Buckingham Palace in London, England is the most famous royal house in the world and a major tourist attraction. It is the official residence of the British monarch. If the Union Jack – the British flag – is flying above the palace, it means that the monarch is at home.

The palace was completed in the 19th century. The first monarch to live there was Queen Victoria. It is currently home to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. Buckingham Palace was first built as a townhouse for the Duke of Buckingham and Normandy. It became the official royal palace of the British monarch in 1837 after Queen Victoria ascended the throne.

Many functions and events are held at the palace. It has 19 staterooms, 53 main bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms respectively. The palace gardens are some of the largest private gardens in London.

'The Changing of the Guard' ceremony is a traditional event that takes place at 11.30 a.m., everyday. Many tourists watch this from outside the palace gates. Every August and September, people get a chance to see inside the Queen's palace, a part of which is open to the public. It is a very beautiful place and one of the most visited places in the world.

My favourite sport

By Shenal Fernando (11 years), St. Joseph's College

My favourite sport is cricket. It is played with a bat and ball. There are three different versions of cricket. They are test cricket, one day international and twenty 20 cricket. The test cricket matches go on for five days. In the limited over cricket matches the batsmen try to score as much runs as possible. When all the overs are finished or when all the batsmen get out, the other team starts to bat.

15 players are chosen for a tournament but only 11 players play in a match. My favourite player is Kumar Sangakkara. My favourite bowler is Brett Lee. My favourite shot is the "Pull shot." My favourite IPL team is Kings XI Punjab. I love cricket because it unites every nation that plays cricket. Cricket is a very enjoyable sport.

My pet

By Nilanya De Silva (7 years), Royal Institute, Maharagama

My pet was a rabbit. His name was Snowy. His fur was just like snow. He didn't sleep so much at night. He came inside the house to keep warm. He liked to eat Kankun, but most of all he loved to eat carrots. He liked to watch birds. I loved my pet rabbit very much.

But one day, when I woke up in the morning my pet was not to be seen. I searched for him
everywhere. Later I saw a little piece of fur fallen near my house. Then I knew that my pet rabbit had been eaten by an animal. Even now I remember my pet rabbit with grief.

Dogs

By Naveksha Gunasekara (10 years), Bishop's College

There are different types of dogs. Some dogs are pure bred and some are cross breeds. There are about 40 different breeds of dogs. Some of the breeds are, Great Dane, Mastiff, Boxer, Bulldog, German Shepherd, Dalmatian, Saluki, Poodle, Pug, Terrier, Ridgeback, Doberman, Labrador, Chihuahua etc.

The most popular dog is the Poodle. Many celebrities have Poodles. My favourite breed is the Labrador. They are also called 'Labs'. There is a breed called Hounds. They are short and long. Terriers are little dogs. They are so cute. Bulldogs are very fat and are a strong breed. They are companion dogs.

The Great Dane is a very strong dog and it makes an excellent family pet. German Shepherds are very intelligent dogs. The Ridgeback has a ridge of hair on its back. Dogs are very useful for humans. You can have a dog as a pet, a companion, a guard and also as a police dog. Man's best friend is the dog! I love dogs.

My family

By Naveen Selvam (Grade 2), Harrow International, College

There are four members in my family. I live with my father, mother and sister. My father is forty two. His name is Ravi Selvam. He is a businessman. My mother is thirty nine.

Her name is Magesvary. She is a housewife. She cooks very tasty food. My sister is twelve. Her name is Krishani. She is studying in Grade Seven.

Our sportsmeet

By Arshad Sahim (Grade 4) Hill Country International School, Madawala

Our sportsmeet was on February 26, 2009 at Madina Grounds. Our sportsmeet started at 2 p.m. The chief guest was Mrs. Sriyani Weerakoon. The House Mistress hoisted the flags.

The huts of our houses, Emerald, Topaz and Sapphire were nicely decorated. There were group games, races, bicycle races and relays. The drill display with the coloured umbrellas, green, yellow and blue, was a beautiful sight. I participated in the drill display and group events.

The Emerald House was the Champion House. The sportsmeet ended at 6 p.m., after the prize
giving. My friends and I enjoyed and went to our homes happily.

Prevention of Dengue

By Dileepa Tissera (12 years), Ecole Internationale, Kandy

Dengue is a huge problem these days. It is actually a viral and dreadful flu. The best way to prevent this disease is the keep our environment clean by destroying the breeding grounds of dengue mosquitoes. Another important measure is not to pile up garbage on the ground.

When a person gets affected by Dengue, the patient must be immediately taken to hospital. It is only a doctor who would be able to say whether it is Dengue, Swine flu or a common flu.

Dengue mosquitoes lay eggs on pure water and their eggs can survive for several years. In Sri Lanka over 11,000 patients have been affected by Dengue and 153 deaths have been recorded so far.

Dengue spreads most commonly in urban areas because of the unhealthy lifestyle of city dwellers. Municipal Councils and other Provincial Councils must carry out preventive programmes particularly in shanty areas. People must make an effort to clean their houses and gardens regularly. Use anti-mosquito sprays where mosquitoes are plenty.

Collecting stamps

By Dilmi Nahallage (11 years), Sailan International School, Seeduwa

Collecting stamps is a popular hobby. A person who collects stamps is called a 'philatelist'. My hobby is collecting stamps. It increases My knowledge and gives me more pleasure.

I have about 200 stamps. We can learn many things such as about fauna and flora, countries, history, biography of men, inventions, discoveries and space exploration. Stamps with errors, forgeries and flaws are regarded as rare ones.

I collect First Day Covers too. First Day Covers are issued on the day a stamp is newly issued. Therefore First Day Covers too are valuable. Collecting stamps is a hobby that anyone can follow easily.

The dictionary

By Nushra Azam. Al-Imran International School, Kandy

Dr. Samuel Johnson is the father of the English dictionary. A dictionary is a book from which
people can find out what words mean, how they are spelt and pronounced. The words are arranged in alphabetical order.

Thus 'abroad' comes before 'absent' because 'r' comes before 's' and so on. The pronunciation is given in signs that stand for various sounds. These signs are explained in the introduction to the dictionary. Then an abbreviation or short form will show the parts of speech, e.g., (n) stands for noun, (adj) stands for adjective. The dictionary improves people's use of language and
vocabulary. It is also a guide for English learners.

My pet

By Krithika Srithar (6 years) Colombo International School, Kandy

My pet is a dog. My pet's name is Goofy. It is four years old. It eats fish. It is black in colour. I play with him. He can run fast. He barks very well. It likes to drink milk. I love him very much.

My friend

By Lashini Amandika (9 years) Akmeemana

My friend is Rashmi. She is nine years old. She lives in Yatalamathta. Her favourite food is cakes. Her favourite drink is milk. Her favourite subject is Maths. I love my friend very much.

My father

By Okitha Kudaligama (Grade 1) Ceylinco Sussex College, Horana

My father's name is H. Santha Kudaligama. He is forty three years old. He is a doctor. He works at Pimbura Hospital, Agalawatta. I love my father very much.