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.
St George – Patron Saint of England
St Georges Day is celebrated on April 23rd. But how much do we know about England’s patron saint?…
The Unicorn, National Animal of Scotland
The unicorn: a mystical beast, representing both purity and innocence, power and ferocity, adopted as the national animal of Scotland in the 1300s. The unicorn is also the natural enemy of the lion, adopted by English royalty some 100 years before…
Suffragette Outrages – The Women’s Social and Political Union WSPU
The suffragette movement, and in particular the militant Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), should be regarded as violent, a distinction which distances suffragettes from peaceful suffragists. Their ‘outrages’ – escalating to bombings, arson, and chemical attacks – potentially had a detrimental effect on the outcome of the suffrage campaign…
St Valentines Day
The history and customs behind St Valentines Day, the most romantic day of the year
Cockney Rhyming Slang
Would you Adam and Eve it! Cockney rhyming slang developed in London’s East End in the 19th century, and was used by market traders and petty criminals to evade and confuse the police…
Mince Pies
One of the favourite sweet treats at Christmas is the mince pie. This crumbly pastry is filled with fruit, often soaked in brandy and flavoured with citrus and mild spice. However the mince pie was originally a savoury pie – and not even round!
A Tudor Christmas
The twelve days of Christmas would have been a most welcome break for the workers on the land, which in Tudor times would have been the majority of the people.
A Victorian Christmas
Christmas trees, carol singers, Christmas cards, Father Christmas and crackers – integral parts of a traditional Christmas, but why? The Victorians…
