How Has The Bayeux Tapestry Survived for So Long ?
Feb04

How Has The Bayeux Tapestry Survived for So Long ?

The Bayeux Tapestry tells one of the most famous stories in British history. It has survived revolution, war, clumsy restorations and even ‘kidnapping’ and has been threatened with destruction at every turn of these events. So how has it survived for nearly 1,000 years?

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What would have happened if the gunpowder plot had succeeded?
Nov05

What would have happened if the gunpowder plot had succeeded?

Any answer to this question will be, of course , pure speculation. However, exploring the possible outcomes of a successful Gunpowder plot is useful in highlighting the underlying tensions at play in what was a very charged historical context.  What Actually Happened  A Catholic Plot The 1605 gunpowder plot to assassinate King James I and destroy the English parliament was a relatively small conspiracy – the action of...

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Why Are British Elections Always Held on Thursdays?
Oct02

Why Are British Elections Always Held on Thursdays?

It’s a time-honoured tradition that Brits choose their MPs on a Thursday, which was last broken in 1978, where voters in Hamilton, Scotland, cast their ballots on Wednesday, May 31. The reason? The opening match of the 1978 World Cup was on Thursday, June 1. But why are British elections always held on Thursdays?

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Mysteries of History : Camelot – Was it Real? Did it Exist?
May15

Mysteries of History : Camelot – Was it Real? Did it Exist?

HISTORY RECORDS ACTUAL EVENTS whereas myths spin tales that help explain a culture’s worldview. It’s where history and myth intersect that we find some of the most enduring legends. In this particular article we look at Camelot.

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The Origin of The Union Jack
May08

The Origin of The Union Jack

Is the Union Jack the coolest flag in the world? Well, it’s certainly one of the most recognisable. An instant design classic that is forever associated with Britain, the Queen and Empire. But how did it come about?

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Did You Know … Guy Fawkes was not Executed for Masterminding the Gun Powder Plot
Nov08

Did You Know … Guy Fawkes was not Executed for Masterminding the Gun Powder Plot

Did You Know … Guy Fawkes was not Executed for Masterminding the Gun Powder Plot

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Trafalgar : The Royal Navy’s Greatest Ever Victory ?
Oct18

Trafalgar : The Royal Navy’s Greatest Ever Victory ?

The Battle of Trafalgar was to witness both the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s plans to invade Britain, and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. It was never going to be any ordinary battle, and quickly acquired a heightened, almost magical, reality.

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Why did Britain and France not declare war on the Soviet Union when the Red Army marched on Poland in September 1939?
Sep06

Why did Britain and France not declare war on the Soviet Union when the Red Army marched on Poland in September 1939?

During September 1939 both Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Both Britain and France had pledged to defend Poland. So why didn’t the allies declare war on the Soviet union as well as Germany?

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The Redcoats are Coming ! – But Why Were the British ‘Red Coats’, Red?
Aug30

The Redcoats are Coming ! – But Why Were the British ‘Red Coats’, Red?

Ever wondered why the iconic symbol of British Empire and military prowess – the’Red Coats’ – are red? The answer might surprise you!  Why did the British Army Wear Red ? Its official adoption dates from February 1645, when in the middle of the English Civil War, the English Parliament passed the New Model Army ordinance. The New Model Army The New Model Army ordinance of 1645 prescribed that the English...

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English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today
Dec28

English Words that Used To Have Vastly Different Meanings To What We Understand Today

How would you rate your vocabulary ? Average; Better than Average ; Exceptional ?
It may not matter how good you think your command of English is because in this article we reveal some surprising revelations about some of the words, you may have thought you had a thorough understanding of, had, in point of fact, some VERY different meanings in the past.

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The End of World War One : The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month
Nov09

The End of World War One : The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

1918 – At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month an armistice, signed 6 hours before in French marshal Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage at Compiegne, France, took effect between the Allies and the Central Powers, bringing the First World War to a close after 4 years, 3 months and 9 days of fighting.

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Guernsey’s WWI Military & Convalescence Hospitals
Nov06

Guernsey’s WWI Military & Convalescence Hospitals

Whilst the RGLI can be considered Guernsey’s ‘official’ response to the war it wasn’t the islands only one. One such contribution was the creation of a number of hospital facilities right here on the island for soldiers who were returning sick or wounded from the trenches.

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Who was Guy Fawkes?
Nov02

Who was Guy Fawkes?

Every year in Britain on November 5th, thousands of us make life-size effigies of pne of the most infamous men in British History – Guy Fawkes. We then proceed to set him on fire and then let off lots of fireworks. But who was Guy Fawkes and what do we know about him ? In this article we explore the life of the conspirator most closely associated with the foiled plot.

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How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?
Oct26

How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?

“How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Understand the Language ?” In a Nutshell : it would be somewhere between 400 to 500 yrs ago. In order to justify this let’s compare how the speech of ‘English’ speakers sounded in Chaucer’s time, the late 14th Century, with that in the late 16th Century – at the time of Shakespeare.

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How to Win a World War – Buy all the Tea in the World!
Oct16

How to Win a World War – Buy all the Tea in the World!

So, you’re country is engaged in a World War, its stands alone against a ruthless enemy and is fighting for its very existence. What should you do to ensure victory? How can you stiffen the nation’s resolve to fight and never surrender? This dilemma was faced by the British in 1942 during World War II and with typical British aplomb the solution they chose was … to buy all the tea in the World! A Desperate Situation...

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