The Camden New Journal is reporting that a plaque will be placed near Orwell’s former Kilburn (London) residence. Orwell’s adopted son Richard Blair will be present at the unveiling which could take place in a few weeks. The plaque will read: “George Orwell (Eric Blair) 1903-1950 lived at 10a Mortimer Crescent which stood on...
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The state government of Bihar declared George Orwell’s birthplace in Motihari to be a protected site on 10 December 2010. The house is on a 2.48 acre lot and the premises are in a “shambles”. Part of a boundary wall has already been constructed by the district administration and: Art and culture department secretary...
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A request to Henley Town Council for an interest-free loan of £40,000 (US$ 62,000) to open a George Orwell centre has been rejected. The plan by Peter Burness-Smith involved creating a visitor centre in the First Chapel at Fair Mile cemetery to celebrate Orwell’s life. Eric Blair (George Orwell) grew up in Henley and...
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Two school districts in Texas have started tracking students with photo ID badges that contain radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips. The system depends on chip readers placed around campuses and on school buses. School administrators say that the tracking system has resulted in increased attendance and could help find students in the event of a...
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In one of the most Orwellian press releases ever written, Netvision Mobile is promoting its new video surveillance system in the “green product news” category. The South Carolina based company is touting the “eco-friendly” advantages of its “hybrid solar-battery trailer” which uses “renewable energy” to extend the surveillance run-time. According to Netvision, the system...
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A company in Devon (England) called Internet Eyes has created a web site which allows viewers to monitor CCTV security cameras from home and then get paid if they detect any criminal behaviour. According to the company: “The sole purpose of Internet Eyes is to enable responsible members of the public to use the...
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A trio of portraits of Inez Holden (1903-1974), a British literary figure and consort of George Orwell were sold today at London’s Chiswick auction house. The portraits were by Post-Impressionist painter Augustus John and the seller was Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor who had possessed the works since the death of her art-dealing father, Francis...
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The Daily Mail is reporting that police in Sussex are asking motorists to spy on each other and submit instances of poor driving and anybody making “excessive noise” with their car. The information is being logged on a “huge computer database” and then the offenders are contacted by letter or even a knock on...
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