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.
The Tontine Principle
What could you do in a Tontine? Well, you could buy a cotton mill, a cutter, or a coal mine. In Scotland, tontines were found throughout the country…
Florence Blenkiron and Theresa Wallach Motorcyclists Extraordinaire
In 1935, two British motorcyclists, Florence Blenkiron and Theresa Wallach, set off on a long-distance ride, travelling 13,500 miles in eight months from London to Cape Town…
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae (The History of the Kings of Britain) is a medieval text written by Geoffrey of Monmouth around 1136. It introduces us to the legend of King Arthur, including Merlin the magician, his wife Guinevere and the sword Excalibur…
St Nicholas Day
Have you ever wondered why people hang stockings up on Christmas Eve for Father Christmas (or Santa Claus) to fill…
Christmas Crackers
A history of Christmas Crackers… and why the British wear paper hats at the Christmas lunch table!
The History of Firearms in the British Police
The image that springs to mind of the British Police is that of a bobby swinging a truncheon, chasing down criminals and sending them away in handcuffs. However, there was a time when several branches of British Police were armed and…
William Blake
William Blake was a man of many talents: an engraver, poet, writer, painter and mystic…
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James
As the nights draw in, lovers of ghost stories turn with anticipation once again to the works of M.R. James, acknowledged by many to be the master of the English ghost story…
