Christine Lovatt’s Hello Column
Christine’s Hello column appears monthly in Lovatts BIG Crossword magazine
Across Time: The History of Crosswords
Did you know that it’s been over one hundred years since the first crossword was created? Arthur Wynne, a Liverpudlian working in New York, was playing around with a puzzle for the Sunday edition of the New York World. He came up with a diamond-shaped puzzle with clues and squares in which to fill [more…]
Beyond Measure: Yoga & You
Hello!
In all traditional measuring systems, humans used their bodies as measuring standards, which is why some units are still based on the dimensions of the human body.
The inch represents the width of a thumb, which is why, in many languages, the same word is used for both ‘inch’ and ‘thumb’. In Dutch, duim means [more…]
Get To Know Greek Letters
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The Greek alphabet was first used in the 8th century BC and is still used today. It has a set of 24 letters which you might see as mathematical symbols or the names of stars.
Our own alphabet is named after the first two Greek letters, Alpha and Beta, and you may have noticed that [more…]
Learn about the phrase ‘How’s your father?’
The history of some of our colloquial or idiomatic phrases is often the subject of debate, as is the case with the expression ‘How’s your father?’ To a non-British person, it might sound like an innocent enquiry after the health of a parent, but there’s much more to it.
Music hall comedian Harry Tate used [more…]
Solve Cryptic Clues Like a Sleuth
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What is it about cryptic clues that makes them so addictive? We humans are programmed to relish a challenge, whether physical or mental, stretching our muscles or our thinking powers.
And what better mind challenge than solving a cryptic crossword? Like a whodunnit detective novel, the details are there but they need to be unravelled. [more…]
Mother’s Day in Australia
Hello!
In Australia, Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday in May. Families often come together for special meals, whether it’s a hearty brunch, a picnic in the park, or a relaxed barbecue in the backyard. Many Australians also take the opportunity to pamper their mothers with thoughtful gifts, such as flowers, chocolates, or handmade [more…]
Explore the World of Roses
To put the roses in somebody’s cheeks is to make a person look healthy. To wear rose-coloured glasses is to think something is more pleasant than it really is, while to gather life’s roses is to savour the pleasures in life. If something is not a bed of roses there are struggles to withstand, [more…]
Discover the Dynamic Trio: Guinevere, Arthur, & Lancelot
There are many differing versions of the legend of Guinevere, but most agree that she was the wife of the Celtic King Arthur, who fought against the Saxon invaders of Britain in the 6th century. However, Guinevere fell in love with King Arthur’s chief knight Sir Lancelot, and they had a passionate affair that [more…]
World poetry day
Poetry is often described as the universal language for the way it transcends social, cultural, and linguistic barriers. Whether it’s a formal form like a sonnet, or haiku, or more fluid like free verse or spoken word, poetry captures the essence of human existence and connects people from diverse backgrounds, fostering empathy and understanding. [more…]