Chess
The game of chess, originally invented in Persia, entered the south of Britain with the Normans post-1066 and…
Discover British history, culture, geography, achievements and more in snippet size
Minister for Women and Equalities
The position of Minister for Women and Equalities has had a few name changes, beginning with just ‘Minister…
Wills
Before the 1837 Wills Act for England and Wales, a person could declare their posthumous bequests orally,…
Meccano, Hornby Train Sets and Dinky Toys
Frank Hornby (1863-1936) grew up in industrial Liverpool. He became a cashier then a bookkeeper after leaving…
The Bank of England
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries their gold started to enter general circulation. This attracted goldsmiths from…
Manchester
Manchester In Lancashire was the very first industrial city in recorded history, as well as the first…
Deep Purple
The top-ranking heavy metal rock band, Deep Purple, have had so many different members that perhaps they should…
Sir William Golding
‘Lord of the Flies’ was written by Sir William Golding (1911-93) in 1952 and was eventually published in 1954.…
The Noble Gases
Sir William Ramsay, KCB (1852-1916) from Glasgow was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery…
The Queen’s/King’s Christmas Message
It was in 1922 that Lord Reith (1889-1971), founder of the BBC, first suggested to King George…
Farnborough International Airshow
In 1909 Farnborough Airport in Hampshire was the location of the UK’s first airfield (albeit short-lived due…
Rosslyn Chapel
Sir William St Clair (1410-80) had several noble titles and was a wealthy Scottish landowner. In 1446…