The Blog

Updates from across the site

January 1 ns December 19 os

Clay Lane is inspired by educational materials created NL Clay, and used in English schools and homes from the 1920s to the 1960s. The Blog is a newsletter of recent additions and some selections from our archive, including brainteasers in grammar and vocabulary, and brief passages from history and literature.

Add Vowels

How many words can you make just by adding vowels to these consonants? See if you can get at least 7.

sp

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Spinner

Make a sentence that uses ALL THREE of these words:

Knock. North. Valley.

These words are served randomly.
You can change e.g. go → went, or quick → quickly.

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For Today

Today January 1 (ns)

The Last Gladiatorial Games (404)

The Last Gladiator

Clay Lane

Introduction — After Alaric the Goth’s assault on Rome was successfully turned back, victory games were held in the Roman Colosseum on January 1st, 404. As usual, they quickly descended into savagery.

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For Today

Today January 1 (ns)

Sinking of HMS Formidable (1915)

The Gift of Life

A. G. Gardiner

Introduction — Asked which event of the Great War had made the deepest impression on him, columnist ‘Alpha of the Plough’ recalled the fate of HMS Formidable, twice torpedoed by a German U-Boat during night-time exercises off the Devon coast on January 1st, 1915. The Captain, 34 officers and 512 crew died; 157 men were picked up from the water or made it ashore in two boats.

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For Today

Today January 1 (ns)

The first Meeting of Australia’s Parliament (1901) 3 Posts

The Founding of Australia

Clay Lane

Introduction — Australia is a partner to be proud of: a sovereign constitutional monarchy with our Queen as Head of State, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and a prosperous democracy built on and dedicated to free trade that gave us priceless support in two world wars.

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For Today

Today January 1 (ns)

New Year’s Day

Ring out the Old, Ring in the New

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Introduction — The death of Tennyson’s close friend Arthur Henry Hallam left familiar Christmas Eve customs such as the holly and the music and the dancing full of sad memories for him. He responded positively, however, embracing the deeper message of Christmas Day: a new beginning, a New Year.

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For Today

Today December 19 (os)

Christmastide 12 Posts

How St Euphemia Saved Christmas

Clay Lane

Introduction — In 314, the Roman Empiror Costantine lifted all restrictions on Christianity, but intellectuals still held the philosophy of Plato in awe. Sometimes the Greek view of the Divine – remote, impersonal, unsullied by contact with Creation – tempted Christian clergy to back-peddle on the much more characterful God of Israel, who will dare all for love.

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1 4 Jun 2025

The Two Shakespeares

Arthur Clutton-Brock

Introduction — Arthur Clutton-Brock was, for many years, art critic for the Times, and knew something of the artistic temperament. On the tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), he deplored the way that Shakespeare had been turned into a National Institution.

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2 2 Jun 2025

Fairway

Use each noun below in two sentences, first as the subject, and then as the object of a verb. For example, rain → ‘The rain hasn’t stopped all day’ [subject]; ‘I shook the rain from my umbrella’ [object].

IBattle. IIEar. IIIFairway. IVJudge. VLevel. VIVideo.

3 2 Jun 2025

England Expects

John Pasco

Introduction — On October 21st, 1805, the Royal Navy crushed a French and Spanish fleet at Cape Trafalgar, Spain. This permanently deprived Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, of sea-power, and ended his hopes of conquering Britain. Though Admiral Nelson died that day, his call to arms remains one of the best-known sentences in the English language. Here, Lieutenant John Pasco recalls how it was made.

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4 2 Jun 2025

Running Late

Use the following as adverbial clauses in your own sentences. For example: Before he leaves → ‘I must speak to him [before he leaves]’.

An adverbial clause does the work of an adverb such as ‘immediately’ or ‘urgently’. Unlike these words, however, a clause has a subject and a verb in it, as a sentence does. So ‘immediately’ is an adverb, ‘as soon as possible’ is an adverbial phrase (no verb), but ‘as soon as I can’ is an adverbial clause.

IBefore he leaves. IIWhenever you like. IIIBetter than I do. IVBecause I’m late for a meeting. VSince you’re here. VIIf you see her. VIIUnless it’s raining.

Suggestions

The following sentences could be used with one or more of the adverbial clauses above.

Make sure he’s got his passport. Tell her where I am. Come and visit us. You can help with the washing-up. You know her. I can’t talk for long. We’ll have lunch in the garden.