Sir Roger Moore
Londoner Sir Roger George Moore (1927-2017) was gifted with good looks, quick wits, charm and charisma. In…
The Booker Prize
In 1967 Lord Jock Campbell (1912-94) from Dunbartonshire was about to head the development of the new…
Triton, Hyperion, Ariel and Umbriel
Lancashire-born William Lassell (1799-1880) grew up in Liverpool within a clock-making family, acquiring the precision engineering skills…
The Royal Festival Hall
After the WW2 bombing of London, the County Council decided that a new, up-to-the-minute, airy, Scandinavian-style concert…
Plough Monday/Sunday
Before industrialisation, Plough Monday was a popular event in farming communities on the first or second Monday…
Running the sub-4-minute mile
Sometimes called ‘The Dream Mile’, this feat is said to have begun with aristocrats betting on their…
Coalition governments
With its first-past-the-post voting principle, a UK General Election does not often result in no party having…
Venn diagrams
Yorkshire-born Dr. John Venn (1834-1923) had two obsessions ~ logic and Cambridge University. His deep interest and…
Treason
Considering that treason laws are intended to protect senior royalty, it is most odd to see four…
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten (1913-76) was born in Suffolk and spent most of his life there. In 1948…
Burns Night
Robert (Rabbie) Burns (1759-96) was born in Ayrshire to tenant farmers, but found he had a gift…
Oliver Cromwell
The role of the monarchy has changed radically over the ages and the public execution of King…