A lazy tag.
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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
The last land bridge between Britain and mainland Europe gave way to the rising sea about 8,000 years ago. It is doubtful whether the significance of the event was widely recognised at the time – it was possibly the original hard Brexit Day. Read a bit about it. Image links to Amazon
My regular (congratulations) reader will be awed to learn that some things on A Bit About Britain occasionally get updated. Particular articles that have been recently improved, mainly with the addition of new photos, include those on Winchester Palace, the Tower of London, Secret London and Temple Bar. The aforementioned reader will be even more
News, January 2020 Read More »
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 insight into Britain’s story. A Bit About Britain only highlights significant anniversaries – centenaries, half
Anniversaries, 2020 Read More »
The appointment of a new Prime Minister for the United Kingdom on 24 July 2019 necessitated an update to the list of British Prime Ministers provided on A Bit About Britain. Actually, the whole page looked a little tired. Accordingly, the opportunity is being taken to update it, adding brief biographical details of our illustrious
The office of Prime Minister Read More »
