This week's UK news: 11 November 2011
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11 November 2011


Manchester manager celebrates 25 years in the job

Sir Alex Ferguson is probably one of the most famous football managers in the world. This is partly because that he has survived for so long in his job. "Football manager syndrome" is an English phrase to describe jobs where people are fired or move on very quickly.
Sir Alex is also famous for his success. He is the most successful manager in British football history, winning more than 30 UK and  European trophies with Man U.
And finally, he is famous for his temper. He is famous for giving players the "hairdryer" treatment. This means shouting at them very loudly.

Death of a DJ

Jimmy Savile was a very unusual celebrity. He was a well-known radio disc-jockey who also presented a TV music show called Top Of The Pops for many years.
He also presented a children's programme called Jim'll Fix It, where he arranged for children to do the things they really wanted to do. In his spare time he did lots of work for charity and acted as an unpaid hospital porter.
He was also well-known because of the way he looked. He had shoulder-length hair, coloured glasses, wore brightly coloured tracksuits and lots of big gold jewellery. He also smoked large cigars.
All of this made him a much-loved public figure so when he died this week his funeral arrangements were a news story. His gold coffin was on show near his home and 5,000 people came to pay their last respect. And he was buried at a 45 degree angle "so that he could see the sea".

Leonardo da Vinci

Crowds of art-lovers are planning to visit the National Gallery between now and February. The gallery is hosting a very special exhibition of paintings and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, and the show has already sold out until mid-December.
It has taken five years to persuade galleries in other countries to lend nine Leonardo paintings to London for the exhibition. Seven of the paintings have never been seen in the UK before.
Organisers say it is "the most complete display of Leonardo's rare surviving paintings" ever brought together in one place.

Footballers allowed to wear poppies

It is Remembrance Day in the UK this weekend, when there is a silence to remember people who died in war, and poppies are worn.
England, Scotland and Wales are all playing international football matches during the weekend and wanted the players to wear the remembrance poppies. Football's governing body FIFA originally refused, as part of its ban on political, religious or commercial messages on players' shirts.
The British Prime Minister and Prince William both asked FIFA to change its mind. Now it has been agreed that the players can wear black armbands with poppies on during their matches.

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