As the NHS prepares to celebrate its 65th birthday, I’m reminded of how many of my own birthdays I celebrated at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston Lincolnshire, writes Douglas Jefferson, whose story of the first few weeks of his life in hospital offers a shining example of the efficacy of the NHS.

A scan across social media, blogs and opinions among Muslims following a public incident like Woolwich yields similar shameful confessions about their first thoughts: “I hope it’s not a Muslim.” If the perpetrator turns out to be Muslim, how much then should other Muslims condemn the attack, asks Shelina Janmohamed.

The MV Empire Windrush started its life as a vehicle for the Nazi Party and ended its life under the control of the Allied forces, transporting 493 passengers from Jamaica to the UK, thus transforming it into a symbol of multiculturalism and tolerance. Patrick Vernon OBE, founder of 100 Great Black Britons, was the first to call for a national celebration of Windrush Day. Here Vernon explains why it matters.

The Leeds Big Bookend brings together writers old and new and describes itself as a “rock festival for words.” The most encouraging thing was the celebration of writers from the past, with the present and future being well represented too, reflects Matthew Rhodes on a fascinating weekend in his home town.

While the whole world flocked to London to witness the buzz of the Olympic summer 2012, north-east England felt somewhat excluded and not just in terms of geography. However, an Olympic legacy lives on, even if not as pronounced as hoped, writes Next Generation blogger Matilda Neill from Whitley Bay.

In a letter published in the Times newspaper, a mix of parliamentary, military and campaigning voices welcome the government’s commitment to offer asylum to some of the interpreters, but are concerned that the terms will arbitrarily deny protection to many who need it.

In 1953, the sociologist Michael Young, in a famous essay, described the Queen’s coronation as a “great act of national communion.” He and his co-author Edward Shils were struck by the galvanising effect the coronation had on family and community life. In which ways does the monarchy continue to unite people within the UK, asks Zaki Cooper, who used to work in the press office at Buckingham Palace, ahead of this week’s 60th anniversary of the coronation.

Most people believe that far right groups like the English Defence League stir up hatred and violence in Britain in a way which increases the risk of future terrorist incidents. A rising proportion of Britons say they would never join the EDL – a view held by 84% of people who have heard of the group – according to new polling released this weekend.

“English to me is the sum of synchronic and diachronic evolution of other mixed languages” and “English is the medium through which I experience people, news, literature, culture and my own consciousness.” These are just two posts dangling from the Thought Wall in response to “What does the English language mean to you,” a question posed at the British Council’s latest exhibition, The English Effect, writes Jemimah Steinfeld.