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Great Britain

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TOUR AROUND GREAT BRITAIN

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Facts

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Dover Dover is a little town and an important ferry port.

Between Dover and Calais in France, the English

Channel is only 34 km wide. To cross the channel by

ferry takes only about 90 minutes. From the ferry

you have a wonderful view of the famous chalk cliffs

– the White Cliffs of Dover.

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Near the ferry port, there is a castle from the

12th century. From the castle you can see as far

as Calais if the weather is good.

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exercise

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Stonehenge Stonehenge is a mystical place. Its stone circles are

probably more than 4,000 years old. The huge stones

come from an area about 30 km north of Stonehenge.

The smaller stones possibly are from the Preseli

Mountains in Wales, almost 400 km away from

Stonehenge.

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Nobody knows for sure what the function of

Stonehenge was. Maybe it was a druid temple. Maybe

it was a sacrificial altar. Maybe it was some kind of

observatory.

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exercise

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Oxford Oxford is a beautiful university town that is famous all over

the world. The University of Oxford is the oldest university

in Great Britain; it already existed in the 12th century. In

the town centre there are many old buildings. There is also

a museum where you can learn more about Oxford’s

history.

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exercise

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Hadrian’s Wall Hadrian’s Wall is an ancient wall across England from

Carlisle in the east to Newcastle in the west. The

Roman Emperor Hadrian wanted to protect Roman

Britain from attacks by Scottish tribes. So he told his

soldiers to build a wall.

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Roman soldiers guarded the wall, which was 117

kilometres long and 4 metres high. Now there are only

ruins left of Hadrian’s Wall. But still, Hadrian’s Wall is the

most popular tourist attraction in northern England and a

World Heritage Site.

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exercise

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Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It has a beautiful

old city centre and a castle that lies on a hill above

the city. In the castle you can see the statues of two

Scottish heroes: Robert Bruce and William Wallace

(known from the film Braveheart).

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Several famous people were born in Edinburgh, for example

Alexander Graham Bell (who invented the telephone), Tony

Blair (Prime Minister) and Arthur Conan Doyle (who wrote the

Sherlock Holmes stories). By the way, J. K. Rowling wrote her

first Harry Potter book in an Edinburgh coffee-shop.

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exercise

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Loch Ness Loch Ness is a lake between the Scottish towns of

Inverness and Fort Augustus. The word loch is Scottish

for lake. Loch Ness is about 37 km long and extremely

deep, the deepest part is 226 m.

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Loch Ness is famous for its friendly monster, Nessie.

Most people think that this is only a legend, but every

year tourists from all over the world come to Loch Ness

and hope that they will see the monster.

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exercise

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Holidays

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Saint George’s Day (23.04.) Saint George is the patron saint of England and the Saint George's Cross (a red

cross on a white background) is used as England's national flag. Saint George's

Day (23 April) is a National Day in England. Once an important holiday, it is,

however, not celebrated that much anymore - it's not even a public holiday.

Saint George lived in the third century. He

served as a soldier in the Roman Empire

where he even became a member of the

personal guard of the Roman Emperor

Diocletian. When in 303, however, the

emperor ordered the persecution of

Christians, George dared to criticize the

Diocletian and to confess that he was a

Christian, too. This enraged Diocletian and

so George was tortured and executed as a

traitor on 23 April 303.

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Saint George is probably best known

for his killing a dragon. Legend has it

that a fierce dragon lived near a town

called Silene. Every day, the people of

Silene had to feed the dragon a virgin,

who was chosen by lot. One day the

princess was to be sacrificed, but

George hurried to help her. With his

lance called Ascalon, George killed

the dragon and saved the princess.

The king and the people of the town

were so happy that they wanted to

reward George. George asked them

to convert to Christianity and so they

did.

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Guy Faweks Day (5.11.) When Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, her cousin James VI of Scotland became

James I of England. James was a Protestant. He did not allow Catholics to

practise their religion. Instead, he ordered Catholic priests to leave the country

and he forced Catholics to attend Protestant church services. Recusants

(Catholics who didn’t attend Protestant church services) were punished.

This made Catholics angry, and a

small group of them planned to

kill the king by blowing up the

Houses of Parliament. The

conspirators knew that on 5th

November 1605 the king and

other nobles would be at the

Houses of Parliament for the

State Opening. That was the day

when they wanted to blow them

all up.

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On 26th October a nobleman called Lord Monteagle received an anonymous

letter telling him not to go to the State Opening. Lord Monteagle was a

Catholic – this is probably why he received the letter. He was also loyal to the

king, however, and immediately passed the letter on to him. So now the king

knew about the plot.

In the morning of 5th November, guards searched the cellars of the Houses of

Parliament. They found 36 barrels of gunpowder and arrested one of the

conspirators, Guy Fawkes.

Guy Fawkes was tortured until he

confessed. Some other conspirators were

arrested later, and they were all hung,

drawn and quartered.

5th November became known as Guy

Fawkes Day (or Gunpowder Day). On this

day people celebrate the failure of the

Gunpowder Plot with bonfires and

fireworks.

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Notting Hill Carnival

On the last weekend in August, London is

the scene of a very spectacular event - the

Notting Hill Carnival. In 2004, the world's

second largest carnival parade is celebrating

its 40th anniversary.

The roots of Carribean carnival date back to

the year 1833 when the Abolition of Slavery

Act was announced in Trinidad. Celebrating

their freedom, the black people of Trinidad

took to the streets and had a great party with

music and dance. The Carribean carnival

was born.

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When in the 1950s a huge number of West Indian

immigrants came to London, they also brought their

traditions and music. Faced with racism and

unemployment, those immigrants dreamt of having a

festival that would bring together the people from the

Notting Hill area. So dances and other musical events

were organised in North London. At the beginning, those

events took place in various halls, but in 1964 the first

street festival took place in Notting Hill. It was a great

success, so the parade took place year after year

attracting ever more participants and spectators.

The Notting Hill Carnival now takes

place on three successive days

(Saturday to Monday). It has become a

true multi-cultural event and everyone

is welcome to participate.

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The Highland Games

In the 11th century, Scottish King Malcolm III organised contests in a Scottish

village called Braemar to find the strongest and fastest men in his kingdom.

Those who were the strongest became the king’s bodyguards and those who

were the fastest became his couriers. The Highland Games were a major

attraction and many people came to Braemar when the contest was held.

Some wanted to take part, others just came as visitors.

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Now the Highland Games do not only take place in Scottish villages and

towns, but also in many other countries where Scots have settled. And

today's games also attract many visitors. This is mainly because of the

spectacular events at the games, above all the caber toss. A caber is a log,

it is 5 metres long and weighs about 45 kg. The athlete holds the caber by

one end and tries to throw it so that it lands on the other end and then falls

away from the thrower.

Other events of the Highland Games are for example hammer throw, shot

put or tug of war (rope pulling). There are also competitions in bag piping

and Scottish dancing. The atmosphere at the Highland Games is great. You

can meet Scottish people, learn a little about Scottish history, listen to

Scottish music and enjoy great Scottish food and drink.

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Christmas in England In English speaking countries, children don’t get their presents on

Christmas Eve (24 December). Santa comes at night when everyone is

asleep. Santa’s reindeer can fly and take him from house to house. They

land on the roofs of the houses and then Santa climbs down the chimney

to leave the presents under the Christmas tree.

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In the morning of Christmas Day (25

December), children usually get up very

early to unwrap their presents. Then they

have plenty of time to play with their new

toys.

Christmas dinner is served in the early

afternoon. Most people eat turkey and

sprouts and a Christmas pudding.

26 December is called Boxing Day. It

hasn’t always been a holiday. People used

to go back to work on that day where their

bosses gave them little Christmas presents

in small boxes. That’s why the day is called

Boxing Day.

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Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a spectacular and

colourful military parade that marks the

official birthday of the Queen (whose real

birthday is on 21 April). Each June, the

parade takes place in London and is

broadcasted on TV so that millions of

people around the globe can enjoy the

event.

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates

back to the 17th century. In battle, brightly-

coloured flags–called coulours–where used

so that soldiers could identify their troops.

Every regiment had their own colour, and

in order to familiarise each man with the

flag of their regiment, it became a custom

to display–or troop–the colour in front of

the soldiers each morning.

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In 1805, the tradition started to hold the ceremony

as a birthday parade for the Sovereign. The first

king to be honoured in that way was George III

(who was born on 4 June 1738). During his reign,

the weather must have been so fine at his birthday

parades that ever since Trooping the Colour has

been held in May/June–regardless of the

monarch’s real birthday.

Trooping the Colour is now also known as The

Queen’s Birthday Parade and usually takes place

on the second or third Saturday in June. The

parade is held by the Queen’s Household Division

that comprises the Household Cavalry (the Life

Guards and the Blues & Royals) and five

regiments of Foot Guards: Grenadier Guards;

Coldstream Guards; Scots Guards; Irish Guards

and Welsh Guards. Every year, the colour is

trooped by another regiment of the Foot Guards.

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About 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and

400 musicians march from

Buckingham Palace along The Mall

to Horse Guards Parade and back

again on that day. If you happen to

be in London for Trooping the

Colour, the best place to watch the

parade is The Mall. Make sure,

however, to arrive early as lots of

people will be there to get a glimpse

of the troops (or even of the Queen

herself).

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Symbols of the United Kingdom

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The British Royal Family

Did you know? ......

Elizabeth I was the last ever King or

Queen of England. From 1603, the

monarch, although living in England,

has been known as the Monarch of

the United Kingdom. When Elizabeth I

died, King James VI of Scotland

became king of England as well as

Scotland, thus uniting the kingdoms of

England and Scotland for the first

time.

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The British Queen

Queen Elizabeth II

Born: 21 April, 1926.

Queen since 6 February 1952

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Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra

Mary) was born on 21 April, 1926 at 17

Bruton Street, London. Her birthday is

officially celebrated in Britain on the

second Saturday of June each year. The

day is referred to as “the Trooping of the

Colour”, the official name is “the Queen’s

Birthday Parade”.

Queen Elizabeth II is a 'constitutional

monarch'*. This means that although she is

officially the head of the state, the country

is actually run by the government, led by

the Prime Minister.

*The English Bill of Rights Act of 1689 curtailed the

power of the sovereign and confirmed Parliaments

place at the heart of the English constitution. From this

date English Monarchs (now British Monarchs) would

rule in partnership with Parliament.

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Where does the queen live?

The Queen lives at Buckingham

Palace in London.

Interesting Fact:

There has not been a Queen of England since 1707.

Queen Ann was the last ever King or Queen of

England. From 1707, the monarch, although living in

England, has been known as either the Monarch of

the Kingdom of Great Britain (as Queen Anne was) or

of the United Kingdom (as Queen Victoria was).

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The Official Title of Queen Her Majesty The Queen's title in the United

Kingdom is:

'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of

God of the United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland'.

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When did Queen Elizabeth come to the throne?

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on

February 6, 1952 upon the death of her

father, King George VI. Her Coronation, at

Westminster Abbey, followed on June 2,

1953.

(A new king or Queen begins to rule as

soon as their succession to the throne has

been announced. But the coronation -

when the crown is placed on the monarch's

head - may not happen until months later.)

The queen celebrated her Golden jubilee

(50 years since her accession) in 2002.

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Head of State

Queen Elizabeth II is the United Kingdom's

Head of State. She is queen of 16 former

British colonies, including Australia,

Canada and New Zealand; and head of

the Commonwealth, a multinational body

created after the dissolution of the British

empire.

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Who is the Queen married to?

The Queen as married to the HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of

Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. They married on 20

November 1947.

The Duke is Queen Elizabeth's third cousin; they share Queen Victoria as a great-

great-grandmother.

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Why Prince Philip is a prince, not a king?

In the British monarchy, the husband of a

female monarch does not have any

recognized special status, rank, or

privileges.

Prince Philip was a prince from birth. He is

the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and

was born Prince of Greece and Denmark.

Upon his marriage to then-Princess

Elizabeth in 1947, Philip was given the title

"Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merion, and

Baron Greenwich," and was made a Knight

of the Garter. (He became a British citizen

around this time and renounced his Greek

and Danish titles). Elizabeth II was

coronated in 1953, and in 1957, she

granted Philip the title "Prince of the United

Kingdom."

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What is the Queen Elizabeth’s surname?

The Queen does not normally use a surname (she doesn't need a

passport or a driving licence for example), but on the few occasions

where it has been necessary, i.e. when serving with the ATS during

World War II, she has used the surname 'Windsor'.

(source: www.royal.gov.uk)

The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-

Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? World War One broke out in 1914 and

anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George

V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and

adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.

From 8 February 1960, all The Queen's descendants who do not bear

the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or

Princess" have the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. (Mountbatten as

Prince Philip's surname).

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Royal Homes

Among the official royal residences are Buckingham

Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, Balmoral

Castle, Frogmore House, The Palace of

Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House and

Kensington Palace.

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Windsor Castle

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Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the

largest occupied castle in the world. The castle was the

inspiration for the Royal family's surname.

William the Conqueror built the castle in 1080 and it has

remained a royal palace and fortress for over 900 years.

Windsor is the oldest royal home in Britain and, covering 13

acres, it's the largest castle in the world that is still lived in.

Each year, the Order of the Garter ceremony is held at

Windsor Castle, and the Queen occasionally hosts a "dine and

sleeps" for politicians and public figures.

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St. James Palace

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St. James's Palace was built between 1531 and 1536 and was

home of kings and queens of England for over 300 years. The

palace was built by Henry VIII on the site of the Hospital of St.

James, Westminster.

After the destruction by fire of the Palace of Whitehall in 1698, all

monarchs until William IV lived at St. James's for part of the time.

William IV was the last Sovereign to

use St. James's Palace as a

residence. Since the accession of

Queen Victoria in 1837, the

Sovereign has lived at Buckingham

Palace.

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Buckingham Palace

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Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official and main royal London

home. It has been the official London residence of Britain's monarchy

since 1837. Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there.

Who lives in Buckingham Palace today?

Buckingham Palace is not only the home of the Queen and Prince

Philip but also the London residence of the Duke of York (Prince

Andrew) and the Earl and Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward and his

wife) and their daughter.

Buckingham Palace is also an office

Buckingham Palace is used also for the administrative work for the

monarchy. It is here in the state apartments that Her Majesty receives

and entertains guests invited to the Palace.

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History of Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace was originally a

grand house built by the Dukes of

Buckingham for his wife. George IV

began transforming it into a palace in

1826.

Royal Flag

When the Queen is at home, you can see her royal flag flying from the

flag pole on top of Buckingham Palace. This flag is called the Royal

Standard.

The flag is split into four quadrants. The first and fourth quadrants

represent England and contain three gold lions walking (passant) on a

red field; the second quadrant represents Scotland contains a red lion

standing on the left hind foot (rampant) on a gold field; the third quadrant

represents Ireland and contains the gold Coat of arms of Ireland on a

blue field.

In flag protocol, the Royal Standard is supreme. It must only be flown

from buildings where the Queen is present. It flies above the British

Union Flag (Union Jack), Standards of other Royal Family members, and

other British flags. It never flies at half staff.

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Foot Guards

Five regiments of Foot Guards guard the

Palace. They wear red jackets and tall,

furry hats called bearskins.

When the guards come on duty, there is a

ceremony called the Changing of the

Guard.

Changing of the Guard

A familiar sight at Buckingham Palace is

the Changing of the Guard ceremony that

takes place in the forecourt each morning.

The monarch and the royal palaces have

been guarded by the Household Troops

since 1660.

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Inside Buckingham Palace

The Palace has around 600 rooms, including 19

State rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 78

bathrooms, 92 offices, a cinema and a swimming

pool. It also has its own post office and police

station.

About 400 people work at the Palace, including

domestic servants, chefs, footmen, cleaners,

plumbers, gardeners, chauffers, electricians, and

two people who look after the 300 clocks.

Royal Parties

Every year, more than 50,000 people come to

the Palace each year as guests to banquets,

lunches, dinners, receptions, and Royal Garden

Parties.

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Balmoral Castle

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Balmoral Castle is the private residence of The Queen. It has

remained a favourite residence for The Queen and her family

during the summer holiday period in August and September. The

Castle is located on the large Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire,

Scotland.

Some 85,000 people visit Balmoral each year, and the estate

maintains and restores footpaths throughout the property for

visiting hikers.

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Frogmore House

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The Palace of Holyroodhouse

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The Palace of Holyroodhouse

Founded as a monastery in 1128, the

Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is

The Queen's official residence in Scotland.

It was also the home of many Scottish

royals.

The Queen holds receptions, state

functions, and investitures within its walls,

and each year during Holyrood Week

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip invite

8,000 Scottish guests to the Garden Party.

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Sandringham Palace

The Royal family’s private

country retreat in Norfolk.

Every Christmas is spent at

Sandringham House, which

has been the private home

of four generations of

sovereigns since 1862.

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Kensington Palace

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Kensington Palace was the favourite

residence of successive sovereigns until

the death of George II in 1760.

When William III bought the Jacobean

mansion in 1689 it was known as the

Nottingham House.

Kensington Palace was the birthplace and

childhood home of Queen Victoria and her

primary residence until she moved into

Buckingham Palace.

Kensington Palace was the London

residence of the late Princess Diana.

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The Royal Family

What is the surname of the British Royal Family?

The British Royal Family's surname is Windsor. They changed their

name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917.

Why did they change their name?

World War One broke out in 1914 and anit-German sentiment was at

its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the

German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name

of his castle, Windsor.

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What religion do the Royal family belong to?

The Royal family are members of the Church of England. The Royal

family can only be Church of England. Roman Catholics are barred from

succession under the Act of Settlement (1701)

Members of Royal Family

HM = Her Majesty

HRH = His of Her Royal Highness

TRH = Their Royal Highnesses

HM The Queen Elizabeth II

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (The Queen's husband)

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HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The

Duchess of Cornwall Prince Charles is the

Queen's eldest son and his wife

(Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14

November 1948)

Prince Charles is known as "The Prince of

Wales"

The title 'Prince of Wales' is given to the heir to

the British throne. The tradition of investing the

heir of the monarch of Britain with the title of

"Prince of Wales" began in 1301, when King

Edward I of England, having completed the

conquest of Wales, gave the title to his heir,

Prince Edward (later King Edward II of England).

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HRH Prince William of Wales

(The Prince of Wales's elder son)

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis

was born on 21 June 1982

HRH Prince Harry of Wales

(The Prince of Wales's younger

son)

Prince Henry Charles Albert David

(always known as Prince Harry)

was born on 15 September 1984

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HRH The Princess Royal (The

Queen's daughter)

(Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born

15 August 1950 )

Princess Anne "The Princess

Royal"

Princess Royal is a title

customarily (but not automatically)

awarded by a British monarch to

his or her eldest daughter.

HRH The Duke of York

(Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960)

Prince Andrew is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince Andrew "The Duke of York"

Since the 15th century, the title 'Duke of York' has, when granted, been

usually given to the second son of the British monarch. (Andrew has currently

no male heirs, thus, the most likely candidates for the next "Duke of York" are

Prince Harry of Wales, being the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales, or a

second son of Prince William of Wales.)

The wife of the Duke of York is known as The Duchess of York .

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TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex (The Queen's youngest

son and his wife)

(Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964)

Prince Edward is the youngest child and third son of Queen

Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999.

Prince Edward, "The Earl of Wessex",

Younger sons of the monarch are normally given dukedoms at the

time of their marriage. However, given the Prince's theatrical links

and the Royal Family's policy of "slimming down" their size — and

Edward's being seventh in the order of succession to the British

throne, the Earldom of Wessex was recreated, Earl being a lesser

title than Duke.

The region of Wessex (the "West Saxons'), in the south and

southwest of England, was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon

kingdoms.

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TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (The Queen's cousin and his

wife)

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent (The Queen's cousin and his wife)

TRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (The Queen's cousin and his

wife)

HRH Princess Alexandra (The Queen's cousin)

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Diana Princess of Wales 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997

Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of

Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes

William and Henry (Harry), are second and third

in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and

fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.

On 31 August 1997, Diana died after a car crash

in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris along

with Dodi Al-Fayed and the acting security

manager of the Hôtel Ritz Paris,

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Can you answer the following questions?

1. Who is the Queen?

2. What is the Queen’s surname?

3. Who is the Queen married to?

4. Who are the members of the Royal Family?

5. How many children does the Queen have?

6. Who will come to the British throne next?

7. Which member of the Royal Family died on 31st August 1997?

8. How many grandchildren does the Queen have?

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The Queen’s Role Although the Queen is no longer responsible for governing the country, she carries

out a great many important tasks on behalf of the nation.

Head of State

As Head of State, the Queen goes on official State visits abroad. She also invites

other world leaders to come to the United Kingdom. During their visit, Heads of

State usually stay at Buckingham Palace, or sometimes at Windsor Castle or

Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Head of the Armed Forces

The Queen is also the Head of the Armed Forces. She is the only person who can

declare when the country is at war and when war is over, although she must take

advice from her government first.

Head of the Church of England

The Queen is Head of the Church of England - a position that all British monarchs

have held since it was founded by Henry VIII in the 1530s.

The Queen appoints archbishops and bishops on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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Government Duties

Every day 'red boxes' are delivered to the Queen's desk full of

documents and reports from the government ministers and

Commonwealth officials. They must all be read and, if necessary, signed

by the Queen.

Represents the Nation

The Queen represents the nation at times of great celebration or sorrow.

One example of this is Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph

monument in Whitehall. The Queen lays a wreath there each year to

honour the members of the armed forces who have died fighting for their

country.

Royal Garden Parties

At least three Royal Garden Parties are held at Buckingham Palace each

year and about 8,000 guests attend each one.

Visits

Alongside her other duties the Queen spends a huge amount of time

travelling around the country visiting hospitals, schools, factories and

other places and organisations.

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Britain Today

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Who are the British?

British people live in the UK. They are people who live in England, Scotland,

Wales or Northern Ireland. British people can also either be English, Scottish,

Welsh, or Irish (from Northern Ireland only).

The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are

famous for their politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of

humour. British people have a strong sense of humour which sometimes can be

hard for foreigners to understand.

Britain is a country of mixed cultures. London has the largest non-white

population of any European city and over 250 languages are spoken there.

Therefore not all British people are White or Christians.

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Houses in England Most people in England live in urban areas.

Towns and cities are spreading into their

surrounding environment to cope with the

increase populations. In England, an

average of 7,000 hectares of farmland,

countryside and green space were

converted to urban use every year

between 1985 and 1998. This is almost the

equivalent size of 9,600 international

football pitches!

This house is

over 600 years

old

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Who owns houses in England?

More people are buying their own homes than

in the past. About two thirds of the people in

England and the rest of Britain either own, or

are in the process of buying, their own home.

Most others live in houses or flats that they rent

from a private landlord, the local council, or

housing association.

People buying their property almost always pay

for it with a special loan called a mortgage,

which they must repay, with interest, over a

long period of time, usually 25 years.

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What are houses in England like?

Most houses in England are made of stone or brick from the local area

where the houses are built. The colours of the stones and bricks vary

across the country.

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Types of houses in England

England has many types of homes. In the large cities, people often live in

apartments, which are called flats. In most towns, there are streets of houses

joined together in long rows. They are called terraced houses.

The main types of houses in England are:

Detached (a house not joined to another house)

Semi-detached (two houses joined together)

Terrace (several houses joined together)

Flats (apartments)

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Superstitions in Britain Superstitions can be defined as, "irrational beliefs, especially with regard to

the unknown"

General Superstitions

Good Luck

•Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck

greetings cards and birthday cards in England.

•Lucky to touch wood. We touch; knock on wood, to make something

come true.

•Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.

•White heather is lucky.

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A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horseshoe needs to

be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horseshoe if it is upside down.

Horseshoes are generally a sign of good luck and feature on many good

luck cards.

On the first day of the month it is lucky to say "white rabbits, white rabbits

white rabbits," before uttering your first word of the day.

Catch falling leaves in Autumn and you will have good luck. Every leaf

means a lucky month next year.

Cut your hair when the moon is waxing and you will have good luck.

Putting money in the pocket of new clothes brings good luck.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Britain's Prince George

Kate Middleton and Prince William