In the early evening on Thursday, 8 September 2022, the following announcement appeared on the official Royal website. It was also posted on the railings at Buckingham Palace, where the flag had already been lowered. “The Queen died peacefully at…
A bit about Bede
A Bit About Britain often refers to ‘Bede’. It occurred to me the other day that some of my readers may not know who – or what – this means. Which, frankly, is fair enough. Thus, for the benefit of…
The Pig War
A guest post by author, Anne Clare In spite of its name, ‘The Pig War’ didn’t have much to do with farm animals. Rather, the unfortunate demise of a pig who ventured into the wrong garden in 1859 almost led…
Anniversaries, 2022
Which anniversaries are being marked in Britain in 2022? Below is a selection of more than sixty noteworthy occasions for you. Each one will be on someone’s calendar for 2022 – and each one offers an insight into Britain’s story. …
Anniversaries, 2021
Which anniversaries will be marked in Britain in 2021? Here is a selection of noteworthy events and birthdays for you. Each one will be on someone’s calendar for 2021 – and each one offers a little insight into Britain’s story.…
Who we lost in 2020
Which celebrities did Britain say goodbye to in 2020? It is a depressingly long list, but a reminder of some wonderful people, and of our recent past. Most – though certainly not all – of these individuals achieved great things…
Roman place names and sites
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…
Dunkirk – the miracle in context
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…
What is VE Day and is it relevant?
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,…
Anniversaries, 2020
Which anniversaries are being marked in Britain in 2020? Here is a selection of noteworthy events and birthdays for you. You can be sure that each one will be on someone’s calendar for 2020 – and each one offers an…
Pilgrims, Pie, and Plymouth Rock: the British roots of the USA’s Thanksgiving Day
A guest post by Anne Clare The United States’ celebration of Thanksgiving might seem, at first glance, like a surprising choice for a blog dedicated to Britain. After all, modern U.S. celebrations largely focus on eating turkey (a bird native…
A Bit About Britain’s History repeats itself
Finally – A Bit About Britain’s History (From a long time ago until quite recently) is available as both an e-book and paperback on Amazon. A Bit About Britain’s History is a light introduction to Britain’s fascinating story. It could…
Anniversaries, 2019
Which anniversaries were marked in Britain in 2019? Here is a selection of noteworthy events and birthdays for you – each one was on someone’s calendar for 2019 – and each one offers a fascinating insight into Britain’s story. A…
Armistice 1918
For four years, the armies had slugged it out. Millions had died and most people had forgotten what started it all in the first place, or what they were actually fighting for. It took much, much longer to conclude the…