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Don’t be embarrassed if you do not know the answer. Reading that question, you probably heard some bells ringing in the background. That is but understandable as Henry Moore is arguably the most celebrated sculptor in the United Kingdom.
Born in 30 July 1898 in Castleford, Yorkshire, Henry Moore is perhaps best known all over the world for his sculptures which were larger than life. Many of these monumental sculptures have been purchased – and subsequently displayed – by private institutions.
The reclining form is considered to be Henry Moore’s signature form. Wikipedia elaborates:
Moore’s exploration of this form, under the influence of the Toltec-Mayan figure he had seen at the Louvre, was to lead him to increasing abstraction as he turned his thoughts towards experimentation with the elements of design. Moore’s earlier reclining figures deal principally with mass, while his later ones contrast the solid elements of the sculpture with the space, not only round them but generally through them as he pierced the forms with openings.
Though Moore died in 1986, his legacy continues with the Henry Moore Foundation, of which his daughter Mary Moore remains a part. In fact, The Guardian recently published an interview with her – a very rare occurrence.
Those who are interested in the work of Henry Moore will soon be treated to an exhibition at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Central London. The Guardian narrates:
The show will span six decades and incorporate 70 works from the private family collection that have never before been shown publicly. Several items – such as the concrete bird table he made in 1942 that was used by the family for several years – carry a deep personal resonance.
There is a hope that the exhibition will lead to a reassessment of Moore’s work because, as Mary puts it, the ‘acclaim and affection’ in which he is held often obscures the ‘radical’ nature of his art.
Yes, there is such a thing as English Art, although not too many people may be aware of it. Wikipedia actually defines English Art as “body of visual arts originating from the nation of England, in the form of a continuous tradition.” This kind of art was actually only defined in 1956 by Nikolaus Pevsner, in his book The Englishness of English Art. Many decades later, great men were still trying to give a clear definition to English Art. In 2000, Sir Roy Strong wrote The Spirit of Britain: A narrative history of the arts and in 2002, Peter Ackroyd wrote The Origins of the English Imagination.
So what is English Art, really? The general consensus is that traditional English Art involves paintings of landscapes. English Art is not limited to this, however. Wikipedia further expounds on the themes of English Art:
Its earliest known developed form, one that continues to the present-day, is arguably the decorative surface pattern work exemplified by the Lindisfarne Gospels and the exterior carving of Anglo-Saxon churches and monuments. Ackroyd argues that the concern for a light and delicate outline, for surface pattern for its own sake, and for patterns and borders that threaten to overwhelm the portrayal of figures, have all been long-standing characteristics of a continuous English art. Other elements Ackroyd sees as inherited from the early Celtic church are a concern to portray the essence of animals, a tendency to understatement, and a concern for repeating structures that extends from Celtic knotwork to church organ music to Staffordshire ceramic-ware to stained glass windows and to the wallpapers of William Morris.
Indeed, a visit to England will prove to be a feast for the eyes and soul as one gazes upon various art forms, some of which have been around for millennia.
The English language is the universal language, there is no denying that. Well, at least if you are a pragmatic person. There will always be people who would assert that English is not THAT widely spoken. For the sake of this discussion, though, I would like to consider the English language as being used so widely that it would be ok to consider it as a universal language.
We all know the existence of a dichotomy when it comes to the American version of the language and the British version of the language. Let us dub them US English and British English. The discussion about this dichotomy has long been in existence and people far more experienced in this field than I have had their say. I just thought that it would be interesting to share something that I read from the Times Online. In it, the author strongly presents his views on how US English is quickly permeating the world of British English – and he is NOT liking this one bit.
The assertion is that the British should make a decision to disallow the influx of these Americanisms. He writes:
I would like Britain to decide to stop allowing US English to permeate, pervade and pollute British English. (I am acutely aware that the term “British English” has more than a little of the oxymoron about it.)
I believe in the frank and fair exchange of ideas, philosophy and words. When the US takes of some our new language on board I’d be a great deal more relaxed about the transplanting of US English into our way of life. The newly elected leader of America, and consequently the Free World, has oft spoken about change. If he is willing to say “Yes We Can” to change, then perhaps he will say “Yes We Can” to US English changing to adopt the odd British English word. Even he might concede that that would be a jolly good show.
I suppose his idea suggestion is fair enough, don’t you think?
Golden Retrievers as Pets
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Posted on Sep 30, 2010 by Jodie in English Culture, English Education, English Life, English Pets, English TravelGolden Retrievers are ideal English pets that people would usually prefer since they are quite friendly and would rarely bark or attack people. They are usually known for hunting in the early times and for sniffing out drugs. They are good pets to have because their faces look like they are smiling all the time. They are also good for aiding blind people hence wanting to see people around them all the time. Once they are left alone or left tied up, they would usually become very sad and cry to get the attention of people nearby.
Golden Retrievers are classified as toy dogs because of their friendliness. They are also tagged as show dogs and field dogs. The difference lies in the length of their hair. Field dogs are easier to groom because they have shorter hair.
Having big boned structure, these English dogs are prone to bone diseases, notably their hips which may develop into hip dysplasia. Their skin is also sensitive hence the need to ensure that they would be eating the proper dog food and bathed at proper times to avoid contracting fleas that wills surely make them itch and develop skin allergies.
The Origin of the Game of Darts
Comments Off Posted on Sep 17, 2010 by Jodie in English Culture, English Life, English Sports, English TraditionsDarts, a worldwide famous sport today, traces its origins in England where most of the professional dart players today originate. Darts holds the key towards the national past time sport, similar to that of football and basketball which has been a famous activity in parts of America and Asia to date.
Darts for its part has been known to be only a recreational activity that goes along with beer. But the level of competition that many would refer to as the Masters of Darts tournament have their own set of traditions and distinctions.
Darts actually originated in the middle ages where soldiers would hurl arrows on the upturned side of a barrel where arrows would be hurled closest to the cork bung, with the closes being the winner. Today, the concept has been totally developed into bulls eyes, where the score would be higher than that of farther hit targets in darts.
[tags]darts, sports, traditions, culture, competition[/tags]
The question of who it is exactly who runs the country of England is an interesting one to research.
Many foreign people often think that the Queen and Royalty of England are, naturally, the people in charge. As we shall find out, it’s not quite that simple..
England is run by the British Parliament. England is of course the largest country in Britain. The other countries are Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Parliament is basically a mix of important people and groups who together, run the the country.
England is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional Monarch as the ‘Head of State’.
English (British) democracy works on the basic principle that the people of England and Britain elect Members of Parliament (known as ‘MPs’).
These MPs are elected by the people into The House of Commons. This is in London and this process occurs during a General Election. General Elections have to happen once every five years, and the current ruling government gets to decide at which time during those five years it will take place.There is always much speculation in the English Media as to when exactly the Election date will be. Bookies (companies or individuals who let you place wagers/bets with them) often offer odds on when it will be announced, too.
The Government has some principle officials, namely: The Head of State – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Then, Prime Minister (Head MP) – The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP. (Rt. Hon. stands for ‘Right Honourable’ and is a mark of respect). So Parliament itself is made up of the House of Commons, together with another ‘House’ called the House of Lords and then the Monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth).
Yes, alright! But what does Parliament actually DO?
Ah, ok ok. Essentially the Parliament has one main job – the creation of Law. Parliament passes new laws, amends laws, discusses laws and then other matters such as taxation. Foreign matters are often discussed along with domestic issues.
The Houses of Parliament sit next to the river Thames, a river that runs right through London. The impressive buildings are the subject of many a tourists photography!
Each MP who sits in the House of Commons (which sits inside the Houses of Parliament) has been elected, as I mentioned. Each individual MP ‘represents’ one of 659 constituencies in the U.K. Each of the constituencies has one ‘seat’ in the House of Commons, so called because that is where the MP gets to sit while the House debates the various issues of government.
MPs are also grouped by the particular party they belong to. There are three main political parties in the system; New Labour, The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The party that gets the most ‘seats’ elected by the people becomes the ruling government.
2001 saw the General Election won by New Labour. They won an impressive 413 ‘seats’ (i.e. 413 constituencies voted a New Labour MP into power). By comparison, the Conservatives won 166 ‘seats’ and the Liberal Democrats got 52. As it happens, we’re coming up to the next General Election at the moment. May 5th, 2005 will once again see the English people voting for who will run their country.
The Royal Coat of Arms of England has a specific function – it identifies the Head of State. The Head of State today is the Queen of England.
The English Lion supports the shield from the left hand side while the right is upheld by the Unicorn. In this case, the Unicorn is a symbol of Scotland.
Many people often ask why the Unicorn is shackled to the shield – is this to imply something about the relationship between England and Scotland
Alas, no, the Unicorn is chained because in the days when this coat was created, a unicorn unshackled was considered unlucky, as they were mythically very dangerous beasts!
The coat of arms features the motto of England, described below.
The Motto of England
Dieu et mon Droit is written on many things such as money and indeed, the coat of arms. It is French for ‘God and My Right’. This motto was first used by Richard I, King, in 1198. Henry VI adopted it as the motto of England later.
The Coat of Arms also includes another motto:
The Motto of the Order of the Garter:
Honi soit qui mal y pense means ‘Shamed be he who thinks ill of it’.
The shield amidst the coat of arms shows the royal emblems that refer to specific parts of the United Kingdom.
The Three lions of England, the Harp of Northern Island and the Unicorn of Scotland. The shield of England with the three lions is popular now thanks to English football.
Richard the Lionheart used the symbol originally on a scarlet backgroud. It was a symbol of power and the English Throne used extensively during the crusades.
Serials have a way of coming and going with the changing of the times, yet there are certain publications that seem to have a lasting value; proven and tested over time. One of these is definitely Reader’s Digest. For many generations, this publication has been a staple. From doctors’ offices to family coffee tables to libraries – copies of Reader’s Digest can be had for reading pleasure. All over the world, Reader’s Digest has become known as a reliable source of information. The United Kingdom is no exception.
Recently, however, the British arm of Reader’s Digest experienced serious problems. On the 17th of February, the business went under. This was a mere half a year after the United States arm filed for bankruptcy. As can be expected, a considerable number of buyers expressed their interest in buying the company.
Early this month, Jon Moulton’s Better Capital gave the British Reader’s Digest the helping hand that it sorely needed. Moulton bought the publication, with the present management keeping 35 per cent stake.
More than keeping its 500,000 subscribers happy about continuing to receive editions on a regular basis, the move by Moulton has other implications. Reader’s Digest in Britain employs a little over a hundred employees. While the number may not be that huge as compared to other companies, these people’s lives are greatly impacted by the saving of the company. With the £13 million that Moulton’s company is investing in Reader’s Digest, their lives just might be changed for the better despite the bleak economic times.
Young people today probably do not know who P.T. Barnum is, but those from an older generation will still remember how he thrilled America AND England with his freak shows. P.T. Barnum made a name for himself in both countries by showcasing the most freakish things you’ve ever seen – during those times, at least. The funny thing is that many – if not most – of his “features” were merely tricks!
No one can deny his genius, though. And, to celebrate his life and work, an exhibit is being held at the Western Bank Library Exhibition Gallery until the 27th of May. More information from the Seattle PI blog:
The exhibit, Humbug! Celebrating 200 Years of P.T Barnum, showcases original posters, handbills, and memorabilia used by the famed entertainer to promote his shows over 100 years ago. It celebrates the trickster who took America and England by storm with his collection of real and invented freakish attractions. The curator of the exhibit, Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of the NFA, is pleased to have the chance to show off many one-of-a-kind items from her collection: “The archive material on display is usually all in boxes behind the scenes, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to see around 100 items from the depths of our archive.” When asked to explain the magic of Barnum she replies: “He’s probably the world’s greatest showman. He created what we know today as PR/marketing and showmanship. Everything I’ve ever thought of, he did it!”
Indeed, P.T. Barnum’s skill and talent as a showman has probably not been surpassed by anyone in this century. Taking the era and the extent of his achievements into consideration, this is no mean feat! So if you find yourself in the area between now and May, do go and take a look at the collection; and, discover P.T. Barnum and why he captured the people of his time.
This is a big thing in the world of libraries: none other than The British Library has joined in the fray of making the most of the World Wide Web! On February 25, culture minister Margaret Hodge announced the launch of National Web Archive. This online archive is to hold ALL of the free web sites of the UK including such material as the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2009 swine flu outbreak advice, and more.
The Web Archive has been developed – and is being developed – in conjunction with other entities such as IBM, the national libraries of Scotland and Wales, Jisc, and the Wellcome Library. Information Week tells us more:
According to the British Library, the average life expectancy of a Web site is between 44 and 75 days and every six months, 10% of .uk Web pages vanish or are replaced by new material.
“With so much material now published online, and considering the growing influence of the Internet on British culture and society, the Web is now a key part of the nation’s memory,” said Margaret Hodge, the U.K.’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, in a statement. “A failure to record and preserve the UK domain would not just be detrimental to future research but leave a significant gap in our digital heritage.”
The .uk Internet domain currently consists of about 8 million Web pages and is expected to reach 11 million by 2011. The British Library currently has 10 people manually archiving the 5 terabytes of U.K. Web page data.
It is comforting to know that our children – and their children – will be able to access the very same web pages that we are accessing today. Or, NOT. 
