A View from England

Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:02:00 +0000

It's Pancake Day today.

The British tend to make thin crepe style pancakes and serve them for dessert with lemon and sugar.

I like American style pancakes (served with maple syrup) so I used a recipe via the BBC for Fluffy American Pancakes and served them for breakfast.

Another easy recipe is via Jamie Oliver's Food Tube:

Jamie Oliver's Super Easy Pancakes featuring Poppy and Daisy

Did you make pancakes today?

Follow Friday: March 23, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:26:00 +0000

My Follow Friday recommendations on Twitter today:

#FF Patch Adams @realpatchadams is a medical doctor, a clown, and a social activist http://www.patchadams.org #inspirational

#FF @TuringSunflower Grow a #Turing #Sunflower and get involved in an exciting experiment as part of @mcrscifest @voiceofmosi

#FF @GrrlScientist Evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, birder, aviculturist

#FF John Peter Thompson @InvasiveNotes Sustainability, ecosystems invasive species,natural philosophy, history, politics & current events

#FF @Giveacar organises the donation of unwanted cars to charity - Free and fast process, Nationwide collection. http://www.giveacar.co.uk Fab!!

#FF @WhichConvo "Join in at Which? Conversation, your space to comment on how today's consumer issues affect your life."

and via Sherlockology (for fans of the BBC series, Sherlock):

RT @Sherlockology #Sherlock Crew #FF 1/3: Writers and Co-Creators @Steven_Moffat @MarkGatiss; Producer @SueVertue; Director @Paul_McGuigan Editor @Eilrahc0801

The Story of Keep Calm and Carry On

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:51:00 +0000

The Story of the Second World War Poster

A short film that tells the story behind the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster. Its origins at the beginning of WWII and its rediscovery in a bookshop in England in 2000, becoming one of the iconic images of the 21st century.

Professor Brian Cox demonstrates why atoms are empty

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:30:00 +0000

Did you watch "A Night With The Stars" on BBC2 last night?

Professor Brian Cox lectured a celebrity audience about some of the most challenging concepts in physics from the lecture theatre of the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Here's a clip from the show:
The comedian Simon Pegg and physicist Jim Al-Khalili help him explain standing waves in a demonstration to show why atoms are so large and empty.

It was a brilliant show! If you missed it, be sure to catch in on iPlayer.

Prime Minister's Questions: 14 December 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:19:00 +0000

Watch today's Prime Minister's Questions - the last prime minister's questions of 2011:

Prime Minister, David Cameron, answered questions from MPs in the House of Commons on subjects including the Royal Bank of Scotland, unemployment and youth employment, the recent EU Council meeting and citizenship education.

The best line from today's PMQs was from David Cameron in response to Ed Milliband remarking about the tension between the Prime Minister and his deputy, Nick Clegg:

No one in this house is going to be surprised that Conservatives and Liberal Democrats don't always agree about Europe. But let me reassure him he shouldn't believe everything he reads in the papers. It's not that bad. It's not like we're brothers or anything.

It was certainly a rousing session. Cameron was on fire (doing really well). It has to be said that the Labour leader, Ed Milliband, looked very weak, indeed.

"What A Wonderful World" with David Attenborough

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:44:00 +0000

JK Rowling testifies at Leveson Inquiry

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:23:00 +0000

I've been watching bits of the Leveson Inquiry this week. I thought JK Rowling's testimony yesterday was particularly compelling.

This is an excerpt from the hearing yesterday. The author tells the Leveson Inquiry she found a note from a journalist inside her daughter's school bag and about the lengths she went to stop her children being photographed:

I think something drastic must be done to rein in journalists who pursue their stories by using detestable methods such as hacking phones and harrassing people (particularly regarding children) but I also believe in the freedom of the press. It's a difficult issue to sort out.

Have you watched any of the inquiry? What are your thoughts about the phone hacking and intrusion that's done by journalists and photographers?

A disguised Katherine Jenkins goes underground as a busker

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:29:00 +0000

The mezzo soprano star treated commuters to an impromptu performance with a 45 minute busking session at Leicester Square station yesterday which included renditions of some of her biggest hits such as Time To Say Goodbye.

The busking stunt was for ES Magazine (the weekly from the London Evening Standard).

The Killing - the second series

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:49:00 +0000

At last, BBC4 is airing the second series of The Killing. For those who don't know, The Killing is a fabulous Danish crime series. The first series was a huge hit in the UK so expectations are very high for the second series.

Did you watch the first two episodes last night? I did, and I thought it was a very good start to the new series. It's a shorter series than the first one (only ten episodes compared to twenty in the first series) so the storyline is moving along at a faster pace. I hope that means we won't have so many red herrings this time.

It's great to see Sofie Gråbøl back as Sarah Lund, the detective who spots vital clues that everyone else always seems to miss. Another character - Brix (Morten Suurballe) - is also back from the first series. And Sarah has a new partner, Ulrik Strange (Mikael Birkkjær). You gotta love the name,"Strange"!

This series is similar to the first one, because there is a strong political element. I kept looking for Troels (from the first series) to appear though. I really miss that character!

So, there are two murder victims already and their deaths may or may not be linked to members of an extremist group. I don't want to give too much away because you may not have watched the first two episodes yet.

Please feel free to discuss The Killing 2 by leaving a comment on this post. If you want to avoid spoilers, I suggest you avoid reading the comments.

If you missed an episode, you can catch up via iPlayer or watch the repeats on BBC4 on Wednesday, 10:30pm.

I would love to know what your thoughts are about the storyline so far. Has the second series grabbed you yet? What are your thoughts about Sarah's new partner?

And if you are a fan of the series, I'm sure you will enjoy watching this video:
Sofie Gråbøl interviewed (in English!) by Val McDermid on BBC2's The Culture Show on Friday 21st October 2011.

Follow Friday: Sept. 30, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:27:00 +0000

My Follow Friday recommendations on Twitter today:

#FF @BenGoldacre "Nerd cheerleader, Bad Science person, stats geek, research fellow in epidemiology, procrastinator." http://www.badscience.net

#FF @CourtNewsUK News reports from the Old Bailey, London's Crown Courts and UK disciplinary hearings http://www.courtnewsuk.co.uk

#FF @LettersofNote Lovely - all about fascinating letters. Always worth reading. http://www.lettersofnote.com

#FF @PinewoodStudios The Pinewood Studios Group. Pinewood, Shepperton and Teddington Studios. http://www.pinewoodgroup.com

#FF The official Twitter channel of the Bank of England - the UK's central bank. @bankofengland

Downton Abbey - Series 2

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:53:00 +0000

The fabulous period drama, Downton Abbey, is back with a new series, and it's superb!

The first series ended with Britain declaring war on Germany, and this series is about how they are all involved (either directly or indirectly) with fighting the Great War.

I won't give too much away in case you are planning to watch it on iPlayer or for those waiting to see it in other countries.

If you did watch it, please leave a comment. Did you think it was a good start to the second series?

Downton Abbey, ITV1, Sunday 9:00 PM

Twitter: @DowntonAbbey

Follow Friday: Sept. 2, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:55:00 +0000

My recomendations for Follow Friday today:

#FF @meralhece Baroness Hussein-Ece, Lib Dem Member House of Lords. Equality & Human Rights Commission.

#FF @longreads The best long-form stories on the web.

#FF @HOMEGROWNdotORG DIY and living the Good Life. Grow, cook, can, preserve, brew, eat! http://www.homegrown.org/

Follow Friday: August 12, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:49:00 +0000

My recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF Yachiyo, a fab friend in Japan: @youtomama0307

#FF @Dr_Black "Senior Research Associate in software engineering at UCL, tech + women in tech + Bletchley Park evangelist" Fascinating!

#FF Please follow @BritbyDescent and support the Campaign for Citizenship Equality http://t.co/b0SpxWq

#FF Always lots of interesting, useful tweets from Joan @HazelPennicott

#FF @DrChrisSteele Medical info and advice from the "Resident doctor, ITV's This Morning (21 yrs)" #health

#FF @mia_farrow because of her devotion to humanitarian issues. http://t.co/ftqh8tv

My new website/blog: Campaign for Citizenship Equality

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Please support my Campaign for Citizenship Equality.

I'm eligible for British citizenship by descent but refuse to apply because of unfair conditions.

I have set up a new website to address the ongoing inequality regarding the right to claim unconditional British citizenship by anyone with a British parent.

http://britishbydescent.wordpress.com/

and a blog

You can follow my campaign on Twitter too:

https://twitter.com/BritbyDescent

Follow Friday: August 5, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:20:00 +0000

My recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF @UKParlArchives "We look after the historic records of the UK House of Commons and House of Lords, 500 years of history..."

#FF @the99percent provides insights on productivity, organization, and leadership. http://t.co/fzCjHC6 #creativity #inspiration

#FF @CrimestoppersUK the UK charity that takes information about crime anonymously. http://t.co/ZnLOvVS

Follow Friday: July 29, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:59:00 +0000

My recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF @missamandalamb Channel 4's "A Place In The Sun" presenter Amanda Lamb

#FF @LearnGooglePlus Tips and info about how to use Google Plus

#FF @SmithsonianMag Official Twitter feed for Smithsonian magazine and Smithsonian.com. Updates on history, science, arts and culture

#FF @openplaques A project to collect and open up data about plaques and the people they commemorate. http://openplaques.org/

#FF @Jasmineharman and @jonnieirwin Presenters of "A Place in the Sun - Home or Away" http://bit.ly/qTRTN5

#FF @LondonSounds London sounds recorded from around the city. http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk/

#FF @TVAlisonGraham Columnist. Critic. Radio Times TV editor.

#FF @SAVEBrit SAVE Britain's Heritage campaigns for Britain's built heritage. http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/

#FF @foodcycle Young people collect surplus food, find a kitchen space, and cook it for people in need. http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/

Porcelain Unicorn: a powerful film in just 3 mins and 6 lines

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:19:00 +0000

This is old news but the film is new to me so I'm sharing it now.

Philips launched a film competition in April, 2010 and on 21 Sept. 2010, Sir Ridley Scott announced "Porcelain Unicorn" from American director Keegan Wilcox had won the winning short film in Philips’ Tell It Your Way film-making contest.

The rules were simple. The three-minute film must use these six lines of dialogue and no more:

"What is that?"

"It's a unicorn"

"Never seen one up close before"

“Beautiful"

"Get away, get away"

"I'm sorry"

I can see why "Porcelain Unicorn" won the grand prize! This is a very powerful film:

A national day of mourning in Norway

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:21:00 +0000

I'm shocked and saddened by the horrific news from Norway. My deepest sympathy to everyone touched by this tragedy.

Today we are all Norwegians.

Follow Friday: July 1, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:49:00 +0000

These are my recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF @brainpicker Curator of links to fascinating info.

#FF @PythonJones Terry Jones (from the famous Monty Python’s Flying Circus) Actor,comedian,film director, presenter, poet, writer, historian

#FF @QuiltingMuriel "I'm a champion quilter & baker. I'm 92." Fabulous tweets from a lovely lady!

#FF @TheyDrawandCook Wonderful artwork + great recipes! http://www.theydrawandcook.com/

Follow Friday: June 24, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:33:00 +0000

These are my recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF @UkNatArchives The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government, and is home to over 1,000 years of historical records

#FF @BeforeDinosaurs "I am seven years old. I blog about life before the dinosaurs." http://www.lifebeforethedinosaurs.com/

#FF @HowItWorksmag "The science and technology magazine that feeds minds" Fascinating tidbits of info!

West Wing Week: June 17- 23, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:22:00 +0000

West Wing Week: 06/23/11 or "The Receding Tide"

This week, President Obama addressed the nation on his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, delivering on a promise he made to the American people in December of 2009. The President also traveled Fort Drum to meet with soldiers and their families, welcomed young elected officials to the White House, and talked to mayors from across the country about job creation and economic growth.

Follow Friday: June 17, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:18:00 +0000

These are my recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF @spacegovuk The official Twitter account of the UK Space Agency.

#FF @psychcentral Psychology and mental health information and support. http://psychcentral.com/

#FF @inner_spark Tanya helps people find their 'inner spark'. Her tweets are positive, inspirational and radiate joy.

#FF @lordsoftheblog is a dialogue between Members of the House of Lords and the public. http://lordsoftheblog.net/

#FF @LondonFire London Fire Brigade's official Twitter feed. http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/

West Wing Week: June 10 -16, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:07:00 +0000

West Wing Week: 06/17/11 or "Where the Future Will Be Won"

This week, walk step-by-step with President Obama as he meets with his Jobs Council to discuss ideas that will improve America's competitiveness, tours a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting in North Carolina, travels to Puerto Rico, hosts a Father's Day event for military dad's and their kids, and more.

The Colonel's Review on 4th June 2011 including Prince William

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 17:25:00 +0000

Some video clips from the processions before and after The Colonel's Review of Trooping the Colour on 4th June 2011:

This is the first rehearsal of Trooping the Colour on which the Duke of Cambridge (Prince William) has ridden.

An article in The Daily Mail shows photos of Prince William dressed in a red guardsman's uniform, taking part in the rehearsal of Trooping the Colour:

Just another soldier or the heir to the throne? Busby-wearing Prince William blends in during horseback drill

That poor dog - the Irish wolfhound mascot - didn't look at all happy taking part in the parade!

Follow Friday: June 3, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 22:56:00 +0000

These are my recomendations for Follow Friday on Twitter today:

#FF @wildlife_uk "Rare and unusual wildlife sightings from around the UK!" http://www.wildlifesightings.co.uk/

#FF @InvasiveNotes "Sustainability, ecosystems invasive species,natural philosophy, history, politics & current events explained" Fab info!

#FF @lucianop "Exploring ways to use our minds efficiently." Follow for useful, inspiring tweets! Fab blog too: http://litemind.com/

#FF @amerimatryoshka About travel, history, and lots more. Fighter for UK Citizenship Equality (an issue we are fighting together).

#FF Welcome @GwynethPaltrow to Twitter!

#FF @SuzieMaxxedOut Follow Suzie for lots of friendly tweets about a variety of topics (books, movies, music, knitting, etc) Always upbeat.

#FF @Thames21 London's leading waterways charity http://www.thames21.org.uk/

#FF @Fab_after_Fifty "Passionate about making sure women over 50 make the best of their lives" Fab tweets! http://www.fabafterfifty.co.uk/