This week's UK news: 10 March 2016
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10 March 2016


Fifth Beatle dies, scientists may be able to stop hair going grey, and the Prince of Wales says we should go on holiday in places which flooded this winter.

Every week, we summarise the UK news to give you some insight into what is happening in Britain, and what people are talking about.

Fifth Beatle dies

George Martin, who had a huge influence on the music of The Beatles, has died at the age of 90.

Sir George was the head of their record label, and produced all their songs. He was a classically-trained musician and created lots of interesting effects as the band started to experiment with their sound. The band had 17 number 1 songs, and he also produced two James Bond themes and the song played at Princess Diana's funeral.

He was often called "the fifth Beatle" and Paul McCartney has said he was a second father.

 

… and the creator of the UK's biggest TV show dies as well

Coronation Street is the UK's longest-running TV show. It is a "soap opera" - a drama shown several times a week about a group of people living in Manchester. It was started by a writer called Tony Warren in 1960, and was originally planned to last for seven episodes.

It is now one of the UK's most-loved TV shows. Mr Warren died this week at the age of 79. He was just 24 when he created Coronation Street and has been called the "father" of the show.

 

No more grey hair?

British scientists have found what causes the hair of people to go grey as they get older - and they think they could create a drug to stop it happening. They have found a gene (part of the blueprint of every person) which causes greying and believe that it would be possible to turn it off so that people keep their hair colour.

 

Visit flooded areas, says the Prince of Wales (They've dried out now)

Prince Charles is asking tourists to visit areas of the UK which were flooded this winter, to help keep local businesses going. The Lake District was badly affected, and so were parts of Yorkshire. 

The Prince says the income from visitors can help businesses to keep going and help the areas which were flooded. English Tourism Week has said that 2016 is the Year of the English Garden, and the Prince of Wales says he is delighted that his own garden at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire will have its own festival as part of that.

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