It is one of the most evocative and moving pieces of music and as with every year, The Last Post will be played all over the world on Remembrance Day but its origins had nothing to do with mourning. The Last Post was first published in the 1790s, just one of the two dozen or… Continue reading The Last Post
Tag: history
The Aberfan Disaster Remembered 50 Years On
Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of one of the worst post-war disasters in Britain when on an ordinary October day, a quiet village in South Wales literally had the world fall in on them. The village of Aberfan sat beneath the spoil tips of the Merthyr Vale Colliery. Throughout the 20th century coal had been dumped… Continue reading The Aberfan Disaster Remembered 50 Years On
Portmanteaus from Brangelina to Brexit
Admittedly there isn’t much of a journey to along the alphabet from Brangelina to Brexit but these two events, which seem to have defined the summer illustrate just how much we use Portmanteaus from the important things in life to the whimsical. For those who are not sure what exactly is a Portmanteau, it is… Continue reading Portmanteaus from Brangelina to Brexit
The Bank of England issues plastic £5 notes
Tuesday sees the Bank of England issuing the first in the range of plastic bank notes which will begin the process of phasing out paper money forever. The first note to be issued with be the £5 note and will see Sir Winston Churchill on one side of Fivers whilst the Queen will keep her… Continue reading The Bank of England issues plastic £5 notes
Alexander Kinglake – The Tale Of A Very English Shyness
I’ve written before about the trials of introvercy and issues surrounding being shy and the related by British Problems that people like myself encounter in their day to day existence. So it is with great pleasure and also total empathy that I learned today about someone who I whole-heartedly relate to; a 19th Century English gentleman… Continue reading Alexander Kinglake – The Tale Of A Very English Shyness
Saint Christopher – The Patron Saint of Travellers
As many people enjoyed my post last week on the story of the man who tricked The Devil, I thought I would post another similar tale which I myself only learned last week. I was working on a tour and taking some wonderful people around the old Roman city of St. Albans. The city has… Continue reading Saint Christopher – The Patron Saint of Travellers
When playing a hunch leads to The Devil
I see a lot of amazing sights when I am driving around the country or indeed walking around London and giving tours to foreign visitors through my company, Ye Olde England Tours. No matter where I go or how familiar I am with the sights, it seems there is always something new to notice… Continue reading When playing a hunch leads to The Devil
Musa I of Mali – The richest man you may never have heard of
You might never have heard of Musa Keita I of the Mali Empire but it is fair to say that no-one alive today will ever make such an impact on the world today. Born in 1280 AD, Musa grew up in the extremely wealthy Malian Empire of western Africa which occupies the lands roughly around and… Continue reading Musa I of Mali – The richest man you may never have heard of
Has the birthplace of King Arthur been discovered?
In all the names of mythical and semi-mythical beings in history, there are few if any that rank more highly than that of King Arthur and his legendary knights of the Round Table. Quite why people get so worked up about someone who was for a long time largely thought to be a work of… Continue reading Has the birthplace of King Arthur been discovered?
Charles Wells – The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo
Charles “Monte Carlo” Wells was the only son amongst 3 sibling daughters and was born into a respectable family in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire before his family moved to Marseille in France. Charles Wells certainly had an interesting life and not always in a good way. He worked in a sugar beet factory in the Ukraine and… Continue reading Charles Wells – The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo
Stephen Liddell 