BREXIT continues to dominate British society so much so that The Guardian reports that two anti-Brexit fake banknotes claiming to be from the “Bank of Brexit lies” and declaring themselves to be “for the privileged few” have been added to the British Museum.
The banknotes, produced by a pro-EU group have been doctored to carry the faces of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and fellow Conservative Party politician Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The Johnson design, Bank of Brexitlies, which was based on a £10 note, carries the slogan: “I promise not to pay the NHS the sum of £350m pounds”, while the “£50 guinea” Rees-Mogg “Imperial Bank of Brexit” version declares: “I promise to pay myself more than you”, and carries the fake motto: “Arrogantus Toffo Posterium”.
The museum’s curator of modern money Tom Hockenhull commented that the notes belonged in its collection because: “We capture history. We collect things because they represent economic, social and political history, and so we want these in the collection.
“There’s a long tradition of making parody bank notes for the purposes of spreading a political message or advertising a particular viewpoint, and these fit into that genre.”
An article in The Guardian tells us about “the Greta Thungberg effect”…a boom in books aimed at empowering young people to save the planet, inspired by the 16-year-old climate emergency campaigner.
According to data from Nielsen Book Research, the number of new children’s books looking at the climate crisis, global heating and the natural world has more than doubled over the past 12 months, and sales have also doubled.
Rachel Kellehar from children’s publishing company Nosy Crow, said: “She has galvanised the appetite of young people for change, and that has galvanised our appetite, as publishers, for stories that empower our readers to make those changes.”
Worrying news for British taste buds…. cauliflowers, sprouts and cabbages could be in short supply due to flooding in the UK and a heatwave in parts of Europe.
The Independent says that Britain’s crop supplies were damaged in June after the month saw a record amount of rain and flooding in Lincolnshire.
“This resulted in flooded and damaged crops which has led to a shortening of supply,” said a spokesperson for the British Grower’s Association.
“These extreme variations don’t make for ideal growing conditions. There is only so much technology that can be applied to producing food and the weather will always have the upper hand.
“No amount of planning or programming can account for the conditions we have seen over the past couple of seasons.”
Examine your change, the next time you visit the UK for you may end up with one of the new 50p coins featuring Paddington Bear,
The BBC reports that two new coins – featuring the fictional bear at the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral – have been released by The Royal Mint.
The first Paddington book was published in October 1958 and the series following his adventures have become classics of children’s literature
Nicola Howell, director of consumer coins at The Royal Mint, said: “Paddington Bear is a massive part of British popular culture and is a favourite amongst fans of all ages, who we’re sure will be looking out for him in their change.”
Good news for tree lovers….and environmentalists: an article in The Independent reports that 11 million new trees are to be planted in England by 2030.
The paper says that water companies have announced plans to help the industry’s effort to become carbon neutral. They will be planting trees on around 15,000 acres of land across England, as well as supporting work to restore original woodland and improving habitats that store carbon.
Richard Flint, chief executive of Yorkshire Water, which is helping to co-ordinate the project, said: “As an industry, the water sector is committed to fighting climate change through becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. “Our ambitious pledge announced today will go a long way to meeting that target, and will also deliver greater biodiversity, improved water quality and better flood protection.“
Reference list
- The Guardian
- The BBC
- The Independent