This week's UK news: 16 April 2015
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17 April 2015


Historic moment of first women's boat race

The rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities on the River Thames is one of the UK's best-known sporting events. This year the women's rowing teams raced on the same part of the river and at the same distance, for the first time.

There were big crowds along the river to see the women's race, which was won by the Oxford team. The race also got a big TV audience. 

There has been a women's Boat Race every year since 1927, but it was not so well-known as the men's race and used a different part of the river. 

The change came this year because the finance company which sponsored the women's race is managed by a woman, who insisted on the change. One of the country's best-known sports presenters, Clare Balding, also helped make the race a big event. She would normally have been doing the TV coverage of a big horse race, The Grand National, but chose instead to cover the women's Boat Race to help publicise it.

Oxford also won the men's race this year. 

 

Royal Princes wanted to eat pizza

A man who used to cook meals for the Royal Family has written a book. Darren McGrady says he used to offer traditional food to Prince William and Harry when they were little boys. They liked to eat roast chicken and cottage pies (minced meat with potato on top).

But the boys did not always want to eat healthy food. Mr McGrady remembers finding a note asking for pizza, which they had written but pretended it was from their "nanny" (someone who looks after children). He said he cooked chicken as the original note had asked, because he was more scared of the nanny than Prince William. 

 

Tennis player gets married

Andy Murray is one of the world's top tennis players and the current Olympic champion. This week he married his girlfriend, Kim Sears, in his home town of Dunblane in Scotland.

The couple celebrated with a party at the hotel owned by Murray, but will not have a honeymoon until later in the year because of the tennis matches he has to play. 

 

Game of Thrones is good for tourism

Game of Thrones is one of the world's most popular TV series. It is a fantasy series, based on the violent struggles for the throne in a fictional kingdom, set hundreds of years ago.

A lot of the TV series is filmed in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, and it is attracting large numbers of tourists to these places. There are also special Game of Thrones tourist events. More than 10,000 people have visited the Game of Thrones Experience in the past six months, going on set, wearing cloaks and firing bows and arrows. There are also tours of the locations, and themed food and drink.

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