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  1. Blackleaf

    Marine mammals thriving in Thames

    Ten years of public sightings show that large marine mammals are regularly found in the River Thames. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has received records of 2,732 animals over that period. Seals were the most common animal seen, with many spotted around London's Canary Wharf...
  2. Blackleaf

    First Blue John vein in 150 years found in Derbyshire Peak District

    A new vein of a very rare mineral has been found in Derbyshire. The only place in the world where you can find Blue John stone is in a cavern beneath Treak Cliff Hill, near Castleton in the Peak District, and now a new vein of the mineral has been found. It's been named the Ridley Vein after...
  3. Blackleaf

    Can you solve the code in the sword?

    A medieval sword that carries a mysterious inscription has baffled historians for centuries. Little is known about the double-edged weapon, least of all the meaning behind a cryptic 18-letter message running down the central groove which reads: NDXOXCHWDRGHDXORVI. Now The British Library...
  4. Blackleaf

    How to speak like a Corbynite: a helpful guide

    As socialist and bearded lefty Jeremy Corbyn - who, like many on the British left, never wears a tie and generally looks scruffy - looks set to become the new leader of the Labour Party, and therefore to have a crack at trying to be Prime Minister in 2020, the Telegraph has issued a helpful...
  5. Blackleaf

    VJ Day: Queen leads 70th anniversary commemorations

    The Queen is leading events to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, when Japan surrendered and World War Two ended. She and the Duke of Edinburgh joined the PM and former prisoners of war at a remembrance service at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London. The Reverend Dr Sam Wells told...
  6. Blackleaf

    Who was the real Edward VI?

    The Tudor boy king is often painted as a sickly puppet. But as Stephen Alford – author of a recent biography – reveals, he may actually have been much like his father, Henry VIII Who was the real Edward VI? Thursday 13th...
  7. Blackleaf

    The Roman invasion: Whose side were the Britons on?

    The display of the Hallaton helmet reconstruction in 2012 sparked debate about how far Britons colluded with the Romans on their invasion in AD 43. Here, Gillian Hovell considers this and other key questions about the start of the Roman occupation. The Roman invasion: Whose side were the...
  8. Blackleaf

    William and Kate issue furious warning over paparazzi pictures of their children

    The paparazzi are using children to lure Prince George into view as they take increasingly desperate measures to capture lucrative images of the young royal, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have revealed. The tactic is one of several "dangerous" and "distressing" methods revealed in an...
  9. Blackleaf

    Spanish ships accused of 'violating' Gibraltar's territory

    Spanish vessels and helicopters were in "clear violation of international law" after entering UK waters in Gibraltar, the Foreign Office has said. Spanish police chasing criminals have made several incursions into British waters in the past two days, it added. The Royal Navy escorted the...
  10. Blackleaf

    Old English wisdom enters Twitter-verse

    An Old English expert is sharing the wisdom of our ancestors on Twitter. But can we learn anything from 1,000-year-old thinking? Old English wisdom enters Twitter-verse By Duncan Leatherdale BBC News 13 August 2015...
  11. Blackleaf

    Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life 2

    Everyone's favourite bald Manc twonk and comedy travel documentary host Karl Pilkington - the whingeing but lovable comedy genius whom his friend Ricky Gervais once called "the funniest man alive in Britain today" - is back with the second series of his hilarious round-the-world TV series The...
  12. Blackleaf

    Schoolchildren re-enact football's most infamous moments

    These schoolchildren have been recreating some of the most infamous moments in football. School children become 'Football's Bad Boys' Whoever had the idea for this is an absolute genius. Rather than teaching children about good morals and encouraging them to look up to responsible...
  13. Blackleaf

    The London shipwreck: 1665 gun carriage recovered

    A gun carriage has been recovered from the wreck of a warship which exploded and sank in the Thames estuary in 1665. The London went down off Southend-on-Sea in Essex, killing 300 crew. It is the first complete carriage to be raised from the ship, which is lying about 65ft (20m) below the...
  14. Blackleaf

    10 dangers of Georgian London

    Disease, cesspits and gin: What was life like on the streets of 18th-century London? 10 dangers of Georgian London...
  15. Blackleaf

    The deer which have to cross Britain's busiest road to get to their grazing grounds

    These deer wait until sunset to cross the busy M25 using bridges and tunnels to their native grazing grounds across London. They appear to be undeterred by the bright lights and loud noises to find their forests and farmland either side of the motorway. Jamie Hall, 36, photographed the deer...
  16. Blackleaf

    It's Lego-ld Trafford!

    A talented designer is on a mission to recreate all 92 stadiums in the Premier and Football League - out of Lego. Chris Smith, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, has used the classic children's toy to construct intricate models of iconic stadiums such as Old Trafford and Anfield. The...
  17. Blackleaf

    The Thirteen Legendary Treasures of Britain

    The ‘Thirteen Treasures of Britain’ are a group of magical items found in late medieval Welsh tradition. These precious relics are mentioned in 15th and 16th century manuscripts, such as the Welsh Arthurian tale of ‘Culhwch and Olwen’. The Thirteen Treasures are said to have been located...
  18. Blackleaf

    Cheshire: The county with its own Magna Carta

    As events mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Great Charter, historians in Cheshire are remembering when their county was the only one in England to have its own Magna Carta. Cheshire was one of England's smallest counties by population, but it was also one of the most...
  19. Blackleaf

    Australia send out Rugby World Cup warning as they beat New Zealand

    Australia's cricketers may have just been given a good thumping by the English in the Ashes, but things are looking better for the nation's rugby union side. The Aussies have beaten the New Zealand All Blacks, the World Cup holders, 27-19 to send out a warning ahead of this year Rugby World Cup...
  20. Blackleaf

    Is this the witch of Rollright?

    The remains of a 1,400 year-old Saxon woman believed to be a pagan witch has been uncovered by a metal detector enthusiast. They were discovered near the Rollright Stones in Warwickshire - a group of ancient monuments that legend has it were created when a witch turned a king and his...