Did Jane Austen visit the Rohan shop?

Rohantime tweeted Did Jane Austen shop at Rohan? The story? Jane Austen's brother Henry was a partner in a bank at 10 Henrietta Street, which is now a Rohan shop. Henry lived for several years above the bank (where the green plaque is) and Jane would stay with him when she came to London on business.

Can the internet cure insomnia?

One out of 10 Britons can't fall asleep at night. But new online treatments for insomnia may mean that a cure is just a few clicks away? While some sleep experts say automated systems can help make insomnia treatment widely available, others think effective treatment requires the human touch.

See also other posts on sleep.

Archbishop's environment videocast

The Archbishop of Canterbury encourages ‘response to God’s hope for us’ in an environment videocast. Launched last week, the Ready Steady Slow videocast is available on the http://www.whywearewaiting.com/ website and on YouTube. In it, the Archbishop shares his concerns for the planet in a new videocast encouraging viewers to sign up in advance, via the Internet, to the Church of England’s environmentally-themed online Advent calendar for 2009, with its daily green challenges and thoughts.

Win a tea party!

Dorset Cereals are offering the opportunity to win one of 15 gorgeous wicker hampers filled to the brim with a fantastic selection of Clipper teas, coffees and chocolate drinks. Play the spin the bottle game and you could instantly win one.

How Sunday trading changed the UK

Fifteen years ago, Sunday trading laws were introduced that led to a national love affair with shopping. There's a thoughful article on the BBC website discussing this.

Still shopping ethically during the recession

A recent poll of Friends of Cafédirect asked them if they were still shopping ethically in the recession. By an overwhelming majority, 77% are still shopping ethically, 21% do sometimes and only 2% have stopped shopping ethically in the downturn.

Love the Midlands? Or prefer to leave?

In Home is where the heart is? unless it's in the Midlands, the Guardian reports on a survey that finds that three-quarters of the Midlands' population would leave tomorrow given half a chance.

Skyride Leicester

On Sunday 30th August, much of Leicester will be closed to motor transport for Skyride Leicester. This is one of five Skyride mass-participation cycling events, where the streets of major cities are closed to other traffic and cyclists take over. Each is a great day out for the whole family where you can meet members of the GB Cycling Team, experience live entertainment, take part in challenges and tricks and - fingers crossed - soak up the sunshine!

The Skyride Leicester route will be open and free of traffic from 10am until 4pm.Highlights of the route include: Leicester's cultural (and traffic light!) hub, the Golden Mile, Historic Belgrave Hall, the eye catching and iconic Space Centre, Abbey Park, and Belgrave Hall gardens (home of the Skyride Entertainment for the day).

Tea pickers lose jobs to machines

Cafédirect has tweeted that tea pickers in Kenya are losing jobs to machines. More than 800 tea pickers have been sent home after a multinational company in Kenya introduced tea picking machines. The workers of the Eastern Produce Tea Company in Nandi were ordered to vacate company houses immediately and those defying the directive were warned that they would be arrested and charged with trespass. The company’s decision protests from the Kenya Plantation and Agriculture Workers Union (KPAWU).

A top manager at the tea company told a government official that the firm had cut spending by half since it started using machines in some tea estates. He praised the machines, saying they could be manned by a few people and dismissed union leaders’ concerns that the quality of tea could be compromised.

National Forest Wood Fair 2009

The National Forest Wood Fair 2009 will take place on Bank Holiday Monday (August 31st) at Beacon Hill Country Park, Woodhouse Eaves. It will be the 5th National Forest Wood Fair and it will include:

• live demonstrations of woodworking skills, craft displays and chainsaw sculpting.
• the opportunity to find out more about woodlands - from tree planting to felling. Talk to the experts and watch forestry in action including timber processing and horse logging.
• a Food Area with a great selection of delicious locally produced food.
• and also .. a lumberjack show, longbow displays, charity auction and a fascinating programme of talks on trees and woodland.

The Contemplation Couch

Earlier this month Bishop Tim Stevens and Revd Tim Blewett sat on the Contemplation Couch in the centre of Leicester to highlight the Save Launde Abbey campaign. Braving the rain, the two Tims and their supporters appeared on the BBC, and used the opportunity to explain the value of Launde Abbey as a Retreat House. The appeal has so far raised over £580,000 of the £1 million needed to save the Abbey.

How to cook in a tiny kitchen

Although British homes are getting smaller and smaller, it is still possible to cook in a rabbit-hutch sized kitchen . . . Advice from Katherine Whitehorn, author of Cooking in a Bedsitter - a classic text (recently republished) which assisted many a student in their first foray into self-catering.

Recycle thoughtfully and environmentally

The Guardian's EthicalLivingBlog is encouraging us to resist the dubious temptation of free air miles in exchange for your old mobile phones, as there are plenty of creative ways to recycle your used handset instead.

No time to exercise?

Struggling to fit exercise into your daily routine? Here are two schemes to help:

• Natural England’s Walking the way to Health programme encourages you to enjoy your local natural spaces and benefit your health by taking part in health walks. As the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks, WHI aims to encourage people to do regular short walks in their communities. Over 525 local health walk schemes are supported – find your nearest using the Walk Finder.
• The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy recognises we all lead busy lives and that it is hard to find the time to take up an intensive exercise regime. Their leaflet The Lazy Exercise Guide identifies a number of activities you can easily build into your daily routine.

Tea and Biscuits on R4

In Tea and Biscuits, broadcast daily from 3.45-4.00pm on Radio 4, you can listen to Hardeep Singh Kohli as he joins people as they meet and indulge in that very British ritual: a cup of tea and a biscuit.

The 2011 Trust

2011 will be a significant year for the Bible with many projects happening through the 2011 Trust to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, which was completed in 1611. There have been few more important single publications and its impact through history has been colossal. The aim of the Trust is to celebrate its impact in history and on language, particularly in this country, but also throughout the English speaking world.

Competitions from Cafédirect

Last week Cafédirect gave blog readers a chance to win some coffee by identifying a pack: see the 'Friday Fun' blog post. There is a similar competition today and every Friday during August so check out the Blog. During September there will be a prize for the favourite comment on the blog, so check in regularly and leave your comments. Make sure you don't miss out on future competitions by following us on Twitter or becoming a Cafédirect fan on Facebook.

Do we really need to ban plastic bags?

There have been a number of blog posts about plastic bags - arguably the ultimate symbol of our throwaway culture. However, as the Welsh Assembly announces plans to tax plastic bags, some believe plastic bags are distracting us from more important environmental issues.

Tutored tea tasting

Were you intrigued by news of the British-grown Tregothnan tea? The Tea Plantation offers a tea masterclass consisting of a one-day tutored tea tasting with leading tea tasters and world renowned presenters Tim Clifton and Jane Pettigrew.

The ultimate present for a tea-lover? Only if you have £179 to spare!

Send your name to Mars‏

Want a chance to go to Mars? Fill in your information and your name will be included with others on a microchip on the Mars Science Laboratory rover heading to Mars in 2011!

Icons of the Incarnation at Leicester Cathedral

A new exhibition Icons of the Incarnation by Sophie Hacker is to open at Leicester Cathedral on Wednesday 12 August at 8pm. The exhibition consists of nine stunning works by Sophie Hacker inspired by Olivier Messiaen's La Nativite du Seigneur and the opening night includes a champagne reception, illustrated talk and film by Sophie Hacker herself. The evening will also include a performance by Leicester Cathedral’s Assistant Organist Simon Headley of three movements from La Nativite du Seigneur. Tickets £7 on the door (includes refreshments). There will also be talk on and performance of Oliver Messiaen's music on Tuesday 18th starting at 7pm. The exhibition will then be open daily between Thursday 13 until Sunday 23 August.

‘Praycations’ for staycationers

The Church of England has launched a new web service for people taking a Staycation - holidaying from home instead of going away - during the recession. Staycations offer the opportunity to discover everything a local area has to offer, with cathedrals and local churches often at its centre, says a new Church of England website section at www.cofe.anglican.org/staycations. On the website pages, staycationers can plan their ‘praycation’ by browsing a wide selection of holiday-at-home suggestions, and 10 websites are recommended so visitors can find their local church and cathedral to make the most of their staycation. Over the next month the webpages at will be developed with further ideas and suggestions.

Knowledge of the Bible is poor

Knowledge of the Bible is poor, according to a survey undertaken by Durham University, on behalf of CODEC (Communication in the Digital Environment). Over 900 people, from faith and non-faith backgrounds, were surveyed at various locations throughout England and Wales about their knowledge of the Bible.

62% of respondents did not know the parable of the Prodigal Son and 60% were not able to recall anything about the Good Samaritan. There was also a lack of biblical knowledge among churchgoers, with 72% knowing nothing about Daniel in the Lions’ Den. However, three-quarters of people surveyed said they owned a Bible. Just under athird said that the Bible was significant in their lives today, and many said they still turn to the Bible for support and guidance at key moments.

Economy Gastronomy

The Guardian has been running a week long series on Economy Gastronomy by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett:

One salmon, four dishes
One chicken, three ways
Turn a pumpkin into a feast
Dinner and a treat: escalope of chicken and treacle tart
Spicy black bean quesadilla and anytime cookies

This ties in with a new BBC2 show, Economy Gastronomy, and a book, Economy Gastronomy: Eat Better And Spend Less by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merrett, published by Michael Joseph.

Smells like...Earl Grey

If the thought of Infusion perfume doesn't appeal, how about perfume based on Earl Grey? The French skincare/perfume compant L’Occitane is offering a "limited-edition Bergamot Tea fragrance collection that will delight both men and women alike". For the perfume collection, Earl Grey tea is reinvented into an original and contrasted fragrance, associating the distinction of tea leaves to the subtle freshness of the Calabrian bergamot.

Haggis is English?

A historian has claimed that a haggis recipe was published in an English book almost two hundred years before any evidence of the dish in Scotland. A book published in 1615 indicates haggis was first eaten in England and subsequently popularised by the Scots.

See also: haggis

Updated 4/8: Hands off our haggis, say Scots after English claim‏

Liturgy for a moon landing‏

Following the media interest in the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, I've just found a blog post offering the Liturgy for a moon landing‏. It seems that the first food and drink consumed on the moon was bread and wine, in the sacrament of communion.

Alpha Male: a reporter checks out the Alpha course

Reporter Adam Rutherford of the Guardian is attending an Alpha course. He is writing up his thoughts in The Guardian every Friday - they are also published on the blog as Alpha Male.

Library-themed ice-cream?

Lots of book-related posts recently, and here's another: Book fans develop a taste for library-themed ice-cream. This reports that Ben & Jerry's is considering launching a library-themed ice-cream flavour, after a campaign by a New Jersey librarian gathered thousands of supporters. They signed a Facebook petition asking the icre-cream firmto produce flavours such as Li-berry pie and Sh-sh-sh-sherbet.