Bricks are all around us, yet we seldom stop to look at them and the structures with which they are built. There is an almost infinite range of bricks and, likewise, brick colors. Years ago every smal
Catherine Parr called her 'that hell', while Queen Mary I called her 'my good Nann'. Lady-in-waiting to each of Henry VIII's six queens, Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, witnessed the reigns of Henr
'Kids supposed to evacuate this afternoon. Later told that it is tomorrow. Said goodbye to John and all my pals. May never see them again.' In October 1939, sixteen-year-old Eric Armstrong took the c
Formed on Merseyside in 1913, Coast Lines grew from a small fleet of sixteen coastal ships operating in the Irish Sea to the world’s largest coastal fleet. At the time, over 4 million tons of sh
There is a lot of controversy over the history of Stilton cheese: its origins, who first made it, and who now has the rights to the name and recipe. Trevor Hickman has delved into the National Archive
Most people are under a misapprehension: the Rocket was not the first steam engine. Quite a few were built before it, but Stephenson’s engine was the first successful steam locomotive. Colin Mag
Famous as home to the Peak District National Park (three quarters of its 550 square miles lies within the county) Derbyshire is a county filled with natural appeal. From the historic city of Derby to
Famous for its breathtaking mountain scenery, its beautiful beaches and ancient culture and heritage, North Wales is a region with huge appeal. From the delights of Anglesey to the wild landscapes of
Anna Podgajecki was born in Korzec, on the Polish–Russian border. As life for the Jews became steadily worse, Anna’s parents insisted that she, the oldest of their seven children, try to escape, survi
He is one of the most reviled English kings in history. He drove his kingdom to the brink of civil war a dozen times in less than 20 years. He allowed his male lovers to rule the kingdom. He led a gre
At around 7 p.m. on May 26, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave the order for Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of British troops from the harbor and beaches of Dunkirk. The German forces that
The great religions, civilizations, peoples and empires of the world and how they interacted are all folded here into a narrative of what happened when, how and why. The book eschews the Eurocentric a
On the first night of the Second World War the Royal Air Force flew a mission to drop more than five million leaflets over the industrial heartland of Germany. The leaflets called upon the German peop
Post-1945 items include a Warsaw Pact ZIL radio lorry, an example of a G-Wagon used by British Military Mission (BRIXMIS) in East Germany, a model of Smokey Joe's—a listening post manned by Intelligen
The Roy F. Burrows Midland Railway Collection was started by Roy F. Burrows in the 1940s and is now generally recognised as a railway collection of national significance devoted to one particular pre-
Like his crusading father before him, Simon de Montfort’s combination of charisma, determination and fearlessness, reinforced by a wife with similar qualities, made him one of the greatest men of his
As one world vanishes, another takes its place. The objects we collect are a record of the past, and of these objects, the least recorded are often the ones we all take for granted. Antique and vintag
Anne Boleyn’s unconventional beauty inspired poets, and she so entranced Henry VIII with her wit, allure and style that he was prepared to set aside his wife of over 20 years and risk his immort
"From a water-laden bog in the Cambrian Mountains of Wales to the mighty Bristol Channel, the River Severn carves its way through some of the most picturesque and varied landscapes in the country. Riv
Covering all major emergency service providers in Britain, Ollie Barnett documents some of the vehicles used around the country on a daily basis to keep the public safe. With a broad geographical cove
