Essential Gear, Literary Classics, and London Marathon Facts

The Benefits of Using a Head Torch

For one thing, I don't like running or cycling in the dark. With a head torch, you feel safe because drivers can see you.

It is also great for camping, as I discovered last year on a school camping trip. It was dark and windy when we arrived at the campsite. Jamie and I had head torches, and we put our tent up in exactly five minutes. 15 minutes later, even the teachers were having problems with theirs. As you can imagine, it is difficult to put a tent up in the dark when you are holding torches in your mouth while trying to set up. My head torch was also really useful for cooking in the evening on that camping trip, and it was even more useful for eating in the dark—like the night two huge spiders dropped into my spaghetti.

Robinson Crusoe: The First English Novel

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe. Published in 1719, it is a fictional autobiography of Crusoe, a man who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island after his ship sinks. Crusoe is rescued at the end of the book after many adventures. Many people think that Robinson Crusoe is the first novel in English.

About Daniel Defoe

Defoe was an English writer and journalist. He wrote more than 500 books and journals on various topics, including politics, crime, and psychology. He is famous for Robinson Crusoe and for making novels popular in Britain.

Defoe's Inspiration

Alexander Selkirk was a Scottish sailor who lived on an island near Chile for four years. After his rescue, his story was in British newspapers. Defoe probably got the idea for his story after reading about Selkirk. Selkirk was on one of William Dampier's voyages when he was left on the island.

The London Marathon: Facts and History

The London Marathon is the UK's most famous marathon. It takes place each spring in the capital on a Sunday. It isn't the oldest annual marathon in the world—that is the Boston Marathon in the USA, which started in 1897. Neither is it the largest—that is the New York Marathon. However, it is the biggest fundraising event in the world, raising millions of pounds for charity every year. The London Marathon runners cross the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, so they cross two hemispheres.

Origins of the Event

In 1979, Chris Brasher, a former British Olympic runner, took part in the New York Marathon. The experience gave Brasher the inspiration to establish a similar event in the English capital. Less than two years later, the first London Marathon took place on 29 March 1981.

Growth and Participation

• 1981: Around 6,700 people took part in the first event.
• Nowadays: There are more than 30,000 competitors from over 50 countries.