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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. 
Things are about to change big time for Bradley Cooper, a 16-year-old British boy from Hull, East Yorkshire. Hold your horses – it’s definitely not the Bradley Cooper that has made it big in Hollywood. This Bradley Cooper actually calls himself Ria, and he has been dressing (and behaving) like a girl since he was 12 years old.
Recently, he was informed that he can undergo a sex change operation costing £10,000. Even better news for the teenager is that the local NHS trust will be paying for the whole thing. The operation will take place anytime in the next year and a half, and this will make Bradley (Ria) they youngest patient in Britain to undergo the procedure. Prior to him, the youngest case was Angel Paris-Jordan, who was almost 18 when she had the procedure done.
Naturally, this decision by the NHS has given rise to a lot of controversy. For one, the issue of sex change has never been widely accepted. There are still a lot of camps who are thoroughly opposed to the idea of homosexuality, much more sex change. Another reason that this story has ruffled a lot of feathers is that the government will be paying for the operation. It is not surprising to hear opinions such as that NHS money can be put to better use.
And what does Ria have to say about that? “I know people might say horrible things like the money could be better spent on other things. But this is my life, and it won’t be worth living unless I have that operation.”
Every year, the British Royal Family spends Christmas Day walking – no, strolling – to church and back. This year, it was no different. The whole family went to St. Mary Magdalene, which is located in their estate in Norfolk. Naturally, a crowd gathered to see the nobles with their own eyes.
Tradition dictates that the entire family gather at this time of the year in Sandringham, Queen Elizabeth II’s private estate. As they walked to church, around a thousand onlookers extended their Christmas greetings to the Royal Family – either expressly or silently. Some, like Debbie Barlett, got an extra treat. Barlett is a 51-year-old carer who lives near the estate. She got a hug and a kiss from Prince William, who is third in line to the throne.
After church, the family had lunch, which is traditionally served at 1:00 pm. The traditional meal usually features a turkey (the huge kind, of course), which is raised in the estate. After lunch, everyone sits back and relaxes to watch Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day broadcast, which is aired at 3:00pm.
Opening of gifts do not happen on Christmas Day but Christmas Eve. This is another thing that the Royal Family does differently from the rest of the nation, which opens gifts on 25 December. Instead, the Royal Family follows in the footsteps of the Germans and open their gifts on Christmas Eve.
Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? I wonder if they have any secret parties that common folk like us do not hear about?
It may be hard to imagine – impossible almost – but a three-year old boy is now considered to be the youngest criminal in all of Britain. His name is, of course, kept confidential, but there is no doubt that the toddler is being investigated in relation to a case regarding damage to household property.
It is almost incomprehensible, really. After all, children at that age DO have the capacity to wreak havoc, especially at home. They do not know any better. So makes this toddler different from any other toddler who gets mischievous every now and then?
According to Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary:
“This is a clear manifestation of the first signs of offending. These instances underline the very deep social problems we have in some parts of the country. It is part of the very complex picture we call broken Britain.”
Not to offend anyone, but in any nation where children as young as three can be considered criminals, there really is something broken! And this is actually the least of it. The Telegraph, in its report about the boy, cited many other cases wherein children as young as eight and nine have been accused of rape! Offenses such as theft, possession of knives, and assaults are also apparently not unheard of.
I blame the parents. Children below 10 (and even beyond this age, actually!) are in their formative years – years in which their values and perspectives are shaped. Where were the parents when the children were committing these crimes? The kids may not be prosecuted as adults because of the law, but the parents should be held accountable, don’t you think?
For the longest time now, the British government has banned TV shows from advertising products within the programme itself. In an interesting turn of events, the government is now lifting the ban. The move will allow commercial broadcasters to place products in various TV shows, thereby advertising them.
The decision has not been announced officially but the speculation is that it will be made early this week. For sure, this announcement will be a controversial one, albeit much welcomed by TV producers. However, the ban will still remain for other broadcasters such as BBC as well as all children’s programmes, regardless of network.
So why has the government changed its stance? The Telegraph says:
The main factor behind the rethink by ministers has been the financial strictures faced by ITV and other commercial broadcasters during the recession, which have seen their advertising revenues badly hit.
Government sources also cite a European parliament directive which came into force almost two years ago permitting product placement in sport and light entertainment programmes – if national governments allowed it.
More than this, Britain is actually a little lagging in this respect. Other European Union members have already started allowing TV programmes to place products.
It will be very interesting to see how quickly the British networks are going to pounce on this opportunity. For sure, the primetime shows will have a wide array of choices as to which products to use. Bottom line, more cash will be flowing into the coffers because of this change.
Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
At least if Cabinet minister Hilary Benn’s call is heeded. In a statement released late last week, Benn declared that traditional British dishes should be given their rightful due. If you are not aware of it yet, there is such a thing as the Protected Food Names scheme, which was launched in 1992. Under this scheme, certain companies may register food products if they meet the following requirements:
• The food must be produced in a specific local area
• The food must be prepared using unique methods
• The recipes must be unique.
Other countries such as Spain, France, and Italy have already registered hundreds of products since the scheme’s inception. In contrast, the United Kingdom only has 38 registered food products; hence the minister’s call for more products to be registered.
Some of the food products that have already been registered include:
• Kentish Ale
• Gloucestershire Cider
• West Country Farmhouse Cheddar
• Cornish Clotted Cream
• Jersey Royal Potatoes
There are some products which are already in the process of being approved under the said scheme:
• Craster Kippers
• Colchester Oysters
• Lough Neagh Eels
• Cardigan Bay Prawns
• Cornish pasties
• Birmingham Balti.
Among the food products that Benn wants to be recognised are:
• London Porter beer
• Cheshire Cheese
• Bedfordshire Clanger pies
• Stottie Cakes
• York Ham
• Sussex Pond Pudding
• Yorkshire Parkin
Now doesn’t all that food make you hungry? So what’s stopping you? Just make sure you get the “real thing!”
One of the hottest issues Britons face today is assisted suicide, or euthanasia. I am sure that you have heard of the couple who went to Switzerland to die together. After a rich and long life, they decided that it was time to end the suffering that they had been going through for the last few years of their lives. Their family supported it, and that clinic in Switzerland offered that option.
It is not the same in the UK, though. Technically, assisted suicide is illegal in the country. Indeed, doctors often freeze up at the very mention of the term. With these deaths becoming highly publicised, however, talk has been going on. Should we support or condemn assisted suicide?
From the perspective of the family of those who are suffering, assisted suicide should be an option. Indeed, for them, it is a much better option than living out one’s days in pain and inconvenience. Then we have those who believe that we should never take the lives of other people; that this is something that no human being should be made to do.
According to a story ran by the Daily Mail, there are about 800 Britons who are supposedly making plans for assisted suicide. But since this is not legal in the country, only people who are able to travel and who have the money to do so have the option. For now, the option is only available outside of the country. But it may not be far in the future that it could be legalised at home as well.
How do you feel about this?
Deserving pupils in need are going to get the break that they deserve, thanks to the government. A new programme is being launched, wherein a cash premium is going to be doled out to bright pupils who come from needy homes. The announcement was made by schools minister Vernon Coaker.
Dubbed the Billy Elliot cash bonus, the programme is aimed at giving a helping hand to the kids who need it the most. I am sure that you are pretty familiar with the name. Billy Elliot’s story is one of hope and the realisation of dreams. In spite of his challenged background, he was able to pursue and realise his dreams of becoming a ballet dancer.
With this programme, the government is encouraging each school to nominate pupils who are already on free school meals and who excel either in academics or sports or arts. The pupils who qualify will receive a yearly allowance of ₤250.
This programme was announced shortly after criticism of how the government handled gifted children surfaced. The criticism focused mainly on the idea that what the government was doing was not enough and lacked direction. Apparently, Coaker reacted quickly to the criticism. He says of the programme:
“One of the great crusades for us all is to ensure that every pupil’s talent is being maximised. Of course, you have to be concerned at anything that points to the fact you are not providing the opportunity you want for everyone, wherever they are. I think this gifted and talented scheme is one of the ways we can do that. If they are talented musicians, buy them the instrument they’ve been struggling to get; take them to the theatre.”
While I am pretty sure that this new plan of action will not escape the watchful eyes of critics, I am hoping that it will make a difference in the lives of many children.
Today is a sad day for the family of Harry Patch, who was the last British survivor of the First World War. He was 111 years old. Harry Patch was known as the last Tommy. He fought in the battle of Passchendaele in 1917. If you are not familiar with this battle (I can’t blame you, I had to look it up myself, to be honest), it was one wherein more than 70,000 British troops met their end.
If you remember, I posted something about another war veteran last month, Henry Allingham. He became the oldest man at 113 years old last month when the man who held that title passed away. Allingham also served in the First World War. About a week ago, however, he also passed away, making Harry the oldest man.
In what we can probably call a series of unfortunate events, Harry Patch also passed away. He is survived by loving friends and family members. Even Gordon Brown had good words for the veteran: “I had the honour of meeting Harry, and I share his family’s grief at the passing of a great man.”
Jim Ross, a friend of Patch’s said of him: “Harry died peacefully, surrounded by his many friends. While the country may remember Harry as a soldier, we will remember him as a dear friend. He was a man of peace who used his great age and fame as the last survivor of the trenches to communicate two simple messages: remember with gratitude and respect those who served on all sides; settle disputes by discussion, not war.”
For the rest of us, this is a good reminder to remember those who have gone before us.
On Friday, June 19, a British World War I veteran became the oldest living man in the world. The World War vet is Henry Allingham, and he celebrated his 113th birthday on the 6th of June. Prior to his gaining the record, the oldest man was Tomoji Tanabe, a resident of southern Japan. He was also 113 years old but died in sleep early on Friday.
It was then that the Guinness World Records declared that Allingham is now the oldest man on earth. Allingham is actually one of the two World War I veterans living in Britain today. Also, he has held the record of the oldest man in Britain for two years now, since 2007.
A little bit on Allingham’s life. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service, which was what they had before the Royal Air Force, in 1915. In 1916, he found himself in the middle of the Battle of Jutland. This is the largest naval battle in the First World War. He also took part in World War II, where he did his job countering magnetic mines.
Long after the wars were fought and won, Allingham met Dennis Goodwin, who got him involved in various activities furthering the cause of veterans. The two also wrote an autobiography, titled “Kitchener’s Last Volunteer.” The title was meant to refer to the war secretary of Britain who helped encourage people to the cause.
Let’s all make a toast – or two – to this amazing man and his life!
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Posted on Feb 28, 2010 by