A century ago, two very different, but highly significant, events took place in Britain. On 21 April 1926, the future Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair. And then, less than two weeks later, the General Strike began. In this month’s...
Madeleine Pelling “We think of the Enlightenment as a time of rationality and science, but the 18th century was fraught with all kinds of lies and misinformation, peddled by people for their own ends.” Madeleine shines a light on the...
1. A striking revelation The General Strike lasted a not-insignificant nine days, but that was just a scratch in time compared to the longest ever strike in Britain, which, as I learned in Q&A (page 57), continued for a staggering 25...
When Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, she could barely have conceived the currents – imperial retreat, multiculturalism, de-industrialiation – that would transform the nation during her reign. On the centenary of the Queen’s...
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall deeply in love. Boy’s disapproving father forbids their union. The pair strive to be together, against the odds – but, in a tragic denouement, their young love is thwarted forever. It’s a timeless trope that’s...
Across 7 Cathedral city, the base of post-Conquest prince-bishops charged with the defence of northern England (6) 8 Last name of two (unrelated) British historians, Catharine and Thomas (8) 9 So named because of the great variety of...
