London
Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” Re—Created by Stars
ALISTAIR MORRISON/NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
A REDOUBTABLE CAST of British actors teamed to pose for a photo re-creating Leonardo da Vinci’s famous 15th-century painting for the benefit of the National Portrait Gallery. Among those taking part in the project were Robert Powell, Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth and Sir Michael Gambon. Prints of the photograph titled “Actors’ Last Supper” will be sold at the gallery in forms ranging from £12,375 limited editions to postcards, for the support of the gallery’s portrait fund for new acquisitions.
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St. James’s Palace
The Christening of Prince George
THE THIRD IN LINE to the British throne was christened at a private event by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace. The seven godparents’ named were all family friends except Prince William’s cousin, Zara Philips. The infant prince wore a replica of the gown made for Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter in 1841. The proud parents chose two hymns, “Breath on Me, Breath of God” and “Be Thou My Vision” for the service. After the ceremony, the Prince of Wales hosted a tea at Clarence House.
Agatha Christie Greatest Crime Writer of All
A poll taken to mark the 60th anniversary of the Crime Writers Association has named Agatha Christie the best–ever crime author. Her 1926 whodunit The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was deemed the best crime novel ever. It was one of Christie’s first books featuring the indomitable Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
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Prince Charles Becomes a Pensioner
Upon turning 65 on November 14, 2013, Prince Charles has fled claim for the government pension to which he is entitled. Ironically, the Prince of Wales is still waiting for his job to open up. In the meantime, Charles plans to denote his state pension to a charity that works with the elderly. The future king is entitled to about £110 per week for his service to the Royal Navy and for his voluntary contributions.
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A New Monument in Poets Corner
On November 22 a monument to C.S. Lewis joined the pantheon of British writers honored in Westminster Abbey’s famed Poets Corner, marking the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ death in 1963. Among the most versatile authors of the 20th century, Lewis was beloved as a medieval literary scholar, creator of Narnia and as a Christian apologist.
Buckingham Palace
A Dubbing for Baldrick
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VETERAN ACTOR Tony Robinson who played the beleaguered dogsbody Baldrick to Rowan Atkinson in the brilliant series Blackadder received a knighthood in a Buckingham Palace ceremony. With his grandmother nursing an ailing ankle, Prince William stepped in to perform the investiture. When Sir Tony asked the Duke of Cambridge if he’d like a cameo role if they did another series, the prince readily agreed.
Portsmouth
Mary Rose Wins Major Tourism Award
COURTESY OF THE MARY ROSE FOUNDATION
THE BRITISH GUILD of Travel Writers has presented the new Mary Rose Museum with its annual Best UK Tourism Project award. The ship-shaped, space-age building housing the conserved remains of King Henry VIII’s flagship in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has seen more than 300,000 visitors since its opening on May 31, 2013.
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
Bromley Heath, Bristol
A Crush of Enthusiasm for the Women’s Institute
THE ANNOUNCEMENT SPREAD by Facebook that a new branch of the Women’s Institute was recruiting members at a 1950s-themed launch event brought an unexpectedly strong response. Organizers found themselves faced with 350 women queuing for the event at the church hall in Bromley Heath. The venerable women’s organization, best known for jam-making and its anthem “Jerusalem” has had a strong resurgence in membership over the last few years, with 210,000 members in 6,600 branches. Activities planned for the new members in Bromley Heath this year include belly dancing, car maintenance and cocktail making.
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Canterbury
General Synod Overwhelmingly Backs Women Bishops
WHAT HAS BEEN A HIGHLY contentious issue within the Church of England seems miraculously to have been settled by this year’s General Synod. After legislation supporting women bishops last year was narrowly defeated, this year the assembled bishops, clergy and laity voted 378 to 8 in favor of the change in church law allowing women to become bishops. One bishop was quoted as describing the dramatic turnaround “nothing short of miraculous.”
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And Now for Something Completely Different
To the great delight of millions of their Baby-Boomer fans, the five surviving members of Monty Python are reforming for a one-time show. The last time the cast of the iconic group appeared together was at the Aspen Comedy Festival in 1998. The Flying Circus rides again next July at the O2. No one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition either.
RIP Sir John Tavener
The musical world is mourning the passing of composer Sir John Tavener. Among the most prolific and respected composers of his generation, Tavener was admired by the Beatles and honored by the BBC and South Bank Centre with festivals of his music. Among the last pieces Tavener composed, his “Tolstoy’s Creed” and “Three Hymns of George Herbert” were premiered at the Washington National Cathedral.
Last of the Bletchley Park Codebreakers
Mavis Batey, one of the leading female codebreakers at Bletchley Park during World War II, has died, aged 92. She was the last of a team of “break-in” experts who cracked complex codes that had never been broken—including the famed German Enigma ciphers.
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Protests in Thomas Hardy Country
The Thomas Hardy Society is among those condemning proposals that would bring two wind farms to the rolling countryside of Dorset. Local opposition has been vocal against the introduction of the 400-foot wind turbines across stretches of Tolpuddle and Charminster that featured prominently in the famous Wessex novels of Thomas Hardy.
Wild Beaver Sighted Living in Devon
A woman walking her dogs near the River Otter in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, spotted and filmed the animal. Experts confirmed that her rare find was indeed a beaver–the first to be sighted in the wild in 500 years. The gentle animals were hunted to extinction during the reign of Henry VIII, though they have been reintroduced to England in captivity.
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Bloomsbury
Music for Royal Occasions, By George!
THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY of George I’s coronation is being commemorated with a major exhibition of art, music and royal memorabilia chronicling the ties between composer George Frideric Handel and three British monarchs. The exhibition titled “By George! Handel’s Music for Royal Occasions” runs February 7–May 18, 2014, at the Foundling Museum on Brunswick Square, Bloomsbury www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk. Handel was a governor of the Foundling Hospital, England’s first children’s charity and public art gallery.
Newcastle
River Tyne: Best for Salmon Fishing
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A GENERATION OR TWO AGO it would have been unimaginable. The River Tyne was then one of the dirtiest, most polluted rivers in Britain&madsh;clogged with industrial runoff from centuries as a major route for the export of coal. Over the past decades the river has been transformed into a wildlife haven. Today, the Tyne tops the list of salmon running the river in England and Wales, and places second for sea trout.