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Category: News Round Up

AN article in the Daily Express newspaper says that mystery surrounds scribbles discovered among

ruins at the 7th century Tintagel Castle, which has links to the legendary King Arthur.

They have been found on a two foot stone at the medieval castle in Cornwall and features a mixture of Christian symbols, Latin writing and Greek lettering.

Michelle Brown, a writing expert from the University of London, said: “The lettering style and language used, as well as Christian symbols exhibiting Mediterranean influence and contacts, all reveal precious clues to the culture of those who lived at Tintagel in the 7th century.”

She added: “The text suggests a high level of literacy and an awareness of contemporary writing styles associated with the early illuminated manuscripts of Britain and Ireland.”

 

 

The Guardian reports that there are doubts over a landmark sculpture in Somerset after a crowdfunding campaign fell short of its target.

The 12 metre high Willow Man next to the M5, which was built at the turn of the century, has become a familiar sight both for local travellers and holidaymakers heading to and from Devon and Cornwall.

Creator Serena de la Hey launched an appeal to raise £75,000 to rebuild the figure, but only £16,000 has been pledged.

She told the Guardian that the nature of the material used meant Willow Man was originally envisaged as a temporary piece, which would stand for only about three years.

“Back then three years seemed enough to be going on with. But it has become part of people’s lives and has also become part of my professional and personal life. It is my calling card and it will be difficult to let it go.”

 

 

The historic Hadrian's Wall has been damaged by metal detectorists who have been blamed for more than 50 holes found around the 1,900-year-old Brunton Turret section, near Hexham, Northumberland.

According to the BBC, Historic England reckons those responsible were searching for loot such as Roman coins and military regalia.

Mike Collins, the organisation's inspector of ancient monuments, said: “We know that the majority of the metal detecting community complies with the laws and regulations regarding discovery and recovery of objects from the land.

“But the small number of people who steal artefacts and damage ancient sites are breaking the law and robbing us all of the knowledge and understanding that objects from the past can give us.”

 

 

The Guardian says that a portrait of Queen Victoria, showing her with” brutal realism as an ageing, pouchy cheeked woman with tired eyes” has been saved from export at a cost of more than £1m.

The bust was sold last year to an undisclosed museum in New York, but the government delayed the granting of an export licence in the hope that a UK institution could match the price.

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge used a recent bequest, and a National Heritage Memorial Fund grant of over £260,000, to raise the £1,077,607 price and it will now go on display in the museum.

The marble portrait was carved by Sir Alfred Gilbert – best known for the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus – between 1887-89.

 

 

According to the BBC, around 9.500 people gathered at the Neolithic monument at Stonehenge in Wiltshire for the summer solstice..

The summer solstice is one of the rare occasions that English Heritage opens up the stones for public access.

Reference list:

The Express (www.express.co.uk)

The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk)

BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)

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Parent Category: English Articles
Category: News Round Up

WE don't get many in the UK but when we do, the newspapers give it full attention.

An article in The Guardian says that Lincolnshire suffered a 3.9-magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in Grimsby.

The British Geological Survey (BSG) said the seismic event took place at a depth of 18 kilometres (11 miles), with its epicentre in the north-east Lincolnshire seaside town. No serious damage is thought to have been caused.

 

 

According to the Daily Star, divers have found the 330 year old remains of Britain's richest shipwreck.

The merchant ship President sank near Loe Bar, Cornwall in February 1684 laden with a precious cargo of diamonds and pearls from India with all but two of her crew dying.

The Star reports that recent storms may have shifted sands, revealing the wreck to Cornwall Maritime Archaeology divers David Gibbins and Mark Milburn.

David said: “Loe Bar is usually a dangerous place to dive - the entry and exit are treacherous even with the smallest of waves. The recent period of calm weather has allowed us to get in for the first time in months.

“During our dive we were thrilled to discover seven cannons and an anchor at the site, only a few metres from shore in less than seven metres depth.”

He added: “We were exploring an area where artefacts had never previously been recorded, and we realised we were looking at new finds.”

 

 

Liverpool will get some of its greatest treasures out of storage for nine days in August to celebrate the Biennial arts festival including the 30,000 Minton tiles of St George’s Hall, one of the most spectacular surviving Victorian floors.

The Guardian says that other treasures being celebrated include “Waterloo teeth” harvested from the battlefield for sale as dentures; the Allerton oak, believed to be about 1,000 years old; centuries of art treasures from the Walker Gallery, from Giovanni Bellini to David Hockney; the civic silver collection including a mace once part of the regalia of Charles II; and the Central Library’s copy of Audubon’s Birds of America, one of only 120 elephant folio copies in the world.

 

 

The Independent informs us that the last polar bear in South Korea is to spend its retirement in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster.

Twenty four year old Tongki, who currently lives at the Everland theme park, just south of Seoul,

is to be the latest addition to its Project Polar reserve in at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, joining their

other polar bears – Victor, Pixel, Nissan and Nobby – in November.

 

 

Wildlife warning via The Independent.... the populations of much-loved British mammals including hedgehogs and water voles have dropped by up to two-thirds over the past 20 years, and many more are threatened with imminent extinction.

These findings come from a review carried out by the Mammal Society and Natural England - the first of its kind to be conducted in more than two decades – which shows that pesticide use, invasive species and road deaths have all taken their toll.

 

 

James Bond fans might be interested to read a story in the Daily Express which says that a brooch worn a character from the iconic spy films – Miss Moneypenny – is to be sold auction.

The bug brooch was worn by actress Lois Maxwell in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Octopussy in 1983.

The turquoise brooch's design features wings set with diamonds, ruby eyes, and a polished stone body mounted in 18-carat gold and has an estimated value of between £2,000 and £4,000.

It will be sold by Ewbank's Auctions in Surrey on Wednesday, June 20.

Reference list:
The Express (www.express.co.uk)

The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk)

The Independent (www.independent.co.uk)

Daily Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)

Daily Star (www.daily star.co.uk)

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Category: Culture Articles

Practising your smile gives you a happy appearance

Smiling a lot is a valued trait: People who often smile sincerely radiate likeability, connect easily with others and are appreciated more.

By smiling, you make a positive impression that will assist in making contacts and reaching your goals. Moreover, smiling makes you feel good. However, not all smiles are created equal, and it is not a good idea to smile in every situation.

Let's face it, smiling is not always as easy as it looks, which might be why why we often indulge in it so sparingly. When all is said and done, it takes a bit of practice to turn smiling into a habit. In this article I will provide you with some ideas on how to practise, in the hopes of putting a pleasant smile on your face that stays there for a long time.

 

 

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Parent Category: English Articles
Category: Travel Articles

Travel Alone

Some people shy away from travelling alone, a few embrace it. So, what is it that makes it an attractive option? What are the advantages of going it alone?

Well first things first, travelling solo can be very liberating. The itinerary you set and all the decisions you make are yours and yours alone. You don't need to worry about any other person or group. In other words, there's no need to compromise, there are no arguments, and no need to second-guess what other people want or need.  Actually, you can be completely selfish.

Travelling alone is also a great confidence builder. Yes, at times it can feel a bit lonely, but that is just one of many problems you will have to solve yourself, along with making your own arrangements, and setting your own goals.

“Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.” – Wendell Berry

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Category: Business English

Procrastination

8 Questions To Ask Yourself

Why am I constantly putting things off? Why don't I do the things I'm supposed" to do, but don't really want to? Why do I always seem to be forcing myself to do things? Whether it's chores at home, work for school, or projects at work, how do I get beyond procrastination? Most often, something is operating "underneath" the procrastination. Asking yourself these nine questions and spending some conscious time reflecting on your responses can help you uncover why you are resisting doing what needs to be done and support you to move beyond procrastination.

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Category: Science and Technology

Mosquitoes are small, midge-like flies, in fact the word "mosquito" is Spanish for "little fly".

Mosquitoes feed on the blood of various kinds of hosts, mainly vertebrates, mainly mammals.  However, some mosquitoes also attack invertebrates, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even some kinds of fish. Although the loss of blood is seldom of any importance to the victim, the saliva of the mosquito often causes a nasty irritation that we call a bite.

However, it can be much more serious.  Many species of mosquitoes act as vectors of diseases. In passing from host to host, some transmit extremely harmful infections such as malaria, yellow fever, Chikungunya, West Nile virus, dengue fever, filariasis, Zika virus and other arboviruses, rendering it the deadliest animal family in the world.