The Origin Of Money

'Money doesn't grow on trees', as the saying goes. It is made in the Royal Mint, which is in Wales.

But where does the word money come from? The answer is that it comes from the same place as the word mint. Both words are derived from the Latin word moneta.

The story is more interesting than that, however.

One night in the 4th Century B.C., a band of Gauls (Frenchmen) made a silent attack on the city of Rome. The soldiers on the wall were all asleep, and the Gauls were within a few metres of success when they disturbed some sacred geese on the hilside.

The geese hissed and honked and the guards awoke just in time to repel the attack. The city was saved and the Romans gave thanks to the goddess Juno for using her geese to warn them. They called her Juno Moneta (moneta meant 'who warns'), and they built a new temple for her on the hilside.

The temple was later used for storing treasure and eventually for making money. Soon both the place and the stuff they made there came to be named after the warning geese.

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Robin Hood

Robin Hood stole from the rich to feed the poor. He lived in Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham in the centre of England, and his merry band of followers included Little John (a giant of a man), Friar Tuck (a jolly monk), and the beautiful Maid Marian.

Their exploits were related in countless mediaeval ballads. They represented the ideals of the common man in the face of oppressive authority.

Before the Norman conquest at the end of the 11th century, the vast tract of woodland that stretched to the north of the city of Nottingham, was used for hunting by the people of the region, or 'shire' . (In fact the name Sherwood is derived from this Old English word for 'region' - It was the Shire Wood.)

The Norman Kings passed strict laws giving sole use of the forest to their feudal barrons. The common people resented this oppression.

Robin Hood's sworn enemy was the Sheriff of Nottingham, one of the king's men. His title, too, is derived from the Old English word shire; as head man of the region, he was the Shire-reeve.

The shires of England became know as counties under the Normans (the French word is comte). But the word shire still exists in county names like Hampshire, Yorkshire and of course Nottinghamshire.

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Friends For Britain

It is no secret that the British Council wants to win friends for Britain. It spends hundreds of millions of pounds doing it. It is also no secret that when a finance minister authorizes spending on that scale, it is not just for the sake of a smile in the street.

A friend is someone who understands your point of view - a great asset in world diplomacy. And, as every shopkeeper knows, friends are often good customers too.

The British Council has offices all over the world - and they like to get visitors. They will lend you books in English; they will arrange for you to see videos (educational films, documentaries, and also feature films); and they will give you any information or advice that you may need about Britain.

If you want to study Britain, they are the first people to get in touch with. Write to them, telephone them or, even better, drop in at the office. They will explain the system and put you in touch with the right people.

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The Massacre Of Glencoe

One cold winter's day an old man struggled through the snow in a desolate Scottish valley to sign a piece of paper.

He didn't arrivve in time.

The consequence was the most treacherous massacre in British History.

In 1691 William III was to be crowned King of England. His first task was to gain the loyalty of the clans in the north-west of Scotland. Many of them were supporters of the exiled King James and they hoped for a French invasion to reinstate him.

William distributed thousands of pounds in bribes to the clans. He also insisted on an oath of allegiance. The chiefs had to sign it by New Year's Day.

Everybody signed except Macdonald of Glencoe. He had left it to the last minute as an act of defiance. But the walley was blocked by snow and he didn't make it in time.

One hundred soldiers of the loyal clan Campbell, were immediately sent to Glencoe. The unsuspecting Macdonalds received them with traditional hospitality. The Campbells stayed for more than a week. They ate, they drank and they shared in their life.

Then it the middle of the night the soldiers carried out the King's cruel orders. They butchered their hosts.

The memory of this treacherous betrayal of hospitality has never died in Scotland.

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The British Press

The Times is read by the people who run the country.

The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country.

The Daily Telegraph is read by the people who used to run the country.

The Financial Times is read by the people who own the country.

The Daily Express is read by the people who think that the Conservative Party ought to run the country.

The Daily Mirror is read by the people who think that the Labour Party ought to run the country.

The Guardian is read by the people who think that they ought to run the country.

The Sun read by the people who don't care who runs the country as long as she has got a good figure!

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Trespassers Will Not Be Prosecuted

You cannot fool children with long words. By the time they are big enough to climb over a wall, they have learned that the sign that the sign that says "Trespassers will be Prosecuted" is an empty threat.

Tresspass is not a crime in England, and you can only prosecute someone if they cause damage to your property - whoever you are.

In 1982 a young Londoner called Michael Fagan decided to pay an uninvited call on a woman he admired greatly, Queen Elizabeth. In the middle of the night he hopped over the wall of Buckingham Place, shinned up a drainpipe and slipped through an open window.

He helped himself to a glass of wine in the kitchen and then made his way to the royal bedroom, where he chatted to the surprised and sleppy Queen for a quarter of an hour.

The place detectives eventually led him away. But he was prosecuted for only one offence - stealing a glass of wine.

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