on 05-Jan-2015 (Mon)

While inflation derivatives are not new and Barclays Capital has traded inflation swaps for more than 10 years

Henry VIII was succeeded by his son Edward VI, who was strongly Protestant.

Edward VI died at the age of 15 after ruling for just over six years, and his half-sister Mary became the monarch.

Mary who reigned after Edward VI was a devout Catholic and persecuted Protestants (for this reason, she became known as ‘Bloody Mary’).

Mary also died after a short reign and the next monarch was her half-sister, Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

In 1588 the English defeated the Spanish Armada (a large fleet of ships), which had been sent to conquer England and restore Catholicism.

In 1560, the predominantly Protestant Scottish Parliament abolished the authority of the Pope in Scotland and Roman Catholic religious services became illegal.

The queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart (often now called ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’) was a Catholic.

When Mary Stuart's husband was murdered, Mary was suspected of involvement and fled to England. She gave her throne to her Protestant son, James VI of Scotland.

Mary was Elizabeth I’s cousin and hoped that Elizabeth might help her, but Elizabeth suspected Mary of wanting to take over the English throne, and kept her a prisoner for 20 years. Mary was eventually executed, accused of plotting against Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth managed her relationship with Parliament skilfully. Her successor James I and his son Charles I were far less skilful in their handling of Parliament.

In 1745 there was another attempt to put a Stuart king back on the throne in place of George I’s son, George II. Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), the grandson of James II

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and Gertrude Jekyll designed gardens around country houses.

Elections for the European Parliament are held every five years. Elected members are called members of the European Parliament (MEPs)

In the UK, you must be at least 17 years old to drive a car or motor cycle

MPs are elected at a General Election, which is held at least every five years.

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon poem,

The Tyger is a poem by William Blake.

She Walks in Beauty is a poem by Lord Byron.

Sir Robert Walpole was the first person to use the term Prime Minister.

Snowdonia is a national park in North Wales.

Iron Age people spoke a Celtic-based language.

The Domesday Book is a record of the towns and villages in England from the Norman Conquest period.

Father’s Day occurs each year on the third Sunday of June.

Haggis is a traditional Scottish food. It is a sheep’s stomach stuffed with offal, suet, onions and oatmeal.

The Scottish Grand National at Ayr, and Royal Ascot, a five-day meeting in Berkshire, are two important dates in the horse- racing calendar.

The Queen is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth, which currently has 54 member states.

In 2002 Winston Churchill was voted the Greatest Briton of all time by the British public.

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs. It celebrates the victory of good over evil and the gaining of knowledge.

If an accused person is aged 10 to 17, the case is normally held in a Youth Court.

The Habeas Corpus Act was a major legal development ensuring that people could not be held prisoner without just cause.

The British theatre is celebrated by the Laurence Olivier Awards take place annually and awards are given in a variety of categories.

English settlers began to colonise the eastern coast of North America in the Elizabethan period.

All dogs in public places must wear a collar showing the name and address of the owner.

St Augustine and St Columba were early Christian missionaries who came to Britain to preach about Christianity.

Many sailing events are held throughout the UK, the most famous of which is at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The Reform Act of 1832 increased the number of men who could vote. It also abolished many parliamentary seats where there were few voters (called rotten boroughs), and increased the number of seats in the new cities and towns.

Emmeline Pankhurst was the leader of the women’s suffrage movement.

Sir Chris Hoy is a Scottish cyclist.

Dame Kelly Holmes is a runner.

The Romans ruled Britain for almost / approximately 400 years.

The 40 days before Easter are known as Lent.

Famous UK festivals include Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight Festival.

Sake Dean Mahomet introduced curry houses and shampooing to Britain from India.

Political parties welcome new members. Members work hard to persuade people to vote for their candidates, for example, by handing out leaflets in the street or by knocking on people’s doors and asking for their support (this is called ‘canvassing’).