DVLA extends time frame to get hire car code following criticism

Posted on August 14, 2015 by ameliajmurray

Amelia Murray, MSE News Reporter
10 JULY 2015

Motorists planning to hire a car in the UK or abroad will now have more time to get a ‘check code’, following criticism that the original 72 hours wasn’t long enough.

MoneySavingExpert.com first warned motorists that the paper counterpart of driving licences would be scrapped in April and replaced with a new online system, affecting those with English, Welsh and Scottish licences, in particular when hiring a car.But as of today, motorists now have 21 days to get a ‘check code’ from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and show it to car hire companies.The move follows feedback that the three day validity period wasn’t long enough, especially for those who need it when travelling.

Dudley Ashford, DVLA drivers’ services manager, says: “Since 8 June the service has been in public beta; This allows us to monitor performance and listen to customer feedback so we can make any improvements for the end user.

“Feedback so far highlights that for some, the 72 validity period is not long enough, particularly those who may need it when travelling. That is why we have extended the validity period to 21 days.

“We will review this in three months once we’ve had sufficient further feedback from users and industry.”

Since the Share Driving Licence online service launched last month, it’s been logged onto 1.4 million times.

Those with driving licences issued by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland are unaffected and still require both the plastic photocard and paper counterpart.

Here’s our Q&A on what you need to know. See our Cheap Car Hire guide for more help cutting £100s off holiday hire and insurance costs.

What’s changed?

What’s changed depends on when you passed your driving test, here’s what you need to know:

I passed my driving test after 1998

Anyone who passed their driving test after 1998 has a photocard driving licence and a paper counterpart. The paper part of the licence shows any points you may have received for breaking the rules – for example, being caught driving faster than the speed limit.

Drivers can check their record on Gov.uk, but as of last month, points are stored online and not added to the paper licence, rendering it useless.

This means if you’re hiring a car or need to provide your employer with evidence of your driving record, you may be asked for a code, which now gives car hire companies or employers up to 21 days to check your history (see below for how to get one).

I passed my driving test before 1998

If you passed your driving test before 1998, you’ll only have a paper driving licence, unless you’ve renewed after this date and now have a photocard licence plus a paper counterpart.

However, if you’re one of 8.7 million drivers who still have a traditional paper driving licence only, don’t throw this away, as it’s different from the photocard paper counterpart and is still valid as your driving licence.

In this scenario, points are also recorded online instead of on paper. This also means if you’re hiring a car or need to provide your employer with evidence of your driving record, you may be asked for a code, which now gives car hire companies or employers up to 21 days to check your history (see below for how to get one).

I’m hiring a car, when do I need to request a code?

Codes are now valid for 21 days, up from the previous three days. This means there’s less panic for those travelling abroad, although you should still plan ahead and request an access code for the company from the DVLA.

Again, you’ll need to be mindful of journey times and time differences if you’re travelling abroad.

How do I request a code?

You can request a code via the new Share Driving Licence online service at Gov.uk, or by calling the DVLA on 0300 083 0013.

You will need to provide your driving licence number found on your photocard (or on your paper driving licence for paper-only motorists), National Insurance number and the postcode on your driving licence.

You will also be able to download a PDF of your licence, which will be worth taking as a precaution, but you will still need a code as well.

DVLA extends time frame to get hire car code following criticism

Supermarkets in the UK should be made to donate leftover food

Posted on August 14, 2015 by ameliajmurray

Amelia Murray
29 May 2015

3156 views

Supermarkets in France have been banned from throwing out food approaching its best-before date, it’s been reported over the last week. But wouldn’t it be great if UK supermarkets were made to do this, too?

The new rules also prevent supermarkets in France from deliberately spoiling products to stop people eating them out of the shop’s bins, while some of the bigger supermarkets must sign a contract with a charity promising to donate unsold and edible products, or to turn unused food into compost or animal feed.

Sandwich chain Pret is already doing its bit in the UK, so why can’t others? As part of its Charity Run scheme, 88% of its shops give unsold food to homeless charities every day. Vans scoot around, dropping off sandwiches and salads at the end of the day, or charities can organise to pick them up.

Pret’s initiative isn’t because of a legal requirement, but maybe it should be. I’m not the only one who thinks so – a petition on campaign site 38 Degrees that is aimed at making the Government do something about food waste already has over 130,000 signatures.

It also calls for a scheme to be set up that invites those who can afford to have their food delivered to donate £2 per delivery so vulnerable people and those in need get sent fresh produce en route, too.

According to social enterprise Food Aware, a massive 18 million tonnes of food is thrown away in the UK each year – around a third from producers/supply chain, a third from retailers and another third from households.

Freeganism

One way people have been making the most of supermarket waste is via ‘freeganism’ or ‘skipping’ – where people eat leftover food that’s been put in bins. But be careful of doing this, as it’s dodgy territory in the UK.

Under the rather bizarre, pre-Victorian 1824 Vagrancy Act, you could be prosecuted. The act deems you a “rogue or vagabond” if you’re found “in or upon any dwelling house, warehouse, coach-house, stable, or outhouse, or in any inclosed yard, garden, or area, for any unlawful purpose”.

So if you’ve clambered over a fence to get into the car park of your local Asda to get your hands on thrown out food, the law could see you as a modern day Dick Turpin.

It was reported last year that three men were arrested for allegedly taking 30 quids’ worth of old tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and Mr Kipling cakes out of Iceland’s bins, although the case was later dropped. Strangely, Iceland said it knew nothing about the incident. You can read about it on the BBC.

But it’s not just supermarkets unnecessarily chucking food

I, for one, can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t have an issue with food waste. As a kid, I was made to clear my plate and told to “think of the starving children in Africa” if I left even a sliver of gristle.

Of course the downside to this method is that it could teach children to carry on eating after they’re full, but I think the point of it is a good lesson to be taught.

You can’t deny it’s pretty terrible that seven million tonnes of food is thrown away each year by UK households, and what makes it worse is that almost half of it is stuff we could’ve eaten, according to charity WRAP.

We’ve all done it. That forgotten bag of potatoes that now looks like something out of Alien, the furry oranges discovered at the back of the fridge, and the sopping sludge that you think was once a bag of salad.

But there are ways to cut down on our food waste; you’ve just got to be mindful.

Here are some of my top tips:

Be special offer savvy. It’s easy to get carried away. Supermarket shelves wear their special offer tags like badges of honour, and we all want in on the action. But while 2for1s and BOGOFs are all well and good, it’s worth having a think about whether you’re actually going to get round to eating that ‘free’ 10kg bag of onions before they go off.
Get clued up on expiry dates. As well as avoiding getting swept up in special offers, it pays to be clued up on expiry and best-before dates. Lots of food thrown away is still fine to eat. ‘Use By’ dates are exactly that – eating food after it’s expired is risky, especially when it comes to perishables like meat and dairy. But ‘Best Before’ is about the quality of food, and it’s usually fine to eat even after this date has passed.We’ve got a handy print out for your fridge to help you remember.
Rotate your fridge contents. Treat your fridge like a supermarket shelf and rotate fresh goods. By putting the new products at the back and moving food you bought a while ago to the front, you’ll avoid ending up with a rotten bag of carrots or a half-eaten pot of yoghurt that looks like it’s come from a swamp.
Cook up a storm and freeze it. If you do end up with bags of veggies that are on the turn, cook them all up together with some herbs and make a huge pot of stew. And don’t worry about eating it all at once – pop the leftovers in Tupperware and freeze them until hunger strikes again.

Originally published here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/team-blog/2015/05/29/supermarkets-in-the-uk-should-be-made-to-donate-leftover-food/

Mastercard vs Visa for using abroad – which wins? (additional reporting credit)

Posted on August 14, 2015 by ameliajmurray

Helen Saxon, Money desk leader
19 MAY 2015

The closer we get to summer, the more people are thinking of holidays. And while it’s much less interesting to think of holiday money than it is to think of sunny climes and getting away from it all, getting it wrong could cost you £100s extra over the course of your trip.

With the launch of our new travel guides last week, some analysis we did got us thinking: we know that specialist overseas credit cards give you the best deal when you’re spending abroad, but are they all the same? Which really is the best card to take on holiday with you?

We noticed in a quick calculation last week that cards branded with the Mastercard logo seemed to have a better exchange rate than those with a Visa logo. But one observation isn’t enough. So, during the week we’ve been working on a more in-depth analysis to find out whether that’s always the case.

What are specialist overseas credit cards?

A bit of background to this first. Debit and credit cards can be used wherever you see the Mastercard or Visa symbol, depending on what your card is branded. But, when you use it overseas, your card issuer has to translate your purchase into pounds sterling – the base currency of your card. There are two factors that have an effect:

The card issuer’s exchange rate. If you look at any credit card, it’ll have a Mastercard or Visa logo. This is the card issuer, and both set their own exchange rates, which is the rate your bank gets when you use a card overseas. You can check Mastercard’s and Visa’s here.
The non-sterling transaction fee. This is set by your card provider. For example, HSBC charges a 2.75% ‘commission’ if you use its standard debit card to spend abroad.

So, when you spend overseas, your bank or credit card provider first uses the wholesale rate set by Mastercard or Visa on the day you make the purchase to make the exchange. Then it adds its commission, typically between 2.5% and 3% (you’ll see the charge broken out on your statement). You may also see other fees for cash withdrawals, and a few even charge a fee for spending.

But this isn’t our focus for this article. Some specialist overseas credit cards, such as our top pick, Halifax Clarity, don’t charge this fee. We know collectively these cards are the best way to spend abroad. But are all these cards equal? Does it matter which one you pick? We wanted to know, and for this, because there are no other fees, it’s a straight Mastercard versus Visa comparison.

Note: we haven’t included American Express in this comparison, as while a quick survey showed its rates are comparable with Mastercard’s and Visa’s, the cards it issues have a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee attached.

Mastercard vs Visa – is one cheaper than the other?

Doing back-of-an-envelope calculations last week, we worked out that spending was cheapest on the specialist overseas credit cards using Mastercard as their issuer, owing to the Mastercard exchange rate being higher that day than Visa’s.

But does Mastercard always offer better rates than Visa? Is this true for the euro and US dollar only (the main currency we use for calculations), or is Mastercard better across the board?

To find out, we took the published exchange rates for Mastercard’s wholesale rate and Visa’s wholesale rate for euros and dollars at two different dates in each month for the last year to give us a decent number of data points to compare…

As you can see, at almost every data point, Mastercard’s rates are either the same as Visa’s or above. There are only a couple of points where the reverse is true. Breaking it down for euros and dollars, we had 48 different data points. Of these:

	Mastercard win	Visa win
Euros	22	2
US dollars	23	1

Most of the time, the differences are small – not something you’d notice when spending $10 a time. But sometimes these differences can be quite large.

For example, in the middle of January 2015, for the euro, there was a variance of €0.04, which is a huge gap for one euro being exchanged. Scale that up and you could have got €132.88 spending £100 worth on a Mastercard, compared with €128.89 on the Visa – a big €4 difference, given the low values involved.

So, Mastercard wins for the main currencies, but what happens when we look at slightly lesser-used currencies?

We looked at two currencies, the Turkish lira and the Brazilian real; and the same holds true. Although we looked at only one data point per month for these currencies, we still see that the majority of the time, Mastercard holds the exchange rate crown.

How much better is the Mastercard rate than the Visa rate?

The charts above show you that Mastercard plastic, barring a few anomalies, gives you a better rate than Visa cards for comparable spending. But, how much better is the Mastercard rate?

We’ve analysed the spread by ‘indexing’ the Mastercard rate for euros over a year (meaning it’s always 100 on this graph) and then allowing the Visa euro exchange rate to vary around it.

It’s close – closer than the graph makes it look, as we’ve given a small variance on the vertical axis to highlight the divergence. But it does show that for the points we picked, Mastercard is the winner for all but two.

On average, from the euro and dollar data sets we looked at, Mastercard’s exchange rates were 0.6% higher than Visa’s. While we haven’t checked every day and every currency, it’s likely that the data we do have shows a pattern that would be replicated.

What does this mean in practice?

In practice, it’s meant that we’ve slightly shuffled around our recommendations of the best cards to take with you to spend abroad, ensuring that we tell you that cards using Mastercard tend to give you ever so slightly more bang for your buck.

If you don’t have a specialist overseas card already, then this reshuffle might mean you pick a Mastercard. However, if you do already have an overseas card and it’s a Visa and you’re happy with it, then it’s probably not worth changing unless you spend a lot overseas each year.

For this research, we’ve pointed out and emphasised the differences between the two rates. But the fact remains that an average 0.6% gap between the two exchange rates will for most, going away only once, generally amount to a euro or a dollar or two difference.

If you do want to get a new card, or change the card that you have, then our top picks – reshuffled in light of this research – can be seen in the Cheap Travel Credit Cards guide. A brief summary is here:

’
	Card issuer	ATM fee	Cash w/d interest (fully repaid)
Halifax Clarity	Mastercard	None	12.9%-21.9%
Aqua Reward	Mastercard	£3 or 3%	39.9%-59.9%
Post Office	Mastercard	£3 or 2.5%	27.9%
Aqua Advance	Mastercard	£3 or 3%	39.9%-59.9%
Saga (1)	Visa	£2 or 2%	None
Nationwide (2)	Visa	£3 or 2.5%	27.9%
Norwich & Peterborough (debit)	Visa	None	None
Santander Zero (3)	Mastercard	None	27.9%
(1) Over 50s only – you may not be accepted if you’ve four or more credit/store cards. (2) For its current account customers only. (3) Not accepting new applications. £10 dormancy fee, never been charged.

Are there any other differences between Mastercard and Visa cards?

In the UK, you won’t really notice any difference. Your card’s issued in pounds and you spend in pounds, so exchange rates don’t affect you. You may find a few retailers accepting one and not the other, but this is the exception rather than the rule in this country.

However, if you use the cards on holiday, you might see more than an exchange rate difference. Both Mastercard and Visa are accepted at more than 36 million retailers worldwide. But it may be that retailers overseas accept one but not the other – it’s unlikely that the cards have exactly the same coverage. Do let us know in the forum if you’ve found countries or cities where you couldn’t use a Mastercard or Visa but the other worked.

Additional reporting by Amelia Jane Murray

Originally published here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2015/05/mastercard-vs-visa-for-using-abroad-which-wins

Called Charlotte? Then you could be in line for a royal discount

Posted on August 14, 2015 by ameliajmurray

Amelia Jane Murray
May 5 2015

12389 views

Whether you were one of the country’s Charlottes who felt weirdly honoured at Kate and William’s choice of baby name, or if you were one of the sourpusses who rolled their eyes, it’s a good time to be you.

You could be in line for a royal discount as many firms are jumping on the bandwagon and dishing out deals to those who share their name with the new princess. Even if you’re not called Charlotte, there might be a way to nab a discount on the back of the sprog who is currently fourth in line to the throne.

Note, there’s no need to go out and spend in the name of royal baby fever, but if you are looking to buy an item then it might be a way to snap up an extra discount – but ALWAYS compare prices before you buy, as even with the discount it might not be the cheapest.

Free entry to Drayton Manor

If you’re looking for a family day out and have a child called Charlotte, you could get some royal treatment. Theme park, resort and zoo, Drayton Manor is offering free entry (normally £36 on the gate) to girls called Charlotte who’re under 12, until Mon 11 May. Bring valid ID to show at the ticket desk when you get there.

Virgin Money £25 to 1,000 young savers called Charlotte or Charlie

Virgin Money is giving away £25 to the first 1,000 under 16s called Charlotte or Charlie who open a new Young Saver Account. The deal was launched on Tuesday and won’t last forever, so go quick if you’re interested.

Accounts can be opened with as little as £1 and an adult will need to be there to open it in a branch. For more details see Virgin’s saving page. This account might not be best for your little one, so check out our Best Children’s Savings rates for more info.

Hailo free £15 credit for all in London

As well as plastering ‘Charlotte’ over loads of its taxis, Hailo the taxi booking app is also offering a free cab ride to customers up to the value of £15 to celebrate the royal birth. You just need to enter the code CHARLOTTE15 into your in-app wallet to qualify.

There are only 250 codes available for Hailo customers, so be quick. The £15 is only available for one ride, and if you go over, your card’ll be charged the difference. The offer’s only available to users in London and expires on Sun 10 May.

Read the full T&Cs.

London Midland 8% off for all – The Kate Escape

If you’re planning a train trip between London and the midlands this month, you could save 8% off your ticket. London Midland’s online discount matches the weight of the royal baby (who came in at 8lbs 3oz, in case you were wondering) and can be applied to a number of advance and off-peak tickets.

To get your 8% off, you need to book your tickets through the dedicated link on The Kate Escape page before Mon 11 May, although you can travel any day in May.
If you’re a railcard holder, you can still get 1/3 off the price of the ticket on top of the discount. Unfortunately, GroupSave can’t be used.

For more information and how to book, see The Kate Escape.

Matalan 10% off babywear for all

If like the royal couple, you’ve recently welcomed a new baby into your family, Matalan* is offering 10% off babywear until Tue 12 May. It’s only available online – just enter the codeCHARLOTTE1 at the checkout.

Marks and Spencer 20% off schoolwear for all

For bigger kids Marks and Spencer* is offering 20% off selected schoolwear, including some of its Stormwear range. See M&S Deals for full details.

Originally published here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/deals-hunter/author/ameliamurray/

The Go! Team, Village Underground

Posted on August 14, 2015 by ameliajmurray

There was a ripeness to the Village Underground on Wednesday night as the crowd held beers in sticky hands, gulping hurriedly. Yeah, the venue was hot but thankfully there was enough room in the sold-out venue between eager punters to air armpits and dry foreheads.

There wasn’t too long to wait and the crowd were kept occupied by the brightly coloured projection of what looked like washing-up liquid interacting with leftover grease in the sink. But more romantic.

But no sooner had I been sucked into the swirling, psychedlic grease, The Go! Team burst onstage in a rush of sequins and stripes, kicking off with the oldie yet goodie, The Power is On. It was a rousing start, with its rhythmic semi-shouted vocals and blasting riffs.

We all felt like WE GOT THE POWER!

Juxtaposing beautifully, the band followed up with the titular track from their new album, The Scene Inbetween, a gloriously melodic track with main-man, Ian (who wrote and produced The Go! Team’s latest stuff himself) pogo-ing at the back of the stage.

The set switched between the fierce soundclash tracks fronted by the never-tiring Ninja, and the lighter stuff sung by Kaori Tsuchida that went down as sweetly as a strawberry sundae in the summer of ‘79 as Tsuchida shimmered and swayed like a carefree Powerpuff girl.

The dynamic between the band was as strong as ever as each member slipped around the stage, swapping instruments along the way and picking up new ones as they went.

While the whole set was as exciting and delicious as popping candy snuck into a creme brulee, there were some especially stand out tracks. The new garagey, hip-hop track She’s Got Guns was mega-bold and reminiscent of early Gorillaz, and was ace to be part of the audience during the feel-good Get It Together, where we all sang along to the recorder instrumental.

Multiple albums in, The Go! Team show no sign of slowing down and are still as exciting to watch as they ever were. While the new album claims to be all about the melody this time round, the rhythm and energy still shine through.

I’d bloody love to be on The Go! Team – reckon it’s the best team to be on.

Originally published here: http://vulturehound.co.uk/2015/07/live-review-the-go-team-village-underground/

Second Chance Cinema

Posted on August 4, 2015 by ameliajmurray

These days, it seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry with a projector are setting up a cinema club. From the “ironic” movie nights at your trendy local to the last minute gathering at a mate-of-a-mate’s, that starts off as a sophisticated screening of some arthouse film and ends awkwardly with an unnecessarily heated debate about what the recurring eye motif actually symbolised.

But the Second Chance Cinema at the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green is a much classier affair. It’s pretty self explanatory; on Wednesdays and Sundays films are screened for those who were too busy to see them when they first hit the flicks. Last month, the lineup included Gravity and Filth, although there are also plans to show classic films and some more niche stuff.

The Town Hall Hotel is amazing. It first opened in 1910 and was built by the best of the best. You get the feeling that no expense was spared on the art deco interior with its marble floors to the mahogany panels.

The Second Chance Cinema is held in the old Council Chamber, a grade I listed room. It’s an intimate space and the seats are the best. They’re over 100 years old and apparently made of Australian oak and British leather. I say they’re super comfy and I now understand why I’ve seen so many old men fall asleep in council meetings.

While you’re reclining in the glorious seats, a perky cinema usher in 1950s garb is handing out cinema treats along with friendly conversation. We had a choice of two popcorn flavours; goats cheese and black pepper or toffee apple, which were both a delight. The novelty chocolate cigarettes are a nice touch they taste a bit like brown candle wax.

The Second Chance Cinema is the sister project of the Backyard Cinema, a pop up film event that started off in a North London garden and has since evolved to bigger outdoor screenings. They’re both the fruit of Dominic Davies’ labours, a guy who wants to make people remember how good cinema can be.

He said: “It’s easy to forget with on demand, Netflix, live streaming, downloading torrents and Ipads in bed. It’s not until you remember the booms of Gravity, or the croup laughter of About Time that you realise cinema really does enhance your viewing.”

The Council chamber certainly does add a little something-something to the viewing experience. It might be the subtle scent of expensive leather or the fact that ordinary folk are rarely privy to such a lavish room that adds to the excitement.

But do remember, the Town Hall Hotel is as swanky as it is beautiful. The bar opens two hours before the film starts, but it’s likely to be full of well-dressed business men chatting strategy, while drinking cocktails and expensive, crystal filtered water. But don’t worry, they’re not there for the film.

If you’re dressed fancy and delight in cocktails, it’s perfect for you. However, after rocking up in my mom jeans, I discovered it was six quid for a beer and the only food on the bar menu was nuts. So I dashed round the corner for a quick Korean feast and headed back just before show time.

For the original published article see here:

http://vulturehound.co.uk/2014/04/second-chance-cinema/

London Fortean Society’s Scott Wood launches London Urban Legends book

Posted on January 18, 2014 by ameliajmurray

Published in the Hackney Citizen

http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2013/12/10/london-urban-legends-scott-wood/

Women’s Institute group starts up in Hackney Wick

Posted on January 18, 2014 by ameliajmurray

Hackney Wicked Women joins a growing number of WI groups across East London

Amelia Murray

Hackney Wicked Women, November 22, 2013.

Hackney Wicked Women members (left to right): Lauren Mulhern, Anna Shotbolt, Lora Su, Cheeka Eyers, Grace Shotbolt. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval

The tradition of the Women’s Institute, which was founded in 1915, is still very much alive across the country, and over the last few years has made its presence known in East London.

The latest WI to sprout from Hackney’s streets is Hackney Wicked Women, founded by 24-year-old Grace Shotbolt.

Last November the group has its first meeting at Cr8 Lifestyle Centre in Hackney Wick. A modest 15 people turned up, including Shotbolt’s mother, Elaine, a keen supporter of the institute and the only member so far over the age of 50.

“I joined the WI to support my daughter but also because I’ve lived in london for three years now and have found it quite difficult to make new friends,” explains Elaine Shotbolt, 53.

Her daughter Grace insists that whilst the group so far consists mainly of women in their 20s, it is open to any woman who wants to join, from girls who want to learn about craft to those who want to get involved in charity work or just want to meet their neighbours. The whole idea is about bringing people together.

She says: “I’ve got a job in the city which is not very women-friendly and I wanted to do something for women and make a difference outside my job and the WI was a good place to start.”

In a creative area like Hackney Wick, Shotbolt has noticed a rise in traditional activities such as making clothes, knitting and crochet, which she is encouraging as well as bringing in women speakers with interesting careers and charity work. There are plans to work with Free Cakes for Kids, a Hackney-based charity that provides birthday cakes for children in low income families.

And despite there being other WIs in the area, including the Shoreditch Sisters and the East End WI, Shotbolt insists there is no competition between the groups and that she would love to collaborate with them on projects in the future.

The WI not only brings women from the area together, but also provides support to small businesses and connects them to their community.

Colleen Bowen, current president of East End WI, says its founding members, Niki Stevens and Sorella Le Var, who set up the branch in 2007, wanted to change the idea that you can still be lonely in a busy city like London.

“They realised you can be just as isolated in a heavily populated area like London as you can be in a rural area,” she says.

It’s been almost 100 years since the first Women’s Institute but its philosophy has hardly changed. President of the Shoreditch Sisters, Martha Wass adds that it is: “the generous spirit of our women that keeps us going” due to demanding jobs and lifestyles in the current climate.

Janice Langley, Chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes says she is pleased with the new ‘urban WI’ as it shows perceptions are changing.

“The East End WI and the Shoreditch Sisters WI in east London are all great examples of the organisation offering something to all women at every stage of their lives, and we look forward to hearing about the range of activities their members choose to get involved with long into the future.”

@WickedWomenWI

Tagged as: Amelia Murray, Elaine Shotbolt, Grace Shotbolt, hackney wick, Hackney Wicked Women, Women’s Institute

Published in the Hackney Citizen

http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2013/12/09/hackney-wicked-women-womens-institute/

Geffrye Museum evokes ghosts of Christmas past

Posted on January 18, 2014 by ameliajmurray

Annual Christmas Past exhibition charts 400 years of Christmas

Amelia Murray

Geffrye Museum Christmas past 009

Roast turkey, tinsel and mulled wine have long been Christmas staples in the UK, but such festive fare was not always so present in British homes.

Indeed, these were not the items of yesteryear in English homes, as the Christmas Past exhibition at Hoxton’s The Geffrye Museum amply demonstrates.

Across 11 rooms, the exhibition offers a glimpse of what Yuletide was like for families over the past 400 years, starting with a New Year’s Day Feast in a 1630 middle class London home, decorated in traditional festive spirit with evergreens and complete with bacon, eggs and leach – a boiled milk jelly similar to Turkish Delight.

Visitors can then move through to family tea in a 1745 parlour where a family are sipping on their post supper cordial before a family friend joins them for “two jellies and a glass of wine”.

After travelling through 400 years of Christmas joy, the exhibition ends in a loft style apartment in a trendy 1998 Shoreditch, with media and city types

Launching in 1989, Christmas Past saw an immediately positive reaction and 24 years later, the Geffrye Museum has been dedicating more time and research to expanding it each year.

Curator of Christmas Past, Alex Goddard says that the exhibition has become part of life at The Geffrye Museum and that there would probably be an “outcry” if they stopped putting it on.

“A lot of our visitors like to come back each year to enjoy the Christmas spirit, and we try to make sure it improves every time,” she says.

According to Goddard the rooms reflecting more contemporary Christmas scenes remain true to life in East London and include items belonging to the community.

She says: “It’s important that we reflect as closely as possible life in the middle class home, and Christmas remains one of the most visible celebrations of that kind.

“We have recently been building up an extensive archive of contemporary homes and Christmas diaries and photos donated by members of the public are helping us to capture for the future curators how people celebrate Christmas in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.”

Nancy Loader, who deals directly with visitors at The Geffrye Museum adds that the exhibition allows people to see a calmer side of Christmas.

“Many visitors comment that the exhibition provides a welcome retreat from the rather frantic, commercial Christmas of today and a chance to rediscover the real spirit of Christmas,” she says.

“The 20th century rooms in particular evoke nostalgic memories of childhood Christmases for many visitors and many say a visit to Christmas Past has become one of their own Christmas traditions.”

Based on real life accounts and diary entries, Christmas Past takes you back in time and all the way to the present in 11 rooms and is a sure way to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Christmas Past is on until 5 January 2014.

Tagged as: Amelia Murray, Christmas, Christmas Past, The Geffrye Museum

Published in the Hackney Citizen

http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2013/12/09/geffrye-museum-christmas-past/