Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation

On 2nd June 1953, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place. Villages, towns and cities across the UK were decorated in red, white and blue bunting, and in London the roads were packed with people waiting to see the royal processions.

Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock, located at the top of the 320-foot-high St. Stephen's Tower, on the north side of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London.



Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. clock itself first ticking on 31 May 1859.
Quick Facts about Big Ben
-Big Ben is the world's largest four-faced chiming clock.
-The clock became operational on 7th September 1859.
-The four faces of the clock are 55 meters above ground.
-The clock faces are 23 feet (7m) in diameter.
-The hour hand is 9 ft (2.7m) long, and the minute hand is 14 ft (4.3m) long.
-The pendulum is 3.9m long, weighs 300Kg and beats once every 2 seconds.
-At the base of each clock face is a Latin inscription, in gilt letters. It reads -

“Domine salvam fac Reginam nostrum Victoriam Primam”
"O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First"

Spies

Ian Flemming, the creator of the best known fictional spy James Bond, was born on 28 May 1908 in London. As well as writing many spy books, he is also the author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – the children’s story about the car which flies.

Learn to read the Tramps' Language

Tramps used to leave chalked signs on garden gates, walls and fences to warn future tramps the type of hospitality to expect. They were invented by tramps many years ago, and with only slight variations are the same in every part of Europe and America.

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge opened to to pedestrians on 27 May 1937 and vehicular traffic the next day.

What is the Golden Gate Bridge?

The Golden Gate Bridge is a 1.7 mile-long (8,981 feet or 2,737 m) suspension bridge in California. It spans the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean.

At the time it opened, the Golden Gate bridge was one of the world's largest single-span suspension bridges (The longest from 1937 until 1964).

• Total length: Including approaches, 1.7 miles (8,981 feet or 2,737 m)
• Middle span: 4,200 feet (1,966 m).
• Width: 90 feet (27 m)
• Clearance above the high water (average): 220 feet (67 m)

Towers:

• 746 feet (227 m) above the water
• 500 feet (152 m) above the roadway
• Each leg is 33 x 54 feet (10 x 16 m)

Pearly Kings and Queens

Who were the the Pearly Kings?

The Pearly Kings were the leaders of the Victorian street sellers.

How did they get their name?

They got their name because they wore 'pearl' buttons on their hats as a sign of authority. Later they began to wear clothes covered all over in buttons.
The London tradition of the Pearly Kings and Queens began in 1875, by a small lad named Henry Croft, an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity.

The title of Pearly King is passed down in the family, and there are Pearly Queens, Princes and Princesses too. Originally there were 28 families, one for each of the London boroughs, one for the City of Westminster, and one for the City of London.

They now spend their free time collecting for charity

Meals and Meal Times

BREAKFAST

What is a typical English Breakfast?

Most people around the world seem to think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup of coffee. Now-a-days, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee.
Many people, especially children, in England will eat a bowl of cereal.

LUNCH

What is a typical British lunch?

Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container.
Sandwiches are also known as a 'butty' or 'sarnie' in some parts of the UK.
My favourite sandwich is prawn and mayonnaise. I also love tuna and mayonnaise and ham and pickle sandwiches.

DINNER

The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.

What is a typical British Dinner?

In Britain eat curry! Rice or pasta dishes are now favoured as the 'British Dinner'.
Vegetables grown in England, like potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages and onions, are still very popular.

Greeting Etiquette in Britain (UK)

                                How to Greet someone in Britain

The Handshake

A handshake is the most common form of greeting among the English and British people and is customary when you are introduced to somebody new.

The Kiss

It is only when you meet friends, whom you haven't seen for a long time, that you would kiss the cheek of the opposite sex. In Britain one kiss is generally enough.

Formal greetings

First person "How do you do?"
Second person " How do you do?"
'How are you?' is a question and the most common and polite response is "I am fine thank you and you?"
First person "How are you?"
Second person "I am fine thank you and you?"
Nice to meet you – Nice to meet you too. (Often said whilst shaking hands)
Delighted to meet you– Delighted to meet you too.
Pleased to meet you – Pleased to meet you too. .
Glad to meet you - Glad to meet you too
Good Morning / Good Afternoon / Good Evening
Informal greetings
Hi or hello
Morning / Afternoon / Evening ( Theydrop the word 'Good' in informal situations).
How's you? - Fine thanks. You?

Thank you / thanks / cheers

They sometime say 'cheers' instead of thank you. You may hear 'cheers' said instead of 'good bye', what they are really saying is 'thanks and bye'.
                                                                                   

Types of Transport in Britain

Roads and motorways are Britain's primary domestic transport routes. There are some 225,000 miles (362,000 km) of roads in Britain.

Travel by car, van, bus or taxi is by far the most common means of transport.

The red double decker buses (pictured below) are famous all over the world. You can see loads of them in London.

                                                      Make a London bus out of paper

Meals and Meal Times

Some people have their biggest meal in the middle of the day and some have it in the evening, but most people today have a small mid-day meal - usually sandwiches, and perhaps some crisps and some fruit.

They have three main meals a day:

• Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
• Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
• Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)

Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:

(Traditional English Breakfast)
• Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
• Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
• Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.

On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, yorkshire pudding and two or three kinds of vegetables.

DRINKING TEA

Tea

Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Every day they drink 165 million cups of the stuff and each year around 144 thousand tons of tea are imported.

Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a warmed china teapot, adding one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Most Britons like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk.

The traditional way of making tea is:

• Boil some fresh cold water. (We use an electric kettle to boil water)
• Put some hot water into the teapot to make it warm.
• Pour the water away
• Put one teaspoon of tea-leaves per person, and one extra tea-spoon, into the pot.
• Pour boiling water onto the tea.
• Leave for a few minutes.
• Serve

Candlesmas Day

                  Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. 

Some history

By the seventh century it had become the custom to begin the worship service on February 2 with candlelighting by the congregation gathered outside the worship area followed by a procession into the Church with all carrying their lighted candles. This was to relive Simeon's experience of meeting the "light of nations" at the temple.