Who Murdered Chaucer? is a meaty hugely enjoyable read Arundel and Henry IV had far more threatening fish than Chaucer to fry, and Henry was an old friend. The first Lancastrian king was concentrating on appeasement, trying to unite his realm against triple-pronged attack: invading Scots, the rebellious Welsh, and threats of French landings.It is not particularly odd for a medieval will or funeral details not to survive, nor is sudden death necessarily murder. And if Arundel had wanted to get rid of Chaucer as a closet Lollard or Ricardian, he would have murdered him with full judicial honours: burnt as a heretic, or executed as a traitor.Who Murdered Chaucer? is a meaty, hugely enjoyable read. It will infuriate some experts, but will make many more chuckle appreciatively. Let's hope that it will stimulate many readers to revisit Chaucer's writings, read about the background, and make up their own minds.. Around £7m is the estimated cost of policing and security
¿ Around £7m is the estimated cost of policing and security
¿ The visit has been planned for 18 months. It is 85 years since the last State visit of a US president; Woodrow Wilson in 1918¿ Up to 100,000 demonstrators will line the streets of central London for the demonstration on Thursday¿ A total of 14,000 Metropolitan Police officers - including several hundred armed officers - will be on duty in London over the four days, plus 1,300 in the North-east for the visit to Sedgefield¿ Also present will be dozens of sniffer dogs and electronic detection devices for bombs and other weapons¿ At least one Metropolitan Police helicopter will be watching from the sky at any one time. Several police launches will patrol the Thames¿ There will be unknown numbers of SAS soldiers and MI5 and MI6 officials on standby should any incident occur¿ An estimated 250 United States Secret Service agents will arrive to protect the president¿ Two armoured presidential limousines, one presidential aircraft and one presidential helicopter will take the president around. They have perfected the art of juggling their roles as mothers, social campaigners and influential wives to powerful political leaders. Despite their different backgrounds, they share common ground on an array of subjects, from the Taliban's treatment of women to the drunken mishaps of their teenage offspring.And so it should come as little surprise that the First Lady and the Prime Minister's wife will spend a day together while their husbands talk business. On Thursday, Mrs Bush and Mrs Blair will visit a school to watch a performance of Shakespeare. Thiswill be followed by a lunch at Downing Street - minus their partners - prepared by Nigella "Domestic Goddess" Lawson.Mrs Bush and Mrs Blair are believed to have forged a strong friendship during one of their husbands' weekend summits in Texas last year.
They then met on a number of occasions, with and without their partners.Mrs Bush, a former teacher, is renowned for her homely Southern style, understated confidence and her dedication to the privacy of family life. However, the most defining feature of her role as the First Lady is the influence she wields over her husband, whom she married just three months after meeting him. He converted to her Methodist faith on the day their children were baptised in 1982. She is also thought to have prompted him to give up drinking soon after his 40th birthday in order to help him find greater direction in his life. Today, she can occasionally be heard whispering the calming words "Rein it in Bubba" when the President reverts to his trademark Wild West rhetoric - which his wife is believed to have helped him tone down.Mrs Bush and Mrs Blair have frequently joined forces on issues that lie close to their hearts including a fund-raiserin Dallas last year in aid of breast cancer research. Mrs Blair lost an aunt and a best friend to the disease while Mrs Bush's mother was also a victim. Mrs Blair was a guest of honour at one of the key dates in the Washington social calendar in May - the annual First Ladies' Lunch.Thursdaywill provide Mrs Blair with a chance to repay the kindness of her US hostess during her UK trip.. Charles Kennedy said yesterday he will tell President George Bush that "millions of people" opposed the war on Iraq and are concerned by the "tragic consequences which have followed". But he urged protesters to express their views peacefully and said: "There is absolutely no justification for violence in these protests, but peaceful demonstration is a democratic right in our country and must be allowed."The Lib Dems' leader is planning to raise the issue of British citizens who are being held in Guantanamo Bay by the American military, where they have been blindfolded, chained and kept in "cages".He has expressed concern in the past about the conditions combatants in Afghanistan are being held in. The Chancellor today sought to strengthen trade links between Britain and the Unnited States and head off a potentially damaging trade war. Gordon Brown said both countries believed in free and fair trade and pledged to work with President George Bush's administration to improve trade as well as tackle terrorism.Mr Brown travelled to the CBI's national conference in Birmingham with his US counterpart John Snow. He will also meet relatives of British victims of the attacks on 11 September as well as servicemen who fought in Iraq.. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Trotter, who is in charge of policing the demonstrations, said the decision to increase the number of officers on duty to 14,000 had been taken primarily because of security concerns. At first the police had wanted to use an ancient law to forbid marchers going past Parliament. Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour MP who took part in the negotiations, said: "The march is going to be huge, very well stewarded and very well ordered."Sir John Stevens, the Commissioner of the Met, has promised not to shield President Bush from"embarrassing" demonstrations. |
 |
 |
