British press on trial

An official enquiry into media standards has started to take evidence this week. The enquiry began after there was evidence that journalists were using people's voicemail messages to write news stories.
This included an incident where a private investigator was listening to the voicemails left on the mobile phone of a schoolgirl who had gone missing and was later found murdered. He deleted some voicemails and so her parents wrongly thought she was still alive.
This week celebrities and people who  have been the subject of news stories have been giving evidence about press intrusion into their lives. People have told of being chased by photographers, and Kate McCann, whose four-year-old daughter was abducted on holiday in Portugal, told of how her private diary was published in a newspaper.

See the £50m skull in London

Damien Hirst is probably the best known of the young British artists. He became well-known for his early work, which included cutting cows in two and displaying them in clear tanks.
Later he moved on to spot paintings, and most recently covered a skull with platinum and 8,601 diamonds (leaving the original owner's teeth in place). Now many of Hirst's works, including the skull, will go on show at Tate Modern from April 4 2012.

Not dressed yet?

Millions of British people are still wearing their night clothes on Saturday lunchtime because they are so tired after their week at work.
A survey has found that 20 per cent of Briton spends the morning in their pyjamas, while 40 per cent admitted they had spent the whole day without getting dressed. Most people said they did not get up early on a Saturday morning, and one third said they were "shattered" from work and spent most of the weekend watching TV.
This may be why it is no longer unusual to see people shopping in supermarkets wearing their pyjamas. Some supermarkets have even banned people from doing this.

The perfect British house

Most British people think the perfect home would be in a village with a pub, a small shop and a post office.
A survey has found that most people would also like a newly-built house with land round it and some privacy. They also want to be friendly with at least five neighbours.
Most homes in the UK are not like this at all.

Susan@englishuk.com