Discover the Welsh language

Closely related to Cornish, the native language of the English county Cornwall, and to Breton, the native language of Brittany, north western France, Welsh – or Cymraeg to its speakers – dates back to the 6th century, making it one of Europe’s oldest living languages. It evolved from the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Britons and …

Visit Wales and its 641 castles – a mixture of gothic, medieval, and Victorian styles

With its rolling hills and numerous royal conquests, there’s no place where history comes alive in such a lush setting as it does in Wales. Everywhere you look, the evidence of kings, queens, conflict and empire call to you. There are more than 600 castles – 641 to be precise – so even without trying …

United Kingdom unemployment matches ours – and they use funny terms to describe it

Read this for news on the world economy, or just enjoy the interesting words the Brits use to describe their unemployment: Jobseekers Allowance (unemployment benefits), shadow work (?)…   UK unemployment total falls to 2.58m The unemployment rate fell to 8.1% in the period, down from 8.3% in the previous quarter. The ONS figures showed that the …

Archaeologist discover Shakespeare’s original theater

The remains of London’s second playhouse, The Curtain Theatre, could be unearthed in Shoreditch as part of a development by Plough Yard Developments. The Curtain Theatre was home to William Shakespeare’s company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, before they settled at the Globe and staged several of Shakespeare’s plays including Romeo and Juliet. Despite being immortalised …

82% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Queen Elizabeth II

As Britain prepares to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year on the throne, the sovereign’s popularity in the United States is at a 15-year high — 82% of Americans say they have a favorable opinion of the queen in a CNN/ORC poll released Friday. That’s a 35-point jump from 1997, when her favorable rating stood …

Modern Royals – Rainbow Queen in the British Vogue

Note that it says the Queen prefers: 29% – blue 13% – floral 11% – cream or green 10% – pink or purple 4%  – red, orange, or yellow 2%  – black 1%  – checkered or beige And, some close-ups.

Anglophiles rejoice, another British epic – Anthony Powell's novels, A Dance to the Music of Time

Seven Reasons to Read A Dance to the Music of Time In the fall of 2009, I left the United States to spend a school year teaching English in China. There were many things to do before leaving, but one of the more pleasurable was choosing which books would see me through the year. When …

Anglophiles rejoice, another British epic – Anthony Powell’s novels, A Dance to the Music of Time

Seven Reasons to Read A Dance to the Music of Time In the fall of 2009, I left the United States to spend a school year teaching English in China. There were many things to do before leaving, but one of the more pleasurable was choosing which books would see me through the year. When …

The face of courageous sacrifice and suffering, Jean d'Aire – sculpture by August Rodin

On August 1, 1347, the city of Calais in France had fallen. The siege had been long, over 8 months, and the citizens were proud of their massive castle which was over 1,000 yards wide, surrounded by two moats, and protected by the sea at its back. The terms of the surrender were the lives …

The face of courageous sacrifice and suffering, Jean d’Aire – sculpture by August Rodin

On August 1, 1347, the city of Calais in France had fallen. The siege had been long, over 8 months, and the citizens were proud of their massive castle which was over 1,000 yards wide, surrounded by two moats, and protected by the sea at its back. The terms of the surrender were the lives …