A lazy tag.
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. Scroll through to spot those occasions that may have slipped your mind, or click/tap on […]
Anniversaries, 2021 Read More »
British Stuff History
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 in their lives, or brought pleasure to others; thank you, and RIP to them. One
Who we lost in 2020 Read More »
British Stuff History
2020 was an exceptional year. It began with the US execution by drone of Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, horrendous bushfires still raging in parts of Australia – and things just got better from there. I have picked out four stories that, arguably, help define 2020 for Britain and whose outcomes have yet
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
High Days and Holidays Read More »
Books 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
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
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
This is the third, and fortunately final, part of our gripping video series exhibiting an unassuming English garden during the lockdown in April 2020. As with Parts 1 and 2, the narrator helpfully points out features not immediately obvious to the average viewer – such as garden benches, trees and stones. If you haven’t seen
Somewhere in England – Part 3 Read More »
News
This is the second in our short three-part video series showing a humble English garden during the lockdown of 2020. Not to be taken very seriously – obviously – these videos perfectly illustrate why preparing a script is such good practice; I’ll try to remember to do that next time. But at least you get
Somewhere in England – Part 2 Read More »
News
Most people have been unable to go far during the Coronavirus lockdown in the UK; some have been unable to get out at all. Many of us are lucky to have gardens so, even with the necessary restrictions on movement and travel, we have been able to enjoy fresh air and a certain degree of
Somewhere in England – Part 1 Read More »
News
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
