Rye...

This is not about the grain!  One of the oldest and most picturesque villages in the south of England, the East Sussex port of Rye is always well worth a visit.  With cobbled streets, quaint pubs, and an old castle, it is a tourist trap, but is also very, very relaxing.

Say What???...

I have previously covered some of the language differences between British English and American English, but today I will be looking at some differences in pronunciation  It is not just inanimate objects either, but names and place names too.

The Folkestone Air Raids...

Your first thought will probably be that this is something that occurred in World War II.  However, this was a quite shocking event - unknown to many today - that happened way back in 1917.

In Memoriam (Part One)...

As you will have seen from my previous posts, my favourite sport is speedway - to Americans, that is motorcycle speedway.  500cc single cylinder machines with no gears and no brakes, hurtling around shale ovals...  One of the most popular spectator sports in Europe, it is a great spectacle, but sometimes, it can prove deadly.

Du holde Kunst...

It's okay, there's no need to be alarmed!  This is still going to be a British post, regardless of the German title!  "Du holde Kunst" is the opening line of Franz von Schrober's poem, An die Musik, and is the inscription on the headstone of Sir Clifford Curzon, CBE - about whom you will learn today...

Murder at Canterbury...

A while back, I posted a photo gallery of Canterbury.  Today, we have something a little more specific.

Thank U Very Much...

Time for a musical - and fun - interlude.  The title of today's offering was a song that reached Number 4 on the UK charts in 1967.  It was the first of three chart successes for the Liverpool comedy trio, The Scaffold.  The group comprised Roger McGough, John Gorman, and Paul McCartney's brother, Mike McGear.

The Valley Parade Fire...

A year ago today, my post concerned the assassination of the British Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval.  The 11th of May, however, is now generally remembered for a more modern tragedy - the fire at Bradford City's Valley Parade.

A Scottish Tenor...

Today we return to the world of classical music, and opera in particular, by looking at the life and career of Scottish lyric tenor, Joseph Hislop.

The Weekend's Events...

As most of you will know, Britain has a new Princess, the Princess of Cambridge.  Born to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana is understandably grabbing most of the headlines over there!  However, there were some other events from the last few days, particularly from the world of sport, but some were not so good, even tragic.  Here are a few of the items...