Category: history

Posts predominantly history related.

I’m on UK national Talk Radio tonight at 9.30pm

I just found out that I’ve been invited to appear just after the news. We will be talking about Knocker-Uppers which isn’t as kinky as it might sound.   You can listen on the radio, DAB or online. If you’re a little visually impaired like myself then you can also watch it on their live-stream. If… Continue reading I’m on UK national Talk Radio tonight at 9.30pm

Phoebe Hessel – The Stepney Amazon who fought for King and Country.

I always enjoy writing about lesser known female figures in history, so often their tales are incredible and inspiring and at this time of year I often think of Women and The Great War. These days ladies can not only serve in the British Army but fight on the front lines and as pioneering as some… Continue reading Phoebe Hessel – The Stepney Amazon who fought for King and Country.

The Railway Queen who met Stalin

From the end of WW1 to the early 1980s the likes of cotton mills, coal mines and railways crowned girls and young women Queens of their industries in a PR effort to distract from worker dissatisfaction and trade union disputes, improve morale and bring a little bit of glamour to what could be very tough… Continue reading The Railway Queen who met Stalin

Marooned in an abandoned London Underground Station

Have you ever been marooned underground? I know I have as one time I was riding on the Paris Metro at 11am with only two other passengers on the train. The driver made a an abrupt announcement which didn’t make much sense before a few minutes later, the train stopped underground and the lights went… Continue reading Marooned in an abandoned London Underground Station

The Sinking of the White Ship a 12th century disaster of Titanic proportions.

The sinking of the White Ship shaped not just a country but in some ways the world but due to its distant setting and the repercussions it caused, it’s largely unknown amongst the general public. Surprisingly though, we know quite a lot about what happened back on the 25th November 1120. We know from contemporaneous… Continue reading The Sinking of the White Ship a 12th century disaster of Titanic proportions.

The Englishman who invented an American fast-food icon

Everyone loves a hotdog don’t they? I know I used to eat a lot of them though I’ve not had any for about 20 years, partly that’s because it is hard to get gluten free hotdog bread rolls and partly as I prefer actual sausages in bread rolls. Nevertheless, hotdogs can be a fast and… Continue reading The Englishman who invented an American fast-food icon

Jewels of Persia at the Epic Iran – 5,000 years of Culture exhibition at the V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and in addition to its regular objects, often plays hosts to astounding collections from… Continue reading Jewels of Persia at the Epic Iran – 5,000 years of Culture exhibition at the V&A

Up close and personal with the wedding dress of Diana, Princess of Wales

One of my childhood memories is of the Royal Wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. It was in the school summer holidays and even at the age of 7 and living nowhere near London, it was impossible to escape. The day before we had a new front door installed to our house then… Continue reading Up close and personal with the wedding dress of Diana, Princess of Wales

Visiting the statue of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Thursday the 1st July 2021, would have been the 60th birthday of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. To commemorate the occasion, Diana’s sons, the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, came together to unveil a special memorial statue of their mother in Kensington Palace’s Sunken Garden which is said to be have been her favourite place in… Continue reading Visiting the statue of Diana, Princess of Wales.