The Daily: October 02

The UK today celebrates National Poetry Day with stars such a Helena Bonham Carter reading literary delights and a host of public events taking place up and down the country.

The day has also signalled a loud clamouring to bring back poetry taught and learned by rote in schools following research by the University of Cambridge.

Former poet Laureate, Andrew Motion agrees with the rote way of doing things, writing in The Telegraph today: "While rote learning has a lot to be said against it, learning poetry by heart is a wonderful thing."

Those rallying against the idea ask how this will benefit a future society founded on the search for information and not the static absorption of information. In an already packed school curriculum where are teachers supposed to find time for this?

However, as the phrase implies 'learning by heart' means that knowing a poem by heart will then become suffused with a personal response to the words and a stamp of identity whenever the poem is recited.

Banksy artwork removed 

Just one complaint has seen the removal of an anti-immigration mural by secret artist Bansky from a wall in Clacton-on-Sea.

The mural, featured pigeons holding up banners announcing anti-immigration slogans such as 'go back to Africa'.

After receiving just one complaint that the mural was "offensive" and "racist" Tendring District Council swiftly removed the work.

Nigel Brown, communications manager for the council, said: "We would obviously welcome an appropriate Banksy original on any of our seafronts and would be delighted if he returned in the future."

Clacton-onSea has also been in the headlines after Douglas Carswell, Conservative MP for the area, defected to the UK Independence Party.

Dracula's lair discovered

The discovery of a dungeon in Turkey has lead archeologist to believe they have found the place where 'Vlad the Impaler', inspiration for Count Dracula, was once imprisoned.

Romanian Prince Vlad III was given his nickname because of the gruesome way he impaled foes.

The discovery was made during the restoration of Tokat Castle, where the Ottomans imprisoned the infamous royal in the 1400s.

Turkish archaeologist Ibrahim Cetin, working on the restoration said in a statement to Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News: "It is hard to estimate in which room Dracula was kept, but he was around here."

Funeral of Dowager Duchess of Devonshire

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are amongst the mourners today attending the funeral of the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire.

Remembered for her innovative reinvention of the Chatsworth estate with husband the Duke of Devonshire.

Hundreds of members of public and staff from Chatsworth House have lined the route through the funeral procession will take through the estate to St Peter's Church at Edensor, where the service will be held.

Prince Charles paid tribute to the Duchess early this week saying: "he adored and admired her."

Jerry Hall and a host of stars collected at London's Royal Albert Hall to pay tribute to actor Sir Michael Caine for his career in film spanning across seven decades.

Jonathan Ross interview Caine on stage about his most famous work including international hits Zulu and Alfie.

The event; A Night Out With Sir Michael Caine was held to raise money for children's charity, the NSPCC, a cause very close to the veteran actors heart.

Caine said of the charity: "When I was a little boy I was evacuated for a couple of weeks and I was very ill-treated, so I've always wanted to help children and I'm happy to support the NSPCC."

Highlights of the star-studded evening included performances from Joss Stone and Lance Ellington who sang songs from the soundtrack of The Italian Job, ALlfie and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

The event raised a massive £75,000 for the NSPCC.