Maidenhead

Most of our time will be spent in Maidenhead, working in elementary schools. This quiet town holds much history and warmth. With only a forty minute tube ride into London, it is an ideal spot for travelers to escape the city, and enjoy a suburb of London.






Maidenhead is probably most famous for the River Thames which passses within a mile of the town center. A river path on the right hand side runs downstream to Windsor (behind the photographer) and beyond towards London. Upstream under the bridges is Boulter's Lock and Cookham, then eventually Reading and Oxford. A pleasant place to stroll. The second bridge you can see in the distance is the A4 road bridge.The railway line to London Paddington was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1838 and terminated at Maidenhead Riverside, a temporary station on the Buckinghamshire (east) side of the Thames, out of view to the right of the scene above. The bridge over the Thames was not complete at that stage. The present station was opened in 1871 when Maidenhead Riverside station and another (Maidenhead Boyn Hill station) closed.
This is the High Street - The road is pedestrian-only at all times and used to be the A4 Bath Road. The A4 was diverted to a dual-carriageway section to the north of the High Street in the early 1970's. You can see how some of the original buildings looked if you look above the modern shop fronts; the same goes for this view of the High Street.A large shopping centre, Nicholson's Centre, stands on the site of Nicholson's Brewery, one of the town's four breweries, now all closed. The High Street and shopping centre and surrounding roads are now home for many national chains such as Boots, Marks & Spencer, Superdrug, Argos, Virgin (record stores), Woolworth, Next, W H Smith, Sainsburys, Mothercare, Miss Selfridge, Thomas Cook, Tesco and Waitrose. There are also take away food chains, banks, estate agents, a market (Tuesday - Saturday) and charity shops as well as some classy small local shops.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837.
It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence, with 775 rooms.
Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis.The State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the Annual Summer Opening in August and September. They are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

What there is to see...
The State Rooms form the heart of the working palace and are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection - paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto; sculpture by Canova; exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain; and some of the finest English and French furniture.
The Garden
Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. Visitors end their tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake.

Admission:

The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace
(includes audio guide)
Adult £15.50
Over 60/ Student (with valid ID) £14.00
Under 17 £8.75
Under 5 Free
Family £39.75 (2 adults and 3 under 17s)
A Royal Day Out
(The State Rooms, Royal Mews and The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace)

Adult £28.50 Over 60/ Student (with valid ID) £25.00 Under 17 £16.00 Under 5 Free Family £73.00 (2 adults and 3 under 17s)
How To Get There:

By train: London Victoria. (National Rail Enquiries Service 08457 484950 (UK)).
By underground: Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.
By bus: Numbers 11, 211, 239, C1 and C10 stop on Buckingham Palace Road.
By road: Buckingham Palace is situated within the London Congestion Charge zone. Please see www.cclondon.com for further details.
By coach: A number of tour companies include a visit to the State Rooms in their sightseeing tours of London. For further details ask your hotel concierge.
Visit the Transport for London website for maps and information about London Underground and bus routes.
Address: Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA

Stud of the Family

I would be lying to myself to not add an entry entirely dedicated to the Prince known as William. Hearing his name unexpectedly makes my heart jump, along with the thought of even the smallest of the slightest possibility of maybe getting a glimpse of him while in England. And here he is...
Prince William is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales.He was born at 9.03pm on 21 June 1982, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London. A bulletin announced that the Royal baby weighed 7lb 1 1/2oz.

On 4 August 1982, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace.
After attending Mrs Mynors School, Prince William became a pupil at Wetherby School in London, from 15 January 1987 until 5 July 1990.
From September 1990, The Prince attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire, for five years until 5 July 1995. He then attended Eton College from July 1995 and studied Geography, Biology and History of Art at A Level.
Prince William was 15-years-old when Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Prince William and Prince Harry walked behind their mother's cortege at her funeral which was held at Westminster Abbey on 6th September 1997.
After a gap year in which he visited Chile, Belize, worked on British dairy farms and visited countries in Africa, Prince William chose to study at St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland. He graduated with a 2:1 in Geography in 2005.
After a period of work experience, Prince William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an Officer Cadet.
He was commissioned as an army officer in front of Her Majesty The Queen at Sandhurst in December 2006 and joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as a Second Lieutenant.
To mark a decade since the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry organised two major events to commemorate and celebrate the life of their mother. The first was the Concert for Diana, which was held at Wembley Stadium on 1 July 2007, on what would have been The Princess's 46th birthday. The event featured some of their mother's and some of their own favourite artists. All of the artists were invited to perform by Prince William and Prince Harry.
The second event was a Thanksgiving Service for Diana, Princess of Wales held at the Guards' Chapel in Wellington Barracks, London. The service, held on 31 August 2007, the 10th anniversary of the Princess's death, was attended by members of the Royal Family, the Spencer family, charity representatives and friends of the late Princess. Prince William, Prince Harry and Lady Sarah McCorquodale gave readings.
In 2008, Prince William will serve on attachment to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force following the completion of his time as an armoured reconnaissance troop leader with the Household Cavalry Regiment.
These attachments will enable Prince William to share the working lives of airmen and sailors, and to make comparisons with his own experience to date as an Army officer.

More information on William available here!

Oh, and the Royalty...

The British Royal Family's surname is Windsor. They changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. They did this because when World War One broke out in 1914 and anit-German sentiment was at its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.

Members of Royal Family

• HM The Queen
• HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (The Queen's husband)
• HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall Prince Charles is the Queen's eldest son and his wife
  (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948)
  • HRH Prince William of Wales (The Prince of Wales's elder son)
  • HRH Prince Harry of Wales (The Prince of Wales's younger son)
• HRH The Princess Royal (The Queen's daughter)
  (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950 )
• HRH The Duke of York
  (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960)
  Prince Andrew is a member of the British Royal Family, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II.
  • HRH Princess Beatrice of York (The Duke of York's elder daughter)
  • HRH Princess Eugenie of York (The Duke of York's younger daughter)
• TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex (The Queen's youngest son and his wife)
  (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964)
  Prince Edward is the youngest child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999.
  • Lady Louise Windsor (the Earl of Wessex's daughter)
    
• TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (The Queen's cousin and his wife)
• TRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent (The Queen's cousin and his wife)
• TRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (The Queen's cousin and his wife)
• HRH Princess Alexandra (The Queen's cousin)

HM = Her Majesty
HRH = His of Her Royal Highness
TRH = Their Royal Highnesses

Click Here to View an Entire Royal Family Tree

British Currency... The pound!

The British currency is the pound sterling. The sign for the pound is
The pound () is made up of 100 pence (p) exactly like the dollar is split into 100 cents.

Current coins are:

1 penny, 2 pence, 5 pence, 10 pence, 20 pence, 50 pence, 1 pound, and 2 pounds.

Current bank notes are:

the 5 pound note, the 10 pound note, the 20 pound note and the 50 pound note.

Old money conversions to money used today

• Six pence - 2½p
• One shilling (or 'bob') - 5p
• Half a crown (2 shillings and sixpence) - 12½p
• One guinea - £1.05

More Information about using the pound is available here!

Castles

Castles have been an important part of life in England since the early days of the Norman conquerors, and have served as defensive strongholds, homes, and historic sites throughout the years. castles in England are one of the most impressive attractions in England.

Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited stronghold in the world as well as the largest castle to be found in England. Windsor castle is a favorite residence of the current royal family, and has served the purposes of the monarchy since the days of William the Conqueror. Tours of the castle are available daily.

Knole is one of the most unique castles in England. Knole features 365 rooms (one for each day of the year), 52 staircases (weeks in the year), and 7 courts (days of the week). Of England castles with a Tudor theme, Knole is one of the best examples. Tours are available daily.

Hatfield House- England castles all come with fascinating stories, and Hatfield is no different. It was here that Elizabeth I first learned, while playing under a tree, that she had become Queen of England. This is one of the most beautiful resident castles in England, with lovely maintained grounds and exquisite artwork featured inside the castle, where tours are available.

Hever Castle and Gardens- This is one of the England castles that remains a favorite among history lovers. The former home of the famous Anne Boleyn, this castle has since been purchased and restored.

Woburn Abbey- This castle has a Wild Animal Kingdom with one of the most extensive collections of animals in all of England. Woburn Abbey was also one of the castles of England loved by Queen Victoria, and tours of the castle will include a view of her former bedroom.

Thornbury Castle is one of the delightful castle hotels England features. Castle hotels England has to offer generally combine history with modern luxury. The Thornbury Castle is 500 years old, and guests will experience the thrill of walking the same halls as Henry VIII, as well as many other historical kings and queens. Of the castle hotels England offers, Thornbury Castle is one of the oldest, and the only Tudor castle to be opened as a hotel. Whether you plan to spend the night in an English castle, or simply hope to make a tour of some of the more prominent castles in the country, the castles of England are one of the most fascinating sites in Europe. Tours of the castles of England can be arranged through travel companies, many which combine sightseeing with accommodation and other activities.

More information from the Castle Website Available Here...

The Beautiful Language...

The English language is very different in Britian than it is in America. There are many words that I did not even recognize the definition to without looking them up. Here is a list of slang you may hear in England...




Slang...

Ace - If something is ace it is brilliant. I used to hear it a lot in Liverpool. Kids thought all cool stuff was ace, or brill.
All right? - This is used a lot around London and the south to mean, "Hello, how are you"? You would say it to a complete stranger or someone you knew. The normal response would be for them to say "All right"? back to you. It is said as a question. Sometimes it might get expanded to "all right mate"? Mostly used by blue collar workers but also common among younger people.
Any road - Up north (where they talk funny!!) instead of saying anyway, they say "any road"! Weird huh?
As well - You chaps say also when we would say "too" or "as well". For instance if my friend ordered a Miller Lite, I would say "I'll have one as well". I often heard people saying something like "I'll have one also". Of course in England you wouldn't say it at all for fear of embarrassment! You'd order a pint of lager instead!
Au fait - Another one of those French expressions that have slipped into the English language. This one means to be familiar with something. I'd say at the end of reading all this you'd be au fait with the differences between American and English!
Bang - Nothing to do with your hair - this is a rather unattractive way of describing having sex. Always gets a smile from Brits in American hair dressers when they are asked about their bangs.
Barmy - If someone tells you that you're barmy they mean you have gone mad or crazy. For example you'd have to be barmy to visit England without trying black pudding!
Beastly - You would call something or somebody beastly if they were really nasty or unpleasant. Most people would consider you a snob or an upper class git if you used this word. People like Fergie can get away with it though.
Bees Knees - This is the polite version of the dog's bollocks. So if you are in polite company and want to say that something was fabulous, this phrase might come in handy.

Chuffed - You would be chuffed to bits if you were really pleased about something.
Cock up - A cock up means you have made a mistake. It has nothing to do with parts of the male body.
Codswallop - Another one I heard a lot as a kid - usually when I was making up excuses for how the window got broken or why my dinner was found behind the sofa. My Dad would tell me I was talking a load of codswallop. American kids might be talking baloney under the same circumstances.
Cracking - If something is cracking, it means it is the best. Usually said without pronouncing the last "G". If a girl is cracking it means she is stunning.
Crap - The same word in both countries - but less rude here. I loved watching Brits being interviewed on US chat shows and embarrassing the interviewer when they said something was "total crap".
Jolly - You hear people use this in all sorts of ways, but basically it means very. So "jolly good" would mean very good. A common exception is where you hear people say "I should jolly well think so!" which is more to emphasise the point.
Snookered - If you are snookered it means you are up the famous creek without a paddle. It comes from the game of snooker where you are unable to hit the ball because the shot is blocked by your opponent's ball.
Watcha - Simply means Hi. Also short for "what do you" as in "watcha think of that"?
Well - Well can be used to accentuate other words. for example someone might be "well hard" to mean he is a real man, as opposed to just "hard". Something really good might be "well good". Or if you were really really pleased with something you might be "well chuffed". Grammatically it's appalling but people say it anyway.
Welly - If you "give it welly", it means you are trying harder or giving it the boot. An example would be when accelerating away from lights, you would give it welly to beat the guy in the mustang convertible in the lane next to you. Welly is also short for wellington boots, which are like your galoshes.
Wind up - This has a couple of meanings. If something you do is a "wind up" it means you are making fun of someone. However it you are "wound up" it means you are annoyed.
Wobbler - To "throw a wobbly" or to "throw a wobbler" means to have a tantrum. Normally happens when you tell your kids they can't have an ice cream or that it's time for bed.
Wonky - If something is shaky or unstable you might say it is wonky. For example I changed my chair in a restaurant recently because I had a wonky one.
Yonks - "Blimey, I haven't heard from you for yonks". If you heard someone say that it would mean that they had not seen you for ages!
Zonked - If someone is zonked or "zonked out" it means they are totally knackered or you might say exhausted. When a baby has drunk so much milk, his eyes roll into the back of his head, it would be fair to say he was zonked!

For more slang used in England, CLICK HERE!

Sports in England

What sports do you play in England? Sports play an important part in the life of the Englishmen and is a popular leisure activity. Many of the world's famous sports began in England, including cricket, football, lawn tennis and rugby. England's national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as our national sport. Football is our most popular sport. Some of England's football teams are world famous, the most famous being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Cricket

Cricket is played on village greens on Sundays from April to August

The rules of cricket became the responsibility, in the 18th century, of the Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC), based at Lord’s cricket ground in north
London.

How to play Cricket

Teams are made up of 11 players each. They play with a ball slightly smaller than a baseball and a bat shaped like a paddle. Two batters stand in front of wickets, set about 20 metres apart. Each wicket consists of three wooden rods (stumps) pushed into the ground, with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top. A member of the opposing team (the bowler) throws the ball towards one of the batters, who must hit the ball so that it does not knock a bail off the wicket. If the ball travels far enough, the two batters run back and forth between the wickets while the fielders on the opposing team try to catch the ball. The game is scored according to the number of runs, which is the number of times the batters exchange places.

Football (Soccer)

Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, and has been played for hundreds of years.

In the English Football League there are 92 professional clubs. These are semi-professional, so most players have other full-time jobs. Hundreds of thousands of people also play football in parks and playgrounds just for fun.

The highlight of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May.

Rugby

Rugby originated from Rugby school in Warwickshire. It is similar to football, but played with an oval ball. Players can carry the ball and tackle each other. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final each September.

For many years Rugby was only played by the rich upper classes, but now it is popular all over the country. There are two different types of rugby - Rugby League, played mainly in the north of England, and Rugby Union, played in the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, together with France and Italy, play in an annual tournament called the Six Nations. American Football derived from our game of Rugby also Baseball derived from the old English game of Rounders.

For More Information on Sports in England, Click Here!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

WEATHER!


Charles Dudley Warner once said that the trouble with the weather is that everybody talks about it but nobody does anything about it. Well, Londoners talk about weather more than anyone, but they have also done something about it: Air-pollution control has resulted in the virtual disappearance of the pea-soup fogs that once blanketed the city.

A typical London-area weather forecast for a summer day predicts "scattered clouds with sunny periods and showers, possibly heavy at times." Summer temperatures seldom rise above 78°F (25°C), nor do they drop below 35°F (2°C) in winter. London, being in one of the mildest parts of the country, can be very pleasant in the spring and fall. Yes, it rains, but you'll rarely get a true downpour. Rains are heaviest in November, when the city averages 2 1/2 inches.

The British consider chilliness wholesome and usually try to keep room temperatures about 10° below the American comfort level, so bring sweaters year-round if you tend to get cold.

Temperature

July and August are normally the warmest month in England
Around the coasts, February is normally the coldest month, but inland there is little to choose between January and February as the coldest month.

RainFall

Rain is fairly well distributed throughout the year, with late winter/spring (February to March) the driest period and autumn/winter (October to January) the wettest.

The Lake District is England's wettest region, receiving and average of 130 inches (330 centimeters) of precipitation each year. The western and northern hills receive about 40 inches (102 centimeters) of rain, while the east coast receives about 20 inches (51 centimetres).

What influences the weather?

The main influence on our climate is our close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, our northern latitude, and the warming of the waters around the land by the Gulf Stream (a warm current of the northern Atlantic Ocean).

Our island is small compared with the other land masses in the northern hemisphere – hence Britain is more influenced by the ocean compared with other European countries, and the Gulf Stream helps to keep winters milder compared with other landlocked nations with a similar latitude.
Find out more ...

Interesting Fact

The highest monthly total of sunshine on record is 384 hours in Eastbourne and Hastings, Sussex, in July 1911.

Sunshine

During June, July and August (the months of longest daylight) the mean daily duration of sunshine varies from five hours in northern Scotland to eight hours in the Isle of Wight.

During the months of shortest daylight (November, December and January) sunshine is at a minimum, with an average of an hour a day in northern Scotland and two hours a day on the south coast of England.

Find out more about the length of daylight through the year

For more information about the weather in England, CLICK HERE! :-)

Everyone Should Know...

England is a very interesting country full of history, entertainment, great writers, music, and royalty. Here are some of the very basic facts...

Country Facts
Motto: Dieu et mon droit (God and my right)

Flag: Cross of St George

National Day: 23 April

Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W

Area: 129,720 sq km 50,085 sq miles

Population: 49,561,800 (2002)

Nationality : English and British Find out more

Time Zone : GMT/UTC 0 (Greenwich Mean Time (British Summer Time during daylight savings))

Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic CurrentFind out more

Capital City: London

Major Cities: Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield

Anthem (Song): God Save the Queen Land of Hope and Glory

Official Language: English

Main religions: Church of England, Catholic, Methodist, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Hindu.

Currency: Pound Sterling (£)

Highest point: Scafell Pike 978 m (3210 ft)

Lowest Point: The Fens, 4.6 metres (15 feet) below sea level

Longest river: Thames (346 km) The Severn is officially Britain's longest river as it flows through both Wales and England.

Largest Lake: Windermere (14.7 sq km)

Highest Waterfall: Cauldron Snout (Cumbria) 60 metres (200 feet) high

Tallest Building: 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf (London), 245 metres (800 feet) high

The busiest airport: London Heathrow, with 53.8 million passengers.

Official Animal: Lion

London...

The main geographical feature of the city is the River Thames. The central area and the most important sights, theatres and restaurants are on the north bank of the river. The trendy and tourist-ridden West includes Soho, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Regent St. The East End lies east of the Circle Line; it used to be the exclusive preserve of the Cockney but is now a cultural melting pot. Accommodation in London is expensive and in short supply in July and August.
City of London: it's only one square mile in area and contains the Bank of England, The Stock Exchange, the share dealing and finance companies, and the international banks.
Trafalgar Square: It's the heart of visitors' London, beating with tour buses, cameras and flocks of persistent pigeons. On the square's northern edge is the National Gallery.
Houses of Parliament: The building includes the House of Commons and the House of Lords. There's restricted access to the chambers when they're in session, but a visit around 6pm will avoid the worst of the crowds
Buckingham Palace: The Queen opened Buckingham Palace to the public for the first time in 1993 to raise money for repairs to Windsor Castle.
Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, after 8 years of construction. It is one of the world's most famous bridges. 150,000 vehicles cross it every day. Over 900 times a year the roadway parts and lifts to let tall ships, cruise liners and other large craft pass through.

Click Here for more pictures and information

Chuffed because...

I am so chuffed because I will be going to England in January! I am starting this blog to gather all of my interesting facts and research about this country.