The best bluebell woods in Britain »

timesonline
The woods are in bloom and ideal for a spectacular day out: but you’ll have to hurry to catch the finest display in years.

First Lady Michelle Obama gives schoolgirls a pep talk »

 Times Online
There were squeals, high-fives and tears. Michelle Obama electrified a North London school in a surprise visit during which she told children to remember that “being smart is cooler than anything in the world”.
America’s First Lady appeared at times overwhelmed by the reaction to her visit to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington.

In [...]

A New Year »

April 1st marks the beginning of a new financial year in the UK. Alongside the humour and tomfoolery accompanying April Fool’s day, the new year brings relief to millions of people across he country as the business and budgets of the previous year come to a close, and preparation for a new beginning fires up. [...]

The day the clocks spring forward - a time for opportunity »

Sunday March 29, 2009 - British Summertime begins. A landmark in the calendar. Every year I marvel at how a small difference in time can make such a big impact on our lives. British Summer Time is an eagerly anticipated day by many; for some their best day of the year.

Teenager’s 60ft painting of penis on parents’ roof spotted in space »

 
Guardian Unlimited
When ancient Britons drew male genitalia on chalk hillsides, little did they know people would ape their customs millennia later
When I was at school there was a craze for scrawling penis graffiti on the chairs. Hapless teachers would look around the class to work out what all the sniggering was about, only to find [...]

Spring weather arrives: Warm temperatures to last most of the week »

Telegraph.co.uk

After the temperatures rose as high as 59F (15C) in parts of the country on Sunday, making it the hottest day of the year so far, forecasters said the best of the warm spell is yet to come.

Hares on the rebound with friendly farmers’ help »

 timesonline

Oxfordshire: Numbers of brown hares have increased by more than a third on farms with wildlife-friendly schemes, according to the Wildlife Trusts.

Brown hares, which are noted for “boxing” in spring – like these pictured – have declined by around 75 per cent in the past 50 years.
The decline has been caused mainly by the [...]

£30 million of premium bond prizes go unclaimed »

 
Timesonline
Photo by Adrian Clarke
Government-backed savings provider to search nationwide after thousands forget to claim prizes worth up to £100,000

London’s day of innocence »

 Stuart Jeffries - The Guardian,  Tuesday 3 February 2009
 
On the canal bridge just behind Kings Cross, a policeman took a huge snowball full in the face and - I couldn’t quite believe this was happening - giggled delightedly (it must have really hurt). His three colleagues gathered snowballs and pelted the mob of school boys and [...]

London is a winter wonderland »

Londoners awoke this morning to a scene which they haven’t seen here for quite a while. Overnight, parts of London and the South East received up to 6in of snow, the best dump of snow recorded for 18 years. Even grittier parts of London looked pretty under the blanket of fresh white powder.
Understandably, transport in [...]