Blumlein’s stereo sound
Alan Dower Blumlein (1903-1942) was born in London and became a pioneer in the field of sound technology. He carried out work […]
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Sir Humphrey Davy
Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) was an extremely talented chemist, poet and inventor. Born in Cornwall and employed in Bristol at the Pneumatic […]
Read MoreSir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) was an extremely talented chemist, poet and inventor. Born in Cornwall and employed in Bristol at the Pneumatic Institution, he first became known for his experiments with nitrous oxide, or ‘laughing gas’, by breathing it in himself. His friends tried it, too! Later, it would start to be used as an anaesthetic in dentistry.
Davy then moved to London in 1801 and succeeded in isolating the elements of sodium, potassium, magnesium, chlorine and iodine, among others, using the newly discovered process of electrolysis. He was also admired as a lecturer and was Professor of Chemistry from 1802 to 1812 at the Royal Institution. His presentation style was very popular as he was a charismatic speaker and used visual aids to great effect. His desire to communicate was also shown in his lifelong devotion to writing poetry, uncommon for a scientist.
In 1816, he invented a miner’s safety lamp which reduced the danger of explosions caused by naked flames in coal mines. This lamp is known as the ‘Davy lamp’.
(Top image: Wellcome Collection at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0)
The Spinning Jenny
The 8-spindle ‘spinning jenny’ for spinning wool or cotton was invented by James Hargreaves (1720-78) of Lancashire in 1764 and it was […]
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An MP’s oath of allegiance
A Member of Parliament (MP) has powers given by the monarchy. Therefore, an MP represents all the people living in his or […]
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Rights on becoming 16 years old
A young person acquires some legal rights at age 16. These are not the full rights of an adult, but they are […]
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“UK” or “Britain” or … ?
The UK, Great Britain, the British Isles, England… these are not just different names for the same landmass! The differences are illustrated […]
Read MoreThe UK, Great Britain, the British Isles, England… these are not just different names for the same landmass! The differences are illustrated below:-
- The British Isles refers to all of the islands, including the country of Ireland.
- The United Kingdom‘s full name is ‘the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’ and its abbreviation is ‘the UK’.
- Great Britain comprises England, Wales and Scotland (not Northern Ireland) and ‘Great’ is often omitted informally.
- England is the largest by size and population of the four constituent nations of the UK.
If this seems confusing for you non-Brits, be assured that even many of those born and raised here are not entirely sure of their own geography! Sad but true.
(Top image: pixabay.com)
The CILIP Carnegie medal
“Words are mastered by meeting them, not by avoiding them.” This was Geraldine McCaughrean’s advice to publishers who favour children’s books with […]
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Samuel Pepys’s diary
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was born and lived most of his life in London and began writing his famous diary every day from […]
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Emily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë (1818-48) was part of a tragic but creative family in Yorkshire which produced what are now regarded as […]
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Emily Jane Brontë (1818-48) was part of a tragic but creative family in Yorkshire which produced what are now regarded as classic English literary works. Her own was called ‘Wuthering Heights‘ (1847), a story of vengeance, death, love and cruelty and it challenged Victorian ideas about class. Without the normal morality lesson, it was panned by critics at the time.
Emily herself died of tuberculosis aged only 30, just a year after the book was first published. The featured image is of Haworth House, the parsonage where she and her family lived and all but the youngest, Anne, died. Although Emily and her siblings loved the moors near their home, the district did not have good sanitation and the water supply was polluted, sadly.
Indeed, in the industrial town of Haworth at that time, life expectancy was a mere 19-25 years, but Emily’s Irish father, Patrick (1777-1861, original surname Brunty), had been given a job for life there so did not consider moving away. He outlived all his family ~ his wife, his son and his five daughters, of whom Emily was the fourth.
(Top image: DS Pugh at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Betting & gambling
Betting and gambling are legal activities in the UK. Betting shops, bingo halls, casinos, the National Lottery and online betting games are […]
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The Divine Right of Kings
The Divine Right of Kings was a theory that the monarchy was appointed by a divine being, or God, making the monarch’s […]
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