The Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought on 1st July 1690 on the banks of Ireland’s River Boyne at Oldbridge. King James […]
Category: Celebrations & Holidays
Roald Dahl Day
Roald Dahl (1916-90) was born in Cardiff to Norwegian parents and Roald Dahl Day is on his birthday, 13th September. It is […]
Chinese New Year
Trade with China in the 1800s brought about a small, close-knit settlement of Chinese sailors and their families in the Limehouse district […]
Fêtes, fairs and fayres
Medieval fairs were travelling or occasional marketplaces for traders, with a few refreshment stalls on the periphery. In the 18th and 19th […]
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night is usually taken to expire at midnight on 5th January but some argue for 6th January or even 31st December. […]
Summer Solstice
Sunrise on the day of the Summer Solstice ranges from about 3.35am to 4.45am north to south of the UK, with sunset […]
New Year’s Day
The start of a new year has been set variously at 1st January, 1st March and 25th March in times past, but […]
Plough Monday/Sunday
Before industrialisation, Plough Monday was a popular event in farming communities on the first or second Monday of the year, between 7th-13th […]
Burns Night
Robert (Rabbie) Burns (1759-96) was born in Ayrshire to tenant farmers, but found he had a gift for writing poetry and lyrics. […]
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday. On this day Jesus reputedly washed his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, symbolising […]
Bank Holidays
Until the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, the idea of taking a day off with pay for non-sacred or non-medical reasons would […]
National Sandcastle Competition
North Devon is blessed with many long, sandy beaches, three of which have played host to the UK’s National Sandcastle Competition. This […]