D-Day Landings remembered

Sixty-five years ago the allied forces landed on a beach in Normandy, France. The Canadian, British and US soldiers who risked their lives on that historic day, as well as the ones who perished, were honoured yesterday by important leaders such as US president Obama, the French president Zarkozy, PM Gordon Brown and the Prince of Wales.
The attendance of this member of the Royal Family was especially appreciated by the British veterans since the host of the commemoration ceremony, Zarkozy, had not invited the Queen. Some of the veterans had a picture of her on them, as a way to protest against this snub.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/2468469/D-Day-landings-remembered.html

Personal reaction:

First of all, I think it is good to keep remembering the Second World War and to be aware of the fact that we are living in peace and freedom thanks to the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives. The attendance of so many important people at this ceremony underlines the importance of this awareness.
The little uproar over Zarkozy and his decision not to invite the Queen made me smile a bit. I reckon that the attendance of Mr. Brown as PM of Great Britain should really enough next to the leaders of the other countries. There is no need to be offended when the British Queen is not regarded as the most important person on the planet. The reaction of the veterans was probably fuelled by the strained relations that have always existed between the French and the British

Class sizes prompt teacher’s debate

Scottish teachers are becoming increasingly discontented with the sizes of their classes. They are even considering going on strike.
The government has stipulated that classes in primary education should not have more than eighteen children. However, in practice this aim is only reached in half of the councils in Scotland. Most councils claim that they do not have the financial means needed to cut down class sizes. Ronnie Smith, general secretary of Scotland’s largest teachers’ union – the Educational Institute of Scotland – is of the opinion that the Scottish government should take its responsibility, and that members of Scottish parliament should make sure that the promises they made about this subject are kept.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8086522.stm

Personal reaction:

It seems to me that this problem has a political nature, based on how the Scottish authority is structured. First, there is the Scottish government that is also linked to the government of Great Britain as whole. Then there are the local councils, or local authorities. They enforce the government’s acts in their respective territories.
In this case, the local councils have not obeyed the laws that were fixed by the government. I am not sure if the Scottish government has the power to take measures against this kind of behaviour, but I do agree with Mr. Smith that if MSPs promised to reduce class sizes, than the local governments should be forced to make sure that this really happens.

Julie Kirkbride's £50,000 extension for brother - MPs' expenses

The Daily Telegraph brings news on the expense claims scandal. This time the target is the conservative MP Julie Kirkbride. She has been using thousands of tax payer’s pounds in order to facilitate her brothers and sister. Her husband, Andrew Mackay, also an MP, has already resigned after a serious discussion with his constituents. They no longer support him as their representative in parliament. Mrs Kirkbride does not wish to go into debate with her voters, but wants to spend time with her son. She has stated that she wants to continue being an MP, but that this is her local party’s decision to make; not hers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5396428/Julie-Kirkbrides-50000-extension-for-brother---MPs-expenses.html

Personal reaction:

The Daily Telegraph has tasted political blood and is now greedy for more. The newspaper first started reporting on this MPs’ expenses scandal a fortnight ago, and has been coming with more and more claims: from Cabinet minister to backbenchers. Of course, this is an issue that needs to be thoroughly investigated, and I think that the members of parliament have shamelessly misused the parliamentary expenses system. Even if the rules of the system are too lenient, the politicians could have had the moral decency to stop and think if what they were doing was right. Some of them have now started to pay the cost for their misbehaviour: a growing number of MPs has decided to stand down, and a large group is trying to stay in parliament by promising to pay back the claims or unrightfully gained benefits.

Baby P Killers May Get Heavier Sentences

The Guardian reports that the attorney general, Lady Scotland, has requested the Old Bailey to send her all the papers concerning the Baby P case. It is her intention to send the papers through to the court of appeal in order to reconsider the length of the prison sentences passed to the three people convicted for the death of the toddler.
Especially the minimum sentences are thought to be too lenient by the attorney general, as well as children’s charities and The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The mother, for instance was given an indefinite sentence with a minimum of five years in jail. This means that she might possibly be released in three years, given the time she spent in prison before and during the trial.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/27/babyp-sentence-appeal-peter-scotland

Personal reaction:

During the Cool Britannia course I learned about this horrific case. It reminds me strongly of a similar Dutch drama. It is probably because I am a mother of two myself that cases like these affect me deeply. Baby P was a two year old toddler named Peter. His mother left his father, got involved with a sadistic man, and they took in a lodger who was on the run with his fifteen year old girlfriend. These three adults around the little boy turned out to be a lethal combination. When his body was found, his head was shaved, and he had several injuries all over his body. Just looking at the picture of this beautiful blue-eyed child makes feel sick at the stomach.

Susan Boyle's secret crush on an older man

The Sunday Mirror reports about Susan Boyle, the 44 year old woman from Scotland who became a star overnight after her stunning performance at the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. During this show she had declared that she had never been married and never been kissed before in her life. Now, she has admitted to The Sunday Mirror that she wants to become involved with a man who is 16 years older than her. The two regularly see each other in the Catholic Church, and Susan has had a crush on him before. Unfortunately for Susan, her feelings are not mutual. Helmut told the newspaper that he regards Susan as a good, reliable friend. He hopes she will win the show but he is too old for a love affair with a younger woman.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/05/17/susan-s-secret-love-for-helmut-115875-21365333/

Personal reaction:
This Susan Boyle is really becoming a phenomenon. After the mini-debate about her case, I had become somewhat curious about her. Now, after reading this article, I decided it was time to take a look at her on YouTube. It is true: she has a beautiful voice, and her looks are not a reflection of an angle.
Watching the exaggeratedly stunned expressions on the jury’s faces, however, I could not help feeling that it was all a put-up job. All three members of the jury knew perfectly well how well can sing, and that she not a good-looking lady. It was decided beforehand that Susan would be the living example of the saying that ‘looks can be deceiving’.
Nevertheless, I wish Susan the best of luck, and I hope she will find true happiness in her life.

Schools switching to clip-on ties

All over the UK, schools are changing the ties that are prescribed to go with the school uniforms. Traditionally, boys are required to wear knotted ties. Recently, however, more and more schools are considering switching to so-called ‘clip-on ties’. One of the reasons for this is that knotted ties can cause dangerous situations; they might catch fire or get strapped into equipment. The Schoolwear Association, that represents the school uniforms industry, says that with clip-on ties pupils will be able to run around school safer.
Another reason is that pupils try to stand out with a knotted tie, making elaborate knots. This is not beneficial to the standardisation of the uniform that most schools aim for.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8051982.stm

Personal reaction:

To most Dutch people this is probably a funny story and a proof that school uniforms and standardisation do not work. People, young and old, want to show their own identity, and if they cannot do that by wearing whatever they want, they will do it by making funny knots in their ties. The mere thought of having to wear a tie every day to school would make every Dutch teenager roar with laughter.
For the British, however, I believe this is a dead-serious matter. This is one of their many traditions they do not want to part from, even though probably almost everyone absolutely hated wearing these ghastly school uniforms as a scholar.
The article does not make clear if there have in fact been accidents due to the knotted ties.

West Ham 0 - Liverpool 3

In yesterday’s football match, (May 9th) Liverpool beat the Hammers – the nickname for the West Ham United Football Club – by 3 to 0.
Liverpool’s skipper Steven Gerrard played an excellent match. He already succeeded in putting the ball into the net in the second minute. Later in the first half, Liverpool was granted a penalty by referee Alan Wiley. At first Gerrard’s shot was brilliantly stopped by West Ham’s keeper Green. However, he lost control of the ball, and Gerrard scored in the rebound. Just before the final whistle, substitute Ryan Babel put the final score to 3. This result is a big boost for Liverpool that has been dreaming of becoming champion in the Premier League.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article2421051.ece

Personal reaction:

It was quite hard to make a decent summary of an account of a football match that I have not seen myself. I am not familiar with English football, although I do watch it occasionally – especially when my husband pushes the buttons of the remote control. This means that I am not acquainted with the names and nicknames of the football clubs and players stated in the article, such as “The Hammers “.
Then there is the style the Sun uses to describe a football match: it largely consists of player’s quotes, and it is clearly meant for football fans, not the outsiders such as myself. However, I do think that articles like these give a good view on what the British talk about.