Culture UK
Who are the British? Do they really drink tea, eat roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and never leave home without an umbrella? Find out more about true Brits; past and present, myth and legend, fact and fiction.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Writer, political philosopher and advocate of women’s rights, Mary Wollstonecraft’s experiences in Britain and Revolutionary France inspired much of her work. Her personal life however was complicated and full of heartache…
What did Catherine Howard Look Like?
Henry VIII is famous for his six wives. But do we know what they looked like? The actual likeness of Catherine Howard, wife number 5, is elusive…
The Life and Work of Christopher Marlowe
Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe. Iconic poet and playwright. Heretic, hedonist, and likely a spy for Queen Elizabeth I. His death – stabbed in a bar brawl, allegedly over a bill, aged just 29 – is still viewed with suspicion today. Was it actually an assassination?
The British Character
Who are the British? What are the common traits that they share? The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics gave the world an insight into Britain and the British character. The spectacle was a wonderful journey through British history, literature and music – and was, like the British, decidely eccentric…
Fashion in the English Civil War
According to the textbooks, Royalist and Parliamentarian soldiers could be identified on sight. The Royalists (so they say) were all about long flowing hair, feathered hats and lace: the Parliamentarians all leather, close-shaved heads and Bibles under their arms. But was it really as simple as that?
The Life and Work of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the most prominent of English Romantic poets. His personal life however was chaotic, his political views radical and his early death, tragic,..
Pubs And The Metropolis
Metropolitan London has around 7,000 public houses – an average of 25 pubs per square mile! Some of these iconic watering holes are associated with important events in history…
Bringing Potatoes to Britain
Britain loves potatoes! Roasted, chipped, mashed – the humble potato has been a staple of our diet for hundreds of years, yet its humble origins lie far away, in the Andes…
