This week's UK news: 11 May 2012
j0314269
11 May 2012


Britain's largest sculpture officially opened

The Olympic Orbit tower is part sculpture, part sightseeing platform. It is a looping red tower which looms over the Olympic stadium in London, designed by sculptor Anish Kapoor.
The ArcelorMittal Orbit cost GBP 22.7 million to build and is 376ft (114.5 metres) high. Visitors will be able to go up its 35 storeys in a lift, and can walk back down the spiral staircase. The structure incorporates the five Olympic rings, and will be open to visitors from the end of July. Critics of the tower have described it as looking like the "Eiffel Tower after a nuclear attack". Sculptor Anish Kapoor said he was glad it was controversial.


Prince Charles reads the weather

Film of Prince Charles presenting a weather report on British public service TV has been seen throughout the world.
Social media websites and newspapers got the news to countries including Japan, Chile, Australia and America. The British newspapers were full of puns (word jokes) including renaming the Prince of Wales the Prince of Gales.
The Prince and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, were visiting the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation in Scotland earlier this week and they were asked if they would like to try reading a weather report. The Prince was then given a specially-written script which include references to his family's palaces in Scotland.
To see the royal weather report, click here.

Fastest bike made in kitchen

A former world champion cyclist has created a bike he hopes will reach 100 miles per hour.
Graeme Obree is going to use the bike to try and beat the land speed record for pedal power in September in the US. He is building the bike in his kitchen, which is also his workshop.
Mr Obree, who lives in Scotland, designed the bike on a bit of paper and has used an old saucepan and bits of old bicycle to create his machine. It is very unusual because he rides it by lying on his front, with pedals above the back wheel. Mr Obree has already revolutionised cycling twice with his record-breaking bikes.

FA Cup Final results

Chelsea, which have won the UK Cup Final four times since 2007, took the trophy home again this year after beating Liverpool.
It was the fourth time Ashley Cole had won the cup, Didier Drogba's fourth FA Cup Final goal, and the fourth time the team's captain John Terry raised the cup at the end of the game.



previous entry << >> next entry