The AnswerBank Articles

Between the sheets - books for romantics

by Nicola Shepherd Romatic book ideas: Write him or her into a romantic novel Online just fill in a questionnaire about relevant characteristics, appearance details, likes and dislikes, and then01:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

Discover the artist in you... in a day

by Nicola Shepherd NOW, after just one day, you can unleash your creative talents on the world. Workshops to tantalise even the most reluctant artists are available all around the country,01:00 Mon 12th Feb 2001

Big Brother versus baseball from Botswana

by Nicola Shepherd THE Tories have finally explained how they are going to maintain Labour spending plans while including tax cuts in their election manifesto. Something had to go, and the Tory01:00 Mon 05th Feb 2001

You only have to ask...

...and you'll be amazed at the answers you get. The intellectual capacities and memories of the AnswerBank's visitors have been tested to the limit. But the intrepid seekers of the truth have never01:00 Mon 29th Jan 2001

On equal art terms

by Nicola Shepherd A few impressive words go a long way, especially in the art world. Art critics have an enviable knack of using obsure words to describe what everyone else would call a print 01:00 Mon 29th Jan 2001

Blowing a book's cover

by Nicola Shepherd DO you judge a book by its cover Or do you go for author, content or subject matter first How influenced are you by complimentary cover quotes One literary critic, in a01:00 Mon 05th Feb 2001

Dispensing literature

by Nicola Shepherd BOOK vending machines are being introduced onto platforms across the UK's rail network. Next time you are delayed by a late train, comfort yourself in the knowledge that you01:00 Mon 29th Jan 2001

Janet and John back in fashion

by Nicola Shepherd THE books that taught a nation to read are being re-published and brought up to date. Yes, Janet and John are back. If you are aged over 25, it is highly likely that you, along01:00 Mon 05th Feb 2001

Smile please, its Stirling's world first

by Nicola Shepherd A GIANT photograph is causing a storm in the Scottish town of Stirling. The council has decided to liven up an ugly, prefabricated concrete wall, above a busy road junction, with01:00 Mon 22nd Jan 2001

Theatre of the absurd

by Nicola Shepehrd A ROW is raging over proposals to open a Museum of the Toilet in Staffordshire, but this is not the first time an exhibition has been dedicated to the bizarre. The Gladstone01:00 Mon 22nd Jan 2001

Yanks very much in the West End

by Nicola Shepherd THE MURMERINGS of discontent about Hollywood stars taking over the West End may be muted by an initiative, which has harnessed the headline-grabbing potential of Ewan MacGregor,01:00 Fri 19th Jan 2001

Child's play

by Nicola Shepherd SOME say it's never too early to introduce children to the theatre. Others, who have sat through a nativity play performed by three-year-olds, will probably insist that there is01:00 Mon 15th Jan 2001

A window for your diary

by Nicola Shepherd A DIARY is the staple of every child's stocking at Christmas and many a grown-up's, too. But after you have filled in your personal details, including blood group, and made01:00 Mon 15th Jan 2001

Rembrandt at Gate 22

by Nicola Shepherd AMSTERDAM airport is to become host to some of the world's greatest art treasures, and air travellers will be able to enjoy the displays for free. Every year 40 million people01:00 Mon 15th Jan 2001

The must-see art exhibitions of 2001

By Anna Tobin HUNDREDS of great art exhibitions are going on everyday around Britain, but even the most avid gallery goer can't get to see them all. The AnswerBank brings you the must-see shows to01:00 Wed 03rd Jan 2001

Armani - the new model for art funding

By Anna Tobin BRITAIN'S museums are being encouraged to look for other sources of income as public money is not so forthcoming. But what is being done to stop commercialism going too far Across01:00 Fri 02nd Feb 2001

Can a cover girl judge a good book

By Nicola Shepherd WHO'S THE best judge of a good book The ordinary person who has just read it The literary critic Other authors Or the person whose name carries weight for reasons other than01:00 Wed 20th Dec 2000

It's behind you!

YOU LOVE pantomime! Oh, yes you do! Every year you flock to the theatre to see mother get goosed, a girl kiss Cinderella and the villain booed off stage. The art form that had its origins in the01:00 Wed 20th Dec 2000

Trapped but still kicking

By Nicola Shepherd THE WORLD has still, it would appear, not had enough of the Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap. The production just celebrated its 20,000th performance. It has been seen by 1001:00 Tue 19th Dec 2000

Selling the family silver

By Nicola Shepherd THE BOLSHEVIK revolutionaries, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin have been revealed as plunderers of the Russian nation's great art treasures. They sold off some of the most valuable01:00 Tue 19th Dec 2000