On 15 March, millions of people in Britain will be “doing something funny for money”… and wearing some very strange red noses. Red Nose Day was started in 1988 by Comic Relief, a collective of comedians that had formed in 1985 to do benefit shows to fundraise for victims of famine in Ethiopia. It could … Continue reading “Red Nose Day: A Very British Tradition”
2 March is World Book Day, so grab a book, or bring some book-based fun into your classroom. World Book Day is a United Nations initiative but it’s especially big in the UK, where it is an occasion to encourage children in particular to read. Schools sign up for schemes where pupils are given £1 … Continue reading “Time to Read: World Book Day”
On 11 November, the House of Commons debating chamber will be full as usual. But the elected representatives present will be a lot younger than the usual MPS. It is the annual sitting of the UK Youth Parliament: more than 300 11-18-year-olds will debate five subjects that were chosen in a vote by almost a … Continue reading “Young Brits Speak Out in Parliament”
2-6 September 2016 marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. The fire was a major trauma for the city, and a watershed after which the old, wooden, medieval city made way for a more modern city made of stone. The fire started in the early hours of the morning in the royal … Continue reading “The Great Fire of London”