Culture UK
Who are the British? Do they really drink tea, eat roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and never leave home without an umbrella? Find out more about true Brits; past and present, myth and legend, fact and fiction.
Childhood in the 1920s and 1930s
Childhood was not all fun and games. In the 1920s and 1930s children had to contend with not only all the usual childhood diseases such as mumps and whooping cough, but also…
The Legend of Drake’s Drum
According to legend, if England is ever in peril and Drake’s Drum is sounded, Sir Francis Drake will arise to save his country. Two British army officers claimed they heard the drum beating during the Battle of Britain…
Leap Year Superstitions
The right of every women to propose on 29th February each leap year goes back hundreds of years when the leap year day had no recognition in English law (the day was ‘leapt over’ and ignored, hence the term ‘leap year’).
The Great British Music Hall
The Great British Music Hall was a cultural phenomenon that thrived in the early Victorian era. As the alcohol flowed, the lower classes were able to kick back and relax as they enjoyed the music and acts that were on offer…
David Roberts, Artist
The son of a shoemaker, the Scottish artist David Roberts is best known for his prolific series of sketches and lithographs of Egypt and the Near East…
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth, pioneer of Romanticism and Poet Laureate, is perhaps best known for his poem ‘Daffodils’; ” I wandered lonely as a Cloud, That floats on high o’er Vales and Hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden Daffodils”…
The Folklore Year – July
The Folklore Year – traditional folklore and culture of Britain, events taking place every year in July, including St Swithin’s Day. According to an ancient tradition, if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain for the next 40 days…
Wassailing
The wassailing, or blessing of the fruit trees, involves drinking and singing to the health of the trees in the hope that they will provide a bountiful harvest in the autumn. This ancient custom is still practised across the country today…
