People Web International

By PWI Reporter South East England

SOUTH EAST, UNITED KINGDOM - The Port of London Authority have been recently commissioned by the RAF Museum in Hendon to survey a WWII wreckage of the Kent Coastline. The Aircraft, a 1930’s design Dornier 17 flown by the Luftwaffe in the 2nd World War, went undiscovered until 2 years ago. It is sitting just 15 meters deep at Goodwin Sands, Kent. The plane is thought to have been shot down during the battle of Britain approximately 70 years ago, after taking heavy fire it made an emergency landing at sea, 2 of the 4 crewmen died but 2 survived the crash who became prisons of war.

The RAF museum at Hendon in London are very keen to raise and preserve this extremely rare Dornier 17 as it is thought to be the last of its kind. Surprisingly, the aeroplane is in excellent condition and is still intact. RAF Head of Collections Ian Thirsk was on board the Port of London Authorities high-tech vessel at the end of last month as the sonar scanning took place. He is planning to have it displayed at Hendon in a state of preservation as opposed to having it fully restored. Mr Thirsk believes this aircraft is a unique aeroplane and it's linked to an iconic event in British history, so its importance cannot be overemphasised, nationally and internationally. According to Mr Thirsk “It's one of the most significant aeronautical finds of the century.”

Photo source: http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/4040

Contact: south.east.england@peoplewebinternational.com

By KT, PWI Reporter Wiltshire

WILTSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM - The Wiltshire public are being asked by their local libraries to volunteer to help keep libraries open.  Some librarians and staff will either lose their jobs or be asked to work more flexibly. And opening hours will be halved at all but the bigger libraries. 

Wiltshire Council decided on these steps in response to the government’s 28% reduction in their budget as a result of the banking and financial crisis. Taken together, the measures have to achieve savings of £0.5m over two years for the county’s budget. 

By this week more than twenty volunteers had shown interest in the small town of Wilton in the south of the county. Typical of many communities, its small library boasts books, DVD’s, free internet access, a local history section, a home library service, children’s activities, and a local information service. Staff are well-informed, friendly and put themselves out to help. 



 
















The changes are all part of Wiltshire Council’s new vision for the library service approved in January. The county plans to keep open all 31 of the county’s libraries and ensure they remain at the heart of their communities. Ten will be community libraries, funded by the council and supported by its professional staff, but operated entirely based on volunteers. 

Libraries are also expected to increase in importance as the council’s local face for information about its services.

The establishment of free libraries in Britain followed The Public Libraries Act of 1855 which established the free access to books to raise public literacy. Counties and cities in the UK established large central libraries with smaller branch libraries and mobile library services covering rural areas. 

Wiltshire’s response to the drastic budget cuts sweeping UK public services is therefore in marked contrast to those councils which completely close libraries. However, success in the county is dependent on establishing a sustainable level of volunteering. 

Time will tell, but the first signs in Wilton bode well.

-- by KT - PWI Reporter Wiltshire - wiltshire@peoplewebinternational.com

By PWI Reporter South East England

SOUTH EAST, UNITED KINGDON – How much will tuition fees per year in the South East cost from 2012. In most cases the maximum will be the charged even though the government stated this would be unusual. MPs voted in December to allow fees for UK students on undergraduate courses to rise from £3,350 a year to £6,000, and £9,000 in "exceptional cases”. That is almost 3 times the cost per year.

Universities are looking to entice more and more foreign students as well as opening Campuses in places like Dubai, Asia and Europe. Are universities beginning to loose their focus on education and seeing students as cash making machines.

This week journalist Laurie Penny revealed the increasing commercialisation of higher education and investigated what happens when universities scour the globe for students and funds in a Channel 4 documentary dispatches entitled “Cashing in on Degrees”. She has revelled a typical University Vice Chancellor will earn over £200,000. In her opinion their role is more that of a Corporate CEO than a student focused Head of an education establishment.

The maximum tuition fees a university or college can charge are as follows:

• £3,290 for 2010/11
• £3,375 for 2011/12
• £9,000 for 2012/13

“The increase in the maximum tuition fees rate to £9,000 in 2012/13 only applies if you’re entering university or college for the first time in September 2012 or later. Not all universities or colleges will charge the maximum amount. Those that charge over £6,000 will need to ensure that students from all income groups can access their courses.” Quote source http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Gettingstarted/DG_171573

South East England University fees 2012 -

University        Tuition Fee     Group

Kent                  £9000              N/A
Oxford               £9000             Russell
Portsmouth       £8500             University Alliance
Reading            £9000             1994 Group
Surrey               £9000             1994 Group
Sussex             £9000              1994 Group

-- by PWI Reporter South East England - south.east.england@peoplewebinternational.com 

By PWI Reporter South East England

ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM - Plans to build windfarms of the South Coast have recently been given momentum after the renaming of the project formally known as “The Eneco Wind Park”. Following a competition and public vote the name “Navitus Bay” has been chosen.

The windfarm will stretch the Dorset, Hampshire and Isle of Wight coastline and will power approximately 700,000 homes. Plans for similar farms in other areas of the UK have been announced after the success of places such as Norfolk where their windfarm has become something of a local tourist attraction, in turn helping to boost the local economy. In most cases the turbines will be positioned far out to sea but in some cases like Bournemouth they will be closer and will be visible from the coastline on a clear day. Local opinion seems to be mixed on weather it will ruin the sea view’s or be a local sightseeing hotspot.

Various local meetings have taken place over the last two weeks where local residents have been invited to meet the Dutch energy company Eneco who won the contract back in 2008. They have been able to ask questions and see plans for the project. Eneco hope to start construction in 2016 and have the turbines up and running by 2019

-- by PWI Reporter South East England - south.east.england@peoplewebinternational.com

(Photo Source: http://www.ison21.es/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/offshore-wind-turbine.jpg)

By Ken Taylor, PWI Reporter Wiltshire

WILTSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM - English Heritage are to carry out a complete 3D laser scan at Stonehenge using recently developed high-resolution technology.

They expect to gain a much better idea of the extent of the carvings on the famous stones, and a greater understanding of the monument and the ground in its immediate surroundings.

This latest survey follows intensive archaeological investigation and study across the whole Stonehenge landscape in recent years. Theories have widened on the purpose of the 10,000 year sequence of timber, stone and earth structures spread over this south-east corner of Salisbury Plain. Was the area a place of healing or a domain of the dead?

Some academics believe that it was both and that processions took place from the land of the living to the land of the dead, passing up the nearby River Avon to Stonehenge and its nearby groups of burial barrows.

Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire 120km west of Heathrow and 12 km north of the cathedral city of Salisbury.  English Heritage owns and manages the stone circle and the surrounding landscape is owned by the charity The National Trust. 

-- by Ken Taylor - PWI Regional Reporter Wiltshire - wiltshire@peoplewebinternational.com

By PWI Reporter South East England

PORTSMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM - The Aircraft Carrier HMS Invincible set sail for the last time yesterday, it’s destination is Turkey where it will be broken down at a scrap yard. She was decommissioned on the 3 August 2005 following budget cuts.

Invincible’s former captain, now Admiral Sir Jeremy Black, was there at Portsmouth Harbour to pay his respects. Without this ship Britain would not have reclaimed the Falkland Islands.

Invincible was built at Barrow-in-Furness by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering. Launched by HM Queen Elizabeth in 1977, she was the flagship of the Royal Navy’s fleet and led the South Atlantic campaign during the conflict. Half a million people turned out to welcome her victorious return in 1982, including the Queen herself. HM Prince Andrew served aboard as a Naval Helicopter Pilot. The Invincible was also deployed during the Yugoslavia and Iraq campaigns.

This is the seventh ship to carry the glorious name HMS Invincible whose battle honours include victory over the Spanish at the Battle of St Vincent in 1780 to the Falklands War of 1982. The HMS Illustrious is now the British Navy’s flagship.

-- by PWI Reporter South East England - south.east.england@peoplewebinternational.com

By Anita Stearman, PWI Reporter Spain

Warnings have gone out as its going to be a particularly bad year for these beasts who are very harmful towards pets and humans. 3 years ago my dog lost part of her tounge from accidently picking one up in her mouth. If she had swallowed it, she would have died!

These caterpillars live in nests resembling off-white handkerchiefs hanging from branches of pine trees. At this time of the year they leave their nests in search of food and can travel more than one kilometre in their characteristic ‘processions’ with one caterpillar following nose to tail behind the next.

They crawl in lines sometimes several metres in length across the earth. The long hairs covering the caterpillar’s body causes excruciating pain if they come into contact with the skin.

These beasts  burrow underground  and emerge as moths later in the year.

Immediately seek medical or veterinary attention if you or your pets come into contact with these caterpillars.

-- by Anita Stearman - PWI Reporter Spain - spain@peoplewebinternational.com

By Anita Stearman, PWI Reporter Spain

Ryan Air boss, Michael O’Leary, has called for EU to Ban Air Traffic Control Strikes by declaring them to be providers of an ‘Essential Service’. They should be considered in the same way as the Police and Army which cannot go on Strike and if they do they should be sacked. Last year the Irish Airline was forced to cancel 1,400 flights and delay more than 12,000 others disrupting over 2.5 million passengers, due to strikes by air traffic controllers in Belgium, Fance and Spain.

-- by Anita Stearman - PWI Reporter Spain - spain@peoplewebinternational.com

MOLDOVA - Because of the earthquake in Japan, the other part of the world, like Republic of Moldova might have lack of bread, tomato and other agricultural products.
 
The Japanese disaster affected the whole world.

All Moldavian people are very sorry for the Japanese people. More than that, despite its poverty, Moldova donated 1 million lei (about $83 333) for the Japanese Government.

The global economy has been affected because of the Japanese disaster. The price of oil decreased, the stock exchange markets have been shacked, the electronics markets have been attacked and the automobile industry, like Toyota stopped its activity for a while.

The Moldavian economy also will be affected in the near future. For the Republic of Moldova the situation is even more tragic than for Japan, which is one of the major donors.

Now the Japanese, they need help themselves.

The Moldavian farmers are the first, who will feel the consequences of the Japanese earthquake.

Till now, the Republic of Moldova has received (as a grant) more than seventy million dollars from Japan. The main goal of these grants was to develop the agricultural sector of Moldova.

Of course, the Japanese Government will suspend funding Moldavian projects now.

Thus, the termination of financing from Japanese Government will be felt by hundreds of farmers.

One of the largest and the most successful projects in Moldova, which was ruled with the help of Japan, is the project «2KR». Due to Japan Government, Moldavian farmers have received more than 4500 tractors and combines. The project «2KR» started in Moldova in 2001 and it’s working for ten years now. Probably, this project will continue to be efficient for a while, because some of the Japanese funds (donations) have been injected in a local fund named "Partner".

However, in the near future Moldova is no longer able to ask Japan for help, for ethical reasons.

It should be noted, that among other donations, the Japanese Government gave to Moldova a grant of 4.7 million dollars to equip a National Center of training in the field of agricultural with farm machinery and with mechanization equipment.

In addition, Japan has helped Moldavian villages to buy boilers for heating schools and hospitals. And the latest initiative of the Japanese Government was about the construction of a wholesale market in the suburb of Chisinau. In the near past, the Japanese Government promised to give Moldova another $ 50 million for the above project.

“Now, of course, they can not donate this amount to us” - said the Communications officer from the Ministry of Agriculture of Moldova. Also, the Ministry of Agriculture said that "before the Japanese people helped us, but now it's our turn to help them."

Moldavian farmers who received Japanese technology and equipment, decided to join their forces and to collect one million lei (another $83 333) for Japanese people.
The Minister of Agriculture of Moldova concluded:

"No other country can replace Japan as a main donor for the Republic of Moldova”.

(Photo source: http://praiseinternational.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/moldovan-village-pastors-in-poverty/)

-- by Vladislav Railean - PWI Reporter Moldova - moldova@peoplewebinternational.com

WILTSHIRE - The small town of Wootton Bassett in west Wiltshire became well-known in the UK in recent years, as townsfolk and the streets often stood silent for the funeral corteges of service personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The tradition developed spontaneously, in a county where 20% of the population are military or connected with it making the impact of the war felt widely.  

Now that honour bestowed on the dead by townsfolk is itself being honoured. On 16th March 2011, the Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the Queen will rename the town Royal Wootton Bassett, ‘as an enduring symbol of the nation’s admiration and gratitude’. The re-naming will take place before the nearby Royal airforce base at Lyneham  is closed, with military transports relocated to Brize Norton in nearby Oxford by the end of 2011.  

The town joins Royal Leamington Spa and Royal Tunbridge Wells.  Both of these spa towns petitioned for the honour in recognition of their antiquity and Royal patronage of their facilities.  Leamington Spa was granted the title in 1838 by Queen Victoria, and Tunbridge Wells in 1909 by King Edward VII.  

Military personnel have long been an important part of the community, employment and traditions of Wiltshire. The army camps and training grounds of Salisbury Plain dominate the high chalk downland in the centre of the county. The civil population of the surrounding areas are used to seeing Chinook and Apache helicopters wheeling on manoeuvres, and to hearing the thump of artillery practicing in the distance on the Plain.  

-- by Ken Taylor - PWI Regional Reporter Wiltshire - wiltshire@peoplewebinternational.com