Monthly Archives: November 2012

Cottages of England

 

Cottages of EnglandCottages are an indispensable peculiarity of the rural scene in England. The word “cottage” derives from the English language and designates «the house with a barn and a personal plot». Enjoy this gallery of some beautiful and unique architecture, most medieval buildings and cottages were not built a long time ago Here you can imagine the old days as you walk through street upon street of ancient buildings. Some of them made of a timber frame construction which gives them a characteristic color. Different eras from various regions of England (Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, Oxford, Cornwall) are represented in this collection of photos.

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The Christmas lights are switching on

 

The Christmas lights are switching onThe tradition to put Christmas gifts in a sock dates back many years. They say that Santa Claus accidentally dropped some gold coins whilst getting out of a chimney. Could he not think of any other way to delivery gifts secretly, maybe his brain was frozen. Nevertheless, thanks to his clumsiness, a popular tradition was created. Santa’s gold coins, as luck would have it, dropped into a sock drying on the fireplace. Children from all over the country fell in love with idea about a sock filled with gold coins. Since then the fireplace became, not only the center of the home, giving it a warm and a cozy atmosphere but also a magic place where gifts appear on Christmas night.

The Christmas lights are switching onAll family members buy gifts for each other, as do The Christmas lights are switching onfriends and relatives. I asked a friend of mine how many gifts she was buying this year. “More than thirty” She answered with a long sigh… There are many similar traditions in different countries all around the world that compare equally with the buying of presents…

All this fuss about buying presents begins in the middle of November, exactly when the Christmas lights are turn on in all the towns and cities around England. This is the official start of the Christmas marathon of shopping. Everyone rushes out to buy gifts, some good others useful, usually beautiful expensive yet most unnecessary or ridiculous.

The Christmas lights are switching onIn London all the main streets turn into a magical world The Christmas lights are switching onespecially for children. Unique fantastic different designs are laid every year in shop windows of department stores like Selfridges, Debenhams, Harrods, and John Lewis. You can see magical worlds, from Peter Pan who seems like he has just arrived with his fairies from Kensington Park. Imaginative aliens with strange bodies and protruding eyes, Princesses that look like they came from the “Miss World” or the “Miss Galaxy” beauty contests, Snow white ponies carrying decorated Christmas trees on sledges and lots of other different and creative works from various designers.

The Christmas lights are switching onIn Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street the The Christmas lights are switching onfantastic hanging lights and the illuminated shop fronts attract tourists from all over the world. It feels like the more is spent on decorations, the more buyers will end up spending from their fat wallets and credit cards.

The Christmas lights are switching on

The traditional Christmas Winter Wonderland fair in The Christmas lights are switching onHyde Park starts on November the 23rd. Entertainments of every kind will be there to welcome the visitor. Funfairs with big wheels and swings to an ice skating rink and cafes with tasty food, warm drinks and lots of different gift shops selling a variety of presents.

 

The Christmas lights are switching on

The town of Reading in the County of Berkshire, as well The Christmas lights are switching onas many other cities, turned on its Christmas lights with some amazing and glorious fireworks. Thousands of inhabitants and guests gather on the riverside, the most beautiful part of the town center every year to witness this wonderful extravaganza. 

 

Bright Christmas lights adorn most streets of every city.

The Christmas lights are switching onAlso many English people like to decorate their houses with lots of decorations. In the evening, you cannot make out the house, in the glare of the brightly illuminated balls, deer, Father Christmas, stars and Christmas trees.

Christmas and the New Year holidays are the brightest and best loved days of the year, maybe because they are a warm and joyful celebration during the cold season. As in the summer it is much nicer to be among joyful greens and flowers in the warmth of the sun. Also during winter’s short days and long nights we like to decorate our surroundings with multi coloured lights and warm fires.

The Christmas lights are switching onDuring our childhood most of us always expected something unusual at this time of the year because we believed in the fairy tale, and when we are finally adults, in our hearts we still trust in miracles.
The holiday has now begun! Miracles are still to come!

 

 

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«War of the worlds» on the streets of England…

 

«War of the worlds» on the streets of England...War of the worlds on the streets of England? Could you imaging an invasion of aliens on our planet nowadays? Could you believe in the possibility of such an event? Nevertheless, one of the best known cases of mass hysteria occurred in 1938 when one reporter in a broadcast in the United States announced that aliens had landed on Earth. The author pretended that he was reporting an actual live event.

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The West Country Carnival

 

The West Country CarnivalEvery year in autumn something very exiting happens in the county of Somerset. The West Country Carnival. Giant illuminated processions are held in an English tradition that dates back as long as 400 years. Some of these processions are so fantastic they rival those of Brazil in illuminations and decor. This particular carnival travels from one city to another from the middle of October to the middle of November bringing joy and excitement to anyone that cares to stand and watch. The processions last about two hours in some towns, whereas in others it takes 4 hours for all the floats to pass by.

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The addictive world of gambling fate and luck!

The addictive world of gambling fate and luck!The addictive world of gambling… What depreciates money the most? Or, where does money devalue the quickest? After looking at some Casinos, I got the impression that a Casino is a place where people loose all their senses and the value of their money by using chips instead of cash. Gambling is a prolific business in this world. Casinos are not there to distribute or give money away but to relieve you of it in a fair way which depends entirely on you. Gambling has been going on all over the world since time immemorial.

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