Penguin paperbacks
Bristol-born Sir Allen Lane (1902-70) was the genius with the driving force to create a revolution in…
Michael Bond, creator of ‘Paddington Bear’
The children’s stories about the accident-prone bear called Paddington, were written by Berkshire-born Michael Bond, CBE (1926-2017).…
Oxygen & other gases
Yorkshireman Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) was a skilled experimental chemist, among other occupations, and in 1774 he made…
The British Constitution
A constitution sets out how a community has agreed to be governed. The British Constitution is a…
Haggis
In times past, when tribal societies killed their own food animals, it made sense to use as…
Rag Weeks
University and college Rag Weeks once had the reputation of being an outlet for the rebellious spirit…
Life Expectancy
Below is an example of the result obtained with the online calculator available at the Office of…
Steve Redgrave
Sir Steven G. Redgrave, (1962-) was Great Britain’s first competitor to win five Olympic Gold medals in…
Monasteries
The monastic movement came to the British Isles in the 6th century. The remote settings of monasteries,…
Listed Buildings
Since its inception in 1882, the designation of ‘Listed Building‘ has been applied to all shapes, sizes…
The glider and the seatbelt
Yorkshireman Sir George Cayley (1773-1857) was a man ahead of his time. For the want of a…
Adam Smith and Free Trade
Born in Fife, Adam Smith (1723-90) immersed himself in philosopy, ethics, logic theology and jurisprudence at the…