UK History

The Marginalized Alexander Pope

Robert McNamee | Posted 21.05.2013 | UK Entertainment
Robert McNamee

Spring 2013 marks two significant anniversaries for Alexander Pope, perhaps the most representative and alien English poet of the 18th Century.

LOOK: Fossil Named After Edward Scissorhands

The Huffington Post UK\ | Posted 17.05.2013 | UK

An ancient species has been named after Edward Scissorhands because of the shape of its claws. The 505 million-year-old 'Kootenichela deppi' - a no...

The King's Head

PA | Posted 17.05.2013 | UK

A facial reconstruction of King Richard III is going on display in Leicester's Guildhall on the first stop of a nationwide tour. The model, which g...

Workers Celebrate Four Years Of CrossRail Construction

The Huffington Post UK | Christopher York | Posted 15.05.2013 | UK

Crossrail workers have celebrated a full year of tunnelling by dedicating a birthday cake to one of their boring machines, Phyllis. The faithful ...

That Mr Men Speech and Why Mr Gove Is Not Mr Right

Hilary Robinson | Posted 15.05.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Hilary Robinson

Having gone to a comprehensive school in an area of considerable social depravation I can speak for talented teachers who were specially selected for their ability to maintain control and to enthuse their students with imaginative and inspired ideas.

Anne Damer: Georgian Transvestite, Lesbian, & Sculptress

Adrian Teal | Posted 14.05.2013 | UK Entertainment
Adrian Teal

One dank Saturday afternoon last year, I snapped up the Georgian portrait you see here in a near-empty Northamptonshire junk shop. I haggled him down to £8. Even so, you might think I was robbed, since it is a fairly unremarkable picture. But the lady shown was one of the more interesting characters of the late 1700s.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Sara Sheridan | Posted 14.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Sara Sheridan

I have to admit to a certain amount of confusion of late. I was asked recently by a friend 'what' I considered myself. I live in Scotland and here, in the run up to the referendum on independence next autumn, most people are trying to figure out, in essence, if they're more Scottish than British or vice versa.

Economic Justice Is An Inevitability

Liam McLaughlin | Posted 13.05.2013 | UK Politics
Liam McLaughlin

Today the issue of economic justice is among the most polarizing and provocative we have. Watching the arguments for and against is often like bloodsport. Is the level of inequality an accurate measure of a country's success? Are bankers or socialists the enemy?

To Drown or Not to Drown: The Sixteenth Century Suicide That Inspired Hamlet

Amy Licence | Posted 13.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Amy Licence

I live in Canterbury. It's not the only English city overflowing with history but it is a compact little circle, with plenty of Norman, medieval and T...

Felicity A Morse

Gove's Historical Research Based On Premier Inn Polls And Regurgitated Press Releases

HuffingtonPost.com | Felicity A Morse | Posted 13.05.2013 | UK Politics

Michael Gove has come under fire after basing claims that children had “disturbing historical ignorance” on a handful of PR surveys, including pol...

English Heritage To Pay For School Trips In Deprived Areas

PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted 07.05.2013 | UK

Schools that cannot afford the travel expense of taking pupils on trips are to have the costs of coaches covered by English Heritage. The price of ...

English Heritage To Pay For School Trips In Deprived Areas

PA/The Huffington Post UK | Posted 07.05.2013 | UK

Schools that cannot afford the travel expense of taking pupils on trips are to have the costs of coaches covered by English Heritage. The price of ...

What Do They Mean? Hundreds Of Mysterious Yellow Orbs Found In Mexico's Temple Of The Feathered Serpent

Huffington Post UK | Sara C Nelson | Posted 01.05.2013 | UK

Hundreds of mysterious yellow orbs have been found beneath Mexico’s Temple of the Feathered Serpent. The once-metallic spheres were discovered b...

'Lad Culture' and Sexism - An Undeniable Link?

Verity Marriott | Posted 30.04.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Verity Marriott

The 'banter' that the boys of my school year dealt out did not fade away. It was less directed at me because I was apparently, in the words of another boy: 'An oversensitive bitch with no sense of humour', but I saw it continue to happen with many girls.

The Week That Was: Icons

Carla Buzasi | Posted 27.04.2013 | UK
Carla Buzasi

I've nothing against Winston Churchill popping up on our money - it's not actually the first time, having previously appeared on 1965 five-shilling pieces. Although it seems a little rude he's kicking off the only woman, the Queen not withstanding, who currently appears on any British banknote, social reformer Elizabeth Fry. Still, if the public had its way, it could be David Beckham staring back at us as we fork over our fivers, or even Robbie Williams. Those being just two of the more contemporary figures offered up by well-meaning Brits.

Why Didn't My Richard III Come Gift Wrapped?

Amy Licence | Posted 21.04.2013 | UK
Amy Licence

It seems there has never been a better time to head outside and start digging up your local car park. Since the bones of Richard III were exhumed in Leicester last summer, archaeology has become more exciting than even two decades of Channel 4's Time Team could have dreamed.

Capturing History on Canvas

Ana Tzarev | Posted 21.04.2013 | UK Entertainment
Ana Tzarev

Original Art is a signpost for history

Loving Luxembourg

Gareth Johnson | Posted 17.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Gareth Johnson

I'm a bit in love with Luxembourg. I've just returned from a weekend city break and I'm already planning my next visit. It's one of those cities that you don't hear much about - apart from banking, finance, and opaque tax regulation. But it's a lot more than that.

We Need an Inclusive History Curriculum

Muhammad Abdul Bari | Posted 16.04.2013 | UK Universities & Education
Muhammad Abdul Bari

Compulsory Holocaust Studies and related school trips have contributed to minimising right-wing anti-Semitism in the playground. Positive curriculum material in history could help significantly reduce Islamophobia.

The History of Being a Lady

Sara Sheridan | Posted 04.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Sara Sheridan

Some matters are simply contentious. Sometimes you're never going to get it right. The politics of the Middle East, for example. Whether Scotland should or shouldn't become independent in 2014. Oh, and whether the term 'lady' is outmoded and derogatory or exactly what most women aspire to.

England's Gay King

Gareth Johnson | Posted 01.04.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Gareth Johnson

I was in the small town of Neath in South Wales the other day, admiring castle ruins and thinking about Edward II. History is written by those who su...

This April Fools' Day, Learn From the Experts

Philip Carter | Posted 31.03.2013 | UK Comedy
Philip Carter

As 1 April nears you may be planning the perfect joke, hoax, or act of revenge. If so - and if you're looking for inspiration - may we recommend some of British history's finest hoaxers, courtesy of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Book Review: The Trebor Story by Matthew Crampton - A Surprisingly Sweet Read

Abigail Tarttelin | Posted 27.03.2013 | UK Entertainment
Abigail Tarttelin

In this cut-throat, every-man-for-himself age, this thorough history and analysis of a respected and profitable company of the past proved excellent, timely and wise reading.

King Richard III's Relatives Say Burial Decision Is Breach Of Human Rights Act

Huffington Post UK | Posted 26.03.2013 | UK

Descendants of King Richard III have added their voices to the mini War of the Roses being fought over his final resting place, in a last ditch attemp...

Planet Appetite: England's Haunted Hotspots and Horrid Histories

Rupert Parker | Posted 18.05.2013 | UK Lifestyle
Rupert Parker

I set off to explore some of England's darker histories and reveal how brave tourists can go ghost hunting themselves