THE 13rd ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH. PRINCESS DIANA
Diana, Princess of Wales
(Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor; née Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997)
Princess Diana was an iconic figure of the late 20th Century. During her life she was often said to be the most photographed person, appearing on the cover of People magazine more than anyone else. She epitomised feminine beauty and glamour. At the same time, she was admired for her groundbreaking charity work; in particular her work with AIDS patient,s and supporting the campaign for banning landmines. Married to Prince Charles in 1981, she received the title of “Her Royal Highness Princess Diana of Wales” She is the Mother of Prince William and Prince Harry 2nd and 3rd in line to the throne respectively.
Diana was born to an aristocratic family who links to the Royal Family. Her father was Edward Spencer, Viscount Althorp. Edward Spencer was a direct descendent of Charles II.. Her mother was Frances Viscountess Althorp. Her mother was distantly related with the Queen Mother, and was also of American descent. When Diana was young, her parents divorced with her father winning a bitter battle for custody of the children. Diana grew up in the family home of Park House, before moving to Althorp in 1975. Diana did not shine as a student, but did well in music and ballet. When she met her future husband, Diana was working as a part time assistant in a nursery school in London.
THE NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL - 29th - 30th AUGUST 2010
Held each August Bank Holiday since 1966, the Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe's biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill carnival revellers.
Starting its life as a local festival set up by the West Indian community of the Notting Hill area, it has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe. With many astonishing floats and the sounds of the traditional steel drum bands, scores of massive sound systems plus not forgetting the hundreds of stalls that line the streets of Notting Hill. The Notting Hill Carnival is arguably London's most exciting annual event.
The Notting Hill Carnival usually gets under way on the Saturday with the steel band competition. Sunday is Kids' Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place. It generally begins on Great Western Road, then winds its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession, and people carry continue partying at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.
MICHELLE OBAMA ARRIVES IN MARBELLA FOR LUXURY HOLIDAY
US First Lady, Michelle Obama and her youngest daughter Sasha arrived in Malaga airport Wednesday morning aboard Air Force Two. The First lady and her daughter were picked up by a motorcade of black limos and police cars. They were driven directly from the airport to the luxury hotel Villa Padierna.
5-star Luxury Holiday in Style
The hotel Villa Padierna, officially located in the municipality of Benahavis, is ranked amongst the top 30 hotels in the world. With its tuscany styled architecture and 2,000 square meter spa the Obama family will have plenty to enjoy. The U.S. First Lady was welcomed by hotel director, Ricardo Arranz who confirmed to the press that the Obamas had reserved 60 rooms at the hotel for themselves, their friends and their extensive Secret Service detail.
ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO - AUG 6 -28
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is Scotland's biggest, best-selling spectacle, the most popular annual event on the Scottish calendar, attracting an international audience each year of some 217,000 people.
NELSON MANDELA DAY 18th JULY
Madrid will host the international celebration of Nelson Mandela Day, a global initiative which aims to raise awareness of the power each individual has to help change the world around them. There will be an extensive program of activities where volunteering, sport, art, education, music and culture will be the catalysts behind the call to action. Come back soon to find out how you can make your imprint on the world.
BIOGRAPHY
SWAN UPPING ON THE RIVER THAMES
Swan Upping 2010 will take place from 19 - 23 July
The census of people takes place every ten years. The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.
The Swan Upping event takes place in July each year, commencing on the third Monday at Sunbury and ending at Abingdon on the Friday.
The swans on the River Thames are Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). They are not actually mute, they can honk and hiss alot. Mute swans are seen in Britain all year round and are distinguished by a bright orange beak, which has a knob of black tissue on the top.
Swan Uppers searching for cygnets
The Swan Uppers catch and check the health of the swans and their cygnets through five counties, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, to Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
VIRGIN OF CARMEN 16th JULY
The Virgin of Carmen is the patron saint and protector of fishermen and sailors. Religious Virgins are hugely popular in Andalucia (Spain); they are normally handcrafted from wood and porcelain and spend 99.9 per cent of the year at the local church. Most are dusted down and placed on flower-decked thrones at Easter-time when they are lovingly and solemnly borne through the streets. The Virgen del Carmen, however, has her own special day.
On the evening of July 16, in the fishing villages and towns up and down the Coast, her much-loved effigy is not only paraded through the streets but also taken for a spin round the bay on a flower-adorned boat, accompanied by a flotilla of "jábegas" (fishing boats). Brass bands play, crowds cheer, rockets shoot off and fireworks fill the late dusk sky.
Celebrations vary slightly from town to town. In Málaga, for example, the procession takes place not only on July 16, but on the following Sunday. A recent Malagueñan tradition, started in 1981, shows the Virgen del Carmen embracing all lovers of the sea - including scuba divers. That year, the City scuba diving club placed an image of their patron at the bottom of the sea and since then divers have paid their underwater homage annually.
The festival is especially important in the fishing villages of neighbouring Rincon de la Victoria and La Cala, both of which have the Virgen del Carmen as their town patron.
To understand why the Virgen del Carmen should be held so dear to the inhabitants of towns such as Estepona, Velez Malaga, Torremolinos and Rincon de la Victoria, we need to go back to the Old Testament. Downshifting in his old age, the prophet Elias retreated to a cave in Mount Carmelo near Haife (Israel). Many centuries later, hermits following in Elijah's footsteps asked for the protection of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmelo - the Virgin of Carmen. Stella Maris, as she was also known, was soon adopted by mariners and fishermen everywhere as their patron.
Although long overtaken by tourism, many Costa towns still retain fishing communities and a strong attachment to "la Reina de los Mares" (the Queen of the Seas). It was once believed - perhaps in the days before water-purifying plants! - that the Virgin cleared up the waters with her presence and that only after July 16 would the sea be fit for swimming in.
CELEBRATIONS IN MALAGA, VELEZ MALAGA AND NERJA
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)
