One of the best examples of success via optimism is Sir Winston Churchill.

His candor, wit, and belief in building up others helped him lead England from the darkest shadows of WWII to victory over Nazi Germany.

It’s not just my opinion, here are several others:

When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of England, German air force was “dumping planeload after planeload of bombs on England” at all hours of the day or night. “No one knew whether the British empire would be able to hold out for another week.”

Despite the bleak outlook of the Nazis running over France, Belgium, and Holland. Joseph P. Kennedy, the American ambassador in London, “told Washington that Britain was finished.”

Cameron C. Taylor wrote,” In the mists of the gloom and turmoil and in the face of what seemed to others like impossible odds, Churchill took office with optimism and determination.” (*8 Attributes of Great Achievers by Cameron C. Taylor)

Churchill understood the power of optimism to set the foundation for victory.

On the day he took office, Churchill wrote, “I felt as though I were walking with destiny that my past life had been but a preparation for this hour for this trial… and I was sure I should not fail.”

Churchill’s key to his courage “was his unbounded optimism,” Optimists are courageous as they depend on the hope “that dangers and hazards can be overcome.”

In 1910, Churchill said, “I am one of those who believe that the world is going to get better and better.” He “deprecated negative thinking”. In 1916, in “a speech to his officers in the trenches in France, Churchill exhorted: ‘Laugh a little, and teach your men to laugh… If you can’t smile, grin. If you can’t grin, keep out of the way till you can.'”

On May 13, 1940, Churchill gave his first speech as Prime Minister to the House of Commons. He said, “You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory… victory in spite of all the terror, victory however long and hard the road may be… with all the strength that God can give us… I take up my task with buoyancy and hope, I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail.” (Winston Churchill, The Second World War, Volume II, Their Finest Hour)

Just after becoming Prime Minister in 1940, Churchill “was advised of a doomsday plan to be implemented in the event of a full-scale German invasion of Britain.” He “would not permit contingency planning for failure, knowing it would inevitably leak out and breed pessimism.”

The plan: “The royal family and top members of the government would be evacuated to Canada. Churchill flatly vetoed the proposal adding, ‘We shall make them rue the day they try to invade our island'” (Celia Sandys and Jonathan Littman, “We Shall Not Fail”)

Even during the worst of times, Churchill remained optimistic and confident that they would achieve victory.

During a B.B.C. broadcast, Churchill proclaimed: “We are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime. From this, nothing will turn us-nothing. We will never parlay, we will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gang. We shall fight him by land, we shall fight him by sea, we shall fight him in the air, until, with God’s help, we have rid the earth of his shadow.”

“Churchill not only saw reasons for hope and confidence in the darkest days of World War II but he was able to infuse his unique combination of stoicism and optimism into the very backbone of the nation, the armed services, and his own staff.”

Leo Amery, a minister in Churchill’s government said, ‘No one ever left his cabinet without feeling a braver man.’… Great leaders bring out the inner strength that people often do not know they possess.”

Churchill empowered others to be their best selves!

“Churchill’s determination to never give in and his optimism that victory would be achieved enabled his country to fight boldly and courageously through tremendous difficulties and also rallied the support of other countries in the cause until victory was achieved.”

The free world owes a debt of gratitude to Prime Minister Winston Churchill. At 66 years of age he inspired, motivated, and propelled his people to fight. He was a leader with a positive attitude. In the face of adversity,

On January 24, 1965 Churchill died. “Over 300,000 people passed by his casket and millions watched the funeral proceedings” by television paying “their final respects to the man who helped change the course of history.”

Churchill presided over one of the great and most dramatic turning points of civilization. His actions were pivotal in the shaping of the world that we live in today.

“He knew that if he could rally the mind, spirit, and heart of the British people, they would eventually emerge victorious. Churchill not only saved Britain from defeat but now in retrospect, he saved democracy as a form of government in the world. Here was truly a single individual whose life made a profound difference to everyone on our planet.” Hyrum W. Smith, What Matters Most (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000).

What 3 lessons on leadership did Prime Minister Winston Churchill teach?

1) Be optimistic and confident. “Bring out the inner strength of people.”

2) Churchill, ‘Laugh a little, and teach your men to laugh.”

3) “If you can’t smile, grin. If you can’t grin, keep out of the way till you can.”

Churchill was a builder and lifter of people.

The upcoming rugby world cup will be the best one yet! The question on everyone’s mind at the moment is, “who’s going to win it?” The competition this year is fierce with top sides like; New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France and England competing but you also can’t rule out other powerful sides like; Italy, Wales and Ireland who will definitely give the top sides a run for their money!

This year’s group pools are as follows.

Group A: England, South Africa, Samoa, Tonga, USA

Group B: Australia, Canada, Fiji, Japan, Wales

Group C: Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Scotland

Group D: Argentina, France, Georgia, Ireland, Namibia

Previous winners:

1987 – New Zealand

1991 – Australia

1995 – South Africa

1999 – Australia

2003 – England

Looking at the stats and current betting it says to us that the competition is limited to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England and France. But will the little weaknesses in the teams lead to their downfall? Like New Zealand’s playing away from home record, Australia’s trying to be too clever resulting in only fooling themselves, South Africa’s poor stamina in the last ten minutes, England’s new youthful teams inexperience and France’s erratic performance stats? You never now until the day which is why this is going to be such a brilliant rugby world cup!

For more news like; Why New Zealand are sending a women’s side, Why Australia are giving huge cash incentives to their players and Why South Africa are hiring Aussie coaches? Visit http://rugby-2007.blogspot.com

Standard Variable Rate Mortgages

Standard Variable Rate or SVR is a type of mortgage where the interest rate can change, influenced by the Bank of England’s base rate. Each bank sets its own standard variable interest rate which is usually a couple of percentage points higher than the Bank of England’s base rate. SVR is one of the more common type of mortgages available with many leading lenders offering at least one, and sometimes offering several with different rates and terms to choose from.

You are most likely to continue onto this type of mortgage after finishing a Fixed Rate, Tracker or Discount Mortgage.

A lender can raise or lower its SVR at any time and, as a borrower, you have no control over what happens to it.

An advantage of this type of mortgage is that you are generally free to make overpayments or switch to another mortgage deal at any time without having to pay a penalty charge. Another benefit is that the interest rate will usually go down if the Bank of England’s base rate goes down. The disadvantage is that the rate can increase at any time and this is worrying if you are on a tight budget. The lender is free to increase the rate at any time, even if the Bank of England’s base rate does not go up.

Fixed Rate Mortgages

A fixed rate mortgage means that the rate of interest is fixed for the duration of the deal. Fixed rate mortgages are suitable for those who want to budget and prefer to know exactly what their monthly outgoings will be. You do not have to worry about general increases in interest rates, and can be safe in the knowledge that your payments will not go up during the fixed rate period. An early repayment charge may apply if the mortgage is repaid during the fixed period.

In addition to Standard Variable Rate and Fixed Rate Mortgages there are a few other kinds you may wish to consider before picking the right one for you. You could even combine a few of the options.

Discount Variable Mortgages

Basically a Discount Mortgage offers an introductory deal. This type of loan is cheaper than the Standard Variable Rate at the start of your mortgage. It allows you to take advantage of a discount for a set period of time at the beginning of your mortgage, usually the first 2 or 3 years. When the set period comes to an end the interest rate will be higher than the Standard Variable Rate.

The introductory discounted rate is variable as is the rate that follows it so be aware that, just the same as a Standard Variable Rate Mortgage, the amount you pay is likely to change in line with the Bank of England’s base rate during the duration of the mortgage. Also be aware that the discount offered at the beginning may be very good but you need to look at the overall rate being offered.

An early repayment charge may apply if the mortgage is repaid during the discount period.

Tracker Mortgages

With a Tracker Mortgage the interest rate is linked solely to the Bank of England’s base rate. If the Bank of England’s base rate goes up then so will the rate of interest you have to pay. If the Bank of England’s base rate falls then your monthly repayments will go down. By comparison the interest rate on a Standard Variable Rate Mortgage is similarly linked to the Bank of England’s base rate but it can also be changed by the mortgage lender whenever they wish to do so and for whatever reason. With a Tracker Mortgage you are guaranteed that the rate will only track the rate of the Bank of England and not be influenced by any other factors.

Flexible Mortgages

This type of mortgage is designed to accommodate your changing financial needs. It may allow you to overpay, underpay or even take payment holidays. You may also be able to make penalty-free lump sum repayments. If you make overpayments you may also be able to borrow back. However, to enable all this flexibility it is only to be expected that the interest rates charged on Flexible Mortgages are going to be higher than for most other repayment mortgages.

Capped Rate Mortgages

Capped Rate Mortgages, similar to Standard Variable Rate Mortgages, offer you a variable rate of interest. The difference is that your rate will have a cap. This guarantees that the rate will not go above a certain amount.

It sound like a great deal but there is a downside. The bank will start the mortgage on a higher interest rate than the normal standard variable rate or fixed rate. This is to cover the bank in case future interest rates rise above the rate they have capped for you.

Also caps tend to be quite high so it is unlikely that the Bank of England’s base rate would go above it during the term of the mortgage.

As the bank is able to adjust the rate on this mortgage at any time up to the level of the cap it is best to think of the cap as the maximum amount you might have to pay each month.

Offset Mortgages

Offset Mortgages are sometimes known as Current Account Mortgages. They link your bank account to your mortgage. If you have savings they will go towards the balance of the mortgage. For example, if you have £20,000 in savings and a mortgage of £200,000 you will have to pay interest on the balance of £180,000. You won’t receive any interest on your £20,000 savings but you will not have to pay interest on £20,000 of your mortgage.

Some Offset Mortgages link only to your current account, while others link to both your current account and savings accounts. Offset Mortgages are available on fixed rate deals or a range of variable rate offers too.

Let’s have a look at the poem. Scroll down and read it first, and then come back to my next sentence. The poet tells us: ‘If I should die, etc.’ to only think of him as some spot in a faraway land, in this case England. It could have been China, the US, the Bahamas, you name it. The point is that it is already far away in time and in place. The soldier is looking back at images and impressions of his youth spent in that far land, England where he was born and lived most of his life. The imagery of his country and his entire existence is almost miraculously receding more and more and yet seems almost palpably close and present: ‘the rich earth’, ‘her flowers’, ‘the rivers’, ‘English air’, and more abstractly: ‘a pulse in the eternal mind’, ‘the thoughts by England given’, ‘dreams happy as her day’, ‘laughter’, ‘gentleness’, ‘hearts at peace’ and all ‘under an English heaven’.

He asks us also: ‘And think, this heart, all evil shed away,’… What could this state of mind be other than the very moment of dying? Although the poem starts with a premonition, and, if this or that should happen, he’s actually describing how he’s taking leave of everything he has known, everything he remembers of England as both he and England are fading away and he’s being buried in the earth where he too shall lie, but not England’s. He describes for us in very poetic ways how life is slowly coming to a standstill, but gently, with happiness and a fond memory of laughter and ease, and where nothing remains in the end but a thought (ours, his?) like a whiff ‘under an English heaven’.

O my dear American poet and critic whose name I shall not mention here, you who have passed away as well and are now also in that far land. I take it you’ve been discussing the true merits of this poem with its maker Rupert Brooke at least once since. When I too take off to that abode someday, I hope to join the conversation.

The Soldier by Rupert Brooke

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England’s, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Rupert Brooke, 1914

Badminton was invented in ancient Greece and Egypt as a form of sport. Badminton was originally a child’ game and was initially called “battledore” or “shuttlecock.” Originally Badminton was played with a feathered shuttlecock back and forth with tiny rackets. During the 18th century in India, Badminton was called “poona.” British army officers who were stationed in India during this time brought this version of Poona back to England during the 1860’s. Once it was back in England it spread slowly as the army met would introduce the sport to friends. It wasn’t until a famous party in 1837 that the game really got going. The Duke of Beaufort had a party at his country place where the sport was played. The name of the country place was “Badminton in Gloucestershire. At the time of this party, the game had no name, and so it was simply referred to as “The Game Of Badminton.” That’s how the game got it’s official name!

Now that the game had a name, it spread quickly from England to the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. Despite its “male” beginnings, the sport is now pretty evenly divided with about the same number of women playing the sport as men.

In 1899 the first All England championship for men was held and the first tournament for woman was organized in 1900. For some reason or the other, these two tournaments were deemed to be unofficial, and it wasn’t until 1904 that the “official” beginning of the All England matches started. In 1920 there were only about 300 badminton clubs in all of England, but by 1920 there were 500, and amazingly, only 10 years later, there were over 9,000 in the British Isles after World War II.

The International Badminton Federation was organized in 1934 with 9 initial members – Canada, England, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and New Zealand. It wasn’t until 1981 that this organization because the sports only international governing body. The International Badminton Federation, in 1939, decided it was time for International competitions, and the IB president at the time, Sir George A. Thomas, Baronet offered a trophy to the winning team. Ironically shuttlecosk shortages during the war and post-war caused a delay in the first “Thomas Cup” games until the 1948-1949 season. Someone tried to introduce an international women’s team around the same time, but ultimately it wasn’t acted upon due to financial difficulties. Eventually, during the 1956-1957 season, the “Uber Cup” was held. The Uber Cup was a women’s international triennial tournament where the trophy was donated by Mrs. H.S. Uber of England. In 1992 Badminton was first contested as an official Olympic sport in Barcelona, Spain. There are now several world Badminton events including the Uber Cup, World Championships, World Juniors, Sudirman Cup, the World Cup, and the World Grand Prix Finals.

The game of Badminton today resembles tennis and volleyball and involves the use of a net, a shuttlecock and lightweight rackets. The shuttlecock is typically a cork ball fitted with feathers for stabilization. It’s played with either two or four players and is played indoors or outdoors on a marked court about 44 feet by 17 feet wide for two players and 20 feet wide for 2 players. The official measurements for the net are that the top edge of the net should be 5 feet 1 inch from the ground at the posts and 5 feet from the ground at the center. During Badminton play, only the serving side can win a point. If the side serving the shuttlecock fails to return they lose the serve and if the side receiving fails to return, they lose the point and they will receive again. A Badminton game is played to 15 points, except in women’s singles, which is played to 11 points. If the score is tied toward the end of a game, it can be decided through a procedure called setting. Setting is a tie breaking procedure which involves different procedures depending on the point at which the score is tied and the rules may be different for men and women’s competition.

Badminton has a rich and interesting history, and it’s popularity is always increasing with the availability of inexpensive equipment and places to play, almost anyone can enjoy the sport of Badminton. New competitions are being planned including the development of a SuperSeries and some one-off “Spectaculars.” Searching on YouTube for badminton yields all sorts of interesting videos and match play and exhibition games.

There are many cities and villages throughout England because the city on the south coast of England is home to the Gay Pride Carnival that is held each August in Preston Park. It is also the city that is home to approximately 400 bars and clubs and out of these are many are English gay bars and clubs, such as the Ledgends Club located at Marine Parade. This bar has areas where conversations can be heard and also music, for the patron who wants their time at the bar a little livelier.

There is also Revenge, which is one of the most popular English gay bars that is stylish with a friendly atmosphere.

The Ku Bar is also another club in Brighton where there is a full line of beer and cocktails, with music in a friendly atmosphere to relax or dance.

London is also another city where English gay bars can be found, which have live music and other events.

Club Random is one of the gay clubs that can be found in London and is located on Clipstone Street, this club the music lovers will enjoy and it usually has a mixed crowd. This club has two floors with bars on each, a view of the sea from the large terrace with seating.

The Star at Night is a traditional European style cocktail bar with a welcoming atmosphere, patrons of this bar will find not only is it a relaxing place but it also has a full menu of cocktails and food. This English gay bars is located at 22 Great Chapel Street.

John MacGregor (Scottish) invented the kayak /canoe. In 1865, he founded the Royal Canoe Club. Kayak made its debut at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin (Germany).

From 1896 to 2004, Great Britain has won 668 Summer Olympics medals, including 188 gold. The United Kingdom has more gold medals than Greece, Cuba, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and India combined…

Sebastian Newbold Coe was selected to carry Great Britain’s flag during the closing ceremony at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games. From 1980 to 1984, he won four Olympic medals (800m and 1500m). Coe is an iconic figure in the world of sports.

Great Britain is the birthplace of table tennis. This sport was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Games and went on to become an “Olympic sport” in the Barcelona Games in 1992.

In the 1910s, Great Britain’s national football team won its third-ever gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Stockholm (Sweden).

The United Kingdom has many famous sportspeople: Jonathan Edwards (athletics / England), Sally Gunnell (track & field/ England), David Wilkie (aquatics /Scotland), Sebastian Newbold Coe (athletics / England), Samuel Ferris (marathon / Northern Ireland), Allan Wipper Wells (athletics/ Scotland), Steve Michael James Ovett (track and field / England), Colin Ray Jackson (athletics/ Wales), Cris Hoy (cycling / Scotland).

Unlike Japan, West Germany, Canada and Kenya, Great Britain / United Kingdom did not boycott the 1980 Olympics in the Soviet Union. Margaret Hilda Thatcher ( Prime Minister of the United Kingdom / 1979-1990 ) did not support the boycott. GB sent 214 athletes to the Moscow Games (won 21 medals). Ironically, Bermuda, Cayman islands, Antigua-Barbuda and Hong Kong ( British territories ) boycotted the Games.

Kate Howey was the flag bearer of the British Olympic team at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Who is she? Kate was a judoka…

England dominated the medals at the First Commonwealth Games in 1930. But over the last three decades, England has been overtaken by Australia.

Glasgow (Scotland) will be host to the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The United Kingdom is the birthplace of boxing. London hosted the first boxing championships in 1867. James Figg and John Broughton were the first boxers in the history…

Linford Christie was one of the greatest sprinters in the past century. Great Britain’s Linford won the gold medal in the 100m at the Barcelona Games in 1992. He was born on April 2, 1960 in Saint Andrew, Jamaica (Caribbean).

British boxers won all the gold medals in the Olympics in 1908. The champions were: Henry Thomas ( bantamweight / 54kg), Richard Gunn ( featherweight / 57kg ), Frederick Grace ( lightweight / 60kg ), John Douglas (middleweight / 75kg), Albert Oldham (super heavyweight / 91%2B kg).

The Montreal Olympic Games was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II ( Head of State of Canada) in 1976.

Great Britain introduced field hockey into India and Pakistan. This European country was the first ever men’s field hockey Olympic champion (1908).

This country has hosted many international Games/ tournaments:

The 1897 Cycling World Cup-Glasgow, Scotland

The 1904 Cycling World Cup-London, England

The 1908 Summer Olympics-London, England

The 1934 British Empire Games-London, England

The 1938 Baseball World Cup-London, England

The 1948 Summer Olympics-London, England

The 1958 British Empire Games-Cardiff, Wales

The 1966 FIFA World Cup-London, England

The 1970 British Commonwealth Games-Edinburgh, Scotland

The 1975 FISA World Rowing Cup-Notthingham, England

The 1971 Cycling World Cup-Leicester, England

The 1986 Commonwealth Games-Edinburgh, Scotland

The 1991 World University Games-Sheffield, England

The 2002 Commonwealth Games-Manchester, England

Bermuda ( British territory / Caribbean ) won an Olympic medal at the 1976 Montreal Games. The medalist was Clarence Hills (boxing). It competed in the Summer Games 15 times: Berlin-1936, London-1948, Helsinki-1952, Melbourne-1956, Rome-1960, Tokyo-1964, Mexico City-1968, Munich-1972, Montreal-1976, Los Angeles-1984, Seoul-1988, Barcelona-1992, Atlanta-1996, Sydney-2000, Athens-2004. Bermuda has also competed in the Winter Games: France-1992, Norway-1994, Japan-1998, USA-2002, Italy-2006…

The United Kingdom has many foreign-born sportspeople : Tessa Sanderson (Jamaica / track & field ),Curtis Osano (Kenya / soccer), Blair Blenman (Barbados / weightlifting ), John Barnes (Jamaica / football ), Cliff Drysdale ( South Africa / tennis ), Fatima Whitbread ( Cyprus / athletics ), Bamlerdele “Dele” Adebola (Nigeria / soccer), Zola Budd ( South Africa / track & field ), Judy Simpson (Jamaica / athletics ), Eniola Aluko ( Nigeria /soccer ), Simon Lessing ( South Africa / triathlon ), Clive Longe (Guyana / track and field ), Natalie Steward (South Africa / swimming), Nedeum Onuoha ( Nigeria /soccer ).

Like Dan O´Brien and Jim Thorpe, Daley Thompson was one of the best decathletes in the 20th century.

Fact File

Name: Francis Morgan Thompson ( best known as Daley Thompson)

Nationality: British

Ancestry: Nigerian (Scottish mother and Nigerian father)

Born: 30 / 7 / 1958

Place of birth: Notting Hill, London,UK

Personal motto: “Competition is my life, winning is my only goal”

Sport: Decathlon (track & field)

Major individual medals

1977: European Junior Championships-Gold medal

1978: Edmonton Commonwealth Games-Gold medal

1978: European Championships-Gold medal

1980: Moscow Olympic Games-Gold medal

1982: Brisbane Commonwealth Games-Gold medal

1983: World Championships-Gold medal

1984: Los Angeles Olympic Games-Gold medal

1986: Edinburgh Commonwealth Games-Gold medal

1986: European Championships-Gold medal

In 1863 the first set of rules for association football were established. Those rules were the influence for the Laws of the Game. Football is a National sport in England. England has more than 40,000 football clubs and millions and million of spectators at those games every season. England has close to 100 professional football clubs, the Football League, which is the oldest national league, the Football Association, which is the oldest governing body, and the most popular league in all of the worlds leagues the Premier League which is known as “the World’s greatest show.”

From back in medieval times football has been played in England. The first world football club was a team known as the Gymnastic Society of London which was developed in the eighteenth century. In the year 1848 the first rules were drawn up at Cambridge University and they were called the Cambridge rules. Many codes were developed with these rules which included association football.

England’s top football clubs decided to break away from the Football League, which formed the Premier League in 1992. The Premier League sits at the top of the English football pyramid with promotion to and from it with the Championship. Currently the league consists of 20 teams, each facing each other twice a season (home and away matches) The top four placed teams at the end of the season earn qualification to the UEFA (Europe) Champions League, a competition with significant financial benefits, the next highest placed team qualify to the less glamorous Europa League. The three teams that finish at the bottom end of the League over the course of a season face relegation to the football championship league.

Reserve leagues were created in 1999. They are called The Premier Reserve League. The Premier League is divided into two leagues, Premier Reserve League South and Premier Reserve League North which is designed to decrease the travel demands on players. Support at reserve team games tends to be minimal

In 1915 the Football Combination was formed and it has thirty teams. This division is splint into Wales, Cast, and Central. These teams are primarily reserve teams. There are also professional teams in this league. Some of the teams can enter the race for the Combination Challenge Cup.

England does have football that is not a part of a league. Those are the teams that play in the organized league competitions but are not actually a part of a league. However these are none too common and are the teams are not officially recognised and are not members of the Football Association of England. Within English football there are also many amateur leagues and youth leagues. The amateur leagues make football one of the biggest participation sports in England. The youth leagues provide an opportunity for the next generation of football fans to develop a love for the game but are also the breeding ground for the next generation of star players as professional clubs employ many youth scouts to visit youth teams looking for talented youngsters.

Barbados has been an independent country since November 30, 1966. And yet the “Jewel of the Caribbean” is today still known as “Little England,” partly because no other country ever ruled the island, partly because large sections of its interior are lush and green like England, and partly because of lasting British traditions. Also, the bulk of tourists to the island are from the UK.

Barbados Under British Rule ~ Just the Facts

– The British landed along the west coast of Barbados in the 1600s, although it was the Portuguese who named the island Barbados, “the bearded ones,” for the appearance of the island’s fig trees.

– British settlers grew sugar cane and the largest plantations became very wealthy enterprises.

– The plantations would not have been profitable and productive without the slaves imported from Africa to work them.

– The British Crown saw local political power shift from the early British settlers to, gradually, beginning in the 1930s, the descendants of the slaves.

– Grantley Adams was the first to push for independence from British rule; he began the Barbados Labour Party in 1938 and by 1961 Barbados achieved the status of self-governing autonomy. The Barbados airport is named after this early and influential politician.

– After years of peaceful and democratic progress, Barbados became an independent state within the British Commonwealth on November 30, 1966. Under its constitution, Barbados is a parliamentary democracy modeled on the British system.

Barbados’ Independence Celebration

Each year on November 30 Barbados’ independence is celebrated not unlike America’s on July 4th. Barbados’ birthday begins with a parade in the Garrison Savannah, the former British military installation (and now a leading Caribbean race track and a very pretty grassy area steeped in history). (Actually, the British ran its military operation for all of the Eastern Caribbean from Barbados.)

Having traveled a great deal through the Caribbean, I notice that other countries look at Barbados as the “boring” island. It’s true: both Jamaica and Trinidad, for example, are bigger, bolder, more colorful, and brassier former children of the Crown. No matter; its low crime rate, peaceful politics, and high standard of living, Barbados quite happily accepts its role as the boring one of the lot.

This year, 2009, we celebrated Barbados’ 43rd birthday. Many happy returns!

A world powerhouse and Europe’s biggest city, London is one of the ultimate city-break destinations. Whether you enjoy its fabulous art, history and architecture, breathtaking sights, world-class cultural events, fine dining and vibrant nightlife or top quality theatre, ballet and opera, this pulsating metropolis fits the bill. While the capital often enjoys the limelight thanks to a number of high profile sporting events such as cricket at the Oval and Lords, tennis at Wimbledon and this year’s Tour de France, there’s even more of a buzz these day as it limbers up to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

There’s a wide range of accommodation from budget youth hostels to some of the most luxuriously expensive hotels on the planet. It’s not cheap but it’s certainly unforgettable.

Getting there/getting around London

London is easily accessible by road. Of the major motorways, you can travel to London from the M1 in the north, the M4 and M40 in the west, the M3 and M23 in the south and the M2 and M20 in the east. If you’re flying, choose from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and City airports. By coach, nearly all national services come into Victoria coach station. Once you’re in London, you can choose the bus, train or tube.

You’ll also spy plenty of the capital’s iconic black taxi cabs, but they do tend to be on the expensive side. Driving in London is quite an experience and not for the faint-hearted. If you do drive or hire a car, remember that during the week you’ll have to pay the congestion charge (£8) between the hours of 7am and 6pm.

Sightseeing in London

You’d need a few weeks to tour all of London’s famous landmarks, galleries, museums, parks etc. Probably the best way to get your bearings and take in as many famous landmarks as possible is aboard an open-top bus. There are tourist bus stops all over the city and one ticket enables you to hop on and off as and when you need to. Most routes take in Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament and Piccadilly Circus. The London Eye is one of the city’s most popular attractions and offers fantastic views.

Top museums include Tate Britain, the Tate Modern, the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum. There are wonderfully relaxing parks like Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, St James’s Park and Richmond Park or you could explore some of the city’s interesting markets at Camden, Notting Hill or Spitalfields.

London family attractions, day trips and shopping experiences

Family attractions in London

The Natural History Museum is superb for children and there are lots of interactive exhibits. You can experience what an earthquake feels like, get up close and personal with dinosaurs such as the terrifying T-Rex and examine weird and wonderful specimens in the Darwin Centre.

London Zoo and London Aquarium are popular destinations for animal lovers and the Tower of London and the London Dungeons make for an entertaining few hours. See your favourite celebrities (not quite in the flesh) at Madame Tussauds or head to east London to check out the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood.

Day trips from London

Windsor Castle sits on the River Thames about 20 miles west of London and a tour of the world’s oldest occupied castle is extremely popular. If you fancy heading down to the coast you can catch a train to Brighton from Victoria Station and be sucking in the sea air in around one hour. Hampton Court Palace in the south west of London is probably one of the most spectacular palaces in the world and its famous maze should keep you busy.

Visit in the winter and you can ice-skate with the palace as your backdrop. Theme parks such as Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park lie on the city’s outskirts and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park is around 30 minutes north of the capital.

Shopping in London

A shopping splurge won’t be cheap, but there’s not much you couldn’t buy. You’ll find high street fashion in Oxford and Regent Streets and big department stores like Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and world-famous Harrods in Knightsbridge. Around Covent Garden you’ll find exclusive boutiques and more high street names and the markets are great for variety. Portobello Market’s great for jewellery and Camden draws a very mixed crowd in search of ethnic arts, crafts, jewellery and second-hand clothing.

If you’re feeling peckish then Borough Market is wonderful for all manner of organic, regional and international produce. Just don’t go on an empty stomach or you’ll end up spending a fortune.

London nightlife, restaurants, bars and clubs

Restaurants in London

London’s fast becoming a culinary capital of the world and a place where you can try almost any kind of cuisine including Iranian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Argentinean, Nepalese, Greek, Turkish, American and Mexican. Many traditional English pubs in London serve excellent cuisine and you can’t visit without trying a traditional Sunday roast.

If you really want to splash out, dine at one of the restaurants of the many ‘celebrity’ chefs in the capital like Gordon Ramsay’s Claridge’s restaurant or Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen. There are also more than 30 Michelin starred restaurants including Hakkasan and Yauatcha (Chinese), Nobu and Umu (Japanese) and Aubergine and Chez Bruce (French).

Nightlife in London

Some of the world’s best nightclubs, theatre, dance and music are found in the capital. Plays in the West End can be very expensive but the UK’s best actors (as well as a few stars from the States) love to tread the boards. The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden has ballet and opera and there are live music venues all over the city where you can watch the planet’s best-known groups.

London’s nightclubs attract top DJs from all around the globe and hotspots include Fabric, China White (full of celebs) and Funky Buddha.

London has a massive choice of accommodation from simple and cheap guest houses and hostels to internationally famous five star hotels such as The Savoy and The Ritz.