In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, if an accused person is aged 10 to 17, the case is normally heard in a Youth Court in front of up to three specially trained magistrates or a District Judge.

When driving in the UK, you must pay an annual road tax and display the tax disc, which shows that the tax has been paid, on the windowscreen.

Eid a-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan, when Muslims have fasted for a month.

The action of handing out leaflets in the street or knocking on people’s doors to ask for their political support is known as canvassing.

When Cromwell died, his son, Richard, became Lord Protector in his place but was not able to control the army or the government.

For most local authorities, local elections for councillors are held in May every year.

Queen Mary was a devout Catholic and persecuted Protestants (for this reason, she became known as ‘Bloody Mary’).

Everyone in the UK with a TV, computer or other medium which can be used for watching TV must have a television licence.

Britain’s navy fought against combined French and Spanish fleets, winning the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The jury has to listen to the evidence presented at the trial and then decide a verdict of ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ based of what they have heard. In Scotland, a third verdict of ‘not proven’ is also possible.

To apply to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK, you will need to speak and read English and have a good understanding of life in the UK.

You can get contact details for all your representatives and their parties from your local library and from http://www.parliament.uk.

Oliver Cromwell was the leader of the English republic.

The decade of the 1960s was a period of significant social change, known as the ‘swinging sixties’, when there was growth in British fashion, cinema and popular music.

Elections for the European Parliament are held every five years.

Sir Charles (Charlie) Chaplin became famous in silent movies for his tramp character.

The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is about one of the knights at the court of King Arthur.

In the UK, you have to be 18 to go into betting shops or gambling clubs.

The Church of England is called the Episcopal Church in Scotland and the United States.

Debates in the House of Commons are chaired by the Speaker, who is the chief officer of the House of Commons.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14th of February.

The Roman army left Britain in AD 410 to defend other parts of the Roman Empire and never returned.

John Major was Prime Minister after Mrs Thatcher.

Isaac Newton discovered that white light is made up of the colours of the rainbow.