April Fools

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 24 March 2020 > Celebrate

Traditionally, on April Fools Day, the media in the English-speaking world love to run hoax stories. But in these days of fake news, how easy will it be to tell the April Fools from the usual run of internet rumours on 1 April? Luckily, April Fools Day is followed by International Fact-checking Day. Which of … Continue reading “April Fools”

Who is the Poet?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 23 March 2020 > Celebrate

A famous poet is celebrating an important anniversary. Find out who by watching the quiz below.  

He Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 31 January 2020 > Celebrate

William Wordsworth was a leading light of the Romantics, famous in habitant of the Lake District, and Poet Laureate. 2020 marks his 250th anniversary. Wordsworth (1770-1850) is chiefly remembered as a nature poet in his beloved Lake District, where he was born and lived much of his life. But he was also a radical in … Continue reading “He Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”

Do Good in December

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 02 December 2019 > Celebrate

Do you fancy using an advent calendar in class in December as a cultural reference, but want to avoid the religious connection? How about using this fabulous December Kindness Calendar instead? Produced by British charity Action for Happiness, it encourages you to do a kind act each day, like counting your blessings or seeing how … Continue reading “Do Good in December”

Vampires from “Dracula” to “Twilight”

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 25 October 2019 > Celebrate

The cinema industry has long had a love affair with vampires, most often Dracula, based on Eastern European legends and Bram Stoker’s eponymous book. An exhibition at the Cinémathèque in Paris is a great opportunity to revisit the fascination with the undead across the arts: literature, painting, TV and film. It’s also an opportunity to … Continue reading “Vampires from “Dracula” to “Twilight””

On Route 66

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 08 August 2019 > Celebrate

Route 66 has mythical status in the U.S.A. and around the world. It’s been immortalised in songs, novels and films. Although it’s no longer a major highway, it still draws visitors keen to experience the iconic home of the road trip. Every September, enthusiasts gather in Springfield, Illinois, for the Mother Road Festival, using the … Continue reading “On Route 66”

Landing on the Moon

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 15 July 2019 > Celebrate

NASA is marking the fiftieth anniversary of the first Moon landings. Fifty years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon, and 47 years after the end of the Apollo program, the U.S. space agency is preparing to go back to Moon by 2024. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin boarded the … Continue reading “Landing on the Moon”

Victoria 200

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 24 June 2019 > Celebrate

2019 marks the bicentenary of the births of Britain’s Queen Victoria and her beloved husband Prince Albert. Victoria reigned from 1837 until 1899, the longest reign of any British monarch until the current Queen overtook the record in 2015. Victoria reigned over an era of imperial expansion, ultimately ruling over a quarter of the world’s … Continue reading “Victoria 200”