2014年11月26日 星期三

英國倫敦塔橋玻璃天空步道受損

天空步道的玻璃在酒瓶掉落、高跟鞋踩過後出現裂紋。翻攝推特





【張渝萍╱綜合外電報導】英國倫敦塔橋玻璃天空步道才啟用2周就出包!上周五1名遊客不慎摔落酒瓶、1名女子穿細跟高跟鞋踩過後,竟造成玻璃步道出現裂紋,令人心驚。官方解釋受損的玻璃屬5層玻璃中的最上層,無安全疑慮。「摔1瓶啤酒就這樣」

網友高登上周五在推特發布一張玻璃步道受損的照片稱:「今天到天空步道時,有人摔了一瓶啤酒瓶,就變這樣了。」英國獨立電視台(ITV)則稱,酒瓶摔下後又被一名穿細跟高跟鞋的女遊客踩過,才造成如此大的裂痕。塔橋官方先以地毯遮蓋,周日晚上才進行修補。
塔橋官方表示,玻璃走道共有5層玻璃支撐,受損玻璃屬最上層,無安全疑慮,未來將禁止遊客攜帶玻璃物品。步道長約11公尺,由5片約7.6公分厚、重約544公斤的玻璃搭成。
倫敦塔橋展覽中心耗資約4648萬元台幣,鋪設1段玻璃天空步道,讓遊客可在42公尺高處眺望泰晤士河景色,還能從倫敦塔橋正上方欣賞塔橋起降過程。 

"freedom" for retirees

The British government announced this year that it was offering "freedom" for retirees. No longer did they have to use their pension pot to buy an annuity. Instead they could take the money as cash and spend it, or squirrel it away and pass it to their heirs. This was a very dubious reform. The unpopularity of annuities may be due to a degree of financial illiteracy, as a survey by NEST showshttp://econ.st/1FnxGvk
Retirement income.
ECON.ST

2014年11月25日 星期二

Empty centre


Britain's cities are falling either side of a divide. A few are growing at the core and faltering towards the edge. But most are doing precisely the opposite: the action is on the outskirts, the centres ever more deserted http://econ.st/1y5tpJm
Closing down, boarding up WHEN Sheffield Town Hall opened in 1897, it was a symbol of pride in a city on a Victorian growth spurt. Now it stands lost in an urban...
ECON.ST

2014年11月21日 星期五

King Arthur & The British Isles

King Arthur & The British Isles

Locations

Caerleon: 
The still-visible Roman amphitheatre at Caerleon has associations with Arthur's Round Table and has been named as one of a number of possible locations of Camelot. The Hanbury Arms in Caerleon was visited by Tennyson who lodged there when he wrote Morte d'Arthur.
Colchester:
It’s thought that the name Camelot may have referred to the capital of Roman Britain Camulodunum - now Colchester.
Mount Killaraus:
Mount Killaraus is a legendary mountain in Ireland, where Merlin was said to have removed a giant’s ring. He took it to Salisbury Plain where it became Stonehenge. Some say that Mount Killaraus was located around Kildare.
Falkirk:
Arthur’s O'on was a celebrated ancient monument in Scotland, which stood from the Early Middle Ages until the late 18th century. The stone mound stood on the north bank of the River Carron. Described by some as a ‘lost wonder’,Arthur's O'on has also been said to be the original site of Arthur’s Round Table.
Tintagel:
Made famous by Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. Merlin’s cave can be found in Tintagel. It's said to be haunted by the ghost of the wizard.
Wigan:
One of Arthur's battles is thought to have taken place here, on the banks of the River Douglas. It's also cited as a possible location of Arthur's court.

cost £3bn to stop the UK Parliament from turning into a ruin

£3bn bill to fix crumbling Palace of Westminster

20 November 2014 Last updated at 23:17 GMT
Taxpayers may have to spend more than £3bn to stop the Palace of Westminster turning into an unusable "ruin", the BBC has learned.
Over the years the building has been damaged by fires and floods, and some of the stonework has been altered beyond recognition.
Much of the infrastructure has not been updated since the 1950s.
Newsnight's Laura Kuenssburg reports.
Take a tour of the crumbling Palace of Westminster as a BBC Newsnight investigation finds it may cost £3bn to stop the UK Parliament from turning into a ruin. http://bbc.in/1uhHGxN

2014年11月11日 星期二

Remembrance Sunday;The Cenotaph 大戦戦没者記念碑.



It is not about politics, moralising or glorifying war



 "The Cenotaph is a state monument. It is not a religious one" ViaComment is free

Dan Snow: The lack of a secular presence at the Cenotaph could diminish its importance for modern Britons – and they could forget
THEGUARDIAN.COM|由 DAN SNOW 上傳

 

UK's wartime fallen remembered

A two-minute silence was held at the Cenotaph to remember those who have died in armed conflicts

Related Stories

A two-minute silence has been held to remember members of the British and Commonwealth's armed forces who have died during conflicts.
The Queen was joined by Prince Phillip and the Duchess of Cambridge at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
The country observed a two-minute silence as Big Ben struck the eleventh hour.
British forces across the world - including 9,500 soldiers in Afghanistan - also stood silent to remember.
The Queen laid a wreath, followed by the Duke of York and the Princess Royal.
The former chief of the defence staff, Lord Guthrie, laid a wreath on behalf of the Prince of Wales, who is in Auckland, New Zealand.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague laid a wreath on behalf of all those in the armed forces across the commonwealth who have fallen.
The Queen The Queen led dignitaries in honouring the UK's war dead at the Cenotaph
British servicemen and women in Helmand Province were able to attend services at remote patrol bases or checkpoints.
Lt-Col Zac Stenning, a serving soldier, attended the Remembrance service in London for the first time.
He told BBC News he was "immensely struck by both the dignity and pride and the solemnity of the service".

The air was cold and clear, the sky a cobalt blue and Whitehall with the Cenotaph at its heart was lined with the ranks of those who serve and those who once served.
Watching from behind the barriers around the MoD, a solitary figure pausing from his duties talking to the media. His silhouette against the sunlight throwing into sharp relief the dark metal of his prosthetic legs, lost in a roadside explosion in Afghanistan five years ago.
The two minutes silence was immaculately observed, the only thing to break the quiet the crying of gulls wheeling in the air.
The wreaths were placed gently around the base of the cenotaph and then the march past.
A glittering parade of polish and steel, of khaki, blue and black - Royal Marines and Gurkhas, Submariners and Gunners and many more in uniform.
Then thousands of veterans, men and women in civilian clothes, but with medals on their chests and cap badges gleaming on berets.
On each lapel a splash of colour, a Poppy, the symbol of remembrance, of sacrifice and thanksgiving.
He added that he had lost 10 men from his Army unit in the last six months in Afghanistan, and this in particular made this Sunday an important day.
"It is that single day in the year when we stand together and as a nation we remember the commitment of our men and women of the armed forces not only as soldiers today but of the past"
This year, Remembrance Sunday falls on 11 November itself, the date of the armistice which brought World War I to an end.
The prime minister of the Republic of Ireland and his deputy took part in Remembrance Sunday services in Northern Ireland.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was in Enniskillen and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore was in Belfast, where First Minister Peter Robinson and Secretary of State Theresa Villiers led the wreathlaying.
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones led Wales in its Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Cardiff.
First Minister Alex Salmond paid tribute to the courage and commitment of Scotland's servicemen and women in Edinburgh.
Other remembrance services were held across the country, including in Staffordshire where the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester represented the Queen at a service held at the National Memorial Arboretum.
All veterans from World War I have now died - Florence Green, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, who served as a mess steward at RAF bases in Marham and Narborough, died in February aged 110.
On Saturday, a Festival of Remembrance concert staged by the Royal British Legion was held at the Royal Albert Hall. It was attended by thousands, including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the prime minister and Labour leader Ed Miliband.

 

Remembrance Sunday: Queen leads tributes at Cenotaph



Help
The Queen has laid a wreath at London's Cenotaph as part of the Remembrance Sunday events being held around the UK to honour the country's war dead.
Other members of the Royal Family, Prime Minister David Cameron and other politicians, religious leaders and military chiefs also attended.
Nicholas Witchell reports.


朱自清日記

十一日星期三 1931 11 11
今天是第一次世界大戰的停戰紀念日,我一大早就到陣亡將士紀念碑*前,站在第一排。那莊嚴肅穆的景象深深地打動了我。特別是當年的老戰士走過來時,更使我感動。許多婦女在強壯的警察護送下游行前進,她們激動異常,困頓不堪。此情此景真是動人。儀式剛剛結束,大雨滂沱而下,最後還夾著冰雪。......


The Cenotaph, Whitehall, London

*
cenotaph

The Cenotaph

The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London has played host to the Remembrance Service for the past nine decades. But how did the monument become such an indelible part of the UK's commemoration of those who lost their lives in past conflicts?
Originally intended as a small part of the Peace Day events of July 1919, The Cenotaph was designed and built by Edwin Lutyens at the request of the then Prime Minister Lloyd George
The Cenotaph - which literally means Empty Tomb in Greek - was initially a wood and plaster construction intended for the first anniversary of the Armistice in 1919. At its unveiling the base of the monument was spontaneously covered in wreaths to the dead and missing from The Great War. Such was the extent of public enthusiasm for the construction it was decided that The Cenotaph should become a permanent and lasting memorial.
The Cenotaph, made from Portland stone, was unveiled in 1920. The inscription reads simply "The Glorious Dead".
Unveiling of the permanent Cenotaph in Whitehall, 1920
Unveiling of the permanent Cenotaph in Whitehall by His Majesty
King George V, 11 November 1920 © Copyright Imperial War Museum
On the Sunday nearest to 11 November at 11am each year, a Remembrance Service is held at the Cenotaph to commemorate British and Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in the two World Wars and later conflicts. The monarch, religious leaders, politicians, representatives of state and the armed and auxiliary forces, gather to pay respect to those who gave their lives defending others.
The service has changed little since it was first introduced in 1921, hymns are sung, prayers are said and a two minute silence is observed. Official wreaths are laid on the steps of The Cenotaph. The ceremony ends with a march past of war veterans; a poignant gesture of respect for their fallen comrades.
Services of Remembrance are held at war memorials and cenotaphs throughout Britain and the Commonwealth nations. While the style and size of these memorials vary considerably from place to place, an exact replica of Lutyens' Cenotaph stands proudly in London, Canada.


2014年11月8日 星期六

How are British taxes really spent?


The Conservatives want to cut the welfare bill. First, perhaps, they should make sure they can define it. How are British taxes really spent?http://econ.st/1z5QQCo

2014年11月6日 星期四

the new Knowledge Quarter

The final event in the Museum of the future series of three debates will look at the unique identity of Bloomsbury and in particular the creation of the Knowledge Quarter – the coming together of the many different organisations in the area to produce ideas and knowledge.
Chaired by Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford, a Trustee of the British Museum and introduced by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor, contributors include Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, Sir Paul Nurse, British Museum Trustee and Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute, Munira Mirza, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture, GLA, and Councillor Phil Jones, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, London Borough of Camden.
The British Museum has made its collection freely available to a global public since 1759, providing a place where people can see the history of what it is to be human. The Museum has constantly evolved since it first opened and attitudes and experiences have continued to change over 255 years. The Museum must also continue to evolve, so what will the Museum of the future look like and how will it feel? Come and be part of the dialogue in a series of three monthly debates. Get involved in person, in the community and online.
This event will be followed by a drinks reception in the Enlightenment Gallery (Room 1).
Come and be part of the dialogue in a series of three monthly debates. Get involved in person, in the community and online.
Please note: doors open at 18.30 for the debate starting at 19.00





 look at the unique identity of Bloomsbury and in particular the creation of the Knowledge Quarter, the coming together of the many different organisations in the area to produce ideas and knowledge.

VENUE DETAILS

Address:
Great Russell Street
Bloomsbury
WC1B 3DG
Telephone:
0207323 8299

DATES & TIMES

Our third ‪#‎MuseumOfTheFuture‬ debate focuses on the new Knowledge Quarter. Find out more http://ow.ly/DUZ75
Tickets are still available for the final debate – book nowhttp://ow.ly/DUZn7

2014年11月1日 星期六

Covent Garden



「寫作這本書的時候,狄更斯的住處多是在柯芬園,他經常從這裡出發,四處明察暗訪,看教堂、濟貧院、墓園,但有時散步只是因為失眠,柯芬園有熱鬧的市集、戲院,但狄更斯形容它是過氣的鄰里,天氣一壞就顯得特別荒涼陰鬱。」
-圖文摘自《非商業旅人》http://www.bookrep.com.tw/activeimg/L/0LGB0002/#c 

去過東倫敦的柯芬園嗎?你對那裡有什麼印象呢?


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Covent Garden (disambiguation).
Covent Garden

The interior of the former vegetable market



Covent Garden

Covent Garden shown within Greater London
OS grid reference TQ303809
London borough Westminster
Camden
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region London
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
EU Parliament London
UK Parliament Cities of London and Westminster
Holborn and St. Pancras
London Assembly West Central
Barnet and Camden
List of places UKEnglandLondon


Coordinates: 51.51197°N 0.1228°W

Covent Garden (/ˈkɒvənt/) is a district in London on the eastern fringes of theWest End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane.[1] It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as "Covent Garden". The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centred on Neal's Yard andSeven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the elegant buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the London Transport Museum.

Though mainly fields until the 16th century, the area was briefly settled when it became the heart of the Anglo-Saxon trading town of Lundenwic.[2] After the town was abandoned, part of the area was walled off by 1200 for use as arable land and orchards by Westminster Abbey, and was referred to as "the garden of the Abbey and Convent". The land, now called "the Covent Garden", was seized by Henry VIII, and granted to the Earls of Bedford in 1552. The 4th Earlcommissioned Inigo Jones to build some fine houses to attract wealthy tenants. Jones designed the Italianate arcaded square along with the church of St Paul's. The design of the square was new to London, and had a significant influence on modern town planning, acting as the prototype for the laying-out of new estates as London grew.[3] A small open-air fruit and vegetable market had developed on the south side of the fashionable square by 1654.

Gradually, both the market and the surrounding area fell into disrepute, as taverns, theatres, coffee-houses and brothels opened up; the gentry moved away, and rakes, wits and playwrights moved in.[4] By the 18th century it had become a well-known red-light district, attracting notable prostitutes. An Act of Parliament was drawn up to control the area, and Charles Fowler's neo-classical building was erected in 1830 to cover and help organise the market. The area declined as a pleasure-ground as the market grew and further buildings were added: the Floral Hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market. By the end of the 1960s traffic congestion was causing problems, and in 1974 the market relocated to the New Covent Garden Market about three miles (5 km) south-west at Nine Elms. The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980, and is now a tourist location containing cafes, pubs, small shops, and a craft market called the Apple Market, along with another market held in the Jubilee Hall.

Covent Garden, with the postcode WC2, falls within the London boroughs of Westminster and Camden, and the parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London and Westminster and Holborn and St Pancras. The area has been served by the Piccadilly line at Covent Garden tube station since 1907; the journey from Leicester Square, at 300 yards, is the shortest on the London Underground.