Category: Cool Britannia

2013 Annual Cheese-Rolling Race!

This past Bank-Holiday Monday saw the weird and wonderful calendar of oddball traditions and activities in Britain move to Coopers Hill in Gloucestershire.  Though the world media concentrates on sporting events such as Wimbledon, Badminton Horse Trials, Sailing, Formula 1 and The Open what most of us are interested in are much more low-key events… Continue reading 2013 Annual Cheese-Rolling Race!

Terrrorism returns to London as brave passerby potentially saves many lives.

Yesterday the lunch time news in Britain was headlined by the successful conviction of an IRA terrorist who in 1982 killed 11 people and 7 horses in a twin bombing in London’s Green and Hyde Parks.  By 6pm, a new act of terrorism had taken over the news. At about 2.20pm on Wednesday 23rd May… Continue reading Terrrorism returns to London as brave passerby potentially saves many lives.

The beautiful, magical Silver Swan Automaton at The Bowes Museum

Every now and then when you go travelling, you come across something out of the ordinary.  If you are very lucky, you might see something unique and quite amazing, the Silver Swan is such a sight. The Silver Swan Automaton is housed in the Bowes Museum, just outside the small but pretty market-town of Barnards… Continue reading The beautiful, magical Silver Swan Automaton at The Bowes Museum

The State Opening of Parliament and the Official Role of The Queen

Wednesday saw the annual State Opening of Parliament centred around the Queens Speech.  It is perhaps the key moment for the Queen in political life and in it she explains of the coming policies and proposed laws for the future year in a similar way to the State of the Union speech in the United… Continue reading The State Opening of Parliament and the Official Role of The Queen

Plague victims discovered in London and The Black Death

In recent days it has become clear that whilst building London’s new cross-rail project, archaeologists have found a mass underground burial.  It is suspected that the remains of these people are the unfortunate victims of The Plague or Black Death as it is often known as. Despite the rather stupid questioning from TV news presenters,… Continue reading Plague victims discovered in London and The Black Death

A Soliloquy to my childhood city or a brief guide to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Though I have lived in the London area for most of my life, I still don’t really consider myself as being at home here.  No offence to anyone but home is always home and the city I consider home is that of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North-East of England some 320 miles away. Newcastle… Continue reading A Soliloquy to my childhood city or a brief guide to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

You think that you know Great Britain?

It easy for people who don’t live here (and even for some of us who do) to think that everything in Britain is old. We’re famous for old buildings and traditions but huge construction projects such as the London Olympics are helping to show us in a new light. Throughout much of the mid-late 20th… Continue reading You think that you know Great Britain?

What’s in a name? The name’s Liddell, Stephen Liddell.

Today is one of those days where I had a whole slew of subjects that I could write about but one thing led to the other which is why I am here writing about Robert Burns, the famous Scottish poet whose birth was celebrated on January 25th as it is every year.  Or actually I’m… Continue reading What’s in a name? The name’s Liddell, Stephen Liddell.