Did Richard the Lionheart really meet Robin Hood?
Most of us would like to think that Richard the Lionheart did in fact encounter history’s most famous outlaw, Robin Hood. So is there any chance that he ever did ?
Sowing the Seeds of Future Conflict : Germany’s first emperor is crowned in France
Wednesday the 18th of January 1871 was a bitter cold day. At noon, with the smell of smoke in the air from nearby Paris, burning under the Prussian siege and bombardment, a fateful gathering took place in the Palace of Versailles. An event that would play on the minds of the French 43 years later and help to propel Europe’s slide into World War I.
The Last Invasion of Britain
Napoleon wanted to invade and conquer Britain so too did Hitler but they both failed. So … When exactly was the last Invasion of Britain ?
America goes dry – When Prohibition became law in the United States
On Friday 16th January 1920 America officially ‘went dry’. For it was on this day that prohibition became law in the United States. But how did this strange state of affairs come about ?
The Day the Guns Fell Silent – Christmas Truce 1914
The First World War is a byword for mud, blood and slaughter on a huge mechanised scale. Men living in squalid trenches only tens of yards apart from each other would daily tear each other to pieces if they got the chance. So then, it is no wonder that the Christmas truce is one of the best-known moments of the WWI. Amid the industrial slaughter, here was a reminder of simple human decency.
Has the Fabled Viking ‘Magic Crystal’ been discovered … in the Channel Islands ?
This is a true story of a mystery that’s puzzled archaeologists for a long time. Namely how to explain the nautical prowess of the Vikings in an age long before the invention of reliable magnetic compasses.. Up until now only strange and vague references to their use of a ‘Magic Sun Crystals’ has been offered up as part of the solution to this conundrum.
The Night Castle Cornet Exploded
Around midnight on Sunday 29 December 1672 the Governor of Guernsey, Viscount Christopher Hatton, was suddenly awoken – by hailstones on his face. His mother lay dead beneath the remains of a ceiling and his house lay in ruins around him. This was the night that Castle Cornet literally exploded around its’ occupants.
A very short history of Bonfire night
No one was more delighted by the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot than King James I, who had narrowly avoided becoming the first king to sit on a rocket-propelled throne. In this article we look at the history of the partying mayhem that grew up surrounding this quintessentially British tradition.
5 Myths About World War I Debunked
World War I was supposed to be the “war to end all wars”. It was the first ‘modern mechanised war’ and a lot of myths about it have been built up over the years often by revisionist historians using ‘hind-sight’. Some of these so called “facts” are blinding us to the reality and we are in danger of belittling the experience of soldiers and civilians in this conflict. In this article we look at some of the bigee “facts” that are just plain wrong.
Living with the Enemy – Jersey’s own “Anne Frank”
There are many stories various types of active resistance against the occupying forces. Indeed many islanders lost their lives, executed by the Germans for their opposition. In this article we look at one such act which has parallels with the Anne Frank storey in the Netherlands.
Why are British Soldiers called ‘Tommies’ ?
The British ‘Tommy’ going over the top to battle the evil Hun is synonymous with World War I and World War II but this slang term for the British soldier originated much earlier than this and is credited as being coined by one of Britain’s most famous Generals
Great British Battles – Part II
There are some events in history upon which turn the fate of nations. A point at which history can go either way. Battles have always played a part in defining what Britain is. Here we look at The Battles of Mons; Battle of Britain; & D-Day.
How did Trench Warfare begin in World War I
Nothing epitomizes the First World War more than the trench. Trench warfare prevailed on the Western Front from 16 Sept 1914 up until the Germans launched their Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918, a staggering 4 and half years in which deadly, grinding attrition became the norm. Trenches stretched from the Franco-Swiss frontier in the south to the Flanders coast in the north, a distance of over 450 miles. But how did this situation come about?
The Umbrella – Who invented it ?
The umbrella is an iconic symbol of Britishness and especially useful in our wet and damp climate. However there was a time when they were ridiculed and looked down upon. In this article we look at the origins of this most useful piece of technology.
The Miracle of Mons – August 1914 : The BEF stand against the German Tidal Wave
The Battle of Mons marked the first battle between the British & German Armies in the First World War. It was a titanic struggle that threatened to completely overwhelm the small professional British Army in the hot summer of 1914.
