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  1. Blackleaf

    There IS room at the inn. Realistic Nativity mural painted on pub wall

    Anybody would be forgiven for thinking they had somehow travelled 2000 years back in time and ended up in the Middle East and discovered that there WAS room at the inn after all and you were witnessing the arrival on Earth of God in human form. When, in fact, you'd still be in the present day in...
  2. Blackleaf

    Commonwealth urged to unite as Queen pays tribute to armed forces in Christmas speech

    The Queen will pay tribute to Britain's Armed Forces in her annual Christmas speech - broadcast on TV - tomorrow after they suffered their worst fatality rate this year since 1982. And, in the Commonwealth's 60th year, the Queen will also use her annual address to urge its member states...
  3. Blackleaf

    The biggest control knob: carbon dioxide

    You have to laugh at some of those Swampies and politicians who attended the summit in Copenhagen. The Scots were the most hilarious. Members of the devolved Scottish "government" (the Scottish National Party, a nationalist party), including Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond (the nearest...
  4. Blackleaf

    A hound the world in 80 days: Meet Oscar "Phileas Fogg" Lefson, a dog without equal

    A hound the world in 80 days: Meet Oscar "Phileas Fogg" Lefson, a dog without equal Most dogs would be content to go for a little run around on a playing field fetching large sticks, or just nip down to the nearest off-licence with their owner to get the day's newspaper and a pint of milk...
  5. Blackleaf

    Prince William sleeps rough on the streets of sub-zero London

    Britain may be under two feet of snow, a freezing wind may be blowing in straight from the Urals via Scandinavia and the weathermen are laying the odds on this being the start of the next Ice Age, but that hasn't stopped Prince William sleeping on the sub-zero streets of London. The future...
  6. Blackleaf

    Say “aaaarrrghhhh”! OECD report finds Brits and Germans have the best teeth.

    North Americans (but nobody else) may poke fun at the supposed bad teeth of the British (though we can retaliate by poking fun at how fat North Americans are), but an OECD report has found that the British not only have better teeth than the Americans but they actually have the best teeth in the...
  7. Blackleaf

    Cryptic signatures that ‘prove Shakespeare was a secret Catholic’

    A parchment bound in leather and kept under lock and key may prove the theory that Shakespeare was a secret Catholic. An exhibition at the Venerable English College, the seminary in Rome for English Catholic priests, has revealed cryptic names in its guest books for visiting pilgrims...
  8. Blackleaf

    Hundreds of pagans turn up at Stonehenge for the winter solstice... on the WRONG DAY

    It's an annual tradition for various pagans, hippies and druids to gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer and winter soltices (except when it was closed to the public between 1985 and 2000) and is one of the world's oldest celebrations. So no wonder they were embarrassed after turning up...
  9. Blackleaf

    BBC releases trailer of sci-fi drama remake, Day Of The Triffids

    The BBC has released a trailer of its new re-make of the Day of the Triffids. The two-parter, to be screened over the Christmas period, stars comedian Eddie Izzard, Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, her real-life mother Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox. Cox plays Dennis Masen, a scientist whose...
  10. Blackleaf

    England scrape a draw in First Test against South Africa

    England have shown great character after battling to a well-earned draw against South Africa in sweltering Pretoria. South Africa posted a good score of 418 in the First Innings. England then replied with a First Innings total of 356, meaning that SA's lead after the First Innings was just 62...
  11. Blackleaf

    Rage Against the Machine cause major upset after getting Christmas Number 1

    Along with eating loads of turkey, stuffing your face with Christmas pudding, watching Doctor Who, drinking too much mulled wine, arguing with the in-laws, listening to the Queen's Speech, falling asleep during the Christmas Day movie and spending Boxing Day at your grandparents', finding out...
  12. Blackleaf

    England legend Sir Stanley Matthews sold goods on the black market during WWII

    Sir Stanley "Wizard of the Dribble" Matthews and Stan "Electric Heels" Mortensen, two of England's greatest-ever footballers, sold goods on the black market during the War. The two former England stars sold coffee and soap in exchange for cash. Details of their time as spivs emerged in files...
  13. Blackleaf

    Tony Blair: It's only in Britain that people don't like me

    Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that it is only the people of Britain which don't like him and that he is much more popular abroad. Blair, who was PM between May 1997 and June 2007 and who converted to Catholicism when he quit the job, blamed the British press for his...
  14. Blackleaf

    Thrifty Queen catches ordinary passenger train on her journey to Sandringham

    Elizabeth II has demonstrated once again why she continues to be one of Britain's most popular monarchs in history. In hard times, such as during war or recession, whenever her country and her subjects have been suffering, the Queen has never flaunted her privilege nor taken our goodwill for...
  15. Blackleaf

    Stuffed peacock, fake snow and lashings of dancing girls - it's a Tudor Christmas

    In many ways, a Tudor Christmas was different from our own. Goose was the meat that was eaten at Christmas rather than (in Britain at least) turkey as it is nowadays. A nobleman was always taught how to carve the goose and to serve at table. And, in Britain, celebrations really only last over...
  16. Blackleaf

    From obscurity to the world stage: Stadium:mk to be 2018 World Cup venue

    Milton Keynes Dons may be the youngest team by far in the English football league, but they have certainly hit the world stage quickly. The MK Dons were formerly known as Wimbledon (nicknamed the Dons) - whose "Crazy Gang" surprisingly beat Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final - but due to their...
  17. Blackleaf

    Paul Gascoigne arrested for being drunk and disorderly

    Paul Gascoigne, one of the stars of the great England side which narrowly missed out on reaching the 1990 World Cup Final, has been arrested for being drunk and disorderly. The former Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio and Rangers midfielder was taken into custody in the early hours of...
  18. Blackleaf

    First Test, Day 1: Kallis puts South Africa on top against England

    It is the end of the First Day (out of a maximum of five) of the First Test between South Africa and England, and South Africa demonstrated why they are ranked No2 in the world. The Springboks, recently overtaken to the top spot in the world rankings by India, recovered from 70-2 at lunch to...
  19. Blackleaf

    Prince William reveals his bald patch as he celebrates charity's 40th anniversary

    He may only be 27, but Prince William is already going bald. It'll be embarassing for any young man, but when you're the world's most famous 27-year-old guy and a future Head of State it is very rare that you don't have someone taking photos of you. William's bald patch was snapped by a...
  20. Blackleaf

    'This seagull looks sad because it's sitting in the rain.'

    The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is the world's oldest and largest animal welfare organisation, a perfect organisation for a nation famed for its love of animals. It was founded in 1824 by, amongst others, William Wilberforce, whose efforts also ensured Britain...