Happy St Patrick’s!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 09 March 2022 > Celebrate

St Patrick’s Day, 17 March, is the Irish national day. But there are many communities of Irish origin around the world and on St Paddy’s Day, everyone is Irish! There is a large Irish community in the U.S. and the parades in Chicago and New York are famous. The Chicago River, and the Liffey in … Continue reading “Happy St Patrick’s!”

A Historic Milestone

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 07 February 2022 > Celebrate

Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year, marking 70 years on the throne, a milestone no other British monarch has reached. The Queen marked the anniversary of her accession on 6 February with a quiet ceremony. It is always a sad occasion for her as it was the day her beloved father … Continue reading “A Historic Milestone”

Guy Fawkes Webpicks

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 02 November 2021 > Webpicks

To “remember, remember the fifth of November”, as a children’s rhyme says, A1+-level pupils can watch a slideshow about Bonfire Night. At A2-A2+, useful links can be made with the history curriculum  It’s worth giving pupils a few basic facts about the failed plot and the annual celebrations. This Powerpoint presentation from the UK Parliament … Continue reading “Guy Fawkes Webpicks”

Guy Fawkes

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 16 October 2021 > Ready to Use

This A1+ article is a short introduction to the Gunpowder Plot, which could of course be treated from a more complex historical point of view at a higher level. The traditions of Guy Fawkes night, fireworks, bonfires and the State Opening of Parliament are introduced. As 5e pupils are studying the same period in history (Thème … Continue reading “Guy Fawkes”

Wimbledon 2021 Videos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 28 June 2021 > Webpicks

The summer holidays are approaching, and it’s time for tennis with the Wimbledon tournament. These short videos will make an entertaining end-of-term activity. Wimbledon is a British tradition, even for people who are not sports fans. But that doesn’t mean they have to take themselves too seriously, as this short trailer shows. A nice opportunity … Continue reading “Wimbledon 2021 Videos”

Time for Tennis at Wimbledon

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 28 June 2021 > Celebrate

For two weeks every summer, London is the world capital of tennis. Wimbledon is more than just a tennis tournament. It’s a national institution with some typically British eccentricities. This year’s tournament is from 28 June to 11 July. British tennis players have not dominated world tennis historically. Andy Murray has rectified that somewhat in … Continue reading “Time for Tennis at Wimbledon”

What’s the Score?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 28 June 2021 > Celebrate

Tennis has a very idiosyncratic scoring system, and no one is sure why. Most sports count points by ones. But in a game of tennis, the players don’t start at zero, they start at “love”. If one player then scores, they have 15. The next score is 30, so you would probably expect the following … Continue reading “What’s the Score?”

Trooping the Colour

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 09 June 2021 > Celebrate

Among many other special qualities, Queen Elizabeth II has two birthdays every year: the real one on 21 April (she was 95) and her official one on the second Saturday in June. That is marked by one of the great moments of British pageantry: the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Since 1748, the monarch’s official birthday … Continue reading “Trooping the Colour”

St George’s Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 21 April 2021 > Celebrate

23 April is a day for celebration in England. It’s the national day, in honour of England’s patron saint, St George. It’s both Shakespeare’s birthday and death day.  Each of the British home nations has a national day associated with its patron saint: George for England, David for Wales (1 March), Patrick for Northern Ireland … Continue reading “St George’s Day”