‘Summer fêtes’ are traditional events in England.  They include a variety of fun packed games & activities like coconut shys and lucky dips.  They are typically organised by a committee of volunteers from village halls through to  the Scouts.

Zimbabwe Rural School Development Programme (ZRSDP) organizes this year a ‘End of the Summer Village Fête’.  Experience this fun event and do a good deed by helping this organisation raise money for completing a classroom block in Kempondo.

For more information about this charity go to ZRSDP

More information about this event:

When: Wednesday 19 September 2007

Where: ‘Doggetts Coat and Badge’, SE1 9UD London (Southside Blackfriars Bridge)

Nearest Tube Station: Blackfriars Bridge

Time: 18:30 onwards

Price: £5 per person (Profit goes to ZRSDP Charity)

Highlights Include:   - Coconut Shy
- Bat the rat
- Hole in one
- Guess how many sweets in the jar?
- Apple Bobbing
- Jacob’s Crackers
- Prize Draw

If you are interested in coming to this event and supporting this worthy cause please contact James:

By email: info@answerenglish.com
By phone: 020 7402 8651

Catherine Tate does French. Enjoy!

Answer English has been featured in the latest edition of Helens e-zine. Anna Maria Espsater, a London based journalist who writes regular features for the capital’s press, interviewed me on all things languages.

‘Breaking Barriers

Helping newcomers improve their English is what James Herbertson does best. The founder of language learning network Answer English spoke to Anna Maria Espsater about his passion
for helping new arrivals feel at home.

Growing up on the outskirts of London, James Herbertson developed a love for the city very early on, but the real inspiration behind his company Answer English, and learning languages in general, stems from the four months he spent in Spain when he was 19.

I had the best time of my life, a brilliant experience,” he enthuses, “and made many international friends who shared an interest in learning languages.”….’

To read a full copy copy of this article go to Breaking Barriers

Greyhound Racing is one of the most popular pursuits in England and a great night out. We are off to the Dogs next Tuesday 31 July and want you to come and join us.

If you would like to join us the details are as follows:

Where: Walthamstow Dogs

Meet: Walthamstow Central Underground (Victoria Line)

When: Tuesday 31 July at 19:00

Tickets: £8 including admission, two free drinks, race card and two £1 bets

To reserve a place, please contact James: info@answerenglish.com or call us on 020 7402 8651

Poster: Dog Racing 31 July

On Thursday 26 July, we are taking students on a Walking Tour around London: “Parliament and Power”. The idea is to showcase London and its fascinating culture and history to students studying in the capital. These tours have proved very popular in the past and sociable too - as we drop everyone off for a drink at an English pub afterwards.

Details:

When: Thursday 26 July

Time: 17:30

Meet: Outside Starbucks on Villiers Street by Embankment Underground station

Underground: Embankment

Tickets: £6 to reserve yours please contact James: info@answerenglish.com or call 020 7402 8651.

Poster: Discover London Walking Tour 26 July Poster

Attention all Spanish speakers! If you are a Hispano hablante learning English or an English speaker aprendiendo espanol we have the night for you tomorrow! At the The Exchange in China Town we are hosting our Spanish - English Language Learning Experience. This is a great opportunity for you to meet native speakers to practise your languages with, make friends and have fun.

Details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday 24 July
Time: 7:00 onwards
Location: The Exchange, 32 Gerrard St, Chinatown, London
Nearest Underground: Piccaddilly Circus
Tickets: £5 (includes a FREE glass of wine)

More information: info@answerenglish.com or call 020 7402 8651.

Click here for a poster: Spanish - English Language Night

On the 25th June, Maxwell French, who created our French - English Language Learning Evening suffered a cardiac arrest.  Sadly Max died from a rare heart condition prevalent in young men under the age of 35: Cardiomyopathy.

His funeral is on Tuesday 17 July at 14:30.  The service will take place at St. Andrews in Sheffield: Psalter Lane, Sheffield S11 8YL.

Max was a wonderful person to have around and was a pleasure to work with.  He brought a great sense of humour and love of life.  We will miss him greatly.

Answer English is thinking of you international students this summer! Lots of parties are being organised this month to make sure that you have a good time in the stunning city of London.

Next week’s event on Thursday 19 July is dedicated to music and most especially ‘indie rock’, with the best bands such as Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Gorillaz, Kaiser Chief, Razorlight…and lots more!

If you are keen on this kind of music or if you just want to come along to have fun and socialize with other students, you can join us at the Bar Andalucia, 139 – 143 Whitfield Street (Warren Street tube station) @ 19:00.

The entry is £3 including a Free drink (Beer or glass of house wine). For more information contact James: info@answerenglish.com or call us on 020 7402 8651.

Click here for the Best of British Poster.

See you on Thursday 19th!

‘Kidsalive’ is a worldwide organization founded in 1916. Its aim is to help and care for the children living in sad and devastating conditions. Based in China it’s now spread in many countries of the third world (e.g America Latina, Africa or Asia) and leads many actions of support for the children such as sponsoring a child, building schools…

Indeed, it’s very important to realise that children are the future and that we shouldn’t abandon them. By organising a Charity Walk, our friend Julia Roberts wants to raise money for ‘Kidsalive’ as well as make you have a nice time in London.

The Charity Tour will take place on the 22 July and will start at 12:30 outside the ‘S Bar’ south of Battersea Bridge. It will cover 11 miles and 12 of the most main bridges in London. The ticket is £10 and you receive a t-shirt ‘Kidsalive’ as well as doing a good deed.

If you are interested in rising funds for the organization, please visit the website www.kidsalive.org

If you want to join the tour, please contact Julia Roberts: julhindi@yahoo.co.uk and visit the website www.justgiving.com/juliaroberts for more information on this event.

Elisabeth gives us her take on British Music:

As everyone knows, London has always been a famous capital for finance & business but beside this formal reputation, London is also a hot spot for music of all its kind.  This is certainly why all famous British singers and bands have started their carreer here and why London is now a place of pilgrimage for many generations.

Throughout the last decades, London and British culture has been illustrated through music.
As for example everybody remembers the Beatles crossing Abbey Road on the cover of their eleventh album as well as the famous “London Calling” released by The Clash in 1979 which put forward the punk rock movement along with the controversial “God save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols (1977). This is mythical, THIS is London!

But those days are not gone as each generation has had their fair share of charismatic bands.  In the mid-nineties under the Brit-pop and Cool Brittania revival Oasis had their stunning unforgettable song “Wonderwall” and Blur had London swaggering to the sound of ‘Parklife’.    Indeed this last decade has revealed a new lease of life for music.  A new successful music wave appeared in England in the early XXIst century: indie rock.  Indie is a shorten form for “independent” which characterizes the independence of this music from the commercial & major record labels and its autonomy in recording, publishing and performing. Indie bands of today inlcude Franz Ferdinand, Hard-Fi, Bloc Party… and some more.

If you want to know more about indie rock and remember about the genius bands of the past decades, why don’t you join us for our great “Best of British” Night on Thursday 19 July at Bar Andalucia  in Whitfield Street? You will have the chance to learn more about British music and culture in a fun and entertaining atmosphere.  See on the Thursday 19 July then!