Ultrasound scanning
Ian Donald, CBE (1910-87) was born in Cornwall and, although he was always interested in machines and…
The Foreign Secretary
Short for ‘His/Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’, the position of Foreign…
James Watt and the steam engine
Devon-born Thomas Newcomen (1664-1729) was among the early inventors of small steam engines and his beam engine,…
The rule of law
British society is underpinned by the principle of ‘the rule of law‘, first stipulated in Magna Carta…
Buddhism
The 2,500-year-old practice of Buddhism first came to Britain from Asia in the late nineteenth century. The…
Weddings
Weddings in the UK are now high on the list of life’s major expenses at an average…
The Isle of Wight Festival
In 1968, around 15,000 people paid 25 shillings each to attend the first Isle of Wight Festival,…
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien, CBE (1892-1973), was the author of the epic fantasy trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings’…
Highwaymen
In the period of 1650-1830, that small, persistent, criminal section of society found a new method open…
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) houses the world’s largest collection of art and design, making it…
Badminton Horse Trials
At the 1948 Summer Olympics, the British equestrian team picked up just one bronze medal. This so…
The White Horse
Our most famous and oldest chalk-cut hill figure is the White Horse near Uffington. Unlike later equine…