Month: November 2025

The Kilt

The kilt has its roots in the Scottish Highlands, where a long tunic of thick plaid (not tartan, which came later) was […]

The kilt has its roots in the Scottish Highlands, where a long tunic of thick plaid (not tartan, which came later) was worn with a belt to keep out the cold. Scotland’s first ironworks were built in a small Highland village by Lancashire-born Thomas Rawlinson (1669-1737) and his employees included Irishmen, Englishmen and these “belted plaid”-wearing Highlanders. The ironworks only lasted from 1729 to 1736, but during that time Rawlinson adapted the hefty dress to form the less cumbersome kilt for his Scottish workforce.

In 1746-82 the kilt was officially restricted to military wear, a sure-fire way to make it more desirable to the general public. Romantic stories arose of kilt-adorned Scottish heroes and when it was legalised again, everyone wanted one. This was greatly aided and abetted by writer Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who orchestrated a visit to his native Edinburgh by King George IV (1762-1830) in 1822 and made sure the kilt (by then of tartan) was on full display.

The nobility and royals delightedly took to the kilt, thereby further increasing its widespread appeal. Today it is seen as an iconic symbol of Scotland and the initial involvement of an Englishman is either belittled (particularly by the Scots), or seen as an amusing irony.

(Image: John William Hammond at Flickr.com / Public domain)

26/11/2025
3 min
39 minutes
215 words

Inventions

Christmas Crackers!

Christmas table settings customarily include a pretty Christmas cracker next to each plate, to be pulled apart with a SNAP! with a […]

Christmas table settings customarily include a pretty Christmas cracker next to each plate, to be pulled apart with a SNAP! with a fellow diner before the meal begins. From each torn cracker tube falls a colourful paper hat, a motto, joke or riddle, and a miniature knick-knack, usually inexpensive. This ritual is all thanks to Londoner Thomas Smith (1823-69), who had a talent for making wedding cake decorations, plus a certain business acumen.

Remarkably, Smith was employed in a bakery from age 7. He set up his own wedding cake shop as a teenager and on a visit to Paris was intrigued to see bonbons wrapped individually in a twist of tissue paper. He began selling these in his shop and soon added a tiny love verse inside each wrapper. Looking for a way to add a surprise element, Smith then invented the cracker, removing the sweets and adding little gifts instead.

Faced with competition from a foreign manufacturer who stole his idea, Smith quickly produced a variety of designs and crowded out the market. After he died, his sons took over and Walter (1854-1923), the youngest, was particularly proactive and creative in boosting sales for Tom Smith & Co., which still exists today.

(Images LtoR: Smith by Jack 1956 at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, crackers by freshfoodvillage at Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0)

24/11/2025
3 min
2 days
220 words

History

Tribes of pre-Roman Britain

Our knowledge of the tribes of pre-Roman Britain comes from archaeological finds and scholars of the Roman Empire. Recorded tribal names were either […]

Our knowledge of the tribes of pre-Roman Britain comes from archaeological finds and scholars of the Roman Empire. Recorded tribal names were either Latinised versions of the spoken dialect or attributed from observation of lifestyle, e.g. Carvetii means ‘the deer-men’. A few dozen distinct tribes remained by the time of the Roman arrival, but there had been many more ~ some 2,000 Iron Age hillforts have been discovered, indicating numerous communities, but conquests and mergers gradually established larger confederations, with some tribes, such as the Brigantes, covering extensive areas.

Subsistence farming, herding, hunting, appeasement of gods, war dances, chariots and Druidic priests seem to have been common, but there was no written or standard language. Southern tribes conducted trade across the Channel but banded together to ward off the first Roman military approach. Queen Boudica‘s Iceni tribe was initially particularly successful in raising a rebellion.

Some tribes, like the Dobunni, peacefully accepted Roman rule, while others, such as the Silures, fought on for years. The Scottish tribes, including the Caledones and Venicones, put up the most resistance to the Romans and were never subdued. Tribes such as the Catuvellauni, with their allies the Cantiaci and the Trinovantes, were pro-Roman and profited.

(Images LtoR: tribal map by Ulysses1975 at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0, head by Daderot at Wikimedia Commons / Public domain)

23/11/2025
3 min
3 days
220 words

Geography & Environment

The Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland Islands

There are hundreds of islands, reefs, sea-stacks and islets around the Scottish coastline. Some have a long Viking history discernible in their […]

There are hundreds of islands, reefs, sea-stacks and islets around the Scottish coastline. Some have a long Viking history discernible in their culture, dialect and place-names, and the Norsemen’s zealous tree-felling is sometimes put forward as the reason the islands have few trees. However, the harsh, oceanic weather and rocky terrain are undoubted factors. Nevertheless, livestock farming, fishing, tourism and North Sea oil processes keep the small population occupied. However, seabird and sheep numbers tend to outweigh those of humans!

There are three main groups of islands, rich sources of archaeological discoveries, as follows:-

The Hebrides – 200 islands, of which 50 are inhabited, including Scotland’s largest island, Lewis & Harris. Population 45,000 on a total area of 2,800 sq.miles. Split into ‘Outer’ and ‘Inner’ Hebrides by the Sea of the Hebrides and The Minch. Stornoway is the main town. The Outer Hebrides has the UK’s highest lighthouse (682ft. above sea level) and the tallest sheer cliffs (1,400ft.).

The Orkney Islands – 70 islands, 20 inhabited. Population 21,300 on 380 sq.miles in total. The main town is Kirkwall.

The Shetland Islands – 100 islands, 15 inhabited. Population 23,000 on 567 sq.miles in total. The main town is Lerwick. Both Shetland and Orkney name their biggest island ‘Mainland’. Shetland has the UK’s northernmost inhabited island of Unst.

(Image: mapswire.com / CC BY 4.0)

20/11/2025
3 min
6 days
213 words

Entertainment

Jasper Carrott

Robert Norman Davis (1945-) from Birmingham acquired the nickname ‘Jasper‘ as a boy, added ‘Carrott‘ in his teens and used this as […]

Robert Norman Davis (1945-) from Birmingham acquired the nickname ‘Jasper‘ as a boy, added ‘Carrott‘ in his teens and used this as his stage name when he started performing in folk clubs. His astute business acumen led to him co-founding ‘The Boggery’ in 1969, a very successful folk club in Solihull. There he honed his act and gradually the comic stories (‘raconteuring’) took over from the songs. Almost 40 years later he would receive a Lifetime Achievement accolade from the British Comedy Awards.

Through his lifelong friendship with Bev Bevan (1944-), drummer with The Move and E.L.O., Carrott made a hit single, ‘Funky Moped’ (1975) and the B-side, ‘Magic Roundabout’, a comedy spoof of the children’s programme, was the springboard for his career. He went on to make many TV shows, e.g. ‘Canned Carrott’ and ’24 Carrott Gold’, and at his peak was doing sell-out tours of up to 150 performances a year.

Perhaps his ‘tour de force’ was ‘The Detectives’ (1993-97), a 31-episode comedy police drama using otherwise serious actors such as Robert Powell (1944-), known for his lead role in ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ (1977). Carrott was awarded an OBE in 2003 for his charitable services and he continues to work to this day, citing his love of the business.

(Top image: screenshot – duckonawall at YouTube / Fair Use

18/11/2025
3 min
1 week
216 words

English language

Roget’s Thesaurus

Stuck for a word? Since 1852 we have been turning to the amazing lexicon (“dictionary, vocabulary, index, glossary, thesaurus…”) that is ‘Roget’s […]

Stuck for a word? Since 1852 we have been turning to the amazing lexicon (“dictionary, vocabulary, index, glossary, thesaurus…”) that is ‘Roget’s Thesaurus‘, ‘thesaurus’ meaning ‘treasury’ and Peter Mark Roget (1779-1869) being the dedicated compiler of that treasury of synonyms, antonyms, phrases and sayings. The original title was ‘Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition’, summing up its aims.

Roget, from London, lost both parents – one died, the other was institutionalised – so was then raised by his uncle. It was during this troubled childhood that Roget began writing lists. He went on to become a successful doctor but also continued making notebooks of groups of words for his own use and by 1805 had a draft of his later masterpiece.

Upon retiring this was his focus and four years of work resulted in the first publication of his Thesaurus. There have been many updated editions, with Roget himself authoring the first 28 before his death, followed by his son and then his grandson taking on the task. The book is organised into different categories and sub-categories. Fortunately, Roget decided to add an alphabetical index just prior to its first appearance.

(Images LtoR: by Ray MacLean at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0, P.M. Roget by Wellcome at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0)

16/11/2025
3 min
1 week
222 words

Discoveries

Latent Heat and the Joule

Joseph Black (1728-99) was educated in Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh and worked in the latter two universities. He defined the difference between […]

Joseph Black (1728-99) was educated in Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh and worked in the latter two universities. He defined the difference between heat and temperature, leading to his theory of latent heat, explained in his lecture at Glasgow in 1762. Without the existence of latent heat, there would be torrential flooding when ice and snow melt and explosions when water vaporises. Latent heat ensures slow transitions from one state to the other, while their temperatures hold steady.

He went on to name ‘specific latent heat’ as the amount of energy, later defined in ‘joules’ (J), required by a particular substance to utilise its latent heat capacity during a change in state, e.g. ice needs 334,000J , or 334kJ, to melt a 1kg block. One of Black’s students was James Watt (1736-1819), who used the latent heat principle in his industrial applications of steam.

The Joule was named after Lancashire-born James Prescott Joule (1818-89). He had a fortunate upbringing which spurred his scientific interests, including being tutored by none other than John Dalton (1766-1844), a pioneer of atomic theory among other achievements. Joule was fascinated by electricity and his ground-breaking work on the relationship between heat and energy was eventually accepted and developed by the big institutions.

(Images LtoR: Joseph Black by David Martin at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, ice cubes at publicdomainpictures.net, James Joule at picryl.com / Public domain)

15/11/2025
3 min
2 weeks
230 words

Culture

The I-SPY book series

When children are travelling on a long car journey, a popular game to pass the time is“I spy with my little eye, […]

When children are travelling on a long car journey, a popular game to pass the time is“I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” and the first letter of a nearby object. Others try to guess the object and the game goes around. This was the inspiration for the ‘I-SPY‘ book series, launched in 1948 by headmaster, Charles Worrell (1889-1995) from Somerset.

Worrell wanted to encourage children to be observant of their outdoor environment and pick up interesting facts along the way. So the I-Spy books were educational and helped to develop hobbies and interests, since children had to write in their books when and where they spotted particular varieties of the book’s topic, e.g. dogs, horses, churches, aircraft, etc..

Millions of children have enjoyed the books, which were initially self-published, then taken on by a succession of publishers, with Michelin Travel Publications being the current owners. In 1983-87 TV presenter David Bellamy put his name to some of the British wildlife titles, including ‘I-SPY Creepy Crawlies’ and ‘I-SPY Garden Birds’. The most enduring titles over the decades are ‘I-SPY Cars’ and ‘I-SPY on a Train Journey’, which refer back to the original “I spy…” idea of keeping boredom at bay.

(Image: Leo Reynolds at Flickr.com / CC BY-NC-SA/2.0)

12/11/2025
3 min
2 weeks
212 words

Culture

Women’s League of Health & Beauty

Founded in London in 1930 by Irish emigrée Mary/’Mollie’ Bagot Stack (1883-1935), the Women’s League of Health & Beauty (WLHB) is known […]

Founded in London in 1930 by Irish emigrée Mary/’Mollie’ Bagot Stack (1883-1935), the Women’s League of Health & Beauty (WLHB) is known today as the more contemporary-sounding ‘FL-exercise’. It captured the rising interest amongst women in keeping fit, especially after the hardships and new roles many took on during WW1. Bagot Stack’s system was the culmination of her scientific studies and private tutorials for elite ladies beginning in 1907 which included dance, comportment and the ‘imagine-you-are-a-falling-leaf’ type of exercise instilling grace and charm.

The initial aim was to strengthen women for child-bearing and -rearing, and WLHB spread quickly here and in Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. Bagot Stack’s first child died and she had become widowed by the time she established WLHB, giving her an added impetus and with affordable fees and the claim that her methods would lead to peace and harmony, she was adept at promotion. Her second child, Prunella Stack (1914-2010) took over after her mother died.

One of the WLHB’s mass displays was for the Coronation celebrations in 1953, giving a further boost in membership after another devastating War. Many have attended classes all their adult lives and are FL-exercising in their nineties! Bagot Stack’s great-granddaughter, Saba Douglas-Hamilton (1970-) is Fl-exercise’s current President.

(Top image: pexels.com / Public domain)

10/11/2025
3 min
2 weeks
217 words

Religion

Church Choirs

Many of the UK’s cathedrals have their own schools in which boys and sometimes girls are trained as soprano/treble choristers. They are […]

Many of the UK’s cathedrals have their own schools in which boys and sometimes girls are trained as soprano/treble choristers. They are called the ‘front row’ since that is their position in the choir stalls, with the adult altos, tenors and basses behind them. Parish churches, by contrast, rely on volunteers and ladies may take the place of pre-teens for the soaring high notes. Accompanied by an organ, the choir is usually arrayed at right angles to the congregation on both sides of the chancel area. It is by the choir’s lead that people learn hymnal tunes.

This tradition began in the monasteries and continued in spite of religious upheavals. The acoustics of a building open to the rafters produces a sound that is other-worldly and it is no wonder that thousands of church choirs exist throughout Britain.

Child choristers sometimes go on to have singing careers. Those enrolled at cathedral schools are, in effect, already professional in that they perform or rehearse every day and their school fees are subsidised. The self-discipline and confidence that they learn help them in a variety of careers. For example, Sir Alastair Cook, England cricket captain, was a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral!

(Top image: Fledermauskind at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0)

01/11/2025
3 min
4 weeks
212 words

Quoting Neil Oliver...

I love Britain more than anywhere else in the world. With all my heart I declare that those of us born here, or who have made a home here by choice, are the luckiest, most blessed of all people. I am British. I will always be British.