Pub and restaurant opening hours
The Licensing Act, 2003, (for England and Wales) allows premises selling alcohol to be open for twenty-three…
National anthems
The UK’s ‘God save the Queen’ (or King, as appropriate) is actually the royal anthem but it…
Torvill and Dean
Jayne Torvill, OBE (1957-) and Christopher Dean, OBE (1958-), from Nottingham, are the most successful couple in…
Allotments
Many householders would like to be able to grow their own fruit and vegetables, but their gardens…
The equals sign, =
Robert Recorde (1510-58) was born in Tenby and, astonishingly, died in debtors’ prison, but he had had…
The Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was won under the inspired leadership of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson and, after…
‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) wrote the poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner‘ as the first entry…
Hinduism
The term ‘Hinduism‘ covers a rich diversity of beliefs and practices. There are few rules and the…
Mothering Sunday
The celebration of Mothering Sunday was firstly Christianised, then Americanised and finally commercialised into its present form.…
Bowls
The sport of bowls is centuries old, as evidenced by the well-known story of Sir Francis Drake…
Keeping a stiff upper lip
The ability to keep a stiff upper lip is particularly attributed to the British. If one’s upper…
The Prince of Wales Bridge and the Severn Bridge
The River Severn is Britain’s longest river and one of the most turbulent, with a tidal range…