g7uk » child

The Rembrandt’s connection with the moors murders

GS — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:02:02 +0000

In his talk on Tuesday, Ray Gosling mentioned something that I’d heard before. Namely that ‘moors murderer’ Ian Brady met his final victim, Edward Evans, in the Rembrandt Hotel.

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127 dead in Baghdad. 32 dead in Virginia

GS — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:38:09 +0000

At least 127 people have been killed in five or more car bombings in Baghdad.

‘A Reuters photographer at the scene said many women and children were among the victims. More than 90 people were injured in the attack.’ (The Guardian).

Meanwhile 32 died in Virginia yesterday.

Gosh I wonder which of these tragedies will be headline news in America and Britain every day for weeks to come?

Low-paying employers

GS — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:09:51 +0000

The unemployed are a favourite target for government ministers and tabloid headline-writers. But, strangely, unscrupulous business-owners rarely get a mention.

Timeslip

GS — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 00:10:26 +0000

In 1970, Britain was suffering power cuts across the country, caused by industrial action. The days and times of the cuts varied each week. I remember having to do my homework by candlelight.

Bargain Hunters: Big Brother Special

GS — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 14:44:56 +0000

This episode has a Big Brother theme (Channel 4 not Tony Blair via George Orwell).

We filmed it on 1st June. Hilariously, considering the theme, during the making of this we were told that filming in Piccadilly Station is no longer allowed as it’s a ‘terror threat’.

Winner of: Doodle 4 Google – My Britain

GS — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:38:41 +0000

View the winners in the competition to ‘Doodle 4 Google – My Britain’.

The competition was open to the UK’s 10 million school children. They were asked to design a Google doodle representing what it means to be British today. See the thirty regional winners here.

There are some wonderful ones.

Why Guy Fawkes night is dreaded by many in inner-city areas of Britain

GS — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:18:19 +0000

In Britain, 5th November is Bonfire Night. When it’s traditional to let off fireworks and burn a dummy of Guy Fawkes who tried to blow up Parliament in 1605.

It’s supposed to be fun. A colourful spectacle. But for many people in inner-city areas this has become a time of year that they dread.

The other night, on some spare ground close to where I live, youths and children lit a large bonfire. It was close to houses. They used fireworks like guns, pointing them at head height and shooting them across the neighbourhood. Some of the kids were very young indeed and, though fascinated, were obviously afraid that they would be targeted and ‘shot’ by others.

The fire brigade arrived to put out the blaze but they seemed to be intimidated by the abusive youths. The fire crew didn’t leave the fire engine. In other areas there have been incidents where fire fighters were attacked.

They left and, soon after, returned accompanied by the Police.

The BritishPathe website has some vintage newsreel footage of children celebrating Bonfire Night in 1957 and 1959 at a cinema that is just a few hundred yards from this location. How things have changed.

9m African children have no mum due to AIDS

GS — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:33:18 +0000

Mother’s Day is next Sunday, 26 March. But, according to the British charity Save the Children, nine million African children have lost their mum to AIDS…

Birthday

GS — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 23:10:09 +0000

One of the nicest birthdays I’ve had in a while…

I woke up to find an email with a small video attached: my two little nephews, aged three and six, singing ‘Happy Birthday Uncle’. Very sweet.

Then, lunch with Peter and two of his friends at our favourite curry place. After which we visited two pubs. I don’t drink much so I was feeling distinctly merry after two pints of cider.

Then I went to meet ‘L’ & ‘T’. We saw each other from opposite sides of Deansgate. Their three-year-old daughter was waving and jumping up and down, holding my birthday card. We went to a Turkish restaurant where she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. I’m not a very sentimental person, but it nearly brought to a tear to my eye. Twice in one day! My Ghanian friend ‘K’ arrived too.

Then we did a bit of shopping and I got home about 9pm.

When I saw the children singing, I had a flashback to when I was about six years old and at school. Unexpectedly, the teacher lifted me up so I was standing on the table and the whole class sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.