Red Nose Day is Back!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 17 March 2021 > Celebrate

Since 1988, British charity Comic Relief has been encouraging people to don a clown’s red nose and “do something funny for money”.  Red Nose Day is back on Friday 19 March and this time, it’s plastic free! In 2019, for the last Red Nose Day, Comic Relief received hundreds of letters from children and schools … Continue reading “Red Nose Day is Back!”

Red Nose Day Webpicks

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 10 March 2021 > Webpicks

Red Nose Day (19 March in 2021) encourages people to raise money for projects in the UK and the developing world by “doing something funny for money.” But it also aims to raise awareness of poverty, particularly among schoolchildren, who are massive supporters, along with school staff, of Red Nose Day. Here are a selection … Continue reading “Red Nose Day Webpicks”

Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 23 February 2021 > Ready to Use

Ruby Bridges didn’t choose to become a civil-rights icon. It was her parents who, in 1960, chose to accept that their 6-year-old daughter would be the first African-American child to integrate a white school in the American South. But as an adult, Bridges, who was immortalised by Norman Rockwell, has fought indefatigably for civil rights … Continue reading “Ruby Bridges, Civil-Rights Icon”

The Spy Who Turned Novelist

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 14 December 2020 > What's On

John le Carré, master spy novelist, died on 12 December at the age of 89. Like James Bond creator Ian Fleming, le Carré himself worked in intelligence, but his novels were the polar opposite of Bond, portraying espionage as bleak, often tedious, and above all morally ambiguous. Le Carré was a pen name, since he … Continue reading “The Spy Who Turned Novelist”

Ho, Ho, Ho, Christmas Jumper Day is Back!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 11 December 2020 > Celebrate

As Boris Johnson said as he announced a new lockdown: “‘Tis the season to be jolly careful”. But it’s nice to know that some festive traditions have survived the pandemic. Friday 11 December is the ninth Christmas Jumper Day, organised by Save the Children U.K. Normally, people wear a Christmas-themed jumper to work or school … Continue reading “Ho, Ho, Ho, Christmas Jumper Day is Back!”

Teen Scientist Looking for a Covid Cure

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 03 December 2020 > In the News

Not all the scientists researching a Covid vaccine or cure are professionals working in labs. Anika Chebrolu, 14, from Texas, has been named America’s Top Young Scientist 2020 for finding a compound that could bind to the distinctive spike protein in the SARS-Cov-2 virus and potentially inhibit its ability to infect human cells. Anika is … Continue reading “Teen Scientist Looking for a Covid Cure”

The 2020 Booker Prize Goes to First-time Scottish Author

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 25 November 2020 > What's On

Britain’s most prestigious literary prize this year was awarded on 19 November to one of four debut novels in the shortlist: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, a story of family love and addiction in recession-hit 1980s Glasgow. The story is set in the era of Thatcherism and deindustrialisation. For working-class families, times were hard. When … Continue reading “The 2020 Booker Prize Goes to First-time Scottish Author”

Finally…. a Result

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 08 November 2020 > In the News

After four days of tense waiting, demonstrations and threats of legal challenge, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris emerged as the next President and Vice-President of the United States on Saturday 7 November. In the absence of a national election body, it was the media organisation Associated Press which called wins for the Democratic ticket in … Continue reading “Finally…. a Result”