‘British stuff’ is a catch-all for something that is particularly British. What is behind Britain’s legends and traditions? Why do we do the things we do at Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day – at any time, come to think of it? What anniversaries are being celebrated in Britain this year, including famous people’s birthdays? Who was St George? St Andrew? St David? What are the recurring events on Britain’s calendar, including bank holidays? The answers to these questions, and more, could be found in ‘British Stuff’.
Just published and available from Amazon – A Bit About Britain’s High Days and Holidays. High Days and Holidays are special occasions, celebrations, or commemorations. They occur throughout the year, some wanted, some not, some remembered more than others. In days gone by, the passing year was marked by seasonal or religious feast days of […]
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Books British Stuff News
The United Kingdom has produced some extraordinarily successful musical acts over the years. I am thinking, of course, of creative combos like Black Lace (Agadoo, 1984), the Tellytubbies (Say ‘Eh-oh’ 1997) and Johnny Drip & the Bath Taps (nothing printable). So, by way of a departure from Rotten Romans, Dastardly Danes, Naughty Normans, Tyrannical Tudors
Top ten best British bands Read More »
British Stuff
Britain has an almost embarrassing amount of built heritage. It includes everything from archaeological sites to castles, cathedrals, stately homes, railway stations, dog kennels and all points in-between. It is a magnet for history enthusiasts, lovers of literature, intriguing tales, art and architecture, as well as film and TV fans. Hence Britain’s heritage is big
Welcome to Historic Houses Read More »
British Stuff News
This is (mainly) an unashamed plug for ‘A Bit about Britain’s History’, the book. (No, no – the film’s not out yet, thank you for asking). So if you know all there is to know about British history (because you’ve read the book, or possibly paid attention at school), look away now – an article
A bit of a plug about Britain’s history Read More »
Books British Stuff News
I have recently wondered if there is a particular lesson for us in the old place names of North West England. Now, the interpretation of place names can be a complicated, uncertain, business and it should be stressed that I am no toponymist. That said, a lack of knowledge doesn’t deter anyone these days, and
Race relations and the place names of North West England Read More »
British Stuff North West England
It began with a simple notion, to create a list of Roman place names in Britain, with their modern equivalents. Of course, we do not know what Romans called most of the places they built in Britain, so it then seemed sensible to add random Roman sites to the list. And the list grew; no
Roman place names and sites Read More »
British Stuff History
What is Britain’s longest river, highest mountain, smallest city, oldest pub, longest road, best-selling album, longest-reigning monarch? If you don’t already have this essential knowledge at your finger-tips, look no further. Why? – because the answer to these, and other life-changing questions, will be found on Britain’s superlatives – a brand-new page created especially for
Britain’s biggest, smallest, tallest, oldest … Read More »
British Stuff News
Say “Dunkirk”* to anyone with a modest knowledge of Britain’s recent history and probably the least they will do is to nod sagely; Dunkirk, ‘the miracle of Dunkirk’ or the ‘Dunkirk spirit’, is part of modern British mythology. If you knew anyone who served at Dunkirk, you are likely to have regarded them, understandably, with
Dunkirk – the miracle in context Read More »
British Stuff History
News for my loyal reader – the ‘Britain’s calendar’ page on A Bit About Britain, which previously listed holidays and annual events, has been massively overhauled and updated. That page now focuses on public holidays, with all that information contained in one simple infographic. The events information has been greatly expanded and moved to four
Britain’s changing calendar Read More »
British Stuff News
VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, is celebrated on 8 May as the day the Second World War came to an end in Europe in 1945. Writing 75 years on in 2020, most people had no memory of the event, many had limited understanding of it and some hadn’t even heard of it. You wonder
What is VE Day and is it relevant? Read More »
British Stuff Events History
The world feels a very curious and scary place at the moment. There’s an almost apocalyptic atmosphere, like being in the middle of a sci-fi movie. The future is even more uncertain than it was. As an older neighbour said to me today, “It’s rather like being at war.” But without the bombs and, of
There’s no shortage of things to do and see in Britain. But if you were visiting for the first time, what would you recommend? Here are a few arbitrary suggestions, in no particular order, just to get the ball rolling: Get out of London Many visitors to Britain head straight for London. It is one
Ten things you really should do in Britain Read More »
British Stuff