Blog

Inspired by Charles Dickens's second novel, Oliver Twist, published in 1837, the musical drama film Oliver! was released in 1968 to great acclaim. It won six Academy Awards and two Golden Globes. Directed by Carol Reed and filmed in Surrey's Shepperton Film Studio, Oliver! regularly features in polls compiling the top 100 British films of all time. This classic story focuses on the life of a...

Some of the world records achieved by using marbles - including the dangerous, the mundane and the downright bizarre - will really make you ask, "Have you lost your marbles?" Those small, colourful, spherical-shaped glass balls have been used for entertainment for at least 5,000 years, and possibly longer. No-one actually knows who invented marbles or when they were first used. They've be...

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is a famous scene from Lewis Carroll's 1865 fantasy novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. A rather odd collection of guests come together around the table for tea and biscuits. They appear in chapter seven, where the Hatter himself is depicted as a diminutive, twitchy man known for his enormous top hat. His conversation jumps around from topic to topic and he co...

Off the east coast of Africa, Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island. As the largest island of the archipelago in Tanzania, it is officially called Unguja, although it is more popularly referred to as Zanzibar. Surrounded by many smaller islets, the Zanzibar archipelago is 25 to 50 kilometres off the coast and comprises two large islands, Pemba and Unguja. The capital is Zanzibar City on the ...

New scientific research claims that just 10 rivers are carrying 90% of the plastic that pollutes our oceans. A study by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany cites some of the world's longest rivers (including those that have a large population living alongside) as a major cause of ocean pollution. The research coincides with news announced on 26th April that more than 4...

“Underground, overground, Wombling free…” The Wombles are iconic children's TV and novel characters who resemble short and furry raccoon/bear creatures. They live in burrows on Wimbledon Common and are pioneers of recycling, taking other people's leftover rubbish and transforming it into something new - their philosophy being, 'we make good use of bad rubbish.' The inspiration behind these d...

Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle are set to break with tradition when it comes to the royal wedding cake. Whereas in previous years, the norm has been to have a traditional fruit cake, the royal couple are bucking the trend by having an organic lemon and elderflower cake with buttercream, decorated with fresh flowers to reflect the spring. London-based Violet Cakes, owned by Claire...

Everyone loves a wedding, and when Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle tie the knot on 19th May, the whole nation will be following the great British tradition of holding street party celebrations. The royal couple will be getting married in St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle at midday. Following the ceremony, they will travel through Windsor in a horse-drawn carriage...

The Chelsea Flower Show promises to be even more spectacular than ever this year, thanks to many must-see exhibits, including some new additions for 2018. Bringing together garden designers, florists, nursery owners and celebrity garden enthusiasts from across the UK, the show attracts some 157,000 visitors each year to the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea - its home since 1913. &...

Greenpeace is arguably the world's most well-known organisation aimed at protecting the global environment. Started by a couple of activists in 1971, support from like-minded people quickly followed, and now Greenpeace enjoys a presence in over 40 countries, including the UK. The goal of Greenpeace is to bring about positive environmental change through peaceful direct action. To achieve thi...