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Recent Posts Christmas at Coverley Hall The Death of Baldur Always Keep A-Hold of Nurse Picking on Cotton
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Christmas Day

7

The Christmas Egg

By Elfric of Eynsham

Anglo-Saxon abbot Elfric tentatively likened the new-born Jesus to an egg.

Posted December 19 2017

8

Christmas Bells

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The sounds of an English country Christmas helped Tennyson in his deep mourning for an old friend.

Posted December 27 2016

9

Aaron’s Rod

By Elfric of Eynsham

The Victorian practice of hanging sugared nuts on a Christmas tree was bursting with Biblical symbolism.

Posted December 12 2016

10

How St Euphemia Saved Christmas

By Clay Lane

The martyr St Euphemia played a vital role in preventing the message of Christmas from being watered down.

Posted December 9 2016

11

Queen Charlotte’s Christmas Tree

By Clay Lane

Cromwell’s killjoys almost silenced the English Christmas, but thanks to a royal family tradition the message is still being proclaimed.

Posted December 5 2015

12

Season of Goodwill

By Clay Lane

‘Goodwill’ was on everyone’s lips, but the Roman Emperor and the God of Israel had very different ideas about it.

Posted November 27 2015

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Latest

Posted Yesterday • Comfortable Words

A Collect for Christmas Eve : A short prayer and poem from the Sarum Missal, for the night before Christmas.

Posted Yesterday

Music Video : JS Bach: Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns die Stimme

Posted December 21 • The Copy Book

Christmas at Coverley Hall : Sir Roger explains why he makes Christmas such a special time for all his neighbours.

Posted December 20 • Think and Speak

Pronunciation : Create sentences in which a particular consonant features prominently and frequently.

Posted December 19

Music Video : Richard Addinsell: Scrooge Suite

Posted December 17 • Think and Speak

Doing Without If : Rewrite these conditional sentences in such a way that the word ‘if’ is not used.

Posted December 16 • Comfortable Words

Stupendous Height of Heavenly Love : A profound Christmas hymn by Charles Wesley, welcoming the rising of the Sun of Righteousness.

Posted December 16 • Think and Speak

Words of Character : Explain what these nouns tell us about our colleague John.

Posted December 15 • Think and Speak

Jigsaws : Combine each pair of ideas into one sentence, in as many ways as you can. See if you can work in one or more of the words suggested.

Posted December 15

Music Video : Eric Coates: Four Centuries Suite: II. Pavane and Tambourin

Posted December 15 • The Copy Book

The Death of Baldur : Baldur was the toast of Valhalla, but Loki was determined to take him down.

Posted December 13 • The Copy Book

Always Keep A-Hold of Nurse : In this ‘Cautionary Tale’, we hear what happened when naughty Jim gave his nurse the slip.

Posted December 13 • Think and Speak

New Polyword : Make as many words as you can using just nine letters. Can you beat our score?

Posted December 10 • The Copy Book

Picking On Cotton : The politicians of Georgian England went to surprising lengths to shield domestic businesses from overseas competition.

Posted December 8

Music Video : Frank Bridge: Berceuse

Posted December 8

Verbs : Use these verbs in the right past form.

Posted December 8 • The Copy Book

Who Are We to Criticise? : Thomas Carlyle felt that English criticism of Goethe revealed more about his critics than his poems.

Posted December 7

Music Video : Sir Arthur Sullivan: Overture to ‘Marmion’

Posted December 6

Opposites : Compose sentences to showcase a word and its opposite — whatever you think that may be.

Posted December 6 • Think and Speak

Tide : Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?