Ysbryd y Ddraig http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107665295940072  has put together a small summer holiday programme for all those familes out there who want to do some fun things with the kids over the holidays, but also want to watch the kids do fun things from a distance… a quiet distance!

We’ll be in the lovely hands of the Royal Hotel in Llandudno who will be providing all the home comforts and refreshments you desire.
http://www.royalllandudno.com/

Cowboy night – Thursday 22nd July 6.30-9.30pm
Mexican menu, live music and cowboy fun for the kids. Entertainment for the whole family.
Adults £3, children £2, tickets include entry and entertainment, please book in advance.

Create day – Sunday 1st August 11.00-4.00
Working with the Craft Company to provide ‘stay and play’ fun create day. Tasty refreshments available and plenty of opportunity t o relax whilst the family has fun.
£5 entry per child.
http://www.craft-company.co.uk/

Pirate night – Thursday 5th August 6.30-9.30pm
Jamaican menu, live music and pirate fun for the kids. Entertainment for the whole family.
Adults £3, children £2, tickets include entry and entertainment, please book in advance.

Create day – Saturday 14th August 11.00-4.00
Working with the Mobile Creche Company to provide ‘stay and play’ fun create day. Tasty refreshments available and plenty of opportunity t o relax whilst the family has fun.
£5 entry per child.
http://www.mobilecreche.biz/index.htm

contact details at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100280423360356

A FREE weekend of Live Music @ the Warrington Music Festival 2010

Venue:
Old Fish Market
Golden Square
Warrington

A variety of Warrington talent will take to the stage for the town’s annual music festival in July:

Line-up Saturday 17th July 2010, from 1.00pm to 11.00pm

On stage from 6.00pm:

Line-up Sunday 18th July 2010, from 1.00pm to 10.00pm

On stage from 5.00pm:

Plugged in the Park and the Youth Carnival will also take place on Sunday 18th July 2010, from 12noon – 5.00pm @ Queens Gardens.

Don’t miss this new and established musical talent on your very own doorstep!

Here we present our highlights of the second week of the Easter School Holidays from Directory of Chester.

From 12 April 2010 onwards, there are many things to see and do for the children:

from Easter adventures to Easter Egg Hunts,

places to visit and great days out for the kids…

Enjoy a great Easter Break out and around Cheshire!

 

Chester Easter | Liverpool Easter | York Easter | Leeds Easter | Newcastle Easter

Here we present our highlights of the first week of the Easter School Holidays from Directory of Chester.

From Easter Bank Holiday Monday onwards, there are many things to see and do for the children:

from Easter adventures to Easter Egg Hunts,

places to visit and great days out for the kids…

Enjoy a great Easter Break out and around Cheshire!

 

Chester Easter | Liverpool Easter | York Easter | Leeds Easter | Newcastle Easter

 

Here is Directory of Chester’s selection of Family Activities for Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

From Good Friday to Easter Bank Holiday Monday, there are many things to see and do:

from Easter Egg Hunts to family meals,

places to visit to great days out for the kids…

Enjoy a great weekend out and around Cheshire!

 

Chester Easter | Liverpool Easter | York Easter | Leeds Easter | Newcastle Easter

 

UK Council on Deafness

Founded in Sept 1993 by a consortium of deaf organisations, the UK Council on Deafness aims to achieve full participation in society for all deaf people and create an environment in which voluntary sector organisations working with deaf people can reach their full potential.

The first Deaf Awareness Week was held in America in 1951, and has continued to educate people about the many issues and difficulties that face deaf people in the world today.

In the UK, Deaf Awareness Week sees a wide range of national and local events taking place across the country to “promote the positive aspects of deafness, social inclusion and raising awareness of the huge range of local and national organisations that support deaf people and their family and friends.”

Special events in the past have included shows at theatres like The National Theatre with speech to text transcriptions, tours of museums for the hard of hearing, workshops to assist with doorbell, phones and smoke alarms, meet a hearing-dog sessions, sign language taster classes and a chance for deaf people and hard of hearing to meet with specialists for advice.

Deaf Awareness Week 2010 in the UK

The year 2009 saw free, no obligation hearing assessments at Hearing Centres when users of hearing aids could have their equipment cleaned and checked free of charge, and clients were offered the opportunity to have their hearing tested and talk to audiologists about any concerns, with demonstrations of the latest technology.

For anyone wanting to get involved with Deaf Awareness Week 2010, the website at www.deafcouncil.org.uk contains advice on fundraising activities with special promotional material available including balloons, collection cans, stickers and posters.

Ideas for events include holding a sponsored silence and Signathons, where participants are sponsored for every word of British Sign Language they learn.

There are many opportunities for schools to get involved, too: ideas can be found at the National Deaf Children’s Society website www.ndcs.org.uk with fundraising initiatives and ways to help children learn about the ways in which deaf people communicate.

There is also information about the wide range of sponsorship opportunities available for individuals and organisations to help fund specific projects, ranging from sports programmes to grants and equipment, weekend events for families of children with hearing loss and worldwide initiatives – as well as those closer to home.

Deaf Awareness Week 2010 – 28th June to 4th July 2010

Over one hundred deaf charities are uniting beneath the umbrella organisation The UK Council on Deafness for “Look at Me”, the banner adopted by Deaf Awareness Week from 28th June to 4th July 2010.

The theme aims to highlight the different types of deafness and explain the many different methods of communication used by deaf people.

The word deaf is used to describe a whole range of conditions relating to deafness: according to figures from the World Health Organisation, there are currently 278 million deaf people across the world, 80 per cent of which live in developing countries; of these, 25% became deaf as children.

Other types of deafness include people who have become deafened later in life, deafblind people, the hard of hearing and people affected by tinnitus, all of whom use different forms of communication.

The Ribbons of International Firefighters’ Day

A defining symbol was found in red and blue ribbons, 5cm long and 1cm wide, which when joined at the top, represented the two elements of fire and water. Red and blue are also the colours internationally recognised to represent an emergency service.

On May 4th each year, people show support and recognition of Firefighters by wearing the blue and red ribbons on their lapels, pinning them to car aerials, hanging them in windows or using them to decorate trees. After its inauguration in 2002, a “Sound Off” became traditional when fire stations across the world set off their sirens at noon local time for a 30 second tribute, followed by a minute’s silence in memory and respect for all Firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Each year Firefighters everywhere gather outside their stations to observe the silence, and in many places a memorial service takes place to commemorate those who have given their lives.

International Firefighters’ Day also represents an opportunity to thank present Firefighters for their commitment, and recognise the dedication of those who offer their services voluntarily. Events organised include exhibitions, fetes, fundraising campaigns, long service presentations and talks by guest speakers. Firefighter themes are often used at local schools. Sometimes the local fire station challenges the local community to “fun” competitions like bucket races.

The Origin of IFFD

International Firefighters’ Day was the brainchild of JJ Edmondson, a volunteer Firefighter in the Clyde-Cardinia Fire Brigade in the Country Fire Authority of Victoria, Australia.

After five fellow Firefighters died trying to save life and property in Lindon in 1998, members of the Country Fire Authority and Victorian Community wore a red ribbon in honour of their sacrifice. This tribute inspired JJ Edmondson to solicit support via the internet for an internationally coordinated event and symbol to recognise Firefighters.

The response was immense, and extended as far afield as the US. Advice and suggestions were sought from the international community and it was agreed that a universal observation of the Day should take place on May 4th.

International Firefighters’ Day – 4th May 2010

Regarded as one of the top five public service professionals, Firefighters are held in high esteem across the world: no one can forget the pictures of the heroic Firefighters of New York that became the enduring image of the tragedy that was 9/11.

In recognition of the sacrifices made in towns and countries all over the globe, International Firefighters’ Day was inaugurated on 4th May 1999. Since then it has been held annually, to mark a time when Firefighters of the present and past are remembered, recognised and thanked for their dedication in saving lives and protecting the environment.

Saint Florian, the Patron Saint

The date of May 4th was chosen because it is traditionally known as the day of Saint Florian: the first recorded commander of a fire fighting squadron, in the Roman province of Noricum circa 300AD.

Legend says that Florian saved a whole village from burning with a single bucket of water. Later, he refused to renounce his Christian faith and was sentenced to death and drowned in the River Enns in Austria with a mill stone attached to his neck.

Believed to be the protector of those in danger of fire, Saint Florian also became the patron saint of Poland, and his statue stands in the Fire Brigade Museum in Vienna. His selfless dedication to saving lives reflects the same values and beliefs of the Firefighters of the world today, who have no hesitation in putting themselves in danger in order to save and protect members of the community.

International Firefighters’ Day is often used as an opportunity to create fire awareness, when simulations allow members of the community to make an escape through smoke filled rooms, manoeuvre their way through a fire safety obstacle course, or take part in hose demonstrations.

Above all, International Firefighters’ Day is a day when people across the world can unite in respect and support for the Firefighters. For as the founder, Lt JJ Edmondson says, “In the fire service, we fight together against one common enemy – fire – no matter what country we come from, what uniform we wear or what language we speak.”

External Links:

International Firefighters’ Day on Twitter
International Firefighters’ Day Website

With over 5 million pints of the black stuff to be sold this year….

GUINNESS Brings St Patrick’s Day to Life

It’s St Patrick’s Day party time again! Wednesday, March 17th, will see people from all over the UK heading down to pubs and bars for a mid week party to raise a pint of the beloved black stuff in celebration of St Patrick’s Day. Thousands of pub owners will be decorating their interiors with those famous black, white & green decorations and gearing up for the ultimate St Patrick’s Day party of the new decade.

Join St Patrick’s Day celebrations at your local

With party celebrations set to last well into the weekend, the makers of Guinness are set to join in one of the liveliest parties of the year by sending out St Patrick Day party kits to thousands of pubs across the UK. Each kit will be filled with iconic black, white & green white hats & props, limited edition glassware & cash prize competitions that will help bring the party to life. Guinness has been marking St. Patrick’s Day for over 15 years and this year is no different with over 5 million pints of Guinness expected to be sold in the UK.

Celebrate the first St Patrick’s Day of the new decade in style by trying a Guinness Black Velvet cocktail or impress your mates down the pub with some St Patrick’s Day facts & stats, plus tips on how to enjoy the perfect pint of Guinness!

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with GUINNESS

St Pat’s facts

*Over 5 million pints of Guinness are sold in the UK each year on St. Patrick’s Day
*Over 13 million pints of Guinness are raised on St. Patrick’s Day across the globe, which brings more than 150 pints to life every second
*Guinness has been marking St. Patrick’s Day, one of the liveliest calendar celebrations for over 15 years
*Last year, Guinness celebrated 250 years since the signing of the 9,000 year lease at St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin
*The St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin produces 4 million pints of Guinness every day
*Today, Guinness is popular around the world and sold in more than 150 countries
*Gas bubbles travel downwards, instead of upwards, bringing a pint of Guinness to life with its famous surge and settle motion

Black Velvet Recipe and History

Ingredients:
Flute of Champagne
Flute of GUINNESS Extra Stout
Serves 1 (1.3 units)


GUINNESS mixed fifty fifty with Champagne. Legend has it that this famous drink was invented in 1861 at Brook’s Club in London. Prince Albert had died, everyone was in mourning, and the story goes that the steward at the club, overcome with the emotion of the occasion, ordered that even the champagne should be put into mourning, and proceeded to mix it with GUINNESS. The taste was so delicious, Black Velvet became extremely popular.

Anna Brown’s Beef, Onion & Guinness Pie

For this recipe be sure to use shin beef as it is well suited to the long slow cooking process. Stewing steak tends to disintegrate, as opposed to shin beef which has gelatinous fibres running through it.

1.5Kg Shin Beef cut into 2″ cubes
2 medium onions peeled and sliced onions
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 pt Guinness
1 pt beef stock
1 pack ready roll puff pastry



Method
Place the cubed shin beef and the onion in a casserole dish and coat with the seasoned flour. Pour in the Guinness and the stock and bring to simmer gently on the hob. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and place in an oven preheated to 140 Celsius for at least 2 to 3 hours until beef is tender.

Cook pastry as per the pack instructions, cut into individual portions about 5″ by 5″ square. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and spring greens.

How to drink the perfect pint of GUINNESS

This St. Patrick’s Day, when you are raising a pint of GUINNESS with friends to say cheers to the Irish, be sure to follow Master Brewer, Fergal Murray’s guide to the perfect way to enjoy a pint of the ‘black stuff’:

*Hold the glass with the Guinness harp facing you and your thumb over the harp
*Never look down. Look at the horizon and bring the glass to your mouth, not your mouth to the glass
*Take a sip, breaking the seal of the head of your pint
*Enjoy the Guinness cream moustache left on the top of your lip
*Each time you take a drink from the pint, hold the glass in the same position and repeat above, letting the liquid flow underneath the head of the pint
*Expect to experience the malty sweetness at the front of your mouth, the roasted flavour at the side and the distinctive Guinness bitterness at the back

Did you know that in 2007 more than 50% of the world’s population live in cities?

Or that by 2030 six out of every 10 people will dwell in urban environments?

Urbanization is an inevitable part of the future but with it comes a host of problems related to health, including the pollution of the environment, ensuring a safe water supply, escalating violence, prevention of diseases and consequences of physical inactivity on the population. Typically, these factors have a disproportionate effect on the economically disadvantaged who suffer from chronic illness and increased risk of violence in the community, with less access to educational, social and health services.

In view of these wide-ranging challenges, urban planning is more important than ever in providing an environment that encourages physical activity whilst improving housing and sanitation. It was with this theme in mind that the title for World Health Day 2010 – 1000 Cities, 1000 Lives – was chosen to highlight the effect urbanization has on our health globally and as individuals.

From 7th to 11th April 2010, hundreds of international campaign events are being organised to raise public awareness of this issue.

World Health Day since 1950

World Health Day has been an important date on our calendar since 1950 when it was ratified by the 26 member states of the United Nations: it is traditionally held on April 7th, which is the anniversary of the foundation of the World Health Organisation in 1948, set up to coordinate international public health on behalf of the United Nations.

With an overall aim of “attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health”, the objective of World Health Day is to raise awareness for a specific theme relating to general health and highlight areas of particular concern.

Subjects in recent years have included protecting health from the adverse effects of climate change and advocating safe design and construction in health facilities across the world, enabling them to deal with disasters more effectively and provide a safe environment for health workers and patients.

The concept of 1000 Cities encourages cities across the world to take part in World Health Day by opening up public spaces, closing off streets to motorized vehicles, organising clean up campaigns and promoting physical activities; it also aims to encourage investment in the infrastructure, providing alternative means of transport and designing areas for communal activities. The aim of 1000 Lives is to collect stories from people who have championed health in the cities and who have made a real difference to inhabitants.

World Health Day: 1000 Cities, 1000 Lives

There are already exciting plans in store: in Chile, a network of streets in Santiago named CicloRecreo Via is shut off from motorized traffic every Sunday and used for recreational activities like roller-skating, biking or walking. This year the aim is to create a “linear park” throughout the city that will extend to 130 kilometres and achieve a weekly attendance of 400,000 people, making it the largest example of communal physical activity in Chile – this scheme is hoped to be replicated throughout the country.

Cities across the world are being invited to initiate similar events by providing a public space for physical exercise like bicycling, roller-skating, soccer games or even Tai Chi. World Health Day could also be the occasion of a public announcement regarding bye laws or regulations on tobacco or consumption of alcohol.

Events can involve organisations or groups, including schools, authorities and universities - leading figures are being asked to participate and help to publicize events.

Activities should be registered online at www.who.int/world-health-day/2010 to benefit from the marketing opportunities afforded by the site.

If you know someone who has worked to improve the health in your city, you can submit his or her story online as part of the 1000 Lives campaign for urban health champions, by making a short video of no more than four minutes that illustrates their achievements.

World Health Day aims to change the world by making it healthier: so let’s become a part of it and do our bit to help make our cities more inclusive, accessible and user friendly places, designed to meet the demands of the future.

External Links:

World Health Day 2010
WHD2010 on YouTube
1000 Cities, 1000 Lives on Facebook
1000 Cities, 1000 Lives on Flickr
1000 Cities, 1000 Lives Website

Saint George’s Day – 23rd April

Saint George, the patron saint of England, is also a romantic figure of medieval romance and legends: a chivalrous knight, a devout martyr and most famously, a heroic slayer of dragons.

Despite his ubiquitous presence in churches, paintings, frescoes and English literature, St. George himself is an unlikely choice for patron saint of England as he is celebrated in many nations across the world -  he wasn’t English and probably never even visited the country.

Nevertheless, the date of his death on April 23rd became England’s National Day, and by the fifteenth century was a major feast and national holiday rivalled only by Christmas.

In later years his name was adopted by King George V, who instituted the George Cross for acts of great heroism, the highest decoration awarded to civilians.

The Real Saint George

The real Saint George was made of flesh and blood and was born in Roman times to a noble family in Libya.

Raised as a Christian, he became a Tribunus in the army of the Emperor Diocletian and part of the Imperial Guard. In the year AD 302 Diocletian decreed that all Christian soldiers should be arrested and those remaining should offer sacrifices to the Pagan Gods.

George refused, and renounced the edict in front of his fellow soldiers. After being cruelly tortured on a wheel of swords, he was publicly executed on April 23  - when it was said that several witnesses were converted to Christianity on seeing his suffering.

Legends of how Saint George slayed the dragon may have their origin in the story of his execution, as historians believe that the dragon is an allegory for Diocletian himself, who was known as “the dragon”.

George and the Dragon

The story tells how a dragon had made its nest in the spring that supplied the people of Silene (probably Cyrene) in Libya, to whom a daily sacrifice of a beautiful maiden had to be made.

As the supply of eligible females dwindled, the only one available was the King of Egypt’s daughter. When St George heard of her plight, he rode to her rescue and fought a long and hard battle with the dragon, during which he was forced to take refuge under the boughs of an orange tree that protected him from the dragon’s poison.

Eventually he managed to pierce its skin through the only part of its body unprotected by its scales: under the dragon’s wing, and George won the heart of the lady.

Becoming Saint George

The legend of George against the Dragon spread throughout the Roman Empire.

George was widely seen as a saint, and his popularity increased among Europeans after the Crusades, when the red cross of St George was worn on the white tunics of the Crusaders to differentiate them from their enemies in battle.

He was canonised by Pope Galasius l in 1494, who played down the more fantastical elements of the story by describing him as among those “whose names are justly reverenced among men but whose acts are known only to God”.

In 1222 the Synod of Oxford declared St George’s Day “a feast day in the kingdom of England”. As the country’s patron saint, St George was called on to save it from enemies in times of peril.

St George and the Modern Day

Despite the patron saint’s dashing credentials, the tradition of Saint George’s Day waned by the end of the 18th century when union took place with Scotland.

Ironic then that Burn’s Night, the Scottish celebration, and St Patrick’s Day are more widely celebrated in England than the country’s own National Day.

But things are about to change, however.

In 2006 Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, proposed in the House of Commons that St George’s Day should be a public holiday and a campaign is afoot to give Saint George’s Day the recognition it deserves. Recently the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, gave his backing to the movement which he said had been ignored in London for far too long.

English Heritage, the Royal Society of Saint George, and the St George’s Day Events Company are just three organisations dedicated to encouraging and promoting celebrations, whilst the St George Unofficial Bank Holiday calls for people to take the day off work and celebrate their Englishness!

This year, events will take place in London in Trafalgar Square and across the country, including parades, maypole dancing, Morris dancing, theatrical and musical shows, and food festivals.

So come on! April 23 is the time to gird your loins, pin a red rose to your lapel, fly the flag of St George and eat some roast beef and Yorkshire pud or fish and chips (or even chicken tikka massala!).

External Links:

St George’s Day Dot Com Website
English Heritage: St George’s Day
The Royal Society of St George
St George’s Day Events Company

 Chester St George’s Day | Liverpool St George’s Day | York St George’s Day | Leeds St George’s Day | Newcastle St George’s Day