A New Year's Day customs and first-footing

New Year is a minefield of superstitions. There is plenty of good luck to be garnered, but one foot wrong - first or otherwise - and ill-fortune, the evil eye, death, plagues of carnivorous geese and worse await. From Manchester comes a warning about being over-zealous in enforcing these traditions. A man once walked into a pub in the city and asked for whisky on credit. Giving money in the form of cash or credit on New Year's Day is considered very bad luck, but as the date was Monday January 2nd, the man felt that he was entitled to his whisky. The barman refused, pointing out that as New Year's Day had fallen on the Sunday, the Monday was the carried-over holiday and so counted as January 1st, taboos and all. One thing led to another, and during the ensuing brawl the barman was stabbed to death. The discreditable drinker was sent to the gallows.

Pearly Kings and Queens of London

Pearly Kings and Queens are one of the most intriguing, unique and beautiful attractions of London. Each London Borough has a its King and Queen, as do the City of London and the City of Westminster. It is a colourful London tradition and one that has been kept alive by a few dedicated people, who work hard on the promotion of this tradition. Today there are 30 Pearly families that are active in collecting money and fund raising different charities.

The story about Pearly Kings and Queens started in the Victorian London among street traders or 'The Costermongers', as they were called. They were selling their goods marching the streets of London, selling from baskets, later from barrows, and, finally, from static market stalls. It was usually a family business and went from the generation to generation.

England's icon - Stonehenge

Stonehenge is certainly one of the most important tourist sites in England, Wiltshire. This prehistoric monument and its mysterious history started to intrigue scholars, travelers and adventurers, as much as ordinary people, in Victorian time. Victorians were very keen to preserve British past and tradition, and in that time Stonehenge became a real tourist destination.

There are about 20 different theories who, how and why built Stonhenge. Starting with the claims that it was built by Romans, Danes, Phoenicians, Saxons, or even Minoans, it was unclear what was the purpose of the building and what construction techniques were used.

Introduction

Hello,

My name is Tamara and recently moved to live in United Kingdom. I always loved UK, especially the rich history of the country. I actually have a feeling that the country is on the constant move from past to present with an often trips to the future. The past can be seen everywhere and everyday through the architecture, heritage, tradition, culture. All this is woven into the present, modern lifestyle of the new generations. And the future? The future is in great opportunity for research, science and development on any level.

I'll write about places that I visited, things I have experienced and I hope, I'll be able to inspire future travelers and visitors to find some hidden gems of Britain.

Please enjoy and try to visit as many places in your area and far, far away!

Tamara x