A historical building essay

Duke of Kent Prince Edward visited the UK's largest display of Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s historic lifeboats at Chatham historic dockyard, 26 years after opening the original collection in 1996. The Buckingham Palace shared photos of the Duke’s visit on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday. The Duke has been the RNLI's President for over half a century. During the visit, he was shown three of the charity's most significant lifeboats, which between them have saved more than 300 lives at sea. The Duke presented Tina Smith, the RNLI Historic Lifeboat Collection Volunteer and former lifeboat crew, with a 20-year Service Award for operational service at Gravesend Lifeboat Station. “His Royal Highness met volunteers and staff at @HistoricRNLI before presenting a certificate to commemorate his visit during The Queen’s #PlatinumJubilee year,” according to the tweet. … [Read more...] about Prince Edward visits UK’s largest display of RNLI historic lifeboats

UK inflation has climbed to 9.1% as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household finances. The consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation rose in the 12 months to May to its highest level sinceMarch 1982. CPI had already hit a 40-year high when it reached 9% the previous month , according to latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. The latest figures mean inflation is almost five times higher than the Bank of England (BoE) target of 2%. BoE economists are expecting UK inflation to hit 11% by the end of this year. It had previously estimated that the rate of CPI would hit 10%. Are you worried about rising prices? Let us know: [email protected] How inflation has changed over the years The ONS said food and drink prices were the biggest contributor of inflation creeping higher in the 12 months to May. Households are also being hit by sky-high energy costs, after the Ofgem price cap was raised by 54% in April, … [Read more...] about UK inflation hits 9.1% in new 40-year high as cost of living crisis deepens

This looks like the endgame. A group of Cabinet ministers - including the new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi - are planning to confront Boris Johnson this evening and tell him that he must step down as Prime Minister. The Telegraph understands that Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, and Simon Hart, the Welsh Secretary, are among those who are preparing to make the intervention . Mr Zahawi is also understood to be involved, with the push against the Prime Minister being coordinated by Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris. It comes as Mr Johnson continues to suffer a brutal wave of resignations. As this email was sent, 35 Tory MPs had left Government roles in the last 24 hours. Yet Mr Johnson told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions and the liaison committee that he intends to "keep going". Our live blog is your first point of call for breaking news. Our Government resignation tracker tells you who has quit and when they … [Read more...] about Wednesday evening UK news briefing: Cabinet ministers poised to tell Boris Johnson he must resign

With a shade over 24 hours until England host Austria at a sold-out Old Trafford, a handful of construction workers are busy building a fan park in Manchester city center. A few kilometers northeast of the building site, UEFA's Chief of Women's Football takes to the stage in a stadium hospitality room. "I feel so many different kinds of emotions but can't wait for it to get started now," said Nadine Kessler , who won 29 caps for Germany between 2010 and 2016. "I really think it's completely incomparable to when I played. I might need to be a bit provocative, but I think in my days people were more concerned with how my jersey fit than the result. We've come a long way." The buildup to the tournament has seen plenty of reflection on the growth of the game in recent years. But the day before it starts, with unfinished fan parks, sporadic advertising boards and a reported shortage of England women's shirts in major sports shops, there is a sense that organizers may not have foreseen … [Read more...] about Euro 2022: Is England ready for the biggest tournament yet?

Auberon Waugh's death at the age of 61 is more sad than surprising. His immediate heredity wasn't promising - his father died at 62, his mother at 57 - and he suffered from ill-health all his life, partly resulting from severe wounds sustained during National Service at the age of 18. That may, in part, have accounted for the acidic personality which made him the most verbally brutal journalist of his age. Everyone who met him remarked on the contrast between his ferocity in print and his personal geniality, but this was hard to explain to those who didn't know him, especially if they had been on the rough end of his pen. Apart from health, his background shaped his career in one other respect. He spent much of his life trying to escape from the shadow of his father, the greatest English novelist of his age. This provided an obvious weapon for Auberon's enemies. Philip Larkin joked about "my projected series, Talentless Sons of Famous Fathers - Waugh, Amis, Fuller...", and for … [Read more...] about Auberon Waugh

If the Sopranos, which returns this week for its fourth series, is arguably the most accomplished drama in television history, there is no doubt at all that it's the most analysed. Never before has a programme been subject to such extensive interpretation. While the story concerns a New Jersey mafia boss and his middle-class suburban family, no self-respecting critic would ever say that's what it was about. Ever since he first appeared on US television back in January 1999, Tony Soprano, the show's monumental anti-hero played by James Gandolfini, has been a gift to the metaphorically minded. He is the American Everyman, the embodiment of ruthless free-market capitalism, the defining figure of balding fat manhood in midlife crisis, and much else besides. It's no wonder Gandolfini stoops, carrying that weight of symbolism around on his shoulders. That Tony also visits a shrink to discuss his problems, and that shrink in turn visits another shrink to discuss the problem of seeing … [Read more...] about Deconstructing Tony

Speaking at a news conference Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia would have to carpet-bomb the Ukrainian capital and kill its residents to take the city. Meanwhile, the Russian troops are attempting to encircle Kyiv further, fighting against heavy resistance in the west and the north of the city. And after twelve days of siege, the strategic southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is without water, gas, electricity or communications, and people were seen fighting for food in recent days. The situation is "almost desperate", warned Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The number of civilians killed during the siege of Mariupol reached 1,582, and some of the casualties had to be buried in mass graves. Local authorities fear that the actual number might be much higher. 03.12.2022 09:24 Saturday's main developments: The worst of the fighting overnight took place in Irpin, Mykolaiv and Sumy, according to the General Staff of the … [Read more...] about Ukraine war: Kyiv would only fall ‘if carpet bombed’ by Russia, Zelenskyy says

Published 7 minutes ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Following the shock resignation of former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, his replacement Nadhim Zahawi has said he and Prime Minister Boris Johnson want to "rebuild the economy" and get soaring inflation under control. Mr Zahawi said "nothing is off the table" in terms of cutting taxes. What are some of the options open to the new Chancellor to make good on those plans? 1. Cut VAT Mr Zahawi has said he wants to do two things: cut taxes and "bear down" on inflation. Those are not usually happy bedfellows. Cutting taxes puts more money into the economy, which drives prices up - so how can he walk this line? A temporary cut in VAT - the tax paid when buying goods and services - from 20% to 17.5%, say, would lower the price of goods and services in the basket used to calculate inflation - taxes would get cut, and … [Read more...] about Four ways Nadhim Zahawi may try to boost the economy

By Simon Jack Published 2 hours ago comments Comments Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Most Lloyds Bank customers have less than £500 of savings in their accounts, its chief executive said. Charlie Nunn said Lloyds had seen customers seeking debt advice jump up by a third in just the first six months of this year. Credit card spending on travel was up 300% on last year, but the majority of Lloyd's customers were worried about the cost of living, he said. It was possible for the UK to avoid the recession many are predicting, he said. It comes as UK households struggle with the soaring cost of food, energy bills and fuel as inflation rises at the fastest rate in 40 years. The head of the UK's biggest high street bank told the BBC: "80% of individuals and UK customers and families have less than £500 pounds worth of savings in their current … [Read more...] about Most only have £500 of savings says Lloyds boss

By Faisal Islam Published 6 hours ago comments Comments Share close Share page Copy link About sharing All types of household energy bill are now heading above £3,000 a year this winter, say energy industry sources. The rise is 7% higher than the predicted prices on which the government's recently announced cost of living support package was based. The government said it didn't recognise the figures, but added it and Ofgem "keep a close watch on energy prices". National Energy Action said there were "few signs of energy prices becoming affordable this winter". The bleak prediction comes as households are already struggling with rising food and fuel prices. Every UK household is to get an energy bill discount of £400 this October, whilst poorest households will also get a payment of £650. When will households get the £400 energy grant? … [Read more...] about Household energy bills to hit £3,000 per year