Jottings
News from the UK and around the World
. . . the wild , the wacky , the wonderful , the weird and the downright infuriating
What ’ s in a name ?
Tucked away in the far south-west of England lies the village of Vogue , fewer than two miles east of Redruth . A village pub , The Star Inn at Vogue , is believed to be at least 150 years old and is now in the hands of Rachel and Mark Graham .
A monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine called Vogue first appeared in 1892 and has been available in UK newsagents since 1916 . It is in the hands of the American publisher Condé Nast .
In March , Big Young Vogue wrote to Tiny Little Older Vogue requesting that the pub name be changed , “ to avoid problems arising .” Tiny Little Older Vogue found the letter “ hilariously funny ,” but nonetheless replied politely to explain that the word “ vogue ” comes from old Cornish and referred to a building where tin from local mines was smelted .
Big Young Vogue immediately replied with a formal letter admitting it had been unnecessary for them to get in touch in the first place . Attached , was a hand-written note reading , “ From one Vogue to another – please accept our apologies .” And Tiny Little Older Vogue has been delighted to do just that , as well as inviting the nice people at Big Young Vogue to pop in for a pint at any time .
Acknowledgement is due to Condé Nast for their swift and human action to put things right , but Rachel and Mark Graham say they now check the post every morning , just in case Madonna gets in touch to point out she had a hit with a song called Vogue in 1990 ...
Woke Watch
Which form of English literature is least likely to offend our snowflake students ? Possibly the sonnet ?
The strict 14-line verse written in iambic pentameter originated in Italy in the 13th century to express “ courtly love ” and was the language of romance during the Renaissance . The sonnet structure was copied in many languages and Shakespeare wrote 154 of them , some addressed to an anonymous “ dark lady .”
Now , the University of Salford has removed the sonnet from its creative
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