About England

     England (pronounced IPA: /ˈɪŋglənd/) (Old English: Englaland, Middle English: Engelond) is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total population of the United Kingdom, whilst the mainland territory of England occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. Elsewhere, it is bordered by the North Sea, Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and English Channel.

     England became a unified state during the 10th century and takes its name from the Angles, one of a number of Germanic tribes who settled in the territory during the 5th and 6th centuries. The capital city of England is London, which is the largest city in Great Britain, and the largest city in the European Union by most, but not all, measures.

     England ranks amongst the world's most influential and far-reaching centres of cultural development. It is the place of origin of both the English language and the Church of England, and English law forms the basis of the legal systems of many countries: in addition, London, the country's capital, was the centre of the British Empire, and the country was also the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. England was the first country in the world to become industrialised. England is home to the Royal Society, which laid the foundations of modern experimental science. England was the world's first parliamentary democracy and consequently many constitutional, governmental and legal innovations that had their origin in England have been widely adopted by other nations.

     The Kingdom of England was a separate state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. With the Principality of Wales already in the English state. Great Britain is the term in use for the largest island in the British Isles, with the name's origins in the Celtic 'People of the Islands', or Pretani.

About Caerphilly

     Caerphilly (Welsh: Caerffili) is a town in South Wales, located at the bottom of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is about 2-3 miles north of the Cardiff suburbs of Lisvane and Rhiwbina, separated by Caerphilly Mountain. It is traditionally within the county of Glamorgan, on the border with Monmouthshire, but is in the modern ceremonial county of Gwent, and administratively independent as the county borough of Caerphilly. The town gives its name to Caerphilly cheese, which originated in the area.

     Caerphilly is the site of Caerphilly Castle, built between 1268 and 1271, which is the largest castle in Wales, and second largest in Britain (after Windsor). In 1899 the Rhymney Railway built their maintenance facilities; however, the expansion of the population in the nineteenth century was more to do with the increasing market for coal. Caerphilly hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1950.

     Caerphilly is featured in the Sex Pistols documentary The Filth and the Fury. Protests and a prayer meeting were held outside the Castle Cinema on the evening of December 14, 1976, when the Pistols were playing a concert there. At this point in time, Caerphilly was one of the few city councils that would allow the group to perform (Leeds and Manchester being the others).

     Caerphilly is the birthplace of Tommy Cooper,and it was home to Derby County and Wales star Robert Earnshaw, following his family's move from Zambia. Dennis Spargo, creator of the film Machen: Then & Now, lived in Caerphilly for several years until 2006.

     The town has a rugby union club, Caerphilly RFC, who play in Division 1 EAST of the Welsh National League.

     During the summer, the town hosts The Big Cheese festival and a fundraising musical event called Megaday.