A man in Austin, Texas, has made it his personal mission that every child can have a Halloween costume. In 2016, Christopher Waggoner moved into a house rather than an apartment and so trick or treaters came to his door on Halloween. He saw some kids watching the elaborate costumes other kids had ruefully. Now … Continue reading “Halloween for All”
Tradition says that ghosts have fun at Halloween. But in San Jose, California, they have fun all year in a 160-room eccentric house built for them. The house’s creator was Sarah Winchester, who inherited the vast fortune of the Winchester rifle company. The rifles were very popular in the Wild West. When Sarah’s baby and … Continue reading “Mystery House”
Alice Guy was one of the first and pioneering filmmakers, working in France and the U.S.A. at the beginning of cinema. Her contributions seemed to have been forgotten but she finally being recognised, with a retrospective at the Deauville Film Festival, a role in the Paris 2024 opening ceremony and an upcoming TV series devoted … Continue reading “A Cinema Pioneer: Alice Guy”
The tenth Women’s Rugby World Cup will take place from 22 August to 27 September in eight cities across England. Sixteen teams will battle for the title, from New Zealand, who have won six times and are the current champions, to newbie Brazil. England is hosting the tournament for the second time. The Red Roses … Continue reading “Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025”
The first of September every year is celebrated as Back to Hogwarts Day by fans of the Harry Potter saga. That’s the day each year that the students of Hogwarts School go to the mysterious Platform Nine-and-three-quarters at King’s Cross Station in London to get on the Hogwarts Express steam train to school. In this … Continue reading “Back to Hogwarts!”
If Juneteenth (19 June) became a federal holiday in the U.S.A., it was partly in thanks to a remarkable retired schoolteacher and activist, Opal Lee, who is now 98. She petitioned Congress and the White House for five years to achieve her goal. Juneteenth marks the day when the most distant part of the United … Continue reading “The Grandmother of Juneteenth”
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ songwriter, died on 12 June. The band symbolised a California dream of sun, surf and sand and rivalled the Beatles for the coolest band of the 1960s. Three of the band were brothers, with Brian, the eldest, born in 1942. They grew up in Hawthorn, California. Both parents were amateur … Continue reading “The Sound of Summer Fades Away”
Sir David Attenborough has spent almost seven decades making remarkable documentaries about the natural world which have been watched around our planet. At age 99, his latest film aims to show how our oceans have been impacted by human activity, and how innovative projects can successfully revive them. Sir David Attenborough has fascinated viewers around … Continue reading “Ocean with David Attenborough”
One of Britain’s favourite painters, JMW Turner, was born 250 years ago, but his art continues to inspire, just as it inspired the Impressionists in the 19th century. It has a modernity that stands in contrast to his contemporary rival John Constable. It’s hard not to believe Turner would have been proud of the iconoclastic … Continue reading “Turner: 250th Anniversary”
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is considered the quintessential depiction of the Roaring Twenties and a definite contender for the title of great American novel. On the 100th anniversary of its publication, readers return to the classic, and writers imagine new stories for its characters. Published on 10 April 1925, it was Fitzgerald’s third … Continue reading “The Great Gatsby Turns 100”