17-23 May 2014
Saturday
Teacher song hits high note
Stars came out in support of an unofficial World Cup anthem recorded by two teachers. Disco Mister - aka Robin Parmiter and Ian Wilson - received praise from celebs including Clare Balding and Jack Whitehall.
Sunday
Striking solidarity
The NUT teaching union said that it may delay strikes in England so that teachers can take action alongside support staff. Members of the Unison, Unite and GMB unions are due to be balloted in a dispute over pay.
Monday
Going Dutch
After a rocky season, Manchester United confirmed that Louis van Gaal (left) will take over as manager after guiding the Netherlands through the World Cup. Former footballer Ryan Giggs will be his deputy.
Tuesday
Phones on the brain
A study by Imperial College London will investigate the effects of mobile phone use on cognitive development, it was revealed. It will track 2,500 young people and focus on faculties such as memory and attention.
Wednesday
Gone but not forgotten
On this day in 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established. It now cares for the memorials and gravesites of 1.7 million people who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.
Thursday
Farage barrage
The UK took to the polls to elect its European Parliament representatives. In the run-up to the elections, news was dominated by the rise of the UK Independence Party, led by the not universally popular Nigel Farage.
Friday
Pinball wizard works his magic
The world’s first rock opera, Tommy by The Who, celebrates its 45th anniversary. The album tells the tale of Tommy, a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” who is clearly a kinaesthetic learner, as he “sure plays a mean pinball”.
24-30 May 2014
Saturday
Sheep thrills
It may seem hard to believe, but there was a time before Mary owned a sheep. Luckily for early years teachers, in 1830 Sarah Josepha Hale published the nursery rhyme Mary had a Little Lamb and history was made.
Sunday
Holy Zarquon, it’s Towel Day!
Make sure you’re armed today with “the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have” - a towel. Towel Day is marked by fans of author Douglas Adams, and was first held after his death in 2001.
Monday
Mud, flies.and freedom
It’s National Camping and Caravanning Week in the UK, just in time for some teachers’ half-term holidays. This year there’s a nostalgia theme, with campsites recreating games and events from the past.
Tuesday
Fringe event
US entrepreneur Donald Trump is due to speak at a National Press Club lunch in Washington DC on “building the Trump brand”. It’s unclear whether this refers to his business dealings or his distinctive hairstyle.
Wednesday
Hired goons
Sing a verse of The Ying Tong Song to mark the first broadcast in 1951 of the BBC radio programme that later became The Goon Show. It made stars of Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine.
Thursday
Crimbo crooner
Blame Bing Crosby for the festive season starting earlier every year. He recorded White Christmas a whole 210 sleeps before Christmas in 1942. The song went on to become the best-selling single of all time.
Friday
The pipes are calling
Music lovers, rejoice! The annual Bagpipe Blowout is once again upon us, and those lucky enough to be able to travel to Polesworth Abbey in Staffordshire will be treated to a weekend of incessant piping.
