Art & History

Falconry and the Tudors

Falconry and the Tudors

When you write a book that is set in a particular period of history, it is important to get the details correct. This means that writers of historical fiction have to do a lot of research.
The first scene of Katharine Edgar’s novel, Five Wounds takes place on a hillside in sixteenth century England, where her heroine, Nan, is hoping to see her young merlin falcon make its first kill. Katharine had find out all about falconry and the Tudors – the keeping and training of falcons, and other birds of prey.

When I showed the first scene of Five Wounds to some writing friends, some of them asked a question I wasn’t expecting. ‘How rich is Nan’s family? They live in a big house so why does she need to hunt for food?’

Good question!

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Home, Health & Style, Uncategorized

Rainy Day Activities for Tweens

No, I’d really rather not be writing about rainy day activities for tweens in AUGUST. I want to be writing about fun outdoor activities, and being careful to apply sunscreen. For those of you who are stuck at home, and getting bored, here are some fab rainy day activities.

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Travel

JUMP! Around the World – Ayşe in Turkey

Have you ever wanted to know what it is like to grow up in another country?
We continue our Jump! Mag tour of the world in Turkey, where seven-year-old Ayşe lives.

 

Hello Ayşe, How do I say hello in Turkish?

Merhaba Annie!

 

What are your favourite subjects at school?

That’s hard… I think most of all I like learning Turkish language and…….music.

 

What kind of music do you like listening to?

I like to dance to pop music like Rhianna and Adele but I like Turkish music too, I like a rock band called Duman.

 

What games do you like to play with your friends?

Mostly street games like Tag and hide & seek, it’s fun to chase each other around.

 

What do you like most about being a girl?

…….I think maybe because…you can have a baby… Also at school at playtime, the boys are always chasing each other and fighting and being a bit rough, and they can be like that with each other but not with us, they can’t be so rough with us. I like wearing dresses also and dressing up!

 

What are your favourite words in your language?

I love you…….mum.

 

If you could choose any country in the world to visit, which would it be and why?

I want to go to America, to  visit my Aunt in San Fransisco, I want to swim in the sea in Mexico because my Mum has told me all about it. I’d also like to go to Africa, to visit the different native tribes that live there.

 

How would you describe your village to someone who wanted to visit here?

I live in a fishing village, it is very sunny, there’s no snow here! We have the sea, which I like to go swimming in and I like to go walking up around the mountain near the sea which is beautiful.

 

 

 

Annie-May Gibb is a freelance writer, who is passionate about creating a better world.
She mainly works on projects that work to instil equality and confidence in young people.  She is also passionate about using tabasco liberally on most foods.

 

 

Here is some more information about Turkey 

 

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Turkey is a large peninsula that bridges the continents of Europe and Asia. Turkey is surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea. Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is built on land in the Bosporus seaway. The city is partly in Europe and partly in Asia. Turkey is larger than the state of Texas.

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News & Politics

Let Toys Be Toys

Have you ever noticed that children’s toys are often labeled as “Boys” or “Girls” toys?
Very often, the girls’ toy area will be a sea of pink and glitter with a lot of beauty, cooking, fashion and baby doll items.  The boys’ area will have action figures, construction and science kids, plastic guns and dinosaurs.  Even board games can sometimes be separated in this way. Tina takes a closer look at why this is unfair for all kids, and what a group called Let Toys be Toys are doing about it.

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