Exploring The English Village Church: Churchyard Gravestones
When we see gravestones in an English churchyard, we may naturally assume that they have been used since the dawn of Christianity. But, in the time-span of the churchyard, they are a relatively new.
Exploring The English Village Church: The Pulpit
The church pulpit, it would be assumed, has always been a feature of the English village church. But, amazingly, they have only been in use for 700 years.
Exploring The English Church: Sanctuary Handles
Sanctuary handles can still be found on a number of church doors. A testimony to a type of justice that lasted from Saxon times until the 17th century.
Paper Recycling in The 1950s
The recycling of paper is not such a new idea as some people might imagine. Read how people in the 1950’s re-used newspaper in many useful ways.
Fall and Rise of The Great Selborne Yew Tree
The dramatic story of how a violent storm in 1990 brought an end to 1,400 years of English history.
12 Practical Tips for Safer Winter Driving
Driving in winter weather can be a daunting prospect for even the most experienced driver. However, by following a few practical steps, that fear can be overcome, resulting in safer driving.
The Fastest Typist in Europe
In the early 20th century Eleanor Mitchell, a young girl from a travelling-fair family, was sent to a secretarial college by her mother to learn a useful skill.
She turned out to be the fastest typist the college had ever produced, going on to achieve fame and fortune in Europe.
Timothy Dexter: Emperor of America
Timothy Dexter, who believed that he should be made Emperor of America, made a fortune buying useless foreign currency during the War of Independence, sold warming pans and woollen mittens to the West Indies and even coal to Newcastle.
Haunted Churches: Bricked Up Heart and a Ghost in Woodford Church
In the 19th century a bizarre discovery was made in the Northamptonshire village church of Woodford, amid stories of the ghost of a monk being seen by villagers on a number of occasions in the church itself.
The Tudor Origin of the Mary Mary Quite Contrary Nursery Rhyme
The "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" nursery rhyme is not the sweet and innocent children"s rhyme that it appears to be.










