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In 1741, George Frideric Handel finished composing a British classic, his Messiah. An ideal composition to symbolise British persistence and creativity, Handel’s Messiah has become part of our musical heritage and should leave even the most despairing Brits feeling very proud to be British.

Handel’s Messiah has become notable as one of the most performed and critically received oratorios (A large musical composition, often including the use of an orchestra, a choir and soloist) in British history.

Handel himself has gained a reputation of being a compositional genius and to this day is classed as being one of the greatest composers of all time and one of the most prominent in British history.

With the release of his Messiah, Handel’s reputation soared, imprinting the reputation we see now into the foundations of British history. The Messiah was completed on this day (14th September) in 1741 and is a prominent moment in the cultural and artistic history of Britain, and launched Handel into the history books. A great day to be proud of Britain and the talent which Britain has produced.

 

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Who better to sum up the attitude of the British than Roald Dahl? A real national treasure, Roald Dahl’s writing embodies the best of British characteristics. humorous, intelligent and imaginative, Dahl is an author to be celebrated for years to come.

With a string of classic British books, such as The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox and James and the Giant Peach in his back catalogue, Dahl is regarded as one of the best writers of both adult’s and children’s books in British history.

Dahl’s creativity even sparked film adaptions of a number of his works. The 1961 rendition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has become an accepted British classic, as has the 1968 rendition of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Roald Dahl Day takes place on the 13th September every year and coincides with the writer’s birthday, celebrating his life and work. Join in with the BFG, The Twits and the rest of the gang to celebrate the birthday of one of the best storytellers of our generation, and a true British icon.

Roald Dahl, a real reason to be proud to be British.

 

 

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Heritage Open Days are a celebration of the wonderful architecture that we have to offer here in Britain. Every September, across four allocated days, the nation opens the doors of some of its best loved and cherished Heritage sites. Places not usually open to the public are welcoming of visitors and attractions that normally charge are free.

As well as the places you might be familiar with, it’s a chance to discover some of the hidden treasures nestled away in your surrounding areas. The options are endless, you could enjoy stately homes, tunnels, castles, towers, woodland walks and so much more.

With thousands of attractions all over the country there’s something for everyone. We like the look of Hylands House in Chelmsford, where you can enjoy all kinds of activities across 574 acres of land, best of all it’s completely free.

Wherever you decide to go, make sure you don’t miss out on all the fantastic culture that Britain has to offer for free!

 

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After 11 million people tuned in to the Paralympics opening ceremony, the closing ceremony is predicted to bring in an impressive 750 million world-wide viewers! The event named ‘Festival Of Flame’ will see artistic director Kim Gavin work magic and without a doubt, organise a truly beautiful finale.

The overall success of the Games will be celebrated by a one-off, live performance by multi-award winning Coldplay. The band has been working very closely with designers to play an amazing gig alongside a cast of 2,000! The event will see the 2012 Paralympians take to the stage for the last time. The Paralympic cauldron will be extinguished, signalling the end of the Paralympics and also the end of London’s time as host city. As they have officially been announced as the next host city, Rio de Janeiro has a lot to live up to in 2016.

The world should expect a magnificent display of music, dancing, celebration and remarkable staging to mark the end of the Paralympics 2012.

 

 

 

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John Lydon, you probably wouldn’t recognise this name. However, if I said Johnny Rotten THE controversial lead singer of rock punk band the Sex Pistols, I guess everyone would know the name!

It seems it’s not only us that see him as a National Treasure, in 2002 he was named in the top 100 Greatest Britons. It must be his punk attitude that draws us all to him, like a moth to a flame. He even turned down a MBE to be knighted for his services to music.

In the past Lydon has outraged, shocked, provoked and caused nationwide uproar in the media with his swearing, outlandish behaviour and general wildness. However, these days he is the face of British butter brand: Country Life. Oh, what a transformation! In the adverts he is seen wearing tweed, not the usual leather and spikes.

Even with this new ‘clean image’ we still love the inner rocker, regardless of what he does and how he acts. To us he is forever a legend, ROCK ON!

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