It's all hands on deck this morning as a group of Brazilian students are arriving at 2pm to bake cookies. At 4.30pm they will be joined by a VHS Group of Brazilian-learners who will hopefully take the opportunity to Chat with some real live Brazilians.
Some lessons this week will  be about British Christmas TV ads - these have become a traditional part of Christmas, with one company doing its best to outshine all the others.

What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwjyYpXTGhU



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfLgmaUP6wY&list=PLkQik1PHOEcASsHLvlAPH2BT6VURLYQfD



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860


PS The Penguinet will be taking a break until February 2015.
A Very Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year 2015.

Good morning Chums. It's November 30, meaning St Andrew's Day. As you all remember, St Andrew is the Patron saint of Scotland.

http://www.scotland.org/whats-on/st-andrews-day/

Tells you all you need to know!

Some of us have been talking about toys the last weeks. Here's information about a Special Exhibition of the Queen's toys:

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/news/special-exhibition-at-the-summer-opening-of-buckingham-palace-announced

And to round off St Andrew's Day, here is our very own favourite piper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRI1I-J49AY

Crest of Gordon is playing with the Red Hot Chili Pipers, the Cresters march on after about 2 minutes.

Lots of excitement in British politics this week.
The System in the UK is so very different, so old and idosyncratic but here is some help:

Here's a YouTube Video explaining Parliament:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mevh0aqQ4CQ

And more explanation:
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/government.html

Practise your political vocabulary:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/esl-politics-elections-voting3.html

And an entire lesson from the wondrous BBC:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/cojo/bbc_cojo_elections.pdf

What an exciting week for Space Travel!
A Million years ago I lived in Florida and was lucky enough to watch several Space Shuttle launches. I surprised myself by my feelings and emotions at the power of those rockets, and so can begin to understand the ESA engineers and their joy at Rosetta and Philae's success.
ESA has some great animations about the Mission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvkPFXdpOQQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YwrcZVM1MA


Fancy a Space Quiz?
http://www.space.com/20378-stars-quiz-space-trivia.html

Here's a cute game to help you learn space vocabulary:

http://www.eslgamesplus.com/space-and-solar-system-esl-vocabulary-game-moonshot-game/

And just in case you would like some grammar practice, here you can brush up your prepositions in an astronomical way!
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9901/jd-astronomy.html

One of life's mismatches occurs every year at this time: 11 November. In Germany, it's the start of Carnival. In the UK and the Commonwealth, as in many other countries, it is the saddest and most solemn day: Remembrance Day, where we remember the dead of all wars, past and present.
Today is Remembrance Sunday, when the Queen and other members of the Royal Family together with politicians and representatives of many countries meet at the Cenotaph in London. Here's last year's ceremony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS37lHMwYQg

Here's a Canadian site with some facts about Remembrance Day:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/information-for/educators/facts-on-remembrance-day

When I was a child we sometimes called it 'Poppy Day', and you will notice pretty much everyone in the UK wearing a poppy at the moment. Here is the history of poppy day and why we wear poppies to remember the war dead:


http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/poppyday.html

This year, as we remember the Centennial of the start of WW1,  the Tower  of London has drawn many visitors to see some special poppies :

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29965477

It's Holiday time for some of you and so I know you will be hoping for extra practice exercises here this week.

Your wish is my command!



Here are some mixed tenses:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/mixed-verb-tenses5.html

Prepositions:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/preposition_quiz1.htm

Idioms:
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/439.html

But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy so we'd better have some fun too.

A very popular TV Programme in the UK and USA is "Who do you think you are?".
Celebrities - actors, sportsmen and women, singers -  are assisted in finding out about their ancestors. Sometimes there are real surprises.
Here are two of my favourites:

Alan Cumming, Scottish actor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvdvJpAAaU0
 And Kelly Clarkson, US Country singer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9q0I9hLP0w

Enjoy!

So enjoying the extra hour this morning! Here's what The Independent has to say:

Why do we change the clocks?

The idea of moving the clocks forward during the summer and then back again was first proposed in parliament in 1907. Later, in the Second World War clocks were put forward an hour to boost production in factories and so that workers could get back home before the blackout.
The Government put the clocks forward again for the entire time between 1968 and 1971 as an experiment– but it was deemed that it made Scotland too dark in the mornings.

Read more here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/clocks-go-back-remember-to-change-yours--for-possibly-the-last-time-ever-9817740.html

----------------------------------------

 

Having got so excited about Michael Faraday last week, let's continue the theme for a few minutes this week too. We talked about the Royal Institution's Christmas lectures, but of course they have a lot more to offer.,
Here's the dedicated Video site:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution

Here's Richard Dawkins explaining the universe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw4w1UsOafQ

And  a young Carl Sagan doing the same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdXtjNSDi4s


What fun we had with those faulty (or not) sentences. For those of you who would like to practise a bit more, try these:

http://www.esl-classroom.com/grammar/gq1.html

http://www.grammarbank.com/simple-past-present-perfect-tenses.html

In this week's news, just when support for the EU in the UK was at an all-time high, Ker-poww! Here is a nice explanation of why the UK is facing a large repayment bill to the EU:
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/oct/24/britains-two-billion-euro-bill-explained

I always find the comments from readers especially interesting.

Good morning everyone. I have been saving one of my very favourite Georgians for this week. He only just squeaks in to being a Georgian, and for quite a lot of his life he was a Victorian, but being born in 1791 when King George III was on the throne (or not) he qualifies for our series.
(Interested in King George III's illness? Watch this documentary about Royal Diseases:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJecSrFfprI)

I had forgotten what a wonderful person Michael Faraday was. When I was a little girl Thursday afternons were very special: it was the day the  mobile library came to our area and I could go and choose my books. There was a children's biography of Michael Faraday in the van, and that was often the book I chose.

Those of you who are in lessons next week will find out more about why MF is my heartthrob, for the rest of you here's a documentary about British scientists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu3TCj_zr2Q

Last week some of us got quite stuck using different tenses.
Here is some online practice:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/mixed-verb-tenses3.html

Good afternoon from sunny Landkreis Verden, where Karoline (oven range) has been lit for the first time this year as Rouladen are on the menu for this evening. October, especially when it is so golden, is one of the very best months.

This week some of  us will be thinking about birthday cakes, inspired by Anya's 7th birthday last Thursday. She told me she had chosen a Frozen cake, which confused me for a second.
Here it is:

That is one cool cake.
Here are some birthday cake ideas:

http://www.marthastewart.com/274819/birthday-cakes
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/birthday-cake

Here's a terrific site packed full of things for you to do to improve your English:
http://www.manythings.org/

And just for those of you not yet Frozen fans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk

and, as we know, some People are worth melting for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KODq5mpAbTs

Many, many years ago whilst volunteering with Blackfoot Indians in Montana I spent 10 days (or nights) sleeping on a child-sized camp bed. I remember exactly the bliss of getting into a real bed again. That is the feeling this week with the arrival of my new - although clonky - keyboard.
Some of us are enjyoing flicking through English-language magazines. Here are the websites with tons of free material:

The classic British women's magazine:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/

Best in the USA for crafts, recipes & home ideas:
http://www.bhg.com/
You can sign up for their free emails on different categories too.

Popular science (UK):

http://sciencefocus.com/

Gardening (UK):
http://www.gardenersworld.com/

And for a completely different view:
Australia:
 http://www.aww.com.au/

Southern USA:
http://www.southernliving.com/

For IT fans:

http://www.computerworld.com/

And the news:
http://www.newsweek.com/en

Now, that should really be enough to keep you busy!

Excuse me if I keep this short today; my Keyboard is not working properly and a Touchscreen is modern but tricky... for me at least.
we looked at 10 Downing Street this week, here's some more info:

https://www.gov.uk/government/history/10-downing-street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYRM4tYm-Ik

http://www.eyerevolution.co.uk/blog/get-inside-10-downing-street/


And here's a quiz  to check phrasal verbs (groan)
http://www.stuff.co.uk/phrasal.htm

Back home again after a week to remember!

We have been talking about phrasal verbs  recently, and my what fun they are. Here are some online quizzes and explanations:

http://www.eslcafe.com/pv/
(alphabetical list of phrasal verbs)

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/ppva.html
(quiz)


And a special quiz featuring 'get'
http://www.5minuteenglish.com/apr3.htm


And, from our Best Favourite BBC, some Funky Phrasals!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/148_phrasalverbs/

What a week for the United Kingdom. Who knows how much longer we will be united?
Here's an interesting interactive map of Scotland:
http://www.incallander.co.uk/mapofcotland.htm

And here's the famous 'Freedom' speech from Braveheart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEOOZDbMrgE

Here is a great online  Feature to give you more background on  Robert the Bruce and Wallace:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/hist/wallaceandbruce/

What about Bonnie Prince Charlie?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/launch_ani_bonnie_prince.shtml

Enjoy!

Hello again, back after a long and sometimes hot summer, visiting Borneo, Britain and the surprisingly mountainous Sauerland.
But now thoughts turn again to Unterricht.
At the end of last term I asked students what they would like to do this term, and lots answered "Games!" Laura is also finding that her little Chinese, Korean & Malaysian pupils like nothing better than a round of Spitz paß auf!
So off we went to the Fleamarket in Thedinghausen and bought lots of games.
Funnily enough I heard a piece on the BBC this week about 'Mensch aergere Dich nicht'
Here you can read the text:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29050369
And here you can download the Podcast of 'From our own Correspondant' and listen to the original report:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/fooc

And here is an online game for practising your prepositions:
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/prepositions-of-place-esl-fun-game-online-grammar-practice/
Play nicely!

I seem to have spent too much time in traffic jams over the last few weeks. It's not all that much fun, but made me think you might enjoy some traffic vocabulary:

http://www.stickyball.net/?id=492
(There 's even a little test at the end to make sure you have learned everything.)


Let's hope you never get stopped by the Police, but you can print this vocabulary out to have with you, just in case:

http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/police-traffic.htm


And here's a TV documentary about a week in the life of the South Wales Police:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BIgSi6CbW4

Drive carefully and watch out for the Belisha Beacons!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisha_beacon

We have been in election fever recently.  The Indian elections are overwhelming in terms of numbers: 814 MILLION voters! How did they work,  who was involved? See what the BBC has to say:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26869578

This has brought back memories of my trip to India to visit Laura.  I was overwhelmed by the colours, the foods, by everything in fact. If you can, get hold of a DVD of the movie Monsoon Wedding, to give yourself a flavour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjyAWlhALWk

And here's an easy-to-make recipe to nibbleonwhilst watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caFH9ciL0mI

And here you can watch the entire Gandhi movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HT4BM7cgJw

Here's some useful vocabulary for elections:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjyAWlhALWk

I think that's enough to keep you busy; I'm off to watch my DVD box set of Broadchurch,  big winner at the BAFTAs yesterday:

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/may/18/broadchurch-bafta-television-Awards

It's the day after the night before here, as somehow we got caught up in watching the Eurovision Song Contest.

Of course, it's not like it was in the good old days. It used to be  one of the highspots of my year as a little girl, I just loved all those Europeans!  And in those days, the Royaume Uni often won.
Here's Sandie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfeiCaRJgMY

And Lulu, doing her very best. Were skirts really that short?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ew43u2gS0Y

Unfortunately these days the UK has more practice being a plucky loser. Pardon me if I slip Englebert in here, I know he wasn't the youngest of candidates, but the song has class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNv9pjqZkk

For some more European practice try this BBC Quiz:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2316583.stm

This is a fun interactive map of Europe:
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/europe_map.htm

And if you're in the mood for  even more quizzes, these should keep you busy:

http://www.triviaplaza.com/geography-europe-quizzes/

Good morning everyone,
Rushing in to write to you all before before we go to the nursery in Armsen, highly recommended:

http://www.gaertnerei-oestmann-gruenerleben.de/

Yes, the last days have been spent in the garden - rediscovering all the old friends bursting through and sadly noticing what has not survived. How do plants simply disappear?
The plastic greenhouse is doing an excellent job, and the next project is to be pineapples. We have been wondering if we need male & female plants, and if so how choose between the sexes at Netto.
Fortunately we have plenty of insects buzzing around, which made me think you might enjoy some Insectalia.

Here are all sorts of fun things to do with a list on insect vocabulary:

http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/e/words.php?f=insects

Here's a nice online picture dictionary of insects. It's says 'For kids', but I thinkit's fine for us too.
http://englishwilleasy.com/english-through-pictures/insects/

And here a short Video from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140502-what-if-bees-went-extinct

Andjus in case that's not enough to keep you busy this week, here's a site to practise all sorts of things including prepositions.

http://www.eslgamesplus.com/sentence-monkey/

Enjoy!

Good evening, gosh late posting today.
I got stuck in a new book.
There are various book prizes awarded in the UK every year and I enjoy looking thorugh the shortlists to see if anything interesting has come up.

The Orange Prize is now called The Bailey's Women's Prize for fiction, find out more about it here:
http://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/

One of the books on the shortlist is called The Undertaking, by Audrey Magee.
Here's what the Website tells us about it:

Desperate to escape the Eastern front, Peter Faber, an ordinary German soldier, marries Katharina Spinell, a woman he has never met; it is a marriage of convenience that promises honeymoon leave for him and a pension for her should he die on the front. With ten days’ leave secured, Peter visits his new wife in Berlin; both are surprised by the attraction that develops between them.
When Peter returns to the horror of the front, it is only the dream of his wife that sustains him as he approaches Stalingrad. Back in Berlin, Katharina, goaded on by her desperate and delusional parents, ruthlessly works her way into the Nazi party hierarchy, wedding herself, her young husband and their unborn child to the regime. But when the tide of war turns and Berlin falls, Peter and Katharina, ordinary people stained with their small share of an extraordinary guilt, find their simple dream of family increasingly hard to hold on to.

So of course I had to order it.  And that is why I am late here today.

For some lighter practice, I've also been looking at material for our Crimean War lesson and have found the Horrible Histories series.
Here's one about the King Georges:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPtYmq5qFVA

And my favourite King Charles King of Bling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2kyNbZc7oc

And here's the Horrible Histories Website:

http://horrible-histories.co.uk/

with games,  a magazine and all sorts of history fun.

Enjoy!

Good morning and Happy Easter.

Back again from the UK where I had a Very Happy Moment.

As a little girl my best favourite TV Programme was The Avengers. It was on Fridays at 8pm and generally I was allowed to stay up to watch it. I thought Emma Peel was the best thing I had ever seen.
Here she is on YouTube, set to The Kinks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve9N9oaXU18

Ever since then I have had a secret wish for a leather Outfit.

So last week my Mum said she had always wanted to go to the Pittards outlet in Yeovil - Yeovil has been a centre for the leather industry for many years - the local Football Team is nicknamed the 'Glovers'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-356000-114000/page/12
http://www.ytfc.net/

- and so off we went.

http://www.pittards.com/

There was no-one else in the outlet and outlet or not it was not exactly cheap and  I am a one-handbag Girl so we walked through to their coffee shop. Past a rail of reduced leather dresses!
I thought I would die on the spot. They were. even reduced, more than I would normally pay. But I decided to try one on, just knowing it wouldn't fit or would look dreadful.
I asked the assistant where the Fitting room was - turned out there wasn't one - well the shop was empty anyway so I just put on that Dress... and knew I was Emma Peel.

I carried it home in my hand luggage, never trust KLM.

KerPOW!

Good morning, in a hurry this morning as I leave for the UK shortly. Off (again) to Yeovil:

http://www.yeoviltown.com/

where I will visit my family and catch up on Britishness.

Looking forward to some M&S ready food:


http://www.marksandspencer.com/c/food-and-wine

and will pick up my Engagement ring from Wells:


http://www.studleysjewellers.co.uk/


Wells is a lovely place anyway,
http://www.wellssomerset.com/

 famous for its cathedral:


http://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/

Off I whizz!
Happy Easter.

Good morning Penguinfriends,

What fun we have watching all the birds who come to feed in front of our French Windows.
This morning there were already pheasants, jays, various tits, greenfinches and of course our favourite, the Robin.
So here are some activities for you this morning to practise your bird vocabulary and knowledge.
Let's start with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/

Here's an online animal game introduced by Perry Penguin (Yes!)

http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/penguinA.htm

Here's an online Memory game topractise bird vocabulary:

And a Cartoon of an Aesop's Fable, with subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_POianzls

Have a great week!




Some Borneo chicks

What a beautiful morning! And what's more, it's Mothering Sunday.  Do not confuse this with 'Mother's Day' as celebrated in Germany.
Mothering Sunday is always the fourth Sunday in Lent and goes back at least to the 16th century, maybe further. It was a Sunday when the fasting rules of Lent were relaxed, and  servants were allowed home to visit their families, specifically their mothers. The Housekeeper of the Big House where they worked would give them some eggs,or maybe baked goods to take with them, and so that's how it all began.

This year I arranged for cupcakes to be delivered to my mother,

http://www.cakesbyshellyanne.co.uk/

who was duly delighted.

As always, BBC Radio 4 is booming out as I write and I have just been listening to a Special Service for Mothering Sunday. One hymn was "For the Beauty of the Earth."
As a little girl I really hated this hymn. It had such a boring tune. Then I heard a

version by John Rutter - a British Composer, mostly of Choral Music - and have been captivated by it ever since.

Here's a Version with subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaMkj4_H8WM

And here it is sung by the choir of St Paul's Cathedral:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0qQyW0W0Rw

So appropriate for this beautiful morning.

Good morning Friends, near and far!

This week has seen lots of emails whizzing between Morsum and the USA, Diane to be precise. It started when she sent me a Quiz to find out which Downton Abbey character I was.
I'm sure you all know (and love) Downton. It's been on zdf in Germany (I think) and is an ITV production in the UK leading to empty streets on Sunday nights when it is being broadcast. We Brits love a bit of historical Drama, makes us feel really cosy.
Some of you will remember 'Upstairs Downstairs' which I think was called Das Haus am Eaton Place in German.
Check this out for a series on the real life upstairs and downstairs, (this episode is about the Brighton Pavillion).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viHMteyA7TM

Anyway, Diane reported she had done the quiz and was Lady Mary.
Lady Mary?
Here's my answer:

"I HATE Lady Mary you can't possibly be like her.

She is wooden, shallow, arrogant and selfish."

 

Which has led to all sorts of discussions about all sorts of things.

 

Try the quiz for yourself here:

 

http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/WLF_ky-a_03/Downton+Abbey+Character

 

I'm the Dowager, by the way, and am quite OK with that.

 

 

 

Good morning PenguinChums,

The world feels a bit wobbly today doesn't it, what with The Crimea and the (still) missing Malaysian plane. Those poor passengers, and their poor relatives.

So what can one do on a gloomy Sunday but bake a cake, and this is  a real Corker:

Lemon Poppyseed Sponge

225g butter
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
225g castor sugar
4 eggs
100g ground almonds
100g self-raising flour (or normal flour with 2 tsp baking powder)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds.

Mix together and then bake in 2 sandwich tins until risen and golden.
Sandwich together with whipped cream and Lemon curd.

Good morning from warm and sunny Penguin HQ.
Lots of us had fun last week thinking about reading in English and I promised some links.

http://www.short-stories.co.uk/

...has a giant collection of modern and classic stories by well-known and new authors. Stories are classed in genres and/or length, and there is a featured Story of the Day.
You can also click on a link to word games.

http://fiction.eserver.org/
...has novels, biographies and all sorts of goodies.

Sadly, the audiogo web service I used for buying and downloading BBC Radio programmes has closed.
You can still of course go to www.bbc.co.uk then click on Radio 4 for the very best of the spoken word. Some programmes are available as Podcasts. It's all free.

National Public Radio was a lifesaver when I lived in the USA and I am happy to say they also provide free Podcasts:
http://www.npr.org/

Now the sun is shining, the crocus are blooming and the bees are buzzing so I will go outside in my lovely garden!

Ooops a day late posting but I am excused, having been away on a birthday jaunt in beautiful Brandeburg an der Havel.
This week lots of us are thinking about US First Ladies, try a quiz here:

http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/firstladies/1.html

Others are reviewing the importance of Fairtrade, lots of Videos to watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Fairtradefoundation

The sun is beating down as I write and the snowdrops, cyclamen and crocus are shining in the garden.
Here's a nice site to check out just what all your flowers are called:

http://www.flowerpictures.net/flower_database/flower_finder_A.html

Back to normal next week I hope... but I do love a slice of Frankfurter Kranz!

Good morning from Giant Mushroom HQ in beautiful downtown Morsum.

We all enjoyed seeing Eddie the Eagle jump again last week, actually Michael Edwards was a much better athlete than we all realized, as well as being a very determined person. Here's a Guardian article about his career:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/04/reappraising-eddie-eagle-winter-olympics-ski-jumping

And he's still around. On British TV there's a Programme where celebrities learn to dive - Eddie was a contestant last year and won. Take a look at his dive with Tom Daley, British Olympic medal winner, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN-D8x2VeNM

Talking of TV, lots of us are talking about cookery books and favourite recipes this week, inspired by the magical Mary Berry of Bake off fame.

Watch the Mary Berry Story (lots of episodes):
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax7udjSxLzE

And, as we're into cooking, let me share somethingwith you. When we moved to Bremen in 1977, things were a bit lonely. This changed when I met Diane in 1978. With her, I experienced my first real American Food and it was so delicious, I culdn not believe it. Diane gve me my first American cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, and it is still a wonderful source for everything yummy.
My own copy, (With "Yum, I eat it! Keep on cookin' y'all" inscribed by Diane inside) is falling apart now, but fortunately there is  a 'Joy' Website. I'm directing you straight to the 'history' page:
http://www.thejoykitchen.com/all-about-joy/history-joy-cooking

Good morning Readers,
Well what a busy week we all had.
I know you are all thinking hard about which tense to use when; here's a bit more information about the Past Perfect:
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html

And even an online exercise!
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs11.htm


The news from Somerset is not good, the  water is still rising. Cornwall and Devon now have no rail connection to the rest of the country and more storms are expected this coming week.
Here is some film of Porthleven Harbour (Cornwall), with massive seas:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-26102776

This is all a bit grim, so how about some good news?
The Winter Olympics have started in Sochi so here's a lovely interactive map of the site so we know what is where:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25946582

And, leaving the  best news till last, Horst's Christmas present of a Mushroom Farm has produced GIANT and delicious mushrooms. Yum!

Welcome to The Penguinet 2014

I have decided to restart my blog this year. So I hope you will all visit every week to find more tips, ideas and links to help with learning English.

Since I saw you all I have been on Borneo and in the UK, where the area my family lives is seriously flooded:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-25925218

This  Region - the Somerset Levels - has a long history of flooding, indeed was only made habitable by King Charles II bringing in Dutch engineers to build a system of drains and ditches in the 17th century.

It's the area of the Glastonbury Tor and King Arthur:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9RAZhBgSiM

is a BBC documentary about King Arthur.

Now of course we have our very

own Arthur.