Shepherd's Pie

Now, we will learn how to cook a tipical delicious english recipe: the Sheperd's Pie.

The Shepherd's pie is a traditional British dish consisting of a layer of minced lamb and covered with mashed potato and optionally a layer of cheese. The traditionally consists minced lamb (hence Shepherd) but many people prefer the beef.  The recipe we will explain serves four people:

Ingredients:

- 1kg of Lamb minced meat (or Beef). 
- Half an Onion. 
- Garlic.  
- a Carrot.
- 25 cl. Red Wine.

- 2 boiled Potatoes.
- 2 spoons of Butter.
- 50 cl. of Fresh Milk. 

Preperation:

First, to make the mash, heat 50 cl. of Fresh Milk and 2 spoons of Butter.  Then, add the two mashed potatoes and remove it until it turns a soft potato mash.   Cool it down to room temperature. 

Then chop finely an half Onion and add it to a frying pan with some heated oil and some garlic; then slice a carrot and add it too. When it turns golden, you can add the minced Lamb.   Fry it for some minutes with the red wine. 

To assemble the pie put in the bowl a layer of meat first, then a layer of mash, meat layer and finally, mash layer.   The reason why we mix the Potatoes Mash with milk and butter is for lighthen it  and for the meat to not sinking on it.  This is the most critical phase of the assembling of the cake, so BE CAREFUL. 

Then, make slits on the last mash layer to make it crispy and cover it with some shreded cheese.  Bake it for 150º C  for an hour or until it turns golden.

We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe.

The Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the aristocratic district of Westminster, Charles //'s Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums. It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated to have destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City's 80,000 inhabitants.
The Great Fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner (or Farynor) on Pudding Lane, shortly after midnight on Sunday, 2 September, and spread rapidly west across the City of London. The use of the major firefighting technique of the time, the creation of firebreaks by means of demolition, was critically delayed owing to the indecisiveness of the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth. By the time large-scale demolitions were ordered on Sunday night, the wind had already fanned the bakery fire into a firestorm which defeated such measures.

HALLOWEEN 2012







       Every 31st of October, kids of all parts of England go from home to home saying "Trick or Treat?" and waiting for some candy. We enjoy this festivity and it's becoming an international party

      Yes, but... Whatis it's origin?
 
This party The word Halloween was first used in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All Hallows' Even ('evening'), that is, the night before

All Hallows' Day.   Although the phrase All Hallows' is found in Old English.  The origin is sat on the pagan festivity of the end of summer, also linked to the Saint night.  People thought that every 31st of October an 24 hour portal is opened for the dead, to became alive.   They made Jack o' Lanterns, that are pumkpins with cutted mouths and eyes and a candle inside. They use this spooky lanterns for scaring the ghosts and other spirits. Today, we also use this pumpkins and disguise for enjoy an GREAT NIGHT.

Monsters at Loch Ness

   

In the 7th century, the first guesses about a sea monster in Loch ness; a monk called Adomán wroted this quotes on a codex named  Life of St. Columba.  He said that Columba saw how a "sea monster" catched a man and gragged him to the bottom of the lake. All that he could do was to take the corpse out of water.    Hearing this, Columba stunned the Picts by sending his follower Luigne moccu Min to swim across the river. The beast came after him, but Columba made the sign of the cross and commanded: "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once." The beast immediately halted as if it had been "pulled back with ropes" and fled in terror, and both Columba's men and the pagan Picts praised God for the miracleThe oldest manuscript relating to this story was put online in 2012.       Believers in the Loch Ness Monster often point to this story, which notably takes place on the River Ness rather than the loch itself, as evidence for the creature's existence as early as the 6th century.        Modern interest in the monster was sparked by a sighting on 22 July 1933, when George Spicer and his wife saw 'a most extraordinary form of animal' cross the road in front of their car.
This latest version is the most suspectful of all; even so, a lot of tourists came every year to the Loch Ness to get informed about this special monster who even is attractive to much more people than suspected.

Religion in England

In the census of 2001, a bit more than 37 million persons in England and Wales are practised to yes the same Christians.
From the English Reform of the 16th century, when England became free of Rome, the English Christians have been predominantly members of the Church of England, it forms a of christianity that is simultaneously catholic and a reformist.
The Book of Common Prayer is the book fundacional of prayer of the Church of England, replacing diverse rites of the Latin of the Catholic Roman Church by the rites of the Church of England, which works as the church established in England. Both the Church of England and the Catholic Church in England and Wales begin his official history from 597 in the mission agustiniana to the english men.
Nowadays, the majority of english men who practise the organized religion, at least nominally, are affiliated to the Church of England. Other Christian important names are the Roman catholicism and Systematic method. Between the Churches that originated in England we find the church Methodist, the Quakers and the Army of Salvation.

Fauna

The island of Great Britain, together with the rest of the archipelago known as the British Isles, has a great moderate environment.

The environment and the ecology is also very young due to the appearance of an Age of Ice, which means that it has been very much less time to develop this diversity.  

The seasonal changes that take place in the whole country it means that the plants have to face to many changes linked to the levels of solar light.

From middle of the 18th century, Great Britain has happened for the industrialization and the increasing urbanization. A study of 2006 suggested that 100 species have become extinct in the United Kingdom during the 20th century.

The most common fauna in inglaterra is: 

Wolves, bears, reindeers, foxes, hedgehogs hares, rabbits, weasels, ermines, shrews, rates, mice, otters and seals. There are few amphibians and reptiles. 

In addition there is a great number of birds as: 

Pheasants, partridges, red grouses...

The legend of Lady Godiva

According to the popular story,  Lady Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering grievously under her husband's oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed again and again to her husband, who obstinately refused to remit the tolls. At last, weary of her entreaties, he said he would grant her request if she would strip naked and ride through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should stay indoors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. Just one person in the town, a tailor (Peeping Tom) disobeyed her proclamation. In the story, Tom bores a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva pass, and is struck blind. In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes.

Roman Britain

After the conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar set his sights on England. He commanded an army in 54 B.C. and conquered part of suereste.

However up to 43 did not reduce to Britain a Roman province. It was easy to reach the center and southeast of the island, but in the north and west reigned Boudica, not made ​​things easy to Rome, razing Londinium (London). However, it was defeated.

Between 78 and 85 Roma progressed quite yet Emperor Hadrian built Hadrian's Wall as the boundary between northern peoples and Rome.

The people of Britain had little involvement in the political life of Rome. On the other side, or producing wheat and minerals offering its mines covering the enormous costs associated with the occupation. There was a notable Romanization in Britain to consider, especially in the cities, but it never became as Hispania and Gaul

Scotland accepts a historic referendum

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND (15/OCT/2012.) - British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish nationalist leader Alex Salmond signed an agreement to hold a referendum in 2014 in which the Scots can vote if they want independence from England .

Echoes other European regions like Catalonia and Flanders,in the middle of a deep economic and political crisis.The agreement allows Scotland referendum a vote on whether their country folk should become an independent country or remain in the UK.

Cameron opposes separation, arguing that the UK is stronger together, and polls give support between 30 and 40 percent at the option of independence.
A pro-independence is that Scotland already has many of the characteristics of an independent nation
.However, against Scotland would have a hard time overcoming the crisis.

UK is also concerned about the future of its nuclear fleet submarine based in Scotland, who says he does not want nuclear weapons in its territory after independence. Moving elsewhere fleet would be costly and take time.

To convince the undecided, Salmond is using his ability as a speaker to take advantage of a historic rivalry with England and show that independence would allow his country to have an agenda with more left-leaning than its southern neighbor.

In addition, the Scottish leader won an important concession from London to his country reduce the voting age of 18 years required in Britain to 16 years, a great achievement for Salmond, who believes that young people likely to vote in favor of independence .

Para convencer a los indecisos, Salmond está utilizando su capacidad como orador para sacar provecho de una histórica rivalidad con Inglaterra y mostrar que la independencia permitiría a su país tener una agenda con más tendencia de izquierda que su vecino del sur.

Nations such as Catalonia are very aware of the result, to use it in favor for independence

Toddler tragedy

Toddler tragedy: Nine monht old baby girld dies after choking at school nursery in Manchester.
"Emergency services were called to Ramilies avenue School, in Cheadle Hulme after reprts of a child choking but the little girld died in hospital a short time later" 
A nine month-old baby girl has died after choking at school nursery in Greater Manchester. The baby, who has not been named, was taken to hospital but died a short time later. The incident happened at around 12:20pm when the little girl is believed to have been being fed at nursery, on Ramillies Avenue. police have yet to formaly, announce whether the deth is being treated as a crime or tragic accident. Ramillies Hall School, which is privately run, caters for both boys and girls age 6-11 years old on an eight acre in Cheadle Hulme. It also has a foundationand nursery years facility where infants from six months to five years old are cared for by nursery staff. The school is member of the Independent Schools Council and has been run by the Patterson family since 1919.

Gastronomy

The British kitchen is formed by a set of customs and of food adapted to the climate of the islands and to the interactions with other European and Asian cultures. The traditional plates have very ancient dues, as the production of bread and the cheese, the roats meats, fished proceeding from the waters of the sea or from the rivers, all of them mixed with the chiles from North America, the spices and currys of the India and Bangladesh, the fried food based on the Chinese kitchen and Thai. The kitchen of Great Britain has been one of the first ones and more fervent in adopting the snack food proceeding from the United States.

Five year and the Rolling Stones return !!!

Last year the rolling stones expired 50 years and today (2nd of October) they have announced the dates of his concerts, that these commemorate one of the best groups of the rock of London. The places of these events are London (United Kingdom) and Newark (Nueva Jersey, USA). They were touching of the following way; vocalist Mick Jagger, the guitarist Keith Richards, the batería Charlie Watts and the guitarist Ronnie Wood, affirm to be prepared for the concerts.
This one is one of his songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPFGWVKXxm0

Employment

For young professionals and inexperienced, with different levels of English. The Center places each year thousands of citizens of the European Union in London at pubs, lodges, clubs and the sale (shops, boutiques, etc.). All enjoy professional support and help organizing estanciancias of short or long periods.