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Ta, cheers, much obliged: A brief history of 'thanks' in English
History & The Arts

Ta, cheers, much obliged: A brief history of 'thanks' in English

...Open University's BA (Honours) English Language qualification. [Bright pink thank you note with yellow words in an orange envelope.] The practice of saying ‘thank you’ – of expressing gratitude to someone for an act of kindness – is a fundamental element in the way we interact with one another. One of those small, embedded traditions which make up the everyday...
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Article 5 mins
Creative Writing
History & The Arts

Creative Writing

...Open University course A363 Advanced creative writing... Tanika Gupta on Voice Prolific author Tanika Gupta talks about stagecraft, highlighting the importance of voice and comic idiom in her writing. Helen Blakeman and Setting Playwright Helen Blakeman sees setting as integral to a play’s success and highlights the supporting importance of factors such as structure and...
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Audio 2 hrs 28 mins
Straight talking collides with cyclical preferences
Society, Politics & Law

Straight talking collides with cyclical preferences

...open border round Northern Ireland? [The pro-EU march from Hyde Park to Westminster in London on March 25, 2017] The pro-EU march from Hyde Park to Westminster in London on March 25, 2017 It’s becoming uncomfortably clear that in this case – given only the choice between Soft Brexit and Remain – many Hard Brexit enthusiasts would prefer to Remain. They suspect that...
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Article 10 mins
The unique relationship between the fig and the fig wasp
Nature & Environment

The unique relationship between the fig and the fig wasp

...Open University's Science courses and qualifications Earth is a set of interconnected systems where changes in one small thing can have knock-on effects to many othersEverything is connected to everything else. That’s one of the themes that runs through A Perfect Planet. The Earth is a set of interconnected systems where changes in one small thing can have knock-on...
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Article 15 mins
Trade Union membership cards - more than just a card
Society, Politics & Law

Trade Union membership cards - more than just a card

...Open University's Social Sciences courses. Background The provision of diaries has long been part of the service that many unions provide for their members. Even in this era of online calendars and diaries, a hard copy union diary was often gratefully received by trade unionists, a good place to note details of shifts, holidays and other work-related information – in...
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Article 5 mins
Life as a Railway Worker: An Oral History Testimony by Nan Zaimaitas nee Lamont
Society, Politics & Law

Life as a Railway Worker: An Oral History Testimony by Nan Zaimaitas nee Lamont

...Open University's History and Social Sciences courses. Introducing Nan Zaimaitas by Angela MacGregor I first met Nan at the start of my own career in the Scottish Railways. You would be forgiven for overlooking this unassuming woman as being ‘nobody important’, as she sat quietly in Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) branch meetings while other voices were raised, and...
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Article 10 mins
Could a progressive alliance remake UK politics?
Society, Politics & Law

Could a progressive alliance remake UK politics?

...opening up to different cultures and nationalities from around the world. And there is certainly a lot more to sell in the rewards of leading a greener life. But when do we see mainstream politicians championing any of these things? I can count on one hand the politicians who, in my lifetime, have proudly championed the European Union. And, apart from the Liberal...
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Article 5 mins
Planetary Protection of Mars
Science, Maths & Technology

Planetary Protection of Mars

...Open University’s campus in Milton Keynes. [: A photograph of the Beagle 2 spacecraft with four engineers, within a cleanroom.]Assembly of the Beagle 2 Mars lander in the Aseptic Assembly Facility at the Open University in Milton Keynes. Beagle 2 landed on Mars in 2003 but did not communicate with Earth and was presumed lost until identified on images taken from orbit...
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Article 5 mins