Warm-up

● Author

Michael Welzenbach (1954—2001) was an art critic as well as a poet and novelist. He wrote some of the most stimulating criticisms of art and music for the Washington Post.

● Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a legendary hero of a series of English ballads, some of which date from at least the 14th century. He was a rebel, and many of the most striking episodes in the tales about him show him and his companions robbing and killing representatives of authority and giving the gains to the poor. Their most frequent enemy was the Sheriff of Nottingham, a local agent of the central government. Others included wealthy ecclesiastical landowners.

Robin treated women, the poor, and people of humble status with courtesy. A good deal of the impetus against authority stems from the restriction of hunting rights. The early ballads, especially, reveal the cruelty that was an inescapable part of medieval life.

The authentic Robin Hood ballads were the poetic expression of popular aspirations in the north of England during a turbulent era of baronial rebellions and agrarian discontent, which culminated in the peasants' Revolt of 1381. Robin Hood was a people's hero as King Arthur was a noble's.

● What’s your favorite kids game?

● What do you need to play it?

● How many people do you need?

● How do you play it?

● How do you play it?

●Berkshire

Situated in the heart of southern England, the County of Berkshire, also known as "Royal Berkshire" is home to several well-known towns and cities, such as Windsor, where the famous royal retreat Windsor Castle can be found. Another royal connection is the Town of Ascot, famous for its very popular annual horse racing festival— "Royal Ascot". Berkshire also boasts many picturesque villages with views across the River Thames absolutely stunning.

Berkshire, a county of southern England, that occupies the valleys of the middle Thames and its tributary, the Kennet, immediately to the west of London. Its area is 485 sq mi (1,256 sq km), and it is divided into six districts: Bracknell, Newbury, Reading, Slough, Windsor and Wokingham.

● Rural Life in Britain

Whilst colorful flowers, always important to the cottage dweller, were haphazard in their planting, vegetables were grown in ordered rows. Edibles were grown, not only for the cottagers' own table but also to be sold as a means of supplementing their income. The garden was not solely inhabited by plants, for the keeping of bees, and sometimes pigs, which was once a common sight in the cottage garden. The cottage garden provided the opportunity for the annual village show to develop, with every keen gardener hoping his produce would scoop the top prize.