Category Archives: The UK

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Feeling the heat in the City

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Who would want to saunter along hot pavements, in heavy feathers? Not these birds. These are City pigeons – they make plans, and they know places.

This last, humid week I came across two pigeon pool parties. The group photographed above were enjoying the relative cool of Postman’s Park, while just across the road, there was a more lofty party in the top tier of the fountain in the courtyard of St Bartholomew’s Hospital. There was much splashing and shaking of tail feathers.

I hope they enjoyed themselves, because there are peregrine falcons about, some thirty pairs of them in London. The closest pair to these pigeons was probably the pair who enjoy the view from the Tate Modern. If either of those deadly birds was in the skies above, I think it could have taken its pick from this party. The pigeons would not have stood a chance, not against a bolt from the blue with a diving speed of around two hundred miles per hour … way too fast for even the most athletic of these splashers to have grabbed their towels and flapped for cover.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023

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Dyslexia – finding a way through ‘word blindness’

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This large image is one of the collection displayed in the courtyard of St Bartholomew’s Hospital (Barts) in London. The hospital is celebrating its 900th year of service, and showcasing various moments from its history.

I never knew that Barts had any connection with dyslexia, and I had never heard of Maisie Holt, a phsycologist and neurologist, born on the Isle of Man in 1900 and educated in Cambridge and in London. It was she who apparently came up with the first effective treatment for what was then known as ‘word blindness’. Part of her treatment involved the children posting simple words through the door of the little house, then collecting them and reading them back. As they got the measure of the words their confidence began to return.

Maisie Holt died in 2003 on the Isle of Wight after a life working in education, pyschology and the arts. I also read that she helped in the selection of bomber and fighter pilots for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.

Here is a link to her obituary on the Wootton Bridge Historical site. She sounds like quite a woman.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023

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Coram Beanstalk turns 50

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Today Coram Beanstalk had a gathering on its London campus to celebrate its 50th birthday with its reading volunteers. Some of the volunteers joined online, and those that were close enough came through the door to listen to the talks, and to discuss the best ways to help young readers.

The big messages of the day were a ‘thank you’ to the volunteers from the staff at Coram, alongside some powerful talks from headteachers about the positive impact of the programme, which they said did so much to build up the confidence of the children, alongside a love of reading.

At the end of it all the High Sheriff of Greater London – probably melting in her official coat and hat, and looking wonderful enough to have stepped out of one of the books on display – handed out certificates to the longest serving volunteers, some of whom had volunteered for over fifteen years. Then came cake cutting and a final message – Coram Beanstalk are looking for more volunteers. The charity provides training, and books to begin, and is always there to offer on-going support.

Perhaps, if you’re interested and have a few hours a week to give to a local primary school in England, you might like to look them up online and take it from there.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023