Trying to stop the body snatchers with a mortsafe.
A look at the attempts to prevent the resurrection men taking away dead bodies.
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When German U-Boats sailed into British ports
This rather curious image showing the German U-Boat 'U 155', better known as Deutschland, moored by Tower Bridge, London, is an example of just one of the surrendered German submarines which were taken around various British ports
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Who was Marks and Spencer?
The story of the two men who founded the famous store.
Marks and Spencer is one of the UK’s leading retail brands. It employs over 80,000 people in 500 stores in over 30 countries. In 2011 clothing and
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Why do some English churches have round towers?
How local building materials dictate building style.
Most English churches have square towers, but there are small number which have round towers. They are to be found mainly in the East Anglian counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and
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Britain's greatest wartime civilian tragedy
During the World War II Britain was at war with Germany and was undergoing frequent bombing raids on its cities. Many Londoners would seek refuge in the Underground (the Tube), the subway train service which operates under central London.
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When Cleopatra's Needle was almost lost at sea
Cleopatra's Needle stands on the north bank of the River Thames on the Victoria Embankment, central London. It is an ancient Egyptian obelisk and one of a pair. The other one now stands in New York. The name Cleopatra is inappropriate as they were made hundreds of years before Cleopatra's reign.
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Britons made slaves
When pirates raided the coasts of Britain looking for slaves.
The patriotic song Rule Britannia proclaims "Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves; Britons never will be slaves." But contrary to the song, there was a time when some Britons had been made slaves.
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The first artificial ice rink
The first artificial ice rink was made in London, England, in December 1841. It was chemically produced, not made from water.
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For how long has the word ‘Jackboot’ been used to mean oppression?
A look back at the origin of the word.
A jackboot (or jack boot) is a boot worn by the military. It rises to mid-calf or up to the knee, no laces, and often with nails on the soles, or irons on
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Why did Pepys bury his Parmesan cheese?
It's surprising what people will bury.
Samuel Pepys the great diarist was awoken on 2 September 1666 by his servant who told him of a great fire she had seen in the city. This was the start of the Great Fire of London which
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The first British casualties of war in 1939
A sad story for animal lovers.
A few days after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 when Britain went to war against Germany, the first casualty of war
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The American high diver
The story of a great showman who met his death in the Thames.
Samuel Gilbert Scott, b.c.1813 in Philadelphia, became famous in Britain for his daring act of high-diving and other stunts until he met his
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What servants would you find in a Victorian household?
Did your ancestor work below stairs? From butlers to scullery maid.
The Victorian period in Britain saw a peak in the numbers of servants employed in households. All upper class houses
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The first demonstration of street lighting using gas
Lighting the dark streets of London.
The use of gas for light was first demonstrated by William Murdock who lit his home and workshop in Redruth, Cornwall, England, in 1792. Soon after he became the manager of Boulton and Watt's steam engine works in...
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What were Church Briefs?
How money was raised for rebuilding a church or freeing captured slaves.
Before the introduction of fire insurance, if a church or chapel in England was burnt down or damaged by fire, then the rector and churchwardens were reliant on voluntary donations to repair the church. The same applied to churches that were in a poor
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Could a hanged criminal cure cysts and warts?
When sufferers of a medical ailment would flock to public executions.
Before medical science established the cause and cure of cysts and warts there was considerable folklore and superstition surrounding them.
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Which English King was shot in the face with an arrow when he was sixteen?
The young warlike harry.
Henry V, King of England, victor of the Battle of Agincourt, and hero of a Shakespeare play, would have died at the age of 16 if it were not for the skill of his surgeon in removing an arrow shot in his face during battle.
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The first Big Ben
A cracking story of the famous bell.
2009 was the 150th anniversary of the famous four-faced clock in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster and its Great Bell better known by its nickname 'Big Ben'. The clock started on 31 May 1859, but the bell did not first strike in the
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When was the RSPCA founded?
A look at the first steps on the road to animal welfare.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, better known as the RSPCA, is Britain's largest animal charity and has been preventing cruelty to animals since 1824.
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Who was the first British monarch to travel by rail?
Queen Victoria found the whole event quite charming.
On 13 June 1842, Queen Victoria left Windsor Castle to undertake her first train journey. She was no doubt a little nervous, after all, railways were a relatively new technology and their safety record was appalling compared with today's statistics.
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What was the King's Evil?
When touching a monarch was believed to be a cure for illness.
The King's Evil was the name given to scrofula, the swelling of the bones and lymphatic glands in the neck. Now recognised to be tuberculosis.
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Why was Wellington called the Iron Duke?
We discover the true origin of the nickname.
One of the great generals of British history is Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington (1769–1852). Following military success in India, during
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The Resurrection
Ruthie and Winfield pulled against Ma’s arm in an effort to peer around her form. Their entreaty was to glimpse the secret that lay within the gloom of the barn, yet that secret remained elusive. Their heads dropped. The moment had passed, and new wonders beckoned to their senses. From the depths of an old tool shed that abutted the large open-ended barn, other imaginings enticed them from within its planked interior. They darted from Ma’s embrace to the tool shed, where easier secrets lay to be found. The undiscovered secrets they sought were hidden amongst a pile of old discarded hand and farming tools. These consisted mainly of blunt shears and broken fork handles, that waited in a rusting heap for repair.
Pa shuffled his feet in the twilight, “Is our girl goin’ to be awright?”
“Sure”, replied Ma, letting out a proud smile, “Roseasharn’s a fine full woman - she’s goin’ to do jes’ fine. I’m real proud, an’ no mistake. …Take a while though.” Ma paused, and peered back through a crack between the boards of the door to the silhouette of the young woman. “Reckon’ we’re goin’ be here the night, least ways. Let’s get set over there,” she offered, pointing her hand across to the interior of the open shed. The others followed her prompt into the deep gloom, and their shadows melted into nothingness. Ma listened to the steady rain drumming upon the roof, and spoke aloud to the darkness, “Better be up and gone ‘afore light; owner’s gonna be about - maybe dogs too.”
Pa shuffled his feet in the twilight, “Is our girl goin’ to be awright?”
“Sure”, replied Ma, letting out a proud smile, “Roseasharn’s a fine full woman - she’s goin’ to do jes’ fine. I’m real proud, an’ no mistake. …Take a while though.” Ma paused, and peered back through a crack between the boards of the door to the silhouette of the young woman. “Reckon’ we’re goin’ be here the night, least ways. Let’s get set over there,” she offered, pointing her hand across to the interior of the open shed. The others followed her prompt into the deep gloom, and their shadows melted into nothingness. Ma listened to the steady rain drumming upon the roof, and spoke aloud to the darkness, “Better be up and gone ‘afore light; owner’s gonna be about - maybe dogs too.”
Pa and Uncle John moved into the unyielding darkness, and began lying straw and empty feed sacks upon the hard floor, “She ain’t much, but she’s dry,” said Pa. The extended Joad family rested their weary limbs into the coolness offered by the dark night, and although Ruthie and Winfield fidgeted upon the sacking, star-spun dreams washed away their tiredness into the blackness of the void.
…‘Tommy’.
The rain finally gave up its steady drumbeat, and the hope of a new day rested within the bosom of the heavens.
Al flipped the carburettor, and jabbed his forefinger at the fuel line, and cursed the puddles of water that lay within the engine bay. The battery cables were greasy and slipped through his sore fingers. He sighed to himself; ‘She’ll never dry here – have ta move her to higher ground.’
The water level had dropped two clear inches in the night, but not before precious and meagre belongings piled onto the boards of the van had been soaked through. ‘Gonna take all of us to move her through this mud,’ continued Al aloud, to no one in particular, and he laid the tarp over the bonnet of the sodden vehicle and tied down the tapes.
The steel grey sky had cleared and the morning light was rising to an opaque shimmer, yet the air was cool and brisk. There was a kick in the air, and sweet hope swept in anew from the fields, and life seeped slowly back into the exhausted soil and the tired people. The song of tomorrow was let loose. The tarpaulin billowed, filled, and shook fully under the sudden movement of the new air.
In the barn, the bridge to the troubled soul held fast, and the shrivelled figure began to stir once again. The gift of life spurted through the thin figure of the starving man, and colour began to return to his gaunt face. The man turned upon the straw bedding, and curled himself like an infant. Life was reborn, and the man breathed fully once again.
Rose of Sharon leant her head against the knotty post that supported the open end of the barn, and gazed out wistfully across the vastness of the pink horizon. She felt a connection with the land, and her breasts hung heavily beneath her cotton dress, but the soreness and sorrow remained. She heard a familiar voice, turned and smiled. “He’s ok, Ma. Sleeping like a baby...”
“You has to get some sleep Roseasharn,” offered Ma, pressing forward, “I reckon you missed your fill. We can’t rest up here too long – have to get the fambly whole again.” Ma threw a heavy wool wrap around the shoulders of the young woman. “You did what you had to - I know’d you would.”
Rose of Sharon's eyes burst with tears, “We lost our baby Ma!”
“I knows ya hurtin' honeychild, but it's the way of things - tis God's way,” offered Ma, and she turned and looked at Uncle John, who was holding a hand to his grizzled jaw.
The boy emerged from the tool shed and dropped to his knees at the curled figure. “He ain’t goin’ to die? Tell me lady!” pleaded the boy, looking into the eyes of Rose of Sharon, seeking confirmation of hope.
“Hush, now don’t you fret non, he’s a sleepin’,” said Ma. “Goin’ to do hisself a power of good, an’ no mistake – you let him be now. There’ll be time for stirrin’ soon enough,” she said. Ma laid her arms into her lap and turned her worried gaze to the shrivelled figure, “Let him sleep now.”
Uncle John stood motionless. He stared out into the night and the star-spattered canopy that spread over the heavens.
The morning light rose, and the dark shadows of yesterday began to melt away. Ma spoke again. “Come on Pa, we gotta get ourselves together - we has to get back.” Her eyes were aflame, yet the tears of the night were still etched upon her haunted face.
Pa slipped into the good light of the barn, and unrolled a grain sack upon the floor, and smiled, ”Found a few handfuls o’ grain in them; reckon no one’ll miss what’s left. …Enough for a fair feed I reckon.”
Ma eyed the humble offering and recognised the truth and the unrelenting shame. The shame fled from her mind as she thought of Tommy. “Sure, good.” The drumbeat of humiliation beat heavily once more across the Joad family, and the yoke of hunger remained. As one, they looked through the open end of the barn, and listened to the new sound of the day that called to them.
The rain had stopped.
The song of tomorrow beckoned a new dawn, and at once, the gloom was lifted from the face of the land. The anger that had sustained the people for so long was folded away, like a new dollar bill that would be kept for another day. Their share of losing had been halted in the hope of the new light, The beginnings of life had returned, and hope was yielded up to the pressed people as a sunlit offering. The sun smiled once again upon the land, and onto the faces of the people.
The boy watched the family slip through the morning shadows of the barn. They began to pull at their damp clothes. He spoke, and although the words he uttered were small, they stabbed deeply into the heart of the virgin day.
The day stopped.
“What’ll we do? …We’ve got no folks.”
The family turned and looked at the boy, and silence filled every space of the new day. Pa and Uncle looked to the others, and then to the ground, Ma looked at Ruthie and Winfield, and Rose of Sharon looked into the boy’s eyes, and understood the truth.
“I’ll stay”, she said quietly, and as she smiled into the open faces around her, and added, “‘till he comes to,” and nodded her head at the curled figure.
Ma came to herself, recognising the new power emerging, and spoke softly, “Roseasharn, if you’re sure, I mean …you keep with these fellas ‘til you’re full rested. We has to go back.”
“I know. We’ll be quiet, no one will know we’re here,” replied Rose of Sharon in the softly lifting light.
Pa stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulders; “You’re a good girl Rosie. Keep quiet, an’ we’ll come back soon, once we get squared.”
“Gonna make a real soup an' fetch back some baking, for you and the boy,” offered Ma quickly.
Ma embraced Rose of Sharon fully and brushed back her long hair, “Keep yer’ selves quiet now, you hear? We’ll be back, real soon.” She looked at the boy, saw the fear fade, and felt his faith, the faith of the people – and knew the truth.
“Be as quick as we can,” continued Ma, casting a worried glance into the face of the new woman, “Roseasharn, sit tight now ya hear? An’ get some rest – why we’ll be back before you knows it.”
The parcel of land that ran from the worn-out field stretched far away, to the dirt road, and the slope of the land twinkled in the moist morning. The Joad family stepped quietly and carefully across the mud and the mire. Under the white light of a new day, they made their way back down to the road. Under the realm of the breaking dawn they slipped soundlessly back along the highway to the camp.
Some of the boxcars in the camp had shifted in the night, to become dislodged from their sleepers by the rushing water and swirling mud. The fall of the water level had left a black tide mark around the belly of the cars, and everywhere people splashed about, trying to find drying places for their wet clothes. The morning air was clean and crisp, but the wilful air had thrown many of their clothes back into the running water.
Diamond points of light flashed into the eyes of the family as they stacked their soggy bundles. The loading of the truck had now become as tiresome as the search for dry hanging space, but their heavy limbs worked purposefully in the promising light of the new day. Clear space was found upon the roof of the truck, and although the tugging wind had delayed an early start, they gathered their belongings quickly. Movement had returned to the washed-out and muddy camp, and all around old engines began to throb with life.
It was a new start.
Within the vastness of eternity, time has nowhere to hide, and the world turned slowly once again. Dignity held fast, and the sudden change of weather filled the beleaguered people with fresh faith and fresh hope. New life had returned, and the promise of the open road and a new tomorrow called out to the people, and they followed...
221 Gum
When I was seven years old our street and the one that ran parallel to ours was more than enough of a play area for me. Father Christmas had presented me with a brand new Raleigh Tomahawk the Christmas before and my best friend Barry and I would race each other from top to bottom of the two roads for hours until we were exhausted. He was a year and a half older than me and he had a Raleigh Chopper and therefore had the unfair advantage of having three gears to play with. Even so I was never far behind him when we raced.
It was the summer of ´74 and unseasonably hot. Our bikes lay on their sides glinting in the sunlight on the grass verge at the top of our road as we sat gasping for breath after our last race.
“There´s gypsies over the other side,” said Barry indicating his thumb towards the road opposite.
“What´s gypsies?” I asked.
“They live in caravans and steal peoples washing;” he answered.
It was the summer of ´74 and unseasonably hot. Our bikes lay on their sides glinting in the sunlight on the grass verge at the top of our road as we sat gasping for breath after our last race.
“There´s gypsies over the other side,” said Barry indicating his thumb towards the road opposite.
“What´s gypsies?” I asked.
“They live in caravans and steal peoples washing;” he answered.
I knew what a caravan was but I´d never seen one in real life. There was only one car on both of our streets, an old faded green Ford Corsair and I had my doubts that the car had the strength to even pull a caravan. On the rare occasions that it actually moved from its parking space opposite the waste ground between the houses it backfired like a machine gun, belching out thick black smoke and we could usually overtake it whilst going uphill on our bikes.
“I know where they are,” continued Barry, “Do you want to go and see?”
Now I knew I wasn´t allowed to venture any further than our two streets but technically speaking the place where Barry told me that they were still fell under our two street limit, albeit a little set back from the streets. The temptation to see an actual caravan almost outweighed the fear of my mum finding out and I surprised myself by agreeing to follow Barry to the gypsy camp.
We cycled down the road and turned up the opposite road towards where the old Ford was parked. Dismounting our bikes we pushed our way through the weeds and the nettles until we came across a clearing. A round pool around the size of about three or four normal paddling pools lay in the centre of the clearing spinning clockwise lazily in the sunlight.
“It´s a whirlpool,” whispered Barry knowingly. “Watch this.”
Barry lifted a stick from the ground and threw it into the water. The stick landed at the edge of the pool with an almost imperceptible splash, disappearing for a second before bobbing back to the surface. Within seconds it began rotating in unison with the water, slowly making its way to the centre of the pool. As it reached the centre it simply disappeared.
“They´re really dangerous, if you fell in there you´ll get sucked away,” said Barry.
“Where do you get sucked to?” I asked.
“Straight down to Hell,” said Barry, a wealth of wisdom.
We´d only just started doing proper Bible study at school and I was weary of going to Hell so I stayed well clear of what I thought must have been Hell´s giant plughole. Pressing on we made our way over to the thicket of trees that lay ahead. It was then I saw it.
“Barry look, it´s a horse.” I dropped my bike in the soft earth beneath the canopy of trees and stared out at the magnificent beast. I´d seen a few horses now and again but I´d never seen a pure white one before.
“She´s a beauty,” said Barry.
“I wonder who she belongs to,” I whispered trying my best not to spook the horse.
I didn´t have to wait long to find out for seconds later a boy around my age appeared from behind the flanks of the horse.
“Hiya,” he greeted shyly. “Her name´s Bess; Do you want to meet her?”
Barry dropped his bike next to mine and we approached the animal running our hands over its surprisingly coarse silky looking hair. The boy introduced himself and told us that they had set up here away from the rest of the camp because the other camp was too crowded.
“Come with me and I´ll show you our house.”
We left our bikes and followed the boy past a few large trees before entering yet another clearing. This one thankfully didn´t have a gateway to Hell situated in its centre. Instead a brightly coloured cart with a white tarpaulin above it dominated the space. It reminded me of the wagons I´d seen in old cowboy films only this one was painted with flowers and rainbows and had all sorts of sparkling bits hanging off it.
“My house,” said the boy proudly.
Barry and I looked on in awe. My house was an old blackened stone house that looked the same as all the others on the street and this kid lived in a wild-west wagon. Although I wasn´t sure of the word to describe how I felt, I know now as I´m older that it was the first time I´d felt pure envy.
“Mam,” he called out and a curtain shifted and a large lady with long black hair and a heaving bosom stepped out from behind it. “I´ve brought some friends over, this is Barry and this is Paul.”
“Pleased to meet you boys; You want a sandwich, I´m just making one for myself?”
Barry and I looked at each other and nodded our heads.
“Yes please,” we answered in unison.
Slowly we walked around the wagon, they called it a caravan, and I ran my hands over the smooth wooden wheels and the intricate painted designs.
“Bess drives this caravan,” said the boy. “She´s a real strong horse and she can set a good pace once she gets going.”
“Where do you go to school?” I asked.
“I don´t, my mum teaches me all I need to know.”
“I wish I didn´t have to go to school,” said Barry.
“Mum says it all rubbish that they teach you at school anyway,” said the boy shrugging his shoulders in a carefree manner.
“Sandwiches boys,” called the boy´s mother.
It was the first time I´d ever eaten potato crisp sandwiches and delicious they were too. After eating our sandwiches the boy fetched his bicycle from the back of the caravan and shouting a quick goodbye to his mum we returned to fetch our own bikes.
“I know a great place we can go,” said the gypsy boy, crossing himself the Catholic way as we passed the whirlpool.
We broke through the waste ground and followed the boy as he cycled up to the top of the road. When we reached the end of the tarmac both Barry and I stopped our bikes and watched as the boy cycled along the grasslands beyond our allowable range.
“Come on,” he shouted. “You have to see this.”
“Where are you going?” Barry shouted back.
“I´m not telling you, you have to see for yourself.”
Barry shifted his Chopper into first gear.
“Come on let´s go. If we don´t like it we can always just ride back.”
I climbed back on, my heart hammering in my chest, and cycled over the no-go line expecting to spontaneously combust or something but nothing happened and catching up with the boy we cycled our way into unfamiliar territory, the rough ground causing my front mudguard to rattle uncontrollably.
Suddenly the boy stopped in front of a huge clump of bushes and dismounting his bike he urged us to do the same.
The silence was ominous and I had to suppress the urge to cry. Barry didn´t look too comfortable either.
“Why are we stopping here?” Barry asked.
“This is one of the things I wanted to show you. Come give me a hand with these bushes.”
The boy grabbed a great handful of bush and lifted it off the ground.
“Hold this up while I crawl through,” he ordered.
We scrabbled at the bushes as they tore little cuts into our hands.
“Where are you going?” I whimpered my voice cracking.
“Just follow me. You´ll see.”
“You go first Paul, I´ll keep hold of this, it´ll be easier for me to hold it up than it is for you.”
I whispered a silent prayer and crawled into the leafy darkness.
“Over here,” called the boy.
I crawled behind him and then stopped in amazement. Barry was close behind me and I heard him scrambling his way next to me.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“I don´t know,” answered Barry.
Just in front of us was a huge concrete staircase littered with years of mould and mulched leaves. The smell was hugely overpowering and amplified by the dark black water at the bottom of whatever this thing was.
“This is where the spacemen hide when they come to invade the planet,” said the boy excited.
He crawled closer to the pit clutching a large stone in his left hand.
“I´m gonna throw this in there ,” he said.
“Don´t!” I cried out, afraid I might just pee my pants.
As he dropped the stone both Barry and I turned tail and scrabbled back the way we came breaking into the fresh air with undisguised relief.
The boy broke through the bushes seconds later smiling happily.
“What´s up are you scared?” he asked mockingly.
“No we´re not scared,” muttered Barry. “It stinks in there!”
Even though the sun was shining I still felt cold. It was years later that I found out what we had come upon had been an old air raid shelter.
“I think we should go back home now,” I said to Barry.
“You can´t go home now, I´ve got two more things to show you. One´s just at the bottom of there,” said the boy pointing towards an empty field.
“If this one´s as rubbish as the last one then we´re going back,” said Barry defiantly.
“Okay,” said the boy. “I know you won´t think this is rubbish.”
We freewheeled our way down to the bottom of the field until once again the boy stopped his bike and climbed off.
“Are you thirsty?” he asked.
I didn´t know about Barry but I sure was.
“Come here and I´ll show you how to get fresh water from the ground.”
Dropping our bikes we headed over to where the boy stood looking really smug.
“There´s nothing here,” said Barry sounding annoyed.
“Oh yes there is, watch!”
The boy bent down and pulled up a thick black pipe that had been hidden by the long grass. Lots of small interconnecting pipes were attached to the bigger pipes. With his free hand the boy found the end of one of the smaller of the pipes and wiping the end on his shirt he swiftly stuck the end of the smaller pipe in his mouth and began sucking hard. Finally he blew out a mouthful of water like a fountain from his mouth.
“It´s perfectly safe to drink,” he said reinserting the pipe into his mouth and once again sucking. This time we could see him swallowing the water.
“Come on have a go.”
We both found a smaller pipe and began sucking and then drinking the sweet cool water. Once we´d had our fill we both admitted that this was indeed a great find. I found out a few years later that these were experimental animal feeders mainly used for baby pigs which I have to admit took the shine off of the experience but on the day I felt like a pioneer who´d just discovered a new frontier.
“Right, just one more thing to show you,” said the boy with a sigh of relief that we hadn´t complained about his watery secret.
“I´ve saved the best for last. How good are your mountain climbing skills?”
Barry and I looked at each other and started laughing. Neither of us had ever seen a mountain. We pedaled our way back the way we came and then turned down a barely perceptible dusty path. I pulled alongside Barry.
“How did he find these places?” I asked surprised how well the boy knew his way around.
“I don´t know perhaps it´s ´cos gypsies move around a lot. Let´s get a move on, I don´t want to lose him.”
We cycled uphill for around two miles before the pathway began dropping and then finally leveled out. We had to carry our bicycles over some parts of the pathway where people had dumped old pots of paint and pieces of wood spiked with rusty nails. The flatter the pathway got the steeper the sides became until before long they were sheer rugged rock –face. The boy stopped just up ahead and grinning he pointed above us.
“This is the place. We´ll leave the bikes here and we have to climb up there.”
I looked up and couldn´t even see the top. I could feel my adrenaline pumping and I hadn´t even started climbing yet.
“Are you sure the bikes will be safe here?” I asked already looking for an excuse to back out.
“Ha, nobody comes this far down the path. Listen to this. HELLO!” he screamed at the top of his voice. The echo came back seconds later…Hello, Hello, Hello…
After all having a go at seeing who could have the longest echo we began to climb. It wasn´t as difficult as it looked from the ground but it was a long way up and I did my best not to look down as I climbed. My shirt was sticking to me as the fierce sun burned down on us from just above our destination and as I pulled myself up onto the ledge at the top I was feeling almost dizzy from the heat. The ledge wasn´t massive but it seated the three of us comfortably as we looked down at the specks of shiny steel that was our bicycles at the bottom of the gully.
“Isn´t this the best thing you´ve ever done?” asked the boy and we had to agree. It was definitely the best thing we´d ever done. Our two streets seemed a world away from here. We sat up there like kings on a throne for at least half an hour just drinking in the silence. I was Barry who broke the spell.
“We´re gonna have to get going if we´re gonna make it home on time.”
“Okay, we´ll race down,” said the boy.
“You two can race, I´m going at my own speed,” I said more worried about the climb down than I had been about climbing up.
Barry and the boy almost dived over the edge and I could hear them laughing as they raced to find the quickest way down. I looked down and took my tentative first step when I heard the scream. I watched in horror as the boy floated away from the rock-face, his arms snatching at the empty air. He landed on his back, his head cracking on a large rock with a sound like a snapping of a branch. I froze where I was and could feel the tears running down my cheeks.
“Barry,” I cried, “Are you okay?”
“I´m okay and you?”
“I´m scared. I´m too scared to move.” My voice quivered and I could feel my chest heaving.
“You have to move, we´ve got to get help. Our parents are gonna kill us…” he trailed off.
We both made it down that day, Barry a good ten minutes before me. He waited patiently for me, his back turned away from the fallen boy. We rode home like we had tigers in our tanks and never spoke of the incident ever again. I spent the rest of the summer ignoring Barry and I never again cycled on the road parallel to ours, I was afraid that the all seeing eye of the whirlpool would suck me right off of my bike and down to Hell for what we had done. I don´t know if he was ever found but we didn´t hear anything of the missing boy in our village.
Even now, forty years later, the thing that disturbs me most about that fateful day is the fact that I can´t for the life in me remember the boy´s name yet try as I might I could never forget that old green Ford Corsairs number plate – 221 GUM.
“I know where they are,” continued Barry, “Do you want to go and see?”
Now I knew I wasn´t allowed to venture any further than our two streets but technically speaking the place where Barry told me that they were still fell under our two street limit, albeit a little set back from the streets. The temptation to see an actual caravan almost outweighed the fear of my mum finding out and I surprised myself by agreeing to follow Barry to the gypsy camp.
We cycled down the road and turned up the opposite road towards where the old Ford was parked. Dismounting our bikes we pushed our way through the weeds and the nettles until we came across a clearing. A round pool around the size of about three or four normal paddling pools lay in the centre of the clearing spinning clockwise lazily in the sunlight.
“It´s a whirlpool,” whispered Barry knowingly. “Watch this.”
Barry lifted a stick from the ground and threw it into the water. The stick landed at the edge of the pool with an almost imperceptible splash, disappearing for a second before bobbing back to the surface. Within seconds it began rotating in unison with the water, slowly making its way to the centre of the pool. As it reached the centre it simply disappeared.
“They´re really dangerous, if you fell in there you´ll get sucked away,” said Barry.
“Where do you get sucked to?” I asked.
“Straight down to Hell,” said Barry, a wealth of wisdom.
We´d only just started doing proper Bible study at school and I was weary of going to Hell so I stayed well clear of what I thought must have been Hell´s giant plughole. Pressing on we made our way over to the thicket of trees that lay ahead. It was then I saw it.
“Barry look, it´s a horse.” I dropped my bike in the soft earth beneath the canopy of trees and stared out at the magnificent beast. I´d seen a few horses now and again but I´d never seen a pure white one before.
“She´s a beauty,” said Barry.
“I wonder who she belongs to,” I whispered trying my best not to spook the horse.
I didn´t have to wait long to find out for seconds later a boy around my age appeared from behind the flanks of the horse.
“Hiya,” he greeted shyly. “Her name´s Bess; Do you want to meet her?”
Barry dropped his bike next to mine and we approached the animal running our hands over its surprisingly coarse silky looking hair. The boy introduced himself and told us that they had set up here away from the rest of the camp because the other camp was too crowded.
“Come with me and I´ll show you our house.”
We left our bikes and followed the boy past a few large trees before entering yet another clearing. This one thankfully didn´t have a gateway to Hell situated in its centre. Instead a brightly coloured cart with a white tarpaulin above it dominated the space. It reminded me of the wagons I´d seen in old cowboy films only this one was painted with flowers and rainbows and had all sorts of sparkling bits hanging off it.
“My house,” said the boy proudly.
Barry and I looked on in awe. My house was an old blackened stone house that looked the same as all the others on the street and this kid lived in a wild-west wagon. Although I wasn´t sure of the word to describe how I felt, I know now as I´m older that it was the first time I´d felt pure envy.
“Mam,” he called out and a curtain shifted and a large lady with long black hair and a heaving bosom stepped out from behind it. “I´ve brought some friends over, this is Barry and this is Paul.”
“Pleased to meet you boys; You want a sandwich, I´m just making one for myself?”
Barry and I looked at each other and nodded our heads.
“Yes please,” we answered in unison.
Slowly we walked around the wagon, they called it a caravan, and I ran my hands over the smooth wooden wheels and the intricate painted designs.
“Bess drives this caravan,” said the boy. “She´s a real strong horse and she can set a good pace once she gets going.”
“Where do you go to school?” I asked.
“I don´t, my mum teaches me all I need to know.”
“I wish I didn´t have to go to school,” said Barry.
“Mum says it all rubbish that they teach you at school anyway,” said the boy shrugging his shoulders in a carefree manner.
“Sandwiches boys,” called the boy´s mother.
It was the first time I´d ever eaten potato crisp sandwiches and delicious they were too. After eating our sandwiches the boy fetched his bicycle from the back of the caravan and shouting a quick goodbye to his mum we returned to fetch our own bikes.
“I know a great place we can go,” said the gypsy boy, crossing himself the Catholic way as we passed the whirlpool.
We broke through the waste ground and followed the boy as he cycled up to the top of the road. When we reached the end of the tarmac both Barry and I stopped our bikes and watched as the boy cycled along the grasslands beyond our allowable range.
“Come on,” he shouted. “You have to see this.”
“Where are you going?” Barry shouted back.
“I´m not telling you, you have to see for yourself.”
Barry shifted his Chopper into first gear.
“Come on let´s go. If we don´t like it we can always just ride back.”
I climbed back on, my heart hammering in my chest, and cycled over the no-go line expecting to spontaneously combust or something but nothing happened and catching up with the boy we cycled our way into unfamiliar territory, the rough ground causing my front mudguard to rattle uncontrollably.
Suddenly the boy stopped in front of a huge clump of bushes and dismounting his bike he urged us to do the same.
The silence was ominous and I had to suppress the urge to cry. Barry didn´t look too comfortable either.
“Why are we stopping here?” Barry asked.
“This is one of the things I wanted to show you. Come give me a hand with these bushes.”
The boy grabbed a great handful of bush and lifted it off the ground.
“Hold this up while I crawl through,” he ordered.
We scrabbled at the bushes as they tore little cuts into our hands.
“Where are you going?” I whimpered my voice cracking.
“Just follow me. You´ll see.”
“You go first Paul, I´ll keep hold of this, it´ll be easier for me to hold it up than it is for you.”
I whispered a silent prayer and crawled into the leafy darkness.
“Over here,” called the boy.
I crawled behind him and then stopped in amazement. Barry was close behind me and I heard him scrambling his way next to me.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“I don´t know,” answered Barry.
Just in front of us was a huge concrete staircase littered with years of mould and mulched leaves. The smell was hugely overpowering and amplified by the dark black water at the bottom of whatever this thing was.
“This is where the spacemen hide when they come to invade the planet,” said the boy excited.
He crawled closer to the pit clutching a large stone in his left hand.
“I´m gonna throw this in there ,” he said.
“Don´t!” I cried out, afraid I might just pee my pants.
As he dropped the stone both Barry and I turned tail and scrabbled back the way we came breaking into the fresh air with undisguised relief.
The boy broke through the bushes seconds later smiling happily.
“What´s up are you scared?” he asked mockingly.
“No we´re not scared,” muttered Barry. “It stinks in there!”
Even though the sun was shining I still felt cold. It was years later that I found out what we had come upon had been an old air raid shelter.
“I think we should go back home now,” I said to Barry.
“You can´t go home now, I´ve got two more things to show you. One´s just at the bottom of there,” said the boy pointing towards an empty field.
“If this one´s as rubbish as the last one then we´re going back,” said Barry defiantly.
“Okay,” said the boy. “I know you won´t think this is rubbish.”
We freewheeled our way down to the bottom of the field until once again the boy stopped his bike and climbed off.
“Are you thirsty?” he asked.
I didn´t know about Barry but I sure was.
“Come here and I´ll show you how to get fresh water from the ground.”
Dropping our bikes we headed over to where the boy stood looking really smug.
“There´s nothing here,” said Barry sounding annoyed.
“Oh yes there is, watch!”
The boy bent down and pulled up a thick black pipe that had been hidden by the long grass. Lots of small interconnecting pipes were attached to the bigger pipes. With his free hand the boy found the end of one of the smaller of the pipes and wiping the end on his shirt he swiftly stuck the end of the smaller pipe in his mouth and began sucking hard. Finally he blew out a mouthful of water like a fountain from his mouth.
“It´s perfectly safe to drink,” he said reinserting the pipe into his mouth and once again sucking. This time we could see him swallowing the water.
“Come on have a go.”
We both found a smaller pipe and began sucking and then drinking the sweet cool water. Once we´d had our fill we both admitted that this was indeed a great find. I found out a few years later that these were experimental animal feeders mainly used for baby pigs which I have to admit took the shine off of the experience but on the day I felt like a pioneer who´d just discovered a new frontier.
“Right, just one more thing to show you,” said the boy with a sigh of relief that we hadn´t complained about his watery secret.
“I´ve saved the best for last. How good are your mountain climbing skills?”
Barry and I looked at each other and started laughing. Neither of us had ever seen a mountain. We pedaled our way back the way we came and then turned down a barely perceptible dusty path. I pulled alongside Barry.
“How did he find these places?” I asked surprised how well the boy knew his way around.
“I don´t know perhaps it´s ´cos gypsies move around a lot. Let´s get a move on, I don´t want to lose him.”
We cycled uphill for around two miles before the pathway began dropping and then finally leveled out. We had to carry our bicycles over some parts of the pathway where people had dumped old pots of paint and pieces of wood spiked with rusty nails. The flatter the pathway got the steeper the sides became until before long they were sheer rugged rock –face. The boy stopped just up ahead and grinning he pointed above us.
“This is the place. We´ll leave the bikes here and we have to climb up there.”
I looked up and couldn´t even see the top. I could feel my adrenaline pumping and I hadn´t even started climbing yet.
“Are you sure the bikes will be safe here?” I asked already looking for an excuse to back out.
“Ha, nobody comes this far down the path. Listen to this. HELLO!” he screamed at the top of his voice. The echo came back seconds later…Hello, Hello, Hello…
After all having a go at seeing who could have the longest echo we began to climb. It wasn´t as difficult as it looked from the ground but it was a long way up and I did my best not to look down as I climbed. My shirt was sticking to me as the fierce sun burned down on us from just above our destination and as I pulled myself up onto the ledge at the top I was feeling almost dizzy from the heat. The ledge wasn´t massive but it seated the three of us comfortably as we looked down at the specks of shiny steel that was our bicycles at the bottom of the gully.
“Isn´t this the best thing you´ve ever done?” asked the boy and we had to agree. It was definitely the best thing we´d ever done. Our two streets seemed a world away from here. We sat up there like kings on a throne for at least half an hour just drinking in the silence. I was Barry who broke the spell.
“We´re gonna have to get going if we´re gonna make it home on time.”
“Okay, we´ll race down,” said the boy.
“You two can race, I´m going at my own speed,” I said more worried about the climb down than I had been about climbing up.
Barry and the boy almost dived over the edge and I could hear them laughing as they raced to find the quickest way down. I looked down and took my tentative first step when I heard the scream. I watched in horror as the boy floated away from the rock-face, his arms snatching at the empty air. He landed on his back, his head cracking on a large rock with a sound like a snapping of a branch. I froze where I was and could feel the tears running down my cheeks.
“Barry,” I cried, “Are you okay?”
“I´m okay and you?”
“I´m scared. I´m too scared to move.” My voice quivered and I could feel my chest heaving.
“You have to move, we´ve got to get help. Our parents are gonna kill us…” he trailed off.
We both made it down that day, Barry a good ten minutes before me. He waited patiently for me, his back turned away from the fallen boy. We rode home like we had tigers in our tanks and never spoke of the incident ever again. I spent the rest of the summer ignoring Barry and I never again cycled on the road parallel to ours, I was afraid that the all seeing eye of the whirlpool would suck me right off of my bike and down to Hell for what we had done. I don´t know if he was ever found but we didn´t hear anything of the missing boy in our village.
Even now, forty years later, the thing that disturbs me most about that fateful day is the fact that I can´t for the life in me remember the boy´s name yet try as I might I could never forget that old green Ford Corsairs number plate – 221 GUM.
April Showers: 8 Beauty Tips for Rainy Days
Spring's warmer weather offers a comfortable reprieve from old man winter, but all those showers don't exactly do wonders for your hair and makeup. Before settling on your look for the day, check the forecast. "You should always consider the weather when doing your hair and makeup because you want to set reasonable expectations that will give you the longevity that you need," notes celebrity makeup artist Jacqui Phillips, who's worked with the likes of Carmen Electra and Vanessa Minnillo. "This way you can maintain the consistency of the beautiful looks you create without too much hassle or worry."
Less is More
When it comes to battling rainy weather, less is always more. "It is much easier to keep your makeup and hair simple so touch ups are minimal and easy," says Phillips. For hair, a classic ponytail wrapped in a beautiful scarf or chic hat is always timeless. You'll be happy you skipped the dramatic makeup, as well.
Use Primer and Setting Powder
You should use a primer and setting powder/spray any time you want your makeup to last, but they're especially important on days when inclement weather's expected. A primer underneath your foundation and setting powder over the finished look will keep makeup in place even amidst falling raindrops.
Less is More
When it comes to battling rainy weather, less is always more. "It is much easier to keep your makeup and hair simple so touch ups are minimal and easy," says Phillips. For hair, a classic ponytail wrapped in a beautiful scarf or chic hat is always timeless. You'll be happy you skipped the dramatic makeup, as well.
Use Primer and Setting Powder
You should use a primer and setting powder/spray any time you want your makeup to last, but they're especially important on days when inclement weather's expected. A primer underneath your foundation and setting powder over the finished look will keep makeup in place even amidst falling raindrops.
Light Coverage
Avoid heavy foundations that can run and turn messy in the rain. Thick, waterproof foundation isn't always your best bet, either, since little drops can form as they would on a freshly-waxed car. Phillips suggests a lighter option, such as BB cream, CC cream or a tinted moisturizer that evens out your complexion.
Cream/Gel Blush
Powder-based blush can run and get streaky when wet, similar to thick foundation. Always opt for a light cream or, better yet, gel blush that absorbs into the skin instead of sitting on top of it.
Waterproof Eye Makeup
"Waterproof makeup is key," says Phillips. "Everyone should own a tube of waterproof mascara for special occasions." A few applications of waterproof mascara and/or eyeliner will keep you from sporting raccoon eyes at 2 p.m.
Long Lasting Lip Color
"A long-wearing lip color is also a must have in the rainy weather," notes Phillips, who insists that a beautiful lip makes anyone look polished and sophisticated. Try a lip stain or lipstick that doesn't smudge and lasts for hours.
Pack a Touch-Up Kit
When you know you're going to deal with rainy weather, make sure you have all the essentials. "Pack a small touch-up kit consisting of a little concealer, a touch of powder, your lip color, a few cotton swabs, a little brush, hair tie, hair pins and hair spray," says Phillips. Touch up as necessary throughout the day.
Carry an Umbrella
Lugging an umbrella around may feel like a burden when Mr. Sunshine is warming your back, but you'll be happy you have it once the raindrops start falling. A clear or nondescript umbrella will keep you dry and won't clash with what you're wearing.
Avoid heavy foundations that can run and turn messy in the rain. Thick, waterproof foundation isn't always your best bet, either, since little drops can form as they would on a freshly-waxed car. Phillips suggests a lighter option, such as BB cream, CC cream or a tinted moisturizer that evens out your complexion.
Cream/Gel Blush
Powder-based blush can run and get streaky when wet, similar to thick foundation. Always opt for a light cream or, better yet, gel blush that absorbs into the skin instead of sitting on top of it.
Waterproof Eye Makeup
"Waterproof makeup is key," says Phillips. "Everyone should own a tube of waterproof mascara for special occasions." A few applications of waterproof mascara and/or eyeliner will keep you from sporting raccoon eyes at 2 p.m.
Long Lasting Lip Color
"A long-wearing lip color is also a must have in the rainy weather," notes Phillips, who insists that a beautiful lip makes anyone look polished and sophisticated. Try a lip stain or lipstick that doesn't smudge and lasts for hours.
Pack a Touch-Up Kit
When you know you're going to deal with rainy weather, make sure you have all the essentials. "Pack a small touch-up kit consisting of a little concealer, a touch of powder, your lip color, a few cotton swabs, a little brush, hair tie, hair pins and hair spray," says Phillips. Touch up as necessary throughout the day.
Carry an Umbrella
Lugging an umbrella around may feel like a burden when Mr. Sunshine is warming your back, but you'll be happy you have it once the raindrops start falling. A clear or nondescript umbrella will keep you dry and won't clash with what you're wearing.
Yoga Exercises for Soccer Players
Flexibility
As did Giggs, many soccer players experience hamstring pulls or tears. These types of injuries may be prevented with better flexibility in the back of your legs. Certain yoga exercises effectively stretch the hamstrings, such as Standing Forward Bend, Intense Side Stretch and Downward-Facing Dog. It’s also important to have flexibility in your hip flexors, quadriceps and calves to avoid injury while you’re dribbling, kicking and running. Triangle pose, along with the High Lunge and Low Lunge, work to stretch these muscle groups.
Balance
Knee injuries are also common in soccer players due to the cutting movements demanded of players. Balancing yoga postures strengthen the ligaments and muscles around your knees and ankles, which can prevent injury and misalignment. Try practicing balances such as Half Moon, Extended Hand-To-Big-Toe pose and Lord of the Dance pose. These postures also build your flexibility by stretching muscle groups in your legs and hips.
As did Giggs, many soccer players experience hamstring pulls or tears. These types of injuries may be prevented with better flexibility in the back of your legs. Certain yoga exercises effectively stretch the hamstrings, such as Standing Forward Bend, Intense Side Stretch and Downward-Facing Dog. It’s also important to have flexibility in your hip flexors, quadriceps and calves to avoid injury while you’re dribbling, kicking and running. Triangle pose, along with the High Lunge and Low Lunge, work to stretch these muscle groups.
Balance
Knee injuries are also common in soccer players due to the cutting movements demanded of players. Balancing yoga postures strengthen the ligaments and muscles around your knees and ankles, which can prevent injury and misalignment. Try practicing balances such as Half Moon, Extended Hand-To-Big-Toe pose and Lord of the Dance pose. These postures also build your flexibility by stretching muscle groups in your legs and hips.
Core Strength
Soccer players need strong core muscles to anchor the hard-working legs and arms and promote agility. Your core consists of the muscles in your torso, including your abdominals and lower back muscles. Several yoga postures build strength in your entire core, such as Chair pose, Plank, Boat pose and Crane. Other yogic techniques like uddiyana bandha, or upward abdominal lock, help tone your core. Avoid performing uddiyana bandha if you have stomach ulcers, high blood pressure or are menstruating or pregnant.
Focus
Athletes talk about being “in the zone,” the state of being in which you’re purely focused and aware. Yogic breathing techniques, or pranayama, can help calm your nervous system and channel your mental energy in such a way. Try performing 10 minutes of pranayama each time you practice yoga, using a simple technique such as ujjayi, or controlled breathing. Your inhales and exhales should sound like gentle ocean waves. Visualize your perfect feint, goal or save as you breathe.
Soccer players need strong core muscles to anchor the hard-working legs and arms and promote agility. Your core consists of the muscles in your torso, including your abdominals and lower back muscles. Several yoga postures build strength in your entire core, such as Chair pose, Plank, Boat pose and Crane. Other yogic techniques like uddiyana bandha, or upward abdominal lock, help tone your core. Avoid performing uddiyana bandha if you have stomach ulcers, high blood pressure or are menstruating or pregnant.
Focus
Athletes talk about being “in the zone,” the state of being in which you’re purely focused and aware. Yogic breathing techniques, or pranayama, can help calm your nervous system and channel your mental energy in such a way. Try performing 10 minutes of pranayama each time you practice yoga, using a simple technique such as ujjayi, or controlled breathing. Your inhales and exhales should sound like gentle ocean waves. Visualize your perfect feint, goal or save as you breathe.
English Tea Names & Where They Come From
English Breakfast Tea
The most popular tea blend in Britain, English Breakfast, was first devised by a tea master by the name of Drysdale in Edinburgh in the latter part of the 19th century. Because of the heaviness of the typical breakfast, Drysdale saw the need for a strong tea blend to accompany the meal. He named his blend "Breakfast Tea." Queen Victoria, when in residence at Balmoral in Scotland, purchased it. London tea merchants saw the marketing benefits and began producing their own blends, adding the word "English" to the name. English Breakfast teas are usually composed of black teas, including Keemun from China and Assam and Ceylon varieties. Other versions soon followed, such as Irish and Scottish Breakfast teas. These tend to have a higher proportion of Assam teas; Irish Breakfast teas are generally the strongest, while Scottish Breakfast teas use specific varieties to produce a "malty" or "oaky" taste.
The most popular tea blend in Britain, English Breakfast, was first devised by a tea master by the name of Drysdale in Edinburgh in the latter part of the 19th century. Because of the heaviness of the typical breakfast, Drysdale saw the need for a strong tea blend to accompany the meal. He named his blend "Breakfast Tea." Queen Victoria, when in residence at Balmoral in Scotland, purchased it. London tea merchants saw the marketing benefits and began producing their own blends, adding the word "English" to the name. English Breakfast teas are usually composed of black teas, including Keemun from China and Assam and Ceylon varieties. Other versions soon followed, such as Irish and Scottish Breakfast teas. These tend to have a higher proportion of Assam teas; Irish Breakfast teas are generally the strongest, while Scottish Breakfast teas use specific varieties to produce a "malty" or "oaky" taste.
Afternoon Tea
English blends named "Afternoon Tea" are devised to provide a refreshing lift, rather than the eye-opening effect of the Breakfast teas. The emphasis is on flavor and less on strength. In many cases, Darjeeling is a major component of these blends. Darjeeling is grown in India at the foothills of the Himalayas. Known as the "champagne of teas," it is reminiscent of muscatel, with a light and delicate flavor. These blends are the perfect accompaniment for the foods served at a traditional English "tea."
Earl Grey
Earl Grey is the second most popular tea blend in Britain, as well as a worldwide favorite. It is made of black China teas that have been flavored with oil of bergamot, a pear-shaped orange -- not to be confused with the plant known as bergamot, which is a mint. The tea was named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey and the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1830 to 1834. There are many conflicting stories as to how the tea came to be named after him. One dramatic legend has Lord Grey saving a mandarin's son from drowning and being presented with the tea as a gift. However, Grey never visited China. Another story has it that the tea was the Earl's personal blend. Two tea companies, Twinings and Jacksons of Picadilly, claim to have the recipe that the Earl entrusted to them. Another version of the tea, Lady Grey, is composed of black tea and bergamot with the addition of Seville orange and lemon flavoring.
Royal Teas
Tea blends that have been devised for royalty are also offered by certain tea merchants. King Edward VII gave permission to Fortnum & Mason to market his personal tea blend in 1902. It was named "Royal Blend Tea." It is composed of Ceylon pekoe and Assam teas and is described as having a honey-like smoothness and a traditional taste. In 1921, Twinings received royal permission to market "Prince of Wales" tea, named after the current Prince Edward. It was the prince's preferred blend of Chinese black teas, specifically selected to produce a light, delicate flavor.
English blends named "Afternoon Tea" are devised to provide a refreshing lift, rather than the eye-opening effect of the Breakfast teas. The emphasis is on flavor and less on strength. In many cases, Darjeeling is a major component of these blends. Darjeeling is grown in India at the foothills of the Himalayas. Known as the "champagne of teas," it is reminiscent of muscatel, with a light and delicate flavor. These blends are the perfect accompaniment for the foods served at a traditional English "tea."
Earl Grey
Earl Grey is the second most popular tea blend in Britain, as well as a worldwide favorite. It is made of black China teas that have been flavored with oil of bergamot, a pear-shaped orange -- not to be confused with the plant known as bergamot, which is a mint. The tea was named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey and the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1830 to 1834. There are many conflicting stories as to how the tea came to be named after him. One dramatic legend has Lord Grey saving a mandarin's son from drowning and being presented with the tea as a gift. However, Grey never visited China. Another story has it that the tea was the Earl's personal blend. Two tea companies, Twinings and Jacksons of Picadilly, claim to have the recipe that the Earl entrusted to them. Another version of the tea, Lady Grey, is composed of black tea and bergamot with the addition of Seville orange and lemon flavoring.
Royal Teas
Tea blends that have been devised for royalty are also offered by certain tea merchants. King Edward VII gave permission to Fortnum & Mason to market his personal tea blend in 1902. It was named "Royal Blend Tea." It is composed of Ceylon pekoe and Assam teas and is described as having a honey-like smoothness and a traditional taste. In 1921, Twinings received royal permission to market "Prince of Wales" tea, named after the current Prince Edward. It was the prince's preferred blend of Chinese black teas, specifically selected to produce a light, delicate flavor.
Unusual British Folk Instruments
Crwth
The crwth (pronounced to rhyme with "truth") is a bowed instrument with a violin neck attached to a box-shaped body. Originating in Wales, the crwth has six gut strings that are strung across a fretless fingerboard and traditionally tuned in pairs in upper and lower octaves on the notes G, C and D. The crwth was once popular across Europe, but now is relatively rare and only played by folk instrument specialists.
The crwth (pronounced to rhyme with "truth") is a bowed instrument with a violin neck attached to a box-shaped body. Originating in Wales, the crwth has six gut strings that are strung across a fretless fingerboard and traditionally tuned in pairs in upper and lower octaves on the notes G, C and D. The crwth was once popular across Europe, but now is relatively rare and only played by folk instrument specialists.
Bones
Bones are a folk instrument made of cow ribs that are held and rattled together in the hand. This technique is similar to that used in the U.S. tradition of "playing the spoons" by rattling a pair of spoons together. Bones are traditional in both Britain and Ireland, and may consist of animal bones or an alternative material--such as wood--which emulates the bones' clacking sound. When animal bones are used, large ribs and the bones of the lower leg are considered to produce the best sound.
English Guitar
Also known as a cittern, the English guitar enjoyed popularity in the 18th century as a drawing-room instrument. This small stringed instrument is similar in construction to the lute, although its straight sides and flat back are characteristics shared with the guitar family. The English guitar has a curved fingerboard and metal strings, which are played with the musician's fingertips. Originating in England, the English guitar was popular in other places, such as France and Virginia, and was also made in countries other than England, according to Monticello Explorer. The construction of the Portuguese guitar is almost identical to that of the English guitar.
Bones are a folk instrument made of cow ribs that are held and rattled together in the hand. This technique is similar to that used in the U.S. tradition of "playing the spoons" by rattling a pair of spoons together. Bones are traditional in both Britain and Ireland, and may consist of animal bones or an alternative material--such as wood--which emulates the bones' clacking sound. When animal bones are used, large ribs and the bones of the lower leg are considered to produce the best sound.
English Guitar
Also known as a cittern, the English guitar enjoyed popularity in the 18th century as a drawing-room instrument. This small stringed instrument is similar in construction to the lute, although its straight sides and flat back are characteristics shared with the guitar family. The English guitar has a curved fingerboard and metal strings, which are played with the musician's fingertips. Originating in England, the English guitar was popular in other places, such as France and Virginia, and was also made in countries other than England, according to Monticello Explorer. The construction of the Portuguese guitar is almost identical to that of the English guitar.
History Behind Excalibur the Sword
Caliburn
The historical chronicle "History of the Kings of Britain," written around 1135 by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth, presents a very detailed account of King Arthur, whereby it is suggested that the king was born in the late fifth century and died around 542. In these chronicles, Excalibur is called Caliburn, and this sword is said to have been forged on the Isle of Avalon.
Robert de Boron
Around the late 12th century, in his poem "Merlin," the French poet Robert de Boron describes how King Arthur pulled the Excalibur out of a stone. A Norse legend, "Sigurd," presents a similar account.
The historical chronicle "History of the Kings of Britain," written around 1135 by the Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth, presents a very detailed account of King Arthur, whereby it is suggested that the king was born in the late fifth century and died around 542. In these chronicles, Excalibur is called Caliburn, and this sword is said to have been forged on the Isle of Avalon.
Robert de Boron
Around the late 12th century, in his poem "Merlin," the French poet Robert de Boron describes how King Arthur pulled the Excalibur out of a stone. A Norse legend, "Sigurd," presents a similar account.
Sir Thomas Malory
In Sir Thomas Malory's (1405 to 1471) "Le Morte d'Arthur," it is the Lady of the Lake who hands Excalibur to King Arthur. The sword is said to have an unbreakable blade and a scabbard that will protect the king from shedding any blood and from death itself on the battlefield. The sword is eventually returned to the Lady of the Lake and disappears forever.
Different Spellings
Excalibur is spelled in several different ways in various accounts over the centuries. The alternate name, Caliburn, also takes various forms, including Caladfwich and Caledwich. According to Irish legend, the sword was named Caladbolg. Several sources say the sword was forged by an elfin blacksmith, which accounted for its magical powers. As these accounts were written by hand, authorities suggest the possibility that in some cases, the names were misspelled.
Camelot Project
What would such a magnificent sword have looked like? Some accounts say it had a gold hilt and was studded with gleaming jewels to rival its shining blade possessing the brilliance of 30 torches. Images of Excalibur are part of a comprehensive study called "The Camelot Project," compiled at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York (see Resources below). The project consists of Arthurian texts, images, bibliographies and basic information related to the tales of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.
Swords in the Water
It is interesting to note that the depositing of swords in sacred lakes and rivers was a Celtic practice from ancient times. It may even have been part of funeral rites. Excavations have uncovered axes, sickles and other weapons evidently disposed of in this way. Apparently, the River Thames in England was a popular place for depositing swords such as Excalibur.
In Sir Thomas Malory's (1405 to 1471) "Le Morte d'Arthur," it is the Lady of the Lake who hands Excalibur to King Arthur. The sword is said to have an unbreakable blade and a scabbard that will protect the king from shedding any blood and from death itself on the battlefield. The sword is eventually returned to the Lady of the Lake and disappears forever.
Different Spellings
Excalibur is spelled in several different ways in various accounts over the centuries. The alternate name, Caliburn, also takes various forms, including Caladfwich and Caledwich. According to Irish legend, the sword was named Caladbolg. Several sources say the sword was forged by an elfin blacksmith, which accounted for its magical powers. As these accounts were written by hand, authorities suggest the possibility that in some cases, the names were misspelled.
Camelot Project
What would such a magnificent sword have looked like? Some accounts say it had a gold hilt and was studded with gleaming jewels to rival its shining blade possessing the brilliance of 30 torches. Images of Excalibur are part of a comprehensive study called "The Camelot Project," compiled at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York (see Resources below). The project consists of Arthurian texts, images, bibliographies and basic information related to the tales of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.
Swords in the Water
It is interesting to note that the depositing of swords in sacred lakes and rivers was a Celtic practice from ancient times. It may even have been part of funeral rites. Excavations have uncovered axes, sickles and other weapons evidently disposed of in this way. Apparently, the River Thames in England was a popular place for depositing swords such as Excalibur.
The History of DNA Forensics
What is DNA?
We're all born with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in our cells. This unique combination of markers is unique to everyone on Earth and can only be found more than once in identical twins. DNA takes exactly the same form in every cell of the body, which is why semen, saliva, blood, skin and other biological samples will give a forensic scientist a complete profile of the person to whom it belongs. On the technical side, there are four DNA bases or building blocks in DNA: Cytosine, Guanine, Thymine and Adenine, regularly referred to as C, G, T and A.
Overview of DNA's discovery
When news broke that scientists Jim Watson and Francis Crick had figured out where to look to get a complete picture of an individual's hereditary information, only the scientific community and astute, forward-thinking people fully understood the implications of this break-through in 1953. The DNA helix, with confusing explanations of how it worked, were added to high school science books and slowly, DNA became a recognizable term used in everyday conversation. Watson and Crick's revelation of the "secret of life" languished nearly 30 years in laboratories and institutions of higher learning before law enforcement officials began to use it. A third researcher, based in the United Kingdom, proved the final link to the marriage between DNA and the International law enforcement community.
We're all born with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in our cells. This unique combination of markers is unique to everyone on Earth and can only be found more than once in identical twins. DNA takes exactly the same form in every cell of the body, which is why semen, saliva, blood, skin and other biological samples will give a forensic scientist a complete profile of the person to whom it belongs. On the technical side, there are four DNA bases or building blocks in DNA: Cytosine, Guanine, Thymine and Adenine, regularly referred to as C, G, T and A.
Overview of DNA's discovery
When news broke that scientists Jim Watson and Francis Crick had figured out where to look to get a complete picture of an individual's hereditary information, only the scientific community and astute, forward-thinking people fully understood the implications of this break-through in 1953. The DNA helix, with confusing explanations of how it worked, were added to high school science books and slowly, DNA became a recognizable term used in everyday conversation. Watson and Crick's revelation of the "secret of life" languished nearly 30 years in laboratories and institutions of higher learning before law enforcement officials began to use it. A third researcher, based in the United Kingdom, proved the final link to the marriage between DNA and the International law enforcement community.
DNA is further explored as a forensic tool
The Watson/Crook collaboration earned honors and recognition, but for those in the law enforcement community seeking to hasten their conviction rates, Alec Jeffreys, an English geneticist, is the man to whom they owe the biggest debt. In 1985, Jeffreys conceived the idea of DNA fingerprinting (also known as DNA typing and DNA profiling) when he noticed that DNA samples contained adjacent sequences of markers that repeated over and over again. Comparing specimens, he concluded that these patterns of repetition made them unique to every individual on earth. He began experimenting with the identification of individuals using what has come to be known as his VNTR system (variable number of tandem repeats). From the repeats, RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) were identified and added a final step in the art of DNA forensics.
Jeffrey' methodology stands up to a landmark test
British immigration authorities learned about Jeffreys' work and asked for his help solving a double homicide. He took samples collected at the crime scene and proved that only one perpetrator could have murdered the two victims. On that day, history was made, and the British legal and law enforcement communities were forever changed. As you can imagine, the international law enforcement agencies are not without their grapevines. The United States--and particularly the FBI--adopted DNA testing as the ultimate crime solving tool, despite the high cost of conducting the test. Since 1985, DNA testing and profiling has solved crimes, served as legal bases for opening old cases, freed convicted felons, and become the litmus test for the legal community seeking to convict or clear suspects. While the price of DNA testing continues to carry a hefty price tag, hundreds of public forensic labs and a growing number of private facilities are currently performing DNA testing around the globe.
How DNA is used in today's forensics investigation
At the crime scene, forensic scientists collect samples of often-minute biological materials--including blood, bone, hair, body fluids and tissue. A DNA profile is run and a panel of markers is established to identify the contributor of the sample. The DNA profile is then compared to samples lifted from other crime scenes, those taken from suspects and databases of DNA fingerprints collected from other sources. If there is no match, a suspect is ruled out. If there is a match, this doesn't mean that a person is declared guilty, but the likelihood that he was present at the crime scene can't be refuted.
In some cases, when DNA isn't available for comparison, the forensics team may request a sample of a relative's DNA since all humans inherit half of their markers from each parent. Additionally, a comparative database known as CODIS is available to all participating law enforcement agencies. This central resource is so efficient, it could easily have matched up evidence left behind by serial killer Ted Bundy from crime scenes stretching from Florida to Washington State by performing a single laboratory test.
The Watson/Crook collaboration earned honors and recognition, but for those in the law enforcement community seeking to hasten their conviction rates, Alec Jeffreys, an English geneticist, is the man to whom they owe the biggest debt. In 1985, Jeffreys conceived the idea of DNA fingerprinting (also known as DNA typing and DNA profiling) when he noticed that DNA samples contained adjacent sequences of markers that repeated over and over again. Comparing specimens, he concluded that these patterns of repetition made them unique to every individual on earth. He began experimenting with the identification of individuals using what has come to be known as his VNTR system (variable number of tandem repeats). From the repeats, RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) were identified and added a final step in the art of DNA forensics.
Jeffrey' methodology stands up to a landmark test
British immigration authorities learned about Jeffreys' work and asked for his help solving a double homicide. He took samples collected at the crime scene and proved that only one perpetrator could have murdered the two victims. On that day, history was made, and the British legal and law enforcement communities were forever changed. As you can imagine, the international law enforcement agencies are not without their grapevines. The United States--and particularly the FBI--adopted DNA testing as the ultimate crime solving tool, despite the high cost of conducting the test. Since 1985, DNA testing and profiling has solved crimes, served as legal bases for opening old cases, freed convicted felons, and become the litmus test for the legal community seeking to convict or clear suspects. While the price of DNA testing continues to carry a hefty price tag, hundreds of public forensic labs and a growing number of private facilities are currently performing DNA testing around the globe.
How DNA is used in today's forensics investigation
At the crime scene, forensic scientists collect samples of often-minute biological materials--including blood, bone, hair, body fluids and tissue. A DNA profile is run and a panel of markers is established to identify the contributor of the sample. The DNA profile is then compared to samples lifted from other crime scenes, those taken from suspects and databases of DNA fingerprints collected from other sources. If there is no match, a suspect is ruled out. If there is a match, this doesn't mean that a person is declared guilty, but the likelihood that he was present at the crime scene can't be refuted.
In some cases, when DNA isn't available for comparison, the forensics team may request a sample of a relative's DNA since all humans inherit half of their markers from each parent. Additionally, a comparative database known as CODIS is available to all participating law enforcement agencies. This central resource is so efficient, it could easily have matched up evidence left behind by serial killer Ted Bundy from crime scenes stretching from Florida to Washington State by performing a single laboratory test.
Facts About the Battle of Lexington
Time Frame
The Battle of Lexington occurred on April 19, 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts. This battle began the Revolutionary War.
History
Many know the story of Paul Revere riding through the town exclaiming, "The British are Coming! The British are coming!" That was the case, and thanks to his words, 40 minutemen awaited British troops under the command of Capt. John Parker.
The Battle of Lexington occurred on April 19, 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts. This battle began the Revolutionary War.
History
Many know the story of Paul Revere riding through the town exclaiming, "The British are Coming! The British are coming!" That was the case, and thanks to his words, 40 minutemen awaited British troops under the command of Capt. John Parker.
Significance
British troops were passing through Lexington to head to Concord to steal the settlers' military supplies. The settlers wanted to stop the British from reaching their destination.
Theories/Speculation
The Battle of Lexington began when British soldiers shot at settlers after a single gunshot when off. Historians believe this was an accidental gunshot from one of the settlers.
Conclusion
Although the Battle of Lexington is seen as a victory for the British, when they arrived in Concord, all the supplies had vanished, leading to another battle.
British troops were passing through Lexington to head to Concord to steal the settlers' military supplies. The settlers wanted to stop the British from reaching their destination.
Theories/Speculation
The Battle of Lexington began when British soldiers shot at settlers after a single gunshot when off. Historians believe this was an accidental gunshot from one of the settlers.
Conclusion
Although the Battle of Lexington is seen as a victory for the British, when they arrived in Concord, all the supplies had vanished, leading to another battle.
What is the History of Land Rover Cars?
Prototype
The vehicle was initially built on a Jeep chassis and bodied with surplus aircraft aluminum making it resistant to rust, adding to its longevity.
Military use
The British Army started using the Series II Land Rover, powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine after 1958.
New Chapter
British Leyland acquired Land Rover in 1967, but the company failed 8 years later. Rover became a subsidiary of the newly nationalized British Leyland.
Range Rover
The Range Rover was imported to the United States in 1987. Two years later, the company debuted the Discovery model.
New Owner
Rover became the Rover Group in 1988 and was acquired by BMW AG some 6 years later.
Ford and Tata
BMW sold the Rover Group to the Ford Motor Company in 2000, which began equipping the vehicle with Jaguar engines. Ford sold the company to Tata Motors of India in 2008.
The vehicle was initially built on a Jeep chassis and bodied with surplus aircraft aluminum making it resistant to rust, adding to its longevity.
Military use
The British Army started using the Series II Land Rover, powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine after 1958.
New Chapter
British Leyland acquired Land Rover in 1967, but the company failed 8 years later. Rover became a subsidiary of the newly nationalized British Leyland.
Range Rover
The Range Rover was imported to the United States in 1987. Two years later, the company debuted the Discovery model.
New Owner
Rover became the Rover Group in 1988 and was acquired by BMW AG some 6 years later.
Ford and Tata
BMW sold the Rover Group to the Ford Motor Company in 2000, which began equipping the vehicle with Jaguar engines. Ford sold the company to Tata Motors of India in 2008.
Victorian School Activities
Crossword
Giving out a crossword relating to the Victorian period is a good way to test the children's memory of what you have taught them and to ensure that they understand everything. A crossword basically serves as a test, but it is in a familiar puzzle form, and as such should be enjoyed by the children. The aim of a crossword is to decipher the clues and work out the correct letters to go into the blocks. See Resources for a sample Victorian crossword.
Victorian Writing Materials
Teach the children about the different things Victorian children used to learn to write on. Try to find an old-style Victorian sand tray for them to try. A sand tray is a tray with a shallow layer of sand in the bottom, and children write with their fingers and shake the tray to erase. Show the children a slate, and let them draw a picture on it if you wish. If you are teaching older children, introduce them to dip pens and ink, and get them to copy some sentences down to get used to how Victorians wrote.
Giving out a crossword relating to the Victorian period is a good way to test the children's memory of what you have taught them and to ensure that they understand everything. A crossword basically serves as a test, but it is in a familiar puzzle form, and as such should be enjoyed by the children. The aim of a crossword is to decipher the clues and work out the correct letters to go into the blocks. See Resources for a sample Victorian crossword.
Victorian Writing Materials
Teach the children about the different things Victorian children used to learn to write on. Try to find an old-style Victorian sand tray for them to try. A sand tray is a tray with a shallow layer of sand in the bottom, and children write with their fingers and shake the tray to erase. Show the children a slate, and let them draw a picture on it if you wish. If you are teaching older children, introduce them to dip pens and ink, and get them to copy some sentences down to get used to how Victorians wrote.
Victorian Shopping
Give the children a list of products that includes meat, vegetables, dairy, clothing, jewelry and medicine. Ask them where they would go to buy these products. Teach them about how in Victorian times, right through to the 1960s, there were no supermarkets, and certainly no Targets or K-Marts, and people would have to go to several different shops to do all of their shopping. Print out some Victorian style shop signs, from the Resources, and put them up around the class. Split the children into groups and give them a shopping list to complete.
Being a Child in the Victorian Era
Teach the children about what it would be like to be a child in the Victorian times. Explain that they may have had to work in the mines, a factory or on a farm, until 1880, when it became compulsory for children under 12 to go to school. Teach the children about Victorian schools, punishment with the cane, and the dunce cap. Children like the idea of the dunce cap, so if you can, make or buy a makeshift one for a demonstration. Explain how embarrassing it would have been in Victorian times to be made to wear it. Ask the children to fill out the "Children at Work" worksheet, available in Resources.
Give the children a list of products that includes meat, vegetables, dairy, clothing, jewelry and medicine. Ask them where they would go to buy these products. Teach them about how in Victorian times, right through to the 1960s, there were no supermarkets, and certainly no Targets or K-Marts, and people would have to go to several different shops to do all of their shopping. Print out some Victorian style shop signs, from the Resources, and put them up around the class. Split the children into groups and give them a shopping list to complete.
Being a Child in the Victorian Era
Teach the children about what it would be like to be a child in the Victorian times. Explain that they may have had to work in the mines, a factory or on a farm, until 1880, when it became compulsory for children under 12 to go to school. Teach the children about Victorian schools, punishment with the cane, and the dunce cap. Children like the idea of the dunce cap, so if you can, make or buy a makeshift one for a demonstration. Explain how embarrassing it would have been in Victorian times to be made to wear it. Ask the children to fill out the "Children at Work" worksheet, available in Resources.
Which Countries Belonged to the British Empire?
History
The image of the British man smoking a tobacco-filled pipe dates back to the 1500s, when England had its first introduction to tobacco, according to Cancer Research UK. However, tobacco's use remained relatively limited until the late 1800s, when the invention of the cigarette made smoking popular. Women began smoking in the 1920s. By the 1940s, female smokers averaged 2.4 cigarettes a day, while four in five men smoked tobacco in 1948.
Statistics
In the mid 20th century, 82 percent of British men and 41 percent of British women smoked tobacco, according to Cancer Research UK. Since then, the number of smokers has steadily declined. In 2008, approximately one in five British men and women smoke cigarettes. Thirty percent of smokers are between the ages of 20 and 24, and as smokers age, smoking rates decline to 13 percent for Brits over age 60.
The image of the British man smoking a tobacco-filled pipe dates back to the 1500s, when England had its first introduction to tobacco, according to Cancer Research UK. However, tobacco's use remained relatively limited until the late 1800s, when the invention of the cigarette made smoking popular. Women began smoking in the 1920s. By the 1940s, female smokers averaged 2.4 cigarettes a day, while four in five men smoked tobacco in 1948.
Statistics
In the mid 20th century, 82 percent of British men and 41 percent of British women smoked tobacco, according to Cancer Research UK. Since then, the number of smokers has steadily declined. In 2008, approximately one in five British men and women smoke cigarettes. Thirty percent of smokers are between the ages of 20 and 24, and as smokers age, smoking rates decline to 13 percent for Brits over age 60.
Underage Smoking
It is illegal in England to sell tobacco products to anyone under age 18. However, Cancer Research UK states that 14 percent of English children age 15 or younger are smokers--and that is only counting children who admitted to it. The 2007 Health Survey for England measured the levels of the tobacco metabolite cotinine in children's saliva and found that approximately 20 percent of children had enough cotinine to signify that they smoked regularly.
Cancer Deaths
Smoking causes 28 percent of the United Kingdom's cancer deaths and 86 percent of its lung cancer deaths, according to Cancer Research UK. Since mid-century, it has caused six million deaths in Great Britain; half of these deaths cut people's lives short by 20 years, on average.
Laws
The United Kingdom passed the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act in 2002, which made tobacco advertisements illegal. In July 2007, England enacted a ban on smoking in indoor public places, including pubs. Since then, anyone caught smoking illegally faces a fine of £30 to £200, and businesses who allow it face fines of as much as £2,500, according to BBC News. This law is intended to reduce the incidence of second-hand smoke and encourage smokers to quit.
It is illegal in England to sell tobacco products to anyone under age 18. However, Cancer Research UK states that 14 percent of English children age 15 or younger are smokers--and that is only counting children who admitted to it. The 2007 Health Survey for England measured the levels of the tobacco metabolite cotinine in children's saliva and found that approximately 20 percent of children had enough cotinine to signify that they smoked regularly.
Cancer Deaths
Smoking causes 28 percent of the United Kingdom's cancer deaths and 86 percent of its lung cancer deaths, according to Cancer Research UK. Since mid-century, it has caused six million deaths in Great Britain; half of these deaths cut people's lives short by 20 years, on average.
Laws
The United Kingdom passed the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act in 2002, which made tobacco advertisements illegal. In July 2007, England enacted a ban on smoking in indoor public places, including pubs. Since then, anyone caught smoking illegally faces a fine of £30 to £200, and businesses who allow it face fines of as much as £2,500, according to BBC News. This law is intended to reduce the incidence of second-hand smoke and encourage smokers to quit.
The Queen and fashion
Norman Hartnell, who first worked for the then Princess Elizabeth in the 1940s, produced many of the finest evening dresses in Her Majesty’s wardrobe. His signature style of the 1940s and 1950s was full-skirted dresses in sumptuous silks and duchesse satins.
Hardy Amies began designing clothes for The Queen in the early 1950s and established his name with the deceptive simplicity of his accomplished tailoring. The portraits by Cecil Beaton released to mark Her Majesty’s birthday in 1969 the are amongst the most memorable designs by Hardy Amies.
In the 1970s The Queen awarded her patronage to Ian Thomas, who was an assistant designer to Norman Hartnell before setting up his own salon. Thomas’s flowing chiffon dresses from the 1970s reflect the relaxed style of the decade. Maureen Rose of the same house continued to design for Her Majesty after Ian’s death until the late 80’s.
Hardy Amies began designing clothes for The Queen in the early 1950s and established his name with the deceptive simplicity of his accomplished tailoring. The portraits by Cecil Beaton released to mark Her Majesty’s birthday in 1969 the are amongst the most memorable designs by Hardy Amies.
In the 1970s The Queen awarded her patronage to Ian Thomas, who was an assistant designer to Norman Hartnell before setting up his own salon. Thomas’s flowing chiffon dresses from the 1970s reflect the relaxed style of the decade. Maureen Rose of the same house continued to design for Her Majesty after Ian’s death until the late 80’s.
Between 1988 and 1996, Her Majesty’s dresses were designed by John Anderson. His business partner Karl Ludwig Rehse took over the mantle after his death in 1988 and the Queen still wears his designs today.
Stewart Parvin, the youngest of Her Majesty’s designers, trained at Edinburgh College of Art. He began to design for The Queen in 2000 and continues to do so.
Angela Kelly is Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to The Queen. Her role includes designing for The Queen, which she has done since 2002. Angela and her team try and use both old and new fabrics when designing. Some of the material they incorporate has been given to Her Majesty many years ago, some dates from when she was Princess Elizabeth.
Stewart Parvin, the youngest of Her Majesty’s designers, trained at Edinburgh College of Art. He began to design for The Queen in 2000 and continues to do so.
Angela Kelly is Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to The Queen. Her role includes designing for The Queen, which she has done since 2002. Angela and her team try and use both old and new fabrics when designing. Some of the material they incorporate has been given to Her Majesty many years ago, some dates from when she was Princess Elizabeth.
A day in the life of The Queen - In the Evening
The Queen's working day does not stop at the end of the afternoon.
Early evening may see a meeting with the Prime Minister. The Queen has a weekly meeting alone with the Prime Minister, when they are both in London (in addition to other meetings throughout the year).
This usually takes place on Wednesdays at 6.30 pm. No written record is made of such meetings; neither The Queen nor the Prime Minister talk about what is discussed between them, as communications between The Queen and the Prime Minister always remains confidential.
At about 7.30 pm a report of the day's parliamentary proceedings, written by one of the Government's Whips, arrives. The Queen always reads this the same evening.
Early evening may see a meeting with the Prime Minister. The Queen has a weekly meeting alone with the Prime Minister, when they are both in London (in addition to other meetings throughout the year).
This usually takes place on Wednesdays at 6.30 pm. No written record is made of such meetings; neither The Queen nor the Prime Minister talk about what is discussed between them, as communications between The Queen and the Prime Minister always remains confidential.
At about 7.30 pm a report of the day's parliamentary proceedings, written by one of the Government's Whips, arrives. The Queen always reads this the same evening.
On some evenings, The Queen may attend a film première, a variety of concert performances in aid of a charitable cause, or a reception linked to organisations of which she is Patron.
The Queen also regularly hosts official receptions at Buckingham Palace (usually with other members of the Royal Family), such as those for the Diplomatic Corps and The Queen's Award for Industry.
Her Majesty may also hold receptions ahead of overseas visits. In 2007, prior to attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave a reception at Buckingham Palace for Commonwealth Africans living and working in the United Kingdom.
Other receptions mark the work of particular groups in the community, such as those recently given for members of the British design and music worlds.
The Queen has numerous private interests, which can coincide with her public work, to complete her working day.
Her Majesty also attends the Derby and the Summer Race Meeting at Ascot, a Royal occasion. As a keen owner and breeder of racehorses, she often sees her horses run at other meetings.
As owner of private estates at Balmoral and Sandringham, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh oversee the management of the estates which are run on a commercial basis. She takes a close interest in all aspects of estate life, particularly in the tenant farmers and employees who live and work on the estates.
Through her public and private work, The Queen is well-briefed and well-known. She has met many more people from all walks of life both in this country and overseas than her predecessors.
This takes time and effort. Often, one of the last lights on in the Palace at night is The Queen finishing her 'red box' of official papers.
The Queen also regularly hosts official receptions at Buckingham Palace (usually with other members of the Royal Family), such as those for the Diplomatic Corps and The Queen's Award for Industry.
Her Majesty may also hold receptions ahead of overseas visits. In 2007, prior to attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave a reception at Buckingham Palace for Commonwealth Africans living and working in the United Kingdom.
Other receptions mark the work of particular groups in the community, such as those recently given for members of the British design and music worlds.
The Queen has numerous private interests, which can coincide with her public work, to complete her working day.
Her Majesty also attends the Derby and the Summer Race Meeting at Ascot, a Royal occasion. As a keen owner and breeder of racehorses, she often sees her horses run at other meetings.
As owner of private estates at Balmoral and Sandringham, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh oversee the management of the estates which are run on a commercial basis. She takes a close interest in all aspects of estate life, particularly in the tenant farmers and employees who live and work on the estates.
Through her public and private work, The Queen is well-briefed and well-known. She has met many more people from all walks of life both in this country and overseas than her predecessors.
This takes time and effort. Often, one of the last lights on in the Palace at night is The Queen finishing her 'red box' of official papers.
A day in the life of The Queen - In the afternoons
In the afternoons, The Queen often goes out on public engagements.
Such visits require meticulous planning beforehand to meet the hosts' requirements.
And The Queen prepares for each visit by briefing herself on whom she will be meeting and what she will be seeing and doing.
Royal engagements are carefully selected by The Queen from a large number of invitations sent to her each year, often by the Lord-Lieutenants (The Queen's representatives in counties throughout the United Kingdom).
Such visits require meticulous planning beforehand to meet the hosts' requirements.
And The Queen prepares for each visit by briefing herself on whom she will be meeting and what she will be seeing and doing.
Royal engagements are carefully selected by The Queen from a large number of invitations sent to her each year, often by the Lord-Lieutenants (The Queen's representatives in counties throughout the United Kingdom).
This helps to ensure the widest possible spread and to make effective use of The Queen's time.
If the engagement is outside London, her journeys are often by air using a helicopter or an RAF aircraft.
The Queen carries out around 430 engagements (including audiences) a year, to meet people, open events and buildings, unveil plaques and make speeches.
Such engagements can include visits to schools, hospitals, factories, military units, art galleries, sheltered accommodation for elderly people, hostels for the homeless, local community schemes in inner city areas, and other British and Commonwealth organisations.
The Queen regularly goes out for the whole day to a particular region or city. If the visit is a busy one, or if it lasts more than a day, then The Queen will travel overnight on the Royal Train.
The Duke of Edinburgh will often accompany The Queen on such visits; when this happens, they will carry out some engagements jointly and others separately to ensure that the maximum number of people and organisations can be visited.
The Queen may end the afternoon seeing a number of Government ministers in a meeting of the Privy Council.
If the engagement is outside London, her journeys are often by air using a helicopter or an RAF aircraft.
The Queen carries out around 430 engagements (including audiences) a year, to meet people, open events and buildings, unveil plaques and make speeches.
Such engagements can include visits to schools, hospitals, factories, military units, art galleries, sheltered accommodation for elderly people, hostels for the homeless, local community schemes in inner city areas, and other British and Commonwealth organisations.
The Queen regularly goes out for the whole day to a particular region or city. If the visit is a busy one, or if it lasts more than a day, then The Queen will travel overnight on the Royal Train.
The Duke of Edinburgh will often accompany The Queen on such visits; when this happens, they will carry out some engagements jointly and others separately to ensure that the maximum number of people and organisations can be visited.
The Queen may end the afternoon seeing a number of Government ministers in a meeting of the Privy Council.
6 Natural Ways to Reduce Bad Cholesterol
1. Exercise
This is probably one of the most important actions you need to take to lower your cholesterol. Regular moderate aerobic exercise is a great way to bring down cholesterol as well as get more energy, improve your mood, and improve your health in general. Even something as simple as walking at least 45 minutes most days can yield results.
2. Eat Fiber
Study after study has shown that fiber found in oats, barley, fruits, and vegetables, and other high-fiber foods reduce cholesterol levels. Almost everyone has heard that eating oatmeal for breakfast alone can improve your cholesterol levels a great deal. Changing your diet to have more of the above mentioned foods takes little work, and your cholesterol levels and your doctor will thank you for it.
This is probably one of the most important actions you need to take to lower your cholesterol. Regular moderate aerobic exercise is a great way to bring down cholesterol as well as get more energy, improve your mood, and improve your health in general. Even something as simple as walking at least 45 minutes most days can yield results.
2. Eat Fiber
Study after study has shown that fiber found in oats, barley, fruits, and vegetables, and other high-fiber foods reduce cholesterol levels. Almost everyone has heard that eating oatmeal for breakfast alone can improve your cholesterol levels a great deal. Changing your diet to have more of the above mentioned foods takes little work, and your cholesterol levels and your doctor will thank you for it.
3. Avoid Trans and Saturated Fats
Avoiding these cholesterol raising and unhealthy fats has become easier over the years. The scientific community has done a great job showing the relation between consuming these fats and health problems like high cholesterol. Keep an eye on your nutrition labels and avoid or cut back on any foods with trans fats or saturated fats. Eliminating these from your diet will at least prevent your cholesterol from going up and likely help reduce it a bit.
4. Eat Fish
Fish are full of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that the health community has been talking about for a few years. Fatty fish are best, as their fats are the healthy kind. Fish can also help you reduce blood pressure. Some of the best fish for fighting cholesterol are: sardines, salmon, halibut, and Lake trout.
5. Eat Nuts
Nuts are a great source of energy in a small package. You don’t want to go crazy with them, but adding 1 to 2 ounces of nuts to your diet daily will fill you up with healthy polyunsaturated fats that help the body reduce cholesterol.
6. Use more Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils you can use. Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants and other chemicals that help the body lower bad LDL cholesterol without dropping levels of the good HDL cholesterol. Extra virgin olive oil is best, but all are good.
Avoiding these cholesterol raising and unhealthy fats has become easier over the years. The scientific community has done a great job showing the relation between consuming these fats and health problems like high cholesterol. Keep an eye on your nutrition labels and avoid or cut back on any foods with trans fats or saturated fats. Eliminating these from your diet will at least prevent your cholesterol from going up and likely help reduce it a bit.
4. Eat Fish
Fish are full of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that the health community has been talking about for a few years. Fatty fish are best, as their fats are the healthy kind. Fish can also help you reduce blood pressure. Some of the best fish for fighting cholesterol are: sardines, salmon, halibut, and Lake trout.
5. Eat Nuts
Nuts are a great source of energy in a small package. You don’t want to go crazy with them, but adding 1 to 2 ounces of nuts to your diet daily will fill you up with healthy polyunsaturated fats that help the body reduce cholesterol.
6. Use more Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils you can use. Olive oil is loaded with antioxidants and other chemicals that help the body lower bad LDL cholesterol without dropping levels of the good HDL cholesterol. Extra virgin olive oil is best, but all are good.
9 Potentially Serious Causes of Tinnitus
Meniere’s Disease
This disease of the inner ear can cause tinnitus through a disruption in the ears’ fluid systems. Usually, this type of tinnitus only occurs in one ear, although it can happen in both. Vertigo is another symptom of Meniere’s disease.
TMJ Disorders
Damage or disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can often cause tinnitus as a result of pain and stress surrounding the area where your lower jaw connects to your skill.
Acoustic Neuroma
While rare, this specific type of brain tumor can grow on the nerve that regulates your hearing, causing your body to generate sounds that aren’t there, including tinnitus. This is another cause that generally results in only one ear being affected.
This disease of the inner ear can cause tinnitus through a disruption in the ears’ fluid systems. Usually, this type of tinnitus only occurs in one ear, although it can happen in both. Vertigo is another symptom of Meniere’s disease.
TMJ Disorders
Damage or disorder of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can often cause tinnitus as a result of pain and stress surrounding the area where your lower jaw connects to your skill.
Acoustic Neuroma
While rare, this specific type of brain tumor can grow on the nerve that regulates your hearing, causing your body to generate sounds that aren’t there, including tinnitus. This is another cause that generally results in only one ear being affected.
Head/Neck Cancer
Other types of tumors in the head and neck can disrupt blood flow to the ears, or put pressure on nerves or the bones of the ear. Tinnitus can result from these growths due to faulty information from your nervous system, or due to changes in blood flow in your ears.
Atherosclerosis
Narrowing of the blood vessels in the ear, caused by high cholesterol or other arterial diseases, can result in the sound of blood flow in the ears to become louder, as the vessels cannot expand and contract as efficiently as they used to. In this type of tinnitus, you may actually be hearing your heartbeat.
High Blood Pressure
Like narrowed blood vessels, high blood pressure can cause you to hear the sounds of blood pumping in your ear. If your heart is beating hard and fast, you may sometimes hear the pulsating noise as tinnitus. High blood pressure can also lead to narrowed blood vessels, worsening the problem.
Vitamin Deficiency
While the precise mechanism is unknown, not getting enough Vitamin A or Vitamin B12 can cause tinnitus. These deficiencies can have other, more serious effects on your heath, so it’s important to remedy the deficiency if that’s the cause of your tinnitus.
Capillary Malformation
AVM, or arteriovenous malformation, can cause kinks or narrow areas in the small blood vessels in your ear to form, resulting in a type of tinnitus described as a “wooshing” noise.
Head Trauma
Ringing in the ears may be caused by a hard hit to the head, and can be due to broken bones, issues with blood vessel, nerve or brain damage, and can be a sign of a concussion. You should see a medical professional after experiencing any head trauma, but if the impact resulted in tinnitus, you will definitely want to get it checked out to avoid further complications.
Other types of tumors in the head and neck can disrupt blood flow to the ears, or put pressure on nerves or the bones of the ear. Tinnitus can result from these growths due to faulty information from your nervous system, or due to changes in blood flow in your ears.
Atherosclerosis
Narrowing of the blood vessels in the ear, caused by high cholesterol or other arterial diseases, can result in the sound of blood flow in the ears to become louder, as the vessels cannot expand and contract as efficiently as they used to. In this type of tinnitus, you may actually be hearing your heartbeat.
High Blood Pressure
Like narrowed blood vessels, high blood pressure can cause you to hear the sounds of blood pumping in your ear. If your heart is beating hard and fast, you may sometimes hear the pulsating noise as tinnitus. High blood pressure can also lead to narrowed blood vessels, worsening the problem.
Vitamin Deficiency
While the precise mechanism is unknown, not getting enough Vitamin A or Vitamin B12 can cause tinnitus. These deficiencies can have other, more serious effects on your heath, so it’s important to remedy the deficiency if that’s the cause of your tinnitus.
Capillary Malformation
AVM, or arteriovenous malformation, can cause kinks or narrow areas in the small blood vessels in your ear to form, resulting in a type of tinnitus described as a “wooshing” noise.
Head Trauma
Ringing in the ears may be caused by a hard hit to the head, and can be due to broken bones, issues with blood vessel, nerve or brain damage, and can be a sign of a concussion. You should see a medical professional after experiencing any head trauma, but if the impact resulted in tinnitus, you will definitely want to get it checked out to avoid further complications.
7 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s-Related Memory Loss
1 – Misplacing Things
Younger folks often like to joke about their grandparents putting the car keys in the refrigerator or leaving their glasses in the silverware drawer, but misplacing things – especially in odd places – can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. While it’s normal to occasionally forget where you put your wallet when you got home, misplacing objects can be worrisome if it’s increasingly frequent, or if you can’t retrace your steps to figure out where you might have put the lost item.
2 – Problems With Decision-Making
Poor judgment can be a sign of Alzheimer’s when taken to the extreme. While occasionally spending more money than you should on a big purchase is an unfortunate fact of life, people whose decision-making skills completely and suddenly go out the window, or who begin making decisions out of line with their usual characters, may be exhibiting early Alzheimer’s symptoms.
3 – Issues With Words
This can take a number of forms, from forgetting vocabulary words to struggling to describe abstract thoughts to having difficulty with the physical process of writing. An occasional “tip of the tongue” forgotten word is totally normal, but general communication difficulties may signal a larger problem.
Younger folks often like to joke about their grandparents putting the car keys in the refrigerator or leaving their glasses in the silverware drawer, but misplacing things – especially in odd places – can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. While it’s normal to occasionally forget where you put your wallet when you got home, misplacing objects can be worrisome if it’s increasingly frequent, or if you can’t retrace your steps to figure out where you might have put the lost item.
2 – Problems With Decision-Making
Poor judgment can be a sign of Alzheimer’s when taken to the extreme. While occasionally spending more money than you should on a big purchase is an unfortunate fact of life, people whose decision-making skills completely and suddenly go out the window, or who begin making decisions out of line with their usual characters, may be exhibiting early Alzheimer’s symptoms.
3 – Issues With Words
This can take a number of forms, from forgetting vocabulary words to struggling to describe abstract thoughts to having difficulty with the physical process of writing. An occasional “tip of the tongue” forgotten word is totally normal, but general communication difficulties may signal a larger problem.
4 – Changes in Sense of Time
Rather than experiencing a nostalgic sense of “where did the time go”, people with Alzheimer’s may completely lose periods of time. Forgetting dates is a small symptom of this, but larger things to be worried about include confusion at the passage of seasons, or not being able to tell how long you’ve been somewhere.
5 – Getting Lost
Many of us have little sense of direction to begin with, especially now that we tend to depend on GPS apps to get us places. However, people beginning to exhibit Alzheimer’s symptoms might get lost in places that they should be familiar with, like their home neighborhood or the area around their place of work.
6 – Repetition
Re-telling the same story now and then tends to happen with age, but constantly repeating the same stories or phrases over and over might indicate larger memory loss. Another form of repetition might be asking the same question repeatedly, even after its been answered multiple times.
7 – Difficulty Completing Tasks
Many tasks come to us naturally with years of repetition, like showering, playing favorite games, or driving to work. People exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s-related memory loss, however, may have trouble completing tasks that they were formerly able to do with little thought.
Rather than experiencing a nostalgic sense of “where did the time go”, people with Alzheimer’s may completely lose periods of time. Forgetting dates is a small symptom of this, but larger things to be worried about include confusion at the passage of seasons, or not being able to tell how long you’ve been somewhere.
5 – Getting Lost
Many of us have little sense of direction to begin with, especially now that we tend to depend on GPS apps to get us places. However, people beginning to exhibit Alzheimer’s symptoms might get lost in places that they should be familiar with, like their home neighborhood or the area around their place of work.
6 – Repetition
Re-telling the same story now and then tends to happen with age, but constantly repeating the same stories or phrases over and over might indicate larger memory loss. Another form of repetition might be asking the same question repeatedly, even after its been answered multiple times.
7 – Difficulty Completing Tasks
Many tasks come to us naturally with years of repetition, like showering, playing favorite games, or driving to work. People exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s-related memory loss, however, may have trouble completing tasks that they were formerly able to do with little thought.
8 Ways High Blood Pressure Can Harm Your Health
Weakened Arteries
The stress of increased pressure within blood vessels can cause your arteries to weaken. With continued stress, your arteries may burst, leading to stroke or internal bleeding.
Fatty Plaque Buildup
While plaque buildup in the arteries is usually associated with high cholesterol, it can be encouraged by high blood pressure. Buildup of plaque in your arteries can cause all sorts of problems related to restricted blood flow.
Stress on Heart
The extra pressure in your blood vessels causes your heart to work harder than it should, which can lead to enlargement of the heart, weakness of the heart, and eventual heart failure.
Heart Attacks
High blood pressure sends your heart into overdrive, which can lead to coronary events through overwork. The plaque buildup doesn’t help, either, as coronary artery disease is one of the leading causes of heart attack.
Restricted Oxygen Delivery
As your arteries narrow as a result of increased pressure and plaque deposits, the amount of oxygen that gets to your organs begins to deplete. This can cause damage to your brain, eyes, lungs, you name it, and can result in permanent consequences like blindness and memory loss.
Strokes and Aneurysms
Weakened arteries can develop bulges called aneurysms that can burst as a result of increased pressure and cause damage to your brain or other organs as they’re flooded with blood. Strokes, when the bursting of blood vessels causes damage to the brain, can be life threatening, or result in long-term brain damage that affects speech and memory.
Kidney Failure
One of the most common effects of narrowed arteries caused by high blood pressure is kidney failure – and one of the largest causes of kidney failure is high blood pressure. If the arteries in your kidneys fail to function properly, your body has trouble ridding itself of waste and toxins, which can wreak havoc on your entire system. Kidney failure requires a transplant or dialysis treatments to remedy the problem.
Hypertensive Emergencies
Finally, severe and untreated high blood pressure can lead to hypertensive emergencies that don’t fall into any of these categories. If your blood pressure suddenly skyrockets to 180 systolic or 120 diastolic, you should contact an emergency medical professional immediately. Blood pressure this high can lead to stroke, loss of consciousness, fluid buildup in the lungs, memory loss and other brain damage, and organ damage in general as oxygen suddenly fails to be delivered by your arteries.
With these potentially life-threatening results of high blood pressure in mind, remember to talk to your doctor about whether or not your blood pressure is in a healthy range. If you do have high blood pressure, watch your diet and overall fitness levels to ensure that you keep it under control.
The stress of increased pressure within blood vessels can cause your arteries to weaken. With continued stress, your arteries may burst, leading to stroke or internal bleeding.
Fatty Plaque Buildup
While plaque buildup in the arteries is usually associated with high cholesterol, it can be encouraged by high blood pressure. Buildup of plaque in your arteries can cause all sorts of problems related to restricted blood flow.
Stress on Heart
The extra pressure in your blood vessels causes your heart to work harder than it should, which can lead to enlargement of the heart, weakness of the heart, and eventual heart failure.
Heart Attacks
High blood pressure sends your heart into overdrive, which can lead to coronary events through overwork. The plaque buildup doesn’t help, either, as coronary artery disease is one of the leading causes of heart attack.
Restricted Oxygen Delivery
As your arteries narrow as a result of increased pressure and plaque deposits, the amount of oxygen that gets to your organs begins to deplete. This can cause damage to your brain, eyes, lungs, you name it, and can result in permanent consequences like blindness and memory loss.
Strokes and Aneurysms
Weakened arteries can develop bulges called aneurysms that can burst as a result of increased pressure and cause damage to your brain or other organs as they’re flooded with blood. Strokes, when the bursting of blood vessels causes damage to the brain, can be life threatening, or result in long-term brain damage that affects speech and memory.
Kidney Failure
One of the most common effects of narrowed arteries caused by high blood pressure is kidney failure – and one of the largest causes of kidney failure is high blood pressure. If the arteries in your kidneys fail to function properly, your body has trouble ridding itself of waste and toxins, which can wreak havoc on your entire system. Kidney failure requires a transplant or dialysis treatments to remedy the problem.
Hypertensive Emergencies
Finally, severe and untreated high blood pressure can lead to hypertensive emergencies that don’t fall into any of these categories. If your blood pressure suddenly skyrockets to 180 systolic or 120 diastolic, you should contact an emergency medical professional immediately. Blood pressure this high can lead to stroke, loss of consciousness, fluid buildup in the lungs, memory loss and other brain damage, and organ damage in general as oxygen suddenly fails to be delivered by your arteries.
With these potentially life-threatening results of high blood pressure in mind, remember to talk to your doctor about whether or not your blood pressure is in a healthy range. If you do have high blood pressure, watch your diet and overall fitness levels to ensure that you keep it under control.
5 Signs That Your Heartburn Might Be a Serious Problem
1– You Have Severe Chest Pain
Heartburn that comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, irregular heart beat, and pain in the arm, shoulder, or face may not be heartburn. It may be a heart attack or other severe cardiac event. For these symptoms, call your local emergency services immediately.
2 – Antacids or OTC Drugs Don’t Help
If antacid medications stop working to soothe your heartburn, or if they never worked in the first place, your heartburn may have progressed to GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. With GERD, the stomach acid washing up into your esophagus that causes the burning sensation essentially goes out of control, and untreated GERD can lead to further problems like dyspepsia and esophagitis.
Heartburn that comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, irregular heart beat, and pain in the arm, shoulder, or face may not be heartburn. It may be a heart attack or other severe cardiac event. For these symptoms, call your local emergency services immediately.
2 – Antacids or OTC Drugs Don’t Help
If antacid medications stop working to soothe your heartburn, or if they never worked in the first place, your heartburn may have progressed to GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. With GERD, the stomach acid washing up into your esophagus that causes the burning sensation essentially goes out of control, and untreated GERD can lead to further problems like dyspepsia and esophagitis.
3 – You Have Unintentional Weight Loss or Stomach Symptoms
Your heartburn may be a symptom of more serious gastrointestinal issues, or untreated acid reflux may lead to consequences that require immediate intervention. If you’re losing weight quickly without trying, have frequent nausea and/or diarrhea, are vomiting blood, or notice bloody stool, contact an emergency medical care provider. Gastrointestinal symptoms can signal a whole range of illnesses from cancer to food poisoning, so play it safe and see your doctor.
4 – You Have a Chronic Cough
Coughing can be caused by anything from a cold to asthma, so it can be difficult to determine whether or not it’s related to your heartburn. But, if you have a persistent cough that won’t go away in addition to heartburn, the two may be making each other worse. Because untreated heartburn can damage the lining of your esophagus, it can often lead to heartburn. Likewise, untreated coughing can damage your esophagus – leading to heartburn!
5 – It’s Interfering With Your Life
For any symptom, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your doctor if it’s having a negative impact on your life. If your heartburn is persistent and isn’t helped by medications, is causing you to modify your lifestyle to deal with the pain, or is keeping you from sleeping, working, or relaxing, it’s time to figure out what’s really going on. Not only will it preserve your health in the long run, but you’ll feel better, too.
Your heartburn may be a symptom of more serious gastrointestinal issues, or untreated acid reflux may lead to consequences that require immediate intervention. If you’re losing weight quickly without trying, have frequent nausea and/or diarrhea, are vomiting blood, or notice bloody stool, contact an emergency medical care provider. Gastrointestinal symptoms can signal a whole range of illnesses from cancer to food poisoning, so play it safe and see your doctor.
4 – You Have a Chronic Cough
Coughing can be caused by anything from a cold to asthma, so it can be difficult to determine whether or not it’s related to your heartburn. But, if you have a persistent cough that won’t go away in addition to heartburn, the two may be making each other worse. Because untreated heartburn can damage the lining of your esophagus, it can often lead to heartburn. Likewise, untreated coughing can damage your esophagus – leading to heartburn!
5 – It’s Interfering With Your Life
For any symptom, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your doctor if it’s having a negative impact on your life. If your heartburn is persistent and isn’t helped by medications, is causing you to modify your lifestyle to deal with the pain, or is keeping you from sleeping, working, or relaxing, it’s time to figure out what’s really going on. Not only will it preserve your health in the long run, but you’ll feel better, too.
Got Wrinkles? Find Anti-Aging Skincare Fixes In Your Kitchen
Yogurt
Full fat yogurt can help moisturize your skin, improving elasticity. Simply apply it like a facial mask, or rub it into your hands or dry areas. Allow it to dry, rinse it off, and apply a gentle moisturizer to maximize the benefits. Be sure to use an organic, unsweetened, unflavored yogurt.
Green Tea
The antioxidants in green tea make it a great skin toner. Using two tea bags, steep an 8 ounce cup of tea for ten minutes. Freeze the tea in ice cube trays, and then apply a cube of the tea concentrate to any lines or wrinkles. The cool temperature and the antioxidants will help tighten up your skin.
Milk
The fat in milk will lock moisture into your skin, while the lactic acid gently exfoliates and tightens pores. After washing your face, simply apply a thin layer of whole milk to your skin with a cotton ball, and rinse with warm water. Two cups of milk in a bath has a full body effect!
Full fat yogurt can help moisturize your skin, improving elasticity. Simply apply it like a facial mask, or rub it into your hands or dry areas. Allow it to dry, rinse it off, and apply a gentle moisturizer to maximize the benefits. Be sure to use an organic, unsweetened, unflavored yogurt.
Green Tea
The antioxidants in green tea make it a great skin toner. Using two tea bags, steep an 8 ounce cup of tea for ten minutes. Freeze the tea in ice cube trays, and then apply a cube of the tea concentrate to any lines or wrinkles. The cool temperature and the antioxidants will help tighten up your skin.
Milk
The fat in milk will lock moisture into your skin, while the lactic acid gently exfoliates and tightens pores. After washing your face, simply apply a thin layer of whole milk to your skin with a cotton ball, and rinse with warm water. Two cups of milk in a bath has a full body effect!
Oatmeal
Soften and protect your skin with oatmeal. This grain contains polysaccharides, which can help protect your skin from damage from the elements, and also keeps moisture in. Just mix uncooked, whole rolled oats with water to make a thick paste, and use it to exfoliate your face. Rinse it off, and voila: softer skin.
Honey
Bees’ gift to humanity is packed with antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties, which can reduce breakouts if you’re prone to them. Honey can also stop wrinkles in their tracks by moisturizing and supporting new skin cell growth. Warm about a teaspoon of honey between your fingertips (a drop of essential oil provides an extra boost), and apply it to your dry face. After five minutes, rinse well and enjoy fresher, softer skin.
Baking Soda
Gritty baking soda makes a fantastic exfoliant, helping to bring out youthful new skin and encourage more active skin cell production. Use a paste of three parts baking soda and one part water as a facial scrub in place of expensive store-bought exfoliating scrubs, and reveal a fresher you.
Water
Even if your cupboards are bare, you’re sure to have water! Boil water and pour it into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Without straining your back, bend over the bowl so that the steam hits your face, and drape a towel over your head and the bowl to seal in the moisture. This low-budget facial will help cleanse your pores, leaving your skin looking fresh and young.
Soften and protect your skin with oatmeal. This grain contains polysaccharides, which can help protect your skin from damage from the elements, and also keeps moisture in. Just mix uncooked, whole rolled oats with water to make a thick paste, and use it to exfoliate your face. Rinse it off, and voila: softer skin.
Honey
Bees’ gift to humanity is packed with antimicrobial, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties, which can reduce breakouts if you’re prone to them. Honey can also stop wrinkles in their tracks by moisturizing and supporting new skin cell growth. Warm about a teaspoon of honey between your fingertips (a drop of essential oil provides an extra boost), and apply it to your dry face. After five minutes, rinse well and enjoy fresher, softer skin.
Baking Soda
Gritty baking soda makes a fantastic exfoliant, helping to bring out youthful new skin and encourage more active skin cell production. Use a paste of three parts baking soda and one part water as a facial scrub in place of expensive store-bought exfoliating scrubs, and reveal a fresher you.
Water
Even if your cupboards are bare, you’re sure to have water! Boil water and pour it into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Without straining your back, bend over the bowl so that the steam hits your face, and drape a towel over your head and the bowl to seal in the moisture. This low-budget facial will help cleanse your pores, leaving your skin looking fresh and young.
35 Easy Tips to Help Fend off Stress
Meditate – Meditation is a great way to step outside of the things that are stressing you out. Give yourself 10 minutes to meditate and clear your mind, and you will be able to step back into your challenges with a fresh approach.
Go for a Walk – Stretch your legs and look around you. There can be a lot to appreciate when you step away from a stressful situation, and it can help you focus on practical solutions without getting too caught up.
Picture Yourself Relaxing – Simply envisioning yourself relaxed can help you step into that frame of mind.
Breathing Exercises – Taking 10 deep breaths will help you focus on something different for a moment, and will help you clear stress from your mind and get to the root of your challenges. Breathing exercises can help you reduce tension and relax.
Look Around Yourself – Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings. It can be easy to get caught up in a stressful situation, but observing the people and things around you can really help you get a handle on things.
Drink Tea – Warm Tea, especially caffeine-free, can help put your mind and body at ease.
Show Affection – Physical contact with a loved one can help unload a lot of the baggage on your mind.
Have a Massage – Physical contact can do wonders, but even giving yourself a quick massage to relieve tension points can help you get more comfortable and make your worries fade away.
Take a Break – Give yourself some ‘you time’ now and then. Let your mind wander away from work and stress, or find a quick activity that you enjoy and that helps get your mind off things.
Listen to Music – Music can make a world of difference to your emotions. Pick an old favorite feel-good track to get yourself back into the right mindset.
Take a Break From Your Attitude – It’s easy to get caught up in things, especially when you’re busy. Make a deliberate effort to switch your mindset – force a smile or a laugh, and you might be surprised how much it can change your mood.
Skip the Coffee – Caffeine might help you get through the work day, but it can also get your mind spinning and fixated on things that are stressing you out. Try a tall glass of cold water instead; it can make you more alert and will help cleanse your system.
Avoid Processed Foods – Junk food takes a toll on your digestive system, and an upset stomach makes it easy to stress out about everything else going on around you.
Eat Ginger – Ginger can ease your stomach and help you relax. Try it in tea, or ginger sweets, or tasty candied ginger.
Try Flax Seed Oil – Flax seed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which can influence your sense of well-being and help relieve you of stress.
Unplug the Electronics – Turn off the computer; disconnect yourself from social networks for a minute. Concentrate on the here and now, and the worries of the outside world can disappear for a moment.
Turn off the Cell Phone – Worried about a stressful call that might come in at any time from a boss or friend? Turn off the phone for a while and focus on what you have to do. If it’s important, they will leave a message.
Get Some Exercise – Doing a quick round of jumping jacks or push-ups is a great way to relieve your mind for a moment. It forces you to focus for a few minutes, and you can approach your situation with a clearer mind afterwards.
Analyze Your Situation – Take a moment to look at the things that are stressing you out. A few minutes of focused thought might help you break down your situation and make a plan to overcome it.
Talk to a friend – This is what friends are for, and sometimes sharing your stressful situation and getting an outside perspective can help you realize that easy ways to push through.
Take a Day Off – Sometimes taking a day off of work can be just what you need to get out, have some fun, and forget about your worries for a bit. Make the most of your free day and treat yourself to fun, stress-free activities. You will be revitalized and ready to tackle your challenges afterwards.
Reward Yourself – Treat yourself after getting through a stressful and challenging situation. Some days are harder than others, but if you know there is a reward waiting for you at the other end, you can stay focused and work harder.
Do Some Math – Find your newspaper’s sudoku page, or challenge yourself with a math equation. Math takes a lot of mental focus, and can turn your mind away from the stresses in your life for a moment.
Count to 10 – If math sounds a bit much for the moment, just close your eyes and count to 10. It’s an easy way to switch your mind’s focus for just a moment, and that can make a world of difference.
Just Say No – If you are already feeling stressed out, try to turn down anything that might add to that. Getting overly stressed out will not help your productivity, so try to get through one challenge before adding more.
Improve Your Surroundings – If you aren’t able to take a break or step outside of a stressful situation, do what you can to improve it. Put some pictures of loved ones around your office, or put on some relaxing music. Improve your surroundings to improve your state of mind.
Take a Sniff – Sense of smell can be a powerful factor on your mood. Scents can help you relax, so light up a nice scented candle, or peel a fresh orange or tangerine for an invigorating burst of citrus.
Warm Up – When your body is cold, it’s easy to feel on edge. Putting on an extra sweater can help you get more comfortable and relaxed.
Schedule Breaks – Plan ahead for a break from your schedule. It will give you something to look forward to as you trudge through your stressful to-do list.
Have a Snack – Taking a break with a little comfort food will reinvigorate your energy level and give you a brief escape.
Lie Down – Get horizontal for a moment. This position makes it easier to relax and forces you to take a quick break from work.
Laugh a Little – A little bit of laughter can go a long way. If you’re stressed out, take a minute to pull up a favorite sitcom or YouTube video, and let yourself smile for a change – it’ll make a big difference on your mood.
Take a Bath – Nothing helps shed away your stress like a nice hot soak at the end of a long day.
Dance – You might feel silly doing it, but close the blinds, shut the door, and turn on your favorite song. Moving around to your favorite music will help you step outside of your stresses, and two-step into a much improved mood.
Tend your Garden – Caring for another living thing can help your mind grow out of your burdens. A few potted plants around the office can give you something to care for, even if only for a few minutes. You don’t have to take this too literally, but it can be helpful when you’re stressed out to tend to some of the other aspects of your life that are less stressful to you.
The Scoop on Your Poop
It’s a topic that most of us are afraid to ask questions about – what does your poop mean about your health? Indicators such as color and texture can signal concerns that you might want to talk to a doctor about, or they might tell you that your diet is just fine. In this article, we’ll tell you what’s normal and what’s not. A word to the squeamish: things are about to get graphic.
Color
There are plenty of natural variations in the color of your stool that are totally fine – just about any shade of brown indicates that you have nothing to worry about. And there are some foods that can tint your toilet offerings questionable colors, like beets, berries, and an excess of leafy green vegetables.
However, if you’re seeing persistent non-brown colors, especially if you’re not eating those foods, it might be time to worry. Black or red stool can indicate internal bleeding; grey-ish and extremely pale colors can signal gallstones; and yellow means that you’re either eating too much fat, or aren’t digesting it properly.
Color
There are plenty of natural variations in the color of your stool that are totally fine – just about any shade of brown indicates that you have nothing to worry about. And there are some foods that can tint your toilet offerings questionable colors, like beets, berries, and an excess of leafy green vegetables.
However, if you’re seeing persistent non-brown colors, especially if you’re not eating those foods, it might be time to worry. Black or red stool can indicate internal bleeding; grey-ish and extremely pale colors can signal gallstones; and yellow means that you’re either eating too much fat, or aren’t digesting it properly.
Texture
In the case of texture and consistency, soft is generally a good thing (at least until you get into the zone of diarrhea). A soft stool indicates that your digestive system is in healthy working order, and everything is moving along at a good pace. Hard stools, on the other hand, can usually mean that you’re slightly dehydrated, or aren’t consuming enough fiber.
You may also want to listen for multiple plops – small, distinct pieces of poo can indicate the beginnings of constipation, and can be harder for your colon to process. One large one is better.
In the case of texture and consistency, soft is generally a good thing (at least until you get into the zone of diarrhea). A soft stool indicates that your digestive system is in healthy working order, and everything is moving along at a good pace. Hard stools, on the other hand, can usually mean that you’re slightly dehydrated, or aren’t consuming enough fiber.
You may also want to listen for multiple plops – small, distinct pieces of poo can indicate the beginnings of constipation, and can be harder for your colon to process. One large one is better.
Frequency and Time
It turns out that there’s really no “normal” when it comes to frequency. WebMD reports that it’s more important to watch out for changes in frequency. If you normally go with the regularity of Mussolini’s trains, and suddenly go two days sans number two, you may be having some issues with constipation. But otherwise, as long as you’re comfortable, the frequency of your bathroom trips shouldn’t worry you.
Time spent on the toilet, however, can be illuminating in terms of your health. Doing your business should be a fairly swift affair. If you find yourself straining and spending more than a few minutes on the john, it probably means that you should up your water and fiber intake.
Other Assorted Facts
In terms of smell, it’s completely normal to have to use a bit of air freshener after you’re done in the bathroom. Even if it’s a little embarrassing, a strong odor simply means that the bacteria in your gut are doing their jobs to digest your food. Again, changes in this area are more important than anything else.
Many people are understandably concerned about the floating versus sinking poop debate. Floating stool can indicate one of two things: you’ve been eating a lot of fiber that has caused air to become trapped in your digestive system, or you’ve eaten a lot of fat at once that your body wasn’t able to completely process.
And, finally, it turns out that shape has little to do with your health – skinny or thick stool doesn’t really have anything to do with how smoothly your digestive system is running.
The Bottom Line
Excuse the pun. In the end, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what you leave behind once you’ve used the toilet. What’s most important is to keep track of any changes, and understand what’s normal for you. Talk to your doctor if you experience any sudden differences.
In terms of smell, it’s completely normal to have to use a bit of air freshener after you’re done in the bathroom. Even if it’s a little embarrassing, a strong odor simply means that the bacteria in your gut are doing their jobs to digest your food. Again, changes in this area are more important than anything else.
Many people are understandably concerned about the floating versus sinking poop debate. Floating stool can indicate one of two things: you’ve been eating a lot of fiber that has caused air to become trapped in your digestive system, or you’ve eaten a lot of fat at once that your body wasn’t able to completely process.
And, finally, it turns out that shape has little to do with your health – skinny or thick stool doesn’t really have anything to do with how smoothly your digestive system is running.
The Bottom Line
Excuse the pun. In the end, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what you leave behind once you’ve used the toilet. What’s most important is to keep track of any changes, and understand what’s normal for you. Talk to your doctor if you experience any sudden differences.
What Your Tongue Says About Your Health
A White Tongue
One of the most common tongue issues that can signal larger health problems is a white coating, or white spots. Generally, the cause of a white tongue is bacterial. You may be suffering from an oral yeast infection, also known as thrush, or an infection of the throat, such as strep. Or, because your mouth is connected to your digestive system, a white tongue may indicate an overgrowth of bacteria in your gut.
While doctors don’t know exactly what causes it, oral lichen planus is another concern indicated by a white tongue. Experts believe that improving oral hygiene, staying away from cigarettes, and avoiding acidic and spicy foods might help get rid of the white coating if this is the case. A less common, but potentially serious, cause of a white coating on the tongue is leukoplakia, an excess of cell growth in the mouth that can sometimes act as a precursor to oral cancer.
One of the most common tongue issues that can signal larger health problems is a white coating, or white spots. Generally, the cause of a white tongue is bacterial. You may be suffering from an oral yeast infection, also known as thrush, or an infection of the throat, such as strep. Or, because your mouth is connected to your digestive system, a white tongue may indicate an overgrowth of bacteria in your gut.
While doctors don’t know exactly what causes it, oral lichen planus is another concern indicated by a white tongue. Experts believe that improving oral hygiene, staying away from cigarettes, and avoiding acidic and spicy foods might help get rid of the white coating if this is the case. A less common, but potentially serious, cause of a white coating on the tongue is leukoplakia, an excess of cell growth in the mouth that can sometimes act as a precursor to oral cancer.
A Bright Red Tongue
If your tongue is a bright cherry red rather than its usual pinkish hue, you may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency. A bright red tongue can indicate anemia, which means you should up your iron intake. Alternatively, you may be short on B vitamins, which you can pack into your diet with nuts, shellfish, and lean meats.
A Purple Tongue
In the body, purple and blue hues generally signal a lack of oxygen, which remains true when talking about your mouth and tongue. If your tongue is purple, your circulation may be off, or you may be suffering from bronchitis, asthma, or another lung issue. High cholesterol, including blockages and plaques in the arteries, may also cause your tongue to turn purple.
A Dry Tongue
There are a whole host of causes of a dry tongue and mouth, ranging from the minor to the serious. People who tend to breathe through their mouths, as well as smokers, have a tendency to wind up with tongues that feel dry and sticky. Many different medications, especially cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, also come with dry mouth as a common side effect. And of course, minor dehydration often first appears as a feeling of dryness on the tongue or in the mouth.
However, a dry mouth can also indicate some more dangerous issues that you might want to talk to your doctor about if you can’t find an immediate cause of your symptoms. A number of diseases, ranging from diabetes to Parkinson’s disease to HIV/AIDS, can cause dry mouth. Nerve damage stemming from injury or past surgeries can also play a role in the development of oral dryness. Finally, injuries affecting the salivary glands themselves also prevent the proper amount of moisture from being maintained in your mouth.
If your tongue is a bright cherry red rather than its usual pinkish hue, you may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency. A bright red tongue can indicate anemia, which means you should up your iron intake. Alternatively, you may be short on B vitamins, which you can pack into your diet with nuts, shellfish, and lean meats.
A Purple Tongue
In the body, purple and blue hues generally signal a lack of oxygen, which remains true when talking about your mouth and tongue. If your tongue is purple, your circulation may be off, or you may be suffering from bronchitis, asthma, or another lung issue. High cholesterol, including blockages and plaques in the arteries, may also cause your tongue to turn purple.
A Dry Tongue
There are a whole host of causes of a dry tongue and mouth, ranging from the minor to the serious. People who tend to breathe through their mouths, as well as smokers, have a tendency to wind up with tongues that feel dry and sticky. Many different medications, especially cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, also come with dry mouth as a common side effect. And of course, minor dehydration often first appears as a feeling of dryness on the tongue or in the mouth.
However, a dry mouth can also indicate some more dangerous issues that you might want to talk to your doctor about if you can’t find an immediate cause of your symptoms. A number of diseases, ranging from diabetes to Parkinson’s disease to HIV/AIDS, can cause dry mouth. Nerve damage stemming from injury or past surgeries can also play a role in the development of oral dryness. Finally, injuries affecting the salivary glands themselves also prevent the proper amount of moisture from being maintained in your mouth.
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