Events Archives - Page 2 of 3 - A Bit About Britain

Pilgrims, Pie, and Plymouth Rock: the British roots of the USA’s Thanksgiving Day

88 Comments / British Stuff, Events, History / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 22nd November 2019 / Events, Guest writers, Overseas, Stuart, USA

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 to the New World), watching football (the American variety, naturally), and gearing up for Christmas […]

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Be my Valentine?

55 Comments / British Stuff, Events / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 12th February 2019 / Curious, Events, February, Film or TV, Legend, Literary

What is Valentine’s Day all about? When you are old and grey, and full of sleep, shall I compare thee to a summer’s day; or do you walk in beauty, like the night, down by the Sally Garden? Shall I count the ways I loved you, will they stop the clocks, cut off the telephone,

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Anniversaries, 2019

39 Comments / British Stuff, History / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 9th January 2019 / Curious, Events, History, Stuff

Anniversaries, Abbey Road, 1969, Beatles

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 Bit About Britain has only highlighted significant anniversaries – centenaries, half centuries and quarter centuries.

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Kings and carols

31 Comments / East of England, Events / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 21st December 2018 / Cambridgeshire, Christmas, Churches, December, Events, Film or TV, Medieval, Modern, Royal connections, Tudor, Worship

Every Christmas Eve, millions of people all round the world tune in to their TVs or radios to listen to carols from King’s – or ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ – from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. The broadcasts are an essential part of Christmas for many; for some, they mark the beginning of the Christmas celebrations,

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Lights Out

15 Comments / British Stuff, Events / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 4th August 2018 / Events, Modern, North Yorkshire, Remembrance, World War I

At 10pm BST on 4th August 2014, the villagers of Burton in Lonsdale, a small community of fewer than 600 souls in North Yorkshire, on the borders with Lancashire and Cumbria, gathered on the village green by the old war memorial. At 10.15, there was a short service. Then, the people walked around the old

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Easter, eggs, bunnies and buns

46 Comments / British Stuff, Events / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 30th March 2018 / April, Easter, Events, Food and Drink, Legend, March, Worship

It should be simple enough to write a bit about Easter, I thought. After all, it is the most important festival in the Christian calendar, and a good deal of Britain’s heritage, at least for the last fourteen centuries or so, has been informed by a Christian tradition. So we should be sure of our

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Anniversaries, 2018

49 Comments / British Stuff, History / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 6th January 2018 / Curious, Events, History, Stuff

Which anniversaries were marked in Britain in 2018? The end of public hanging, votes for women, the first traffic light, the Roman invasion and Mick Jagger’s 75th birthday? Have a quick scan through the eclectic list of selected events below: though some may have slipped your mind, each one was on someone’s British calendar for

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Christmas at Liberty

47 Comments / London / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 19th December 2017 / Christmas, Events, Modern, Retail, Victorian

Liberty London, shop window, Christmas 2014

Don’t think I haven’t noticed that people are talking about Christmas. In our local, The Olde Ruptured Duck, decorations started to appear weeks ago and nearby houses are lit up like, well, Christmas trees. I’ve seen things on TV too, since about October: y’know, shops and what-not, each flogging their own version of seasonal perfection

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St Andrew, patron saint of Scotland

35 Comments / British Stuff, Events, Scotland / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 28th November 2017 / Events, Fife, Legend, November, Stuff, Towns, Worship

Scotland’s national saint, St Andrew, has his day on 30th November. As well as being the patron saint of Scotland, St Andrew is the patron saint of Amalfi, Barbados, Greece, Romania, Russia, the Ukraine, singers, spinsters, would-be mothers, fishmongers and fishermen, gout and sore throats. According to the Scottish Government’s website, St Andrew’s Day “is

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London’s Lord Mayor’s Show

33 Comments / British Stuff, Events, London / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 28th October 2017 / Events, November

What are you doing on the 2nd Saturday in November? If you want to experience a little pageantry – well, quite a lot, actually – get yourself up, down, over, across, or whatever, to the City of London for the 800-year old annual Lord Mayor’s Show. Other cities may well have their own, rudimentary, mayoral

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Village open gardens

37 Comments / All, Events, Yorkshire and the Humber / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 1st August 2017 / Events, Gardens, Modern, North Yorkshire

Open gardens, local events, Great Britain

The British like to see themselves as keen gardeners. Indeed, some consider gardening to be a national pastime and would be mildly surprised to discover that people in other countries do it too. Of course, as an island race, we often prefer well-ordered borders; for some, it is a perennial fixation. According to the Horticultural

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For England and St George!

44 Comments / British Stuff, Events / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 21st April 2017 / April, Events, Legend, Stuff

St George is the patron saint of England and St George’s Day is on 23rd April. Every year. Curiously enough, 23rd April is also the day that William Shakespeare, who put the words “Cry ‘God for Harry! England and Saint George’ “ into the mouth of his King Henry V, died; and it might even

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Whitby Abbey and the Easter problem

23 Comments / Yorkshire and the Humber / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 4th April 2017 / Abbeys, Dark Ages, Easter, Events, Medieval, Norman, North Yorkshire, Prehistoric, Roman, Saxon, Stuart, Supernatural, Viking, Worship

Whitby Abbey, the ruins of the abbey church

The Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby is celebrated for its fish and chips, the semi-precious gemstone, jet, its associations with the explorer Captain Cook, Dracula – and its abbey. It is less well-known as the place where the timing of Easter was decided. “When is Easter this year?” I hear you say; I’m very glad

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Anniversaries, 2017

30 Comments / British Stuff, History / Mike@bitaboutbritain / 7th January 2017 / Curious, Events, History, Stuff

Which anniversaries were marked in Britain in 2017? Have a quick scan through the eclectic list of events below, some of which may have slipped your mind; they were bound to have been on someone’s British calendar for 2017. 1650th anniversary of multiple assaults and near anarchy In 367AD, near simultaneous raids on Roman Britain

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Stew Hilts on Along the seafront at PortsmouthWe actually stayed on Portsmouth Point, right around the corner in a B&B on West. St. Took the hovercraft over to the Isle of Wight on one of our trips.
Coral Waight on Along the seafront at PortsmouthMatthew Flinders was a hero of mine since childhood. I had no idea of the loss of his remains and the finding of them last year. Thanks.
V.M.Sang on Along the seafront at PortsmouthAbout a year ago we visited a friend's daughter in Southsea. It was good to return and remember.
April Munday on Along the seafront at PortsmouthI'm lacking inspiration for it at the moment. I should get back to it, because I do miss it.
John on Along the seafront at PortsmouthYou’re welcome!
Peter's pondering on Along the seafront at PortsmouthWe hovered from Dover to France and straight back, just for the experience!
V.M.Sang on Along the seafront at PortsmouthI used to live near Eastleigh a long time ago. We used to visit Portsmouth and Southsea often. The children loved the funfair, of course. It was interesting sitting on the beach watching the ships. We also took the hovercraft to the Isle of Wight, and the cross-channel ferry to
April Munday on Along the seafront at PortsmouthEvery time I drive into Portsmouth I get lost, so I try not to do it too often. Your photos do make it look as if it's worth a proper visit, though, perhaps by train.
Derrick Knight on Along the seafront at PortsmouthMike, this is a wonderful homage to your home town, packed with far more history, fascinating and humorous detail; interesting quotations and illustrations than I have ever taken in before, despite my now being a neighbour. There must be a book in itself here.
joannerambling on Along the seafront at PortsmouthA wonderful post with lots of great photos