Articles by Jo Foster

Stephen Lowry, better known to the world as LS Lowry, was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Famous for painting industrial scenes from northern England in his distinctive style, his figures were dubbed "matchstick men". In his lifetime, Lowry was labelled a naïve "Sunday painter" by his critics, not only because of the simplistic style of his figures, but also because ...

Nestling off the southern coast of Florida, the archipelago of Florida Keys is a popular holiday destination. With miles of beautiful islands to explore, it's a visitors' paradise - your holiday can be as relaxing or as lively as you wish. Located at the southernmost tip of Florida, the famous islands boast an average temperature of 25.5°C. If you fancy taking a walk on the wild side, there ...

Thanks to its stunning appearance, the Japanese Koi fish is a popular choice for pond owners. Bred in a variety of colours including black, white, red, blue, orange, yellow and cream, this creates a breath- taking spectacle when a shoal of fish nears the surface to feed in unison. As particularly valuable fish, different factors including size, bloodline, age, colour and type, determine thei...

Spanish club Real Madrid CF has been called the most successful football club of all time, with a distinguished 116-year history and an estimated worth of $4.1 billion. Now the club is throwing its weight behind saving the environment - by choosing a revolutionary new kit made out of recycled plastic. The kit was created by Adidas, in conjunction with Parley for the Oceans - an environmental...

British writer, adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls is renowned for his extreme survival series. The former SAS trooper has braved wild conditions, living off his wits to make 12 television series, including Born Survivor: Man vs Wild from 2006 to 2011 and more recently, Bear's Mission, in 2018. He has appeared in survival series both in the UK and the USA and has completed eight major e...

The children's television show, Worzel Gummidge, was a big hit in the late 1970s. First screened in 1979, the kids' sitcom followed the adventures of scarecrow Worzel and his friends on the farm. Pertwee was best known for his role as the smooth time-traveller Dr Who between 1970 and 1974, so the role of a bumbling scarecrow, who likes a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake, couldn't have bee...

Since it first opened its doors to strays back in 1860, Battersea Dogs' Home has rescued and rehomed around three million animals. While initially it focused on dogs, today it rescues and rehomes cats as well, providing a full service, including veterinary treatment, for the many animals in its care. As well as the main rehoming centre (Battersea Dogs' Home in London). it also operates two f...

Squeeze is a British pop and rock band who had their first commercial success in the late 1970s, during the post-punk, new wave era. They continued recording and touring through to the 1990s, and despite breaking up in 1999, they reformed eight years later and are still going strong today. Their first hit record was Take Me I'm Yours, which peaked at number 19 in the UK singles chart in 1978...

‘He’s the greatest. He’s fantastic. Wherever there is danger he’ll be there!’ The 1981 television series, Danger Mouse, featured the animated antics of an unlikely secret agent and his trusty hamster sidekick. Created by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, it was a parody of British spy novels and starred a rodent James Bond-type hero, who survived all kinds of dangerous missions in his fight agai...

After sinking more than 300 years ago, an English warship said to be carrying $500 million in gold coins and bullion remains at the bottom of the ocean, as diplomatic wrangles continue about who is entitled to the spoils. HMS Sussex sank off the coast of Gibraltar on 1st March 1694, as the British fleet was battered by a severe storm. Most of the 500 crew members on the 80-gun ship lost thei...