The Olympic flame arrive in the UK yesterday for its 70 tour of the British Isles before it finally arrives at the Olympic stadium where it will light the Olympic Cauldron at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games.
The flame arrived from Athens aboard an aircraft with Princess Ann, David Beckham and Lord (Seb) Coe. The Princess Royal carried the transportation lantern containing the flame from the aircraft and on to the tarmac. It was transferred to a London 2012 torch and David Beckham lit a cauldron, to mark the flame's arrival on UK soil.
Then three time Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie kicked off the London 2012 Olympic torch relay from Land's End. Ainslie, is the first of 8,000 torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame 8,000 miles over 70 days the flame will travel the length and breath of the country and aims to bring the Olympic Flame to within reach of 95 per cent of the UK population.
Today there are 139 torchbearers carrying the flame a total of 136 miles on the first day of the relay. It started at the Land's End Signpost in Cornwall and ends at the Hoe in Plymouth for the first evening celebration.
A Right Royal Bash
The other British celebration is well underway, the Queen has also been travelling the country on her Diamond Jubilee tour, meeting her subjects, yesterday she took a day off from commoners and had a small regal luncheon party at Windsor Castle, when an astonishing 26 kings and queens from all over the world came to lunch.
A dozen of our Royals were there too — including Wills and Kate, Harry, Andrew, Beatrice, Eugenie and Edward and Sophie. The 98 guests dined on a tartlet of poached egg with English asparagus, followed by a main course of Windsor lamb with braised potatoes, artichokes, peas, carrots, broad beans and cabbage. For dessert, Kent strawberries and vanilla Charlotte were served alongside fruit and cheese.
Mickey Mouse Does Same Sex Weddings
Do you fancy a Mickey Mouse wedding, well it seems that it is now possible, Disneyland has become an unlikely champion of gay rights in Japan, by allowing same-sex couples to marry on its premises, even though same-sex relationships have no legal recognition in the country.
Tokyo Disney Resort has said
that same-sex couples were welcome to have ceremonies at the resort, although not in the chapel due to what they described as "Christian teachings."
The only remaining obstacle, however, is money. A ceremony in Cinderella's Castle, with the main Disney characters on the guest list, would cost 7.5 million Yen. That's £60,000. Guess there is a price for everything.
17th May 2012
The United Kingdom has been chosen as the best place in Europe for gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in terms of legal rights, according to a study by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) Europe. In the first study of its kind, the ILGA Europe index rates 49 countries in the continent on more than 40 different categories. However, social and cultural attitudes are not considered in the report.
Meanwhile, Russia and Moldova came at the bottom of the rankings, along with Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Macedonia, Monaco, and surprisingly for some, Lichtenstein.
Les Girls Want a Bigger Slice
Oh La La, Les Girls of the Crazy Horse cabaret, close to the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, have been refusing to perform for two days in protest at what they call starvation wages.
The nude dancers claim they earn less than £400 ($630) a week for two performances nightly up to six days a week. Crazy Horse is renowned for its 'nude chic' - performers have included burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. It is regarded as the 'crème de la crème' of erotic entertainment, and its name and performance style have been taken as far afield as las Vegas, Singapore and the Cannes film Festival. But the girls say that their wages are an insult and are asking for a 155 pay rise.
Dancers at the Crazy Horse are recruited from reputable ballet and classical dance schools around the world. Once employed, they have to submit to being weighed twice a week to ensure they have not put any unwanted pounds. If their weights exceeds a certain limit they are fined and, in extreme cases, can be sacked. Under no circumstances are they allowed to fraternise with customers or leave the club with them.
So for the time being "Les Girls" are keeping their clothes on until the management cough up another 15%.
Statins and Caffine Get It On
If you fall into the 50 + group as some of us do then according to research released this week we should all be taking Statins and drinking loads of coffee. Too much caffeine used to be considered a bad thing. Now researchers say drinking coffee could extend your life.
They found following a study of 400,000 aged between 50 and 71, the more coffee you drink, the less likely you are to die from a number of different ailments.
These include heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries, accidents, diabetes and infections, but not cancer.
Another major study , stowed that statins – usually only given to high-risk patients – provided clear benefits among healthy ones too. Researchers reviewed findings from 27 trials involving 175,000 people, some of whom were at low risk of heart problems.
They found that the positives greatly exceeded any side-effects from taking the drugs, such as muscle weakness, diabetes and depression. More than eight million adults are already taking statins, with some experts predicting that one in four will soon be taking the drugs for life.
The Lady In Red
Prince Philip is up to his old tricks again. At the age of 90 he still has an eye for the ladies.
He was escorting the Queen during a royal visit to Bromley when he spotted 25-year-old council worker Hannah Jackson wearing a bright red zip dress.
He said: "I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress!"
14th May 2012
Mr Punch is 350 Years Old
He's violent, rude and certainly not politically correct. But Mr Punch is celebrating 350 years as a mainstay of British entertainment. It is 350 years since he was first recorded in Samuel Pepys Diary. Pepys described what he saw 350 years ago outside St Paul's Church in Covent Garden as 'an Italian puppet play that is within the rayles there, which is very pretty, the best that I ever saw.'
Then he was known as Pulcinella, which later became Punchinello, and finally Mr Punch, and is still recognisably the same anarchic character today.
Yesterday his 350 birthday was celebrated with a international gathering in Covent Garden of Punch and Judy performers, or Professors as they are known. He also received a birthday cake that was filled with 350 sausages. "That's the way to do it".
Glyn Edwards, 68, a veteran Professor who has been around long enough to have been a performer at the 300th anniversary, is the organiser of The Big Grin.
Mr Edwards described how down the years the wife-beating, child-killing clown has somewhat mellowed in character. "The main thing we do not do a lot is the classic hanging scene,' he said. 'As a child I thought that was hysterically funny.
'Victorian audiences did not have any qualms about hanging the hangman or whopping the black man. On the other hand, Victorian religious sensibility meant that they thought it was not appropriate to show the Devil in a puppet show.'
Brighton Festival Children's Parade
Brighton Festival kicked off last week. Started in 1968 Brighton Festival, now the largest arts festival in England, is one of the major milestones in the international cultural calendar. It has a long tradition for attracting the most exciting performers from across the globe, as well as promoting local artists, and bringing fresh, challenging new work to Brighton.
"The aim of the Brighton Festival is to stimulate townsfolk and visitors into taking a new look at the arts and to give them the opportunity to assess developments in the field of culture where the serious and the apparently flippant ride side by side."
The festival was kick started by the Children's Parade, led by Vanessa Redgrave this year's Guest Director who Tennesse Williams once said 'The greatest living actress of our times'
12th May 2012
Goodbye and God Bless
Larry Harvey who passed away this week.
At last President Obama has moved with the flow of histor. He now joins our Prime Minister, David Cameron, in backing same-sex marriage. Hopefully President Obama's support will have a huge positive impact. It will boost the worldwide campaign for marriage equality. Endorsing marriage equality was a brave move by Obama, given the upcoming presidential elections and the fierce, powerful opposition he will now face from republicans and religious conservatives. Ending the ban on gay marriage is likely to be one of the defining issues of the 2012 White House race.
More than half of Americans have said that they approve of President Obama's support for equal marriage, though 60% of the respondents also said that this announcement would have no bearing on their voting decisions, according to a Gallup/USA Today poll released this evening.
Heroes and Gay Marriage
A new independent short film produced to support the Coalition for Equal Marriage has been released to encourage support for the Government's plans to lift the ban on civil marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.
A film by a gay man whose partner died before they could legally marry and his plea for marriage equality on the anniversary of the accident which took his life has been viewed half a million times in three days.
Shane Crone's unflinching film highlights the lack of rights for gay couples barred from legally-recognised unions and the superiority of family rights to the deceased's estate when tragedy strikes.
Go to work on an Egg
and keep mid-morning hunger pangs at bay.
A study found that when people had scrambled eggs for breakfast they were less hungry at lunchtime than when they started the day with cereal.
With previous studies also crediting the humble egg with being able to make us feel fuller for longer than other foods, the US researchers have described it as 'nature's appetite suppressant'.
The first of May has always been a day of celebration, here in the UK we always celebrate May Day on the first Monday in May which is a Bank (Public) Holiday. It is the start of summer in these latitudes and as such has always been a day for celebration: the Celts celebrated May Day as Beltane; The Romans dedicated the day to the Goddess Flora and would go to the woods to cut a tree and decorate it with ribbons and flowers, this is the origin of the May Pole. In the 16th and 17th centuries in England people would make garlands of flowers and leaves for the May Day celebration.
Jack in the Green
By the late 18th century this became a matter for competition, milkmaids in London carried garlands on their heads with silver objects on them, but the crown had to go to the chimney sweeps. Their garland was so big it covered the entire man. It became known as Jack in the Green.
Here in Sussex in nearby Hastings, there were at least two groups who paraded a Jack in the Green until about 1889. By the turn of the century the custom was seen no more. The reasons were twofold: the Act which stopped boys climbing chimneys had been passed and these had been the main performers; secondly the Victorians had a different attitude to such customs, the prettification of customs took place, no more the giant maypoles with drunken and promiscuous behaviour, replaced by small poles imported from Germany with happy skipping children around them. The Lord and Lady of the May with their practical joking were replaced by a pretty May Queen. Certainly there was no place for the drunken noisy Jack in the Green.
However the custom was revived in Hastings by Mad Jacks Morris Dancers in 1983. And over the years it has grown into the festival it is today.
It is the beginning of May and l cannot believe that l had to wear hat and gloves for my walk this morning, it felt more like March than May.
The moon is set to get a lot bigger tonight - at least from our perspective on Earth. The 'Supermoon' - the nickname for a perigee full moon, closer to the Earth than usual - could cause tides to rise around the world as the moon's close 'fly past' exerts 42 per cent more tidal force. The moon will appear bigger and brighter - sky-watchers promise this 'supermoon' will be 16 per cent brighter than most when it begins today at 3.35pm GMT.
I like this GAP advert that appeared on a building in L.A.. As
part of the company's new "Be Bright" campaign.
Peppa pig will meet the Queen! The Monarch will join cast of cult children's cartoon for special Jubilee episode. She has been immortalised in everything from paint to plasticine and bronze. Now the Queen is set to make a guest appearance as a cartoon character in the phenomenally successful children's show Peppa Pig. The show - to be screened on television next month - is designed to get young viewers involved in Diamond Jubilee activities and Buckingham Palace say they are 'aware' of the programme.
In case you have forgotten about the Hankie Code here is a little reminder.
This Saturday night it will be 2,012 hours until the Olympics start, as part of the preparation this Olympic stadium will be tested this weekend. More than 175,000 people are expected to pass through various Olympic venues over the next four days, giving organisers the chance to ensure that all will be well at the big event. Then on Saturday night an entertainment event will take place in the Stadium to further test the systems. The performance, which will mark is crucial to the stadium being granted a safety licence for its 80,000 Games-time capacity.
They will be testing all the operational areas for ticketing, entry and exits, the kiosks that we have opened up for the first time for food and drink, the toilets, the merchandising.
Hologram Magic
The first ever holographic portrait of the Queen has been given to the National Portrait Gallery by the Island of Jersey as a demonstration of its loyalty to the Crown.
The portrait was commissioned in 2004 from artist Chris Levine and holographer Rob Munday by the Jersey Heritage Trust to celebrate the island's 800-year relationship with the monarchy.
The work now donated to the gallery is a new, more technically refined version of the original, called Equanimity.
High Flying Over The Thames
High above the Thames, London's first cable car has its maiden flight. Three gondolas were suspended in mid-air this week — the first test of the city's newest river crossing.
The cars did not appear to be carrying any passengers, though they could transport athletes at the Olympics if they are completed in time and will eventually carry up to 10 people per trip.
Well this really takes the biscuit.
A care worker at an old people's home has been sacked for feeding a patient a dog biscuit, it emerged this week. The male patient, who is in his 80s and has dementia, was given the biscuit by a worker during a therapy session involving a dog, the healthcare organisation said.
Love Conquers All
A gay couple who claim an IVF blunder led them to have babies from different racial backgrounds said today that they loved their children regardless. The pair were said to have been left "devastated" after the alleged mix-up at the London Women's Clinic in Harley Street. It is believed that sperm from the wrong donor was used, resulting in their second child being a different race from the other one. In a statement, they said: "We love our children very much, and whilst the current situation may have implications for us, that in no way detracts from our love of our children and contentment with them in our lives, whatever their race.'
30th April 2012
What a strange climate we live in. In the south of England we have a hosepipe ban in place because of our shortage or water. At the same time today Britain is on flood alert as more heavy rain is forecast. Parts of Britain are braced for flooding as further heavy rain wreaks havoc across the country with 33 flood warnings and 158 flood alerts in place.
Knob Throwing
Have you ever thrown a knob. Well if you head down to Dorset this weekend you can enter the annual Dorset Knob Throwing contest. You might well ask what is a Dorset Knob ? Is it any different from any other know.
A Dorset Knob is a hard dry savoury biscuit made from bread dough which contains extra sugar and butter. They are rolled and shaped by hand. They are baked three times. Once cooked, they are very crumbly and rather like very dry stale bread or rusks in consistency.
Besides Knob Throwing there will be additional fun knob attractions including Knob Eating, Knob Painting, a Knob & Spoon Race, Guess the weight of the Big Knob, Knob Darts and a Knob Pyramid.
Another Knob
Skip across the other side of the World for another type of knob. In china you can visit the Guo-li-zhuang restaurant, a specialist penis and testicle emporium that caters mainly to wealthy businessmen and Communist party officials. The average meal here costs an average of two months' wages for a Chinese dumpling-factory worker, and up to £250 for the rarer penises.
Yet Another Knob
Another knob problem occurred in California. A California man says the seat on his motorcycle has given him an erection he just can't shake.
Henry Wolf of California is suing BMW America and aftermarket seatmaker Corbin-Pacific claiming his issue began after a four-hour ride on his 1993 BMW motorcycle, with a ridge like seat. Wolf is seeking compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, emotional distress and what he calls "general damage." He said he's had the erection non-stop for 20 months. - Cause for complaint !
28th April 2012
Having travelled hope from Key West this week we arrived at Heathrow Immigration control to find that the boot was on the other foot. We sailed through in less than five minutes, but the queues for non EU Citizens was horrendous. The situation at Heathrow seems to get worse and this is before all the visitors for the Olympics start to arrive.
Yesterday according to Heathrow's own official figures, non EU passengers arriving at Terminal 5 had to wait 70 minutes to complete immigration formalities similar to the time we spent at Miami immigration entering the United States. While those in other terminals spent nearly an hour before reaching border control. Extra resources will have to be deployed with the airport expected to handle around 138,000 arrivals on July 26, which is predicted to be the busiest day of the Games, compared with 95,000 which is the normally daily average.
Taste of Key West
The night before we left Key West was "Taste of Key West", once again this proved a great fund raiser for Aids Help, not sure how much was raised, but it is normally one of the biggest fund raisers of the year for the charity. It might be my imagination but it seemed that some of the bigger well known restaurants were missing this year.
Island house doing a great job with their famous Crab Cakes.
Can you believe that it is a year ago tomorrow since the royal wedding, yes The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Sunday. Wow where has that year gone to.
Cutty Sark
Cutty Sark Fire 2007
The Restored Cutty Sark
In 2007 a devastating fire swept through the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. The famous 19th-century tea clipper was gutted by a blaze in the early stages of restoration, now five years on and £50 million restoration the ship was officially opened to the public again this week by the Queen. This year Greenwich has been made a royal borough to mark the Queen's Jubilee.
Greenwich is one of six host boroughs for the 2012 London Olympics with events due to be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks (Shooting), Greenwich Park (Equestrianism) and The O2-former Millennium Dome (Gymnastics; Basketball).
Eco Friendly - beh
Sometime trying to be eco-friendly just does not work and the idea just turns around and bites you , or in this case causes a flurry, of moths that is. Prince Charles endorsed the idea of lagging house roofs with wool a few years back. It seemed like a good idea at the time, not least because it was seen as a way of using scraps of wool which might otherwise be wasted.
The National Trust adopted this scheme in many of its properties but is now starting to regret it. Huge sums are being spent stripping out the wool and fumigating the houses. "Wool causes environmental problems," says Bob Child, an adviser to the National Trust. "At first it was thought to be eco-friendly. It is a natural product combined with a benign insecticide. However, it was found that the wool gradually compresses and collects moisture and becomes an ideal habitat for textile moths. The only answer is to remove it and replace it with fibreglass." Oh Well some you win some you don't.
One Year On
Can you believe that it is a year ago tomorrow since the royal wedding, yes The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Sunday. Wow where has that year gone to.
21st April 2012
Happy Birthday Your Majesty
86 Years Old Today
From absolutely fabulous two days ago we have gone to thunder storms, according to two friends it was the worst day fro about three months.
We ventured out in the rain about 1.00 to see if the drag races were being run, but apart from the closed road nothing seemed to be happening, however we did run into someone later that said the drag races had gone ahead, so l guess they had a late and wet start. It would appear that Qmitch bagged the trophy.
Our evening walk took us past Mallory Sqaure, but there were very few vendors about and just a few performers and not a lot of visitors and of course no sunset at all.
I said earlier this week that you always see something new whilst walking around KW, well this evening it was a statue by Seward Johnson near a vetinary surgery behind Centenial Bank on Simonton.
Another piece of sculpture was a crutch holding up a palm tree on United Street.
Back home a
group of leading clergymen of the Anglican Church have, in a letter to the Times, said that equal marriage is a cause to celebrate, and that the Church of England has "nothing to fear" on account of extending marriage to same-sex couples.
In the letter, several prominent figures, including five former bishops, have written that recent statements by "church leaders past and present" may give people the wrong impression that the Church as a whole is against equal marriage.
Oh dear, a newscast on a local televisionin Canada was interrupted yesterday by three minutes of hardcore gay pornography, which has drawn equal amounts of humour and outrage across social networks. The station is blaming the cable company,saying " it was a problem at one of the cable companies that was beyond our control."
You are never far from a Cock in Key West
20th April 2012
For those of you not lucky enough to be in Key West at the moment, l just have to tell you that the weather is absolutely fabulous. Wall to wall sunshine, in fact almost too hot at midday to sit our side.
Another great delight of being is Key West at this time of year is all the trees in flower, one of my favourite is Frangipani I flow the scene of this beautiful flower in the evenings.
Welcome to Town Mike and Chris
It was good to see Mike and Chris arrive in town last night for a few days. Mike informs me that when he returns home next week he will be dragging up for charity. As you may remember Mike makes rather a pretty women.
The navy ship left Key West yesterday and l can truthfully say l did not bump into one sailor during their stay. I don't know where they were hiding.
Clouds over London
We received reports that hundreds of green and pink clouds were spotted over London yesterday. The clouds, made of 100 per cent environmentally friendly foam, soap bubbles and helium, can float as high as 20,000 feet and can travel up to 20 miles before they break up.
The clouds were formed to celebrate the launch of WiFi hotspots from The Cloud, giving Sky Broadband Unlimited customers free and unlimited access to WiFi in popular places such as The London Eye.
A giant image of the Queen made up of thousands of self-portraits made by children was projected on to Buckingham Palace last night
For the 200,000 children who sent in self-portraits for this Diamond Jubilee project, it certainly beats getting their picture stuck up on the wall at school.
London Olympic Stadium Ready to Roll
With less than 100 days to go until the start of the Olympics 2012 London looks all set to go.
Everything is all go in London at the moment. Before the Olympics we of course have the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. I hope the Queen does not believe in superstition, it was probably just as well that she did not witness the launch of her Royal Rowbarge on the River Thames yesterday. Darkening skies, thunder and a hailstorm just as the £1 million Gloriana was lowered on to the water are not the best portents for a maiden voyage.
The Gloriana is Launched
The Gloriana will lead the Jubilee river pageant. Although the Queen will not ride in her, she and other members of the Royal family will follow on a converted tourist boat, the Spirit of Chartwell, which is being decked out as the Royal Barge for the occasion with a golden canopy, floral displays and ornate gilded mouldings.
17th April 2012
No matter how many time you walk around Key West you always find something different that you have not seen before, this morning we spotted the "Local's Entrance" to Cuban coffee.
We also spotted two great memorial plaques at the cemetery.
400 Randy Sailors
If you have been down to the Truman Waterfront in the last couple of days you will have spotted a navy ship tied up on the outer mole. Rumour has it that 400 Randy sailors have shore leave. However have not seen them on our travels around the island.
You have got to Lie on your American Tax Form if you are Gay and Married
Demonstrations will take place around the US today to highlight the fact that gay married couples must list themselves as 'single' on federal tax returns. Although several states allow gay couples to marry, the United States does not recognise gay marriages at a federal level and so prevents couples from tax benefits straight couples receive.
Thom Watson of Marriage Equality USA said: "It's that crazy time of year again when the IRS requires you to affirm under penalty of law that you have been completely truthful on your tax forms, while simultaneously the Defense of Marriage Act actually mandates that some US couples lie on their tax forms.
"The federal government requires us to check off the 'Single' box on our 1040s, and to file as single, even when we're not. Our government forces us to lie, and charges us more for the privilege."
Facewatch - Scotland Yard
Londoners are being asked to turn detective and help identify thousands of criminals at the click of a button. Scotland Yard is launching a free "wanted" app called Facewatch ID, which will allow people to see CCTV images of suspects in their area by inputting their postcode on their smartphone or iPad. Anyone recognising a suspect can press the face and type in a name or an address on the screen.
Only those wanted for minor crimes such as shoplifting or anti-social behaviour are featured — though police hope this will change
There Once was an Ugly "Parrot".
He has a face that only a mother could love. But sadly for poor Nelson, his didn't. The parrot chick, who must surely be a contender for the ugliest bird in the world, was rejected by his parents after he hatched. He is being looked after by keepers at the German Zoo where he was born and will undoubtedly grow into a very fine bird indeed.
Square Sunset Key West
14th April 2012
This weekend Thousands of people will attend Titanic commemoration events in Northern Ireland on the centenary of the liner's sinking.
The vessel struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank on its maiden voyage on April 15 1912, with the loss of around 1,500 lives. It was built in Belfast's Harland and Wolff shipyard.
A Titanic memorial cruise onboard the MS Balmoral set off from England this week and now nears the titanic wreck site. After days at sea, the memorial service that will be held there is finally nearing. Many of the passengers booked this unusual cruise years ago and they have been waiting for this moment ever since.
Brighton Pride
Back home in Sunny Sussex, a public vote has decided the theme of Brighton Pride 2012 as The United Colours of Pride. For the first time in its history the theme for Pride in Brighton and Hove, to be held on September 1 this year, was by its local community.
Adverts which suggested gay people could be cured have been banned from London buses, transport chiefs said. The campaign was due to run for two weeks on the side of vehicles serving five routes in the capital, including top tourist destinations such as St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
Bus Anti-Gay Advert
The posters, by Christian group Core Issues Trust, stated: "Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!" and were believed to mock pro-gay group Stonewall's recent campaign which featured adverts saying: "Some people are gay. Get over it." But following a huge public outcry which labelled the Core Issues' campaign homophobic, London mayor Boris Johnson, who chairs Transport for London (TfL), last night ordered the adverts to be pulled.
The Grand National
The biggest event of the horse racing steeple chase calendar took place today with the closest finish ever recorder. However that even was overshadowed by the death of two horses. Once again opening up the discussion about whether this event should take place at all.
13th April 2012
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRUELLA
12th April 2012
Visitors Ariival
Heathrow airport is expecting 70 millions passenger to arrive during this year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics 2012. This is the highest number ever expected.
However fears have arisen that passport control will be a real bottle neck in getting visitors into our country.
Having just flown across the Atlantic to Miami and experiencing one of the worst arrival procedure with American immigration l totally agree that we must pull out all stops to get visitors to our country through the immigration channels as quickly as possible.
Having arrived in Miami and spending 1 ½ hours waiting to be inspected by immigration officers, this then meant that we hit the road out of Miami to Key West around 5.00pm, not the best time in the world to be leaving the Miami area.
However arrival in Key West what ever time of day or night is always a treat and feels like coming home. For us Brits it is always great to strip off our long trousers and get into shorts and sandals at this time of year, leaving the cooler weather behind for a couple of weeks.
The Red Barn a Sell Out
This afternoon we popped along to the Box office at the Red Barn Theatre to get tickets for their production of Match staring Tom Luna. Only to be told that the next three final nights of the show are totally sold out. Still a few for Saturday matinee if you want to get along before the show finishes on Saturday night.
Don't Have Gay Sex in Dubai
Two men, from Britain and the Seychelles, have been sentenced for three years in jail for having drunken gay sex in public in Dubai. The pair were said to have been drunk after a birthday celebration for one of them after which they stopped by a tree next to the petrol station for sex. A man parked behind the petrol station witnessed the two men and reported them to police.
Homosexuality is illegal in the Emirate of Dubai, Article 177 of the Penal Code imposes imprisonment of up to 10 years for consensual gay sex. In a much publicised case a British straight couple in 2008 were sentenced for three months in a Dubai prison and a fine for similar offences and were released and deported after an international outcry.
7th April 2012
Easter
Easter is here and one local Sussex Vicar is saying this is the perfect time for staying in bed, eating chocolate and having sex. The vicar gave the alternative suggestion for a way to celebrate the resurrection of Christ after admitting that church just isn't 'cool and funky'.
Father Ritchie said: 'The problem with the church is that we stay inside our building and occasionally come out and say "Why don't you come to our church, it's cool and funky".
'To be honest, it's not. 'For Christians this is the most important day of the year. All life and all hope flows from it.
All Saints Church Hove - A draughty Victorian Building
'But there are plenty of ways to celebrate without coming to a draughty Victorian building .So why not stay at home, have a lie in, have sex and eat some chocolate.'
Bells rang from Roman Catholic churches throughout Havana on Friday to remember the death of Jesus Christ as Cubans celebrated a holiday on Good Friday for the first time in more than half a century. The day off, granted at the request of Pope Benedict on his recent visit to the communist island, translated into quieter streets than usual, but only sparse attendance at a Mass in the city's main cathedral.
As with all religious festival, the true meaning often gets caught up in commercialisation. This year "Brits are set to spend a massive £520 million ($988 million) on Easter eggs this year - but many young people don't even know what Easter's all about,"
Decorated Easter eggs predate Easter, and both eggs and rabbits are age-old fertility symbols. The Passover Seder service uses a hard-cooked egg flavoured with salt water as a symbol both of new life at the Temple service in Jerusalem. The Jewish tradition may have come from earlier Roman Spring feasts. The ancient Persians also painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration falling on the Spring Equinox.
Old Tosspot - Bold Slasher - Jolly Boys
In the north of England, my childhood home, we would decorate Pace Eggs, traditionally these eggs were boiled in onion skins to obtain a mottled effect. Pace Eggs were part of the Easter Sunday breakfast, but if they weren't eaten they might be used as household ornaments, in various egg-games, or given to bands of performers known as Pace Eggers, who were once a common sight in northern English villages.
In previous centuries, Pace Eggers were groups of locals who toured the villages at Easter enacting The Pace Egging Play. This was a drama that usually involved a character representing St. George, a battle, and an interesting individual known as Old Tosspot. It invariably detailed someone's unfortunate death (in some versions it's St. George, in others it's a Turkish Knight called Bold Slasher) and his subsequent revival by a comic doctor.
The Pace Eggers (alternatively known as Jolly Boys) were variously disguised. Old Tosspot would blacken his face with soot and some players wore masks. All had decorated costumes.
Old Tosspot's job was to collect gifts from the crowd. He carried a woven basket over one arm, and had a long straw tail that was full of sharp pins. He would swing this about, and anyone who tried to grab it would be painfully pricked by the pins. Old Tosspot would encourage the wounded (and any other onlookers) to toss gifts into his basket. Pace Eggs, coins, food, Old Tosspot didn't much care.
Pace Eggs
When the basket was full enough, the Pace Eggers would begin their Easter Play.
5th April 2012
Maundy Thursday
The Queen today handed out the traditional Royal Maundy money to pensioners from all over Britain to mark her Diamond Jubilee.
She was joined by Prince Philip and Princess Beatrice. The service today was at York Minster and, to celebrate her 60 years as Monarch, the Queen will hand over cash to people from 44 dioceses. Usually, the Maundy money is given to retired pensioners from one diocese each year.
Specially Minted Maundy Money
In England, the custom of washing feet by the Monarch was carried out until 1689. Up until then the King or Queen would wash the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday in Westminster Abbey. The Queen has given out "Maundy money" most years of her reign. The tradition of the monarch handing out money to subjects dates to the 13th century with the first recorded ceremony held by King John in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, in 1210. "Maundy" comes from the word "mandatum", Christ's commandment to love one another.
Alan Carr Chases Prince Harry
Comedian Alan Carr has sent royalty running from his romantic advances - Alan gave Prince Harry a dirty dance during a raucous night on the town. The Chatty Man hit the dance floor to bump and grind in front of the party-loving Prince, causing him to leap back in shock.
Harry was enjoying an evening out with David Beckham at London's swanky The Arts Club in posh Mayfair when Alan burst through the doors with fashion-forward pal Gok Wan and singer Katherine Jenkins. Laugh-a-minute Alan spotted regal reveller Harry and made a beeline for the Prince after David invited his showbiz pals over to his table.
Alan told The Sun Newspaper: "I was hammered. My boyfriend Paul said I was doing it proper - hand on the floor and everything. Harry said to me, 'Where are your glasses?' Paul went, 'Leave my boyfriend alone' and Harry went, 'I'm not gay!'
"What a lovely bloke. That's what for me being a celebrity should be like. The next day I woke up and I was like the Cheshire Cat. I didn't give David a dance - I was on with royalty!"
David Beckham
Talking about David Beckham, his body has been in the news again this week. Women (and Lots of men) of Britain rejoice - pictures of David Beckham in his pants will continue to be published after advertising chiefs rejected complaints about the saucy snaps.
Unbelievably, the images of the footballer in his underwear promoting his H&M range received a number of complaints, with some calling the adverts "irresponsible" and "unsuitable for children". Ahhh Ummm.
The Youngest Mother
How young is too young ? A 10-year-old Colombian girl has sparked outrage after becoming one of the world's youngest ever mothers by giving birth to a healthy daughter. The girl, a member of the northern indigenous Wayuu tribe in the La Guajira Peninsula.
Although Colombian police could prosecute the father for underage sex, the country's constitution guarantees the Wayuu a certain amount of autonomy.
2nd April 2012
Fiddle Sticks
It is very important to label your memory sticks, otherwise you could land in deep water as this priest did in Northern Ireland recently. The Catholic priest is under investigation after accidentally displaying a series of gay porn images to parents at a primary school meeting.
He inserted a memory stick into a computer linked up to the school projector system but rather than Eucharistic guidance for children, they witnessed graphic images of men.
He gave no explanation or apology to the group and bolted out of the room. The co-ordinator and the teachers then continued with the presentation. Twenty minutes later he returned, he continued with the meeting and wrapped up by saying that the children get lots of money for their Holy Communion and should consider giving some of it to the church.
Father Martin McVeigh said he had no knowledge of the gay pictures that were displayed instead of the Powerpoint instructions on Holy Communion he had been intending to project. The Pope was having more fun I guess on his visit to Cuba
Titanic Last Supper
A menu of the last meal served to first-class passengers on board the Titanic has sold for £76,000. It was among hundreds of items from the ship auctioned ahead of the 100th anniversary of its sinking in the Atlantic Ocean.
The menu was dated 14 April 1912, the day the liner hit an iceberg and sank, killing 1,522 people.
Get your Kit Off
If you are thinking of visiting Kate and William at their home on Anglesey don't bother to pack your swimming costume. Newborough Beach, is just three miles from William and Kate's Welsh farmhouse and has been popular with nudists for years. British Naturism is now seeking official clothes-free status for the beach. The beach has its own entry on the UK Naturists website, which advises that interference from clothes-wearing beach users – or 'textiles' is minimal: "The beach has breathtaking landscape and superb views of Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsular. It does warn however "If you see the warden coming along the beach in his 4x4 cover up, he is known to get just a tad irate!"
An eagle, a fox and a cat. Share a moment.
31st March 2012
Harry Potter Experience
The secrets behind the Harry Potter film spring to life today. Right next door to Leavesden studio, where the pics were shot the Harry Potter Experience open's its doors. The head of Leavesden Studio said this week that "To have the studio tour based where the Potter films were made, with the real original props and sets, is a completely unique set of circumstances,"
adding that the tour isn't so much a theme park, as an exhibit paying homage to the crafts-people who built the franchise. Its purpose is not to create illusions but to strip them away and reveal the skill behind them. In fact the closest thing to a ride is the chance to be filmed on a broomstick in front of a greenscreen. Laser wands can be used to animate the Weasley kitchen, but there are few hands-on exhibits. The emphasis is on looking and admiring, rather than participating.
The closest thing to a ride is the chance to be filmed on a broomstick in front of a greenscreen. Laser wands can be used to animate the Weasley kitchen, but there are few hands-on exhibits. The emphasis is on looking and admiring, rather than participating.
Sorry Officer I Need a Wee
Police set up a roadblock when a bus was caught heading the wrong way down a one-way street — because the driver desperately needed the lavatory. Not just any old street, but Lower Regent Street right in the centre of London. Bus driver makes loo-turn down one-way street.
Police set up a roadblock when a bus was caught heading the wrong way down a one-way street — because the driver desperately needed the lavatory. Officers were flabbergasted when they spotted the woman steering the double-decker into the face of traffic along Lower Regent Street at 9.20pm yesterday.
After parking a police van sideways in front of the bus, Sergeant Izzy Harrison said she had not seen anything like it in her 25-year career. "My first thought was 'oh my God, someone's stolen the bus'. "But when we stopped it, the driver jumped off and said 'sorry I need the loo she said she desperately needed to find a toilet and got confused."
The Queen Mum
The royal family was out in force yesterday for a memorial service marking the 10th anniversary of the death of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. The Queen Mother died in her sleep 10 years ago aged 101, while Margaret died the previous month, aged 71.
California - Are You Gay ?
Students at the University of California and California State University campuses may be asked to volunteer information when applying or enrolling next year on whether they are LGBT. This partially arises from an obscure state law aimed at discerning whether students at said institutions are getting enough services, including counselling. But, according to The Los Angeles Times, there are concerns about privacy.
Since 2006, the University of California (UC) has asked about students' sexual orientation in an annual informal poll about campus life – but without using student names.
The shift comes in response to a law signed by Governor Jerry Brown last autumn which called for educational institutions to adopt policies discouraging bullying of LGBT students. - Really !!!!
And Now Alaska
Proposition 5 in Alaska is causing a bit of a stir. Here are two TV advertisements that are offensive anti-LGBT airing in Alaska right now to oppose Prop 5
Proposition 5 in Alaska is causing a bit of a stir. Here are two TV advertisements that are offensive anti-LGBT airing in Alaska right now to oppose Prop 5
29th March 2012
Gay Turks
Military service is mandatory for all Turkish men - they can only escape it if they are ill, disabled or homosexual. But how do you prove that you are homosexual, that could be the problem.
One young recruit, Ahmet, a young man in his 20s, told officials he was gay at the first opportunity after he was called up, as he and other conscripts underwent a health check. "They asked me if I liked football, whether I wore woman's clothes or used woman's perfume," he says. ''I had a few days' beard and I am a masculine guy - they told me I didn't look like a normal gay man.'' He was then asked to provide a picture of himself dressed as a woman. ''I refused this request,'' he says. ''But I made them another offer, which they accepted.'' Instead he gave them a photograph of himself kissing another man.
Ahmet hopes this will give him what he needs - a "pink certificate", which will declare him homosexual and therefore exempt from military service.
Could it be that Turks like a bit of oil wrestling and like to get their hands inside the leather pants worn for the sport.
Quakers Focus on Queen
The Religious Society of Friends in Britain, generally known as the Quakers, have called on Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to support the inclusion of same-sex couples in the definition of marriage in their address to the monarch on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee. The Quakers were among the Privileged Bodies who were invited to address Her Majesty, and the ceremony took place at the Buckingham Palace earlier this week.
A man who was given a face transplant after living for 15 years as a recluse is recovering well, US doctors say. Richard Lee Norris is beginning to feel his face and is already brushing his teeth and shaving, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Face to Face
Last week he was given what physicians say is the most extensive face transplant ever carried out, including new teeth, nose, tongue and jaw. He has also regained his sense of smell, his doctors say. The 37-year-old cut himself off from the rest of the world and wore a mask whenever he went outside after suffering horrific injuries in a gun accident.
Baby Takes a Walk
Baby the Elephant went walk about in Ireland after she escaped from a circus. /she was later recaptured in Cork but not before she went to inspect the city centre.
26th March 2012
This weekend we had a trip over the border to our neighbouring county of Kent. Because of its abundance of orchards and hop gardens, Kent is widely known as "The Garden of England". We visited the delightful town of Sandwich, the town still has many original medieval buildings, including several listed public houses and gates in the old town walls,. While once a major port, it is now two miles from the sea.
In 1759 Tom Paine moved away to London and moved to Sandwich and opened a shop as a staymaker (a corsetmaker) at 20 New Street, now called ''Tom Paine's Cottage'', the wall over the door bears a plaque to that effect. He married a local girl, Mary Lambert in St. Peter's Church. She was a companion-maid to Mrs. Richard Solley, a woollen draper of the town. Her father was an excise man and Tom later entered that profession holding several posts and writing his first pamphlet ''The Case of the Officers of Excise''. Only one year after his marriage Mary died and after a short time Tom moved away to settle in Lewes, here in Sunny Sussex.
Tom Paine's Cottage - Sandwich
Benjamin Franklin, was in London at that time and he recognised Tom's talents prompting him to set sail for the new World in 1774 armed with a letter of introduction. There he became editor of the new Pennsylvania Magazine and in 1776 he wrote his famous pamphlet ''Common Sense'' followed by a series called ''American Crisis''.
In a later pamphlet he coined the phrase ''United States of America and many of his ideas fostered the American people's desires for complete freedom of government and were incorporated in the ''Declaration of Independence''. His work was rewarded by a large area of land to farm in ''New Rochelle'' in New York State.
Ahoy Oysters Ahead
Whitstable Harbour
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside
A few miles north of Sandwich is Whitstable. Whitstable is famous for its oysters, which have been collected in the area since at least Roman times. The town itself dates back to before the writing of the Domesday Book. Whitstable's distinctive character is popular with tourists, and its maritime heritage is celebrated with the annual oyster festival.
Oh La La - French Kissing
A video clip of two French international footballers apparently kissing in front of a packed stadium has gone viral and entranced the French media. After scoring a goal in a friendly match against Germany, Olivier Giroud appeared to grab his teammate Mathieu Debuchy's face and kiss him on the lips.
What seems to be nothing more than a celebratory moment of heterosexual bonding so fascinated the French populace that the clip has been played repeatedly on French national television – in slow-motion and from a variety of angles. Giroud told the press: "We simply brushed cheeks. I was just thanking him. I am an affectionate person – there is nothing more to it."
Let Me In Please
24th March 2012
Summer Hits the UK
Spring began a couple of days ago, but today it feels like we have skipped a season and jumped straight into summer. Parts of the UK are basking with temperatures 10C higher than the seasonal average with some people taking to the beach.
In Bournemouth a giant deckchair has been put up to kick-start the tourist season.
A Cracking Event
Earlier this month l told you about the Great British Egg Hunt. Well the event has now drawn to close and the most exclusive designs were auctioned off for Charity this week raising a total of £667,000. ($ 1m plus). The sale, conducted by Henry Wyndham's of Sotheby's at the Royal Courts of Justice last night, saw an egg by London chocolatier William Curley go for £7,000 and set a record as the world's most expensive non-jewelled chocolate egg.
Humpty Dumpty, signed by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, and made by students at the Prince's Drawing School, fetched £51,000 after spending the evening on a mock wall.
Ashes to Ashes - Dust to Dust
You can never be sure who's ashes you are really scattering, as a man recently found out to his shock and disgust at deliberately being given sweepings from a crematorium floor and told they were his mother's ashes. John Bowers, buried an urn in the family plot four years ago believing it contained his mother Doreen's remains. Just recently he discovered that his estranged sister had been given their mother's ashes and he had been given sweepings off the crematorium floor.
Queen Gatecrashes Wedding
Often old Queens drop bye and surprise us. But The Queen went once step further yesterday, when she gatecrashed a wedding at Manchester town hall.
John and Frances Canning were stunned when Her Majesty arrived to congratulate them in person moments after they tied the knot. The Queen and Prince Philip even took the time to pose for photographs alongside the happy couple. John and Frances got hitched at Manchester Town Hall at the same time as the Queen was having lunch with 200 local volunteers in an adjacent room.
Hairdresser Frances, 44, of nearby Prestwich, said after her royal encounter: "It was surreal, I couldn't believe it.
"The Queen spoke to us by our first names. She said I looked lovely and she wanted to wish us all the best for the future. It was very special — it was so lovely that she took the trouble to speak to us."
Mind The Gap
HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust has partnered with GaydarRadio to create a series of spoof public transport announcements, encouraging gay and bisexual men in London to 'mind the gap' between their HIV tests
22nd March 2012
A £12 million revamp of Kensington Palace — home of Princess Diana and the future residence of William and Kate — was unveiled this week, with the aim of introducing visitors to a different members of the Royal Family from the past. Included in the transformation of the state apartments is a permanent display dedicated to Queen Victoria, who was born in the palace and first opened it to the public. Her childhood dolls house, wedding dress and black clothes worn in mourning for her beloved Prince Albert are among the treasures on display.
Future exhibitions will tell the stories of King William and Queen Mary, the Hanoverian Court and royals of the 20th and 21st centuries. But Diana is not forgotten. Five beautiful dresses showing the evolution of her fashion sense to a sleeker style are on show until September.
The Queen 's Speech to Parliament
The Queen this week called on everyone in Britain to be a good neighbour to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. In a historic speech to parliament she also hailed the national qualities of "resilience, ingenuity and tolerance" — and paid moving tribute to Prince Philip.
In a ceremony at Westminster Hall, the Queen said: "It is my sincere hope that the Diamond Jubilee will be an opportunity for people to come together in a spirit of neighbourliness and celebration of their own communities."
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow Described the Queen as "the kaleidoscope Queen". He went on to mention kaleidoscope three times in his speech, saying "All of this progress has occurred during your reign, you have become to many of us a kaleidoscope Queen of a kaleidoscope country in a kaleidoscope Commonwealth," Prime Minister David Cameron did not look amused at this comment.
John Bercow is the president of the Kaleidoscope Trust which campaigns for gay rights, people accused him of at worst lecturing the Queen and at best of piggybacking on her big day to gain publicity for the cause.
The World's Biggest Gay Cruise
Two American men have been arrested on the Caribbean island of Dominica for violating indecency and gay sex laws. Police boarded the Celebrity Summit cruise ship docked at Roseau and arrested the men, who are believed to have had sex in such a way that it was visible from the dock. The 16-deck Royal Caribbean ship, the largest passenger ship ever built, had also been chartered by Atlantis Events on a sailing billed as the world's largest gay cruise.
NAILEDNOT SCREWED
A man in Florida, nailed his hand of the roof of a Coconut Grove home with an electric hammer, required the help of Miami Fire Rescue Thursday afternoon, and they were forced to conduct a tricky rescue that involved cutting part of the roof away.
A Different Slant on the Military
19th March 2012
Olympics 2012
7,300 torch-bearers were named this morning and will carry the flame for 70 days and 8,000 miles through the UK in July ahead of the opening of the Olympics on 27 July.
Amongst the runners carrying the torch for the London 2012 Olympic Games, is Diana Gould, who will turn 100 in May. The remarkably active 99-year-old, who lives in a retirement flat in Kenton, London was put forward to carry the Olympic torch by her granddaughter without her knowledge.
Also Among the Olympics torch-bearers named this morning are gay figures from the sporting world.
Two Queens for Britain
Gay marriage law in the UK means 'there could be two Queens' on the throne.
MP Tory Peter Bone claimed the new legislation would throw the monarchy into crisis.
He said it would mean a lesbian Queen having a Queen consort or a gay King having a King consort. Mr Bone has demanded an emergency summit of Commonwealth leaders to discuss the planned changes. He said: "They seem to be rushing this through without thinking of the broader implications."
He wants to know if it is the Government's plan to change the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 to allow a same-sex union. Mr Bone believes this would make it impossible for the monarch to continue as supreme governor of the Church of England. And a gay monarch who conceived a child either by sperm donor or surrogate would raise wider questions, he warns. The donor would have a right to a peerage and could gain regal rights. He said: "I can't believe that the Government has gone headlong into this without it being in the manifesto or discussed by Commonwealth leaders."
Gay and lesbian campaign group Stonewall last night called his letter "mischievous".
Come to Britain Live for Free
It is no wonder that people flock to England to live. When we seem to hand out benefits to everyone that knocks on our doors. This week it transpires that foreign-born jobless and sick can claim benefits in 165 languages. They include Nigerian Pidgin, a variant of English used by just two per cent of Nigeria's population.
The array of lingos emerged as benefits bosses were last night blasted for spending millions hiring translators to help foreigners claim handouts. One translation firm billed the taxpayer for £3.5million in a year. The Department for Work and Pensions used translators 271,695 times in 12 months, figures show. East Europeans used them the most. Poles needed translators 51,240 times and Slovaks 22,592 times.
Tory MP Priti Patel said: "Once again, hard-pressed taxpayers are having to pay for people just so they can claim benefits. "It's also an awful disincentive to people to learn English. The Government should look at this urgently."
17th March 2012
St Patrick's Day
To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, The Duchess of Cambridge has presented shamrocks to 40 members of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at their St Patrick's Day parade in Aldershot.
The tradition goes back to the first regimental St Patrick's Day in 1901. Previously the presentation of the shamrocks was performed by the late Queen Mother. The regiment supplied the pallbearers for her funeral in 2002.
Archbishop Resigns
The Archbishop of Canterbury announced his decision to stand down yesterday – and took a parting shot at the 'dim-witted prejudice' of those who are trying to suppress Christianity. Hinting at the pressures of the job, he said he hoped his successor would have 'the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros'.
His departure comes at a time of continuing rancour inside the Church over the rights of gay clergy and the appointment of women bishops. Outside there is deepening controversy as ministers try to impose same-sex marriage and remove the right of Christians to wear the cross.
A Sure Sign of Spring
Millions of Scottish daffodils are withering in the fields because the mild winter has brought them into bloom at the same time as those in England.
The army of pickers who normally harvest both crops are still working south of the border.
Don't Rely on Your Satnav
Do we really rely so heavily on technology these days. Well it seems like some Japanese do. When three Japanese tourists holidaying in Australia came unstuck after their satnav told them they could drive from the mainland to an island – failing to mention the 15 kilometres of water and mud in between.
As they drove their hired car from Moreton Bay in Queensland to nearby North Stradbroke Island they started to notice the firm gravel surface they were driving on giving way to the renowned bay mangrove mud. However, confident their satnav would direct them to a road soon, they decided to plough on, managing to travel around 500 metres before their Hyundai Getz was up to its axles in mud.
To make matters worse the tide started to come in and soon forced them to seek help and abandon the vehicle. Just four hours later the car was stranded in two metres of water
Maggie Realeases sketches by Regan
Doodles made by Ronald Reagan at the 1981 Ottawa G7 summit, and then kept by Margaret Thatcher, have been released. The doodles, which were left on the table beside Mrs Thatcher and which she then filed in the flat at Number 10, have been released by the Margaret Thatcher Archive Trust.
Penny Opera - Well not Quite
A Sign of the times, Covent Garden Opera House has just announced its new 2012/13 season. Despite the austerity cuts within its own budget, after it lost 15 per cent of its Arts Council grant last year, it is slashing the top-price tickets on popular operas from £210 to £175.
15th March 2012
It has long been possible to visit Parliament in London. Parliament is open to the public through a variety of different programmes and events. Guided tours take visitors into both the Commons and Lords chambers and historic Westminster Hall. Visitors can attend debates in both Houses and watch committee hearings. It is also possible to climb big ben, Although not strictly true, as "The Clock Tower" is the name of the famous tower of Parliament - more popularly known as Big Ben. Although often referred to as Big Ben, this is actually the nickname of the bell housed within the Clock Tower - and Big Ben's official name is the Great Bell.
A tour will take you up the 334 spiral steps to the top of the 150 year old Clock Tower to hear Big Ben strike the hour. As well as seeing a spectacular view of London from 62 metres up the tower, you will also go behind the clock faces and have the opportunity to visit the mechanism room to learn about how the clock works in the 21st Century.
This tour has always been free, but now the House of Commons Commission has decided to charge visitors £ 15 this has been condemned as "a disgrace" by some MP's
Bats and Balls for Obama
This week the Prime Minister has been visiting President Obama. It is traditional for the leaders to exchange gifts of such occasions. David Cameron's gift to the Obama's was a little unusual on this visit. The Prime Minister served up a smash-hit gift for the Obama family - a specially made table tennis table. To symbolise the special relationship between Britain and America, the bats were adorned with UK and US flags.
While not the most prestigious or historic present to have been taken across the Atlantic by a British leader, it captured the camaraderie between David Cameron and Barack Obama.
They played table tennis at the Globe Academy school in south London during the presidential visit to Britain last May. The customised Dunlop table was being presented as a family gift for Mr Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10.
A Flute of Bubbly for the UK
We like our champagne here in the UK. Although our consumption has slipped back a little since the recession set in. Last year British consumption of champagne slumped to a mere 34.5 million bottles. That is 2.7 per cent fewer than a year earlier and 11 per cent down on 2007, the year before the recession, when 39 million bottles were quaffed.
However, official export figures reveal that Britain remains the toast of the Champagne region. Our economy may be looking lacklustre in comparison, but we managed to consume nine times as much champagne per head as our American counterparts and three times as much as the Germans, our two biggest rivals in the field. Exports to Britain were 13 per cent above the dark days of 2009. In per capita terms, Britain lags behind Belgium, whose consumption last year came close to a bottle for every man, woman and child. Mon Dieu
12th March 2012
In just a few weeks, an incredible 25,000 people have signed a petition calling for same sex marriage to become legal in the UK. The petition was organised by a gay couple incensed at the formation of the anti-gay Coalition for Marriage, to open up civil marriage for everyone in Britain regardless of their sexuality.
The Coalition for Marriage hit a brick wall however when it approached the Woman's Institute asking for their support. The W.I. declined to run an advert for equal marriage opponents the Coalition for Marriage over fears it would offend 'many members'. The group was told the Women's Institute magazine did not wish to be seen to endorse their view that gays should be unable to marry. Good for you Ladies.
The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales is intensifying its campaign yesterday, against the government's plan to legalise same-sex marriage.
In a letter that was read in 2,500 parish churches, the Church's two most senior archbishops say the change would reduce the significance of marriage.
The letter says Roman Catholics have a duty to make sure it does not happen.
Yesterday deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has promised his party the first gay marriage will take place in the UK by 2015.
Daniel Radcliffe has recorded a new video message for the California-based helpline The Trevor Project. The message urges teens struggling with their sexuality or being bullied because of it to contract the helpline. In America over recent years there has been a spate of teen suicides thought to be the result of homophobic bullying.
Discover Britain
My My and just when you thought that it was Americans that did not know their geography, we discover that we are just as bad in the UK. One in five British adults don't know which countries make up the UK, according to new research.
Other gaffes committed by Brits included believing the Australian desert landmark Ayers Rock was located in England, while five per cent thought Stonehenge was a foreign site.
And while those surveyed showed a good knowledge of foreign cities, but closer to home their knowledge was less than impressive. More than 50 per cent thought that Everest - in the Himalayas - was the UK's tallest mountain.
In the survey of 2,000 people, 20.6 per cent could not list England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as the four countries comprising the United Kingdom.
10th March 2012
Brighton Pride's 2012 parade has been confirmed following fears about its former organisers' debts. The event will take place on 1 September with a full parade in the city and another ticketed event in Preston Park, which 30,000 people attended last year. The newly established group Pride Brighton and Hove will operate Pride in Brighton and Hove for 2012 after reports emerged last month claiming former organisers Pride (South East) owed creditors £200,000.
The new group that won the bid to organise the festival is made up of three reputable local gay organisations, at last local people running local events - Good luck to "Pride Brighton and Hove"
Civil Partnership Split
A case at the Court of Appeal over the splitting of a gay couple's £4 million assets has made headlines due to the couple's differing financial situations. Peter Lawrence, and Don Gallagher, had been together for eleven years but dissolved their civil partnership after seven months.
Mr Gallagher on stage in Priscilla Queen of the Desert
A lower court told the couple Mr Gallagher was entitled to £1.7 million in the dissolution of the partnership, most of which would come from the value of their central London flat.
Mr Lawrence is now appealing the case, claiming the flat should not be included in the settlement as he owned the flat before the couple got together Without including the flat in the assets to be split, Mr Gallagher would be entitled to around £620,000. A decision by the Court of Appeal judges is expected later this year. My My this will open up a can of worms
Seals the Fate
This seal had a VERY lucky escape when it ended up perched on shark's nose — just inches from the beast's open jaws.
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The Great White burst out of the sea beneath the seal, hoping to snap it up for lunch. But it misjudged the attack and the fortunate little mammal teetered perilously for a while before falling back into the water and escaping.
8th March 2012
Lake Windermere Early Morning
Every so often l take the trip north to see my Mum and Brothers. From the south coast the trip is almost the length of England, ending up in the English Lake District. The lake district is not known for its weather, well to be precise it is know for it's weather - Wet Weather as with out the rain there would be no lakes and wonderful lush countryside.
Well on the occasion we left the south for the six hour drive in the pouring rain, after a couple of hours the temperature dropped like a stone and before we knew it was snowing, another couple of hours of the journey and the weather turned again. This time the sun came out and turned into a wonderful evening. For the next two days in the Lakes the weather was superb, if not a little cold.
Apart from the weather being abnormally better than the south the other interesting observation was that the recession that is biting very hard in the south seems less severe in the north of England. This is the opposite of what is expected. In some places the economy seems to be booming.
Prince Harry on his tour of the Caribbean is fast becoming the King of Diplomacy. Leaving behind his reputation as the party prince.
He mastered the trickiest day of his Caribbean tour with hugs, kisses and yet another dance. He met Bob Marley's widow, and won an embrace from the Jamaican prime minister who is threatening to axe the Queen as head of state.
Harry was sent to the Caribbean by the Queen to mark her Diamond Jubilee and has proved a revelation on a series of potentially tricky engagements.
Later on in the evening he paid tribute to his grandmother saying ""For me, as for millions of people around the world, her lifetime's service to others is truly an inspiration. But she combines all her virtues as a leader and as a head of state with those of being a wonderful, caring grandmother, to whom we, her grandchildren, are utterly devoted."
Meanwhile back on home turf again the Queen along with Prince Philip, their grandson Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn sat among the audience in the circle stalls at the Theatre Royal Haymarket rather than occupying the royal box for the private visit last night to see the hit comedy, One Man, Two Guvnors. They arrived by a black car that is owned by Prince Philip, who uses the cab to drive himself around London when he does not want to be recognised.
Some of London's busiest train stations are to feature on Google Street View for the first time. Photography of the concourses of the 13 featured stations — which include London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Victoria and Paddington — has been taking place over the past two weeks using a special "trolley" which captures the images.
Charities will be paid for getting "rough sleepers" off the streets under a £5 million scheme launched today. It is aimed at London's most persistent rough sleepers, many of them from overseas or with drug, alcohol or mental health problems.
The amounts charities receive will depend on their success in stopping people returning to the streets, reducing hospital admissions and getting the homeless into jobs and accommodation.
3rd March 2012
The latest Pop Up Restaurant has appeared in Canary Wharf, London. A super yacht that has hosted lavish parties for legions of celebrities all over the world is now London's most expensive restaurant.
The Christina O - named after the daughter of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis - has moored near Canary Wharf and is taking bookings for dinners and cocktail parties for the next few months. Diners will pay about £500 per head, making it by far the costliest venue in the capital.
The opulent dining room is decorated with Baccarat crystal wall lamps and features a painting by Renoir. The Yacht will remain in London until after the Olympics, where it will be used mostly for corporate entertaining.
On the other end of the scale Mr Brain, our local butcher has also secured moorings for his yacht in St Catherine's Dock for the Olympic Games, the mooring was booked about two years ago. He will also use it for entertaining during the Games. Perhaps we will get an invite.
Welcome Aboard the Booze Bus.
Three times a week the Booze Bus hits the west end of London. This special ambulance, an adapted minibus that can carry five patients at a time, was first dispatched across the West End in December 2005 to scoop up people who had overdone the drinking during the Christmas period but now operates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Such is the problem caused by binge drinking in central London. "They [drunk patients] get more attention here than they would in A&E. We are constantly taking their obs [heart rate, blood pressure etc]. In A&E they have more pressing cases to look at.
Here, we can get a phone number, call their relatives and before they go home they have to go and talk to Turning Point." Social care organisation Turning Point gives every patient some advice on avoiding an alcohol problem.
BP Quenches the Flame
BP has reached a £4.9 billion deal with thousands of people hit by the oil giant's Gulf of Mexico disaster. The company said it expected the money - 7.8bn dollars - to come from the 20bn-dollar (£12.6bn) compensation fund that it set up following the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in 2010, the worst spill in US history.
BP stressed the proposed settlement was "not an admission of liability".
Prince Harry Knocks Back the Rum
Prince Harry became a rum drinking, street dancing, crowd pleasing royal left dripping with sweat during his first encounter with the people of Belize. The prince had come to name a street in honour of his grandmother the Queen and to sample the country's culture as he began his Diamond Jubilee tour in tribute to the monarch.
Belize is the first step on his first overseas solo trip on behalf of his grandmother, the Queen, as part of her Diamond Jubilee. His seven-day tour will also include visits to the Bahamas, Jamaica and Brazil. That visit is separate from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, as part of which members of the Royal Family will visit the 15 other countries where she is head of state, along with some other Commonwealth nations this year.
Don't Cast a Thread
A grandmother was fined for littering – after a cotton thread fell off one of her gloves in a shopping street. Valerie George who is 71, was stunned when a council environment officer marched up to her and gave her a £75 ($120) fixed penalty fine.
She said: "It's ridiculous. I caught my watch on my glove and didn't even notice the cotton fall."
Blaenau Gwent Council yesterday withdrew the fine.
1st March 2012
Happy Saint David's Day.
Olympic London 2012
Yesterday the Queen made a rare appearance on foot outside Buckingham Palace as she confirmed she will open the London Olympics. She unveiled the final plaque in a 60km walking and cycling Jubilee Greenway route that connects the Palace with the Olympic Park and other main venues.
The Queen, 85, will declare the 30th Olympiad open on July 27 and will witness the lighting of the Olympic flame and Danny Boyle's spectacular opening ceremony. The Queen has also agreed to open the Paraolympics. She will be accompanied by Prince Philip at both events.
What a job. The woman tasked with heading the world's largest peacetime catering operation during the London Olympics says she is confident it will go well. Jan Matthews must ensure the delivery of more than 14 million meals and the removal of 9,000 tons of waste from the time the first athletes arrive at the end of June to close-down in September. One of her duties will be to arrange the removal of 712 cubic litres of horse manure.
Stable Talk
Talking of horse S**T, one answer to the problem could be this marvellous army horse Llamrei, who has learned how to sweep up after himself - by swinging a broom from his teeth during mucking-out at his stables.
This summer will be the first ceremonial season for Llamrei and the other youngsters from the "L-Reg" batch - army horses are given names starting with the same letter depending on the year. Llamrei will join, Longbow, Luxembourg, Lyric and Lucifer on parade. A video of his sweeping has been placed on the regiment's Facebook page and on YouTube.
Tarzan and the Big Cats
A former actor who played Tarzan has been arrested and had two tigers and a black panther removed from his home after they were considered a danger to the public.
Steve Sipek was taken into custody after his licence to keep the dangerous wild animals was revoked by Florida wildlife officials. The Croatian born actor appeared as Tarzan in a Spanish film called 'Tarzan in the Golden Grotto'.
During the making of a sequel 'Tarzan and the Brown Prince', a trained lion pulled Sipek from a fire on the set in Rainbow Springs, Florida. As a result Sipek vowed to protect big cats and has kept a number of the animals on his property. He even boasted that he allowed the tigers to sleep with him in the house telling one interviewer: 'When it's cold they are very warm to cuddle up to.'
United Kingdon Big health Charity
A minister today promised "tough guidance" to stop health tourists coming to Britain following a decision to provide costly HIV drugs to foreign visitors for the first time.
People will qualify for treatments costing up to £7,000 ($ 11000)
a year after living here for more than six months. Among those who could benefit are workers from overseas, foreign students and victims of human trafficking.
All Things QUEER
WikiQueer, a gay, bi and trans online encyclopaedia has launched publicly this week.
The wiki site began collating content after its soft-launch last year and has now gone live.
27th February 2012
Imagine that you are lying peacefully in your bed when all of a sudden your house starts to collapse around you. This is just what happened last week to a couple in the West Midlands. When their house partially collapsed into its foundations early in the morning
The damage was so severe that the front door has almost been ripped in half, several windows have shattered, and one of the garage doors has come completely off its hinges. Work on the neighbouring property is believed to have made the ground it stands on seriously unstable.
And it emerged today that the extension work was done by a friend of the family — who is not a qualified builder.
Smoking can damage your health
Just when you think that you are kicking the smoking habit all hell lets loose. A Florida man trying to kick the smoking habit was puffing on an electronic cigarette when a faulty battery caused it to explode in his mouth, taking out some of his front teeth and a chunk of his tongue and severely burning his face.
Move Over Your Majesty
Even the Queen is having to adjust the timing of her guards during the Olympics. Centuries of royal pageantry will have to be altered as part of the huge logistical effort to prepare London for the Olympics.
Military top brass have agreed to interrupt the 360-year-old tradition of Changing the Guard on Horse Guards Parade to accommodate the beach volleyball tournament.
The ceremony will be moved to Whitehall and timings will be changed to avoid a clash with the sports schedule.
Camp Cuppa
Anyone for a nice cuppa. Well perhaps you might consider taking a trip down under to sample the delights of Gay Tea. A range of gay teas has been launched in Australia to benefit LGBT health charities for the coming month and coincide with Australian Mardis Gras celebrations.
The new DiversiTEA range features eight blends: B!tch Please, Disco Ball, D.R.A.M.A Queen, F@g H@g, French Tickler, Pearl Necklace, Pinkies Up and Pride.
B!tch Please includes chilli for a fiery drinking experience, D.R.A.M.A. Queen is blended with lime, lemon peel, and daisies in order to relax the het-up drinker.
Pearl Necklace is a night-harvested jasmine bud tea described as a "pleasure to watch", with the tagline "Who doesn't want a pearl necklace?"
20% of proceeds will go to health charities.
PLEASE DO NOT STAND ON THE SEAT
Foreign students at Swansea University have been given some unexpected lessons, after the campus officials put up signs showing how to use a toilet.
For those not au fait with Western bathroom customs, the sign features diagrams and bullet points explaining how use a loo, advising students to refrain from standing on the seat and to instead sit on it like they would a chair.
The advice does not stop there, with further instructions explaining how to use the sanitary bins, while students have also been asked to leave the cubicles in a sanitary state and avoid throwing toiler paper on the floor.
Finally, students are reminded to thoroughly wash their hands after using the toilet, accompanied by an image of two upturned hands under a running tap with the words 'WASH ME' on the palms.
Meanwhile l came across the sign from another w.c.
25th February 2012
Squatters Rights
One evening this week a friend got a message that a group of squatters had entered his property and posted a notice to the effect on the door. In due course the police arrived but it transpired that there was nothing they could do.
The squatters had entered the property from an upstairs patio door, having first broken the lock on a ground floor gate and replacing it with a new lock. They climbed up to the next level and must have broken into the property. However because the squatters would not let the police into the property, the police could not prove that they had broken into the building and evict them. It now appears that my friend will have to go through the courts to get an eviction order to get them out of the building.
What is wrong with this country when you have no rights to the use of your own property in this situation.
Student Pride
1,000 students are expected to descend on Brighton here in Sunny Sussex this weekend for the eighth annual National Student Pride. The prime minister called the event an important landmark in the LGBT student calendar. The weekend of events includes a Question Time style debate with a high profile LGBT panel, an LGBT jobs fair and stalls, a number of social events around the city and a huge club night at the Brighton Dome complex on Saturday evening
Proud Mum
A teenage YouTube user in the US has recorded the conversation in which he comes out to his mother and posted it online saying he hopes it will be an "inspiration".
Why could he not just put down the phone when he is talking to his Mum, guess it was just having something in his hands when he is so nervous.
20th February 2012
Humpty Dumpty today sat on a wall with two of the future king's soldiers on hand to make sure he doesn't have a great fall. Tomorrow sees the start of the Great London Egg Hunt, hoping to break all records for an Egg Hunt and in the process raise more than £2 million for charity.
Two Welsh Guards Escort Humpty
Dumpty to Clarence House
Humpty Dumpty a 2.5ft fibreglass egg was placed on the wall of Prince Charles's London home, Clarence House, to mark tomorrow's launch. 200 eggs will be placed around London in what will be the biggest egg hunt ever. Each egg has a code and finders can text-in to get a chance of winning a £100,000 prize offered by sponsors Fabergé. A map can be downloaded from the Big Egg Hunt website offering clues to each egg's location.
Humpty Dumpty On Prince Charles Wall
Thirty of the eggs will be auctioned on March 20 and the rest will be sold off in an online auction. The egg hunt runs from Shrove Tuesday until April 3.
The Dome Worthing
This afternoon we were out and about in West Sussex, the opposite side of our county. We visited Worthing which is a Seaside resort, not as large as our near neighbours of Brighton and Eastbourne.
Over recent years what had become a very sad and neglected building has been restored to its former glory. The Dome is a unique example of an Edwardian Leisure Centre. These old centres were known as Kursaals, and they offered many forms of entertainment under one roof. The name Kursaal is of German origin; it was a building used by visitors at a health resort or watering place and became associated with fashionable leisure centres in a seaside or spa town.
In 1911 the Electric Theatre opened in the Kursaal, bringing the moving image to Worthing, The arrival of the First World War brought some significant changes to the Kursaal. Its owner decided that a change of name for the Kursaal was required. Because of anti-German feeling in the town, the Kursaal was renamed the Dome. The dome stayed open during the war and continued to gain in popularity.
In 1969, Worthing Borough Council purchased the freehold of the Dome specifically to redevelop the area. The ensuing thirty years proved to be the most turbulent and precarious in the whole of the Dome's history. Bearing in mind the Council's intentions, they were loath to grant long leases which actively discouraged the tenants from spending large sums of money on maintenance and modernisation. Perversely, the council's actions proved to be both a blessing and a curse as although the building retained most of its original features it also suffered drastically from accumulated neglect.
A very chequered history over the next few years, eventually saw it receive funding for the Heritage Lottery fund. In 2005 the Dome closed yet again. It reopened on 6 July 2007 after extensive building work. Luckily most of the interior features had remained and have now emerged again as the Gem it is today.
16th February 2012
A daredevil circus performer will become the first in more than a century to attempt to cross the gorge at Niagara Falls on a tightrope. The Niagara Parks Commission changed its mind to deny Nik Wallenda's request to perform the stunt after hearing from the high-wire artist that it could generate significant economic returns for the region.
The last person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope was James Hardy in 1896.
Nik Wallenda who will attempt the crossing is a seventh-generation member of the famous family of circus acrobats and daredevil stunt performers, the Flying Wallendas, best known for performing high-wire acts without safety nets.
The Christian hoteliers who discriminated against a gay couple in refusing them a room have said their business has fallen by two thirds since the case. There occupancy is down from 755 to 25%. The gay had successfully sued the hotel on grounds of sexual orientation discrimination. The hotel owners recently lost their bid at the Court of Appeal to have the finding that they discriminated against a gay couple overturned.
On the hotel website it still lists the policy of not allowing couples to share a bed unless they are in a heterosexual marriage.
A builder has been fined after subjecting a man to homophobic abuse and leaving cement penises on a wall outside his house. The builder pleaded guilty but did not attend court, his defence lawyer said he would not attend as he had broken his ankle while being pushed down a flight of stairs by a co-defendant in the case. Sounds like a bit of a cat fight.
DAVID BECKHAM's famous Goldenballs appear to rest in wife Victoria's palm – in a hilarious pic the footie ace posted on the net.
14th February 2012
Happy Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day is the second largest card sending and receiving day each year only surpassed by Christmas. One billion valentine cards are sent each year. In fact it is believed that the first greeting card ever send was a Valentine.
The first written valentine is attributed to a young Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans. From his whilst being held prisoner in the Tower of London. He fought his lonely confinement by writing romantic poems or rhymed love letters to his wife in France. About sixty of them remain. They can be seen among the royal papers in the British Museum.
During the seventeenth century people made their own valentines using original verse or poems copied from booklets with appropriate verse. The Victorians took the cards to elaborate lengths, trimming them with lace, silks and satins and embellishing them with special details like feathers, flowers, Cupids and hearts, gold leaf, hand painted details and even sweetly perfumed sachets. The first commercial valentines appeared circa 1800 and were rather simplistic. Cards were hand-delivered. Until the mid-1800's, the cost of sending mail was beyond the means of the average person, and the recipient, not the sender, was expected to pay the cost of mailing.
Cupid, the mischievous son of the Goddess of Love, Venus, is supposedly responsible for people falling in love. According to the myths, anyone being hit by Cupid's arrow falls in love with the first person he/she sees.
13th February 2012
Tomorrow gay rights campaigners will present a Valentine's Day card to Buckingham Palace calling on the Queen to help "kiss goodbye to homophobia" in some Commonwealth countries. A mass kiss will take place at Trafalgar Square before the card is delivered to the Palace. Organisers Pride London said that in 41 Commonwealth countries homosexuality is illegal, punishable by a maximum of life in prison. In some parts of Nigeria and Pakistan the crime can lead to a death sentence.
The message in the card will read: "Dear Ma'am, same-sex love is illegal in 41 of your Commonwealth countries. Your gay subjects deserve freedom."
Cheers Girls
Celebrate Valentines day with a glass of champagne. But the age-old dilemma remains when drinking champagne: flute or coupe? Now French scientists have further complicated matters, after showing that the choice is not simply a matter of etiquette and aesthetics but that glass shape has a powerful effect on the aromas and perception of fizz.
Using sophisticated imaging methods, the team showed that a flute-shaped glass funnels carbon dioxide gas and other aromas up to the surface more efficiently than the old-fashioned saucer-shaped coupe glass.
However, their conclusion was that champagne drinkers should ditch both in favour of an ordinary wine glass.
The Gift of Life
A trans man is believed to have become the UK's first 'male mother' to give birth despite having already had gender reassignment surgery. The man in his thirties gave birth to a child last year via a caesarean section. The Beaumont Society, which helps men who wish to or have changed gender told the newspaper that the unnamed father got in touch to enquire for help having a child after having undergone surgery.
Through the charity, the unnamed man had hormone treatment to reactivate his womb. The womb had not actually been removed during his original surgery.
"He got back in touch about six months ago to thank the society for its help and to say he had the baby,"
Shocked mothers today slammed a primary school after it organised a 'sordid' performance by oiled up male strippers for a fundraising event.
More than 100 women watched performances by 'All the Way Jay' and 'Tommy Love' from the dance group Dream Men, to benefit Clavering Primary School in Essex, earlier this month.
Two mothers said they would be pulling their children out of the school after expressing disgust over the 'vile' ladies' night organised to raise funds.
9th February 2012
Charles Dickens 200th Annivesary
Prince Charles led global celebrations on Tuesday marking the 200th birth anniversary of Charles Dickens, one of English literature's most revered novelists. Prince Charles visited the Charles Dickens Museum in London and then went to Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the grave of a writer. Celebrations in Portsmouth began earlier in the day at a ceremony outside the writer's birthplace, where his great-great-grandson, Ian Dickens, laid a wreath. Meanwhile a 24-hour "readathon" took place in countries from Albania to Zimbabwe.
Ongoing events include exhibitions in Zurich, New York and across Britain, theatrical performances by professional actors and schoolchildren alike and an online tribute from bloggers in Spain.
TOP GUN HARRY
Prince Harry has qualified as an Apache helicopter pilot - as he was crowned his class's TOP GUN. Harry, known as Captain Wales,
won the coveted award for demonstrating exemplary attitude, ability, gunnery skills, knowledge of the aircraft, performance on training sorties and overall performance and grades.
He could now be sent to fight the Taliban on the Afghanistan front line within eight to 12 months.
Prince William was sent to the Faulklands last week as a Search and Rescue helicopter pilot, which has upset Argentina, as the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict approaches. This of course leaves Kate "The Duchess of Cambridge" home alone. Last night she attended her first solo public engagement, a Lucian Freud preview show at the National Portrait Gallery in London of which she is a patron.. It was also announced that she had agreed to pose herself.
for a portrait for the gallery.
Gay UK
Certain areas of England are known for being more gay, these being London, Brighton and Manchester, but who would guess that a peaceful market town like Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire become known as "the lesbian capital of the UK" ? The stats aren't usually broken down as locally as Hebden Bridge, but it has long been claimed that it has more lesbian people per head than anywhere else in the UK.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed that 2.5% of adults who live in London identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual compared with 1.5% in the North West, 1.3% in both the South East and Yorkshire and The Humber regions.
I consider myself lucky living as a gay man in the UK. All right it is not perfect no where is, but had l been living in Uganda the death penalty could be hanging over your head. The Ugandan parliament is looking to reintroduce them death penalty for certain homosexual acts. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, but the bill before parliament would introduce the death sentence for anyone found engaging in homosexual acts for the second time, as well as for gay sex where one partner was a minor or had HIV.
A British Chef has created a new "Aphrodisiac" Pie, aimed at stopping Valentine's day being a big flop. The "Cock and Bull" pie contains real bulls testicles seen as a strong alternative to Viagra in China. The cooking instructions for the pie encourage people to 'turn off the phone, light those candles and slip into something more comfortable'.
In Montana testicles are known as "Cowboy Caviar."
6th February 2012
Congratulations Your Majesty
Today our Queen has been on the throne for 60 years. For the Queen, this is a day of celebration - her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria was the only other British monarch to achieve this milestone - and commemoration, marking as it does the anniversary of the death of her beloved father, George VI.
Sixty years ago Princess Elizabeth was on holiday with Prince Philip in Nairobi Kenya, when she heard of the death of her father. The news had already been heard in England, but because of the remote location the Queen did not realise she had become Queen Elizabeth until some hours later. Prince Philip received the news via radio telephone, he then took Elizabeth on a walk to break her the news.
Her tears of grief were for her Father who she loved dearly and also for the end of her private life and her ambitions to give a normal mother's love to here children.
The Queen, 85, usually spends Accession Day - the day her father, George VI, died in 1952 - privately but this year has the two engagements in Norfolk.
Two official photographs were released and a 41-gun salute was held in Hyde Park, London, followed by a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. The unique 62 gun salute is the current royal salute fired from the Tower of London.
During the royal walkabout this morning in Norfolk, Prince Philip was given a bag of Werthers from a school boy.
Priceless advertising l would say.
Certain Royalist Key West Residents send congratulations to HRH
Sky Diver to Break the Sound Barrier
The world's most daring skydiver is preparing to jump out of a balloon on the edge of space.
Felix Baumgartner, 42, hopes to break an altitude record which has lasted more than 50 years.
He will break the sound barrier when he dives 120,000ft – nearly 23 miles – from the adapted weather balloon full of helium. It should take 35 seconds to break the sound barrier and ten minutes in all, reaching more than 690mph. But he will not deploy his parachute until he is less than 5000ft from the ground. For the jump he will wear a special suit that engineers have spent more than two years refining the and will keep him alive in temperatures of -70c.
A man went overboard this week from an Atlantis Gay Cruise on the Allure of the Seas, the world's largest cruise liner. It is thought that the man jumped from his balcony on the 11th deck.
4th February 2012
As we prepare for 4 inches of show in some parts of the UK, other parts of Europe have already received a packet of the white stuff. A rare snowfall blanketed Rome forcing the closure of the Coliseum over fears tourists would slip on the icy ruins this is the first major snow fall in Rome for 26 years.
Parked bikes are covered with snow in downtown Rome, and young people take to the streets and parks to enjoy their first experience of snow. People used government shovels to clear piazzas and children enjoyed another day off school as Rome awoke to about 4 inches of fresh snow.
Top Totty
Has the world gone barking mad. A women MP has demanded that A BEER called Top Totty is banned from a Parliamentary bar today because its pump plate featuring a half-naked lady offended women. The bitter backlash developed after Ms Green told the Commons: "I was disturbed last night to learn that the guest beer in the Strangers' Bar is called Top Totty and there is a picture of a nearly naked woman on the tap."
She called for a debate on "dignity at work in Parliament" and asked Sir George to back her demands for Top Totty to be "withdrawn immediately from the bar".
Gays in China
A university professor in China has estimated that 16 million women in China are married to gays. the academic said as many as 90% of gay Chinese men marry to conform with social norms. Homosexuality was decriminalised in the People's Republic in 1997 and its status as a mental disorder revoked in 2001, but legal protection for gays is minimal with no non-discrimination or equal marriage rights and strong censorship rules.
A Sugary Naked Treat
A man was arrested after he broke into a Kentucky grocery store and was found with peanut butter and chocolate smeared all over his naked body. Police found peanut butter and chocolate covering his body, the supermarket floor, and the manager's office.
He was charged with burglary in the 3rd degree, criminal mischief, and indecent exposure as he was only wearing black boots and his sugary treats.
Harry Potter and the Half Cut Prince
You thought he was such a clean cut teenager, but Harry Potter and the Half Cut Prince! Daniel Radcliffe admits he often turned up to set 'still drunk' from the night before
Daniel has revealed that he often turned up to work 'still drunk', and can even pinpoint scenes in the movies where he was 'gone'. The 22-year-old actor, who has spoken previously about his issues with alcohol, insisted that he never drank at work, but was on occasion under the influence on set.
