★ The Tale of Beggar’s Bridge The proof of Thomas Ferres’s rags-to-riches tale is quite literally written in stone, but popular lore adds some tantalising and romantic detail.

For Today • January 31 • The death of Thomas Ferres

A Full Day’s Play It was one of those rare occasions when a game of cricket had not been interrupted by the weather, but would the Church be so forgiving?

Posted January 29 • The Copy Book

Grammar Examine these sentences, and say whether the word ‘up’ should be removed.

Posted January 29

Sunday in London Every Sunday, the Englishman is raised to heaven by the choir, and then taken to her bosom by Mother Earth.

Posted January 29 • The Copy Book

Music Video Ronald Binge: Concerto for Alto Saxophone: II: Andante espressivo

Posted January 28

Ye Children, Hearken Unto Me David, fresh from another close encounter with Saul’s men, shares his advice for living a charmed life.

Posted January 28 • The Copy Book

Look Upon This Picture Hamlet cannot understand what his mother could possibly see in his uncle Claudius.

Posted January 27 • The Copy Book

Metaphors Rewrite these sentences, substituting each metaphor with another of similar meaning.

Posted January 27

Vocabulary Compose sentences to illustrate the meaning of these words.

Posted January 27 • Think and Speak

Music Video Henry Purcell: Miserere Mei

Posted January 26

Outbreak John Galsworthy shared his unease at the rise of two competing forms of national speech.

Posted January 26 • The Copy Book

Verbs and Nouns Separate these words into two groups, nouns, and nouns that are also verbs. Which one’s the odd-one-out?

Posted January 26 • Think and Speak

The Peacock Throne The dazzling throne of the Mughal Emperors has vanished from history, but not before Abdul Hamid Lahori had seen it.

Posted January 25 • The Copy Book

Description Think of three different kinds of clock or bag, and write sentences to distinguish them.

Posted January 24 • Think and Speak

Hat Think of three different kinds of clock or bag, and write sentences to distinguish them.

Posted January 24 • Think and Speak

Rich Harmony John Galsworthy urges the English to love their language as they love their country.

Posted January 23 • The Copy Book

Music Video William Hurlstone, The Magic Mirror Suite: VI. Interlude

Posted January 23

Expression Compare these five ways of saying the same thing, and say what each one adds.

Posted January 22 • Think and Speak

Anything to Declare? When the residents of Miramont Place in Pimlico declare independence, they mean to be taken seriously.

Posted January 22

Servants of the People A US Congressman tells the House why they mustn’t censor the press.

Posted January 22 • The Copy Book

How the Cobra Got His Spectacles John Wood shares the wonder of the Indian cobra’s hood, in science and in myth.

Posted January 21 • The Copy Book