Schools in Britain are taking part in a competition to do a Doodle 4 Google. The theme is My Britain and what does it mean to be British?
We thought it would be a nice idea to find out what images of Britain the visitors to our website have and compare them with our students.
What does it mean to be British?
What makes you feel British?
What do you most value about living in Britain?
When you go on holiday, what do you miss about home?
We look forward to reading your ideas.
Visit projectbritain.com for more about British life and culture.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
St George’s Day 23 April 2006
Last year we spent an enjoyable day joining in the Festival of St George at Covent Garden. We saw a performance of Punch and Judy, Morris Dancing and Pearly Kings and Queens. This year the same event takes place on Saturday 22nd April ( 10.30am – 5.30pm). I wonder why it is not on the 23rd?
The Parade at the Cenotaph is also on Saturday 22 (10.30am – 11.45am)
Short service, wreath laying and march past.
The Shakespeare’s Globe is celebrating Shakespeares birthday with a Roman themed party on Sunday 23rd (10.00am – 4.00pm). St. George was a Roman soldier.
Charlie Chaplin will be celebrated with a series of free film showings in Leicester Square on Sunday 23rd.
More information about the ablove events can be found on the London.gov.uk website.
Where and how will you be celebrating St George’s Day?
Please leave a comment below
Do you think London should have a major St. George’s Day celebration? (different message)
Visit projectbritain.com for more about British life and culture.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Public Holidays (Bank Holidays)
One question many people ask us is whether Good Friday is a bank holiday.
Since the early nineteenth century, before the introduction of bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day were the only two days of leisure which were almost universally granted to working people. They are known as common law holidays.
Later in the century more public holiday were introduced by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871. The act designated four public holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five in Scotland.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Easter Monday,
The first Monday in August (later changed to the last Monday),
Boxing Day (26th December),
and Whit Monday
Scotland
New Year’s Day,
Good Friday,
The first Monday in May,
The first Monday in August,
Christmas Day
1971 – Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (which could fall anywhere between 11 May and 14 June) was formally replaced by a fixed spring holiday on the last Monday in May.
The last Monday in August was formally made a bank holiday in place of the first Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1903 – St Patrick’s Day (17 March) became a bank holiday for Ireland only.
1973 – 2 January became an additional bank holiday in Scotland
1974 – New Year’s Day became an additional bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Boxing Day became an additional bank holiday in Scotland.
1978 – the first Monday in May in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the last Monday in May in Scotland, became additional bank holidays.
Since the early nineteenth century, before the introduction of bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day were the only two days of leisure which were almost universally granted to working people. They are known as common law holidays.
Later in the century more public holiday were introduced by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871. The act designated four public holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five in Scotland.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Easter Monday,
The first Monday in August (later changed to the last Monday),
Boxing Day (26th December),
and Whit Monday
Scotland
New Year’s Day,
Good Friday,
The first Monday in May,
The first Monday in August,
Christmas Day
1971 – Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (which could fall anywhere between 11 May and 14 June) was formally replaced by a fixed spring holiday on the last Monday in May.
The last Monday in August was formally made a bank holiday in place of the first Monday in August in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1903 – St Patrick’s Day (17 March) became a bank holiday for Ireland only.
1973 – 2 January became an additional bank holiday in Scotland
1974 – New Year’s Day became an additional bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Boxing Day became an additional bank holiday in Scotland.
1978 – the first Monday in May in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the last Monday in May in Scotland, became additional bank holidays.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Happy Birthday, Jack! (Union Flag)
Today marks the 400th birthday of the Union Flag. Listening to the radio this morning I was interested to hear that we can call the British flag Union Flag as well as Union Jack. Apparently, it is ok on dry land to say both.
It was 400 years ago today that King James VI of Scotland – James I of England – announced by Royal Proclamation the introduction of what was to become the Union Jack. You can read more about the history and the meaning behind the colours on our website.
In America, you are not allowed to use the national flag as part of any clothing, you can’t hang it on the ceilings and you can’t use it on napkins. In Britain, it is common to see our national flag stamped on anything from bedspreads to items of clothings including underwear. The Union Jack is not something we pay any formal homage to to retain our validity as citizens.
“The Union Jack represents the country as a whole, but also a community of individuals, with shared values and a long and often troubled history. It symbolises our ancient freedoms and traditions; the Crown in Parliament, trial by jury, habeas corpus, the presumption of the innocence and freedon of speech, our defence of the weak and defiance of the mighty.”
George Courtauld author of The Pocket Book of Patriotism.
It was 400 years ago today that King James VI of Scotland – James I of England – announced by Royal Proclamation the introduction of what was to become the Union Jack. You can read more about the history and the meaning behind the colours on our website.
In America, you are not allowed to use the national flag as part of any clothing, you can’t hang it on the ceilings and you can’t use it on napkins. In Britain, it is common to see our national flag stamped on anything from bedspreads to items of clothings including underwear. The Union Jack is not something we pay any formal homage to to retain our validity as citizens.
“The Union Jack represents the country as a whole, but also a community of individuals, with shared values and a long and often troubled history. It symbolises our ancient freedoms and traditions; the Crown in Parliament, trial by jury, habeas corpus, the presumption of the innocence and freedon of speech, our defence of the weak and defiance of the mighty.”
George Courtauld author of The Pocket Book of Patriotism.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Mum and Mom
Do you think Mom is an American word for Mum and that the latter is the correct spelling in England? Think again. The word Mom is widely used in the Midlands.
“Mom and Mommy are old-English words, words that are stilled used in Birmingham and most parts of the West Midlands, we all use the term Mom and Mommy never Mum or Mummy, as here the correct spelling is Mom and Mommy has been for hundreds and hundreds of years, when people from the West Midlands went to America all those years ago they took our correct spelling with them, hence they use Mom and Mommy and we still do in the West Midlands. Here in the West Midlands the words Mum and Mummy are frowned upon as they look and sound wrong, thankfully our local schools teach our correct spelling of Mom and Mommy and the kids still come home with handmade cards with out correct Mom and Mommy Spelling on.
I believe parts of Scotland use the Mom and Mommy term too, as I have relatives there and whenever I visit them, they and the people I visit or see use the term Mom too, however I’m not sure how widespread its use is.
We in Birmingham and the West Midlands get annoyed when people wrongly think we are using American words, when the word Mom and Mommy aren’t American they were British to start with, it’s just unlike the West Midlands other areas changed their spelling.”
C Parkes
(Sent via email to woodlandsweb@hotmail.com)
“Mom and Mommy are old-English words, words that are stilled used in Birmingham and most parts of the West Midlands, we all use the term Mom and Mommy never Mum or Mummy, as here the correct spelling is Mom and Mommy has been for hundreds and hundreds of years, when people from the West Midlands went to America all those years ago they took our correct spelling with them, hence they use Mom and Mommy and we still do in the West Midlands. Here in the West Midlands the words Mum and Mummy are frowned upon as they look and sound wrong, thankfully our local schools teach our correct spelling of Mom and Mommy and the kids still come home with handmade cards with out correct Mom and Mommy Spelling on.
I believe parts of Scotland use the Mom and Mommy term too, as I have relatives there and whenever I visit them, they and the people I visit or see use the term Mom too, however I’m not sure how widespread its use is.
We in Birmingham and the West Midlands get annoyed when people wrongly think we are using American words, when the word Mom and Mommy aren’t American they were British to start with, it’s just unlike the West Midlands other areas changed their spelling.”
C Parkes
(Sent via email to woodlandsweb@hotmail.com)
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
British Food
According to a poll carried out of 4,903 people by food magazine Olive, tripe is now Britain’s most detested food.
Here are the 20 most hated foods in Britain
1. Tripe – Made from the inside of a cow’s stomach and was once a firm favourite on the British dining table.
2. Jellied eels – Traditional East End food
3. Deep-fried Mars bar – Served up north in fish and chips shops.
4. Brawn – Meat from the head of a pig
5. Black pudding – A large sausage made from pigs blood, suet and seasonings.
6. Tapioca – A starchy substance extracted from the root of the cassava plant, used for puddings
7. Faggots – Balls of meat mixed with bread and herbs, which is fried or cooked in sauce
8. Marmite – See here
9. Semolina – a coarse form of milled wheat/rice/maize- usually used in puddings and served with jam.
10. Beetroot (in vinegar) – A root vegetable
11. Pickled egg –
12. Haggis – A traditional Scottish dish consisting of a mixture of the minced heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep or calf mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the slaughtered animal.
13. Sandwich spread
14. Cockles (in vinegar) – sea food
15. Spaghetti hoops
16. Banana custard
17. Chicken tikka masala
18. Kippers
19. Rhubarb
20. Tinned tomato soup
Do you agree? Or are some of the foods in this list your idea of culinary heaven?
Here are the 20 most hated foods in Britain
1. Tripe – Made from the inside of a cow’s stomach and was once a firm favourite on the British dining table.
2. Jellied eels – Traditional East End food
3. Deep-fried Mars bar – Served up north in fish and chips shops.
4. Brawn – Meat from the head of a pig
5. Black pudding – A large sausage made from pigs blood, suet and seasonings.
6. Tapioca – A starchy substance extracted from the root of the cassava plant, used for puddings
7. Faggots – Balls of meat mixed with bread and herbs, which is fried or cooked in sauce
8. Marmite – See here
9. Semolina – a coarse form of milled wheat/rice/maize- usually used in puddings and served with jam.
10. Beetroot (in vinegar) – A root vegetable
11. Pickled egg –
12. Haggis – A traditional Scottish dish consisting of a mixture of the minced heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep or calf mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the slaughtered animal.
13. Sandwich spread
14. Cockles (in vinegar) – sea food
15. Spaghetti hoops
16. Banana custard
17. Chicken tikka masala
18. Kippers
19. Rhubarb
20. Tinned tomato soup
Do you agree? Or are some of the foods in this list your idea of culinary heaven?
Monday, April 03, 2006
Anthems (Songs of Britain)
Whenever England play Scotland or Wales at football and the teams line up for the National Anthems something a bit strange happens. The Scots sing their anthem, Flower of Scotland and the Welsh sing theirs, Land of My Fathers but the English don’t. Instead we join in with the British national anthem, God Save the Queen.
Surely we should only sing the British anthem when we are representing the whole of the UK or Britain?
It is no wonder that people living in other countries confuse Britain with England!
Should England have a different anthem other than God Save the Queen?
What would be your choice of a typical English song?
Surely we should only sing the British anthem when we are representing the whole of the UK or Britain?
It is no wonder that people living in other countries confuse Britain with England!
Should England have a different anthem other than God Save the Queen?
What would be your choice of a typical English song?
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Superstitions
We received the following in an email today:
“My aunt got a black bird stuck in her house. It was black with an orange beak is this a death omen.” June
Many people believed that because birds could fly so high, they regularly flew in and out of heaven and were therefore closely connected to god. This belief formed the basis of literally hundreds of bird-related superstitions in the UK, some of which are still followed even today.
A wild bird entering a house was a death omen to many people:
“If a bird flies into your house, a death will follow within three days”
Some sources specifically mention birds in the chimney – again as a death omen.
A robin in the house is particularly unlucky
Find out more about the Superstitions of Britain
Visit projectbritain.com for more about British life and culture.
“My aunt got a black bird stuck in her house. It was black with an orange beak is this a death omen.” June
Many people believed that because birds could fly so high, they regularly flew in and out of heaven and were therefore closely connected to god. This belief formed the basis of literally hundreds of bird-related superstitions in the UK, some of which are still followed even today.
A wild bird entering a house was a death omen to many people:
“If a bird flies into your house, a death will follow within three days”
Some sources specifically mention birds in the chimney – again as a death omen.
A robin in the house is particularly unlucky
Find out more about the Superstitions of Britain
Visit projectbritain.com for more about British life and culture.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
