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Reference Shelf

Reference Resources on the Internet

The resources listed here are free unless otherwise indicated.
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  1. General Reference Collections, Dictionaries, Glossaries, Encyclopedia
  2. Directories
  3. Government, the State, Europe
  4. Statistical Data
  5. Conversion Tools
  6. Travel, Route Finders, Maps
  7. Weather
  8. Charities
  9. Miscellaneous

  1. General Reference, Dictionaries, Encyclopedia & Glossaries:

    • The Reference Collection, at Bartleby.com, is an impressive collection of over 30 contemporary and classic reference works, all available free, in full text. There is some U.S. bias but many European works are included too. Listed under various headings such as:
      • 'General' covering general encyclopedia and dictionaries;
      • 'Quotations';
      • 'English Usage' - mainly American English, but also H.W. Fowler's 'The Kings English';
      • 'Mythology',
      • 'Literary History & Literature';
      • 'Parliamentary Procedure & Government' etc.
      It is possible to browse the full text of any of these works, and/or to search either the whole collection or any particular work.
      Bartleby.com "Great Books Online" describes itself as "the preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge" and is an excellent resource.
      The whole site is arranged under tabbed headings and, as well as a Reference collection, there is also 'Verse', 'Fiction' and 'Nonfiction'. Again, it is possible to browse the full text of any of the works and/or to search the whole site, or all the works under any of the 4 headings.
      The Nonfiction section is divided into:
      1. Anthologies: e.g. Bryan, William Jennings, ed. 1906. The World’s Famous Orations; American Historical Documents: 1000–1904. 1909–17; Essays: English and American. 1909–17; Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States. 1989; Voyages and Travels. 1909–17 and many more....
      2. Volumes covering a wide range of writers and works, e.g. The Confessions of St. Augustine; Bacon, Francis: Essays, Civil and Moral; Burke, Edmund: Reflections on the French Revolution; The Sayings of Confucius; Darwin, Charles: The Origin of Species & The Voyage of the Beagle; Descartes, René: Discourse on Method; Einstein, Albert: Relativity; Paine, Thomas. 1776. Common Sense; Roosevelt, Theodore: 1919. Letters to His Children; Wollstonecraft, Mary. 1792. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman; and many more ...

      http://www.bartleby.com/ - Bartleby.com
      http://www.bartleby.com/reference/ - Reference Collection
      http://www.bartleby.com/nonfiction/ - Nonfiction Collection

    • Bibliomania is a free online literature resource providing the full text of over 2000 Classic Texts. These include Fiction, Drama, Poetry, Short Stories, Reference, Non-Fiction and Biographies
      There is some overlap between the Bibliomania Reference & Non-Fiction collections and those of Bartleby.com, but plenty of differences too. Sadly the Bibliomania web site is not currently (autumn 2006) being actively maintained, but what is there is still a valuable resource. See the Bibliomania FAQ for more details.
      Study Guides are also available on the site, to access these fully you need to register (free). There is also an Online Bookshop, but it does not appear to be operating at present.
      The site uses Frames.

      http://www.bibliomania.com/ - Bibliomania
      http://www.bibliomania.com/2/3/frameset.html - Reference Collection
      http://www.bibliomania.com/2/1/frameset.html - Nonfiction Collection

    • Search Oxford Dictionaries Online a free service from AskOxford.com, part of Oxford University Press. Search the following online:
      1. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary
      2. The Concise Dictionary of First Names
      3. The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

      http://www.askoxford.com/dictionaries/ - Search Oxford Dictionaries Online

    • U.S. publisher Merriam-Webster Online provides free online searches of:
      1. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
      2. Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus

      http://www.m-w.com/ - Merriam-Webster Online

    • Roget's Thesauri from Bartleby.com Search either:
      1. Roget’s International Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases. 1922, or
      2. Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. 1995

      http://www.bartleby.com/thesauri/ - Roget's Thesauri

    • The Britannica Online website includes the Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus. It is possible to search either by keyword and to browse the Encyclopedia by subject, by A - Z keyword, or by the Index from the Encyclopedia.
      Access to the Dictionary and Thesaurus appear to be free, and some limited access to the Encyclopedia is free, but full access is by paid subscription.

      http://www.britannica.com/ - Britannica Online

    • Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols and Abbreviations from Wiley Interscience. To access the online version of this reference work click on the 'Acronym Finder' link that appears about half way down the screen - this brings up a new window containing a search box.
      You can search for acronyms, symbols &/or abbreviations all from the same search box, there is even a 'reverse look up' facility where you can enter a word from a phrase and find related acronyms. Symbols can also be viewed in complete tables via 'Reference Tables' at the top of this new screen. Here you can view e.g. a complete Periodic Table of the Elements, the Greek Alphabet, Selected Biological and Botanical Symbols and Signs etc. all in pdf format. N.B. Clicking on any of the entries in 'Reference Tables' appears to download all of them in one pdf document.

      http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/stasa/ - Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols and Abbreviations

    • The Food Glossary from BBC Food provides an A to Z guide to cookery terms including herbs and spices, other ingredients and the names of dishes and cooking techniques.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/glossary/ - Food Glossary
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/ - BBC Food

    • Acronym Finder "With more than 500,000 human-edited entries, Acronym Finder is the world's largest and most comprehensive dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms."
      These are listed in the following categories:
      1. Information Technology (IT)
      2. Military & Government
      3. Business & Finance
      4. Science & Medicine
      5. Organizations & Schools
      6. Slang & Pop Culture
      You can search across all categories (default) or, using the Preferences link next to the search box (top of screen)you can select to restrict your search to just one category. Under 'preferences' you can also choose to have results displayed by rank/popularity (default) or alphabetically. Cookies need to be enabled to use this facility.
      It is also possible to do a 'reverse lookup' - by entering a word, or words from the phrase/ title that you wish to see the acronym for, & clicking the 'word in meaning' button under the search box. e.g. entering 'Liverpool' produces a list of 42 meanings and associated acronyms; entering 'Liverpool Performing Arts' comes up with one result: ' Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts', LIPA
      in addition to the 500,000 human-edited entries in Acronym Finder, there is "an enormous database (over 2.5 million definitions!) of unverified, but potentially valuable content" in the Acronym Attic, searching here appears to be limited to acronyms, i.e. reverse lookup does not seem to work here. As this is such a large database you may wish to restrict results - this can be done by entering a tilda ~ after the acronym and then adding a word that you know to be in the meaning of the acronym, e.g. searching for IFLA produces 6 results, but searching for IFLA ~lawyers produces just one - International Format Lawyers Association
      N.B. This site is supported by advertising and you may have to scroll down to see your search results.

      http://www.acronymfinder.com/ - Acronym Finder
      http://www.acronymattic.com/ - Acronym Attic

    • Acronyma is another Acronym database, "The database currently (September 2006) contains 472670 acronyms and abbreviations". This one appears to be generated automatically without human editing, but it does cover several languages: English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian and Portugese.
      As with Acronym Finder, above, it is possible to do 'reverse lookups' by entering a word instead of an acronym. Searching for 'Liverpool' in this way produced 7 results in English (Acronym Finder produced 42, although for some of these 'Liverpool' was given as the location, not actually part of the acronym) Interestingly the English acronyms listed did not include 'LFC Liverpool Football Club' although it does turn up twice in Italian!
      The advertising on Acronyma appears to be less intrusive than that on Acronym Finder.

      http://www.acronyma.com/ - Acronyma

    • A Web of Online Dictionaries is just what it says & is "Now linked to more than 800 dictionaries in 160 different languages" The emphasis is on free, high quality resources although some subscription services and developing rare resources are also included. Arranged into:
      • Language Dictionaries
      • Multilingual Dictionaries - many of these are in specialised areas, e.g. 'The Food Lexicon', 'European Medical Dictionary', 'Dictionary of Bird Names (in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian & Dutch)' etc. although there are a few more general multilingual dictionaries.
      • Specialized English Dictionaries: arranged by subject
      • Thesauri and Other Vocabulary Aids
      • Language Identifiers and Guessers
      • An Index of Dictionary Indices: Multiple Dictionary Search Engines
      • A Web of On-line Grammars

      http://angli02.kgw.tu-berlin.de/call/webofdic/diction.html - A Web of Online Dictionaries

    • yourDictionary.com "is a language products and services company that maintains the most comprehensive and authoritative language portal on the web with more than 2500 dictionaries and grammars in over 300 languages, games that build language skills, and a forum (The Agora) for discussing language issues with the logophile community. More than 2,000,000 people a month visit our website." ... "The authority and academic rigor of the yourDictionary.com site is provided by our Advisory Council of Experts (ACE), which comprises some two dozen of the world's most accomplished linguists."
      This is effectively another web of online dictionaries, and, although this is a commercial site offering fee based Translation Servicesand an Online Store, most of the resources linked on the site are free of charge. Occasionally resources listed are not available online, but as a book or CD-Rom. Not all of the links work, but more than enough to make it worth visiting and perhaps bookmarking.
      The main navigation bar is at the top of the centre column, beneath the yourDictionary.com banner. The Dictionary categories include:
      • Languages - claims to list about 300 different language dictionaries online. Listed A - Z
      • Multilingual Dictionaries Includes several general multilingual dictionaries, then listed by speciality
      • Speciality Dictionaries in English Glossaries & Dictionaries arranged A - Z by subject
      • 'Nyms & Such links to Thesauri and Other Vocabulary Aids, including Abbreviations & Acronyms, Synonyms, Thesauri, Pronunciation and Rhyming Dictionaries, Writing Systems, Phrases, Phrase Dictionaries etc, and a fascinating Miscellany section.
      Elsewhere on the site there is:

      http://www.yourdictionary.com/ - YourDictionary.com

    • MSN Encarta "Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Homework" (Help)
      Encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus and world atlas - search them all from the one search box on the home page, or select any of them to search or browse. Multimedia, Quizzes, top 10 lists and education resources, including homework help, are also available on the site many with a US bias.
      Much is available at no charge, although it is also possible to subscribe for an "upgraded Encarta experience"
      A more limited version of the site, with a UK bias, is also available at http://uk.encarta.msn.com/. Other national sites, in the appropriate language, can also be selected by clicking the Worldwide link at the bottom of the page.

      http://encarta.msn.com/ - MSN Encarta
      http://uk.encarta.msn.com/ - UK Version of MSN Encarta
      http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/worldwide.aspx - MSN Encarta Worldwide

    • Emoticons and texting abbreviations etc. "The vocabulary, syntax, and style of electronic text communication is much more fluid than that found in formal writing, and may also be highly personalized. Electronic communication is typically very informal in nature and characterized by many features more often found in conversational speech." A useful guide from Ask Oxford, part Oxford University Press, OUP

      http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/emoticons/ - Emoticons and texting abbreviations etc.
      http://www.askoxford.com/ - Ask Oxfod
      http://www.oup.com/ - Oxford University Press

    • Better Writing from Ask Oxford, part Oxford University Press provides tips on Grammar and Spelling, letter Writing, Plain English and a set of guides, One Step Ahead, on better writing in specific situations, e.g.CVs & Job Applications, Giving Presentations, Writing Bids and Funding Applications etc. The 'One Step Ahead' guides are available to purchase on the site along with some free material available online.

      http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/ - better Writing

    • The Compact Oxford English Dictionary for Students site has a a number of resources online including Essentials of English, Writing for Study and beyond, and Test Yourself - Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

      http://www.oup.com/uk/booksites/content/0199296251/ - Compact Oxford English Dictionary for Students



  2. Directories

    • Directory of UK organisations and institutions from BUBL Information Service
      Listed by category, e.g. Charities, Companies, Libraries, Newspapers, Universities, Sport etc.

      http://bubl.ac.uk/uk/ - Directory of UK organisations and institutions
      http://bubl.ac.uk/ - BUBL Information Service

    • The Register of Charities, regularly updated by the Charity Commission, contains details of registered charities in England and Wales.
      It can be searched by charity name, registered number, keyword or geographic area of operation.

      http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/first.asp - The Register of Charities
      http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ - The Charity Commission

    • Infobel World Telephone Directories links to telephone and fax directories for most countries, arranged by continent. Some annoying banner ads but very useful links to a range of telephone directories for each country, including the U.K.

      http://www.infobel.com/teldir/ - World listing Telephone Directories
      http://www.infobel.com/teldir/teldir.asp?page=/eng/euro/uk - Listing U.K. Directories

    • Directories listings from Directgov include:
      1. An A - Z Of Central Government listing departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies
      2. Devolved administrations for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
      3. Public Consultations: "Public consultations involve the public in the process of government policy making. The Cabinet Office provides a list of consultation pages from the main government departments and agencies" A link is provided to the Cabinet Office list.
      4. Local councils, listed A - Z and by region.
      5. Useful Contacts: "addresses, websites and phone numbers for public sector, charity and voluntary organisations in the UK." Browse by category, or use the linked search form.

      http://www.direct.gov.uk/Dl1/Directories/fs/en - Directory listings from Directgov



  3. Government, the State, Europe

    • Directgov - widest range of government information and services online "advice on jobs, travel, tax & benefits, health, education, pensions and housing in the UK"
      "Produced by the Central Office of Information, Directgov provides information from across UK Government departments on topics ranging from travel safety and parental leave to special educational needs and local NHS services."
      "The site also brings together an increasing number of online government services to make your life easier - from booking a driving test and taxing your car to renewing your passport or applying for a student loan."

      http://www.direct.gov.uk/ Directgov (UK Government website)

    • Directory of Local Councils from Directgov
      Covers England, Scotland and Wales and includes county, city, borough and district councils and unitary authorities. Browse, A - Z, by Council name, or by region, e.g.:

      http://www.direct.gov.uk/Dl1/Directories/LocalCouncils/fs/en - Directory of Local Councils

    • The NorthWest Regional Development Agency, NWDA "is responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and has 5 key priorities: Business, People and Jobs, Skills & Education, Infrastructure and Quality of Life."
      Creatores of the England's Northwest 'Brand', and the Brand Guidelines

      http://www.nwda.co.uk/ - Northwest Regional Development Agency, NWDA
      http://www.englandsnorthwest.com/ - England's Northwest

    • The Government Gateway "is the website you use to register for online government services. It is an important part of the government's strategy of delivering 'joined up' government, enabling people to communicate and make transactions with government from a single point of entry. Register with the Government Gateway if you want to enrol for one or more government services (for example, Self Assessment, PAYE Internet Services for Employers and Electronic VAT Returns)."
      You can register as an individual, an organisation or as an agent acting on behalf of an individual or organisation.

      http://www.gateway.gov.uk/ - Government Gateway

    • HM Revenue & Customs, HMRC "was formed on the 18 April 2005, following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise Departments." It "is responsible for collecting the bulk of tax revenue, as well as paying Tax Credits and Child Benefits, and strengthening the UK's frontiers."
      The site provides information, e.g. on Rates, Codes & Allowances, Tax Reliefs & Tax Obligations relating to Charities, Stamp Taxes, Tax Credit Renewals etc. It also provides Online Services allowing various applications, e.g. Child Benefit, claims, e.g. a tax or NI repayment, and filings, e.g.a Self Assessment tax return, to be made online.
      Throughout the site three different 'views' are available:
      1. For Individuals (inluding employees)
      2. For Employers, and
      3. For Businesses & Corporations
      Each 'view' provides a menu tailored to the requirements of its target audience. Each menu provides a list of tasks you may wish to perform (I want to..), Information you may require (Tell me about...) and Forms you may need.
      Much of the information on the site can be found in the online Library. Here it can be accessed by type of information, e.g. Articles & Features, FAQs, Forms, Guides & Business briefs, Legislation, Public Notices & Information Sheets etc. or by browsing either the All topics and publications listing or the A - Z List - you may find you need to try more than one method to find what you want, e.g. 'Charities and Donors' are featured in the A - Z List, but there is no obvious entry for them in the 'All topics and publications' listing. A search box is also available, top centre of most pages. Charities Search "This search provides details of all UK charities and similar bodies registered with the Inland Revenue to accept the donation of a tax repayment via the Self-Assessment tax return.">

      http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/home.htm - HM Revenue & Customs, HMRC (merged Inland Revenue and HM Customs)

    • The official web site of the British Monarchy "provides information on the work of The Queen in modern society, biographies of the Royal Family, a history of kings and queens through the ages, background on Royal residences and art collections, and coverage of recent Royal events."

      http://www.royal.gov.uk/ - British Monarchy, the official web site

    • EUROPA "Gateway to the European Union"
      "The portal site of the European Union (http://europa.eu). It provides up-to-date coverage of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration. Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties."
      Includes The EU at a glance which gives an overview of the EU, maps and descriptions of the countries involved, a history of the EU, its symbols, an overview of its Treaties & Law, key facts & figures, jargon etc.
      Available in a range of languages.

      http://europa.eu/index_en.htm - EUROPA (English language version)
      http://europa.eu/abc/index_en.htm - The EU at a glance

    • The European Commission, site available in many languages, select from drop-down menu. (Or Multilingual welcome page)
      "The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union and is the driving force in the Union's institutional system. Its four main roles are to propose legislation to Parliament and the Council, to administer and implement Community policies, to enforce Community law (jointly with the Court of Justice) and to negotiate international agreements, mainly those relating to trade and cooperation." (see About this Site for more details)
      Key issues, EU Policies listed by subject, information about 'The Commisssion at Work', and some news are all available from the homepage. Also 'Quick Links' which include:

      http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm - The European Commission





  4. Statistical Data

    • National (UK) Statistics "Home of official UK statistics" covering "Britain's economy, population and society at national and local level. Summaries and detailed data releases are published free of charge."
      Browse by theme, from drop-down menu, or search by keyword (advanced search is also available)or select from a variety of links on the homepage including UK snapshot
      The The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (currently the 2005 edition) is available to view/download in pdf or zip format at no charge, or the book can be purchased from the site.
      Much of the data on this site will, of necessity, be for the previous year, but some is much more up to date.

      http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ - National (UK) Statistics

    • About National Statistics & The Office for National Statistics, ONS gives information about codes of practice, methodologies, surveys, getting users involved etc. including information about the National Census

      http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/default.asp - About National Statistics & The Office for National Statistics, ONS

    • Stats4Schools "is about helping teachers and pupils to get more from statistics. For pupils, we have datasets you can download and include in your own projects, free of charge. For teachers, we have lesson plans and worksheets, which you are free to download and use in class."
      It " is managed by the independent Office for National Statistics, and includes data from across government."
      Also available in Welsh

      http://www.stats4schools.gov.uk/ - Stats4Schools

    • EU Statistics UK "EU Statistics UK works in partnership with Eurostat to help people access European data."
      "Data is categorised into nine themes, covering a broad range of topics, from Agriculture and Fisheries to External Trade."
      The site can be browsed by clicking on any of the nine themes - this usually produces:
      1. A list of 'key Publications' - these may be purchased in print (or sometimes CD-Rom) format or downloaded, free of charge,in pdf format.
      2. Statistics in Focus - 2short statistical reports on key topics based around nine themes" which may be downloaded, free of charge,in pdf format. Print versions are available by annual subscription.
      3. Eurostat links which provide links to live data held on the Eurostat website which may be accessed free of charge.
      Eurostat Publications include 'Statistical Yearbooks', 'Statistics in Focus', 'Panorama of the EU', 'Pocket books' & 'Methods and nomenclatures', details of many can be found in their Publications list, again most can be purchased in print format or downloaded, free of charge, in pdf format.
      Contact details are provide if you cannot find the publication you want or have other queries. Services describes the various ways in which the EU Statistics UK team may be able to help.
      Should you wish to access the Eurostat site direct, it is available in English (Eurostat site), French and German

      http://www.eustatistics.gov.uk/ - EU Statistics UK
      http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ - Eurostat, Portal Page

    • Nationmaster provides "a massive central data source and a handy way to graphically compare nations. NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD."
      Statistical data is intergrated with country information, including flags and maps, and encycopedia articles. Information and data can be browsed by subject in the Statistics link or by Country (maps, flag and background information included). Flags can also be viewed separately as can Maps. There is also a Forum and FAQ
      The Education section includes tips for teachers and students on using the site.

      http://www.nationmaster.com/ - Nation Master

    • Glasgow University Library produces Statistics on the Internet, a useful listing of links to National(U.K., Scottish, U.S. and other, arranged by continent) and International Statistics resources on the Internet. The links are arranged both geographically and by subject.

      http://www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Depts/MOPS/Stats/statistics_on_internet.shtml - Statistics on the Internet
      http://www.gla.ac.uk/ - University of Glasgow

    • RBA Information Services produce another extensive & valuable categorised & annotated listing of Statistical resources, mostly web based, but a few in printed format only.

      http://www.rba.co.uk/sources/stats.htm - Statistical resources listing
      http://www.rba.co.uk/ - RBA Information Services

    • Official Statistics on the Web, OFFSTATS, compiled by the University of Aukland, covers "free statistics from official sources" around the world.
      You can browse by Country, Region or Topic, all selected from drop-down menus.
      Includes a useful Brief Guide to Statistical Data with further Statistics & Numeric Data Links, many in addition to those given in OFFSTATS.

      http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/stats/offstats/ - Official Statistics on the Web, OFFSTATS
      http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/stats/finding.htm - Brief Guide to Statistical Data
      http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/stats/webpages/statsubj.htm - (Further)Statistics & Numeric Data Links

    • Statistical Resources on the Web from the University of Michigan Library Documents Center
      Listed by subject category. Although the emphasis is on United States data, most categories include some international data too.

      http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html - Statistical Resources on the Web





  5. Conversion Tools

    • OnlineConversion.com "Convert just about anything to anything else. Over 5,000 units, and 50,000 conversions."
      Gallons to litres, pints to fluid ounces, kilometers to miles, light-years to miles etc. etc. Browse conversion tables by category, e.g. 'Most Popular', 'Acceleration', 'Angles', 'Clothing', Cooking', 'Power', 'Torque' etc, or select from the 'Quick Links' menu; there is also a limited Search facility.
      The FAQ includes articles on several measuring systems, including:
      • The SI System, or ' International System of Units'
      • The Metric System
      • The meter/metre
      • Traditional U.S. Units
      • The Imperial System
      There are also answers to specific questions, such as 'How do I read a ruler?', 'How do I enter numbers in Scientific Notation?'
      The Message Forum cover any conversion related questions, a general chat area, pointers to related resources and a software related questions.
      Use of the site is free, but if you want you can download OC Conversion Pro conversion software (for Windows) for a 45 day free trial, then Registration costs $19.99

      http://www.onlineconversion.com/ - OnlineConversion.com
      http://www.onlineconversion.com/software.htm - OC Conversion Pro software

    • Currency Converter from Free Pint "Helping You Use the Web for your Work"

      http://www.freepint.com/convert.php3 - Currency Converter

    • Currencies conversion, exchange rates, currency news etc. from Reuters UK

      http://investing.reuters.co.uk/Investing/Currencies.aspx - Currencies
      http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/home.aspx - Reuters UK





  6. Travel, Route Finders, Maps

    (These are lumped together as many sites offer more than one service)

    • The AA provide several online services including:
      1. Latest Traffic Reports, AA Roadwatch - select by town, city or region, or by Motorway or A road
      2. AA Route Planner - enter starting point & destination plus any, optional, 'Via' information; there are also options to avoid all motorways and/or toll roads and congestion charging.
        There are separate Route Planners for G.B., Ireland (includes Northern Ireland) and for Europe. N.B. to use the Ireland planner your starting point must be in Ireland (north or south) and to use the Europe planner your starting point must be outside G.B.

      http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/travel_news.jsp - AA Travel News
      http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp - AA Route Planner
      http://www.theaa.com/ - The AA

    • National Rail Enquiries "the official information service for National Rail. National Rail is the collective name for the train companies who operate Britain's rail service. We provide impartial advice on rail travel, and our performance is strictly regulated by the Department for Transport."
      Provides:
      1. A Journey Planner: select departure & arrival stations, with options to go via a particular station and/or to limit the number of changes, select from displayed timetable options, you are then given fare and availabilty information and the opportunity to buy your ticket online. Live Arrivals & Departure Boards
      2. Information on Train Times & Fares, Special Offers and How to Buy Tickets
      3. Information on Stations & Destinations
      4. Service Bulletins
      5. Travel Information on the Move "National Rail Enquiries now offers information service to customers on the move, our website is viewable on handheld devices and we provide text based and phone based self-service information. All these channels are updates simultaneously and in real time, so you are guaranteed the latest information regardless of how you choose to access it."
      6. Passenger Services, including information on luggage & animals, for cyclists, disabled passengers, business passengers, families & groups etc.
      7. Train Companies & Maps
        8. There is also contact information and site help.
      and more..

      http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ - National Rail Enquiries

    • Transport Direct "Connecting People to Places"
      "Transport Direct works together with both public and private travel operators and local/national government. Transport Direct is operated by a consortium, led by Atos Origin. The non-profit service is funded by the UK Department for Transport, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Executive."
      There are four main sections to this site, all of which are featured on the Home page, or can be selected from the Navigation Tabs at the top of each page:
      1. Plan a Journey this is different to most Journey Planners in that it allows you to compare various forms of public transport and car travel all for the same journey, it even gives comparative costs for some options. Ther eare also options to plan a journey specifying the form of transport you wish to use, and to plan a (circular) Day Trip.
      2. Find a Place is a mapping system That can be overlaid with transport information, the sites of local facilities etc. and intergrated with the Journey planning facility. There are also Road Traffic Maps "based on recorded traffic levels over the last few years and display an accurate prediction of the likely traffic levels at your precise time of travel" and Transport Network Maps, Including London Underground
      3. Live Travel News which covers road transport including the public transport network and also Rail Departure Boards.
      4. Tools & Tips gives information on e.g. how to get 'Live Travel News' on your mobile and how to add the Transport Direct toolbar to your browser etc.
        5. All of these sections are integrated and you may use all of them when planning a journey.
      This does seem to be potentially a very useful service, however it does seem slow (not surprising when it is trying to integrate so many different sources of information & display results in so many ways) & also somewhat fallible, for various journeys I've tried its missed out what, to me, seems the most obvious routes, & when I tried 'Chester to Oxford', interspersed between the various valid options were various flights from Manchester to Heathrow! puzzling! Also seems somewhat patchy in its coverage - searching by postcode, or town, seems fine but it also gives the option to search by 'Attraction/Facility' - this is very hit & miss, e.g. Chester zoo is listed, but not Ness Gardens (nor Botanic Gardens, Ness, even though this shows up on their maps)
      Well worth trying though, especially if you want to compare different types of transport, and the option to show various facilities (e.g. Schools, Sports Facilities, Stations, Bus Stops etc) on maps is particularly useful.

      http://www.transportdirect.info/ - Transport Direct


    • The Man in Seat 61 or "How to travel by train & ship..." - almost anywhere in the world!
      An excellent website packed full of information on routes, trains, types of tickets, timetables etc. & what its really like to do a long journey by train. Written by "a career railwayman" & avid traveller (who) "was the Station Manager for Charing Cross, London Bridge & Cannon Street stations in London many years ago, and later the Customer Relations Manager for two UK train companies (now working) in the murky world of government regulation of fares and ticketing on Britain's railways." - so he should know!
      Destinations are arranged by continent down the left hand side of the screen.
      There is also information on European Railpasses, Useful Links etc. and to find out the reason for the odd name for this website see Who is the Man in seat 61..?

      http://www.seat61.com/index.html - The Man in Seat 61: How to Travel by Train & Ship

    • Travel Advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office includes links to Airport Security Updates. As well as advice on health and security etc there are brief Country Profiles

      http://www.fco.gov.uk/ - Foreign & Commonwealth Office

    • Multimap "Online Maps to Everywhere"
      This popular free service provides:
      • Street-level maps of the United Kingdom, Europe and the US
      • Road maps of the world
      • Door-to-door Travel Directions
      • Aerial photographs
      • Links with the map of the London Underground network
      • Weather Forecasts
      • Online booking tickets, accomodation, restaraunts etc.
        • and much more! see First Time Visit for more details.
      Maps can be zoomed or expanded to cover smaller or larger areas
      N.B. In the drop-down menu of countries the UK is listed as 'Great Britain & Northern Ireland'

      http://www.multimap.com/ - Multimap

    • Streetmap.co.uk a 'Great Britain Street & Road Map' allows you to search by:
      1. Street
      2. Post Code
      3. Place
      4. Telephone Code
      5. Landranger ref
      6. Latitude/Longitide
      7. OS grid ref
      8. London Street
      Streetmap.co.uk allows " A single print of the results of a map search is permitted for your own personal use. Otherwise the reproduction, copying, downloading, storage, recording, broadcasting, retransmission and distribution of any part of the Streetmap site is not permitted. Please see our business services page if you would like to use this data or to print the maps for your business."

      http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ - Streetmap.co.uk

    • Get a Map is a free mapping service from Ordnance Survey "You can search for maps anywhere in the UK simply by entering the place name, full postcode or National Grid reference - and print the maps or copy them for use on your personal or business website*" However use must be in line with their terms and conditions which are clearly laid out on the 'Get a Map page'. To use the service click on the large, round "I want to get a Map now" button
      A pop-up FAQ & Help section gives tips on using the service and information on what it contains and the data it is based on. Includes information on Grid References
      The Ordnance Survey main site offers various services, including map sales, for business and leisure. The leisure section includes an 'Online Magazine' covering such topics as: The About Us section of the main OS website contains many useful and fun gems that you might not expect to find there. e.g.
      • Understanding Mapping covers 'Computer Mapping', 'Paper Mapping', 'Map symbols and abbreviations' and 'Technical information'
        N.B. This section, 'Understanding Mapping' only seems to be linked from the Get a Map site (and there only from the pop-up map window) although it appears to be part of the main OS site, so, you may wish to bookmark it if you wish to return to it.
      • Education includes teaching Resources', 'Free Maps for Schools', 'GIS - all about geographic information (GI) and how it is used in the real world.', and more.
      • Downloads & Games

      http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/ - Get a Map
      http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/ - Main Ordnance Survey website
      http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/understandingmapping.html - Understanding Mapping
      http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ - Map Zone, includes Homework Help


    • Google Maps UK is still in Beta testing, but can be very useful. "Google Maps is a Google service offering powerful, user-friendly mapping technology and local business information-including business locations, contact information, and driving directions"
      It consists of three intergrated systems: Maps, Business Finder, and Route Planer (Directions) all available from the one screen. There seem to be several problems with accessing the maps, see the 'Help' pages for possible solutions. The Business Finder & Diretcions seem to work very well if you use postcodes, but may give some odd results (or no results) otherwise, e.g Neston is listed as being in Flintshire, although it does have the correct postcode. Presumably these problems will disapear as the product develops< and meanwhile it can be an excellent, quick way of e.g. finding hotels in a particular location.

      http://maps.google.co.uk/ - Google Maps UK

    • Google Earth "Go to Google Earth Home A 3D interface to the planet"
      "Want to know more about a specific location? Dive right in -- Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips."
      To use Google Earth you need to download their software, which is available on the Google Earth page. There is a free version, and two subscription versions.

      http://earth.google.com/ - Google Earth





  7. Weather

    • The Met Office website provides: Forecasts (Daily, 5 Day & Further Outlook), Marine Forecasts, Mountain Area Forecasts, Pressure Maps & Solar UV Index. Also Severe Weather Warnings, Rainfall Radar, Satellite Images etc. along with weather related news and links to World Weather.
      Other (paid) Met Office Services, most available by phone, fax and web, include Weathercall, Marinecall, Weathercall Holidays (including Snowline). A detailed (paid) Monthly Outlook is also available and a free Seasonal Forecast.
      There is a range of Learning Resources geared to Primary, Secondary and Higher Education, and learning for fun.
      The National Meteorological Library and Archive is open to everyone. The catalogue can be searched online and their image collection can be browsed online. There are a also number of Factsheets available to download (free).

      http://www.met-office.gov.uk/ - The Met Office

    • The Royal Meteorological Society provides a number of Educational Resources, e.g. ' Guidance on how to find meteorological information and data on the web', 'Weather projects for schools', 'Education material for secondary schools', 'Glossary of 100 Common Weather Words' etc.; a FAQ and related Links.
      MetLink International is an internet-based project whereby "participants make and exchange weather observations by means of an online database and, with the help and guidance of meteorological professionals, analyse and interpret the observations. The project is for primary and secondary schools (age range 7-19) and for individuals of any age.
      Rain Catch "is a project for schools (age 8 - 12) and individuals in the UK and Ireland. .. RainCatch Project Dates: Monday 6 November 2006 - Friday 10 November 2006 inclusive" CloudBank is an online Image Library containing weather related photographs (not just clouds) from 1850 to the present.

      http://www.rmets.org/index.php - Royal Meteorological Society

    • The Weather Channel covers the UK in detail, search by postcode or town or city name; and international cities. Gives 10 day forcast. Under Work, Rest & Play UK and European coastal locations and beaches are listed - click for 10 day forcast, click on tabs for more detail
      A wide variety of Maps are available, which can be browsed by region or by map type (e.g. 'Air Stagnation', 'Boating & Beach', 'Golf', 'Pollen & Allergies' etc.
      The Travel section includes Motorway Weather and a Holiday Planner - "Our destination finder, climate statistics, and top destinations will help you make the right decisions."

      http://uk.weather.com/index.html - The Weather Channel

    • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) "is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations. It is the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources."
      Includes:
      • Official Forecasts from the World Weather Information Service as "supplied by National Meteorological & Hydrological Services (NMHSs) worldwide."
      • The Severe Weather Information Centre covering e.g. Tropical Cyclones, Heavy Rain & Snow, Thunderstorms
      • an A - Z of WMO Members with links to their websites.
      • WMO News There is also a Press Centre which can be accessed by clicking the 'News' button on the left of the home page.
      • MeteoWorld the WMO's Newsletter
      • El Nino Update
      • Information on WMO Projects can be selected from a drop-down menu on the home page
      • The whole site can be browsed by selecting TOPICS from another drop-down menu on the home page.
      • Free Downloads are available via the 'Info Showcase' button.
        • etc. etc.

      http://www.wmo.int/ - World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
      http://worldweather.wmo.int/index.htm - World Weather Information Service
      http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int/ - Severe Weather Information Centre



  8. Charities

    • The Charity Commission "is established by law as the regulator and registrar for charities in England and Wales."
      The Commission provides a wealth of information and resources for charities and for the public when interacting with charities, including:
      • Guidance for Charities "Bringing together points of good practice that we identify during our work, which is of potential relevance across all parts of the sector"
      • Publications listings Almost all the Commission's publications can be viewed (& printed) online in pdf or html format. Pre-printed copies may also be obtained.
      • Promoting Effective Performance "This is an evolving section of the site which concerns areas in which the Charity Commission is able to enhance the work of Registered Charities"
      • Information on Registering a Charity
      • The Register of Charities search for a charity, find out if a charity is registered
        • and more ...

      http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk - The Charity Commission

    • The HM Revenue & Customs, HMRC (formed on the 18 April 2005, following the merger of Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise Departments)has a Charities section which is "intended to provide you with a one stop shop for information and questions about tax issues relating to charities, charitable donations, CASCs and VAT reliefs for disabled people."
      It provides information for both charities and donors on e.g. Gift Aid, Payroll Giving, Charitable Tax Exemption, Trading by Charities etc. etc.

      http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/index.htm - HMRC Charities & Donors section
      http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/guidance-notes/intro.htm - HMRC Detailed Guidance Notes for Charities & Donors
      http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ - HM Revenue & Customs, HMRC

    • IT for Charities brings together information on databases, hardware, software, training, and other related IT products and services, available to Charities, often at a significant discount. Some free resources on the site.

      http://www.itforcharities.co.uk/ - IT for Charities

    • Guide to Resources for Charities on the Internet, from Link-Web is an annotated guide to resources in the following areas:
      1. Funding & Charitable Giving
      2. Discounted Goods & Services
      3. General Information Resources for Charities, both Government & NGO
      4. Conferences, Training & Events Calendars
      5. Charity Jobs / Careers / Recruitment Resources

      http://www.link-web.co.uk/guides/charity-resources.htm - Resources for Charities on the Internet

    • The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) "is an umbrella organisation which represents 13 leading UK Aid Agencies"
      It has a public awareness and fund raising role and facilitates "agency co-operation, co-ordination and communication" in response to major disasters.

      http://www.dec.org.uk/ - Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)





  9. Miscellaneous

    • A Little History of the World Wide Web from W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium, gives a timeline of critical events in the development of the World Wide Web, from 1945 to 1995. There are a few references at the bottom of the timeline, one of which, Weaving the Web, leads to a Glossary of the Web. Another link is The Roads and Crossroads of Internet History, an extended essay by Gregory R. Gromov. Another is a List of Internet Histories (still being updated) from the Internet Society
      Also links, at the top of the timeline page, to How It All Started: a slide presentation by Tim Berners-Lee made on the W3C Tenth Anniversary.(To open the slide presentation click on one of the buttons on the top righthand corner, either the 'i' button, for table of contents, or the -> button for the next slide.)

      http://www.w3.org/History.html - A Little History of the World Wide Web
      http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/Weaving/glossary.html - Glossary (with links)
      http://netvalley.com/intval1.html - The Roads and Crossroads of Internet History
      http://www.isoc.org/ - The Internet Society
      http://www.w3.org/ - W3C, The World Wide Web Consortium

    • 24 Hour Museum "the UK’s National Virtual Museum ... promotes publicly-funded UK museums, galleries, archives and heritage attractions. In March 2001 (the site was consolidated) as an independent charity. Funding for the 24 Hour Museum comes from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) through MLA - the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
      The site provides news, listings and features from "3,000+ museums, galleries and heritage sites" You can search by place &/or date &/or subject &/or age range (especially for children, family friendly or all events)and the Advanced Search form allows you to specify specific desired facilities such as a shop, wheelchair access, hearing disabled facilities etc.
      There are also a number of detailed 'City Heritage Guides'covering, news, local history and more. There are also 'Trails' which "are in-depth web features specially written to show off the best of the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites" on specific subjetcs, such as 'The Pre-Raphaelites', 'British Castles', 'Somme 90th Anniversary' etc (click on 'Online Trails' on the Trails page to see all the Trails Index - listed by Region or by Theme)
      There is a special section, Show Me, for children, and sections for teachers, for museum staff, for volunteers (writers) etc, links etc. There is also an Museum Index, an A - Z listing of museums, galleries , although the link to this is hidden away atthe bottom of the page, perhaps because it just produces one very long listing with no obvious easy way to move around it.

      http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/ - 24 Hour Museum
      http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/trl.html - Trails Index
      http://www.show.me.uk/ - Show Me (for children)
      http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/museumlist.html - Museums Index

    • Guiness World Records There is a limited keyword search facility, or browse by category: 'Human Body, 'Amazing Feats', ' Natural World' etc. Not all records are available online. The site also gives information on how to go about attempting to set, or break, a record.

      http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/ - Guiness World Records

See the Courses Menu for details of what we run at Burton Manor.

Created on ... September 01, 2006, Last Updated ... October 14, 2006