What Was New: March 2005

5 March

The Little British Post Office with a big secret!

Between 1939 and 1945 a group of magicians were working in total secrecy deep in rural Buckinghamshire. But these were mathematical magicians tasked with cracking the most complex codes ever devised. Their objective: an early end to World War Two.
The Magic Enigma

11 March

Photo of the Week

To celebrate British Expat's new look, we've launched a new feature - Photo of the Week. See our first here, and find out how you can contribute!
Photo of the Week - 11 March

Sanctuary of Truth

"Rising dramatically above the seafront on Rachvate Cape just north of Pattaya, the Sanctuary of Truth is the world's largest construction of hand-carved wood..." Find out more about this strangely compelling building here:
Sanctuary of Truth

13 March

Passion for football, compassion for others

Football Aid raises money by hosting events at the UK's largest clubs from across Scotland to Southampton, allowing supporters the chance to play an officiated 90-minute game of football, on the hallowed turf of the club they support. The money raised is distributed to many charities, locally, nationally and around the globe.
Football Aid

14 March

Walking Through Time

"By the time I had negotiated the single track road, given way to a few sheep, and reached the small, isolated car park, the haar had become merely a haze. I had arrived at the start of the Yarrows Archaeological Trail... I knew this was going to be three hours or more of rough walking, and the sun was getting warmer by the minute, so I packed some drinks and a sandwich along with the camera." Mike Clark (and his big bouncy dog) explore prehistoric Caithness:
Clark's Caledonia: Yarrows Archaeological Trail

15 March

Trevor and the Teutons

"I've no idea where that case fell down from or how it arrived in the cellar, although some of the bric-à-brac is probably fertile. ...that's how I came across half of a booklet published in 1812: 'Merryweather's Concise Compendium of Wisdom, Idioms and Expressions Collected during Mr Merryweather's Journies Around and Through the.' I'm not sure where Merryweather had been, seeing as the cover was less than well-preserved." Trevor goes rooting through his cellar and unearths some pearls of questionable wisdom...
Merryweather's Original Words of Wisdom

16 March

Moving to Spain

"We've all attended those 'lifestyle' shows at the NEC or Olympia where the prospect of 330 days a year of sun, a milder climate for arthritic bones, a golf course for every day of the week, international quality schooling and a magnificently diversity of influences are dangled carrot-like beneath our noses. Many of us have said, 'Can I have some of that? Yes please...!'" Mark F R Wilkins writes of his experience in setting up home on the Costa del Sol - several times...
Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

17 March

Sue starts blogging!

"We picked up a very groggy and dazed girl on Monday afternoon from the vet. She wasn't very happy about getting into the car, but once inside it she was fine. She already sits and offers her paw, and comes when you call her name or whistle. When she's into chewing my plants a sharp 'Get out of there!' sends her scuttling immediately." Sydney Sue sets the ball rolling on her new blog with the family's newest member - Border collie/cocker spaniel cross Jess.
Sydney Sue's Diary

18 March

And then I came here...

"I'm a pretty confident person. I didn't have a lot of anxiety about packing up my life and going to a place where I knew nobody and just starting up by myself. And then one month into being here, I was robbed at gunpoint and handcuffed to my housekeeper in the toilet." New Yorker and sexologist Maria describes her life and experience in Malawi in three excerpts from the book And Then I Came Here by Lynne Kay.
Maria's story

Photo of the Week

"Before the snow set in, we were getting temperatures down to -15°°C at night. Today is our first warmish day - around +15° in the sun, but air temperature still about 6 degrees." This week's photo comes from Mike Kingdom-Hockings in the chilly Limousin region of France.
Photo of the Week - 18 March

20 March

All about Jess!

"Day three after the adoption and it's raining. Jess was straining her neck to get outside in the back garden, which is her routine after her first walk of the day, and I thought, 'Well, she won't melt, and if she's happy...' What I hadn't bargained for was the way in which she enjoyed herself, and that was to go digging and lathering herself in our red earth. Even Domestos has a fight on to get that stain out." Sue's new dog Jess enjoys the autumn rains...
Sydney Sue's Diary

21 March

Starting in Business?

Starting in business is never something that should be taken on lightly, but if you have the right product or service and the right approach, the rewards can be considerable. Just Tax have prepared a guide to help would-be businesses through the labyrinth of legal and financial requirements.
Starting in Business

23 March

A Taste of Australian Wine

"...In the Barossa they take all those many hours of sunshine and clean air and turn it into wine, all flavour, ripeness and health in a bottle. Many of the wines are made not for deep thinking and considering, but for enjoying. They are fun wines, upfront, tasty and enjoyable, made to be slurped down with good food and good friends." Gavin Trott of the Australian Wine Centre describes the Barossa Valley - heartland of Australia's wine production.
The Barossa Valley

24 March

Clark In The Park

"For a change, I'm not going to bore you with words. ...Well, perhaps just a few. Irrespective of hemisphere, you can clone your favourite plant with softwood cuttings. I say irrespective of hemisphere, because although I am conditioned to taking softwood cuttings from June to August, the name of the month is actually irrelevant." Clark In The Park goes all pictorial as Mike brings us a photo guide to taking softwood cuttings.
Cutting Edge Technology

25 March

Anyone need help?

"If anyone needs help in their garden with digging some holes, moving plants from one area to another (not quite intact, but they'll still grow once they get over the shock, I'm sure) or maybe you have a ton of woodchips that need shifting, or small trees that need a prune? Well if so, just shout me... I know of just the dawg that's experienced and can do all those jobs in seconds flat."
Sydney Sue's Diary

Photo of the Week

"This year is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Not many people know that, but the British Tourist Authority is trying to spread the word. This is SeaBritain 2005. It is a year-long promotion of the UK's maritime heritage, and among its principal sponsors are the Maritime Museum, and BBC History magazine, the latter doing a 'special' this spring." This week's photo of RRS Discovery at Discovery Point in Dundee comes from Mike Clark.
Photo of the Week - 25 March

28 March

Sex in History

"As we human beings have changed and evolved over our thousands of years of recorded history, so have our attitudes and expressions of all things sexual. The only thing that hasn't changed much is society's desire to exercise a certain amount of control over an individual's sexual behaviour." Al Link takes a look at how attitudes towards sex have evolved over the centuries and around the world.
Sex in History

29 March

Do you drive a company car?

If you're unlucky enough to have to fill in a UK income tax return, but lucky enough to have a company car, you may be wondering what you're liable to pay and what relief is available. Worry no more - here's a handy guide from Just Tax, updated to take account of the changes in the Budget announced on 16 March 2005.
Tax: Company Cars

30 March

Hauled by Horse!

"Mention the seaside town of Victor Harbor to any Australian or overseas visitor who has had the pleasure of visiting Adelaide, and their eyes will immediately glaze over with happy memories of riding the Victor Harbor horse-drawn tram across the wooden causeway which links the Victor Harbor township to Granite Island." Mojan in Adelaide takes a ride on a well-loved and unique form of transport...
Victor Harbor Horse-Drawn Tram

31 March

A busy week

"We spent four happy days with Amy and family, went to two parties and ate far too much, went to the cinema, and watched a couple of DVDs. Just what the doctor ordered!"
Sydney Sue's Diary