Jubilee by Drakes

Hankies out for the Queen, please, gentlemen

OK, so £50 probably is a bit steep for what's basically a 45cm x 45cm piece of silk. But look at it this way: long after the crêpe-paper bunting has perished and next week's street parties have become a dim memory, this limited-edition jubilee handkerchief by Drake's, my favourite purveyor of handkerchiefs and ties and other gentlemanly requisites, will be going strong.

Cont..... http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article/TMG9297644/781/Queens-Diamond-Jubilee-Hankies-out-for-the-Queen-please-gentlemen.html

See also..... http://www.drakes-london.com/

Vive la France

- Liberty Leading the People, Eugene Delacroix, 1830. -

Lucy Ash, writing for the BBC, examines what is attracting a generation of young French professionals to the city of London. It is believed that more French people live in London than live in Bordeaux, Nantes or Strasbourg potentially making it France's sixth biggest city in terms of population....

London, France's sixth biggest city 

On a wet Friday night in Hackney, a group of young professional women walk into a pub. Laughing about the British weather, they shake their umbrellas, peel off their raincoats and make their way to the bar. 

Like many Londoners at the end of a busy working week, they have come to unwind over a few drinks. 

But if you move a bit closer, you realise they are all speaking French. They are not tourists, exchange students or off-duty au pairs. They all work in creative industries, have lived in east London quite some time and consider it home.

Cont..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18234930

The League of Gentlemen

Passport to Pimlico

- Actor Stanley Holloway (Arthur Pemberton) relaxes on set -

Passport to Pimlico: a behind the scenes tour

The British comedy, made by Ealing studios and directed by Henry Cornelius, in which a group of London residents discover an undeground treasure trove from Burgundy and declare a state of independence in the heart of London, is being reissued as a special edition to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. Here The Guardian take a look at some of the photographs from the set of this charming 1949 classic and uncover a twist about the filming …

Gallery..... http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/gallery/2012/may/28/passport-to-pimlico-in-pictures

England Win by Nine Wickets

Second Test, Trent Bridge, day four: England 428 & 111-1 beat West Indies 370 & 165 by nine wickets

England swept to a nine-wicket victory over West Indies in the second Test at Trent Bridge to wrap up the series with a game to spare. 

Marlon Samuels added a defiant 76 not out to his first-innings century as West Indies limped from overnight 61-6 to 165 all out, setting England a slender target of 108. 

But under more Nottingham sunshine the England opening pair of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook first saw off the new ball and then prospered under little pressure from a dispirited opposition.

Cont..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/18234316

Lightning

“Supersonic Fighter Christened, 23/10/1958

The English Electric “Lightning”, the first fully supersonic all-weather fighter for the RAF, was officially named at a ceremony at the Royal Aircraft Establishment’s aerodrome at Farnborough, Hants, today, when the Chief of Air Staff, Marshal of the RAF, Sir Dermot Boyle, broke a bottle of champagne over the nose of the aircraft. 

The Lightning is the fastest British aircraft in production, and has flown at speeds of over 1,200mph, and has a top speed of 1,500mph. 

Photo shows: Mr R.P. Beamont, the company’s chief test pilot pictured beside the aircraft after the christening ceremony today.”

Source..... http://xplanes.tumblr.com/

Olympian Effort Behind the Saving of the Hitchcock Nine

- http://www.theconstantbuzz.com/ -

The British Film Institute (BFI) is celebrating the work of film-maker Alfred Hitchcock with a season of screenings, including nine of his little-known silent movies, restored to their original glory after a painstaking and time-consuming restoration project. We went behind the scenes to see the meticulous work of the BFI conservationists. 

The instantly recognisable figure of Alfred Hitchcock stares out from a giant outdoor poster at this year's Cannes Film Festival. 

His jowly face is twisted into a grimace. His index finger points accusingly. More than 30 years after his death, Hitchcock remains one of the towering icons of cinema history.

Cont..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18162846

England Lose Initiative as Tourists Fight Back

Second Test, Trent Bridge, day one: West Indies 306-6 v England.

A defiant seventh-wicket stand between Marlon Samuels and captain Darren Sammy dragged the West Indies back from the brink on day one of the second Investec Test against England. 

Sammy's decision to bat first at Trent Bridge looked to have backfired when a top-order collapse left them 136 for six but no further wickets fell for the rest of the day as Samuels (107no) scored a third Test century and Sammy made an attacking 88no. 

The unbroken 168-run partnership left the tourists on 304 for six at the close and in a promising position.

Cont..... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/9289501/England-v-West-Indies-first-day-second-Test-report.html

William Holman Hunt

William Holman Hunt in his Eastern Dress. Taken on the lawn of Brent Lodge, Hendon, May 1864.

The Last Lapidary

Birmingham gemstone polisher talks about his 'dying art'

One of Birmingham's most unusual trades is becoming as rare as the diamonds they work with.

The city's Jewellery Quarter used to be a hub for lapidary - the art of carving and polishing gemstones - employing 50 craftsmen at its height.

There is only one left now and, according to him, the industry could disappear from the region to be replaced by cheaper imports from China, India, and Thailand.

Cont..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-18145933