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!