Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Known as ‘День Конституції’, this holiday is celebrated to mark Ukraine’s adoption of a new constitution in 1996. After gaining independence in 1991, following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the Constitution of Independent Ukraine was adopted on 28 June 1996. The adoption of the constitution established a legal foundation of independent Ukraine and … Continue reading “Ukraine Constitution Day 28 June”
This year marks the 5th national Windrush Day and 74 years since more than 500 Commonwealth citizens from the Caribbean, upon the request of the British Government, arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, to help rebuild Britain after World War II. An estimated half a million people made their way to England. Since the SS Empire Windrush … Continue reading “Windrush Day 22 June”
Shavuot is one of the Jewish harvest festivals, also known as the festival or feast of ‘Weeks’. It takes place seven weeks (fifty days) after the first day of the spring festival of Passover and this year starts on the evening of 4 June, ending on the evening on 6 June. Originally an agricultural festival, … Continue reading “Shavu’ot”
Festa della Repubblica is celebrated on 2 June each year and marks the referendum of 1946, which resulted in the creation of the Italian republic. Italy became a nation on 17 March 1861, when most of the states of the region were united under King Victor Emmanuel II, hitherto king of Sardinia. On 2 June … Continue reading “Festa della Repubblica”
The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated on Saturday 4 June to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February 1952 (my Dad was one of the policemen on the Mall that day, Ed.). It is the first time that any British monarch has celebrated a platinum jubilee. The four-day … Continue reading “Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee”
Today (24/5/22) marks 50 years since the opening of the iconic Spaghetti Junction (Gravelly Hill interchange). It covers 30 acres (12 ha), serves 18 routes and includes 4 km (2.5 mi) of slip roads, but only 1 km (0.6 mi) of the M6 itself. Across five different levels, it has 559 concrete columns, reaching up to 24.4 m (80 ft). The engineers had … Continue reading “Spaghetti Junction at 50”
22 May marks the 50th anniversary of the death of English actress of stage, television and film, Dame Margaret Rutherford (1892-1972). For many she is the archetypal Miss Marple (she played the role in four films loosely based on Agatha Christie’s writings) but was also known for comedy roles. She played Miss Prism in John … Continue reading “Margaret Rutherford 50th anniversary”
The founder of the Barber Institute, Lady Barber, was born on 16 May 1869 as Martha Constance Hattie Onions. After an education at Cheltenham Ladies College, she married the Birmingham solicitor and property developer, William Henry Barber. Learn more about her, and the University art gallery and concert hall that bear her name, by visiting … Continue reading “Happy Birthday, Lady Barber!”
One day a year, there’s a call for people in Britain to send their anonymous diary accounts of their day http://www.massobs.org.uk/write-for-us/12th-may. After over a year of living through a global pandemic, this year’s contributions will be very telling. Mass Observation is a UK social research project, started in 1937 by three former Cambridge students – … Continue reading “Mass Observation Day”
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘loneliness’. With loneliness affecting more and more of us, it has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to, and with, other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health. Particularly during the pandemic, … Continue reading “Mental Health Awareness Week 9-15 May”
