Farewell to the Iron Lady

 

 

 

Farewell to the Iron Lady 

Nearly everyone, anywhere in the world, will know that Margaret Thatcher died in London last week.  Her face has dominated the UK media since that day much as she dominated UK politics from 1979. Since she left office in 1990, having been unseated by her own party, there have been four different Prime Ministers and five leaders of the Conservative party. Why was she such a dominant figure in British politics? And why has her death led to such an outpouring of love and hate?

Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party in 1975. She was the first woman to lead a political party in the UK. In 1979 she became Prime Minister – the first female to do so in any Western country. Thatcher took over a country that had just suffered the ‘winter of discontent’, characterised for many voters by images of rubbish piled high on pavements after a long strike by refuse collectors, and which was in economic difficulty with inflation running at over 20% and the major industries and utilities run (badly) by the State. It took, for example, a minimum of six weeks to get a new telephone connected by the state-run telecoms firm and there were similarly long waiting times for installation of basic products such as gas fires and cookers. Thatcher turned this upside down, she put the market rather than the government at the heart of the economy and proceeded to liberalise and privatise the UK economy. In the words of one former Prime Minister, she ‘sold off the family silver’ through an ambitious, and arguably successful, privatisation campaign and liberalised the financial sector, freeing it from regulation,  through the ‘big bang’ which many claim put in place the conditions which allowed for the 2008 financial crisis. 

Many judge her economic policies to have been successful yet they had social consequences which divided the UK in the 1980s and which are still highly visible today. She reduced the power of the unions, most notably through the year-long Miner’s Strike in 1984, which divided communities and saw violent battles between the police and striking miners. Her economic policies, and the subsequent decline in British manufacturing, led to a significant rise in unemployment and social unrest in major cities in the UK. The impact of these policies was felt throughout the country but not evenly – the South and London generally benefitted whereas the rest of the country went through difficult times. A look at recent electoral maps show the long term impact of these changes with the country still divided by a Conservative south and a Labour north. 

Margaret Thatcher’s funeral will be a ceremonial one. Only Winston Churchill has received a higher honour with a State Funeral in 1965. Churchill united the country during the Second World War and was seen, by nearly all, as a great Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher will, for a large number of Britons, never receive such recognition, yet her lasting impact on the UK is probably just as significant. 

Written by Kate Daubney, 

Visit the FOCUS website:  www.focus-info.org

Time to Boast...

Time to boast…

From a city shrouded by gloomy cloud cover and an air of desperation in peoples voices speaking of nothing but the unseasonable weather, came a ray of light. Bright and full of hope the light uncovered a city boasting of spectacular sights no matter where one turned one's eye.This was the View From The Shard!

With many locals wisely taking retreat over the Easter holidays in warmer 'climes', London has felt rather deserted and lonely.  The relative quiet of the city combined with the forecast for a welcome sunny Sunday morning created the perfect opportunity to take in one of London's newest attractions. And so I sped through the sleepy streets south of the river with the sight of the Shard becoming ever more impressive.  This is a building which I, like many, could not quite visualise as having a sympathetic space in a city which, while admittedly having an eclectic architecture, does have a relatively predictable height. With curiosity I have marvelled at the Shard's construction and the brave and talented builders who have brought it to life.




As I approached the Shard I knew it would be an amazing experience to see London from above, but I had no idea just how impressed I would be by the architecture of the building from the inside out and what lay beneath.  Being the 5th person to enter the building on this sunny morning meant that I was able to take in every aspect at a relaxed and uninterrupted pace. From the attendants that guide you to the lift, first to the 33rd floor and then on to the 69th floor, to the lift itself and finally to The View From The Shard, I was treated to a most spectacular adventure. I took in the view from the partially exposed 72nd floor first.  What a feast to the eye London's sights are from above! I was like a kid in a candy shop pointing out parks, stadiums, rivers and landmark buildings galore. The floor to ceiling glass allows for an uninterrupted view of the world below.  The design of the building means that from the inside you can view the outside construction giving a wonderful juxtaposition to the views of London and an appreciation for the building which became an icon even before its completion. Spending one and a half hours over the two viewing floors I was finally ready for the descent.


Back on the street all that was familiar seemed so up close and larger than life.  I had acclimated to the view from above and it felt almost peculiar to be back at ground level.

I walked back through an awakening Borough Market which had been decidedly asleep only several hours before. With the bustle of tourists now approaching the Shard I felt a spring in my step and a greater appreciation for this amazing city I call home.  London certainly has a lot to boast about and if ever I forget, the Shard will call me back!

By: Nancy Dickinson

Visti the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org

SMARTPHONE APPS

With thousands of apps available to download for smartphones,  it can be difficult to find those that are really helpful and of great benefit while avoiding those that just a waste of time.

In this jungle of apps I am highlighting 10 that I find to be the best and most useful. These apps are all available for  iphone, although some are also on other platforms.

Dropbox

 

Access files in the cloud from your smartphone

Dropbox is a cloud based storage solution which gives immediate access to all your photos, docs and videos anywhere and makes sharing them easy.

 

Netflix

Access and watch from your Netflix account
The Netflix app is a mobile portal that allows users to access the full subscription service that the company provides. Users are required to have a Netflix account to access the full array of TV programs and movies but content is available almost instantly thanks to the efficient streaming within the app.

Spotify

App to stream millions of songs
Spotify is a subscription based music service. The Spotify app is a portal for users to benefit from the subscription experience on mobile devices and has features like track searching, playlist creation and even saving tracks for offline use in areas with limited Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Runtastic

The Runtastic GPS Coach is your personal tracking app and all-in-one exercise app for running, walking, biking and other outdoor and indoor sports activities. The app tracks your progress (distance, time, speed, calories, altitude, pace etc.).

Rick Steves Audio Europe

Get the most out of your this travels in Europe with this app that provides cultural and sightseeing information for tracks, self-guided tours, great sights and historic walks in Europe.

NearMe 

The NearMe app is a mobile guide that makes it fast and simple to find out what´s around you.  Whether you are seeking out hotspots, exploring for hidden gems or needing the essentials,  NearMe can find it, tell you about it and get you to it.

XE

                                                                                     

XE currency converter. Convert every world currency with the XE Currency App. It offers live proprietary currency rates, charts, and even stores the last updated rates, so it works wen the Internet doesn’t.

Snapseed

Edit your photos professionally. Snapseed is a photograph editing app with a great user interface. A large array of editing features. Obviously put together by professionals who understand what is needed and that attention to detail shines through.

IMDb

IMDb is the world’s largest collection of movie, TV and celebrity info. The aim is to list every detail about every movie and TV show ever made, including who was in it, who made it, the plot, user ratings, trailers, photos, reviews, quotes, goofs, trivia and much more.

 

World Atlas by National Geographic

Easy-to-use, feature-packed, and containing the world’s best maps, the National Geographic World Atlas enables you to browse, search, and zoom detailed maps of the globe.  Unlike other atlas applications, the National Geographic World Atlas utilizes our highest resolution, “press-ready” images, providing you the same rich detail, accuracy, and artistic beauty found in our award-winning wall maps and bound atlases. 

Written by Marianne Sloth

Visit the FOCUS website: www.focus-info.org 

The Beautiful Game

In this country, football is often referred to as ‘the beautiful game’.  They also say that football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.  As an American, it is interesting to me that soccer is a sport that cannot compete commercially with the traditional American sports like baseball, football, basketball and ice hockey; as it is a fast-paced, exciting game that only takes two hours!

Having a football-mad Italian husband and two teenage boys that have been brainwashed since birth to be die-hard AS Roma fans, this is usually an activity that I leave to ‘the boys’.  So when a friend of ours informed us of her long-standing support of Liverpool, my husband insisted that a pilgrimage to watch Liverpool play at Anfield Road with the two families was a must. 

We boarded a train from Euston station on Saturday morning and within two hours arrived in the centre of Liverpool.  Located in the Northwest of England, and obviously famous as the birthplace of the Beatles, Liverpool has a lot to offer the weekend tourist.  In 2008, Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture, and has several wonderful museums and churches, including Tate Liverpool and the Maritime Museum, as well as the Liverpool Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Liverpool.  

We stayed in a lovely hotel on the Docks, and the 4 teenage boys in our party were thrilled to learn the opposing team, Tottenham Hotspurs, were staying there too.  Plans were hatched on how to disturb the players in the night so that they wouldn’t play well the next day, but thanks to a full day of sightseeing, they were too tired to carry out the dastardly deeds.  They did, however, do a fair amount of stalking the players throughout the hotel, and managed to secure the odd autograph.  

Sunday afternoon finally arrived, and we bundled up (it was a freezing 0 degrees, with snow flurries and an arctic wind blowing from the east) and headed off to the stadium.  Anfield Road is a relatively intimate stadium, seating just over 45,000.  It was a surprisingly orderly crowd and the atmosphere within was electric.  The anthem, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, written by Rogers & Hammerstein for the musical Carousel, but made popular in the early 1960s by Gerry and the Pacemakers; is played over the loudspeaker and sung by all fans at the beginning of every home match.   

Then the action began!  Liverpool got off to a cracking start and scored a goal early in the first half – the crowd went wild.  Subsequently the Spurs retaliated and by half-time the score was 1-1.  Early in the second half the Spurs scored a second goal, and the atmosphere was certainly dampened.  Shortly thereafter there was another goal by Liverpool and they were back in the game!  With just under 10 minutes left to play, Liverpool scored a third goal and the crowd was electrified – could they keep the lead for the last few minutes?  The final score was 3-2 for Liverpool and the fans were thrilled, especially as their rival team, Everton, had lost the previous day.  

Before heading back to the train station, we had a bite to eat in an Italian restaurant.  As it was Mother’s Day, the place was packed, and once again, the boys were thrilled to learn that a player was seated behind our table, this time from Liverpool.  While they wanted to ask for an autograph, they realised that he was out for a special occasion with his wife and baby.  They discreetly asked the headwaiter if he would ask for the autograph, and they were told to wait until the end of his meal.  Once the player had finished eating, the boys sheepishly approached him, and he graciously signed their programmes on the page with his picture.  Another success!

We arrived back in London Sunday night, exhausted, but satisfied.  It was a great weekend trip filled with food, culture and sport!

Written by Eva Stock

A passion for reading

If you saw some children today dressed up in funny or plain clothes , you are probably asking yourself: why are they not in their school uniforms? Is it carnival? Are they on holidays again?  The answer is today WorldBook Day  is celebrated in the UK and many schools encourage their pupils to dress up as their favourite book characters. The children take their favourite books to school and talk about their choices. They also receive National Book Tokens that can be used to pick one of eight exclusive and completely free books or they can use it to get £1 off any book. This is a great initiative to promote reading for children.

Wherever I go, I see Brits reading: on holidays, on the tube, on airplanes, on buses…. They seem to read more than any other nationality. I believe the habit develops because children in the UK are encouraged to read a lot from a very young age. The choice of children's books is incredible and there are certainly many events to boost their passion for reading.

I recently went to a fun event with my 11-year-old son: the Imagine Children’s Festival at the Southbank Centre. The event was an interview, questions and answers session followed by book signing by David Walliams, author of Ratburger. The Queen Elizabeth Hall was completely full! There were kids from a variety of backgrounds, all with a passion to read. During the same festival there were other events with children’s authors, some at the 900 seat and some at the 300 seat auditorium, but all completely sold out events.  It was quite amazing to see all those kids with their books, putting their hands up to ask questions. My son had already been to a similar event with Anthony Horowitz. When my daughter was young we met Angelina Ballerina and her author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig and also Felicity Wishes’ author Emma Thomson. My daughter still remember those encounters!

If you want to develop your child’s passion for reading, there are many other events across the UK .  You can find more information on the following websites:

http://www.bookeventsforchildren.co.uk

http://babbleabout.co.uk/events/

by Ana Beatriz Alencar

Visit the FOCUS website: www.focus-info.org