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.
Tudor Dentistry
Queen Elizabeth I set all the trends at court – including her sugar-rotted teeth. Famous for her love of sugar and all things sweet, the queen’s blackened teeth became a beauty trend, with some people even going as far as to purposefully rot their own teeth to emulate the look.
The History of Gentlemen’s Clubs
Dating from the Georgian era, gentlemen’s clubs were reserved exclusively for the aristocracy and the elite, to meet, drink, socialise and gamble. They were also the unofficial stomping grounds of political alliances and business networks. The members of these clubs – the establishment – would steer the political, economic and cultural course of society.
The Great British Biscuit
Rich tea, jammie dodger or chocolate digestive? Garibaldi, bourbon or shortbread? Fancy or plain, biscuits are as much a part of British culture as fish and chips. Whether you like to dunk or nibble delicately around the edges, what would a cup or mug of tea be without a biscuit?
Plough Monday
Marking the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and dating back to the fifteenth century, Plough Monday, the first Monday after Epiphany, was observed by farming communities up and down the country, celebrating the beginning of the agricultural year with dance, music and decorated ploughs…
The Christmas Card
Invented by Henry Cole, who sought a way to avoid writing endless Christmas letters to friends and family, the Christmas card has become an integral part of our festive celebrations.
History of Christmas Carols
Today we associate carols with the school nativity play or in church: shopping malls echo to the sound of Christmas songs rather than traditional carols. Often thought of as a purely Victorian tradition, the history of carols goes back much further in time…
Historic Witch Trials and Neurodiversity
Imagine an older woman, living alone but surrounded by pets and immersed in nature, behaving in ways seen as strange to others. In medieval times she might have been called a witch but nowadays, we would say she was just quirky. Possibly though, with the right knowledge we would see she was likely neurodiverse…
Mary Wollstonecraft
Writer, political philosopher and advocate of women’s rights, Mary Wollstonecraft’s experiences in Britain and Revolutionary France inspired much of her work. Her personal life however was complicated and full of heartache…
What did Catherine Howard Look Like?
Henry VIII is famous for his six wives. But do we know what they looked like? The actual likeness of Catherine Howard, wife number 5, is elusive…
The Life and Work of Christopher Marlowe
Christopher ‘Kit’ Marlowe. Iconic poet and playwright. Heretic, hedonist, and likely a spy for Queen Elizabeth I. His death – stabbed in a bar brawl, allegedly over a bill, aged just 29 – is still viewed with suspicion today. Was it actually an assassination?