Found 11 resource(s) in 'Looking at your Community', for December 2024.
Looking at Community (all articles) for December 2024
All in the month of December Remembering the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 Dwight L Moody – extraordinary evangelist and peace-maker The “cheek and chic, pose and poise” of Noel Coward Sol Invictus, Emperors and how Christmas began Hedgehog extinction fears grow as population plummets The growing menace of shop-lifting Christmas near YOU Christmas Quiz... (3474 words)All in the month of December
It was: 1750 years ago, on 25 Dec 274 that the Roman Emperor Aurelian founded the cult of Sol Invictus as an official religion. He erected a temple and declared 25th December a national holiday, to be known as the Feast of the Unconquered Sun. In 336, after the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, 25th... (634 words)Remembering the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004
Twenty years ago, on 26th December 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (also called the Boxing Day Tsunami) took place. A massive undersea earthquake near Sumatra caused a devastating tsunami that swamped coastal areas in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and East Africa. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history,... (278 words)Dwight L Moody – extraordinary evangelist and peace-maker
It was 125 years ago, on 22nd December 1899, that Dwight L Moody, the famous American evangelist, died. Moody was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1837 and raised in the Unitarian Church. But his father died when he was four, and he had a hard upbringing as one of nine children. At 17 he moved... (296 words)The “cheek and chic, pose and poise” of Noel Coward
Just 125 years ago, on 16th December 1899, Noël Coward, British playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, was born. His plays include Hay Fever, Private Lives and Blithe Spirit. Coward was a supremely talented individual, starting as a child dancer who made his professional debut at the age of 11 and progressing to become a... (279 words)Sol Invictus, Emperors and how Christmas began
It was 1,750 years ago, on 25th December 274, that the Roman Emperor Aurelian founded and launched the cult of Sol Invictus as an official religion. He erected a temple and declared 25th December a national holiday, to be known as the Feast of the Unconquered Sun. In 336, after the conversion of the emperor... (280 words)Hedgehog extinction fears grow as population plummets
The status of hedgehogs in western Europe has recently been downgraded to “near threatened”, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. If European numbers decline any farther, hedgehogs will be listed as being at risk of extinction. Numbers have shrunk in more than half the countries where hedgehogs live –... (160 words)Teachers struggle with ill health
As you prepare for Christmas this year, spare a thought – and a prayer – for our teachers. Their job is even more demanding at this time of year, as school Christmas activities are added to an already over-crowded school curriculum. Also, recent figures from the Department for Education show that, for whatever reason, our... (116 words)The growing menace of shop-lifting
Christmas shopping this year will be done by two sorts of shopper: those who intend to pay – and those who don’t. And the ‘those who don’t’ category is now so huge that stores across the country have been reporting on average two thefts each and every minute. According to the Office for National Statistics... (148 words)Christmas near YOU
If you ring your local Town Council or Library, they should be able to point in the direction of where to find the details…. You might look for events such as: Cathedral (or local large church) Christmas concerts Craft fayres Present wrapping Carol singing in your community Local charity initiatives that could use help Singing... (66 words)Christmas Quiz 2024
This year was a Leap Year. Were 1900 and 2000 Leap Years? What is Whamaggedon? Alan Bates hit the headlines in January? He shares his name with a famous actor but why is he well known? HRH Duke of Edinburgh met a special resident at S Helena in January who had also met his grandparents.... (888 words)
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