This week's UK news: 12 July 2013
j0314269
12 July 2013


Man wins Wimbledon

There has been a lot of fuss about Andy Murray winning the Wimbledon men's tennis championship at the weekend. Newspapers, radio and TV all shouted that he was the first British winner for 77 years.

The problem is that he wasn't. Virginia Wade won the women's championship in 1977, a mere 36 years ago. Lots of people were so cross about this that they took to Twitter, using the hashtag #everydaysexism. (Sexism means treating somebody differently because of their sex)

Despite all this, lots of people were very pleased that Murray won, beating Novak Djokovich in three straight sets. Interviewed after the match on Centre Court, Murray admitted he couldn't remember some of the end of the game, because it had been very intense and exhausting.


Another argument about sexism

There is a big campaign going on in England about our bank notes. This is because each of the notes has the Queen on one side and a portrait of a famous figure on the other.

Our £5 note is the only one with a picture of a woman on it: Elizabeth Fry, who worked to improve conditions in prison. In April, it was announced that Fry was to be replaced by wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill on the notes -- which would mean no women at all.

A campaign was started by a woman called Caroline Criado-Perez, to get women back on banknotes. The former Governor of the Bank of England did not respond, but the new Governor said on his first day in office last week that he would review the decision for a single-sex currency.


Married men's hiding places

In the UK we joke about men spending time in their sheds. These are little wooden huts in the garden, where people keep tools and garden equipment. A new survey has suggested that men spend up to 24 days a year doing things in their sheds, garages and studios. Married men spent an average of around 7.5 hours in one of these private spaces.

The men told the researchers they believed their relationship with their wife benefited from spending time alone.


Record year for music sales

The UK's record charts company has said 2013 will be the biggest year for sales of singles (single songs rather than albums) since the charts began more than 50 years ago.

Singles sales have risen every year for the last five years, with download numbers up 2.5 per cent on the same point last year. Total sales of singles is more than 188.6 million, almost all sold as downloads.

The top single this year is Get Lucky by Daft Punk, which has sold more than a million copies since it was released in April. I

 

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