Vol. 28 No. 5 August 2010

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JOHN ANTHONY Portsmouth Football Club Westwood – yes, that’s his real name – who hasn’t missed a Portsmouth game in 30 years!!

See page 8 Leo & Karen’s California View – Photo: Leo Lewis

Expert: Lockerbie Bomber Could Live Much Longer

A CANCER expert whose medical assess-ment of the Lockerbie bomber helped lead to his early release has been quoted as saying the Libyan could live for another 10 years.

Last year, Karol Sikora examined Abdel Baset al-Megrahi for Libyan authorities and estimated he had three months to live. Al-Megrahi, who has prostate cancer, was freed from a Scottish prison on compas-sionate grounds and sent to Libya.

He had been convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people, including 180 Americans.

The Sunday Times quoted Sikora, the medical director of CancerPartners UK, as saying al-Megrahi, 57, could live another decade.

Sikora is cited as saying: “It is embar-rassing that he’s gone on for so long.”

Obama, Cameron: Bomber Release Not BP’s Doing By Desmond Butler

PRIME MINISTER David Cam-eron last month turned aside US calls for an investigation into the release of the Lockerbie bomber by Scotland and said there was no indi-cation that oil giant BP had swayed the controversial decision.

Both Cameron and President Barack Obama, who met with him at the White House, condemned the release of the Libyan bomber.

Still, Cameron said the release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi from a Scottish prison was not the doing of the British govern-ment nor, apparently, the result of any lobbying by BP to win oil concessions from Libya. Rather it was a decision by the government of Scotland on compassionate grounds, he said.

“It was the biggest mass murder in British history, and there was no business letting him out of prison,” Cameron said.

Said Obama: “I think all of us here in the United States were surprised, disappointed and angry.”

EVIDENCECameron said at a joint White House

news conference with Obama that any role that BP may have played in the Lockerbie release “is a matter for BP to answer.” But he went on to say there was no evidence that Scotland’s decision was swayed by BP.

Cameron said he and Obama were in “violent agreement” that the release was a mistake.

However, they did disagree slightly over the issue of an investigation. Several US senators have proposed an investigation,

SuperFan Follows Pompey

Everywhere!

Vets Mark 70 Years Since The Battle Of Britain

BRITISH veterans of the Battle of Britain, the furious aerial conflict between British and German aircraft in 1940, joined July 11 in a ceremony marking the 70th an-niversary of the battle.

Around 5,000 people, including Prince Michael of Kent and Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, the senior commander of the Royal Air Force, converged at the Battle of Britain memorial at Capel-le-Ferne near the English Channel port of Dover.

Malcolm Triggs, a spokesman for the event, said 19 veterans attended. A Spitfire fighter and Lancaster bomber flew past in tribute.

“The Battle of Britain was, for this country, arguably the most important battle of the 20th century,” said Group Captain Patrick Tootal, secretary of the Memorial Trust.

“We pay tribute each July to the men of RAF Fighter Command – ‘The Few’ – who were at the forefront of preventing a possible German invasion, as well as to the many men and women who supported them and helped to ensure that we all live in freedom today.”

“The few” recalls the tribute paid by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

During the conflict, which raged be-tween July 10 and October 31, 544 British and allied airmen were killed.

It is believed that about 100 British air force veterans who served in the Battle of Britain survive.

Gold And Silver For Britain In Euros

Greenpeace Activists Shut Down BP StationsACTIVISTS in London, last month, closed down BP petrol stations in protests against the companies lack of implemen-tation of more green policies.

Environmental group Greenpeace managed to cut fuel supplies to all 50 BP stations in the city. The oil firm said 35 to 40 had been shut but many of them had now reopened.

The protesters stopped the fuel by removing safety switches on forecourts.

The action comes as BP reported an £11bn loss after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and chief executive Tony Hayward stepped down.

Greenpeace said it wanted the com-pany to adopt greener energy policies.

The action was described by BP as “an irresponsible and childish act which is interfering with safety systems”.

At one station in Camden, north London, Greenpeace climbers replaced BP’s logo with a new version showing the green “sunflower” disappearing into a sea of oil.

At others, protesters put up signs saying: “Closed. Moving beyond pe-troleum.”

Britain’s Mo Farah, left, celebrates with his fellow-countryman second placed Chris Thompson after winning the Men’s 10,000m event, during the European Athletics Championships, in Barcelona, Spain, July 27. – AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Venables became one of Britain’s most notorious criminals in 1993, when he and another 10-year-old abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shop-ping center and beat him to death by an isolated railway line in Liverpool.

The young ages of the victim and his killers horrified the country.

The two killers were given life sen-tences, but were released on parole in 2001 after being given new identities to protect them.

But, Venables was indicted again earlier this year on the child pornogra-phy charges. He appeared at London’s Central Criminal Court by videolink from prison.

In a statement released by his lawyer, Venables said he thought about the mur-der of Bulger every day and said he was “genuinely ashamed” for viewing child abuse images.

Venables Jailed On Child Porn ChargesONE OF the men who killed a toddler when he was just 10 years old in a crime that shocked Britain was sentenced to jail last month for new child pornography charges.

Jon Venables, who is now 27, was sentenced to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to downloading and distributing dozens of indecent images of children.

Fugitive, Facebook ‘Hero’, Moat, Killed Himself As Police Moved InTHE FUGITIVE wanted for murder fi-nally killed himself after police moved in to arrest him July 10, ending a weeklong manhunt that transfixed Britain.

Police in northeastern England said Raoul Thomas Moat, 37, was found alongside a riverbank on July 9. Au-thorities surrounded him and a six-hour standoff ensued.

The fugitive – wanted for wound-ing his ex-girlfriend, killing her new boyfriend and shooting a police officer – turned a shotgun on himself when police moved in.

The incident took place in Rothbury, about 30 miles north of the city of New-castle. The picturesque village and its surrounding countryside had become the focus of a police manhunt and 24-hour news coverage after Moat’s car was

Peer Charged With False Accounting

Of ExpensesA CONSERVATIVE member of the House of Lords has been charged with false accounting over his expenses claims, Brit-ain’s chief prosecutor said last month.

John Taylor – also known as Lord Taylor of Warwick – is accused of dis-honestly claiming more than £11,000 for accommodation and mileage in 2006 and 2007, said Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer.

Taylor, a former barrister who became the Conservative Party’s first black mem-ber in the House of Lords in 1996, is due to appear at a London court on August 13.

The party said the 57-year-old has re-signed from his position as the party whip. Whips are party enforcers who ensure members attend important debates and vote according to party policy.

Taylor was the sixth person to face crimi-nal charges of false accounting following a scandal over lawmakers’ inflated expenses.

Leaked documents revealed that hun-dreds of lawmakers in the previous Parlia-ment had used taxpayers’ money to fund everything from swanky second homes to horse manure and a mole catcher. Scores of them were either forced to resign or decided not to run for office again.

Bill Gates Meets UK Deputy PM For Aid TalksBILL GATES has met with British Dep-uty Prime Minister Nick Clegg in London for talks on aid in developing nations.

Clegg said after the meeting at the Cabinet Office that his government is committed to working with the Gates Foundation to eradicate polio.

He said last month the meeting was an opportunity for him to gain a better understanding of the new British admin-istration’s plans for international aid.

He urged other developed nations to follow Britain’s lead of committing 0.7 percent of its gross national income on development assistance.

Ian Does It For England In Pea-Shooting

WITH ENGLAND’S footballers crashing out of the World Cup in relative dis-grace, England’s Ian Ashmeade has been forced to fly the flag and “blow it all” as he walked away with the world pea-shooting title last month.

Armed with tripods and laser guns competitors took aim at a putty target on the village green in Witcham, Cam-bridgeshire.

2009 winner George Hollis was pipped by 53-year-old Ashmeade in the tourna-ment’s 40th year, reported The Metro.

Ian Ashmeade

Page 2 August 2010ujnews.com

in the past month . . .TODAY’S BRITAINBY LARRY GARDNER

TODAY’S BRITAIN

Roman Coins Discovery Largest Found In Britain

HOSPITAL chef Dave Crisp’s recreational saunter around the local fields of his home town, accompanied by his metal detector, produced some stunning results and the biggest hoard of Roman coins ever found in Britain. Dave from Frome in Somerset, heard his detector give that distinctive bleep and a short investigation produced a dozen old coins. This turned out to be a clay-pot filled with coins. But, rather than interfere with what could be an important archeological discovery he marked the spot and called in the antiquities department of the Somerset County Council. That was April, and last month, the exact importance of his find was finally revealed, when excavating experts divulged that the two foot high clay pot was loaded to the brim with around 52,000, Roman coins from the third century AD. Weighing close to 350lbs, it’s suspected who ever hid the coins, buried the pot first. Many of the coins date from AD 253-293 and feature the image of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Carausius, a British-Roman admiral who seized power during the Empire’s late troubles. Carausius reigned independent of Rome, over Britain and northern France from 286-293 AD, before a successful assassina-tion attempt ended his life.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme and the British Museum have been sorting the coins and concluded they were made of debased silver and bronze, though five very rare, pure silver denarii were amongst the find. Under the 1996 Treasure Act, the coins will be of-fered to the Museum of Somerset who are ready to buy them and put them on display. Dave Crisp and the farmer who owns the land will share a percentage of the sale. Roger Bland of the British Museum hopes the find will raise the spotlight on Britain’s only Ro-man Emperor, who has become a forgotten historical figure and is barely a footnote in the history books.

Police Cannabis Raids Drive Innocent Pensioner Potty

POLICE finally apologized to a pensioner after raiding his house six times in search of cannabis. Dennis Hill, 65, of Clacton on Sea, even suffered two raids in one day as local police gave his home a thorough going over looking for the illegal substance. They had originally been adamant that the smell of marijuana was very prevalent in the house, but after half a dozen random searches that came up empty and admitted there was a mix-up.

“I think there’s a plant in my garden which gives off a similar smell,” said the much relieved Dennis Hill, who was glad to hear they will not becoming around again.

Toy Gun Causes Major Disruption In Local Bank

PANIC overtook the staff of a Lloyd’s Bank in Malden, Essex, when customer Victor Dabrowa noticed a black pistol like weapon lying under a table in the waiting area. A security guard had just arrived with a money delivery and soon other people noticed the gun on the floor. A phone call soon had lo-cal police at the High Street branch alerted and the place was evacuated. It didn’t take officers long to decided however, that the suspicious looking firearm was in fact a child’s toy. A run through of the Bank’s CCTV

cameras revealed a mom with two toddlers who had visited earlier that morning, and the toy gun had been mislaid by one of the young boys.

Victor Dabrowa, 55, commented that some of the older customers were quite upset by the incident. Police apparently arrived before any of them could reach down and pick up the gun to see if it was a toy or not.

World Happy With Ref Webb – Dutch Not So Much

ENGLAND had departed South Africa and the World Cup some two weeks earlier, but at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium, July 11, for the final of the 2010 tournament, three officiating Brits played their part in the finale of the world’s top soccer tourna-ment. The Spain-Netherlands World Cup Final witnessed FIFA choose Rotherham referee Howard Webb, and fellow Brits Michael Mullarkey and Darren Cann to run the line. The Yorkshireman has been an EPL ref since 2003, and refereed this year’s Champions League final in Madrid. His dad, Billy Webb, a ref for some 35 years called it “jaw dropping,” that his son had got the most prestigious encounter in soccer. His wife Kay, appeared bemused he’d got such a big game and commented, “I don’t know how he does it. He can’t take charge of his own children. I don’t know how he manages it on a football pitch?”

The 38-year-old former police-sergeant had his hands full in an aggressive and physical World Cup Final which resulted in 14 yellow cards, and a sending off. Where an Iniesta goal near the end of extra time gave Spain a 1-0 victory and the World Cup for the very first time. Webb received criticism from the losing side on how he refereed the game, but in a statement through the EPL he reiterated, “That he and his linesman did a tough job as well as they could in what were demanding conditions.” The British soccer establishment remained firmly and vocally behind Webb in his handling of the game.

Wife Kay, who’d earlier jested at his home skills, admitted she was much to nervous to watch portions of the match but called him “brilliant,” and said she had every confidence in him.

No Chance Of Brits Taking The Hump To Camel Milk

THE DAIRY cases in the nation’s super-markets are looking to get a little more crowded with the news that the United Arab Emirates is set to export camel milk to Britain. The ship of the desert may be known for his foul breath and bad temper, but apparently, their milk is a lot healthier than cow’s milk. Camel’s milk is higher in protein and insulin, has less fat, has three times the vitamin C of cow’s milk, and is not a problem for people with lactose intolerance allergies.

It tastes very similar to ordinary milk. It is reputedly used as an aphrodisiac in Eastern Africa, and is said to assist Autism, TB and Crohn’s disease sufferers with its strong antitoxins that bolster the immune system.

It could be a few months however, before anyone has the opportunity to splash camel milk over their rice krispies, as the UAR needs a permit from the EU. It’s suspected that once the licensing is approved, specialty health stores are likely to see this addition to the milk aisle first.

Economy Brings About Increase Of Abandoned Pet Rats

A POOR economy and high unemployment is being blamed for the dumping of pet rats. When Mike and Amanda Hannah opened an animal rescue centre some six months ago in Telford, Shropshire, little did they know they’d get inundated with domesticated, home reared rats.

There are reputedly over 100,000 pet rats in Britain. They spend a third of the time grooming, a third of the time sleeping and the other third eating and playing on the various toys that rat lovers distribute around their cages. They are clean and furry and very tame, unlike the wild, sewer loving rodents that inhabit the big cities. The Hannahs have accumulated 220 abandoned rats since they opened their doors in January. Lyn Lazarecvic who runs a rodent rescue in Northampshire, says she has been flooded with such creatures too. Pet rats are un-able to live if released in to the wild. They live on fruit, grains, veggies, and rice and live between two and three years. Rescue centers are desperate to find homes for the animals.

“I know times are hard for people right now,” said 31 year old Amanda Hannah. “But believe me, times are even harder for rats.”

English Vodka Making Its Mark On World Drinkers

MOST people consider Vodka to be a Russian or Polish product, yet they are now making it in cider country down in Hereford. William Chase sold out his Tyrell crisp company for £30m and two years ago decided to open a distillery on his farm just outside of Hereford. He grows and uses his own potatoes, which he prefers to wheat or rye, saying spuds give the spirit a classic sweetness of taste. It takes 35lb of potatoes to make a bottle of vodka. Earlier this year at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Chase Vodka beat out thirty other top brands and was voted the world’s finest vodka. William Chase was delighted, but admits he takes special care to produce his quality British vodka and asserts because he is after a premium spirit his company only make around 1,000 bottles a week. Most of his business has being on line, but since the American award sales have soared. A large bottle sells for around thirty three quid.

“We don’t want to be mass market,” said Chase, who admits that the traditional vodka producers in Russia and Poland are not happy with his success.

Man Claims Ears Have Changed Shape Since

UK ArrivalA MAN arriving to take the written theory part of a driving license application, drew suspicion from officials when he did not match the picture ID that he had presented. Staff noticed that the man’s ears were very different to the person in the photo, and

refused to allow the licensing process to continue. The man, a recent Albanian im-migrant, said his ears had changed shape since he had arrived in Britain. He blamed it on eating English food and that it had caused his physical appearance to change, but he really was the same person in the picture. The man was arrested.

At Gloucester Magistrates Court, Lefter Duka, 33, was charged with paying a man to impersonate him in the quest for a British driving license. Duka insisted however, that the man who arrived at the testing centre was his interpreter and the whole thing was a complete misunderstanding. Chairman of the Bench Gordon Ferris, heard Duka’s explanation and after much consideration dismissed the charges telling the court that the case had not being proved.

Donkey Statues Celebrate Resort’s Years Of Rides

DONKEY rides on Weston-super-Mare’s beach have proved a major tourist attrac-tion for over a hundred years. Even today, that recreational jaunt along the sand on the back of a donkey is as popular as ever. The Mager family have been running donkeys at Weston since 1886, with Kevin Mager heading the family business today. Last year, Weston’s donkey rides were voted the nation’s favourite seaside attraction by the National Coast Awards which recognizes seaside businesses across England. Kevin’s Dad, Ron Mager, 83, got his beach license for donkey rides in the 1940s.

The town’s affinity with the donkey was acknowledged last month, when the council celebrated 200 years of tourism with forty, brightly painted donkeys constructed of fibreglass, sponsored by various local businesses and placed on concrete plinths in appropriate locations around the com-munity. It all coincides with a completed makeover for the town, which includes the newly opened Grand Pier, which has just been renovated, and the recently modernised sea-front enhancement.

“It’s a celebration of everything coming together,” said Weston’s events co-ordinater Fiona Hooper.

Newlyweds To Help Repair Church Bells For Big Day

LONDONERS Steve Edwards and Victoria Hope, were planning that perfect wedding and looking for that eye-catching pictur-esque country church to add that special magic to their nuptials. It was during one of their traveling weekends, that they finally caught sight of their dream church, a quaint 19th century place of worship in the Welsh countryside. When they saw St Cynog’s Church in Broughrood, near Brecon, in mid-Wales, they both knew they had found what they were looking for. The local vicar agreed to marry them, but said there could be no wedding bells because the ringing mechanisms had seized up and pigeons had taken over the bell towers, and there was no money for repair.

For Steve, 36 and Victoria, 26, ringing bells were part of the perfect wedding, but the set-back was not a set-back for long. After discussions with the vicar, the couple agreed they would get the bells working again at their own expense. Digging through over a foot of pigeon poop and bringing in a church bell expert to get the three bells in

working order, it took three months of hard work and long weekends to complete the repair. Steve and Victoria who live in Ealing, some 300 miles distance, travel regularly to Sunday services, and have scheduled an April 2011 wedding.

Lynn Tonkin, manager of the nearby Llangoed Hotel, confirmed that villagers are delighted to hear the church bells ring out after so many years of silence. “It’s a fantastic gesture from Steve and Victoria,” she said.

Man Survives Crash Impalement – Four-Leaf

Clover HelpedFOUR LEAF clovers are reputed to be ex-tremely lucky, and Raymond Curry would certainly agree with that. While driving to work from his home in Cramlington, Nor-thumberland, he lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa. The vehicle flipped over and he ended up at the side of the road where a six foot long fencing stake penetrated the car and his torso. The wooden stake was in his body for five hours before an emergency operation removed it, along with an air freshener that had been thrust inside him also. It was not until they got him to the Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary that emergency room staff discovered a four leaf clover attached to his back. Surgeons said the stake had missed his important organs, but he had been very lucky to survive the accident. The lucky clover was returned to him and is now mounted on his bedroom wall as he recovers from surgery.

“It was great timing,” said the twenty year old crash victim. “I’d never ever seen a four leaf clover before.”

Sidney, World’s Fastest Snail Crowned In Norfolk

NOW in it’s 40th year, the World Snail Racing Championship last month saw Sidney the snail take the honours.

The crowd heard: “Ready, steady, slow!” – and Sidney the snail stormed to victory. He beat off stiff competition over the 13-inch course to win a silver tankard stuffed with lettuce.

The event at Congham near King’s Lynn has been running for nearly 40 years, and although there are a number of imitations it’s the only recognised World Championship.

This year’s winner belongs to 62-year-old Claire Lawrence, from Litcham in Norfolk, and crossed the line in three minutes 41 seconds.

“I’m shell shocked my mum has won, as it’s the first time she has entered,” her son Harry Lawrence told Rex.

“She selected Sidney a couple of days ago and she has been training him in our garden and feeding him on a diet of rocket salad.”

The world record stands at two minutes and was set by a snail called Archie in 1995. Unfortunately this year’s windy conditions meant times were much slower than usual.

We Know You Knowa Brit who would Love a gift subscription to

�Union Jack

August 2010 Page 3ujnews.com

a $35 presentright here!

Birthday, Anniversary,or any other reason . . .

ACTOR Michael Caine who played Bat-man’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in the first two “Batman” pics, says that Warner Bros. will begin filming “Batman 3” next April, to be directed by Christopher Nolan.

The studio has announced that the film would be released in July, 2012.

The script is be-ing co-written by Nolan’s brother Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer. The second Bat-man film The Dark Knight, went on to earn $1bn at box-offices worldwide.

Caine’s latest starring role is in Chris-topher Nolan’s Inception, in which he portrays a professor.

Jeremy Irons is co-starring with Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore and Zachary Quinto in writer/director JC Chandor’s thriller Margin Call, about Wall Street.

Irons portrays the chief executive of a prominent investment bank during the financial crisis in 2008.

The Queen: Broke In Two Years?FINANCIAL crisis at the Palace. The Queen’s accounts reveal that she will run out of money by 2012 – the year of her diamond jubilee – unless urgent action is taken. The accounts also reveal that she was forced to take a record £6.5m from cash reserves just so that she could fulfill her duties.

The Queen has only £15.2m remaining of reserves and is expected to draw a further £7.2m this year, leaving £8m, or little more than one year’s money, left in the pot This cash crisis has forced palace officials to take the axe to every aspect of the Queen’s spending including stationery, staff, uniforms and soft furnishings. Senior aides have had their salaries frozen and a recruitment freeze has been imposed.

Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said: “The royal household is acutely aware of the difficult economic climate. We are implementing a headcount freeze and review-ing every vacancy to see if we can avoid replacement.”

Accounts for the financial year 2009-2010 show that taxpayers spent £3m less on funding the monarch this year than they did last year. She now costs each Briton 62 pence a year, down seven pence from the year before.

Her civil list expenditure, which pays for the running of the royal household includ-ing staff salaries, went up by £300,000 to £14.2m.

Sir Alan said that a new system would be in place by 2012 – in time to prevent further financial problems. He added: “It would be helpful if the Government rolled together all the grants as it would allow us to manage the household finances more effectively.”

Broke in two years? I expect to be broke in two weeks! Still, if I win the lottery (as some guru in Switzerland says I might) I might send her a couple of million to tide her over a difficult period.

CLOSING THE GAPWork on Albert Bridge, south London,

which started in February and is due to last 18 months, could come to a halt over health and safety concerns. The problems come as Lon-don is set for its worst summer of roadworks, which will see the equivalent of every street in the capital being dug up 69 times.

At the time of writing there are more than 70 sets of roadworks under way in Kens-ington and Chelsea on main Transport for London roads alone.

A Thames harbourmaster with the Port of London Authority has told contractors that they cannot continue adding to the 120ft high scaffolding on Albert Bridge’s towers as to do so may damage boats or injure river users sailing underneath.

The bridge is closed to vehicles, although pedestrian and cycle access is still allowed.

The mainly wooden bridge, built in 1870, is in such a poor state that “you can stick your finger through it in places,” one work-man said.

TOUGH LIFE FOR SARAHSarah, Duchess of York, is in debt to the

tune of about £2m. So now, Prince Andrew (the Duke of York) who receives £249,000 a year from the Queen, has taken matters in hand.

He is making her cut her staff and has said that he is taking control of her life.

Evening Standard columnist Melanie Mc-Donagh commented: “If he is running her life and finances, wouldn’t it be simpler all round if they just got married?”

Well yes, I suppose it would – but isn’t it something they have tried once before?

CHEMICAL SCARE IN OXFORD STREETA chemical alert caused a terror scare in

Oxford Street last month after people were showered with liquid thrown from a hotel window.

Traffic came to a standstill during the rush hour and caused chaos for thousands of shoppers on the first day of the summer sales.

Hundreds of people were herded into shops by the police and locked inside for their own safety while the fire brigade’s specialist “hazardous materials unit” wear-ing protective clothing, investigated the spill, which appeared to come from the Radisson Edwardian Berkshire Hotel.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said later that tests showed that the liquid was a mixture of bleach and water “probably thrown out of the window by a cleaner”.

It gives a whole new meaning to “splash-ing out“ at an hotel, no doubt.

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE TUBE TODAY…

…You’re in for a big surprise. But it’s no Teddy Bears’ Picnic. It’s a poster advertising the tourist attraction London Dungeon, which is scaring people – especially children – out of their wits.

The advert: Bloody Mary Killer Queen shows a portrait of the Tudor Queen – daugh-ter of Henry VIII – sitting passively. Suddenly she turns to the viewer, appears to scream and her face changes into a zombie-like crea-ture with rotting teeth and red eyes (Just the thing to attract nervous customers!)

The poster has been banned by the Ad-vertising Standards Authority, who say that it “overstepped the limit of acceptability”.

A spokesman for Merlin Entertainments, which runs the London Dungeon, said:

“We are in the business of scaring with an historical twist, and we pride ourselves on advertising that is provocative and edgy.” And Nicola Ratcliffe, the company’s general manager, added:: “We are amazed at the ASA’s decision.”

The ad is successful insofar as it has got people talking about it and is outrageous enough to attract those interested in the bizarre. Scared viewers will not want to go near the place, but others will be interested enough to want to see the real thing. If they’d printed a poster which was easy on the eye, who would give it a second glance?

I suggest that the London Dungeon knew exactly what they were doing when they decided upon this poster.

IT’S THE ROYAL HAUNTED ACADEMY

Screaming nuns and skeletons in the closet are scaring guards at the Royal Acad-emy in London.

Security guards who patrol the Academy at night have revealed how ghostly appear-ances have them “spooked”.

Many are donning headphones to block out sounds of figures such as the “screaming nun” who is said haunt the Nuns’ Walk at the rear of Burlington House, Piccadilly.

Security guard Nathan Phillips, 41, of Langdon Hills, Essex, spoke of his most inexplicable encounter so far, which came during a 2am patrol near skeletons, which he admits are “creepy” at the best of times.

“On patrol, you go past the bones area, through the studios, and walk back the same way, pulling the doors shut behind you,” he said. “When I got back to where the skeletons are, the doors all slammed shut one after the other. I tried to make out what it could be, and checked all the doors again. I got to the same point in the same sequence and the bangs happened all over again. It did freak me out. I didn’t finish my patrol that night.”

Their experiences of strange goings on have been recorded for the first time by Blue Firth, a second year student at the Royal Academy Schools, where some of the haunt-ings have been reported. She has turned them into a series of artworks.

– AND AT ANOTHER GALLERY…A secret history of the National Portrait Gal-

lery including a problem with rats, a murder, and staff armed with guns during the Second World War has been made public on line.

More than a century and a half of papers reveal, among other things, that rats were a pressing problem in the 1940s. Warders kept a log of where the rodents were found and how they were killed with brooms, boots and pokers, and by drowning.

The murder took place on February 24, 1909 when a well-dressed man walked down the East Wing before shooting a woman and turning the pistol on himself.

During the First World War some portraits were put in a tube station near St Paul’s Ca-thedral for safe keeping and were guarded by staff carrying guns. In the Second World War paintings were stored at Mentmore, a stately home in Buckinghamshire.

Archivist Charlotte Brunskill says: “There are some fascinating stories in our archives and we are making them available.”

LONDON’S LARGEST HOME – AT REGENTS PARK

London’s biggest private home is to be created in Regents Park with a value of more than £100m.

Developers have won planning permission to convert a row of seven office buildings into a 10-bedroomed stuccoed mansion.

When completed, the 50,000 sq ft Re-gency terrace will claim the title of London’s largest residence after Buckingham Palace. The present holder of that title is Witanhurst Manor, Highgate.

Developer Marcus Cooper bought the John Nash-designed buildings at 6-10 Cambridge Terrace and 1-2 Chester Gate in 2007 for £23.7m. The buildings will become vacant when the present occupiers, Cancer Research UK, move to new offices at the Angel, north London, later this year.

Cooper said that the plans would restore the terrace, some of which is Grade I-listed, to its original purpose as a private residence.

The “super-prime” residence will have 10 bedroom suites, all with their own bathrooms and entertaining spaces – plus two additional staff houses. Other features will include a basement leisure complex with a cinema, gym and swimming pool, office facilities and a car park.

The major attraction will be a roof garden built into the eaves with a sliding roof and views of the 472-acre park. The “hanging gardens of Camden” will be 40ft long, bigger than most Londoners’ ground-level gardens.

Camden Council approved Cooper’s plans subject to affordable housing being provided on another site.

FINALLYQuote from Michael Curtiz: The next

time I send a damn fool for something, I’ll go myself.

squentinholmes@yahoo.co.uk

Women First To Row Nonstop

Around BritainA 50-YEAR-OLD wheelchair-bound former US marine and three teammates have become the first women to row nonstop around mainland Britain after completing the 2,000-mile journey.

Amateur rowers Belinda Kirk, Laura Thomasson, Beverley Ashton and An-gela Madsen reached London’s Tower Bridge July 23 to finish the trip in 51 days, 16 hours, 42 minutes.

Madsen is a wheelchair-bound for-mer US marine from Long Beach, California. She has rowed the Atlantic and Indian oceans but says Britain “presented the most challenging and unpredictable weather patterns.”

The 50-year-old grandmother broke her finger setting off a flare but carried on with a strapped hand.

The quartet started the race against a men’s team June 1, but the men gave up after less than two weeks.

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immigrationBy Stephen Ure

The above information is given for infor-mational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.Please consult with an attorney to discuss the particulars of your own case. Stephen Ure can be con-tacted at (619) 235-5400 or email: ure@prodigy.net

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How Can I Buy A Green Card?SO YOU’VE just won a barrel full of money by betting with the octopus and now you want to know if you can use the cash to buy a Green Card.

Unfortunately, regardless of how much money you may have, Green Cards are not for sale. However, for people with $1m (or in some cases $500K invest), there is a way to obtain a Green Card through the “Employ-ment Creation” visa category.

In order for an investor to qualify under this category, the investor must:

1. Establish or expand a company into the United States;

2. Invest $1m in the United States; and,3. Create at least ten (10) full time jobs for

American workers through the investment. If this sounds like a good idea but you

don’t quite have $1m to invest, there is an-other category that allows you to gain a Green Card through investing only $500K in certain “Designated Areas.” Under this category, the applicant doesn’t need to employ 10 Ameri-can workers but simply has to show that the investment has indirectly created 10 or more jobs for Americans and has improved regional productivity.

Although some of the “Designated Areas” leave much to be desired with regard to qual-ity of life, remember you don’t have to live there! Further, some of these areas are in very nice locations, including some in Hawaii

that can be utilized by a prudent investor. Thus, if you are an entrepreneur looking for a way to live and work in the United States, or a layabout who just got lucky in Vegas, the money in hand can help to make your American dreams come true.

Nevertheless, if you don’t have the kind of money described above all is not lost. That is; If you are willing to use the money you have to invest in or create a business in the US, there are still some nonimmigrant visas that may be available to you through your invest-ment or business. Although these visas don’t provide the security of a Green Card, they can be looked at as a stepping stone to one in the future. In immigration, as in everything else, set your goals, review your options, and map out a path full of visas that will take you to your desired destination.

Attorney Stephen Ure is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Strathmore’s Who’s Who and a past recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award.

and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called on both British and Scottish officials to review the situation.

Obama said he welcomed such a probe and that it was important that all facts be released to the public. Cameron said he, too, agreed that all the facts should re-leased. But, he added, “I don’t think there’s any great mystery here. ... I don’t need an inquiry to tell me it was a bad decision. It was a bad decision.”

UNDERSTOODCameron also said he understood

American anger over the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Obama, Cameron: Bomber Release Not BP’s Doing

He said the spill that began April 20 with an explosion aboard a BP-leased oil rig that claimed 11 lives was “a catas-trophe” for the environment, the fishing industry and for tourism in the region.

Cameron said he agreed with Obama that “it is BP’s role to cap the leak, clean up the mess and pay the appropriate compen-sation.” He said that the recent temporary capping of the well by BP was “a step in the right direction.”

At the same time, Cameron said that BP, “is an important company to both” the United States and Britain, noting it was a company that employs thousands of work-ers on both sides of the Atlantic.

found in the area. Hundreds of officers had swarmed into

the region, and nationally broadcast news conferences kept the nation apprised of Moat’s movements, his campsites and the letters he left behind to his ex-girlfriend. Newspapers published a letter in which Moat “declared war” on the police.

Police cornered Moat hiding at a riv-erbank. The siege wore on, and at one point police gave Moat food and water as negotiators attempted to persuade him to give up. But by early the next day, officers apparently attempted to wrestle him to the ground and he turned the gun on himself.

Following the incident, controversy arose over a Facebook page that glorified the dead killer. Under pressure the page was removed by its creator July 16 after it drew sharp criticism from Britain’s prime minister and put the social networking site in an uncomfortable situation.

The Facebook site RIP Raoul Moat You

Legend had attracted 38,000 fans, scores of comments praising Moat – and outrage from politicians. Facebook had refused to remove the page even after the Prime Minister’s condemnation, saying there should be no public sympathy for a “callous murderer.”

Facebook confirmed it had not removed the page. Another similar Moat tribute page remained, with more than 9,000 fans.

Moat, a former bouncer, had just been released from a prison term for assault when he began his murderous pursuits.

“I cannot understand any wave, how-ever small, of public sympathy for this man,” Cameron told the House of Com-mons last month. “It is absolutely clear that Raoul Moat was a callous murderer – full stop, end of story.”

However, dozens of bouquets and cards were left at the spot where Moat died, many by strangers.

Some accused the police of persecuting Moat. Others blamed his ex-girlfriend, whom he shot and seriously wounded.

Fugitive, Facebook ‘Hero’, Moat, Killed Himself As Police Moved In

Continued from page 1

DOGS in London last month saw their own first ice cream van on the streets of London.

Exclusively for dogs, the van made its first appearance at a pet festival in Regents Park last month

The canine-friendly, K99 ice cream was created by a team of scientists and was on show at the Boomerang Pets Party.

The treat comes in two flavours; Dog Eat Hog World – a gammon and chicken sorbet topped with a biscuit bone and served in a cone, and Canine Cookie Crunch – dog biscuits and ice cream

Doggie Ice Cream Van Hits The Road

topped with a biscuit bone and served in a cone.

Head chef Ceric Nale said: “After a lot of research, a gammon and chicken ice cream and a mixed dog biscuit ice cream were the clear winners, and we hope they’ll be flavours dogs simply can’t refuse”.

Sally Bezant, spokesperson for Boo-merang Pets Party, added: “We wanted to give our furry friends the chance to enjoy their own refreshing snack and an ice cream van for dogs seemed like the perfect answer”.

Only 20 Adolfs Named Since World War IIDATBASE shows that only 20 babies born in the UK since WWII have been named Adolf. This figure contrasts strongly with the 320 that were born and called Adolf before the war.

Findmypast.co.uk have reindexed 100 birth records to make them easier to search, and the changes show the last little Adolf was registered in 2005. The database’s records go back to 1837 and reveal that before the war there were 320 Adolfs reg-istered in England and Wales, according to The Metro.

The website also uncovered other un-usual naming trends, with 10 Lancashire babies in the late 19th century named Fish Fish, and one registered with the full name Fish Fish Fish.

After Brazil’s 1970 World Cup win eight boys were named Pele, while four Maradonas were registered in England and Wales in 1986 after the “Hand of God” incident.

Saatchi Donates 200 Artworks, Gallery To UK

By Jill LawlessART COLLECTOR Charles Saatchi has a gift for Britain. It includes Tracy Emin’s messy bed, Grayson Perry’s explicit pot-tery and a room full of engine oil.

The advertising tycoon, whose patron-age made household names of artists like Emin and Damien Hirst, announced last month he is donating his London gallery and 200 works in its collection to the nation as a new public art museum.

The gallery said the works, valued at more than £25m, will be given to the gov-ernment. The 70,000-square foot Saatchi Gallery will be renamed the Museum of Contemporary Art, London.

The artworks being donated include Emin’s My Bed – the artist’s famous recreation of her boudoir, complete with empty liquor bottles, condoms and ciga-rette butts – and Richard Wilson’s 20:50, an eye-dazzling room filled with oil. There are also works by Perry and artists from around the world, including China’s Zhang Dali and India’s Jitish Kallat.

Saatchi, co-founder of the Saatchi & Saatchi ad agency, was the main patron of the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s, which made Hirst and Em-inmaires.Online: www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

August 2010 Page 5ujnews.com

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Pope Arrest Will Be Prevented On British Visit

WHEN The Pope visits the UK later this year the government is taking steps to stop any warrants being issued for his arrest.

Sky News understands that Whitehall officials have been “seriously concerned” that campaigners would use international criminal rules to try to detain the Pontiff while he is in the UK.

Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robert-son QC were among those campaigners reported to be looking at the options for bringing a private prosecution in relation to the Pope’s alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Now Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has proposed changes to the rules on universal jurisdiction, a law that allows individuals to be prosecuted in the UK for serious of-fences such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture even if they were carried out abroad.

The plans would mean the Director of Public Prosecutions would need to give his consent to any arrest warrant issued under universal jurisdiction.

This would effectively mean taking that

power out of the hands of the courts.Ministers say the current rules are open

to abuse because the evidence required to get a warrant is far below the threshold that would be needed to bring a prosecution.

This has meant the rules are often used by those who wish to make a political state-ment or to cause embarrassment.

The most recent attempt to obtain an arrest warrant for a foreign dignitary was ahead of the visit by former Israeli defence minister Tzipi Livni who cancelled her trip at the last minute to avoid embar-rassment.

“Our commitment to our international obligations and to ensuring that there is no impunity for those accused of crimes of universal jurisdiction is unwavering,” Clarke said.

“It is important, however, that universal jurisdiction cases should be proceeded with in this country only on the basis of solid evidence that is likely to lead to a successful prosecution – otherwise there is a risk of damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to pursue a coherent foreign policy.”

Army Chief Takes Over As Head Of Military

Belfast Police, Catholic Rioters Clash Over Parade

By Shawn PogatchnikMASKED Irish nationalist youths hurled bottles, bricks and other make-shift weapons at riot police protecting a Protestant march in north Belfast as violence has resumed following a day of Protestant parades across Northern Ireland.

The July 12 rioting broke out on the edge of Ardoyne, a Catholic district where locals each year try to attack Protestant

members of the Orange Order brotherhood as they march to their lodge nearby.

Several hundred Irish nationalists have packed side streets beside the parade. Many are hurling objects into the roadway and into lines of police in helmets and body armor. Several vehicles also have been hijacked and burned.

Police have stopped the Protestant marchers and are keeping them away from the riot.

BRITAIN’S Ministry of Defense says General David Richards, currently the head of the British Army, will become Chief of the Defense Staff in October.

The post is Britain’s most senior military commander. Richards, a former NATO commander in Afghani-stan, is taking over from Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, who is leaving the top position six months early.

Stirrup was appointed by Britain’s previous Labour government, which

lost power in May’s general election to a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.

Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated Richards on his ap-pointment and thanked Stirrup who he said “served with real distinc-tion.”

The defense ministry said last month that it hasn’t been decided who will take over from Richards in the army.

Court Says ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ Must Stay In Jail

BRITAIN’S High Court has ruled that a convicted murderer known as the “York-shire Ripper” will re-main in custody for the rest of his life.

Sixty-three-year-old Peter Sutcliffe, who killed 13 women in northern England during the late 1970s, asked the court to set a minimum term so he would be able to apply for parole.

In 1981, Sutcliffe received 20 life sen-tences for the killings and the attempted murders of seven women. A formal minimum term was not set at the time, but the judge recommended he serve at least 30 years.

Judge John Mitting said last month that “apart from a terrorist outrage, it is difficult to conceive of circumstances in which one man could account for so many victims. Those circumstances alone make it ap-propriate to set a whole life term.”

Peter Sutcliffe

Curry Diet For Sheep Could Save The World

RESEARCH by scientists suggests that curry being fed to sheep could reduce methane emissions by such an amount it could save the planet.

Scientists found that coriander and tur-meric can reduce the amount of methane produced by sheep by up to 40 percent, reported The Sun.

The spices, traditionally used in curry, were found to kill the “bad” bacteria in the animal’s gut while allowing the “good” bacteria to flourish. The find-ings are part of a study by Newcastle University research student Mohammad Mehedi Hasan and Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry.

Hasan explained: “Spices have long

been used safely by humans to kill bacteria and treat a variety of ailments. “Coriander seeds, for example, are often prescribed for stomach complaints while turmeric and cloves are strong antiseptics. Methane is a major contributor to global warming and the slow digestive system of ruminant animals such as cows and sheep makes them a key producer of the gas. What my research found was that certain spices contain properties which make this digestive process more efficient so produc-ing less waste – in this case, methane.”

Latest figures held by Defra show that in 2009 there were an estimated 30 million sheep in the UK, each producing around 20 litres of methane a day.

CINEMA chameleon Meryl Streep’s latest challenge: becoming the Iron Lady.

Pathe Films says the two-time Academy Award winner has expressed an interest in playing Mar-garet Thatch-er in a new f i lm abou t Britain’s first female prime minister.

The London-based producer and dis-tributor said last month that discussions are under way with Streep’s representatives, but no agreement is in place.

Written by Abi Morgan (Sex Traffic, Brick Lane) the film is provisionally titled The Iron Lady. Pathe says it “tells the story of a woman who smashed through the bar-riers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world.”

The director is Phyllida Lloyd, who directed Streep in the Abba musical Mamma Mia!

Filming is due to start at the end of the year.

Page 6 August 2010ujnews.com

Perfect

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One Year

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KEEPING UP WITH BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE SOAP OPERAS

BE A LITTLE patient with me over the next couple of months. I’m in the process of switching how I’m watching EastEnders, from one source that is three months behind, to one that is just one day behind (yay!) Yes, it’s terrific news, but in making the switcho-ver, and closing the gap, I’m seeing some storylines out of sequence: I’m simultane-ously watching episodes from April, July (and on PBS, 2003!) So I’m a little more confused that usual. But yet, not as confused as our friends in Albert Square.

Despite initially agreeing to he and Jane adopting Lucy’s baby, Ian really doesn’t want too and while Jane is giddy over the upcoming baby, he is trying every trick to secretly manipulate Lucy into aborting. She finally agrees and he accompanies her to the clinic. Then afterwards tells her they should keep it their secret, (for Jane’s sake) so they tell Jane that Lucy is having a miscarriage. But Lucy feels guilty.

Pregnant Stacy is still missing and her family is going crazy worrying about where she is. And speaking of crazy, Becca throws herself at Max and he responds (natch) but after one tryst, he gets suspicious of her and follows her to a block of flats and finds Stacy there. After much arguing (a great two-hander episode) where Max (who is the only person who knows that Stacy was the real killer of Archie) first tries to convince her to go to the police to turn herself in and clear Bradley’s name (he drives her to the police station) then says no, he won’t tell anyone, just come back to the Square (then he drives her home).

Elsewhere . . . Janine and Ryan are on the lookout for new sheep to fleece . . . Roxy bought Booty and is reopening it . . . Billie Jackson’s old mates (make that, violent

gang) have followed him to the Square and they want him back. After Peggy tosses them from the Vic, they decide to plan a robbery using a gun that Billie had, first, procured for them, then had second thoughts about and told them he’d tossed. But they find it under the sink in his home and want him to prove he’s still a member by being the shooter at the Vic robery. But he can’t do it and uses a toy gun instead, getting caught. The others run, but one returns a few days later, turning up at a family do at RandR, to shoot him and in the scuffle shoots Jack instead. In the head . . . and there is a sudden influx of other bad-acting teenagers (Fatboy, Leon, ZsaZsa and Mercy) who don’t seem to have a reason for being there... But some who does have a reason for being there returns: Lou. Social services decides to let her visit and decides to evaluate the Mitchell home to see if it’s suit-able for a young girl to live there. Afterwards the home study, Peggy loses custody of Phil. (OK, so I made that last part up).

RADIO TIMES SPECIAL: I happen to have in my hot little hands, a bunch of copies of the Radio Times from EastEnders 25th Anniver-sary week. This issue is quite a collectible! Not only does it have great ar t ic les (including the cover interviews, “When Ang ie Met Peggy”) , but it also has a FABULOUS parody of the Sgt Pepper album cover, in glorious color, with all the East-Enders characters replacing all the people. It’s amazing! As you know, Radio Times is not available here in the US, but I had some sent to me from the UK and if you act now, one of them can be yours! For $13 (including ship-ping) you can get one for yourself. For all the details, just write me here at the Launderette: E20Launderette@gmail.com.

Y o u r F a i t h f u l R e p o r t e r , Deborah Gilbert, AKA Ishcabibble

THE KNICKER factory goes up in smoke this month when Tony Gordon breaks out of jail. He storms back to the Street with his beady eye, a murdering mind and a gun to Carla Connor’s pretty head. He tapes Carla’s gob shut and ties her to her executive swivel chair. And then he does the same to Hayley but on a cheaper chair. And with the two women taped up and tied down, terrible Tony throws petrol around. Hayley and Carla manage to wriggle themselves free and make a run for the door as Tony sets fire to the petrol and Underworld goes up in flames with him inside.

At the other end of town, Gail McIntyre is in court for murdering her husband. The jury decide Gail was guilty of many things: bad hair, whispering and all twelve are unanimous that she should be shot for bringing David Platt into the world, but as for killing Joe McIntyre, they vote her free. Gail skips home for a cuppa and a fight with Deirdre on the cobbles when Deirdre admits she knew Tracy was lying and that she’d stitched Gail right up.

Elsewhere on the Street, Roy proposes to Hayley, upstairs in the flat. And the lady with the flat shoes and sensible hair, she says “yes” – and about time too! She breaks the news to the girls over cakes in Roy’s Rolls. “We’re getting married!” to which everyone replies: “We thought you already were?” Well, no, they never were, not properly and legally but now with a change in the law for trans-sexuals (which happened a few years ago here in the UK), they can now be legally wed. “Do they sell a card in The Kabin for that?” asks Deirdre of Ken. Mary hands Hayley her marriage portfolio, the dossier she’s been working on for, like, ever, containing details of everything from wedding dresses and tiaras to garters and cakes. Mary’s clearly been working on her own wedding for some time, hoping for something old (Norris), something new (the Motorhome), something borrowed (Tina’s job at the Kabin) and something blue (Rita’s exotic dancing past).

Audrey becomes jealous of Lewis’ work as an escort when he sleeps over with a lady friend before giving Audrey a booty call. I know, at her age too. Anyway, she’s not best pleased so Lewis says he’s giving up the es-

cort work but he’s now got a sparkle in his eye every time he spies Deirdre on the Street.

And there’s more problems of the heart when Leanne yells to Peter: “I do NOT fancy Nick!” as Peter won’t stop going on about her fancying her ex-husband. But she does allow herself a wry little smile and a peek at Nick’s backside as he saunters down the Street. Oh Leanne, no, don’t go there again. He forced you into having an abortion! He forced you into having Gail as a mother-in-law! Step away from the Nickster, Leanne, and quick. Meanwhile, Natasha loans Nick three thousand pounds to keep Underworld running in Turner’s joinery while Gail shoots evils at Natasha for getting her claws into her number one son and golden boy.

In other news, a right fruity madam called Charlotte who wants to get into John Stape’s pants bribes him with her bosom that she’ll keep his stolen identity secret safe if he keeps her sweet. But Charlotte’s got bad news for John when she tells him that Colin Fishwick’s returning to Manchester from Canada and no doubt will be wanting his identity back.

And finally this month, the Rovers Return hosts a speed dating event. Kirk pays his fiver for a ticket and tells Ciaran he wants to meet a PE teacher. He doesn’t get a date but he does get a slap from a casting extra in a tight pair of pants. Even Michelle falls flat on her face after fancying Ciaran only to find him snogging the face off another leggy casting extra in the Rovers backyard.

Glenda Younghttp://coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com

Snoop Dog Seeks ‘Corrie’ Cameo Appearance

HIP HOP star Snoop Dogg has revealed he’s a fan of British soap opera Corona-tion Street, and wants a cameo on the gritty show.

Snoop told fans in Manchester last month that he has been watching “Corrie” for 11 years and had asked his agent to see if he can make an ap-pearance. He said producers “said they were interested so hopefully it might happen.”

Snoop recorded a video message to mark the show’s 50th birthday earlier this year.

The 38-year-old star is an established soap opera fan, and in 2008 made an ap-pearance on US soap One Life to Live.

Stella McCartney To Design Britain’s Olympic Kits

STELLA MCCARTNEY will design the outfits worn by British athletes at the 2012 London Olympics.

The British fashion designer, who is the daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney, will work with sportswear brand Adidas, which has provided the British team’s outfits since 1984.

McCartney said last month that “it is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be creative director of Team GB as the host nation.”

London organizers also announced that Panini will produce sticker books for the Olympics featuring past and present athletes.

London 2012 commercial director Charlie Wijeratna says that “Panini sticker collections are a staple of playgrounds – and offices – across the country around major sporting events.”

Meryl Streep In Talks To Play

Margaret Thatcher

Streep Thatcher

August 2010 Page 7ujnews.com

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THE CONSERVATIVE/LibDem alliance has now been in power for the best part of three months. During that time it has been extremely active.

Its biggest task has been to tackle the enormous financial deficit. It would be fair to say that it enjoys popular support in this mission. There is an acceptance that sac-rifices will be necessary to get the national debt under control and that this will involve a paring-down of expenditure in the public services. But with cuts of anything up to 40 percent in departmental budgets, perhaps “paring” is a bit of an understatement.

These sacrifices are barely glimpsed and scarcely felt at present. The most notable casualties have been in the education world. Here the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, has scrapped £55bn spending on Labour’s Building Schools for the Future scheme, encompassing re-building, refurbishment and repairs. The complexity of this programme can be measured from the fact that so far he has issued five lists of cuts, each error-strewn and confusing.

DEFENCEHis defence has been to apologise for er-

rors and attack Labour’s shadow education spokesman, Ed Balls: “I inherited a mess from you and we are clearing it up.”

This, one suspects, will be the standard line of argument trotted out by the Coalition for the next few years, justifying all the misery and hardship that lies ahead. Even so, some Coalition MPs from both parties are getting cold feet about the magnitude of the cuts. It is all very fine blaming the inadequacies of the last Labour administration but when the cuts occur in their own constituencies, MPs abandon their national loyalties to become leaders of local campaigns.

The Government is also pressing ahead with sweeping changes to the voting system, education and health. If a government is to achieve real change, it is vital this is put in place early on. Tony Blair himself regretted that he was not more radical in the early years of the Labour domination. Cameron and Nicholas Clegg, the LibDem leader, are unlikely to have Blair’s regrets.

PRIZEThe biggest prize for LibDem support

was a change in the voting system. The First Past the Post method has given us many decades of largely stable two-party politics where Proportional Repre-sentation (PR) would have delivered years of coalitions. Cru-cially, that system would have prevented the steep decline in fortunes of the Liberal Party. What will be voted upon though is the Alternative Vote system, a watered-down version of PR. Cameron will oppose any change and Clegg will lead the campaign in favour of the change. It is a sub-ject to which I shall return nearer the date

One of the interesting features of the political landscape since the General Elec-tion has been the harmonious way in which the Coalition has functioned, due in large measure to the closeness of Cameron and Clegg. This is manifest in a warmth at the heart of government, a feel-good factor if you like that makes the Government’s decisions that much more palatable.

STARTLINGAnother thing that has emerged with

startling clarity is that the horse-trading and cobbling-together of policies which cemented the Coalition has produced a set of policies for which no-one ever voted. No-one was ever canvassed about scrapping the school building programme, for instance. It has just happened.

It just happens also to be a very conve-nient argument for parents to contemplate taking their decaying schools out of state control. The Tory plans are based on the “free schools” model established in Sweden but honestly how many parents are likely to go to the trouble of setting up a school? Private companies are also invited to set up free schools, though since the Conservatives have said that they cannot make a profit from a state school there will be little incentive for them to participate.

The government has also announced sweeping changes to the way in which the NHS is funded. Health (and Overseas Aid) are

the two “ring-fenced” areas in the Coalition plans, where there will be no cuts in public expenditure. The new Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has issued a White Paper which proposes that all health spending will in future be master-minded by consortia of doctors. They will take the place of the now-to-be-abolished Regional Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts. This will at a stroke save large sums spent on administration (and lead to large-scale unemployment of health managers).

CHOOSEWhat this also does is to put health expen-

diture into the hands of private companies (for doctors operate privately) who can choose to spend it in NHS hospitals or private hospitals. Since there is also a strong move to make NHS hospitals into privately-run concerns, the so-called Foundation Hospitals which are largely independent in the way they run.

All this is part of a “patient-led” health service. In practice, this high-flown slogan sounds perfect for our day and age though it is in truth a vacuous expression. It boils down to the patient accepting professional advice from his/her doctor as to who will make money out of his/her illness.

What I know from personal experience is that you need to make an appointment a week or more in advance if you want to see your own GP. Even then the chances are that s/he won’t recognise you. As a matter of interest in the surgery to which I have been going for the past nine years from the receptionist, through all the various nurses and up to the doctors, there is no-one whom I know by name and no doctor who knows mine.

UNEMPLOYMENTWe are beginning to grasp the meaning of

Cameron’s “Big Society”: a vastly reduced public sector and a huge private one. Half a million public service jobs will be certain to go in the next three years. Sweeping unem-ployment will, the Government claims, be prevented by the creation of one and a half million jobs in the private sector.

And then the market will dominate everything and to paraphrase Margaret Thatcher’s words, “There will be no such thing as society.”

Finally, it gives me great pleasure to rec-ommend a shop in 4th Street, Santa Monica. This is Adamm’s Stained Glass and Gallery. He has a fantastic range of art work, notably glass skinks made by Scott Bisson from Oregon. The work is attractively priced and Adamm has very good contacts back here in dear Old Blighty. Well worth a trip in person or online at www.adammsgallery.com

john.polley1@ntlworld.com

Coalition Trusts The Creation Of New Markets A Gay Bishop For The Church Of England?

THE FUTURE of London’s 2012 Olym-pic Park has been secured after the new government promised to honor a $663m land transfer deal.

Doubts had been cast on the post-games use of the complex after the new coalition government decided to review the transfer agreement as part of its deficit-reducing spending cuts.

But Treasury chief George Osborne has confirmed the government will uphold the previous administration’s agreement to pay off the debts on the Olympic land and transfer parts of the site to the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

The government will pay a reported $209m for the current value of the land and wipe out City Hall’s $454m liabilities.

By Robert BarrTHE CHURCH of England may be on the verge of promoting a gay priest to bishop, a step that would widen the split over sexual-ity in the global Anglican Communion.

If that happens, it would appear to be a significant turnaround for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the Church of England and the world’s Anglicans, who recently imposed sanctions on the US Episcopal Church for electing a lesbian bishop.

According to newspaper reports, Wil-liams is prepared to back the elevation of the Very Rev Jeffrey John, who withdrew seven years ago from an appointment as a suffragan (assistant) bishop in the face of a

heated controversy about his homosexual-ity. Williams’ office will not comment.

“I think the strength of the opposition is much weaker this time,” Rev Canon Giles Goddard, the chairman of Inclusive Church, said last month. His group was founded by people disappointed by John’s failure to become a bishop in 2003.

John, who is now dean of St Albans Ca-thedral, might be seen as a more acceptable candidate than the US bishop because he has declared he is celibate – and therefore not in violation of church teaching.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who has spoken strongly in favor of equal rights for gays, will have the final decision about whom to recommend to the Queen who will make the formal appointment.

Government Commits To Future Of Olympic ParkThe Olympic project involves turning a

previously rundown 560-acre site into the centerpiece park of gleaming new venues and landscaped grounds for the 2012 Games. After the games, the complex is designed to serve as a vibrant new neighborhood.

The biggest issue still revolves around the future of the $780m, 80,000-seat Olym-pic Stadium. The stadium was originally intended to be downscaled to a 25,000-ca-pacity venue after the games, mainly for track and field.

However, the legacy company is exam-ining applications from numerous potential tenants, including West Ham soccer club and American sports and entertainment giant AEG. A final decision is expected by March 2011.

Unique Churchill Painting Stolen From LA British Pub

YE OLDE King’s Head pub in Santa Monica, California is of-fering a reward for the return of a painting of Sir Winston Churchill that has been stolen from the wall of the restaurant.

The oil painting, which dramatically depicts the British hero against a background of the Union Jack flag and London in flames during the Blitz, was bought directly from the artist by the pub’s founder and previous owner, Phil Elwell, 25 years ago. Staff believe it was stolen between midnight and 1am when there were few people in the restaurant.

We put a call into Phil Elwell who was “devastated by the theft. The painting was

Page 8 August 2010ujnews.com

Karen’s California Events Calendar

Contact Leo and Karen at PO Box 5691 Oxnard, CA 93031 or britishlad12@yahoo.com

PORTSMOUTH FC began its first tour to America since 1951 with its first stop in San Diego going down 2- 1 to Mexican team Club America followed by a six day training camp hosted by Premier Development League Champions Ventura County Fusion and CEO/GM Manager Ranbir Shergill.

Portsmouth are the third English team Fu-sion have hosted in three years with visiting Burnley last year and Everton in 2008. The friendly game was a very exciting contest and ended 2-1 to Portsmouth at Oxnard College July 17 with Striker David Nugentscoring the winning goal. Fusion midfielder Hakop Avesyan deserves a mention for his outstanding goal, “A moral victory for the Fusion,” said Fusion Director of Soccer and former head coach, Graham Smith.

After the Fusion game they made their way to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada followed by their last stop in Washington DC against DC United before returning to the UK. This being their first trip to the North American Continent for most of the players. Also very noticeable a couple of dozen devoted Portsmouth fans who followed the entire trip. They couldn’t afford to eat but did manage a pint or two.

One of Britain’s most photographed fans, he’s actually had his name changed to John Anthony Portsmouth Football Club Westwood. I saw his drivers license! He hasn’t missed a game in 30 years. And when not supporting his team at home, or abroad in Uganda or Greece, he runs a shop in Portsmouth, dressed in suit and tie. He’s a rare book dealer and was a really nice lad. I question that kind of passion, though?

I told John and the lads they must eat some-thing and to make them feel really at home, to stop on their way north at Mac’s Authentic Fish and Chip Shop at 503 State Street in Santa Bar-bara (805) 897-1160. You can’t miss it, its between two pubs and just around the corner from The Press Room. www.macssb.com

Just opened and fam-ily run, it’s busy, and it’s brilliant! Wild Alas-kan Cod lightly battered with delicious twice fried chips. The real McCoy! How did that miracle happen? Turns out good looking Mac from Blackpool, and very good looking Kate from Hornchurch in Essex met while working for The Bank of England. They married in Thailand and continued working at various postings around the world, the latest in Singapore.

Mac made a career change going to a French Culinary school becoming a classi-cally trained French Chef! They toured the US and finally decided to settle in Santa Barbara with Mac’s goal to dispel the myth that all English food is bland.

In fact, they have a large menu selection (everything made in-house when possible) from Haggis to savory pies, to great mushy peas, and they’re open late. They are an absolutely delightful English couple with an eight months old son Sam. But surely Mac is a bit young to be “barking” on the street. Wait till Sam is at least five, then put him to work!!

Celebrating birthdays: Mick Jagger 67; Helen Mirren 65; Nick O’Malley 25 (Arctic Monkeys); Ringo Starr 70; Ken Russell 83; Sir Patrick Stewart 70; Will champion 32 (Coldplay); Geoffrey Rush 59; Diana Rigg 72; John Lodge 67 (Moody Blues); Spencer Davis 68; Terry ‘Geezer’ Butler 61 (Black

Sabbath); Mark Burnett 50 (Survivor and The Apprentice); Karen Lewis. A moment in history: 1777 British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York. Been there, its beautiful!

AugustFor upcoming British events in the Los

Angeles area, check out www.britweek.org

If you like the wacky and irreverent Pirates of Penzance check out www.lamplighters.org or call (415) 227-4797 as they have a full schedule for Northern California theatres.

1-2: Willits Renaissance Fair, Recreation Grove Park, Willits. www.willitsfaire.com

Royal Clayton’s English Pub in down-town LA has one of the best collections of Toby mugs you’ll ever see. Their food is superb and British attitude can’t be beat! This Pub is beautifully crafted and a must see, so put it on your Summer To Do List (213) 622-0512.

4: An English Afternoon Tea at Plaza Pantry in Ojai (805) 646-6325.

You Say Tomato is a British owned and operated specialty store offering a full range of groceries and frozen food imported from the UK serving the Bay area. David is placing his Christmas order now, so make sure he’s ordering your favorite items (415) 921-2828.

5: John Wicks and the Records at The Echoplex www.attheecho.com or www.johnwicksandtherecords.com.

Cameron’s Inn is the most unique Brit-ish Pub Restaurant and Inn this side of the pond located in beautiful Half Moon Bay, with Ye Village Shoppe, two double-decker buses, outside patio that’s doggie friendly, BBQ pit, and 3,000+ beer can collection. If you don’t believe me, count ‘em (650) 726-5705.

7: Ringo Starr at The Greek Theatre www.ringostarr.com.

2-9: The Olde Ship in Fullerton and Santa

Ana is The Best English Pub in all of Orange County! The most authentic Pub outside of England! Pub Quiz Monday 2nd at SA and 9th in Fullerton. Santa Ana has jazz on Friday and rock most Saturdays. You’ll be a stranger there but once!(714) 871-7447 or (714) 550-6700.

14-15, 21-22: Big Bear City Renaissance Faire, Pedersens Mill, 39115 Rim of the World Drive, Fawnskin, www.bigbarrenais-sancefaire.com (909) 585-7825.

14, 28: The Mayflower Club of N Hol-lywood holds their August Pub Night the 14 with Clubnite the 28. They are taking reservations for the next Laughlin Trip in September so get your check into them now! (818) 769-9805.

Ye Olde Kings Head in Santa Monica offers Traditional English Breakfast 9am M-F and 8am Sat-Sun. Happy hour is 4-7 M-F and don’t forget the Olde Shoppe where new items are always arriving (310) 451-1402.

30-31: The Celtic Woman at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza www.thecelticwoman.com.

Check out www.corinthiancricketclub.com for the latest cricket schedules.

September2: The Celtic Woman at Chumash Casino

in Santa Ynez www.thecelticwoman.com.4-5: The Celtic Woman in Rancho Mirage

at Aque Caliente.4-5: 145th Scottish Highland Gathering

and Games, presented by the Caledonian Club of San Francisco, Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, www.caledo-nian.org.

FREE! Check out the Events Calendar on

www.ujnews.com for all the latest club or

community event in your area! You can also add your own British related events too!

. . . and it doesn’t cost a penny!

Get Your Event Listed !

Mac and Kate MacNaughton of Mac’s Authentic Fish and Chips in Santa Barbara.

a valued part of the Kings Head with a huge sentimental value, making it almost price-less, and something both customers and employees were proud of.”

“It’s a mystery because it’s a big painting

and it would be very difficult to get it down off the wall and out the door without someone seeing,” said King’s Head spokeswoman Lisa Powers. “It’s been part of the pub for a long time and obviously we want it back and we’re offering a reward.” Anyone who knows anything about the picture’s whereabouts is asked to call 310-451-1402, or email Lisa at Lisa88@earthlink.net.

August 2010 Page 9ujnews.com

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BERYL BAINBRIDGE, 75, the acclaimed British novelist. An acute and acerbic chronicler of human relationships.

Ed Wilson, of her literary agency John-son and Alcock, says Bainbridge died in a London hospital last month. She had been suffering from cancer.

Bainbridge was born in Liverpool in 1934, and the city’s grit informed her books, which blended humor, tragedy and the absurd.

She published more than a dozen nov-els, including A Weekend With Claud, The Bottle Factory Outing and Injury Time.

Several drew on Bainbridge’s own experiences. Her early career as an actress in provincial theater provided the setting for An Awfully Big Adventure, published in 1989 and made into a 1995 movie starring Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant.

British Novelist Beryl Bainbridge As time went by, she increasingly

turned to historical settings. Every Man for Himself was set aboard the Titanic and Master Georgie during in the Crimean War, while According to Queeney looked at 18th-century lexicographer Samuel Johnson. Young Adolf imagined the aspir-ing artist Hitler in Liverpool before World War I, to comic and disturbing effect.

“Beryl had an absolutely original voice: she was a serious comedian, all of whose novels ended tragically,” writer Michael Holroyd told The Guardian newspaper.

Bainbridge was a five-time finalist for the Booker Prize, and twice won the Whitbread literary prize.

She was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

Snooker Great ‘Hurricane’ Higgins ALEX HIGGINS, 61, a two-time world snooker champion whose cavalier style helped to popularize the game in its 1970s-80s heyday, died in his Belfast home last month after a long battle with throat cancer.

Higgins, the Northern Irishman nick-named Hurricane for his playing style, won the 1972 world championship at his first attempt, beating John Spencer 37-32 in the final to become the youngest winner of the title. He’d lose two more finals in 1976 and 1980 before regaining the crown in 1982 with an 18-15 win over Ray Reardon.

Despite being diagnosed with throat

cancer 10 years ago, he was playing profes-sionally as recently as 2007.

Six-time world champion Steve Davis said Higgins was one of two or three play-ers he would label a genius with a cue. “To people in the game he was a constant source of argument, he was a rebel. But to the wider public he was a breath of fresh air that drew them in to the game,” Davis said. “He was an inspiration to my generation to take the game up. I do not think his contribution to snooker can be underestimated.”

Barry Hearn, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker As-sociation, called Higgins “the original people’s champion.”

Higgins’ dislike of officialdom, while adding to his public admiration, also landed him in frequent trouble. For head-butting the tournament director of the 1986 UK Championship, he was banned from five tournaments and fined £12,000. He threatened to have rival countryman Dennis Taylor shot in 1990, and soon after he punched a tournament official in the stomach at the worlds, leading to him being banned for a year.

“I don’t think you’ll ever, ever see another player in the game of snooker like the great Alex Higgins,” Taylor told the BBC.

Black Belt For Ena, The Lollipop Lady, 77

A LOLLIPOP lady, in her 70s, earned her 7th dan black belt in Spirit Combat International ju-jisu last month.

Ena Mallett, 77, is only 5ft 4ins tall but that doesn’t stop her from throwing around much larger opponents. She first started learning karate in 1979 as a way to keep fit – becoming a Spirit Combat International instructor in 1987.

Mallett holds weekly classes for chil-dren and adults at the village hall near her home in South Walsham.

Twice a day she also acts as a lollipop lady outside of the local school – helping children to safely cross the road.

She said: “I might be getting on a bit but I still get stuck in myself during lessons... I can still deal with any big bloke who comes along.” Mrs Mallett has only ever had to utilise her skills once in real-life – when she put a 14-year-old boy in a wrist lock while working in a local shop. The teen was stealing a packet of mints.

She recalls: “It gave him the shock of his life and he quickly dropped the mints”.

UK Recession Was Deeper Than Earlier Estimated

By Robert BarrBRITAIN’S recession was deeper than estimated previously, official statisticians said last month, as they confirmed that the economy grew by only 0.3 percent in the first three months of the year.

Britain entered recession in the fourth quarter of 2008 and exited in the last quar-ter of 2009. However, analysts said details of the report raised questions about how robust the recovery is.

“The domestic side of the economy looks very vulnerable,” said Hetal Mehta, chief economist for Ernst & Young’s ITEM Club.

The Office for National Statistics said GDP fell by 6.4 percent from peak to trough during the recession, worse than the 6.2 percent drop reported previously.

Furthermore, the recovery seems to have been more dependent on temporary stimulus measures than earlier estimated.

Government spending, earlier reported to have risen by half a percent in the first quarter, actually rose 1.5 percent, last month’s figures showed. A rise in investment of 4.6 percent was boosted by a 15 percent increase in government investment, the largest since the start of the recession.

Consumer spending fell by 0.1 percent, the household saving ratio dropped from 7.2 percent in the fourth quarter to 6.9 percent, and the net trade deficit rose from £7.4bn to £10.4bn.

“The impact of strong government spending, ahead of the election period, was very visible. The forthcoming era of auster-ity will soon consign increases of these magnitudes to the annals of history,” said Philip Shaw, Investec’s chief economist.

“Overall, then, we still doubt that the economy is in a good position to withstand the fiscal squeeze,” Redwood added.

Page 10 August 2010ujnews.com

� ATTENTION FLORIDA’S BRITISH-OWNED BUSINESSES, SHOPS and PUBS: If you wish to get bulk cop-ies of the Union Jack, (50 papers a month minimum), to offer your custom-ers, phone our circulation department 1-(800) 262-7305. The paper is free, but a small delivery charge applies. (Or go to: www.ujnews.com). Over 800 distributors nationwide.

~ This paper reaches the British community in all parts of Florida and, of course, the US ~

The opinions in this column are Patri-cia Kawaja’s and not necessarily shared by Union Jack Publishing.

I WAS back in London last month, the first time in three years. Returning infrequently gives one a fresh eye on the country’s charms and negatives. It’s been 25 years since I originally left the UK to work for the Bahamas Government and it’s taken till now to join the ranks of expats nestled in Florida ease who cynically chirp: “Ah England – a lovely place to visit.” Yet, if I could live in Central London, (nowhere else) I’d be back like a shot to rejoin my own intellectual and kindred spirits, utterly lacking in Miami. Till the Florida Lotto obliges me, I’m staying put to enjoy the cushy, but shallow life here. Anyway, some random observations jotted down while in Blighty:

1) London’s major stations are fabulous, clean trendy places with yummy food places. But there’s a 30 pence charge to use the toilets. A worthy investment, I found at Waterloo. Our public toilets have progressed from Dickens to Avatar era.

2) On UK TV, British author Christopher Hitchens, who lives in New York, promot-ing his new memoir, said that his mother’s ambition was to join the upper classes. “So I did that by moving to America where to be English moves you to upper middle-class almost by definition.”

3) The London Evening Standard Film Critic opined “It looks like an American film. You know, smart and sassy but without much depth.”

4) Regular readers of this column may remember this ex-English teacher’s number one language horror is Americans constant use of You Guys, instead of just You. Well British TV presenters say it now, even on the hallowed BBC, looking into the camera to ad-dress their audience as “Yoogize”. I wept.

5) American gossip blogger Perez Hilton was also over in London because his next book will be released in the UK. “I’m also trying to keep up with the Brits, who know how to drink and party, but us Americans

can’t keep up.” Said one of the biggest hedonists in LA.

6) Once just an American “pastime” guns are increasingly menacing UK life, it’s sad to report. In court during my visit, was a 61-year-old Nottingham man, a member of one of Britain’s new gun clubs, who shot a taxi-driver “just for the fun of it.” Select-ing his victim at random, he planned it for weeks, cased out and photographed four potential murder sites, then executed the father of three “just for the thrill of killing somebody” police said.

7) Every corner of England was awash with post-mortems, hand-wringing, and abusive analysis of their country’s feeble World Cup showing. I flew back to Miami on July 11 World Cup Final day with the debate still raging.

8) The endless wacko regulations forced on them by the EEC continues to anger Brit-ons, especially when affecting their lifelong basics like Wellies. Cited with outrage in the Daily Mail: “The EU Directive for Personal Protective Equipment 89/696 requires Wel-lington boots to be sold with a 24-page manual in ten languages giving advice on risk assessment, storage conditions, life expectancy, washing in a mild detergent and resistance to electricity, cold weather and oil. Users are advised to try each boot before use.” The wellies I bought at a Florida Walmart came with no instruction manual. Americans aren’t that nutty.

■ CRUISES FOR BRITS. As a sea-faring island nation, we love being on the water, even if it’s being cosseted on a cruise. As media professional on fam trip, group leader for tours or personal vacation, I have board-ed over 24 cruise ships. On every ship out of Florida, cruise matrix of the planet, you hear British accents across the decks because we resident expats take our UK visitors on cruises. Now we have another opportunity.

Established British operators Swan Hellenic, with Ft Lauderdale offices, are wooing you with “British Country Elegance in small ship cruising.” Sounds marvellous. See their ad in this issue.

■ FROM ENGLAND for collectors of Eng-lish china. Michael Doulton will be signing pieces of Royal Doulton Figures, Character Jugs, Loving Cups, Kingsware, Series Ware, Bunnykins, Beatrix Potter and other exciting collectables. The Whitley Gallery of Miami will again present its annual display of the company’s most admired works and give collectors the chance to meet each other and talk about their love of Royal Doulton. Attend the opening night cocktail party and shop an extensive selection of Royal Doulton, on Friday and Saturday in the gallery. Doulton is the sixth generation descendant of John Doulton, the company founder. Since 1969, Michael has been traveling the world as Royal Doulton’s International Ambassador. September 9-11, 2010 at the Whitley Collec-tion Gallery Miami. www.whitleycollection.com or call (786) 464-1950.

■ CALLING FLORIDA PUB OWNERS. Do you have a pub football (soccer) team? (As David Beckham says how annoying to have the change OUR word FOOTBALL to soccer just because we’re in the USA). The Professional Miami FC with Traffic Sports organises footie matches for pubs across the state, with British pubs like Ft Lauder-dale’s Frog and Toad regular participants in events like the Coastal Cup. To participate call Coordinator Tommy Knapp on (954) 829-9213.

■ ORLANDO’s British-American Cham-ber of Commerce, which has a new Austra-lian President Ed Beshara, holds business and social events throughout the year. Call the BACC Orlando offices for calendar and membership info on (407) 226-7251.

■ WORLD CUP BID UPDATE. FIFA of-ficials fly into Miami this September to check out locations, prior to their final decision in December 2010. Following my urging you to vote for the USA bid to host the 2018 World Cup, Orlando’s British Consul Dean Churm asked why I wasn’t backing the England bid. I told him: 1) Because I don’t live and work in England, so want the PR/Marketing busi-ness World Cup generates to stay here. 2) Some matches will be played in Miami (and Tampa probably) so exciting for Florida Brits. UJ readers are primarily expats who want World Cup local to avoid expensive trips to England. I know droves of Florida Brits have already backed the USA bid online, follow-ing my campaign here. 3) London got the Olympics already – USA deserves World Cup methinks. Our esteemed Consul on a limited posting will back in England probably then, plus it’s his job to promote Eng-er-land. Most of us won’t, but in the interests of fairness, in case you prefer the England bid, sign up on www.england2018bid.com

■ BRITISH CLUB SPOTLIGHT: TAMPA BAY AREA BRITISH WOMEN’S CLUB. Daughters of the British Empire seek ladies with an English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish accent, all ages. Call Hilary at (813) 909-8316 For your nearest British club (or British events in your area) email me your name, city and phone number.

August 2010 Page 11ujnews.com

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Solution on page 14

Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

© Puzzles by PappocomEx-MI6 Worker Admits Violating Secrets Act

A JUDGE last month warned a former spy agency worker who was accused of trying to sell top secret files that he faces jail after pleading guilty to violating the country’s secrecy act.

Daniel Houghton admitted to two counts of unlawfully disclosing intel-ligence material but denied a charge of theft. A former employee of MI6, Britain’s overseas intelligence service, he had been accused of taking secret files and offering them to a foreign government for £2m.

Judge David Bean warned Houghton that he was facing prison at his September 3 sentencing, an outcome the 25-year-old’s lawyer said he understood.

“He accepts that a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case, given the gravity of the offenses concerned,” defense attorney Duncan Penny said.

Houghton, a dual Dutch and British national, was accused of copying top secret files from the domestic agency MI5 to CD and DVDs while working for MI6 between September 2007 and May 2009. He was arrested in March at a central London hotel.

Prosecutor Piers Arnold told Bean that they did not intend to continue with the theft charge Hough-ton had denied. He said the defense had already obtained psy-chiatric reports on Houghton, and that the prosecution was in the process of get-ting their own.

The defense re-port s s ta te that Houghton said he was “directed by voices to do what he is said to have done in the charges”.

Penny said the psychiatric reports were introduced for the court to consider, and that they weren’t suggesting “a psy-chiatric disposal” of the case.

Kim Cattrall Gets Fellowship From UK UniversityKIM CATTRALL has swapped sleek Manhattan for gray Liverpool to accept an honorary fellowship from a university in her English home town.

The Sex and the City star was named a fellow of Liverpool John Moores Uni-versity in northwest England last month in recognition of her contribution to the arts.

The 53-year-old actress was born in the English port city but was raised largely in Canada.

She told hundreds of graduating stu-dents packed into Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral that the honor was “a dream come true.”

Wearing academic cap and gown, Cat-trall told the audience that she was proud

of her Liverpool roots, and said “whoever said ‘you can’t go home again’ didn’t come from Liverpool.”

Page 12 August 2010ujnews.com

NORTHEAST OHIOBy Joe Nicholls. Joe and Kevin McGinty can

be heard on “Sounds of Britain and Ireland” Sundays 4-5pm on Cleveland’s WCPN 90.3FM and www.wcpn.org).

August 6, 20: British-American Club, Fish & chips

dinners, 8564 Ravenna Rd, (off Rte 82) Twinsburg, 6:30-8:30pm (330) 963-6370.

6,13, 20, 27: West Side Irish American Club, Irish-style dinners, 8559 Jennings Rd, Olmsted Township, 6-9pm (216) 251-4075.

7: British Car Council, British Car Day, Ursuline College, 2550 Lander Rd, (just S of Cedar Rd),Pepper Pike, All Day, (330) 753-3331.

10, 24: SHANO, Scottish Heritage Meet-ings, Community Presbyterian Church, 5132 Mayfield Rd, Lyndhurst. 7:30pm (330) 463-5559.

11: Calon Lan Welsh Club, Lunch Meeting, Denny’s Restaurant, Rte 224, Boardman,

1pm (330) 758-4202.15: Cleveland Manx Society, Potluck at

Tabac’s Home, Call for directions,1pm (216) 481-2476.

25: Scottish American Society, Picnic at the Hunter’s, Call for directions, 3pm, (330) 882-0342.

26: Daughters of the BE, Westminster Chapter, meeting, Lyndhurst 7:30pm [(440) 461-2533.

September 14: British-American C of C, Ryder Cup Golf Outing, Redtail Golf Club, Avon, All day, (216) 621- 0222.

NEW YORK8: Off The Sidewalk invites you to an early

evening cocktail social on the rooftop bar of the Standard Hotel - 18th Floor, 6:30pm.

Come to network, mingle and chat with other Expats while enjoying a cocktail over-looking the Highline and amazing views of the Hudson. RSVP info@offthesidewalk.com.

American Friends of the Georgian GroupAugust 14: Central New York Scottish Games

& Celtic Festival at Long Branch Park, Liverpool (near Syracuse). Events 9am-9pm. (315) 784-5348, www.CNYScottishGames.org.

To add your NY club/organisation calendar insertion contact: anna.titley@stgeorges-society.org

Check out other latest British related events submitted by Union Jack readers at UJNEWS.com and click on the CALENDAR tab.Do you have a not-for-profit event you’d like to share with everyone . . .then why not add it to the Calendar? . . . it’s FREE?

ATTENTION FORMER ROYAL MARINES

Now living in the US

There is now a Royal Marine Association Branch formed in

the US.Please contact:

John Topping, Secretary Royal Marine Association

USA Branch 8409 Lake Crest Terrace,

Fairfax Station, VA 22039-2678Phone: (703) 690-8944

www.rma-us.org

tanyasm1th@yahoo.com

The Professor And The Madman By

Simon WinchesterDO YOU ever watch programs l i k e M o d e r n Marvels and find yourself mes-merized by the scope of some of man’s great-es t ach ieve-ments? Yes? No? Only on Sundays? Well I do because this program pays tribute to man’s most brilliant undertakings and it documents how these great feats are carried out.

Simon Winchester’s The Professor and the Madman is an historical novel about one of the most amazing and innovative man-made marvels of all time: the Oxford English Dictionary. I mean have you ever wondered just how the OED came to be? Think about it. By the time the second edition was in print in 1989 there were 615,000 words in the OED with new ones being added daily. It boggles the mind as to how this information was gathered in the first place.

Who on earth would take on the great big puzzle that is the English language? Well this was no easy accomplishment. It took a great amount of love and seventy long years to complete this chef-d’oeuvre. And you may be shocked to learn that one of the main contributors submitted all of his work from his lockdown room at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. I’m not sure why, but the fact that thousands of the OED words were meticulously defined by a certified lunatic makes me smile.

Winchester has managed to turn a potentially wearisome story into a riveting page-turner. He captures the British industrial revolution era perfectly, weaving into this historic setting the story of two men who, were it not for this improbable project, would otherwise never have had dealings with each other: Professor James Murray the Oxford scholar and leading force behind the project, and Dr W C Minor, a certified criminal lunatic. Both men’s life journeys, although polar op-posites, are enthralling.

We take so much for granted these days. Spell check is just another button on the computer. But if it weren’t for those dedicated contributors of long ago who codified and universalized the English language – and amongst them one castrated, certified loony – this helpful tool might not be at our fingertips today.

Sometimes when I drive along a particular road, I think about the men who made that road (blowing up mountains, risking their lives) and I am grateful to them as it has made our lives that much better. I have the same awe and gratitude when it comes to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary, so I am thrilled Winchester took the time to honor the men and women who created this most magnificent work of linguistic achievement.

Did I spell all of this correctly? I’d better check!

(Five is the top Teacup score)

TABLE MANNERSLIVING TOGETHERROUND AND ROUNDTHE GARDEN

CYGNETTHEATRE.COM OLD TOWN | SAN DIEGO

THE SARASOTA British Club recently had a function, where I took some of my short-bread, and whilst at another function this weekend, had a couple of the members ask if they could have the recipe. Since I hadn’t featured this for many years, I thought this would be a good time to redo.

The Scots of course can lay claim to this delectable treat, and the recipe which is so basic can be dated back as far as the 12th century. In Elizabethan times, the shortbread was shaped as a petticoat in a circle, and cut into wedges, so sometimes they are still referred to as Petticoat Tails. I used to make so much of this when I had the tea room and developed the recipe baked on a cookie/baking sheet, and cut into ‘fingers’. I experimented for a long time with many different versions, and one day a lovely Scottish customer who was a cook, told me the secret in her delightful brogue, to have “Careful handling, and careful firing” In other words don’t over process the mix be light handed and allow slower longer baking.

It is so important though to only use real butter, any other substitute will not do! The shortbread can also be frozen; I

always have some on hand in my freezer for anyone visiting me for a cuppa. If you have a food processor it makes it so easy, but if not, you can use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour and sugar. I hope you enjoy my version

Shortbread4 cups All Purpose flour1lb (4 sticks) real butter (lightly salted)1 cup sugarUsing a processor, put in two cups of

the flour; add the cut up butter, and sugar and top with the remaining two cups flour. Pulse several times, until the mixture just begins to start holding together. Turn into a large bowl and using a pastry blender cut the mixture to be sure the butter is cut up evenly. Turn onto a lightly greased baking/cookie sheet 13”x17”, and pat evenly into the pan. Gently press down with a lightly floured rolling pin, and prick all over with a fork. (You don’t want the mixture to rise and the fork holes will keep it flat.) Bake at 325 degrees F about 30-40 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven, put on cooling rack, and after it has sat for five minutes, gently cut into the fingers.. . . I usually make them about 2”x1”. (If you wait until it has cooled it will all break up) Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

(I welcome comments, suggestions and recipes, and can usually be contacted at yourcuppatea1@yahoo.com. However I have been having major computer woes recently, so if it doesn’t go through or you have not heard back from me, please let Ron know at the Union Jack)

Court: UK Must Delay Extraditing Britons To USTHE EUROPEAN Court of Human Rights says Britain must hold off on extraditing four Britons to the United States where they are wanted on terror charges.

The four face very long jail terms without parole and in maximum security conditions.

The rights court said last month the four have reasons to fear their US incarceration conditions may violate their rights under the European human rights charter.

It gave Britain until September 2 to respond. Until then, the four “should not be extradited” to the US.

Chesterfield Sofa Is a ‘Hard’ Example Of QualityWHEN NEIGHBOURS look into Steve Jones’ back garden they are amazed to see a Chesterfield sofa out there . . . a concrete one!

The Edinburgh man recreated the Chesterfield sofa in concrete as garden fur-niture. Jones is looking to get his concrete collection on sale in garden centres by the end of the year.

He insists his concrete sofa is comfort-able – and it even comes with a 50p con-crete coin down the back of its cushions.

The hollow concrete couch is made by taking a mould from a genuine leather one and casting it into a single package in a week-long process.

Jones, is producing the unique sofas through his Edinburgh-based company Gray Concrete, along with business partner Jon Gray, 39.

He said: “The mould making techniques pick up very very accurate detail, so every little fold in the leather is picked out, and the surface to the touch does make it feel leathery – just harder.

“There is a fun aspect to it too in mak-ing something out of the wrong material, such as creating a piece of soft furnishing out of concrete.

“We believe the sofa has commercial legs on its own – it has had a lot of posi-

tive feedback and we can see it going into a lot of gardens as an interesting piece of furniture.

“We have the potential to make 100s of them.”

Sponsors Sought For London 2012 AthletesBRITAIN’S Olympic and elite sports bodies are urging small businesses to collectively invest £15m in the devel-opment of athletes ahead of London 2012.

The Team 2012 initiative wants 750 firms to each invest £20,000 £25m fund-raising target, which Visa and private donations will help to achieve.

Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said last month that “supporting the Olympics is not just something big multinationals can do.”

Funding for sport in Britain is pro-vided by the government and National Lottery.

It was also announced last month that UK Sport and Sport England, the two bodies that distribute lottery money to

sport, are to be merged as part of gov-ernment cost-cutting measures.

August 2010 Page 13ujnews.com

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FINALLY after a period of almost three years carmakers are beginning once again to show profit, it might, however, be another few years before these profits offset the losses incurred during the automotive crisis. It’s difficult to say if this automotive crisis was worse than any previous periods but for sure it was felt in the USA more than any time in its history. Of the three major Detroit carmakers, two folded and one escaped by the skin of their teeth.

Chrysler was the first to go, they filed for Chapter 11 on April 30, 2009, they are now owned by the United Auto Workers Union Volunteer fund, 68 percent, Fiat, 20 percent, US Treasury, 10 percent and the Canadian Treasury, two percent. Fiat however have the option to buy an additional 31 percent to make them the majority shareholder and take control of the company.

The next major Detroit carmaker to go belly up was General Motors, they filed Chapter 11 a month later than Chrysler on June 1, 2009. It was the demise of General Motors that sent shock waves throughout the US financial sys-tem for GM was the largest US automaker and second only to Toyota in the world. GM are now owned by the US Treasury, 61 percent, United Auto Workers Union Volunteer fund, 17.5 percent, and a Canadian investment corporation, 21.5 percent.

Ford are the third company, and the one that avoided bankruptcy, but they had a price to pay for their survival. The demise of their Premiere Automotive Group was the down-side to their continued existence. This Ford subsidiary had been the result of colossal expenditure by Ford and included showcase brands Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Volvo, Lincoln and Mercury. Like GM and Chrysler, Ford was losing millions of dollars every week so a fire sale was ordered to stay afloat. Lincoln and Mercury were to be absorbed once again by Ford US but with the Mercury brand to be eventually phased out (this Mercury phase out will occur in late 2010). Aston Martin was the first to be sold, this UK based division was making a profit at the time of the sale but it had to go to cover losses from the Ford facilities. It was sold to a joint UK-Kuwait consortium led by David Richards at the bargain price of £479m.

A greater loss of investment to Ford was the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors of India. Ford had invested heavily on Jaguar but not heavily enough as the Jaguar marque never made a profit for Ford in the 19 years of ownership. The acquisition of Jaguar by Ford came about by Maggie Thatcher’s privatization policy. The re-structuring of the government-owned British Leyland culminated into the privately owned Austin Rover Group, Jaguar was not included in this changeover and was floated off as a separate company on the stock exchange. Sales had been slow, confidence had been down and satisfaction, due to poor reliability of the Jaguar marque, was at an all time low, which of course resulted in low stock prices for the legendary Jaguar. Ford saw this as an opportunity so they bought the stock, all

of it in fact. How much they actually paid, no one knows for sure as the stock price was fluctuating but it was a bargain price for such a once revered name in motor cars, too bad they never invested sufficiently to boost their profits.

Ford’s acquisition of Land Rover came about in 2000, purchasing the company for £1.8bn from BMW who had owned the brand since 1994. The year 2000 was probably as good a year as any for buying a reputable European luxury sport utility vehicle manufac-turer, as SUVs had the market niche in 2000. Ford were big in the SUV market in the US but not so much in Europe, also European cars were popular in the US and so were European SUVs. So, the Land Rover proved a good buy – although it was a profitable marque for Ford’s Premiere Automotive Group, it now had to go to cover now escalating debt.

Tata’s cost for both the Land Rover and Jaguar along with the Rover and Daimler names was £1.7bn. So how have Jaguar and Land Rover been doing since they were bought by Tata Motors Ltd of Mumbai, India in 2008. After two years of losses which I’m sure the management at Tata were anticipat-ing they, like other motorcar companies are starting to turn things around, even Jaguar is starting to show a profit which is something Jaguar hasn’t done in about 40 years. One reason is that in 2009 Tata secured an order for 13,000 Jaguar cars to be exported to China from Britain’s Solihul and Halewood factories. Then there is of course the new XJ, the first Jaguar to be born under the owner-ship of Tata Motors and if you read my review of this new Jag in an earlier UJ column you would know I gave it a very favorable report. I had first seen it at the Los Angeles motor show where Leo Lewis (UJ California Viewcolumn) and myself were introduced to this new XJ by Ian Callum who designed this superb motor car. Leo also met Ian Callum again a couple of months ago for the launch of the XJ in the USA, you may have seen their

photos in the Union Jack. Anyway according to the Jaguar director of design the US launch was a huge success resulting in orders that exceeded expectations. As for Land Rover, sales figures are also moving upwards in both the US and Europe and also new markets in both India and China due to Tata’s market-ing strategy.

It was the Range Rover’s birthday, by the way, in April, she was 40-year-old. The Range Rover was Europe’s first Luxury Utility Vehicle, they call them Sport Utility Vehicles nowadays to make them sound sexier than they really are I suppose, most every marque has a SUV model these days, some luxury and some not so luxurious but the Range Rover was the first in Europe. The US had the Chevy Suburban, a semi luxury utility vehicle. To celebrate the Range Rover’s 40th a new model has been introduced, based on the Range Rover Sport which is a slightly shorter version of the Range Rover this new model is called the Range Rover Evoque, the interior of which was designed by Victoria Beckham which makes it a SUV with in vogue style. The Evoque is causing quite a stir, so Tata Motors may have a winner here.

The remaining Ford Premiere Group marque Volvo will be sold later this year to a Chinese company. So it seems Ford’s losses are to be some others gains, I wish them all success including Ford, in what must have been a heartbreaking decision from the Ford directors to cut, dissect and sell their Premiere Group, it has worked for them though as they are now making a profit. And most of all here’s wishing Range Rover many happy returns, the one millionth one will roll off the assembly line this year, good luck to them and well done Victoria for introducing some in vogue style to honor this SUVs 40th birthday.

Happy Motoring

Don’t Become A QROPperA QUALIFIED Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) is an overseas pension scheme that has met HMRC con-ditions – which allows a UK occupational, or personal pension to be transferred to it – always providing the jurisdiction of the QROPS allows such a transfer. The IRS does not allow the transfer of a UK pension to a US pension plan even if the US pension plan has received QROPS approval (Tech-nical Pages RPSM14101050 refers).

Unfortunately some overseas pen-sion providers with QROPS approval are breaking HMRC rules and allowing transferred pension to be encashed more than the maximum of 30 percent allowed by the HMRC. Encashment in excess of 30 percent are treated as unauthorised payments and subject to a sanction of 55 percent – a hefty fine.

Details of all UK pensions transferred to a QROPS are known to the HMRC – so

if you feel tempted-think again!All Singapore QROPS approvals have

been revoked, two New Zealand QROPS are being investigated as is a Latvian QROPS. The Channel Islands (not mem-bers of the EU) have modified their rules to ensure compliance, as has Gibraltar.

The IRS’s Chief Counsel office have stated a transfer of a UK pension to a QROPS may be considered a distribu-tion and the whole value of the transfer assessable for US tax-but at the same time confirmed a transfer to a UK Self Invested Personal Pension is not a taxable transaction.

Despite all of the above there can still be very good reasons to remove a large UK pension from UK inheritance tax. Pension transfer has become more complex , and expert advice is vital. If you are made an offer that sounds too good to be true-it probably is.

Britain Defers Decision On Free TV SportsBRITAIN’S list of so-called “Crown Jewel” sporting events looks set to remain unchanged after the government postponed a review of which should be exclusively available on free television instead of pay TV.

A review last year commissioned by the previous government made recommenda-tions including adding English cricket’s home Ashes tests to the current list of 10 events.

But after protests by some sports that protecting them could reduce their broad-cast revenue, Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson said last month he will wait until 2013 to look again at a list including the football World Cup and the Olympic Games.

He wants to wait until Britain completes the switch from analogue to digital broad-casting in 2012.

“I fully support the principle of pro-tecting major sports events for free to air coverage,” Robertson said. “But with digital switch over concluding in 2012, this will result in the widespread availability of a significantly increased number of television channels, many of which will be free to air.

“The broadcasting context for this deci-sion is increasingly unclear.”

Robertson added that the delay could avoid making decisions before the British economy emerged sufficiently from its economic downturn.

England’s Football Association wel-comed the delay.

“We have always held the belief that, as a national governing body, we are best placed to determine how our broadcast rights should be sold, to ensure both fair commercial value and a continuing ability to invest in the grass roots of the game,” FA general secretary Alex Horne said. “Today’s decision gives us that opportu-nity at a critical time.”

The current list, which was reviewed most recently in 1998, also features football’s European Championship, FA Cup and Scottish FA Cup, the finals of Wimbledon, horse racing’s Grand Na-tional and Derby, the Rugby World Cup and the rugby league British Challenge Cup final.

Former Football Association executive director David Davies headed the panel, which recommended that the Ashes, all of Wimbledon and golf’s British Open should be on free TV. Davies had also recommended retaining the Summer Olympics on the protect list but removing the Winter Games.

Dealer Cleared Of Theft Of Shakespeare’s PlaysA BOOK DEALER has been cleared of stealing a rare first edi-tion of Shakespeare’s plays, but was found guilty of handling stolen goods and removing stolen property from Britain.

Raymond Scott had been accused of theft after the 1623 folio was stolen from Durham University in 1998. He was ar-rested after the volume was taken to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington.

Scott claimed he found the folio – which has been described as part of England’s “cultural heritage” – in Cuba.

At Newcastle Crown Court last month, Judge Richard Lowden remanded Scott in custody, warning “there will, in due time, be an inevitable substantial custodial sentence.”

Page 14 August 2010ujnews.com

Compiled by Larry Gardner

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WIMBLEDON AFTERMATHRAFAEL Nadal’s scuttled Andy Murray’s chances of becoming the first Brit in a Wimbledon singles championship final after some 75 years with a stunning and competent display of top class tennis. The Scot reached the semi-finals for the second year running, but the Spaniard was in scintil-lating form and proved unstoppable winning 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, and went forward to win his second Wimbledon title beating Tomas Berydych of the Czech Republic. The partially stunned number four seeded Murray, told the gathered press, “It’s not like I played badly.” Venus Williams crashed out to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in the quarter-finals, but sister Serena kept the family name intact winning her fourth Wimbledon singles crown. The British challenge was light on the ground, though Jonny Marray and Anna Smith did reach the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles. Wimbledon, June 21-July 4, was not a complete disaster for the home nation however, where an all-Brit boys doubles final witnessed youngsters Liam Brady and Tom Farquharson beat Lewis Burton and George Morgan 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.

Britain’s long run without a Davis Cup victory ended at Eastbourne, July 9-11, where new skipper Leon Smith in his first match since taking over from John Lloyd, witnessed a thorough 5-0 ravaging of Turkey. Jamie Baker beat Ergun Zorlu, James Ward beat Marsel Ilhan, while a doubles victory by Colin Fleming and Ken Stupski gave Britain an uncatchable 3-0 lead on the second day. Baker and Ward won the remaining singles on the final day. The match was a Europe/Africa Group II play-off relegation match to decide which nation drops to the third and lowest tier of Davis Cup tennis.

BANGLADESH, AUSTRALIA & PAKISTAN

TOURING ENGLANDAustralia flew in for a four

games series of ODIs, June 22-30, but were beaten 3-1 by England. At the Rose Bowl in the first game, England won by four wickets. Australia 267-7 at 50 overs. England 268 (Eoin

Morgan 103)-6. At the Swalec Stadium, England won again by four wickets. Australia 239-7 at 50 overs. England 243-6 at close. One wicket gave England the victory at Old Trafford. England 214-9 at 50 overs. Australia 212 all out. The Aussies won the final game at the Oval by 78 runs. Australia 290 (Michael Clarke 99)-5 at 50 overs. England 212 all out. Australia remain in England for a series of one-dayers and a two match Test series against Pakistan. They engaged in some batting practice with two day draw against Derbyshire. Australia 436 (Rick Ponting retd out 116, Mike Hussey 132) Derbyshire 235-5 at close. Pakistan warmed up with a drawn three-dayer against Kent in Canterbury. Paki-stan 360 (Umar Akmal 153) and 264-4 dec. Kent 259 and 150-3 at close. Australia won the first Test at Lords by 150 runs. Australia 253 and 334. Pakistan 148 and 289.

Bangladesh returned from their Asia Cup fixtures and were beaten 2-1 in the ODIs series. At Trent Bridge, England won by six wickets. B’desh 250-9 at 50 overs. England 251-4 at close. At Bristol the Tigers beat England by five runs. B’desh 236-7 at 50 overs. England 231 all out. The third game at Edgbaston, saw England win the decider by 144 runs. England 347 (Andy Strauss 154, Jonathan Trott 110)- at 50 overs. B’Desh 203 all out. Later this month, England com-mence a three match Test series against Pakistan.

THE COUNTY GAMEHalf-way through the 2010 County

Championship, Mid-July, Yorkshire (136pts) replaced Nottinghamshire in the top spot after a six wicket win over Warwickshire at Headingley, while Notts (115pts) tumbed to a 143 run defeat against Essex at Chelmsford. Lancashire are third with 105pts. Sussex lead Division Two with five wins from nine game with 135 pts, Gloucestershire have 130 and Glamorgan 128.

In the Caribbean, South Africa won the three match Test series 2-0.

After winning the first test by 163 runs, the second game was drawn at St Kitts.

South Africa 543 (Graeme Smith 132, Jacques Kallis 110)-6 dec and 235 (AB de Villiers 135 not out)-3 at close. West Indies 546 (Shiv Chanderpaul 166, Brendan Nash 114 not out.) At Barbados, the South Africans won by seven wickets. West Indies 231 and 161. South Africa 364 and 49-3 at close.

India won the Asia Cup at Dambulla, beat-ing Sri Lanka by 81 runs.

India 268-6 at 50 overs. Sri Lanka 187 all out.

FIRST FOR DAVE HORSEY, SECOND FOR JUSTIN ROSE

David Horsey, a 25-year-old Englishman from Wilmslow, captured his first European title after winning the BMW International in Munich, late June, where his 18 under 270, gave him a one stroke advantage over fellow Brit Ross Fisher. . . . Barely a month after winning his first American PGA event at the Memorial in Muirfield, Ohio, Justin Rose

was on the podium for a second time, July 4, when he captured the AT & T National in Pennslyvania. The 29-year-old found his form and going into the final eighteen held a four stroke lead. Then, Ryan Moore put away four birdies and the result was a lot closer with Rose finishing with a 10 under 270, one stroke ahead of the American.

“I played much slower and I really felt calm,” said the Englishman who collected over a million dollars for his second Ameri-can victory.

AT &T was a Tiger Woods sponsor until his marital travails hit the headlines, and he had won this event last year. Woods just sur-vived the cut and finished 14 behind Rose.

OOSTHUIZEN (WUHTS-HY-ZEN) WINS THE OPEN

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIIroy tore apart the St Andrews course during the first round of the British Open, July 15-18, where his nine under par 63 set a record for St An-drews, and equaled the record for a Major. 74 golfers carded under par scores in the first round. But the wind got up during the second round, and for an hour the tournament was put on hold as the gusting breezes roared down the fairways. McIIroy carded an 80 in the next round, but a South African with an almost unpronounceable name who had an early tee time bounced to the front and stay there. Louis Oosthuizen proved entirely uncatchable, though it looked possible for a time that Paul Casey was within reach. The South African finished with a 16 under 272, seven clear of runner-up Lee Westwood. Rory McIIroy, Paul Casey and Henrik Sten-son were another stroke back.

FORMULA ONEThe rivalry between Red Bull and the

McLaren British duo continued at the European Grand Prix in Valencia and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, July 11. Red Bull’s Sebas-tian Vettel won in Spain, while team-mate Mark Webber led from start to finish in Britain. Lewis Hamilton was runner-up in both races, while team-mate Jensen Button finished third and fourth. Mid-July, Hamilton led the driver’s table with 145pts,with Button just behind on 133. Webber had 128 and Vettel 121.

REGATTAThe Henley Royal Regatta, June 30-July

4, produced the usual bumper turn out where a record 505 crews, including 116 from overseas, engaged in British rowing’s most prestigious competition. Top competitors use the outing as a warm-up for the World Rowing Championships to be held in New Zealand, later this year. Scorching summer weather and a power outage added to the occasion in the posh Stewards Enclosure, where for the first time since 1976, enthusiasts were allowed to remove their striped blazer and flannels, but not their ties and cravats. Some 30,000 people attended the Thames event, which started in 1839, and was only cancelled during the two world wars.

EUROPEAN SOCCERThe World Cup Final was still to be played,

but the first qualifying round of the Europa League matches had already been com-pleted. Both Welsh clubs made their exits. Llanelli held Lithuanian side FK Tauras 2-2 in Wales, but lost the away game 3-1. Port Talbot Town were trounced at home by TPS Turku 4-0, and at the second leg in Finland, they suffered a 3-1 reversal. Welsh Champi-ons, the New Saints, traveled to Dublin in a second round qualifying Champions League

first leg match where a goal by Killian Bren-nan gave the Bohemians a 1-0 advantage.

TOUR DE FRANCEMark Cavendish, who has won 10 Tour de

France (July 3-25) stages in the last couple of years, proved he had not lost his touch. The Manxman won the fifth and sixth stages using his spectacular sprint finishes. He won the 11th stage rather controversially however, after team-mate Mark Renshaw apparently head-butted a rider near the finish. Renshaw, an Australian, was immediately thrown out of the race. Cavendish came out of nowhere to win the 18th Bordeaux stage too. Seven time winner Lance Armstrong on his 13th tour was involved in a couple of incidents during the eighth stage, including a nasty crash, which the American concluded had ended his chances. The multi-Olympic medaled Brit, Bradley Wiggins, who was fourth last year, suffered at the eighth stage too. Later, Wiggins would confess he was not finding the form he had been seeking.

Last year’s winner Alberto Contador, claimed his third Tour de France.BRITISH CLUB RESULTS IN THE US

Glasgow Celtic coach Neil Lennon said he was satisfied with the club’s performance during it north American tour, though results had been mixed. Opening at the Philadelphia Union, against the newest addition to MLS soccer, local favourite Sebastian le Toux got one past the Hoops for the only goal of the game. A 43,000 crowd gathered at Toronto, where Manchester United won 3-1. Dimitar Berbetov opened the scoring in the 34th minute while Georgios Samaras leveled it 16 minutes after the break. Danny Wellbeck and Tom Cleverly added to the United scoreline. At the Seattle Sounders game the host’s goalie was sent off, after pulling down Samaras, who put the ball in the net anyway. However, the ref ordered a penalty, which the Greek striker put away and Paddy McCourt later made it two. However, the ten men Sounders did get one back. Celtic 2, Sounders 1.

Tottenham Hotspur brought out a record crowd at Buck Shaw Stadium of 10,700, for their game with the San Jose Earthquakes where a very open end-to-end game con-cluded in a goal-less draw. Against the New York Red Bulls, the home crowd witnessed the debut of former Arsenal favourite Thierry Henry. He scored in the 25th minute, but sec-ond half goals by Robbie Keane and Gareth Bale gave the Spurs a 2-1 win. Manchester City beat the Portland Timbers 3-0, then lost 2-0 to Sporting Lisbon in the Red Bulls American Challenge. . . Against the Red Bulls the sky blues tumbled to a 2-1 defeat.

Gabriel Obertan found the net in the 76th minute at the Philadelpia Union, where Man-chester United chalked up a 1-0 win against the MLS side. At the Kansas City Wizards,

Dimitar Berbetov scored from the spot but the Americans won 2-1. Javier Hernandez scored on his Manchester United debut as a youthful Red Devils team put in an impressive performance to beat the MLS All-Stars 5-2 in the friendly. Federico Macheda had two early goals while Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverley also found the net for the Premier League side. The sellout Houston crowd of 70,728 was the largest for an MLS All-Star game since the first in 1996.

Portsmouth’s US tour began with a 2-1 loss to Club America in San Diego. They managed to reverse the result against the Ventura Fusion 2-1, and a visit to Canada saw them tie 1-1 with an Edmonton XI. Their tour ended with further misery, play-ing in borrowed kits from their hosts – after their own equipment failed to make the trip on time – DC United who carved out a 4-0 win. Bolton Wanderers were in the south, beating the Charleston Battery 2-0 and Charlotte Eagles 3-0, and concluded with a 1-1 draw against FC Toronto, which they won on (4-3) penalties. Results are as of July 25 and prior.

LATE EUROPEAN SOCCERWelsh Champions, The New Saints (TNS)

scored three times in the first twenty minutes at Owestry, in the second leg of their Cham-pions League qualifier to beat the Bohemians 4-0, and will face Belgium’s Anderlecht in the next round.

In the Europa League, second qualifying round, a Ross Forbes goal in the 63rd minute gave Motherwell a 1-0 at Fir Park against Breidablik, while in Iceland, a Jamie Murphy goal just before the break gave them a similar victory and a game against Aalesund of Norway in the next round. Welsh club Ban-gor City earned a 1-1 tie in Finland over FC Honka, and in Wrexham, for the second leg, two goals in the last six minutes gave them a 2-1 victory and a match-up with Maritimo of Portugal.

LATE SPORTPakistan won the second Test encounter

with Australia by three wickets at Headingley, to tie the short series 1-1. Australia 88 and 349. Pakistan 258 and 180-7 at close. . . . Bernard Langer captured the British Seniors Open at Carnoustie, Scotland, where a five under 279, saw him edge out Corey Pavin by one stroke. . . . The Ferrari team of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa won the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, July 25. Lewis Hamilton was fourth, and remains leading the driver’s table. . . . The world of snooker lamented the loss of one of the game’s great characters, Alex “Hurricane” Higgins who lost a battle with throat cancer. Higgins won his first world championship in 1972 and then again ten years later. The nickname “Hurricane epitomized his style of play. He was 61.

Arsenal – Like many teams, the Gunners would love to snap up Werder Bremen midfielder Me-sut Ozil, but he’d be superfluous

if they keep Cesc Fabregas. More pressing is their need in goal, where they could buy Mark Schwarzer away from Fulham for £4m and give him coaching duties, or go for one of several good Continental keepers who are available. Decisions are pending up front, where manager Arsene Wenger’s interest in Japanese striker Keisuke Honda could be whetted if Eduardo is sold, possibly to Shahktar Donetsk.

Aston Villa – The impending loss to midfielder James Milner is just one of several concerns for manager Martin O’Neill, who

is likely to be offered striker Robbie Keane in one of the moves Tottenham will make upon returning from its tour of the United States. Another of the English teams to tour the States, Manchester City, came back with Stephen Ireland disgruntled after a dispute with manager Roberto Mancini. A swap of Milner and Ireland is possible and there might be some money left over for O’Neill to address needs in the back line.

Birmingham City – Keane is also a rumored target for Birmingham, with Bobby Zamora (Fulham) in the mix as well. Liverpool is willing to part with Ryan Babel, and several

other flank players are on the list of manager Alex McLeish. There’s not much money to spend beyond that for a striker and a wide player, and City’s initial offer of £1.25m for Crystal Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne was rejected.

Blackburn – The sale of forward Jason Roberts, if it happens, will generate a bit of revenue for a manager always

in the hunt for a bargain. Roberts says he wants to stay, but if a club is willing to pay £1m, that could be that. Snagging a player like Asamoah Gyan is a nice idea, but a pricey one. There are some free agents that fit the modus operandi of Sam Allardyce, as per Benjani Mwaruwari, and loan deals are possible. Blackburn gave trials to Andranik Teymourian, Rodrigo Branco and Gai Assulin, may have to stave off interest for defender Phil Jones, and has asked £4m for Nigel Reo-Coker.

Blackpool – Midfielder Charlie Adam did well enough during the team’s promotion season to lure offers from other clubs, but

a team desperately short of Premier League quality isn’t willing to sell. DJ Campbell scored 11 goals (eight in league play) during his loan from Leicester, which paid £1.6m for him three years ago and has taken him back. Striker Billy Clarke suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a preseason match against Tiverton Town and will be out until April at least. Striker Rob Hulse (Derby) is among players of interest to manager Ian Holloway.

Bolton – Winger Martin Petrov has signed on a free transfer after being cut loose by Manchester City and the attack has been further boosted by Robbie Blake,

who can provide a spark off the bench or as an occasional starter. US midfielder Stuart Holden displayed some poise and creativity in preseason games and could be joined in the lineup by Jason Roberts, though several other transfer targets are being evaluated.

Chelsea – John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien are back healthy, Michael Ballack and Joe Cole are gone, so why shouldn’t manager

Carlo Ancelotti make a big push for Bastian Schweinsteiger? There will be a hole at left back if Ashley Cole’s £30m move to Real Madrid comes off, and that’s a lot of money in the current market for all but the richest teams and players.

Everton – Teenager Magaye Gueye has come aboard, joining strikers Jermaine Beckford and Joao Silva. The club has also

been busy keeping the squad intact by sign-ing Leighton Baines, Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell and Seamus Coleman to new contracts. Slovakian goalkeeper Jan Mucha may put some pressure on incumbent Tim Howard. The finances and roster could change if Inter Milan can acquire Steven Pienaar, and/or a suitable bid is received for Phil Jagielka, for whom Arsenal’s bid of £14m initial offer was rejected.

Fulham – Concerns about the future deepened when manage-rial prospect Martin Jol could not persuade his current employer, Ajax, to negotiate a buyout. If

defender Brede Hangeland follows former

manager Roy Hodgson to Liverpool, and Schwarzer goes to Arsenal, the defense will need an extensive overhaul. Whoever the new manager is, he must decide what to do with US striker Eddie Johnson, who hasn’t been quite the equal of countryman Clint Dempsey. Johnson would like US coach Bob Bradley to come aboard, which is maybe the only way for him to get playing time. If Mark Schwarzer goes to Arsenal as player-coach, Rangers’ Allan McGregor could be the replacement in goal.

Liverpool – Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic are in the fold, new manager Roy Hodgson is wrestling with the futures of Javier Mascherano, Steven Ger-

rard and Fernando Torres. If Torres stays, the groin injury that sidelined him at the World Cup could keep him on the bench for the first month of the season, and is yet another reasons fans would like to see a striker signed. Emiliano Insua is headed to Fiorentina in a £5m deal.

Manchester City – David Si lva, Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, Aleksandar Kolorov, Mario Balotelli, where will it end? US international Landon Donovan

and Milner are among those on a list of future targets. Manager Roberto Mancini is trying to unload Craig Bellamy on loan; he turned down a stint in Germany with Wolfsburg. All the new faces have made Robinho and Stephen Ireland expendable, and Ireland may have hastened his departure by squabbling with Mancini during City’s tour of the US. Still, City is trying to pry Milner away from Villa and with all the money at its disposal, a player like Ozil has to be left in the mix.

Manchester United – A deserved 2-1 loss to 10-man Kansas City during United’s US tour triggered consternation on

both sides of the Atlantic, as a few of the veterans did not accompany the team and some of the youngsters weren’t up to the task. Veterans Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are set for another season. A Real Madrid bid for defender Nemanja Vidic is expected at some point.

The strong German performance at the World Cup has pointed United in the direction of outside back Phillip Lahm (Bayern Munich) and midfielder Ozil, but there are more than a dozen players who could come aboard before the transfer window closes September 1.

Newcastle United – The Magpies paid a reported £1.6m for Nottingham Forest midfielder James Perch, so money is tight and loans may be the order of

the day, as was the case last season with Robbie Keane. Manager Chris Hughton has also secured midfielder Dan Gosling, and fended off bids for goalkeeper Steve Harper (wanted by Celtic) and striker Matt Derbyshire (Olympiakos). But things can, and often do, change in August.

Stoke City – The convoluted career of Jermaine Jenas could lead him to Stoke, who are also in the bidding for West Ham striker

Carlton Cole £8m and Spurs winger David Bentley. Winger Matthew Etherington signed a new four-year deal in mid-July; the 28-year-old was named the club’s top player last season. Defender Ibrahima Sonko has gone to relegated Portsmouth on a season-long loan.

Sunderland – Defender Sol Campbell got married and went on honeymoon as the transfer market heated up, so the Black

Cats and Newcastle were put on hold. He could be playing alongside Titus Bramble, who arrives from Wigan. Inquiries for Hector Moreno (AZ Alkmaar) and Heiko Westermann (Schalke) fizzled out; Stephen Ireland is a remote possibility. A few teams are in the hunt for James Beattie and Tuncay Sanli. England goalkeeper David James, who left Portsmouth in May, could be signed as cover for Craig Gordon, who suffered a broken arm and will miss the start of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur – During a tour of the US, manager Harry Redknapp expressed disappoint-ment that Joe Cole had chosen Liverpool instead of Spurs, and Robbie Keane boosted his stock

by scoring quality goals that could make of-floading him more difficult. Also on the way out, possibly, is Roman Pavlyuchenko via a loan deal with Sporting Lisbon, which played an entertaining 2-2 tie with Spurs in New York July 25. Raul’s departure from Real Madrid sparked speculation he could be headed to Tottenham. Jermaine Defoe, Aaron Lennon, Ledley King, Peter Crouch, Michael Dawson, Giovani Dos Santos, Sebastien Bassong, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Wilson Palacios, and

Heurelho Gomes rejoined the team after it returned from the US.

West Bromwich Albion – Mid-fielders Youssouf Mulumbu and Graham Dorrans have been signed to new contracts; both are just

23, so manager Roberto di Matteo is in the market for some experience, with Aston Villa (and former Chelsea) linchpin Steve Sidwell looking for regular playing time in a new environment. The Baggies are one of three teams interested in a loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury, along with from Newcastle and Fulham, and among a dozen or so who might pay the requested £1m for Jason Roberts. Midfielder Borja Valero has gone on loan to Villarreal.

West Ham United – Winger Pablo Barrera and forward Fred-eric Piquionne have become Hammers, but German interna-

tional Miroslav Klose turned down a move to London. Owners David Gold and David Sullivan transfer-listed everyone except Scott Parker in June, which is when Luis Boa Morte publicly slammed Sullivan. Boa Morte subsequently apologized and has signed a two-year contract. An initial bid of £11.2m for Nice striker Loic Remy was turned down, yet the Hammers stayed in the chase.

Wigan Athletic – Defender Ali Al Habsi was signed on a sea-son-long loan from Bolton, and another defender, Paraguayan

international Antolin Alcaraz, has arrived after playing nearly every game for Club Brugge the past two and a half years. The back line will likely remain in flux for a while, since right back Mario Melchiot has departed and the club could lose left back Maynor Figueroa in a transfer. James McArthur, a former Scotland U-21 international, shores up the midfield at a cost of £400,000 from Hamilton. He has signed a four-year contract.

Wolverhampton – Stephen Hunt (Hull City) and Steven Fletcher (Burnley) have arrived, and a successful loan stint by

holding midfielder Michael Mancienne (from Chelsea) could be converted into a permanent move. He played 30 games last season in midfield though most of his experience is in the back line. Uncertainty over Mancienne prompted Wolves to sign Steven Mouyokolo, who like Hunt, played for Hull last season.

August 2010 Page 15ujnews.com

EURO & DOMESTIC CUPS RESULTS,

FIXTURES & DRAWS

CARLING CUP DRAW First Round

(To be played week of August 9)Hartlepool United v Sheffield United Leicester City v Macclesfield Town

Walsall v Tranmere Rovers Carlisle United v Huddersfield Town

Stockport County v Preston North End Barnsley v Rochdale

Morecambe v Coventry City Doncaster Rovers v Accrington Stanley

Chesterfield v Middlesbrough Peterborough United v Rotherham United

Bradford City v Nottingham Forest Leeds United v Lincoln City Sheffield Wednesday v Bury

Scunthorpe United v Oldham Athletic Crewe Alexandra v Derby County

Exeter City v Ipswich Town Southend United v Bristol City

Southampton v AFC Bournemouth Brentford v Cheltenham Town

Queens Park Rangers v Port Vale Torquay United v Reading Norwich City v Gillingham Stevenage v Portsmouth

Shrewsbury Town v Charlton Athletic Cardiff City v Burton Albion

Northampton Town v Brighton & Hove Albion Swansea City v Barnet

Plymouth Argyle v Notts County Wycombe Wanderers v Millwall Oxford United v Bristol Rovers

Milton Keynes Dons v Dagenham & Redbridge Hereford United v Colchester United

Yeovil Town v Crystal Palace Aldershot Town v Watford

Swindon Town v Leyton Orient

By Ridge Mahoney

premiership rounduppremiership roundup

By Ridge Mahoney

LIVE MUSIC� �•Homemade Meat Pies •Pasties,Bangers & Mash. •Mum’s RoastBeef & Yorkshire Pud. Plus a whole array of British & American favourites. All pubs have a large selection of imported draft beer and full bar.Outside patio areas and of course satellite TVs for all your sporting events including

BARCLAYS PREMIERFIXTURES FOR THE MONTH

First Games July 27-28

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUEThird Qualifying Round

Champions Path Group 2 (Second Legs August 3/4)

The New Saints 1, Anderlecht 3Non-Champions Path

Braga 3, Celtic 0

EUROPA LEAGUE DRAW Third Qualifying Round

(First Legs July 29, Second Legs August 5)Aalesund 1, Motherwell 1Rabotnicki 0, Liverpool 2

Maribor v Hibernian Shamrock Rovers v Juventus

Kalmar v Levski Sofia Maritimo v Bangor City Wisla Krakow v Qarabag CSKA Sofia v Cliftonville

SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP DRAW First Round

(To be played July 31/Aug 1)Dundee v Montrose

Elgin City v Ayr United Dunfermline Athletic v Arbroath Annan Athletic v Partick Thistle Stirling Albion v Forfar Athletic Albion Rovers v Airdrie United

Ross County v Livingston Stenhousemuir v Brechin City

Raith Rovers v East Fife Clyde v Cowdenbeath

Peterhead v Berwick Rangers Stranraer v Morton

Queen of the South v Dumbarton East Stirlingshire v Alloa Athletic

Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Queen’s Park

FORMULA ONE

Webber Wins British GP After Incident

With VettelMARK WEBBER cruised to his third Formula One victo-ry of the season July 11 after overtaking Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix.

The Australian finished 1.36 seconds ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, turning in an im-maculate drive at Silverstone after being angered by having to hand over a key car part to Vettel.

“Not bad for a No 2 driver,” Webber quipped over his radio during his vic-tory lap.

Nico Rosberg of Mercedes was third.With nine races to go, Hamilton leads

the overall standings with 145 points, 12 ahead of McLaren teammate Jenson But-ton. Webber is third with 128 after becom-ing the first driver this season to win three races. Vettel is fourth with 121.

Webber’s car has been equipped with the old version of Red Bull’s front wing since qualifying after the new design was stripped and handed to Vettel, who subse-quently took the pole.

PUNCTUREDBut Webber led throughout the race

after pushing Vettel wide on the opening lap, when Vettel also punctured a tire.

“I was obviously keen to make it my corner and it worked out well for me,” Webber said. “The car was faultless all day.”

But amid the celebrations, Webber made clear his unease at the current situ-ation.

“Yesterday, I wasn’t happy clearly,” Webber said. “I would never have signed a contract for next year if I believed this would be the way going forward.”

Button had branded his car undriveable after flawed upgrades were abandoned two days prior to the race. The Englishman was helped in the race by Robert Kubica after the Renault driver, who started from sixth, retired for the first time this season with a rear axle problem after 19 laps.

“It’s so difficult overtaking out there so I knew I had to make a big amount of places up on the first lap – I made six places up – and then we made the right call with pitting late,” Button said.

CHARITY SHIELD – Sunday, August 8Chelsea v Man United

PREM FIXTURES– Saturday, August 14 –

Aston Villa v West Ham, Blackburn v Everton, Bolton v Fulham, Chelsea v West Brom,

Sunderland v Birmingham, Tottenham v Man CityWigan Athletic v Blackpool, Wolves v Stoke City

– Sunday, August 15 –Liverpool v Arsenal

– Monday, August 16 –Man Utd v Newcastle

– Saturday, August 21 –Arsenal v Blackpool, Birmingham v Blackburn,

Everton v Wolves, Stoke City v Tottenham,West Brom v Sunderland, West Ham v Bolton,

Wigan Athletic v Chelsea– Sunday, August 22 –

Fulham v Man Utd, Newcastle v Aston Villa– Monday, August 23 –

Man City v Liverpool– Saturday, August 28 –

Blackburn v Arsenal, Blackpool v Fulham,Chelsea v Stoke City, Liverpool v West Brom,

Man Utd v West Ham, Tottenham v Wigan Athletic,Wolves v Newcastle

– Sunday, August 29 –Aston Villa v Everton, Bolton v Birmingham,

Sunderland v Man City

Schumacher Focusing On 2011 After Comeback FlopSEVEN-TIME world champion Michael Schumacher has written off his comeback season to focus on the 2011 Formula One championship.

The 41-year-old German has struggled since returning from a three-year retire-ment in a non-competitive Mercedes. A 15th-place at the European Grand Prix last month was his worst result.

Schumacher has accumulated just 34 points after nine races, leaving him 93 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton at the midpoint of the season.

Schumacher accepts that winning the championship is “unrealistic from my point of view considering the points I have.”

Ahead of the British GP, Schumacher says his focus is to “try to learn as much as we can and prepare for next year.”

2010 Formula One Schedule And StandingsAugust

1: Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest29: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Fran-

corchampsSeptember

12: Italian Grand Prix, Monza26: Singapore Grand Prix

October10: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka24: Korean Grand Prix, Yongam

November7: Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo14: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates2010 DRIVER STANDINGS1. Lewis Hamilton, 1452. Jenson Button, 1333. Mark Webber, 1284. Sebastian Vettel, 1215. Fernando Alonso, 986. Nico Rosberg, 907. Robert Kubica, 838. Felipe Massa, 679. Michael Schumacher, 3610. Adrian Sutil, 35

Perfect

Gift

One Year

of

Union

Jack

See

page

3

England’s PreparationsENGLAND’S victory in the second Test at Sydney has given them an enormous fillip ahead of their final year’s preparations before the World Cup. The margin was narrow – 21-20 – but the side has been desperate for some success, any success! The change in fo r tunes was ref lected in a changed e l i te squad announced last month.

Most importantly, England manager Martin Johnson has relegated former captain Steve Borthwick to the second-string Lions outfit. The elite will meet early this month to prepare for the autumn series in November.

Borthwick was Johnson’s leader for his first 20 Tests as manager but was forced to miss this year’s Six Nations’ finale against France. At 30, Borthwick’s international career could well be at an end. Johnson has, however, kept faith with Simon Shaw who will be 38 by the time of next year’s World Cup.

The coming scrum-half is Ben Youngs who served his country well in the summer tour of Australia. His recent advances have meant that Paul Hodgson has also been ejected from the top squad. Sadly Harry Ellis has had to announce his retirement following serious knee injury. Ellis won 27 caps and played for the Lions and is still only 28 but the past four seasons have been a nightmare for the Leicester scrumhalf.

News from Wales Andy Powell was sacked from the Welsh

squad for alcohol-fuelled antics involving a golf buggy and a motorway. He then fell foul of Cardiff Blues who tore up his contract with two years left to run.

Page 16 August 2010ujnews.com

SOCCERshorts

Hughes To Take Over At FulhamMARK HUGHES has accepted an offer from Fulham to become the club’s new manager. The Welshman will replace Roy Hodgson, who left Fulham earlier in the summer to take over at Liverpool.

Mohamed Al Fayed, the Fulham chair-man, had turned to Hughes after the failure to prise Martin Jol from his contract at Ajax last week.

Former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Hughes, 46, has been out of work since being sacked as Manchester City manager in December 2009.

The expected arrival of Hughes is set to be followed by a reshuffle of the backroom staff at Craven Cottage.

New Injury Setback For United’s Hargreaves

MANCHESTER United midfielder Owen Hargreaves will miss the start of next season after another setback following a series of knee problems.

Hargreaves made one brief substitute ap-pearance in May to end a 19-month absence from the game, during which time he had surgery on both knees to treat persistent tendinitis.

But United manager Alex Ferguson said last month that “Hargreaves is back in America seeing a specialist. He will not be ready for the start of the season. I do not know when he will be back.”

Ironically, Hargreaves’ teamates were also in the US on tour.

The 29-year-old Hargreaves has been plagued by injuries since signing from Bayern Munich in July 2007.

Platt Joins Manchester City Coaching Staff

FORMER England international David Platt has joined Roberto Mancini’s coaching staff at Manchester City.

Platt, who played alongside Mancini at Sampdoria between 1993 and 1995, has been made first-team coach, the club an-nounced last month.

City manager Mancini said that the 44-year-old Platt would bring “a wealth of experience to his role.”

After his retirement as a player in 1999, Platt had spells managing Nottingham Forest and the England Under-21 side. He has also worked in the media.

Platt was capped 62 times by England and was part of the team that reached the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup.

He also played for Aston Villa, Juventus and Arsenal, among others.

Cole Move Persuades Gerrard To Stay At Liverpool

LIVERPOOL’S signing of England midfielder Joe Cole on a free transfer may have per-suaded captain Steven Gerrard to stay with the Premier League club.

Gerrard had been linked with teams in-cluding Real Madrid after Liverpool slumped to seventh place in last season’s Premier League.

But Liverpool signed Cole last month fol-lowing the expiry of his contract with Chelsea, and Gerrard says “it will be fantastic to play alongside him in a red shirt for Liverpool.”

Gerrard added that he is “very impressed”

with new manager Roy Hodgson’s plans to rejuvenate the side.

Liverpool has not won the English league since 1990, giving fierce rival Manchester United the chance to draw level on a record 18 titles.

‘Football At Fenway’ Keeps Ballpark Buzzing

FENWAY PARK was all dressed up for football last month.

The oldest ballpark in the major leagues hosted a soccer game between Celtic and Sporting CP of Portugal July 22.

The ballpark was laid out for the match, with the goals along the third-base line and the right-field wall. Sod had been placed over part of the infield and the spot the pitcher’s mound had been.

The game was part of the ballclub’s efforts to get more use out of Fenway, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012.

FIFA October Agenda For Goal-Line Tech

THE USE of goal-line video technology remains on FIFA’s agenda for October after soccer’s governing body confirmed that its rule-making panel will not discuss the issue at its meeting this week.

The International Football Association Board meets in Cardiff, Wales, last month but FIFA says “the only point on the agenda” is the continuing experiment with extra assistant referees behind the goals.

The video system was tested in last sea-son’s Europa League.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said last month that IFAB would look at goal-line technology this week following his apology to England and Mexico for the officiating errors that helped eliminate them from the World Cup.

He then said on July 8 that the matter would be on the agenda in October.

Heskey Retires From International Football

STRIKER Emile Heskey has retired from international football in the wake of England’s dismal World Cup.

Since making his England debut in 1999, Heskey scored seven goals in 62 appear-ances. He failed to find the net at the World Cup in South Africa as the team went out in the last 16.

The 32-year-old Aston Villa player said last month that “I wish the management team and the playing squad all the best for the future.”

The announcement comes after Fabio Capello announced plans to bring through young players to give the team “new energy” after he was retained as England coach.

Beckham Hopes To Play For Britain At London 2012

DAVID BECKHAM wants to play for Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, but doesn’t expect to play for a European club again.

The 35-year-old midfielder has put himself through a grueling schedule in recent years playing for AC Milan during the Los Angeles Galaxy offseason, but that took its toll as an injury ruled him out of the World Cup.

“If I’m still playing and I’m still considered to make a difference to the team I’d love to be involved,” Beckham said last month during a live Yahoo! video webchat.

A team of only English footballers is set to represent Britain. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations won’t be part of the team, fearing it would jeopardize their independence and voting rights within FIFA.

Now he has joined Wasps on an initial one-year contract. Their director of rugby Tony Hanks said, “Andy is the first high-profile Welsh signing since Rob Howley and we are confident he will benefit from the environment and ‘Wasps way’ in a similar fashion.”

Powell won 14 caps for Wales and earned a call-up to the British and Irish Lions last year. Wales certainly need his talent as long as it can be disciplined.

One man who hasn’t put in an appearance lately is Gavin Henson of Ospreys. He failed to turn up for the first day of training despite making public his intention to return to rugby. Following a series of injuries, Henson spent the past year keeping fit and appearing on reality television but it looks now as though his career is over.

Also missing for Wales in their autumn series will be 23-year-old centre Jamie Roberts. He was invalided out of the losing tour of South Africa with a wrist injury that will need surgery.

A Few StatisticsAt some point during this Tri-Nations

series down under, New Zealand will become Test rugby’s all-time leading point scorers.

The current leaders are France with 11,792 points from 660 Tests with the All Blacks seven points behind them racked up in only 462 Tests. The All Blacks are confident of getting there and – since they have been averaging 42 points a game in the past year – who would argue with them!

For the record, Australia are third on that list with 10,260 (from 509 games), with Wales fourth (9,860 in 612) and England behind them (9,837 in 629). The list con-cludes with Argentina, South Africa, Ireland and Scotland. France lead New Zealand by seven in the number of tries scored: 1561. They are likely to lose that supremacy when the All Blacks tour in November.

john.polley1@ntlworld.com

WORLD CUP RUGBY

Romania, Uruguay Vying For Last World Cup PlaceROMANIA and Uruguay will vie for the last berth in next year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Both won one-off home playoffs last month to set up a two-leg finale in November. The winner will join Pool B with Argentina, England, Scotland and Georgia.

Romania defeated visiting Tunisia

56-6 in Buzau, and Uruguay downed Kazakhstan 44-7 in Montevideo.

Romania has competed at every World Cup, while Uruguay played in 1999 and 2003.

Romania’s Oaks have won both their matches against Uruguay’s Teros, in the Nations Cup in 2008 and 2009.

Mawhinney Named Adviser To NFL InternationalTHE FORMER chairman of England’s Football League has been appointed as a special adviser to NFL International.

The NFL says Brian Mawhinney will provide guidance to help further develop the league in Britain.

Mawhinney served for seven years as chair of the Football League, which represents the 72 teams below the Premier

League.Mawhinney says American football is

“developing impressively in this country and I look forward to aiding that process.”

The San Francisco 49ers will play the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium in October, the fourth straight year that London will host a regular season NFL game.

OLYMPICS

London 2012 On Schedule Despite Budget CutsLONDON 2012 Olympic organizers say they have met government tar-gets by cutting $41.2m from the event budget while keeping the project on schedule.

The Olympic Delivery Authority has confirmed that the overall cost of staging the games is now $14.2bn.

Britain’s coalition government or-dered the cuts as part of its measures to reduce the national budget deficit.

The ODA said it saved about $19.8m on construction site security, $16.8m on the broadcast and media centers and $4.6m on changes to the basketball arena and velodrome.

Ellis Forced To Retire From Rugby

F O R M E R E n g l a n d scrumhalf Harry Ellis has been forced to retire after failing to recover from a series of knee problems.

The 28-year-old Ellis made only 24 appearances

for English champion Leicester Tigers since undergoing left knee reconstruction in 2007. He injured the same knee last season and has decided to quit after taking medical advice.

Ellis, who won 27 caps for England and played for the British and Irish Lions in South Africa last year, said it “was not the way I wanted to end my career” but that he had no option after consulting doctors.

The No 9 was capped by England at every level and played all his career at the Tigers.

GOLF

Clarke, Bjorn, McGinley Vice Captains At Ryder Cup

England Bowler Swann Charged With Drink-Driving

ENGLAND bowler Graeme Swann has been charged with drink-driving.

Nottinghamshire police say the off spinner was stopped and tested on April 2 and charged last month.

Police said the 31-year-old Swann will appear in court in Nottingham on August 16.

Swann is ranked third in the Interna-tional Cricket Council world rankings. He was voted England’s cricketer of the year in May for 2009-10 by the country’s written media.

DARREN CLARKE, Thomas Bjorn and Paul McGinley have been appointed vice captains to Europe’s Ryder Cup team.

Captain Colin Montgomerie picked the trio to help him attempt to regain the Ryder Cup from the United States at Celtic Manor from October 1-3.

Montgomerie says “any winning team has fantastic support behind the scenes.”

United States captain Corey Pavin has selected four vice captains in Tom Leh-man, Jeff Sluman, Davis Love and Paul Goydos.