by 9.1 metres north-sout


Winner in a poll of Classic FM's most popular piece of music in 2016, which composer also wrote A London Symphony

Hall of Fame - Radio - Classic FM Hall of Fame Now Playing Schedule The Classic FM Hall of Fame The annual Classic FM Hall of Fame is the largest poll of the world's favourite classical music. Every January we ask you to get in touch to tell us which are your three top pieces of music. Then, come Easter, we count down from Number 300 and reveal the new Classic FM Hall of Fame. Mozart, Rachmaninov and Vaughan Williams have been among the composers who've topped the poll in recent years. But Bruch also took the Number 1 spot for several years. And, although Beethoven always has a strong presence in the top 300, he's never taken that coveted top spot. Since 2013, soundtracks for video games like Final Fantasy, Banjo Kazooie and The Elder Scrolls have been climbing up the chart. In 2014 Final Fantasy reached Number 3, the highest ever position for a video game soundtrack.


Canary Wharf | London Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia HSBC World Headquarters and One Canada Square, from the western end of West India Quay Canary Wharf in the evening Canary Wharf is built on the site of the old West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs. From 1802 to 1980, the area was one of the busiest docks in the world, with at one point 50,000 employed. During World War II, the docks area was bombed heavily and nearly all the original warehouses were destroyed or badly damaged. After a brief recovery in the 1950s, the port industry began to decline. Containerisation, a limit of 6,000 long tons (6,096 MT) imposed by the dock gates, and a lack of flexibility made the upstream docks less viable than the Port of London dock at Tilbury, and by 1980 these docks were closed. Many traditional local industries closed, with thousands out of work and the 295 acres (1.2 km2) West India Docks lay derelict, and largely unused. The project to revitalise the 8 square miles (21 km2) of derelict London docklands began in 1981 with the establishment of the London Docklands Development Corporation by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher. Initially regeneration of the area was focused on small-scale, light industrial schemes. This inward investment was encouraged by low rents, and a remission from business rates. Canary Wharf itself takes its name from No. 10 Warehouse (30 Shed) of the South Quay Import Dock. This was built in 1952 for Fruit Lines Ltd, a subsidiary of Fred Olsen Lines for the Mediterranean and Canary Island fruit trade. At their request, the quay and warehouse were given the name Canary Wharf. The company moved to Millwall Docks, in 1970. Between 1981–89 this warehouse was converted to television studios, known as Limehouse Studios. At one time this was the largest single project within the LDDC. These were sold to Olympia and York in 1988 for £25m to expand their own development at One Canada Square to the west of the Docklands Light Railway. The origins of the idea for Canary Wharf Edit Canary Wharf, from a high-level walkway on Tower Bridge In 1984 the restaurateurs the Roux Brothers were looking for several thousand square feet of space to prepare pre-cooked meals. The late Michael von Clemm, chairman of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and also chairman of Roux Restaurants, was invited for lunch by the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) on the boat Res Nova moored alongside Shed 31 at Canary Wharf, to promote the idea of this food packaging factory being based on the Isle of Dogs. Von Clemm came from Boston and when he looked through the porthole at Shed 31, a simple brick-concrete infill, he commented that it reminded him of the warehouses in Boston harbour which had been converted into back offices and small business premises. Reg Ward, at the time LDDC Chief Executive, remembers him suddenly leaning back and saying: "I do not know why we do not go for a shed like 31 as a 200,000 sq ft (20,000 m2) back office." This led on to discussions at CSFB's offices, during which their American property adviser G Ware Travelstead, said: "We're asking ourselves the wrong question. Of course we can take Shed 31 and convert it into a back office, but we have spent the last five years courting at the Court of the City of London for a new site for a new configuration of building without success. The question is: 'Can we move our front office to the Isle of Dogs?'." This idea came from a basic need. The Big Bang deregulation of financial services in London had radically changed the way merchant banks operated. Instead of the small, corridor and office based buildings occupied in the traditional square mile, the demand was now for large floor-plate, open plan space which could be used as a trading floor. The Corporation of the City of London had been resisting such development, preferring instead to conserve its historical architecture and views. So banks like CSFB had spent years trying without success to locate suitable space close to the financial heart of London. At the meeting, Travelstead's idea provoke


Which battle of 1066 is also the name of a football ground?

BBC - History -   British History in depth: 1066 Print this page Claims to the throne It all began with the death of Edward the Confessor, in January 1066. The Bayeux tapestry depicts Edward on his deathbed, offering the English crown to Harold, and this event is reflected in most of the chronicles of the time. Edward's corpse was eventually borne in state to his own new cathedral church at Westminster, and the tapestry shows Harold there, being offered the crown by the magnates of England, among whom must have been Edwin and Morcar. Harold was crowned at Westminster Abbey by Archbishop Stigand of Canterbury and Archbishop Ealdred of York. It is significant that only the former is depicted (and actually named) on the Bayeux tapestry, as his appointment had never been recognised by the Pope, allowing the Norman propaganda machine to portray Harold's coronation as illegal. On the tapestry, the members of the congregation shown as witnessing the event are facing Harold, but their eyes are turned towards Halley's Comet, which is depicted in the sky as a portent of the doom to come. Harold is seen receiving news of the Comet with fear in his eyes. William decided on invasion... These bad omens for Harold were important to William of Normandy, who was set on claiming the English crown for himself - omens as important as the 'promise' of 1051 and the 'oath' of 1064. This was because, despite his pre-eminent position, he required the active co-operation of his nobles for the great venture he was planning - the venture to invade England and become the English king. William could not just demand support from his nobles, he had to convince them of his case. He needed to show his followers that his claim was a lawful one, and that he had God on his side. So when he decided on invasion, he took elaborate measures to ensure he had strong support, and even sent an envoy to the Pope asking for his blessing. William did not move immediately. He only began plans for an invasion after Tostig arrived in neighbouring Flanders, looking for support against Harold in a projected invasion of Northumbria. This was the lever that William needed: with Harold occupied in the north, William could invade in the south. Whether or not he thought God was on his side, William's preparations were very down to earth. Top Harold becomes king Westminster Abbey, the site of Harold's coronation    © On top of anything else, William must have been painfully aware that his claim to England's throne was actually the least legitimate of all the putative contenders. It rested entirely on a spurious promise, made over 15 years previously, and on the fact that William's great-grandfather was Edward's maternal grandfather. Harold had an equally weak blood claim, through the brother-in-law of King Cnut, although it was he who was Edward's last nominated heir. There were others with much stronger blood claims, among them Swegn Estrithson, King of Denmark, who was the nephew of King Cnut; and Edgar the Aetheling, grandson of Edmund Ironside, from whom Cnut had wrested the kingdom in 1016. Aetheling actually means 'throneworthy' and was the title given to the most legitimate heir; but a legitimate blood claim was only part of the issue. The crown would go to the claimant who could muster most support amongst the 'great and the good' of England. In January 1066, Edgar Aetheling was a minor, and with the wolves breathing at the door, the English magnates could not afford to risk the kingdom in such inexperienced hands. So they turned to Harold, the obvious power behind the throne, who, as we have seen, had prepared his ground well. Instead, William watched, and he waited... Immediately after Edward's death, the cards were flying and everyone was gambling madly. Tostig enlisted the help of a powerful Joker in the pack, the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada, an adventurer who had fought for the Byzantines in the Varangian Guard and was now trying to recreate the Viking kingdom of Northumbria. William had the other Joker, the Pope, in his pocket, and was drawing his Aces aroun


Statues of which political leader stand in Tavistock Square and Parliament Square?

London's New Gandhi Statue Represents Everything Gandhi Opposed - VICE London's New Gandhi Statue Represents Everything Gandhi Opposed Mahatma Gandhi, a man who dedicated his life to freeing India from the yoke of Westminster, is being put on a pedestal overlooking British Parliament. The statue of Gandhi in London's Tavistock Square, not the one being unveiled in Westminster tomorrow. Photo by Fredda Brilliant via . This article originally appeared on VICE UK. Tomorrow morning, a nine-foot bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi—the iconic nonviolent freedom fighter who led India's liberation from British rule—will be unveiled in Parliament Square. It's a pretty big deal, with India's finance minister, Arun Jaitley, joining culture secretary Sajid Javid, UK Indian-diaspora champion Priti Patel, Lord Desai of the Gandhi Memorial Trust, and Bollywood superstar Amitabh "The Big B" Bachchan getting together to make the most of the photo opportunity. However, it seems slightly perverse that Gandhi—a man who dedicated his life to freeing India from the yoke of Westminster—is being put on a pedestal overlooking Parliament. So why is Gandhi joining statesmen including Churchill, Disraeli, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela? And why now? According to Jeremy Clarkson's mate David Cameron, the statue "will enrich the firm bond of friendship between the world's oldest democracy and its largest." However, it's more revealing that the statue was announced during Chancellor George Osborne and Foreign Secretary William Hague's high-profile trade visit to India in July of last year to brownnose India's new government and Prime Minister Modi, and to hustle for British businesses in India and Indian investment in Britain. Osborne and Hague's editorial in the Times of India on July 7 last year makes no bones about it: "We want British firms who built the infrastructure for the London Olympics to help build the 100 new cities Prime Minister Modi is planning, our world-leading transport companies to help develop your new roads, railways, and ports, and our defense and aerospace companies to help bring India more cutting-edge technology, skills, and jobs." Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, a social activist, peace campaigner, and author who runs the Gandhi Foundation in India, points out George Osborne announced the statue of the most celebrated advocate of nonviolent resistance in history the day after a $370 million arms deal between India and Britain had been secured. "The chancellor made the announcement about Bapu-ji's [Bapu means father and Gandhi, as the father of independent India is often called Bapu-ji] statue when he came to sell weapons to India, which I find amusing and hypocritical," he says. Tushar feels it's "false worship" to use his grandfather's image to symbolize a brave new world of corporate trade between Britain and India, particularly when Gandhi rejected British goods in favor of Indian goods and actively cultivated and championed traditional industries in rural India. "This statue represents the development of the haves, it does not care for have-nots—trade represents one of the biggest differences we have in India between the haves and have-nots," explains Tushar. Indeed, the Gandhi Statue charity reveals the majority of the $1.5 million funding for the statue came from corporate donors, including Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy ($300,000), Indian industrialist R. Bajaj ($300,000), multibillionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal ($150,000)—whose Arcelor Mittal Orbit tower looms large in Stratford's Olympic Park—and UK businessmen Vivek Chadha ($150,000) and Rami Ranger ($150,000). Considering that, after the unveiling, India's finance minister, Arun Jaitley, will meet with George Osborne to discuss closer UK-India ties and also meet top business leaders and investors , it's apparent that Gandhi is being cynically exploited. I repeatedly contacted the Department of Media, Culture, and Sport press office for comment on the problematic nature of the Gandhi statue, but my phone calls and emails weren't returned. "Gandh


What is the name of London's largest underground river?

The Fleet – London’s Underground River     ~     Kuriositas The Fleet – London’s Underground River 13 October 2014 If you listen carefully just above this unassuming grate you can hear the ripple and splash of flowing water. This is the sound of the River Fleet, London’s largest subterranean river. Forced underground by the city’s burgeoning populace the river still flows from its source to its mouth where it joins London’s main waterway, the Thames. Yet what lies beneath? Image Credit Flickr User sub-urban.com Below the ground there is a remarkable network of tunnels and chambers, put in to place by Victorian engineers, the final step in a process which took centuries.  For over a thousand years there had been a shipping dock at the mouth of the river – its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon fleot which means a tidal inlet. Yet it was not destined to persevere as a river in its own right. Image Credit Flickr User sub-urban.com The Fleet remains tidal and these incredible pictures, taken by Flickr photographer sub-urban, show the river at its lowest level.  Visitors must remain vigilant of the time as it fills to the roof in thirty minutes. Even as the time draws towards low tide the water is way above the height of a man. A short time at the upper levels and it empties out although it would be easy for the unwary traveller to be trapped and drowned on its return. Image Credit Flickr User sub-urban.com Everything is in place, thanks to the ingenuity of the Victorian engineers, to ensure that the Fleet is confined to these tunnels. Yet it was not always like that. If we travel back a few centuries we find a different story altogether – one which is not without its own pathos if such an emotion can be felt for a river. Image Credit Flickr User xynt4x Then, the waters of the Fleet were renowned for being clear and sparkling.  As the medieval city began to grow, mills, tanneries and meat markets sprang up along its banks.  Water was vital to keep these industries functioning and growing and gradually the river was polluted with blood, sewage and other waste – it effectively became a waste tip, a handy repository to discard anything unwanted including the carcasses of dead livestock. Image Credit Wikimedia As a result, over the years the river became shallower and the water much slower than in previous generations, only exacerbating the burgeoning problem of the health hazard it now presented.  It would silt up in the summer and although the spas and wells upstream remained open and functioning the Fleet in the city of London became an open sewer with a mix of slums and prisons on its banks. Something had to be done. Image Credit Wikimedia The Great Fire of London in 1666 provided that opportunity.  The architect Sir Christopher Wren was afforded the chance of transforming the lower Fleet. By 1680 this part of the river had been turned in to the New Canal.  It was hailed as the Venice of England but its days were numbered from the very beginning. It was poorly used as a canal and, despite its new clothes, it still stank to high heaven. The satirical cartoon, right, shows the new canal and the undesirables it attracted. Within a generation it was no longer fit for purpose as a canal. The river was channelled underground in the 1730s from Holborn to Fleet Street, which still bears its name.  Decades later it was filled in and arched over from Fleet Street down to the river Thames and is covered by what is now New Bridge Street. Image Credit Wikimedia The mouth of the river on the Thames was still used by ships in 1750, as the painting above by Samuel Scott testifies, but that was all. Towards its source it fared no better as the Industrial Revolution spread and the population of London increased.  Urban growth and the creation of what came to be known as suburbia meant that it was further submerged in the early years of the nineteenth century. Image Credit Flickr User IanVisits Yet the final blow was to come in the 1860s. It was at this point that the sunken river was incorporated in to the new network of sewers – an asto


Which area of London is believed to derive its name from a former hunting cry?

How did Soho in London get its name? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk SEMANTIC ENIGMAS How did Soho in London get its name? THE ORIGIN is not well defined, but it is believed to have derived from a hunting cry. Before the Great Fire of London in 1666, Soho was almost entirely made up of fields (hence the name Soho Fields) with a few farm buildings. In 1650, there were only about sixty cottages in Soho, these were in the vicinity of Wardour Street, then named Coleman Hedge Lane. Hunting is rumoured to have been enjoyed in the area, hence the cry and the name. (Dr.) Peter J. Gibbs, University College London (p.gibbs@ucl.ac.uk)