tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39268255892757437102011-08-15T18:42:13.047+01:00Information ingots on the World Wide Web, with commentary from the Westminster Libraries' Treasure HuntersTreasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.comBlogger1071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-89620197214545702322011-03-25T09:37:00.000Z2011-03-25T09:37:12.415Z

All future Web Treasure Hunt posts will be posted as part of Westminster Libraries & Archives' blog Books & the City. They'll have their own category - Web Treasure Hunt - so that fans can continue to find them. The archive will remain here on Blogger. So please reset your feeds, subscriptions and favourites to Books & the City. Thanks!

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-41540921051705062882011-03-24T18:15:00.000Z2011-03-24T18:15:27.808Z

As tickets for the 2012 Olympics go on sale, we at Treasure Hunt Towers (being keen fans of all things active and outdoorsy) thought it might be an idea to find out what the Gateway has to offer in the matter of things Olympian First port of call is the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (accessed via the Biography page on the Westminster Libraries Gateway) Apparently the British used to

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-9707846014857515272011-02-01T19:02:00.001Z2011-02-02T09:38:18.010Z

As you all know, the 3rd February is the start of the 2011 Chinese New Year (the Year of the Rabbit will apparently be peaceful, very welcome after the Year of the Tiger) so let’s see what there is on the Westminster Council website to help us celebrate! First up is the Chinese New Year celebration in, well, Chinatown. If you go the Westminster Council homepage just search for ‘Chinese New Year’

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-49813720954929697872010-11-17T13:14:00.003Z2010-11-17T13:17:55.403Z

Winter is almost upon us and it seems a good opportunity to see what the Gateway has to offer for anyone wanting to know how to keep healthy - and where to go if they can’t.First port of call on the Westminster Libraries Gateway is the Health section.Probably the most important site is NHS Choices, given as a Key Link. Put in a postcode to find your nearest doctors, dentists, hospitals etc. The

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-20998336960559046502010-10-01T14:41:00.004+01:002010-10-01T16:56:20.898+01:00

While reading someone else’s newspaper on the tube this morning (always so much more interesting than one’s own), I noticed a headline suggesting that there are more centenarians around than ever before. Having a few years ago attended my grandmother’s 100th birthday (no telegram nowadays – the birthday boy or girl gets a card with a nice picture of Her Majesty on it), I thought I’d see how many

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-85732822308210427972010-09-16T18:20:00.003+01:002010-09-16T20:18:56.953+01:00

It won’t have escaped your notice that Westminster is playing host to a Very Important Visitor this weekend – Pope Benedict XVI, 265th successor to St Peter, the second non-Italian Pope since 1522 and only the second Pope to visit Britain (apparently the one British Pope, Adrian IV, showed no desire to come back and visit his old friends). So it seems a good opportunity to see what the internet

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-24234654669537832462010-09-07T17:58:00.006+01:002010-09-30T11:11:22.274+01:00

It’s hard to have missed the fact that this week is the anniversary of the start of the Blitz (and we don’t mean the much under-rated Lionel Bart musical!). There have been commemorative services at St Pauls, some excellent tv and radio documentaries and an exciting new website with colour footage of wartime Westminster. So let’s see what the Westminster Libraries Gateway has to offer in the way

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-21769112899476059452010-08-15T16:18:00.004+01:002010-08-17T16:12:20.219+01:00

One of the occupants of Treasure Hunt Towers was recently let out on parole and took the opportunity to pay a visit to the Eternal City (that’s Rome to the less educated among us) and realised there was a huge knowledge gap in the field of Art and Architecture. So on the treasure hunter’s return it was off to the Westminster Libraries Gateway to do some research.First stop, obviously, was the Art

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-55901050151183406192010-07-21T19:21:00.008+01:002010-08-17T16:14:49.015+01:00

Well, not really, obviously but it can’t have escaped the notice of any of us that these are dark days for jobseekers and more and more people are asking for our help in finding employment. So we at Treasure Hunt Towers have put together a collection of links and useful information that we hope will be useful for our readers. Go to the Westminster Library Gateway and you will notice a box

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-50600462431201623782010-07-05T13:24:00.002+01:002010-08-17T16:15:05.608+01:00

If there’s one thing we at Treasure Hunt Towers hate, it’s spending money. And if there’s one thing we like doing, it’s getting educated. So how to combine our two hobbies without actually getting out of our chairs? (another thing we hate doing!) . As usual it’s the Gateway to the rescue! First up is Computers & the Internet where I can scroll down to Learning Resources and then learn just

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-46024973557701960032010-06-11T17:37:00.020+01:002010-08-17T16:15:22.464+01:00

Wise words there from Alice and we at Treasure Hunt Towers are big fans of pictures. And books. (And conversations but that’s for another day). So today we’re considering the latest addition to the 24/7 library – The Illustrated London News (the clue’s in the title). This was the first ever illustrated weekly newspaper and ran from 1842-2003. Contributors included Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-55863002639779907212010-05-27T16:41:00.013+01:002010-08-17T16:13:57.450+01:00

We at Treasure Hunt Towers like to start our morning with Radio 4’s Today programme and this morning we were intrigued to hear an interview with the editor of one of our very favourite online resources, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. If you missed it, you can listen here - here (it’s the last item). He was discussing the way the concept of heroism has changed over the last 150

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-73578121472035092412010-05-11T12:39:00.004+01:002010-05-26T11:32:53.269+01:00

Are you running up huge bills on Amazon every month? Worried your bookshelves will collapse under the weight of your acquisitions? Struggling to get your suitcase through customs since you can’t possibly go away for a week with less than seven books? Then maybe an eBook reader is for you. We at Treasure Hunt Towers, being at the cutting edge of technology, have already invested in one of these

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-39137617339571776182010-04-21T15:09:00.002+01:002010-08-17T16:15:57.317+01:00

We at Treasure Hunt Towers are in fever pitch of excitement about the election and just can’t get enough of speeches, hustings, manifestos, soundbites, battle buses and electoral reform. But even if you’re not as enthusiastic/sad (delete as appropriate) as us, it’s useful to know what’s out there on the web to help you decide where to put your cross.First port of call on the Westminster Libraries

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-8492706713527081912010-03-09T10:36:00.003Z2010-09-08T10:39:24.069+01:00

Excitement at Treasure Hunt Towers is at fever pitch because it’s Oscar weekend. Frocks have been dry-cleaned, speeches prepared and tissues bought in bulk. And let us not forget that not only are these the most famous awards in the world (because who really cares about the Nobel Prize?) but they were named by a librarian. Take a bow, Margaret Herrick Anyway it seems appropriate to have a look at

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-18692921400534493312010-01-22T11:35:00.000Z2010-01-22T11:37:32.406Z

Being a strong-willed sort of person, as all information providers are, you will, of course, be in the 12% New Year Resolution Makers who actually stick to it [1]. And like 99% of people they probably involve Taking More Exercise, Dieting and Sorting Out Your Finances. So how to work on these without actually leaving the comfort of your armchair?First exercise – well, obviously you’ve got to put

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-84749525348277938632009-12-30T12:11:00.001Z2010-08-17T16:17:07.667+01:00

As the festive season still has another week to run, my mind naturally turns to panto (‘Oh no, it does’nt’). And indeed the history of pantomime. One treasure trove of all matter Victorian, Christmassy and theatrical is the John Johnson Collection. You can browse by subjects – human freaks, minstrels, dioramas, flea-circuses or whatever else takes your fancy – or search by keyword. If you look

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-90330718350560423152009-12-11T13:15:00.001Z2010-08-17T16:17:32.021+01:00

‘Have you got anything on gender issues?’ Or climate change or pornography or alcoholism or abortion or homelessness or gambling or any of the other hobbies Young People have nowadays? We’ve all had these questions from teenagers doing projects and we’ve all wandered over to the shelves hoping that all the books on animal rights aren’t out. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a single site you

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-77492430342072013942009-10-02T15:37:00.002+01:002009-10-02T15:42:07.691+01:00

As you may know, Treasure Hunt Towers shares premises with Marylebone Library, and we’ve been helping the staff in the Information Service to build up a pile of books for a good bonfire. After all, what’s the point of them? They age faster than a superannuated Spice Girl, and the stuff in them is out of date before the ink is dry. As I splash the paraffin about, I’ll go through a few of them,

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-4859215362914708172009-09-11T16:04:00.003+01:002009-09-11T16:14:00.199+01:00

…and he says he’s got a simple question about getting married to his girlfriend just round the corner at the register office. He popped in there but they’d looked at him funny and sent him to see me. What’s going on? Turns out his girlfriend is from South America, living in an EU country and doesn’t have a visa to visit the UK. After that, it gets complicated. Could I just sort it out for him?

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-35775807871244651952009-09-01T14:57:00.002+01:002009-09-01T15:00:34.321+01:00

You know what it’s like: new people move in, and the first thing they do is change the colour of the front door. It happens to information databases too…Magic ingredientsWhen the Oxford University Press took over the Dictionary of National Biography, renaming it the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB), they promised benefits galore: rewritten entries, many new entries and “added value”

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-57653504793884227662009-08-28T11:32:00.003+01:002009-08-28T11:38:33.850+01:00

Recycling is like dieting – noble ambitions tend to be gnawed and nibbled by human nature. The ideal diet and the ideal recycling plan should be fun to follow and easy to understand. Any chance…?Free to a good homeFreecycle scores heavily on ease of understanding. The only purpose of the website is to put you in touch with a local group who subscribe to the Freecycle ethos. So what’s the big

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-48795650167854480512009-08-20T13:55:00.002+01:002009-08-20T13:59:46.954+01:00

Got a novel inside you? Just putting the finishing touches to that pithy poem? Maybe illustration is your thing, or journalism, or travel writing? Let’s see if we can share it with a grateful public…An expert eyeI wonder how many budding writers have not looked at the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook at least once. I also wonder how many of them realised that this biblical work is available online,

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-39503953673801242002009-08-07T12:14:00.002+01:002009-08-07T12:19:01.999+01:00

I’ve been conducting some public training courses in various aspects of computers and their uses. As a personal mental work-out it’s great: however hard you prepare, unexpected questions come from all angles. For instance, you keep talking about the mouse, but what is it? Why is it called a mouse? What crazy person thought of it? Let’s see if we can get some help…Not exactly

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-43240964396437383942009-07-29T16:06:00.004+01:002009-07-29T16:11:38.926+01:00

Thanks to John Orton (Will Hay’s scriptwriter) for this week’s apt title. Just one website again, but there’s quite a lot to say about it.I wouldn’t start from hereDoes your blood run cold when you read the words National Rail Enquiries? Do you remember queuing at the station for the chance to question a pimply youth with a dog-eared timetable clutched to his bosom? Or waiting for hours for a

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-37372747920295732342009-07-25T13:14:00.002+01:002009-07-25T13:18:30.045+01:00

“I’ll just look in the box for a list. Here we are – oh, no, this one’s from 1998… there must be a more recent one than that. Here’s another one. Damn – that’s even older, and the box has fallen apart! Hang on, I’ll look in the workroom.”Do I exaggerate about ageing lists of local services on curly paper in scruffy boxes. Perhaps I do – sometimes the boxes are quite neat. But why pre-print a

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-71332410389342689642009-07-16T11:06:00.006+01:002009-07-17T18:40:49.844+01:00

Poetry is all the rage:They’ve recently had it on telly.So where should you go to find out more?Look below: feed your mind (and your belly)!Not the wastelandThe Poetry SocietyHas all the latest newsOf poets meek and poets fierceAnd poets with radical views.Discover the Poetry CaféAnd buy a new volume or two.Attend their frequent readingsAnd feast on their veggie ragout.This website’s tone is

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-89064499718047512052009-06-25T11:19:00.003+01:002009-06-25T11:48:58.903+01:00

Yes, you guessed! It’s the “take advantage of a Brit still being in Wimbledon to plug a few sporting websites” issue!We will start, however, not with tennis whites but with sharp suits and trilbies.And they’re off!Actually the suit-and-trilby sneer is a completely unjustified caricature of the users of the Sporting Life website. I’m not saying that your average race-goer won’t check the odds on

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-86582562858506933512009-06-25T11:13:00.001+01:002009-06-25T11:19:09.647+01:00

Recently we touched on sources for old news, one of which also had new news. This time, we’re sticking to new news. Got that? – good! If you have no interest in domestic politics, things have been a bit desperate recently. But if you do happen to be interested in breaking news of broken careers among MPs, what’s the best bet?…and not a sign of Alvar LidellThere are sources galore for news and

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-33805085580188038602009-05-11T14:52:00.001+01:002009-05-11T15:04:42.751+01:00

“There is nothing new under the sun” has (like a lot of biblical quotes) become a cliché. But when someone hits the nail on the head, why be original.Unpopularity of the governmentMPs feared that “there was nothing to prevent the Labour Government from suffering an overwhelming defeat at the next election”. There was, they agreed, “nothing in the Government’s unemployed policy which promised any

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-16841957066411065272009-05-09T15:20:00.002+01:002009-05-09T15:24:09.154+01:00

Illness, disease, health risk… what to do? Bury your head in the sand and hope for the best (yep – I’m up for that) or try to keep yourself informed? If you want to know the worst, and the best, read on.New bedfellows Best Treatments is sponsored by the British Medical Journal, but recently it popped up on the Guardian website. So alongside ads for homeware and tourist trips to Newcastle and

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-37168897288441526332009-04-24T10:18:00.003+01:002009-04-24T10:31:55.425+01:00

Before we taste this week’s choice morsels, a reminder about an item from the last edition. In order to get all the free stuff from How To Books (a Key Link under “Advice & help”), be sure to scroll right to the bottom of the home page, and click on the words “Read How To Books Online For Free”. Now, walk back this way.Find your way to the pastNow, what do you suppose Old London Maps is about?

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-24346972535426373042009-04-17T10:53:00.003+01:002009-04-17T11:00:09.623+01:00

All the staff at Treasure Hunt Towers (even the cat) like to get out and about, sampling new websites, revisiting old ones, and conveying our impressions to you, dear reader. But this week we’ve decided to stop in and examine two useful "add-ons" to our own Westminster Libraries website.We Use Lots Of PaperActually we try not to use much paper, and that’s not what WULOP stands for, which is

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-26934226108398726552009-04-08T14:32:00.003+01:002009-04-08T14:38:17.628+01:00

I prefer my advice from the hip – no messing, tell me what to do and why. These two websites pass the test.How to… where to…Including How To Books on the Gateway was a tricky proposition. Where to put it? The scope of these guides, every word of which seems to be available free online, is mind-boggling. The home page mentions these broad categories: business, employment, property, living abroad,

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-88221110111525684312009-04-03T09:26:00.003+01:002009-04-03T09:57:50.807+01:00

I’m a bit of a dinosaur (pauses for agreement from colleagues). I find a lot of the current eco-babble a bit hard to take. On the other hand, even I realise that I waste a lot of stuff, and sometimes hop on a bus when I could easily walk. So this week’s WTH is about doing your bit for green-ness without unnecessary suffering.Stroll on!It’s been a while since I had a look at walkit.com, and I must

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-74405165061446390172009-03-17T14:05:00.002Z2009-03-17T14:11:24.404Z

Film… television… films about television and TV programmes about films: it’s a symbiotic relationship (symbiotic! Hark at him!). Two excellent websites reflect this closeness.All our yesterdays on screenScreenonline is "the definitive guide to Britain’s film and TV history". Sounds a bit dry, doesn’t it? But spend a few minutes exploring this fascinating site and you will be hooked.From 1890s

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-22403466885969626622009-03-11T15:03:00.003Z2009-03-11T16:24:59.654Z

“ 'I want to know--''Look here. Upon my soul you mustn't come into the place saying you want to know, you know,' remonstrated Barnacle junior [of the Circumlocution Office], turning about and putting up the eye-glass.” (from Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens)Information from government – has anything changed?The direct route?“Easy access to the public services you use and the information you need

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-79545200557309099762009-03-11T14:57:00.002Z2009-03-11T15:03:07.214Z

“Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules, and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting.”Thank you, George (Orwell) – let's get on with the fighting.The panorama and the nitty-grittyThe Virtual Library of Sport is not pretty. It's been online for 15 years, and age has not

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-48428086719823331482009-02-23T19:49:00.003Z2009-02-23T19:54:51.713Z

You know the sort of thing – if Shakespeare were alive today he'd be writing lyrics for rock groups, and Beau Brummel would be doing the gossip column in the Daily Mail. I don't, of course, approve of that sort of thing. Except...June: the new Isabella?It's irresistible to think that Mrs Beeton (“The Book of Household Management, comprising information for the mistress, housekeeper, cook,

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-62560595593196489692009-02-02T12:47:00.002Z2009-02-02T13:04:42.827Z

The text for today’s lesson comes from the late great Edmundo Ros, whose sepulchral tones ring in my ear as I type: "It’s illegal, it’s immoral or it makes you fat!"Healthy eating – OK, the advice from "experts varies daily, but is there someone who can help us eat healthily (and maybe enjoy our food as well)?A picture of health In current UK use, the word "agency" can make the blood run cold.

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-49618989402226533502009-01-29T13:17:00.003Z2009-01-29T13:29:09.329Z

The Internet does well by music – here are a couple of examples.Playing togetherMaking Music London is one of those delightfully uncomplicated websites that does one thing and does it well. The task here, you will be unsurprised to hear, is to help people in London to make music together. Unless you want to do this hanging around on a street corner, in which case you should try your nearest pub

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-63333527137860430842009-01-15T15:02:00.003Z2009-01-15T15:09:03.878Z

Are you in or are you out? This week’s websites are all about the chosen few.Class of ‘05215 new biographies have just been added to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and the qualification is simple, if a touch macabre – to be included in the latest batch, you must have died in 2005. Of course, since then your name will have been tossed around at meetings of the great and the good at

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-7541718838194449132009-01-09T09:46:00.002Z2009-01-09T09:56:07.549Z

It used to be the case that, once Christmas and the New Year were safely out of the way, our thoughts turned to holidays. The standard method for getting through the wintry weeks of January and February was to plot and plan your summer jaunt.This year it is not just the weather that is distinctly icy, so maybe you are thinking in terms of Margate rather than the Med. But that needn’t stop you

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-72579321260405212742008-12-22T13:50:00.002Z2008-12-22T13:53:00.272Z

This festive edition of WTH comes to you with our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, and also with a recommendation that you check out a web page which has recently changed for – we think - the better.Exclusively organisedIf you find our Exclusive Resources (the ones for which Westminster Libraries pay a subscription) through the Gateway, you might not have come across this page:http://

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-91515895068176551992008-12-22T13:44:00.002Z2008-12-22T13:49:23.104Z

We often have fun thinking up clever titles for Web Treasure Hunt, but this time it’s different – this edition is called "back to work", and that’s exactly what it’s all about. People need jobs, and jobs are more difficult to find. But there are still jobs to be found, and we can help our users to find them, to apply for them, and to get advice if they need training or a brush-up of their CVs.The

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-34160302876306590872008-12-22T13:27:00.002Z2008-12-22T13:32:30.896Z

We’re coming to the end of the National Year of Reading. Of course every year is a "Year of" something these days, and often the theme fails to excite. But reading – and the promotion of reading – really is important to everyone, and the National Year of Reading has been celebrated here in Westminster with some high-profile events and some snazzy promotions. So both Treasure Hunt links this week

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-53576730661265346152008-10-29T14:09:00.003Z2008-10-29T14:16:17.802Z

I may have gone on about the providers of darned good reference resources who give them meaningless names. I’m going to do it again.… by any other nameI could never spell Xreferplus – it didn’t flow, it made no sense, it was just silly. So when they decided to change the name, my hopes rose… in vain. Whoever came up with Credo Reference should be dragged out and shot. But the people who put this

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-28874464484802312272008-10-13T16:16:00.003+01:002008-10-13T16:25:06.812+01:00

Web Treasure Hunt has dealt with journey planners several times in the past. At least one of the planners now included on the Gateway was nearly dumped at one time because it was not reliable. Have things changed for the better? For this issue our crack team of testers has put three sites through their paces.The gold standardThe TfL (Transport for London) Journey Planner provides a benchmark for

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-66606743912876247752008-09-19T16:17:00.002+01:002008-09-19T16:22:57.103+01:00

We enter our fifth century by looking at some books – tens of thousands of them, in fact.The billion dollar book store.The story behind Project Gutenberg is extraordinary. A chap called Michael Hart was given, in 1971, a billion dollars’ worth of computing time by some people at the University of Illinois. It seems that, at that time, there was more computing capacity than they knew what to do

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-1095878965274501652008-09-12T18:18:00.004+01:002008-09-12T18:35:21.609+01:00

The email version of the Treasure Hunt is 400 issues old, but I've spared bloggers the self-congratulatory stuff. Here is the meat of the thing: some useful sites for checking out the London arts scene.Hit the trailSeveral of the websites included in the Gateway’s "London" section are duplicates of entries elsewhere, or London-specific pages from websites in other categories. You will find the

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-91082482624808723182008-09-04T16:09:00.004+01:002008-09-04T16:25:19.984+01:00

Last week we promised to give you a summary of our amazing, but possibly a bit confusing, collection of Exclusive Resources in the Gateway’s "News & Magazines" category. So here it is [deep breath!] -"I think there was a story about it… last week… or the week before… or something…"What you need for this sort of query is our mega-database of news articles, NewsUK. Here you can search all the

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-29192884713326909252008-08-29T15:59:00.004+01:002008-08-29T16:10:39.891+01:00

Just one website again this week, but it’s another biggy. Sorry, biggy is not big enough – it’s a hugey!At a newsstand (not) near you What happened about that plan for teachers – did the unions go for it? Hang on, I’ll just check today’s Daily Telegraph. Did the police give the green light to taser guns? I’ll check it out in The Times. But since we’re talking about the Sydney Daily Telegraph and

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-26417134790101520602008-08-22T14:03:00.002+01:002008-08-22T14:08:46.977+01:00

Just one Gateway website this week. Down in the world of searchable databases, something very strange is happening – strange, that is, in a good way.Looking over the fence When the provider of one of our Exclusive Resources claims to have revolutionised their search engine, we adopt a suitably sceptical facial expression and give it a go.What is usually on offer is an improvement in the way you

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-28931027840506983182008-08-15T12:00:00.004+01:002008-08-15T12:07:29.023+01:00

Yet another new Exclusive Resource this week – and a fun one at that – together with a well-informed media watchdog. Mirror by express deliveryWhen we try to find new goodies to add to our Exclusive Resources for library members, we are getting used to finding fantastic products which are undersold by less-than-exciting names. UK Press Online is no exception.What this bland façade luckily fails

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-52887121003295097172008-08-11T09:55:00.003+01:002008-08-11T10:08:15.266+01:00

A new jewel in the Westminster Libraries crown of Exclusive Resources (we pay the dosh, you get the benefit), and cool links for kids. The common theme is music.Much more musicIf the title Music Reference Online stirs your blood, you’ve probably got strange blood. But take a peak beyond the pedestrian name and it all gets a lot more interesting. At the moment, when you click on the Gateway link,

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-45357371176441730382008-07-25T12:43:00.002+01:002008-07-25T12:48:06.379+01:00

Here I lie in my deckchair, my toes gently nuzzling the warm sand as I bask in the shade of a palm tree. A scantily clad waitress, drinks tray in hand, approaches me with the magic words, "Wake up, you lazy blighter and do some work!" If you are planning your own escape from toil, here’s help with finding something to read on the beach.South Island suggestions If you like… has rightly kept its

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-3690163688517231842008-07-16T14:53:00.002+01:002008-07-16T14:59:10.093+01:00

Look, whatever I say about the weather will prove to be good for a laugh by the time you read this. So let me just say that now, as I sit here and look out through the window, it’s sunny and warm. If necessary, just use your imagination.Water gardensAs I contemplate the hard midday shadows on the stucco wall opposite (how poetic!), I think how nice it would be to visit a garden, one where someone

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-153089338116738962008-07-03T12:18:00.003+01:002008-07-03T12:29:14.836+01:00

Exclusive adviceIf you are a writer or an artist, and have ever needed a publisher or an agent or copyright advice or a kick-start in writing travel books, you have probably consulted the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook.Almost every library has a print copy, but usually this is a reference copy which you can’t pour over in the discomfort of your own garret. Look no further than the electronic

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-53193989492997865202008-06-20T11:42:00.003+01:002008-06-20T11:47:42.593+01:00

If you are reading this in bed, be careful – this edition contains sporting activity.Digging for victoryIf you want all the latest dirt on the London Olympic Games in 2012 – the scandals, the overspends, the displacement of rare species – don’t bother looking at London 2012. This is the official website for the games; all it needs is some pompoms and a short skirt to be the perfect

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-18722808443734797912008-06-09T10:06:00.005+01:002008-06-10T13:56:20.506+01:00

One way to stop people looking at your records is to keep moving them around. The government has applied this principle to public records over the years, shifting them around London and the provinces, not always leaving a forwarding address.I suppose they were bound to tire eventually. Lots of physical records have now been collected in a bunker in Kew…Catch it before it movesThe National

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-21148421334327265732008-05-29T12:22:00.003+01:002008-05-29T12:30:49.945+01:00

"It reads like a soap opera." Just a book-reviewer’s cliché, right? Wrong; read on… Dirty dealingsIt seems that Julie, who was one of Wayne’s mistresses, was used by old Charlie Roberts to try to stop Wayne sleeping with his own mother Dotty, when, according to Keith, she was trying to control the family by getting Wayne into bed with her.Eastenders? Emmerdale? Try ancient Rome – all I did was

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-28886749872702068192008-05-22T12:15:00.003+01:002008-05-22T12:22:21.432+01:00

Some people don’t only hide their lights under bushels, they try hard to make the bushels look extra-dull. Others shine out unashamed. So here are two great online resources, one a dedicated light-hider and the other a shameless shiner.Hidden treasureIf you wanted to publish an online database of magazines, but you didn’t want anyone to look at it, you could do worse than call it Infotrac Custom

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-66961139261689972122008-05-15T11:59:00.003+01:002008-05-15T12:17:23.249+01:00

We’ve always known that London was full of arts events and performances, but it’s often been difficult to track them down. These two websites are now up to speed and able to help.Let’s see nowtheSeer rides two horses. Let them explain for themselves:"theSeer is the free online directory and resource for all of London’s creative individuals, organisations, venues, commissioners and bookers to

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-31879739739591804142008-05-07T15:13:00.003+01:002008-05-07T15:42:48.190+01:00

Having children can be difficult and expensive, but are they grateful? Of course not, they arrive demanding constant entertainment whenever they deign to stay awake for a few minutes. We point to help before and after childbirth, but not in that order.Dog in the… parkThe Fun with Spot website has been a fixture on the Gateway to websites for rather a long time, and quite right too. It’s not

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-32562789906047008812008-05-01T10:41:00.003+01:002008-05-01T10:47:33.359+01:00

The last time my team reached a final, food was on ration and Vera Lynn was warbling at the troops. If your team has just done better, in the Champions League for instance, and you fancy savouring the occasion, you might need a visa. (I say might because, at the time of writing, there was confusion as to whether Chelsea and Man U fans might be allowed to travel without visas. If so, they should

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-72402252653562973282008-04-21T15:23:00.002+01:002008-04-21T15:29:36.338+01:00

"Guess what Nelly’s done now. She’s only gone and started using computers… I know, at her age! She popped down the library, and they gave her some sort of taster… yeah, I know, just like it was jam or something! "Then after they’d given her a quick session round the houses, they sat her in front of a computer, and some woman from the BBC came on the screen and told her how to use all the gubbins

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-30397815904675055512008-04-14T09:20:00.004+01:002008-04-14T09:24:58.457+01:00

Now here’s the thing: somebody at Xreferplus thought the name Xreferplus didn’t quite cut it as a catchy title for a great product. Right so far. Instead they went for Credo Reference. Nah…you’re right, it isn’t any better. Which is a pity because the product was great and has just got better.Watch it growCredo Reference aims to be a one-stop shop for online reference sources, covering subjects

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-58109696822537115122008-03-31T18:47:00.004+01:002008-03-31T19:02:43.157+01:00

I thought I would start with a few jokes – you know… computers are like women, can’t live with them, can’t live without them… that sort of thing. No? OK, on with the show.Amateurs welcomePC Pro is a magazine for people with more than a casual interest in computers - pros in fact! And the PC Pro website seems to have been set up to cater for similar folk. But nowadays you don’t have to be a

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-52007981045208872082008-03-27T11:18:00.003Z2008-03-27T11:22:51.219Z

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has two major tasks: to protect us against bad things like the collapse of Northern Rock, and to give us all personal financial advice. The FSA’s own report tells us that they failed miserably to do the first bit – their grip on the Northern Rock situation was like a small child with a blindfold on, trying to catch a wet balloon. So are they any good at job

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-90582848814479949372008-03-14T11:15:00.004Z2008-03-16T12:10:25.718Z

It’s a minefield. The ins and outs of immigration, citizenship and asylum boggle the mind. Searching for websites to help people in this area can leave you drained. As usual, the Gateway to websites can help.Jumping through the hoopExams are the new religion, so it was no surprise when an exam for Britishness was introduced. Luckily for those of us who are already UK citizens, we don’t (yet)

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-71793715823344870202008-03-08T09:33:00.003Z2008-03-08T09:42:09.341Z

Statistics are boring. Our eyes glaze over when some expert comes on the telly droning on about the trade figures and economic trends and blah blah blah… We’re just not interested. Unless.Unless the stats are about an area we live in or work in or visit, and relate to our own lives. For instance, trainee nurses and social workers are sent out to construct a social and health-related profile of

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-41260299566557979842008-02-21T16:29:00.004Z2008-02-22T07:42:34.475Z

When was this written?"It is one of the most melancholy reflections of the present day, that while wealth and capital have been rapidly increasing, while science and art have been working the most surprising miracles in aid of the human family, and while morality, intelligence, and civilization have been rapidly extending on all hands;- that at this time, the great material interests of the

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-70460834765321161142008-02-16T11:54:00.003Z2008-02-16T12:01:13.860Z

Be careful as you come out of your local supermarket. Drop your receipt in the street, and the chances are that someone will digitise it and bung it on the Internet. It’s not cheap to digitise material which was previously only available in print - you either need a charitable handout, or you need subscribers to share the costs. Let’s have a look (in reverse order) at one of each of

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-23816492474164766122008-02-08T10:04:00.000Z2008-02-08T10:12:09.125Z

Choice continues to be a buzzword with politicians. Choice is now compulsory, even when it’s between substandard goods or services. So when I was told about NHS Choices, and that it was similar to but better than NHS Direct, I was sceptical (now I’ve shocked you).It’s all a bit strange, actually. NHS Direct is still there (last time I looked), with all the features which led us to put it on the

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-31451757394447112322008-02-01T12:30:00.000Z2008-02-01T12:34:58.906Z

Web Treasure Hunt often features websites which have recently been added to the Gateway to websites. Obvious really – once they’re on the Gateway, show them off and get people using them. Reviewing the last year’s additions, I started to check out how they had stood the test of time. Here’s one which caught the eye again…Metro magic You know how it is. You’re jetting off for a weekend city break

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-41321048247717865302008-01-25T15:36:00.000Z2008-01-25T15:54:45.207Z

I sympathise with people whose job is to pick the prize-winning novel from a sea of mediocre manuscripts, or cast the lead role from amongst the starlets who strut their stuff to so little effect. My sympathy arises from the fact that we get sent suggestions for new websites for the Gateway, sometimes from the actual promoters of the sites. We always try to give these a fair consideration, but

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-75370175644113193002008-01-16T17:28:00.000Z2008-01-16T17:43:47.191Z

When we were tinkering with the Gateway to websites recently, we tried to draw together some useful websites for green types of a practical disposition. So here are a couple of recycling suggestions, and a route-finder for shanks’s pony. Pick out the useful bitsRecycleNow combines good practical suggestions with some really naff trendyspeak. All the stuff about integrated advertising campaigns

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-1042865458746342992008-01-09T11:09:00.000Z2008-01-09T11:16:23.830Z

Our brand new way of getting Who’s Who online coincides with the publication of the new edition and the addition of over a thousand more of the great and the… good heavens, is that the time? Must get on!Cuddly not clunkyWho’s Who has been available, through KnowUK or Credo Reference, for several years. And we know from the stats (Big Brother really is watching you) that Who’s Who is the top-used

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-69697622222754290992007-12-15T12:05:00.000Z2007-12-29T10:36:55.535Z

This quiz is designed to give you an excuse to revisit some of the year's posts on this blog, and the websites we have featured from our Gateway to websites. Westminster Libraries staff receive this by email, with an incentive in the form of chocolate as prizes. No chocs on the blog, unfortunately, but we hope you will find it a bit of fun.Big hint: each question contains keywords (or suggests

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-49539858133318382062007-12-07T10:52:00.000Z2007-12-07T10:56:59.457Z

Advice comes at us from all quarters, much of it unwelcome, irrelevant or with strings attached. The two websites we feature this week are both well-aimed at particular age groups and, having picked their targets, get down to business fast.Real lifeAge Concern has got really wizzy. Their website’s home page is a model of simplicity – news and featured topics in the middle of the page, and a

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-72863928508428452522007-11-30T11:25:00.000Z2007-11-30T11:32:00.574Z

As Christmas approaches, we at WTH Towers are busy darning our biggest stockings (in case anything falls out on Christmas morning). Some of us tend to be a bit humbuggy about the whole thing, so I’ve found some websites to get us all in the mood – including food, which always works.Don’t wait upAdvent Calendars press the right buttons: they are in synch with the season, they have an air of

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-22029860607603003942007-11-19T18:09:00.000Z2007-11-19T18:30:08.960Z

Now that Ken Livingstone’s transport empire has been extended to take in "The Overground", it seems like a good idea to revisit the Transport for London (TfL) website, and in particular the Journey Planner.An onscreen leaflet rackYou can still get maps and leaflets at tube stations about routes, fares, this and that. But the most reliable source of this information is the TfL website.Underground

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-68745273741955775672007-11-16T15:47:00.000Z2007-11-16T15:57:30.079Z

Some people just go out and get a job; many more of us need a bit of help. Here are some online suggestions and an offline oasis…Beginners pleaseIf you are new in London, maybe with not many qualifications, or you are returning to work after taking time out, it can be difficult to find a job. This is where Fuse Jobs may be able to help. They specialise in "entry level" jobs.Fuse Jobs is not a

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-16405079575902723772007-11-09T17:51:00.000Z2007-11-09T17:59:56.230Z

Now I’m as green as the next man… as long as he’s not too green. But it’s all very well paying lip service to conservation – politicians show us the way. What about a practical approach?A net benefit for natureThe "about" blurb for Naturenet includes the following: "Naturenet is a voluntary enterprise to provide a good online resource for practical nature conservation and countryside management.

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-91397419768872460222007-11-01T16:41:00.000Z2007-11-01T18:35:16.637Z

Let’s face it: if you work in a library, you’re likely to get asked questions about other libraries. You could just gasp in amazement that anyone could wish for more than the treasures immediately around them, or you could read on… What’s out there, Tink?I know I’m easy to impress, but I still think What’s in London Libraries is a little bit of magic, a sort of Tinkerbell of the libraries,

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-45221886815941161792007-10-25T17:31:00.001+01:002007-10-25T17:48:00.867+01:00

"A good scare is worth more than good advice": so goes the proverb. Well, if you need or want a good scare, Halloween is just around the corner, but if you seek advice, read on…No appointment necessaryGetting face-to-face help from Citizens Advice Bureaux can be an uphill task these days, There aren’t so many of them around, and the ones which are left struggle to cope with the demand. Online

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-6306821235125167932007-10-17T11:00:00.000+01:002007-10-18T11:46:16.857+01:00

You know how it is: you’ve enjoyed a book, you didn’t really want it to end, and you’d like to read another one just like it. Or… you struggled through that brick-sized saga with a gruelling plot and not many jokes, and all you want now is a bit of light relief. Help is at handLarger than life ... or down to earth?Whichbook is a bit of fun, really infuriating, jolly useful or a waste of bandwidth

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-82240848682133777292007-10-09T12:52:00.000+01:002007-10-09T13:03:29.525+01:00

Steps in the right directionIt’s a funny profession, dance. You train for years, continue to work out every day, and then deliberately pursue an activity with a high probability of causing you physical discomfort or injury, often getting paid about the same as an unskilled fruit-picker.Of course it’s voluntary, so we shouldn’t shed too many tears. But it’s good to see that there is now a website

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-30310647114414950512007-09-28T09:53:00.000+01:002007-09-28T10:03:04.538+01:00

Whether you want to get about London under your own steam, or take a virtual trip on the Tube, we’ve got the gen.A walk in agreeable companyIf you live in or near London and want to know more about the history of the bits you don’t usually visit, or even the bits you do, then we have the answer: go for a walk with a nice chap talking into your ear. If someone asks you about reliable guides who

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-64528989080970283022007-09-20T14:41:00.000+01:002007-09-20T14:52:44.093+01:00

There are lots of good jokes about Americans’ somewhat hazy knowledge of world geography (oh go on, you must have heard them), but this week’s featured websites show a rather firmer grasp on foreign affairs. The view from Capitol Hill ...The Library of Congress serves both the American government and its people as a repository for all things American - it claims to be the largest library in the

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-36098467103493422662007-09-13T17:24:00.000+01:002007-09-13T17:45:52.433+01:00

We’ve made a few changes to the Gateway to websites. The front page is now (we think) cleaner and crisper, with icons at the bottom linked to related pages. Within several of the category pages there are links to Webtastic, the revised and greatly improved website suggestions for homework.And when you visit a category page, you will see that all the other categories are listed on the left, so

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-85456443612039672142007-09-07T14:37:00.000+01:002007-09-07T14:46:43.507+01:00

Bienvenue, bébéTalk To Your Baby "has produced a series of quick tips for parents and practitioners to help children develop good talking and listening skills." I was a bit mystified by the word "practitioners" - what do they practise, and are you allowed to practise on real babies?However, I understood "parents", and when I am told that "talking to your baby from day one will help the two of you

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-81070098357580082402007-08-30T13:50:00.000+01:002007-08-30T14:06:52.932+01:00

Junior gets a makeover Webtastic is the Gateway to websites’ younger sibling (gender unknown). We’ve had a collection of links to useful homework websites for a long time, but recently a colleague has been beavering away, adding more links, banishing faded ones, and making the pages much (much) brighter – and Webtastic was born!Ranging from "Art & design" to "Webguides and search engines", the

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-10877848098783098672007-08-23T13:39:00.000+01:002007-08-23T13:50:30.528+01:00

From the cradle . . . Have you noticed that schools in Westminster have a disconcerting habit of changing their names? I’m sure they have the best possible motives – they’re probably not doing to just avoid their creditors or to put undesirable pupils off the scent. But it can be confusing.With this in mind, we thought it might be helpful to put a direct link on to the Gateway. The Gateway’s

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-19875415922860660572007-08-15T14:17:00.000+01:002007-08-15T14:25:04.889+01:00

Whether you prefer to see the newsstand version or the online edition, we can help you find your newspaper.Hold the front pageI was glancing at the front page of today’s Telegraph just a minute ago. Not our own dear Daily Telegraph – the one I was looking at is published in Calcutta, and I reached its front page using the Newseum. I could have looked at any one of 578 other front pages from

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-6475876361321223622007-08-09T15:59:00.000+01:002007-08-09T16:15:34.995+01:00

This week, stretch your legs out and relax in the most helpful household anyone could wish for.Welcome to June’s houseHint and things is run by “a plump, old, grey wrinkly living in the south of England” (her words), called June Jackson. There’s a picture on the website showing June and her family, and it sets the tone for the whole edifice. June’s aim is to provide (I quote her again) “some of

Treasure Hunter (A)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-48375163021742717282007-08-03T09:33:00.000+01:002007-08-09T16:14:45.645+01:00

An ugly (or, at least, dull) duckling becomes a dazzling swan. We reflect on its new magnificence.Watch, join in, eat, shopTime Out used to be listed on the Gateway with a health warning along the lines of "don’t expect anything like the chubby magazine that rests between the Skinny Latte and the Blackberry on the coffee table of anyone who's in the flow of life in London." The website used to

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-31635108265939737442007-07-25T18:37:00.000+01:002007-07-27T14:53:07.999+01:00

We’ve added two new sub-categories to the Computers section of the Gateway to Websites. So I will waffle on about these rather than pick individual sites.Give us the tools and we’ll conquer the WebIt’s not good enough to surf the Net these days, you have to be interactive. That’s b******s of course – you can have a great time just drifting about the Internet, but using interactive tools can be

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-42859339206087095252007-07-16T09:42:00.000+01:002007-07-16T09:57:11.375+01:00

I was feeling a bit retro, so I thought I would do books.BeebooksIt’s great fun to knock the BBC, so don’t let me put you off. But I have to say that their website is more awesome every time I look. Try to name a subject for which they haven’t got an in-depth collection of web pages. It’s not easy. Their books pages are exemplary.If the first page of BBC Books is a bit crammed – actually it’s

Treasure Hunter (A)noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3926825589275743710.post-84540118940135366632007-07-09T11:57:00.000+01:002007-07-09T13:29:04.946+01:00

This week a big beast which just keeps getting bigger.Laydeez ‘n’ gennelmen, please welcome…What do Geoffrey de Burgh, Roger of Salisbury and John the Chanter have in common. Buzz! --- "Smartypants, Oxbridge" --- "They were all bishops!"Smartypants is quite right, they were bishops in the 12th and 13th centuries. But their recent claim to fame is that they have just made it into the Oxford

Treasure Hunter (D)noreply@blogger.com0