Portal:England/Selected article/Archives

The following are archives of articles which have displayed on the selected article section of Portal:England. Although the Portal was started several years back, regular updates only started in November 2007, so links here will contain archives, as well as future update links.

2008

May

St. Mary Redcliffe from the north west

Bristol, the largest city in South West England, has an eclectic combination of architectural styles, ranging from the medieval to 20th century brutalism and beyond. During the mid-19th century, Bristol Byzantine, an architectural style unique to the city was developed, of which several examples have survived.

Buildings from most of the architectural periods of the United Kingdom can be seen throughout Bristol. Parts of the fortified city and castle date back to the medieval era, as do some churches dating from the 12th century onwards. Outside the historical city centre there are several large Tudor mansions built for wealthy merchants. Almshouses and public houses of the same period survive, intermingled with areas of more recent development. Several Georgian-era squares were laid out for the enjoyment of the middle class. As the city grew, it merged with its surrounding villages, each with its own character and centre, often clustered around a parish church.

April

'The Valley,' in 2007.

Charlton Athletic Football Club (also known as The Addicks) is a professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. Charlton was founded on June 9, 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area, including both East Street Mission and Blundell Mission, combined to form Charlton Athletic Football Club.

The club is based at The Valley, where it has played at since 1919, apart from one year in Catford, during 1923–24, and seven years at Crystal Palace and West Ham United between 1985 and 1992. Charlton turned professional in 1920 and first entered the Football League in 1921. Since then, it has had four separate periods in the top flight of English football; between 1936 and 1957; 1986 and 1990; 1998 and 1999, and 2000 to 2007. Historically, Charlton's most successful period was the 1930s, when the club's highest league finishes were recorded, and the 1940s, when the club reached the FA Cup final twice, winning in 1947.

March

The Birmingham city skyline.

Birmingham is a metropolitan borough and city located in the West Midlands, England. Birmingham is often considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom, and is the largest of England's core cities. The city has an estimated population of 1,006,500 in 2006. During the period of the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham was known as "the workshop of the world" by many, or an alternative name of "the city of a thousand trades". The importance of Birmingham in industrial terms has largely decreased over the years, however, the city is still officially the third best place in the United Kingdom to operate a business and, the 21st best in Europe.

The early history of Birmingham began in the 6th century as an Anglo-Saxon hamlet on the banks of the River Rea. Birmingham was first recorded in written supplements of the Domesday Book of 1086. During the 17th Century, Birmingham had transformed from a small village into a market town, now playing a significant role in manufacturing small arms, mostly concentrated in an area of Birmingham called the "Gun Quarter".

Birmingham is located directly west of central England, lying on higher ground — at least 150 metres above sea level. The climate of Birmingham varies, there have a small number of recorded tornadoes. Temperatures in Birmingham are that of variation, with temperatures reaching just above freezing in the winter months, and 20^oC in the summer months.

February

Victoria of the United Kingdom (born 25 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland between 20 June 1837 and 1 May 1876. Victoria was commonly referred to as Queen Victoria, a more informal name. Victoria was granddaughter of George III, a former king of Great Britain and mother of King Edward VII.

Victoria was born to Prince Edward Augustus and Princess Victoria, the couple's only child. At this time, she was fifth in line for the British crown. Baptised as Alexandrina Victoria, she was called Drina by members of her family; the reason for this name is unknown. She was formally recognised as Queen Victoria.

At sixteen years old, Victoria met her cousin Prince Albert, and they married on 10 February 1840 at Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. Lord Melbourne became a political advisor, and prominent figure in the first half of her life. During her life, the Queen had been the target of four assassination attempts, all of which failed; however the first attempt appeared to have little effect on her health, or pregnancy. Victoria died of a cerebral haemorrhage at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, while attempting to maintain a tradition of her late husband. She was buried in a white gown next to Albert in Windsor Great Park, London.

January

The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. It is published Monday to Saturday in the Berliner format. Until 1959 it was called The Manchester Guardian, which reflected its origins; the paper is rarely still referred to by this name – except in North America, where the old name is sometimes used (to distinguish it from other newspapers with similar names). The newspaper's main offices and printing centres are located in London and Manchester.

The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers. It contains articles from The Guardian and its Sunday paper, The Observer, as well as reports, features and book reviews from The Washington Post and articles translated from France's Le Monde.

2007

December

The Flag of Cornwall.

Cornwall (IPA: /ˈkɔːnˌwɒl/; Cornish: Kernow) is a county in south-west England, located directly west of the River Tamar. Cornwall is a densely populated area, with an estimated population of 536,000 people living there in 2006. Cornwall is the homeland of Cornish people, and is noted for its large amount of moorland landscapes, however Cornwall is one of the poorest areas of the United Kingdom, with the lowest per capita contribution to the economy.

The history of Cornwall begins with the reoccupation of Britain after the most recent ice age. The pre-Roman inhabitants included speakers of a Celtic language that would develop into Brythonic and Cornish. After a short period of Roman rule, Cornwall reverted to independent Celtic chieftains, as it had done previously.

Politics in Cornwall are similar to that of Wales, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party are the main contenders for Cornwalls political office. The Liberal Democrats hold them majority of seats in the County council. The flag of Cornwall is based on Saint Piran's, with the colours believed to have been adopted by the colour of white tin and black ash from coal from the times of mining in Cornwall.