Stereo Sound
Alan Dower Blumlein (1903-1942) was born in London and became a pioneer in the field of sound…
Sir Humphrey Davy
Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) was an extremely talented chemist, poet and inventor. Born in Cornwall and employed…
Rugby
The sport of rugby began at Rugby School in Warwickshire in the 18th century. There was no…
The Spinning Jenny
The 8-spindle ‘spinning jenny’ for spinning wool or cotton was invented by James Hargreaves (1720-78) of Lancashire…
The Oath of Allegiance
Every Member of Parliament (MP) at Westminster and Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) at Holyrood has…
Rights on becoming 16 years old
A young person acquires some legal rights at age 16. These are not the full rights of…
“UK” or “Britain” or … ?
The UK, Great Britain, the British Isles, England… these are not just different names for the same…
The CILIP Carnegie Medal
“Words are mastered by meeting them, not by avoiding them.” This was Geraldine McCaughrean’s advice to publishers…
Samuel Pepys’s Diary
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was born and lived most of his life in London and began writing his…
Emily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë (1818-48) was part of a tragic but creative family in Yorkshire which produced…
Betting & Gambling
Betting and gambling are now legal activities in the UK, although for much of the past they…
The Divine Right of Kings
The Divine Right of Kings was a theory that the monarchy was appointed by a divine being,…