Children’s singing and chanting games
Peter Opie (1918-82) and his wife Iona (1923-2017) were pioneers of research into and cataloguing of children’s…
London’s 35 Bridges
Some of London’s 35 bridges are pedestrian-only and some are for trains, but the vast majority date…
Doctor Who Day
The first episode of the science fiction TV show ‘Doctor Who’ was aired on the BBC on…
The Lifeboat
As a collection of islands set in what can be treacherous seas, it is unsurprising that Britain…
The Last Warrior Kings
The British monarch retains the ultimate power to send the country to war, but the decision is…
William Pitt the Younger
Britain’s youngest ever and second-longest-serving Prime Minister – almost 19 years – was William Pitt the Younger…
Port Talbot
Generations of the Talbot family owned an estate in Margam on the South Wales coast. In 1836…
‘Black Adder’ & ‘Blackadder’
There were four Seasons of six episodes each in the ‘Black Adder’ or ‘Blackadder’ TV comedy series. They…
Malapropisms and Spoonerisms
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) had Irish lineage and was an MP at Westminster for 32 years, lending…
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The cuneiform writing system of the ancient Middle Eastern nations first began to be deciphered in the…
Henry Purcell, composer
Henry Purcell‘s (1659-95) destiny was unsurprising in direction, though meteoric in impact on the musical sphere of…
Trafalgar Day
Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) was an incomparable naval hero who sealed our dominance at sea throughout…