EC London English Language School

Yesterday the Cutty Sark re-opened for the first time in nearly five years. Badly damaged by fire in May 2007, Cutty Sark – the last surviving tea clipper – re-opens after extensive renovation on April 26, 2012. On-board displays are dedicated to the ship’s history and various cargos during her 140-year lifespan, from tea to wool to buffalo horns. Visitors can also venture underneath the three-masted sailing ship, which has been raised three metres above her dry dock to afford views of the elegant hull that made Cutty Sark the fastest clipper of her time.
The Cutty Sark stop on the DLR is near Greenwich and this is a trip well worth doing. Alternatively, you can take a TFL ‘clipper’ boat from Embankment or London Bridge in central London (there are other stops too) for around £4.50.
See this link for more details: http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/
Keep an eye out for this activity on the Social Programme, it will be coming up soon!

This Sunday, Alec will be taking a special trip to a snooker club at 3.30pm on Sunday. This is a particularly timely activity as we are now half way through the two weeks in which the World Snooker Championship takes place.
Snooker originated in the later part of the 19th century and historically it has been mainly played by British and Irish players. (see link for more details on rules: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker)
The World Championship has taken place in Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre since 1977 and was sponsored from 1977 until 2005 by Embassy – the cigarette makers. This is one of the clearest indications of why snooker is referred to as a pub sport as players used to be able to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes while playing matches. It makes you wonder if it can even be classed as a sport!
The game has reached a wider audience in recent years and there are many good young players coming into the game from countries like Australia, Poland, Finland and Belgium. But the main growth has been in China. In Beijing there are over 250 snooker clubs that have over 50 tables and the popularity of the sport can be seen with the numbers of Asian players to have qualified this year with a record 5 of the 32 players being from Hong Kong or China.
If you would like to try the game the meet outside the school at 3.30pm on Sunday!

Ronnie 'The Rocket' O'Sullivan, the game's most talented player

…9:45am on a Saturday in mid-April, outside a fish and chip shop in South London…
…there are a couple of scruffy-looking people standing around, just chatting…they’re joined by others…
…pretty soon, there’s a crowd…just ordinary, everyday people…

Ordinary, everyday people on a mission.
A mission to change the world.
One room at a time.

Nineteen people joined together that day, to help ‘The Conservatoire’
(www.conservatoire.org.uk/home) – a community arts centre in London – by giving a much-needed make-over to the early years’ (0-3) music room. Armed with paint cans, brushes, rollers, scrapers and tea, the staff of EC London made a difference by giving something back.

“I just wanted to send a big thank you again for all that you and your team did to paint our Early Learning Centre! People have commented all day on how great it looks and we are so appreciative.” Sydney Thornbury, Chief Executive, The Conservatoire

This Sunday, the London Marathon takes place. 36,000 runners will be taking part in the 26.2 mile course through Central London and there will be some special guests at the start and finish of the race. Dorothy Tyler will start the race. The British Olympian won silver medals for high jump at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 and at the London Games in 1948, as well as competing in 1952 and 1956. She is now a sprightly 92 year-old and still loves athletics. At the finish line, Prince Harry will be handing out trophies to the winners in men’s and women’s races, as well as men’s and women’s wheelchair races and some young runners too. If you are in London this weekend and want to see some of the action, you should visit this website for a guide for spectators:

http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/marathon-centre/virgin-london-marathon-information/you-leave-home/

Vocab box:
to take place (v) ~ to happen
to takes part in (v) ~ participate in
sprightly (adj) ~ full of energy despite being older

We hope you have all had a great first two days at our amazing new location in Euston!! Here is a video, courtesy of Laura B, from our first day! Make sure you share your photos with us via the EC London facebook page… Watch the video here: http://animoto.com/play/3T5kxeY0CzyPIs0EiJSZHA