Автор: elenakolupaeva

The number of independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland has reached a 10-year high following an “astonishing” number of new entrants to bookselling during the pandemic.

The Booksellers Association (BA), which represents both chain and independent bookshops, said its annual membership survey indicated the number of independent bookshops had grown for the sixth consecutive year.

New independent bookshops which opened in 2022 included ChocoLit in Clapham, Hold Fast in Leeds and Paperxclips in Belfast, as BA membership grew from 1,027 shops in 2021 to 1,072 at the end of 2022.

It marks the highest number of independent bookshops in BA membership in a decade, it said.

Meryl Halls, managing director at the Booksellers Association, said: “We are clearly delighted at the continued increase in the number of indie bookshops on our high streets.

“Taken with the expansion seen within the Waterstones estate last year, this news confirms that bookshops are crucially important and valued parts of our high street communities.

“Bookshops bring social and cultural capital to every town, village, suburb or city center they are part of, and punch way above their weight in terms of impact and engagement locally, and nationally.

“The number of bookshops has grown gradually and slowly since 2016, during the pandemic we saw a frankly astonishing number of new entrants to bookselling.

“Drawn by the cultural relevance of books, reading and bookshops, inspired by the activism on display amongst current booksellers, seeing bookselling as a valid and rewarding career choice, these are all reasons why people open bookshops, and we want each and every one of the shops to succeed.”

However, Ms Halls urged people to continue supporting bookshops as the economy in the UK is forecast to plunge into recession following the extreme volatility of 2022.

She added: “With the economic headwinds coming our way, recession, inflation, labor shortages and massive cost increases across the board, bookshops need support.

“Margins are extremely tight, and for bookshops to thrive on high streets they need governments to take action to protect small businesses from the cost-of-living crisis, as well as unequal tax burdens such as business rates.”

BA is the membership organization for booksellers in the UK and Ireland and represents more than 95% of booksellers, it said.

A royal post box which Queen Victoria once used has been discovered at a house in Surrey, with a Christmas card inside.

The 140-year-old item was found in a cottage after being used as a table letter box at Osborne House, the monarch’s Isle of Wight holiday home.

The late 19th-century curved wooden box features the royal ‘VR’ cypher – meaning Victoria Regina – and will be put under the hammer by Derbyshire firm, Hansons Auctioneers, on Saturday, January 28.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “It’s a first-class find fit for a queen dating back to circa 1880. We can only imagine the tone and content of the notes the queen must have placed inside but one thing we can be certain of is that she enjoyed sending letters and cards.

“Most people still do but, sadly, postal strikes, high stamp prices and the cost-of-living crisis have curbed that simple pleasure.

“I wonder what Queen Victoria would have thought about postal costs rising from a penny in the 1800s to 95p for a first-class stamp today. Her profile featured on the Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp issued in 1840.

“My family received hardly any Christmas cards compared to previous years and many people I know say the same. That’s such a shame.

“Christmas is often the only time we hear from old friends or family far away. It’s a festive tradition that’s delivered joy for generations. Costs appear to be crushing this annual gesture of goodwill.

“I was reminded of this when we discovered the letterbox because the seller found a vintage Christmas card inside.

“The price of a couple of stamps could buy a pack of cards today. With soaring inflation and winter fuel bills to contend with, it’s not surprising some people didn’t send many, or any.”

The item, which has an estimate of between £4,000 and £6,000, was found during a routine visit to the home of an antique collector.

The post box would have previously been used as a table letter box at Osbourne House, in East Cowes, which was built for Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, as a country retreat.

Chris Kirkham, associate director of Hansons London, said: “I discovered it during a routine home visit at a cottage in Surrey.

“I was called in to assess items gathered by a keen antique collector over a lifetime.

“It was purchased decades ago by the seller’s grandfather. He lived on the Isle of Wight.

“We understand he acquired it at a Carisbrooke sale which offered items relating to Osborne House in 1944 or 1945.

“The Isle of Wight is home to Carisbrooke Castle Museum. It was founded in 1898 by Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter.

“The Princess died in 1944, and a sale of items took place around that time.”

Queen Victoria enjoyed the second-longest reign of any British monarch in history, with her reign of more than 63 years surpassed only by Queen Elizabeth II, who was on the throne for more than 70 years.

The seller, from London, who has been kept anonymous, said: “My grandfather collected amazing objects over the course of his life. He was fascinated by antiques and collectibles.

“We think the post box may have been given as a festive gift as we found a Christmas card inside.

“It’s hard to part with family heirlooms but this royal item deserves to be seen and enjoyed.”

The item will be sold by Hansons Auctioneers at their London showroom at the Normansfield Theatre, in Langdon Park, Teddington.

We knew as soon as we previewed the Coronation Collection from Victoria Eggs, we would have to offer, and we placed our order months ago because we knew it would sell out. Victoria Eggs have produced a beautiful and tasteful collection of goods, starting with mugs and teacups, plus textiles, bunting, home furnishings, and more! We have a little bit of everything.

The King Charles III Coronation design bears the National flowers from the UK along with oak, a symbol of strength and stability, and Ivy, the symbol of commitment, which trails throughout this intricately hand-drawn design. Subtle nods to the King’s life are hidden amongst the wildlife and foliage; the eagle, swords, and anchor representing the British Armed Forces, a parachute, pens, and paintbrushes – representing his love and support for the Arts, young people, the countryside and his life-long environmental activism.

The Coronation Collection has an estimated ship date of March, and what we have marked in stock is all we will be getting in our initial shipment; there’s a good chance this is all we’ll be able to get. So, it’s very important to order soon if you want to ensure you get some of these beautiful collectibles for your collection in time for the big day in May!

Royal Mail has created 12 Iron Maiden stamps to pay tribute to the “bona fide rock legends.”

The heavy metal band are the fifth music group to feature in a dedicated stamp issue – following on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020, and The Rolling Stones in 2022.

Eight stamps feature performances of Iron Maiden and all current members of the band.

Guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, and lead singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain and bassist Steve Harris all appear in the commemorative project.

Four stamps pay homage to the band’s mascot Eddie, including him as a samurai warrior from their recent Senjutsu album.

Iron Maiden’s 17th studio album, released in 2021, made it to number two in the charts.

Harris said: “We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way – when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time.

“They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden.

“We’re all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honor the band’s legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way,”

Formed in London in 1975 by Harris, Iron Maiden have had one number one in the UK with 1988 single Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter and 35 songs in the top 40, according to Official Charts Company.

They have also had five number-one albums including Fear Of The Dark, The Book Of Souls, The Final Frontier, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son and The Number Of The Beast.

In total, the band have had more than 100 million record sales and around 2,500 live performances across 64 countries.

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood said: “As a band who have never played by anyone else’s rules for over 40 years, it’s very gratifying to see them honored in their home country in this way.

“We’re proud to show how these six band members are still appealing to more and more fans every year with their music and their legendary shows – which I think these stamps really capture well.

“It’s also fantastic that Eddie has been honored too – it’s incredible to think that Her Majesty, may she rest in peace, saw these and lent her iconic silhouette to them too.”

David Gold, director of external public affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: “Few bands in the history of rock music can be called bona fide rock legends – but Iron Maiden are just that – and more.”

The Royal Mail stamps are available to order from January 5 2023 and are on sale from January 12 2023. You can order them directly on the Royal Mail website (yes, they ship internationally).

Official chinaware commemorating the life of the late Queen has gone on sale, incorporating the King’s poignant tribute to his mother.

The Royal Collection Trust pieces feature the late monarch’s personal cypher as Princess Elizabeth – an E beneath a crown, as well as the King’s moving words “May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest” from his televised address to the nation.

The quotation Charles used from Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet is inscribed in gold lettering on the memorial china, which is also decorated with a pale pink bow, delicate grey motifs and the Queen’s funeral flowers.

The pieces include a mug, costing £25, a £40 pillbox, a tankard for £45 and a teacup and saucer priced at £70.

There is also a tea towel, costing £10.95, and a candle votive for £65.

Flowers which rested on the Queen’s coffin during her state funeral, including roses, myrtle, rosemary, and oak leaves taken from the gardens of royal residences, appear in the decorative border.

The myrtle was cut from a plant grown from a sprig of myrtle in Princess Elizabeth’s wedding bouquet in 1947. Rosemary is a traditional emblem of remembrance while oak symbolizes strength of love.

The cypher – which also featured on the side of the Queen’s bespoke state hearse – is set in an oval frame featuring two cherubs – inspired by Queen Victoria’s drawings.

The chinaware is handmade in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, using methods and techniques that have remained unchanged for 250 years and is finished in 22-carat gold.

All profits from sales of the official chinaware range and commemorative items go to The Royal Collection Trust charity.

Popular dinosaur exhibit Dippy the Diplodocus, which has drawn millions of visitors around the country, is heading to Coventry.

The city’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum will be hosting the 26-meter-long replica skeleton for three years, from February 20, in time for the start of the spring half-term holidays.

Museum bosses, fresh from helping host Coventry’s City of Culture festivities, including the 2021 Turner Prize, said there will be free ticketing to see the Jurassic giant so all can enjoy the “world-class exhibit”.

The huge model was cast from five different skeletons, including one dug up by railway workers in the United States in 1898.

It was first assembled and put on display at London’s Natural History Museum in 1905.

The 292-bone structure fascinated crowds in the city for 110 years, but recently went on an eight-city tour to Dorchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Rochdale and Norwich.

More than two million people went to see the sauropod model while it was traveling around the UK, with another million visitors filing past once it was back in London.

Dippy is more than four meters high and 4.3 metres wide, bringing to life the scale of a species which lived between 156 and 145 million years ago.

Dr. Doug Gurr, Natural History Museum director, said the “much-loved and hugely popular attraction” was “the perfect ambassador for nature” and would continue to “educate and inspire.”

He added: “We couldn’t be more thrilled that Dippy will now be taking up residence in Coventry.”

Paul Breed, chief executive of CV Life, which runs the Herbert, welcomed the chance to host the UK’s “most popular dinosaur,” adding it was “a huge opportunity for Coventry and the wider economy”.

He added: “This kind of world-class exhibit should be available to all, and I’m glad that with our free ticketing system Dippy will be accessible to everyone, from Coventry school kids to international tourists – it’s going to be a brilliant three years.”

Free tickets will be available to book on the gallery’s website nearer to Dippy’s arrival.

The Princess of Wales has become Colonel of the Irish Guards, a role previously held by her husband, Buckingham Palace has announced.

This comes as the Palace also revealed that the King’s Birthday Parade, known as Trooping the Colour, will be held on June 17 in central London.

The King and the Prince of Wales will ride on horseback during the display, while other members of the royal family, including Kate and the Queen Consort, will watch from carriages and the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Buckingham Palace said three members of the family have been appointed Colonels within the Foot Guards, including Camilla as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

This role was previously held by the Duke of York and has been vacant since he was stripped of his royal titles.

Meanwhile, Kate will become Colonel of the Irish Guards, a role previously held by William, who will take the Colonel of the Welsh Guards title from his father.

There will be no change to the existing Colonelcies of the other Regiments within the Household Division, the Palace said.

Trooping the Colour has marked the monarch’s official birthday for over 260 years, and 2023 will mark Charles’ first appearance at the event as King, and follows his coronation, which is due to be held on May 6.

Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians take part in the display of military precision, horsemanship, and fanfare.

The parade travels from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, and closes with a Royal Air Force fly-past.

An author of a children’s book celebrating the “endearing love story” of the Queen and her corgis has praised the support of her six-year-old daughter, who helped to get the tale recognized by the late monarch.

Caroline L Perry, 45, wrote The Corgi And The Queen in tribute to Elizabeth II’s decades-long relationship with the breed as it follows her and Susan, the matriarch of what became 14 generations of royal corgis, through her courtship and honeymoon with Prince Philip, the Second World War, and her coronation.

The story, illustrated by Lydia Corry and out in the UK on Thursday, was made known to the Queen before her death in September when Ms. Perry’s daughter, Eloise, sent a note and corgi drawing to Buckingham Palace in late 2021 after a year that saw the Queen mark 70 years of her reign and the death of Prince Philip.

“Because her husband died, (I wanted to) cheer her up, and because it was about Susan,” Eloise told the PA news agency.

“(And) I wanted to wish her a happy jubilee.”

Ms. Perry added: “She wanted to cheer her up by sending her a nice card, she thought the Queen would love the book.”

Ms. Perry, who is from London but moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago, explained that they soon received a response from Lady Elizabeth Leeming, a lady-in-waiting of the Queen’s.

Lady Leeming wrote to Eloise: “The Queen wishes me to thank you for your lovely card and for your message, written with a little help, in which you told Her Majesty of the book.

“Although The Queen is unable to reply to you personally, Her Majesty was touched by the nice things you said, and I am to thank you, very much, for your thought for the Queen at this time which is greatly appreciated.”

Ms. Perry said her daughter was “very excited” by the letter, which came with the royal seal.

“She was really, really happy because she thought that it would have cheered the Queen up and that she now knew about her good wishes that she had sent to her from Los Angeles,” the author said.

“Of course, sadly, she didn’t live to see the book but (Eloise) was still delighted that the Queen at least knew this book was on the way because she very much sensed that the relationship with Susan was a very special one.

“From when I started writing the book when she was only three, (Eloise) has been asking me for her very own Susan ever since.”

Ms. Perry said that the book, which was released in the United States in November, has already “hugely impacted” lives, including the adoption of a young corgi by her literary agent’s daughter in Ohio, who has named the puppy Susan.

“It’s easy to see why the Queen loved them so much,” she said.

“They’re very feisty, very intelligent, very loyal and very charming.”

Eloise added: “(Corgis) are cute and clever… I want 30.”

Ms. Perry said when the Queen was given her first corgi as an 18th birthday present in 1944, it “really started a love story for the ages”.

“Susan really was there for some of these momentous moments in history, and Elizabeth just adored this little dog,” she said.

“I think before Philip, she was her true love.

“And the fact that all 14 generations of the Queen’s corgis were descended from that one dog, it was just such a remarkable story – it really humanized the Queen.

“For me to see that she was able to express herself through her animals in a way she perhaps wasn’t able to in her life with all the pressures that being the monarch entailed, a life devoted to duty… (It’s) an endearing love story.”

Ms. Perry added that the book, published by Andersen Press, “honors” the relationship the Queen had with her royal dog dynasty.

It includes two family trees – one for the royals and the second for the corgis owned by the Queen throughout her life, which all started with Susan.

“I think she really would have loved this book, but now I really hope people view it as a tribute,” she said.

“And also (as) something that highlights another side to the Queen that not everyone’s aware of.

“The Queen wouldn’t have been the same Queen without her corgis; I think they very much helped to shape history, didn’t they?”

The Attallah Cross Diana, Princess of Wales, famously paired with an Elizabethan-style Catherine Walker gown for a London charity gala in 1987, is expected to fetch up to £120,000 at auction.

The Garrard crucifix pendant, embossed with gold, silver, amethyst and diamonds, will lead Sotheby’s annual Royal and Noble sale, which begins on January 6 and ends on January 18.

Diana wore the pendant to a charity ball on October 27 1987 in aid of Birthrights, a charity working to protect human rights during pregnancy and childbirth, of which she became patron in 1984.

The piece reflected her lifelong relationship with Garrard, which adapted The Spencer Tiara for her wedding day and from whom she selected her sapphire engagement ring in 1981.

In her last public appearance, Diana wore a diamond and South Sea pearl piece by Garrard which became known as the ‘Swan Lake’ necklace.

The Attallah Cross pendant was owned by the former group chief executive of Asprey and Garrard, the late Naim Attallah, who would often lend it to Diana to wear at events.

It was later passed on to his son Ramsay Attallah, who said: “Princess Diana and my father were friends and I remember that she often came to see him at the historic Garrard store on Regent Street, where his office was, and she would ask to borrow the pendant on several occasions. She really loved the piece.”

The necklace is understood to only have been worn by Diana and, after her death, it was never seen in public again, the auction house said.

Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby’s London, said: “Jewellery owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely comes on to the market, especially a piece such as the Attallah cross, which is so colorful, bold and distinctive.

“To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the princess’s growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewelry choices at that particular moment in her life.

“We are confident that this unique 1920s piece of jewelry by Garrard, with such an exceptional provenance and only ever worn by the princess herself, will attract the attention of a wide variety of bidders, including royal and noble jewelry collectors, as well as fans of the princess keen to share part of her history.”

“Hey, ladies in waiting—we’re waiting!”  Well, now that I’ve gotten that joke out of my system, it’s time for us to explore a position at court that has been important for centuries.  The job of a lady-in-waiting has been part of European royal custom since it was first referenced in 9th Century France and, within two hundred years, spread across the English Channel (along with the Normans).  From the Middle Ages to the modern era, ladies-in-waiting acted as personal assistants to female royals, doing everything for queens and princesses, from playing music to dressing them. 

Historically, “ladies-in-waiting” was a catch-all term for a group of women, each with their own titles and responsibilities.  Sitting at the top of the ladies-in-waiting hierarchy was the Mistress of the Robes, the senior female assistant to the Queen.  Then you had the Lady of the Bedchamber and Women of the Bedchamber.  Any unmarried ladies-in-waiting were referred to as “Maids of Honor,” a term you might know from weddings.  A lady-in-waiting could be compared to the equerry for the Sovereign, though unlike the equerry, ladies-in-waiting have traditionally been noblewomen rather than military officers.  Today, however, it is not necessary for a woman to come from a noble family to serve a queen or princess, and sometimes they are simply relatives of the women they serve. 

A queen or princess normally appoints their own ladies-in-waiting, though in times past, the decisions were heavily influenced by their parents, relatives, or husband.  The total number of them could vary at any given point based on their mistress’s needs.  During Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, she normally had a total of six, with the chef amongst them being Lady Susan Hussey, who started out answering correspondence to Queen Elizabeth.  Lady Hussey worked her way up to being the Queen’s right-hand woman and served as a lady-in-waiting for over 60 years until the monarch’s death in 2022. 

It should be pointed out, however, that ladies-in-waiting are not servants but more confidants for the queen or princess.  In modern times, they assist with responding to letters, looking after their mistress’s clothing and jewelry, traveling with them, providing advice, and offering a sympathetic ear.  Ladies-in-Waiting are normally unpaid and spend a great deal of time with the queen or princess, less formal than the equerry but no less time-consuming.  Lady Hussey even served as Prince William’s godmother, showing how integral and intimate this person can be with the queen. 

The less formal nature and responsibilities of the position are perhaps best reflected in the changes that Queen Camilla has made to the role since becoming Queen Consort.  Rather than use the term “ladies-in-waiting,” Camilla has opted for the more progressive term “Queen’s Companions.”  Queen Camilla chose six of her friends to serve as companions, assisting her in her public duties but not as ever-present as Queen Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting were for her.  They will also not be required to handle correspondence or administrative duties such as managing the Queen Consort’s calendar.  The previous ladies-in-waiting are going to become “ladies of the household” and will serve King Charles III instead of the Queen Consort. 

Certainly, this position has changed over time from the selection process for a lady-in-waiting to her individual responsibilities.  As evidenced, Queen Camilla has already made significant changes that could have lasting repercussions for when Princess Catherine becomes Queen Consort.  Catherine may also make her own changes as the role of a lady-in-waiting continues to modernize and adapt to present needs.  Whatever the future holds for ladies-in-waiting, they are certain to continue their responsibility of being a royal woman’s closest confidants and most valuable assistants.