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  1. Blackleaf

    USA, Canada and Mexico to host 2026 World Cup

    The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico after their joint bid beat Morocco's proposal to host it. The 'United 2026' bid was selected by Fifa member nations, winning 134 votes compared to 65 for Morocco. The 2026 tournament will be the biggest World Cup ever...
  2. Blackleaf

    Earliest full-length portrait of Queen Elizabeth I revealed

    She came to be known as the Virgin Queen, the commanding female monarch who defeated an Armada and launched England on its imperial adventures. But in this portrait Queen Elizabeth I appears to be little more than a diminutive and shy young woman. Discovered by Philip Mould, the BBC...
  3. Blackleaf

    Family's Waterloo red jacket proves ancestor was hero

    Tales of family heroics inevitably become exaggerated and embellished over time. But the descendants of Sir Thomas Noel Harris, a British Brigade-Major in the Battle of Waterloo, can finally rest assured that their ancestor really did play a pivotal and death-defying role in the decisive...
  4. Blackleaf

    Magna Carta 'reflective' artwork opens at Runnymede

    An artwork marking the anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 has been unveiled in Surrey. Writ in Water, by Mark Wallinger, was commissioned by the National Trust. Wallinger drew inspiration from Clause 39 of the charter, which embodies the fundamental principles of justice...
  5. Blackleaf

    For France, the World Cup is about more than just football

    Every president and prime minister would love their boys to win the World Cup but for Macron a victory inspired by Mbappé would be particularly timely. What political capital! Endless photo opportunities and references about the football team mirroring the new diverse, dynamic and...
  6. Blackleaf

    Aethelflaed: The warrior queen who broke the glass ceiling

    How does a ruler defeat bloodthirsty invaders, secure a kingdom and lay the foundations for England - and then almost get written out of history? Be a woman, that's how. Exactly 1,100 years after her death Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, is emerging from the shadows. Aethelflaed: The...
  7. Blackleaf

    Bedfordshire's first Roman town wall unearthed in Sandy

    Archaeologists excavating a former allotment site in a market town have made the "absolutely brilliant" find of a previously-unknown Roman wall. The dig in Sandy, Bedfordshire, has uncovered about 200 items dating from the Iron Age in 500 BC to the Saxon period in 800 AD. Among the finds...
  8. Blackleaf

    England fan covers house in giant flag

    A self-professed "mad football fan" has draped a huge flag across the front of his house to cheer on England in the World Cup. John Jupp, from Blyton, Lincolnshire, said the flag measures 1,250 sq ft in size and completely covers the front of his house. England fans in cars have been showing...
  9. Blackleaf

    Scotland's cricketers beat England for the first time ever

    Scotland's cricket side has today stunned the world of sport by beating England - the number one ranked side in the world - for the first time ever in a One Day International in Edinburgh... Scotland stun England as Calum MacLeod hits 140 not out in Edinburgh By Stephan Shemilt BBC Sport 10...
  10. Blackleaf

    Welsh Tudor chronicle recognised as national treasure

    A Welsh chronicle dating from the reign of King Henry VIII has been added to a prestigious list of texts granted national heritage status. The books by 16th Century Flintshire soldier Elis Gruffudd are among six new pieces to be placed on the Unesco UK Memory of the World Register. Described...
  11. Blackleaf

    I’d love the World Cup even if it was in the third circle of hell

    THE football fan who is tired of the World Cup is tired of life. How can anyone not feel giddy with excitement that it all kicks off on Thursday? Yes, the criticism aimed at Russia is all true — from their thuggish fans, to their undemocratic President, to their willingness to assassinate...
  12. Blackleaf

    Boy, 8, is youngest person to climb Old Man of Hoy

    An eight-year-old boy has become the youngest climber to scale the 450ft high sea stack the Old Man of Hoy. Edward Mills, from Dunnet, Caithness, completed the challenging climb to raise money for charity Climbers Against Cancer as his mother, Bekki Christian, has terminal breast cancer. Boy...
  13. Blackleaf

    Lincolnshire earthquake felt up to 60 miles away

    A 3.9-magnitude earthquake centred in north-east Lincolnshire has reportedly been felt up to 60 miles away. The British Geological Survey (BGS) said it happened at 23:14 BST on Saturday, with the epicentre in Grimsby at a depth of 11 miles. It was felt mainly in Lincolnshire and Hull, the BGS...
  14. Blackleaf

    Gloucester funeral procession honours Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians

    A mock funeral procession has taken place in Gloucester to to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. She led armies against the Vikings and the Welsh and is believed to have been buried at St Oswald's Priory in the city. Gloucester funeral procession...
  15. Blackleaf

    World Cup 2018: Everything you need to know in seven charts

    Are Germany really that good at penalties? How important is home advantage? And which Mexican defender has the same World Cup scoring record as Cristiano Ronaldo? As World Cup fever sets in, we answer all that and more... World Cup 2018: Everything you need to know in seven charts...
  16. Blackleaf

    Stars and gripes: When US President Ulysses S Grant came to Scotland

    There has been much speculation about whether Donald Trump will come to Scotland during a trip to the UK next month. If he does, the visit will come 140 years after Ulysses S Grant was the first American president to tour Scotland... Stars and gripes: When US President Ulysses S Grant...
  17. Blackleaf

    Military fan finishes epic 30-year project to build replica of Battle of Waterloo

    A military enthusiast who has spent the past 30 years collecting figurines has finally finished what he believes is the most realistic recreation of the Battle of Waterloo. Semi-retired Michael Wrobel, 63, said his giant recreation has cost him thousands of pounds over the years. The...
  18. Blackleaf

    Skeleton of Anglo-Saxon man who had his throat slit is found

    Remains of a man thought to be the victim of an execution killing 1,000 years ago have been found during excavation work for a wind farm. Archaeologists found the adult man, aged between 25 and 35, with fatal cut marks to his neck during a dig in preparation for the Rampion Offshore Wind...
  19. Blackleaf

    Tory Remainer MP reports church-going Leaver to the police over email

    This is how the current political establishment now treats ordinary voters of this once-great nation - with contempt. There's only so much more the Brexiteer majority of this country can take from these arrogant, condescending, vile, oafish, traitorous Remainers... Remain-backing Tory MP...
  20. Blackleaf

    Man finds old banknotes worth about £1m

    A hoard of decaying bank notes dating back to World War Two has been found under the floorboards of a shop. They were discovered during renovation work at the Cotswold Outdoor store in Brighton by shopfitter Russ Davis, and removed for safekeeping by police. The face value of the £1 and...