'Welcome to Britain, a nation of binge drinkers'

Britain is becoming a nation of binge drinkers who like nothing more than "pigging out" on microwave meals in front of the television, according to the latest Lonely Planet guide to the country.

The eighth edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Great Britain, published today, warns those unfamiliar with life on what it calls "this damp little island" that we like to celebrate with "a big drink".

The authors write: "Across the country, alcohol consumption is on the rise, with the relatively new phenomenon of 'binge drinking' among young people a major concern for doctors, police and politicians."

And while Britons are obsessed with celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, our culinary habits "behind the scenes" are less appetising.

The guide comments: "Freshly created food sounds great in theory, but in reality the recipe for dinner is more likely to be something like this: open freezer, take out package, bung in microwave, ping, eat."

In fact Britons have developed something of a habit for self-delusion, the guide finds.

"Calmness in the face of adversity, a laconic sense of humour, a sense of decency and fair play, and mastery of understatement are all fundamental facets of the British character – at least, as seen by the British themselves.

"Ask the French, for example, and you might get a rather different list of attributes that includes stand-offishness, anti-intellectualism, public drunkenness and being **** at cooking."

David Else, lead author, said the purpose of the updated guide, which lauds the urban renaissance of many northern cities, was to give readers "the whole story" of life in Britain and not just the gloss.

Source: Telegraph

Do you agree with the travel guide's description of the British?

What is your experience of them?

Ever gloomier economic outlook

World growth 'worst for 60 years'

World economic growth is set to fall to just 0.5% this year, its lowest rate since World War II, warns the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In October, the IMF had predicted world output would increase by 2.2% in 2009.

It now projects the UK, which recently entered recession, will see its economy shrink by 2.8% next year, the worst contraction among advanced nations.

The IMF says financial markets remain under stress and the global economy has taken a "sharp turn for the worse".

In another gloomy view of the UK economy, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said Britain would be saddled with government debt for more than 20 years.

IFS director Robert Chote warned that spending would have to be cut or taxes raised by more than planned to allow public finances to recover.

The predictions came as Pascal Lamy, the director general of the World Trade Organization, urged countries not to react to the global economic crisis by resorting to protectionism.

Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Lamy said such a move would be "a big mistake".

'Virtual halt'

According to the IMF, the outcome of the economic slowdown has been to send global output and trade plummeting.

"We now expect the global economy to come to a virtual halt," said IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard in a statement.

The IMF says that despite a number of policy moves, which have been carried out by many states, financial strains remain.

International co-operation is needed now to draw up new policy initiatives, and for capital injections to support "viable financial institutions".

Meanwhile, it predicts that the eurozone economy is poised to shrink by 2.0% in 2009 and the US economy by 1.6%.

Banking crisis

The report comes on the same day the International Labour Organization said that as many as 51 million jobs worldwide could be lost this year because of the global economic crisis.

It had been hoped that growth in developing nations would continue at a steady pace and help offset the recession in developed nations such as the US and UK.

But the seemingly endless crisis in the banking system has put paid to that notion.

Countries such as China are now struggling with a collapse in demand from their primary export markets.

Meanwhile, developed economies such as Japan, Spain, the US and UK are in recession, with new job losses being announced on a daily basis.

'Uncertainty'

The IMF says that growth in emerging and developing economies is expected to slow sharply, from 6.25% in 2008 to 3.25% in 2009.

It cites the main reasons for the drop as being falling export demand, lower commodity prices and much tighter external financing constraints.

The IMF points out that policy efforts to tackle the downturn so far - such as liquidity support, deposit insurance and recapitalisation - have been drawn up to address the immediate threats to financial stability.

However, it says that these emergency measures "have done little to resolve the uncertainty about the long-term solvency of financial institutions".

"The process of loss recognition and restructuring of bad loans is still incomplete," says the IMF's World Economic Outlook Update.

'Bad bank'

The IMF says future co-ordinated financial policies should concentrate on recognising the scale of financial institutions' losses and on providing public support to those institutions that are viable.

"Such policies should be supported by measures to resolve insolvent banks and set up public agencies to dispose of the bad debts, including possibly through a 'bad bank' approach, while safeguarding public resources."

The IMF says the global economy is projected to experience a gradual recovery in 2010, with growth picking up to 3%.

"However, the outlook is highly uncertain, and the timing and pace of the recovery depend critically on strong policy actions," it warns.

Source: BBC News

Trendy pets

RSPCA says people who dress up their dogs could be prosecuted

The animal welfare charity claims that forcing pets to wear clothing could be harmful, and in some cases there may even be grounds to prosecute.

Canine couture has become fashionable in recent years and there is a dizzying array of products on sale, from bootees, pyjamas, all-in-one trousers and even hoodies for dogs.

Top fashion designers, including Vivienne Westwood and Ben de Lisi, have also created dog designs, while the London store Harrods has an annual fashion show called Pet-a-Porter.

Experts believe there are occasions where dog clothing is acceptable, such as with small dogs and short-haired varieties, and during cold weather.

Jess Bland, a professional dog walker and pet sitter, says: "Dog clothing certainly serves its purpose when it's cold and wet, but it has to fit properly.

"Although dogs would survive in the wild, they're generally used to being indoors. So there is a case that they need coats in the winter, especially shorter haired dogs and smaller dogs."

But the fashion for pet clothes angers Lynn Williams, founder of dog charity Happy Dogs. She said: "People love their pets and the retail trade has latched on to that.

"To see a little dog dressed up in boots, I think, is a little over the top.

"You can buy anything fashion wise for your dog. I have an extreme love of the dog, but I don't like to see them dressed up as little human beings. I don't think they like it either. It's unnatural."

Earlier this week animal welfare officers also warned that dog clothing could cause the animals to overheat.

Jo Barr, RSPCA spokeswoman, said: "Dog owners should be aware that under the Animal Welfare Act that came into force in April 2007 they have a duty of care to ensure that all of their pets' needs are met.

"One of those needs is to express normal behaviour and it could mean that with restrictive clothing they are not able to do that properly.

"We're concerned that any pet should be viewed as a fashion accessory. Taking on an animal is a long-term commitment. It's quite humiliating and sends out the wrong message about pet care.

"We've seen trends in recent years brought about by the rise in celebrities with 'handbag dogs'.

"This usually leads to people taking on pets because they are 'fashionable' and sadly that means many are neglected.

"We've had similar problems with popular films like Harry Potter, with parents wanting to buy owls as pets for their children.

"Going back further to the 1990s, we saw people unable to cope with turtles and terrapins that they'd bought due to the popularity of the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."

Source: Telegraph

That's bloody awful!

SWEARING NOW THE BLIGHT OF BRITAIN

Swearing has become the curse of modern British life, with the vast majority of us no longer offended by bad language, according to shocking new research.

Influenced by television, more than nine out of 10 adults now admit to swearing every day. And those who do not are often too fearful to challenge those who do.

The average Briton now swears a staggering 14 times a day, with 90 per cent of the adult population no longer fazed by the use of expletives. Our behaviour is heavily influenced by the increased use of bad language on television, say critics. They want the Government to tighten controls.

Broadcaster Esther Rantzen said last night: “Every body would agree that there is too much swearing on television and something has to change.”

Esther, who is patron of the Campaign for Courtesy, added: “It is becoming ludicrous and banal. We don’t want society to go that way too.”

John Beyer, of Mediawatch UK, said: “This sort of language is damaging our culture and the way we speak to each other. Children as young as four, five and six are copying it and it is undermining our language. There is no place for unnecessary swearing on television.”

Chef Gordon Ramsay and controversial presenter Jonathan Ross are among the worst culprits. And just last week chef Jamie Oliver had to apologise for swearing during an episode of his Ministry of Food series. He used the F-word no fewer than 23 times in 50 minutes.

Conservative MP and Daily Express columnist Ann Widdecombe said: “I think it is clear that the amount of swearing in society has been enormously influenced by the amount of swearing on television, in films and even in books. The fact remains that there are many people who do not like casual and consistent swearing and are offended by it when they hear it in public. But these days sometimes all you can do is stare in disbelief when you hear this kind of language.”

Peter Foot, chairman of the Campaign for Courtesy, said there was still an appetite for good manners.

“Swearing has become too habitual, but I think if you walk down most suburban streets and knock on the door, people are actually generally still polite.”

Britain is generally seen as a conservative nation but a survey of more 2,000 people found that just eight per cent are now offended by swearing, as long as it is in an adult context.

The detailed study by the Aust ralian company www.Nulon-uk.com found a clear link between a person’s age and their views on swearing.

Ninety-four per cent of those aged 18-30 said bad language was no longer even an issue, while just 79 per cent of people aged 50-60 agreed.

According to the research, men are more foul-mouthed than women, with 90 per cent swearing on a daily basis compared with 83 per cent of women.

Perhaps most shockingly, some 78 per cent of people admitted to swearing regularly for no reason whatsoever, while the overwhelming majority – 98 per cent – admitted they swore when they lost their temper. William Findlay, who compiled the report, said: “This survey clearly shows that British people accept that swearing is a fact of life in today’s society. The fact that nearly every one of the 2,319 people polled has sworn while angry shows that British attitudes towards conservatism in public are changing.”

Greg Simons, joint managing dir ector of Nulon, said: “To find out that the average Briton swears 14 times a day is a real eye-opener. The results clearly show that swearing is a fact of life in today’s society, both at home and in the workplace.

“I have witnessed swearing at all times of the day at all levels of society, from children to police officers. Britain seems to be a nation that just can’t be shocked.”

Source: Daily Express

What's your opinion on the level of swearing in society? Do you think there is too much unnecessary bad language on TV? Do you think that the article is all just a fuss about nothing?

I personally dislike it when females swear. Am I old fashioned?

I usually only swear when I am angry. I often swear when I am driving as it really stresses me out. When do you use bad language?

Brits fought in Spanish Civil War

"Better to die on your feet than live for ever on your knees" - Dolores Ibarruri


Freedom fighters welcome honour, 70 years on

Seventy years have passed since they marched out of Barcelona amid crowds of weeping, cheering Spaniards, but it is only now that the last few British volunteers who fought in Spain against General Franco's fascist-backed rebels are finally to be rewarded by the Spanish state.

The handful of British survivors from the 2,300 men and women in the International Brigades during the civil war are now in their 90s or have passed 100, and most are physically frail.

They still cling to the memories and spirit of battles fought seven decades ago and have welcomed an offer by the cabinet of the Socialist prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, last week, that would allow them joint nationality.

"It is a gesture to those of us who survived and I'll take it in memory of all those who paid the final price and who lie unknown under Spanish soil," said Sam Lesser, 93. "There are so few of us left now."

Lesser is one of seven members of the brigades thought to be still alive and living in Britain. All have said they will take up the offer of joint nationality.

The veterans said they retained vivid memories of a country and a cause which, in many cases, changed their lives. "It certainly made a big difference to my life," said Penny Feiwel, 99, who volunteered as a nurse and ended up as an officer running a frontline mobile operating theatre before being injured. She had felt a natural sympathy for what was seen as a struggle by Spanish workers against the growing forces of fascism in Europe.

"I come from a working-class family. My father had been without a job for a long time. People today don't realise what times their grandparents went through or what they achieved."

While Hitler and Mussolini sent arms and troops to help Franco, Britain and Europe's other democracies stood on the sidelines as tens of thousands of volunteers from around the world travelled to Spain to help the Republic.

The civil war was, for many, a first big commitment in what became lifelong careers as leftwing campaigners. Among those still alive is Jack Jones, who went on to lead the Transport and General Workers Union. Jones said he would also accept the offer of nationality. Like many other members, however, he had had some doubts about Spain's current condition as a constitutional monarchy when he and the other brigaders had fought to defend a republic.

"The answer is yes, I would welcome it very much. I've had a very active life and have been leader of a large trade union, but this was a very special period."

A mixture of politics, romance and adventure drove people to sign up for the International Brigades or find their own way to Spain to fight after Franco led a rightwing rebellion against the government in 1936.

"I wasn't a communist but I was rather leftwing as a young man," said Paddy Cochrane, 95. "I hitchhiked down to London from Liverpool and went to the Communist party but they wouldn't take me on as they said I had no military experience.

"Then I saw an advertisement in the newspaper saying that drivers were needed to take ambulances to Spain, so that is what I did. Once there, he was able to enlist and was wounded by shrapnel from a hand grenade in fierce fighting at the town of Belchite. A bit of it went in at my hip and out of my bottom without hitting a bone."

Some of those wounded found it hard to stay away from Spain. Lesser was injured in a battle near Córdoba in which the poet John Cornford was killed. He later returned to do political broadcasts in English and became correspondent for the Daily Worker newspaper.

He was there in Barcelona when the brigades, who had been formally disbanded, marched away in October 1938. The firebrand communist politician Dolores Ibárruri, known as La Pasionaria, gave them a rousing send-off as tens of thousands of people packed the streets of Barcelona. "You can go with pride," she said. "You are history. You are legend. You are the heroic example of the solidarity and the universality of democracy. We will not forget you."

Brigaders from across the world will travel to Barcelona this month to mark the 70th anniversary of their departure.

Most would like to have taken Spanish nationality when the idea was first floated in 1996, under the rightwing government of prime minister José María Aznar. The small print of that offer, however, meant they would have had to renounce British nationality. None of them were willing to do that.

"It is a shame," said Marlene Sidaway, of the International Brigade Memorial Trust. "They were all much haler and heartier then."

Among those unable to take up the offer was her partner, David Marshall, who died in 2003.

Even some of those still alive fear they might not live long enough to pick up the reward of Spanish nationality.

"I'd love to take it," Les Gibson, who fought at the Jarama front, said in a telephone interview. "But I'm now 95 years of age and I am not sure I will be able to.

"I'm still very interested in Spain and the Spanish. It was an important part of my life. I lost some good friends there, mind you, but I managed to scrape through somehow."

A fifth of those who reached Spain from Britain did not get back alive.

"We felt we weren't just defending Spain but also our own country," said Lesser. "We were also fighting to save peace and to save Britain."

Source: Guardian

Read about La Pasionaria Memorial (pictured above) which is dedicated to the British who lost their lives during the Spanish Civil War.

Have any of your older relatives told you what life was like during the war?

Baked beans beat the crisis

Baked bean sales soar as families turn back to canned food
The humble baked bean is back in fashion as families return to canned food in a bid to beat the credit crisis.

Sales of baked beans have increased by 12 per cent over the last year, surpassing annual sales of £300 million for the first time.

As food inflation in Britain has risen higher than almost anywhere else in the developing world, consumers are cutting back on their grocery bills.

Sales of post-war, ration book era food are booming, according to statistics, and families are stocking up on canned goods.

In the 52 weeks to the end of August baked bean sales reached £300.4 million, compared with just £250.2 million three years ago, according to the market research company IRI.

The figures follow evidence from supermarkets, that shoppers are starting to buy cheaper cuts of meat, such as chicken thighs rather than breast meat and braising steaks rather than sirloin or fillet.

Sheraz Dar, head of marketing for Branston Baked Beans, which released the IRI data, said: "The credit crunch is undoubtedly having some effect. Baked beans provide a very cheap source of fibre and protein so it's not surprising people are increasingly turning to baked beans for nutrition."

Asda says that sales of its budget range of Smart Price baked beans, which retail for just 20p for a 420g tin, have soared by more than 50 per cent over the last year.

With £300 million of beans sold over the last year, this could buy each household in Britain more than 22lbs (10 kilos) – or 23 large cans – worth of high-quality baked beans. Not quite enough to stock up an underground bunker, but plenty to fuel a family if the economy plumbs new ration-book era depths.

Source: Telegraph

Has the crisis altered your shopping in any way? Have you stopped buying things because they have got too expensive? Do you still treat yourself now and again to something despite its expense?

This advert for beans is from 1986 but has the same jingle as today: "beanz meanz heinz".


Do you have a favourite ad, past or present?

HMS Victory in peril

As the former flagship of Britain's greatest naval hero, she is an iconic vessel.

It was aboard her that Lord Nelson died after his most famous seafaring success, the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

HMS Victory embodies the pride, history and traditions of the Royal Navy. But now she faces another skirmish

'England Expects': The Victory sees 400,000 visitors a year, but the historic ship's future is in doubt because of the upkeep cost

The Government says she may be given to a private owner as a cost-cutting measure after fears among defence chiefs that she is becoming too expensive to maintain.

The Ministry of Defence argues that increasing budgetary pressures mean it must review Victory's future like any other ship.

But the idea that the world's oldest commissioned warship could fall into private hands or go to a charity has been criticised by naval experts, who say it would be a tragedy.

Victory has pride of place at Portsmouth dockyard, where she is visited by some 400,000 tourists annually.

She costs a minimum of £1.5million to maintain and run each year, but that figure can go up when major work is needed.

The MoD is considering whether to hand Victory to a private company, to a charitable trust similar to the one that looks after the Mary Rose, to another government department, or keep the status quo.

Lieutenant Commander Michael Cheshire, now retired, who was commanding officer of Victory from 1992 to 1998, said: 'If they sell her or give her away to charity it will be an absolute tragedy.

'This magnificent ship means so much to both naval people and the whole nation - selling it to a private firm would turn it into Disneyland and would be its ruin.

'To sell off this icon would indicate the decline of the Royal Navy.'

Former First Sea Lord Sir Julian Oswald said: 'The Victory is a national treasure. Talk of selling her

or anything of that sort is absolutely daft. It can't be that expensive to keep her - she is just wood and canvas.'

Portsmouth council leader Gerald Vernon- Jackson said: 'It's essential Victory remains available to the public and in tip-top condition - she must not be allowed to rot.

'My concern is a private firm could restrict access and just open her for corporate events or increase admission prices.'

The MoD said it was committed to keeping Victory in the best possible condition, adding that sticking with the current set-up was one of the options.

A spokesman said: 'Whatever happens, we are committed to keeping Victory as a commissioned warship.'

Source: Daily Mail

We were robbed of Eurovision!

Cliff was denied illegally!

According to TV documentary “1968. I lived through the Spanish May” - aired on La Sexta - the Eurovision Song Contest of 1968 was rigged by the Fascist regime of Francisco Franco to ensure the Spanish entry won.

The Spanish singer Massiel won the competition, with the creatively titled song ‘La, la, la’, by only one point, beating UK legend Cliff Richard, who was singing his (now) classic ‘Congratulations’.

Director Montse Fernandez Vila has claimed that RTE executives toured Europe offering cash and promising to buy television series and contract unknown artists from other Eurovision member states to influence the vote. At that time the winner of the competition was decided by a jury comprised of 10 members from each of the 17 countries participating with each member awarding one point to their favourite song.

”There is evidence that votes were bought to secure a win for Massiel,” said the director. ”The regime was acutely aware of the need to improve their image… Looking back at the parties that were organised and the way Massiel was turned into a national hero - it seems a bit excessive for a song festival but it all served to glorify the regime,” she said.

No need to rig this year’s soon upcoming contest though. After last year’s debacle, when the Spanish thought they had a winner and were cruelly denied by colluding newly arrived Eastern European nations who all voted for each other, they’ve gone ironic. For 2008 their entry is called ‘Chikichiki’ - a comedy, samba rap complete with crap-but-easy-to-learn dance.

Even if Chikichiki gets nul points in the competition it’s bound to* be a summer hit. So consider yourself warned if you’re holidaying on the playas this season.

This is a certain sign that the country has grown up after its fascist interlude and joined the top table of cynical, self-knowing western democracies. No more rigging pointless competitions, now they just take the piss. Or ‘toma el pelo’ as they say.

Source: Madrid-Uno Weblog

Vocabulary Focus:

* to be bound to : when you are certain something is going to happen

eg He is bound to be tired; he has been working all day and night.

eg I haven't studied at all; I am bound to make a mistake.

Bizarre Stories

10 stories that could be April Fools... but aren't

It's here again, the day when jokers set out to make fools of the rest of us. But not every bizarre story is a hoax. Here is a round-up of some of the day's seemingly spoof news stories which are actually true (and one that isn't).

1. A new pay-per-view funeral service scheme is being launched today. The Daily Mail says the scheme at Southampton Crematorium allows mourners to grieve from home by watching proceedings online.

2. A turtle is addicted to nicotine. He became addicted after picking up the smouldering butts in his owner's garden, in Kouqian, China, and sulks if he doesn't get his fix. The Daily Express, which picked up the story from Chinese news agency Xinhua, includes a gob-smacking picture of the turtle doing a rather good impression of Dot Cotton (character from a soap opera who always has a cigarette dangling from her mouth).

3. The menopause is caused by the age-old battle between wives and mothers-in-law, reports the Times. As long as 50,000 to 300,000 years ago, competition for food in a family unit was a battle won by the younger women who fed their offspring, which led to the older women losing their ability to breed. With food hard to find, mothers-in-law tended to help rear the grandchildren rather than have more children themselves.

4. An injection that allows women bigger and better orgasms by increasing the size of the mysterious G-spot is being launched in the UK, says the Sun. The £800 collagen jab takes less than half-an-hour and is given under local anaesthetic.

5. School desks and chairs are to be enlarged to meet the needs of the UK's ever-heavier schoolchildren, reports the Express. On average British children are a centimetre taller than they were 10 years ago, and there are more obese youngsters, so desks supplied to UK schools will reflect this.

6. Wind turbines or solar panels built by UK companies anywhere in the world could count towards Britain's renewable energy targets under controversial government proposals, according to the Financial Times.

7. You will soon be able to have a tattoo on your teeth, reports the Sun. Steve Heward, the dentist who started the craze in the US plans to set up in Britain.

8. The traditional Chinese martial art T'ai Chi can help control diabetes, reports the Daily Mail. Apparently, researchers have found the flowing movements and deep breathing involved can result in a fall in blood sugar levels.

9. A thief walked out of a busy Norwegian aquarium with a crocodile that was over two feet long, says the Independent.

10. Drinkers have been banned from calling barmaids "love". An outraged Daily Star says new discrimination laws mean landlords that allow punters to chat up staff could be hauled before a tribunal and face unlimited fines.

And finally, a genuine spoof. Have you heard the one about the penguins that can fly? A BBC camera crew filming a colony of Adelie penguins were astonished when they did something "no other penguins can do" and took to the Antarctic skies.

Source: BBC Magazine

1million Brits living in Spain

Would you ever consider packing up and leaving Spain in order to start a new life in a foreign land? If so, where to and why? Do you know of anyone who lives abroad? Why did they move? What would you miss about Spain if you didn't live here?

Would you be cut out for the expat life?

A new survey suggests expatriate Britons are (1) happy with their new life abroad. BBC reporter Chris Mason spoke to two British emigres, who have made a new life for themselves on the coast of Spain.

"I suddenly decided I'd had enough. I was going nowhere, everything was the same, I (2). And so I decided to get out."

Eric Warren is originally from Leeds - but don't expect to see him out shopping in West Yorkshire any time soon.

He moved to the Costa Blanca around seven years ago - and now spends much of his time here at the San Miguel Bowls Club near Torrevieja on Spain's Mediterranean coast.

It's a mid-winter's day - and there's not a coat in sight. It feels like a summer day in Britain and it's around 18 degrees.

As Eric pushes up the sleeves on his all-white crown green bowling outfit, revealing his tanned arms, he talks me through how he ended up here.

"We came over at first for a six month (3) - but within three weeks we'd bought a house and we (4) home.

"It's brilliant. The weather is fantastic."

It's estimated that up to a million Britons might now be living in Spain, and those I've talked to seem to agree with the findings of a new survey by the NatWest bank.

It suggests more than nine out of 10 British expats think they have a better quality of life now than they did in the UK.

Golden age

Ann Eagle is the Secretary of San Miguel Bowls Club - and is originally from Newcastle. The club has around 200 members.

The vast majority are British. None of them are Spanish.

She's convinced she has a better quality of life now - and shares the view of the two thirds of expats in the survey who consider themselves to be healthier since they left Britain.

While (5) the ongoing bowls competition, she tells me: "We drive through the Spanish villages and we see late into the evening all the Spanish old age pensioners (6) - and they look rosy.

"Then I think of people at home - they would be in the house by the fire, and that's if they could afford to keep warm to start with."

But what about getting homesick? Both Ann and Eric say they know of friends who've given up on Spain because they've missed the UK - or rather usually, because they've missed seeing their grandchildren.

Exchange rates

Both (7) that getting from here to Britain only takes as long as getting from one end of Britain to the other.

There is, though, (8) concern about the exchange rate between the pound and the euro.

Sterling was weaker against the single currency at one point last month than it's ever been since the euro was launched - meaning every pound is buying less currency here.

For those on fixed, British based pensions, it's a big issue.

"It has been a very, very big problem to a lot of people," Eric tells me. "We are losing 10% or 15% a year at the moment."

So could that mean - I venture sceptically - that he could be amongst the minority of expats in the survey, who said they are eventually planning to come back to the UK? Would he consider heading home?

From behind Eric Warren's tanned smile comes an instinctive answer:

"No."

Source: BBC News

Look at the vocabulary below and then try to put them in the correct form into the gaps in the article above. You can check on the answers by reading the original article.

• to be in a rut
• widespread
• to keep a close eye on
• overwhelmingly
• a stint
• to point out
• to set up
• out and about

Queen celebrates diamond anniversary

Today is also the wedding anniversary Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. This is how the BBC recounts the celebration held yesterday:

The Queen and Prince Philip have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a service which featured a reading from Prince William.

Prayers were said and the Archbishop of Canterbury asked the couple, in a blessing, to "renew in your hearts promises you made to one another".

More than 30 family members were among 2,000 people at Westminster Abbey.

Other guests included five choristers from the 1947 service, as well as 10 couples who married on the same day.

The service was also watched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as his predecessors John Major and Baroness Thatcher.

The Queen is the first British monarch to reach a diamond wedding anniversary.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said in his sermon that every marriage was a public event but that "some couples have to live more than others in the full light of publicity".

"We are probably more aware than ever these days of the pressures this brings," he said.

"But it also means that we can give special thanks for the very public character of the witness and the sign offered to us by this marriage and what it has meant to nation and Commonwealth over the decades."

During prayers, the congregation was asked to pray "for Her Majesty and His Royal Highness - for their life together as husband and wife".

Prince William, in his reading of 1 John 4:7-16, told the congregation to "let us love one another, because love is from God".

Dame Judi Dench read the poem Diamond Wedding - written especially for the occasion by poet laureate Andrew Motion - which speaks of "a life remote from ours because it asked each day, each action to be kept in view".

Psalm setting

There was also a procession of representatives from different religions including the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh faiths.

As was the case in 1947, a setting by EC Bairstow of Psalm 67 - God Be Merciful Unto Us And Bless Us - was sung by the abbey choir.

Other elements that were at both ceremonies included the performance, at the start of the service, of We Wait For thy Loving Kindness O God, composed for the original ceremony by then-organist Dr William McKie.

Similarly, the hymn The Lord's My Shepherd, set to the Scottish tune Crimond and chosen by the then-princess for her wedding, was sung.

At the end of the service, Prince Philip and the Queen walked back up the aisle and met 10 couples who were also married on 20 November 1947.

One of the couples, Margaret and Horace Bunn, both aged 80, from Ashington, Northumberland, said meeting the royal couple had been the "icing on the cake".

Mr Bunn told BBC News: "We had a bit of an idea we might meet the Queen but we didn't know it was going to happen.

"But, apparently, it was all planned and kept from us."

His wife added: "We were really looking forward to meeting here and she was so nice."

Maltese Visit

After the service, the royal couple met members of the public who came to Parliament Square to join the celebrations.

On the square's Jubilee Walkway walking trail, the couple unveiled a panoramic panel - created to mark their anniversary - explaining landmarks on the London landscape.

The couple's actual 60th wedding anniversary is on Tuesday when they will travel to Malta where they lived as a young married couple from 1949 to 1951, while Prince Philip was stationed there as a serving Royal Naval officer.

On Sunday, members of the Royal family attended a celebration dinner hosted by Prince Charles at Clarence House.

The 1947 wedding, according to one of the couple's friends, was a moment of "blissful brightness and happiness" after World War II.

The couple received gifts from around the world 60 years ago.

These included a thoroughbred horse, 131 pairs of nylon stockings - a rare commodity at a time of rationing and austerity - and 500 tins of pineapple.

However, BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt says Mahatma Gandhi's present caught the disapproving eye of Queen Mary, Princess Elizabeth's grandmother. She told a friend the piece of hand-spun lace was "indelicate", mistaking the tray cover for the Indian leader's loincloth.

Source: BBC News

Take a look at the BBC "On This Day" page where you can find interesting footage and articles related to events that happened on any particular day in the past. Choose a date that means something to you and look up what happened on that date. Then, in your words, recount the event and your thoughts or memories of it.

Guy Fawkes Night

In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor.

After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer.

A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords.

But as the group worked on the plot, it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th. Was the letter real?

The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators.
Guy Fawkes, who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed.

It's unclear if the conspirators would ever have been able to pull off their plan to blow up the Parliament even if they had not been betrayed. Some have suggested that the gunpowder itself was so old as to be useless. Since Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators got caught before trying to ignite the powder, we'll never know for certain.

Even for the period which was notoriously unstable, the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observe this tradition.







On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night. The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.









Some of the English have been known to wonder, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with the government.

Guy and the Plot Today

Beyond Bonfire Night, Guy and the Gunpowder Plot have left a legacy.

Today, we use the word "guy" to mean "person" or "man", as in "that guy across the street". Although the Oxford English Dictionary won't vouch for this theory, many linguists and historians think that our use of the term in that way is from our friend Guy Fawkes. It's difficult to trace the exact path of the word over the centuries, but it probably started by referring to the effigy of Fawkes that was thrown on top of the bonfire every November 5th as "a guy". Still today, as they walk down the street trying to collect money for fireworks, kids will ask for "a penny for the guy." From there, it's not a huge leap to talk about "a guy" as a living person. The use of the word would have grown from there.

Source: bonfire.org

Did you notice how many Phrasal Verbs were above? Get using them!!

• blow up
• turn out
• carry out
• work on
• pull off