Friday 11 May 2012

What a Wonderful Weather Forecast


One of the most common subjects of discussion between British citizens is the weather. It seems there’s always something to talk about regarding the weather in the UK, as it changes its mind daily. So sit down, have a cuppa tea, and let’s talk about the weather.

The UK has already had a few of heat waves this year; one notable week was in March, which normally tends to have fairly miserable, chilly weather. This year was a bit different, being the warmest March in 15 years and the sunniest since 1929.

This image was taken on Hove seafront in March

A month before the heat waves came a lot of heavy snow fall across much of the UK. An average of 2-4inches of snow fell in central, eastern and southern England, which left many roads un-driveable; the whole of the UK tends to come to a complete stand still when snow falls.

Snow has increasingly hit the UK over the last 5 years and is seen as an extra day off for a vast majority of the United Kingdom, as roads get frozen, children fail to make it to school and people struggle to get to work. Despite a lot of countries managing to get on with normal life when it snows, most in the UK decide to get outside and play.


British citizens are constantly trying to stay on top of the weather, and for good reasons. We could wake up on Tuesday with the sun gleaming through our homes, leaving us with no option but to get over-excited and put on our shorts. But you could wake up on a Wednesday to dark clouds, strong winds and heavy rain. A lot of people’s moods can be affected by the weather, so I guess that’s why we care so much.

People across the World got a good insight into the weather for Scotland yesterday, with a Royal weather man. Prince Charles presented the weather forecast for BBC Scotland and unfortunately didn’t have much good news to bring. No surprises there…

 
 
With pretty much nothing except rain to announce, Prince Charles put it rather well – “Thank God it isn’t a bank holiday!” – We couldn’t agree more, Charles.




Wednesday 2 May 2012

The Best of Brighton for British Holidays


Brighton has long been a place for British holidaymakers to pop down to for the day from the city and suburban areas. Since the Victorian times, fresh sea air, a better chance of sunshine and the treats of Brighton have lured in London visitors and foreign tourists for a day beside the sea. Brighton offers a taste of typical British tradition, and here are just a few of the favourite things visitors like about Brighton.

Brighton Rock
Brighton rock is a traditional sweet that is often taken home as a gift. Original Brighton rock is striped with pink and white, and has writing through the middle of the sweet. But rock is now available in all different shapes sizes and colours and even with different message written through it. There are even novelty shapes that shouldn’t be seen by the children but are particularly popular with hen parties staying in a nearby boutique hotel Brighton has so many of. 

Rock is readily available from the sweet shops on the seafront and the pier. There are also more specialised penny sweet shops selling rows of jarred sweets in colourful paper bags by the quarter. Other typical Brighton delicacies are hot sugar doughnuts, candy floss and soft ice cream cones with flakes. For those with a hankering for savoury foods, there’s no shortage of fish and chip restaurants, and there’s still a little fresh fish hut on the beach selling jellied eels and mussels. 




Brighton Carousel
Down on the pebbled beach front sits a beautiful wooden traditional carousel. The carousel is certainly a landmark for Brighton, and is made all the more special by the fact that it is only unveiled during the warmer summer months. The 1888 structure can be seen in many holiday snaps and features carved wooden horses, fairy lights and gold edging with beautiful chimes to accompany the ride.  




The Pier
It’s hard to miss Brighton pier during a trip to the city of Brighton and Hove. Entirely lit up in white lights, the pier shines like a beacon of delight. At the end of the pier is a fun fair that has all the rides anyone could want – a haunted house, log flume, small rollercoaster and a white knuckle swing arm that dangles riders over the sea.
Apart from the fair rides, there are also game stalls. It’s not uncommon to see people walking along the pier proudly hanging on to their prizes of giant cuddly fish. The sorts of games that can be found are hoopla, hook a duck and horse racing. There are also fortune tellers, penny arcade machines and henna tattoos.  
The pier is open late until 11pm, so party animals can enjoy a drink or two and sing the night away in the famous karaoke bar and later on enjoy a quiet cocktail bar Brighton is hiding away inland.
With so much to see and do, it’s no wonder the bright lights of Brighton attracted thousands of tourists each year.