Search results

Newgate Gaol was London's - and probably the world's - most notorious gaol in its heyday. Prisoners were kept there in extremely squalid conditions. Those awaiting execution at the dreaded Tyburn Triple Tree were imprisoned here. And crowds gathered at the gaol until as late as the 1860s to...

The EU often wonders why the British (the public, at least) don't seem particularly keen on being members of the EU. Maybe it boils down to one, several or all these main theories: 1) The British are proud of their great, ancient nation and fiercely defend their country's sovereignty. If...

The first steam train to be built in Britain since 1960 took to the tracks yesterday. The Peppercorn class Tornado cost £3 million to build and she carried her passengers on the Great Central railway in Loughborough, Leicestershire. The last Peppercorn A1 in Britain was scrapped in 1966...

Britain is a country blessed with beautiful and glorious ancient building, an absolute treasure trove. One of its finest jewels must be Salisbury Cathedral, the great landmark of the city f Salisbury in Wiltshire. It was built in 1258 during the reign of King Henry III. It has an incredibly...

With the Labour Government trailing David Cameron's Tories in the polls, the last thing Prime Minister Gordon Brown wanted was more bad news. That bad news is the news that Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, who is also the MP for Bolton West, has quit, saying her decision was because she wanted...

Photographer Kevin Hehir is the only known person ever to have seen a black fox in Britain - and he may regret it. The creature is supposed to bring doom and disaster to anyone who sees it. According to British tradition, the black fox is able to hide in a person's shadow and never be seen...

Russell Brand was brilliant when he hosted the recent MTV Awards in the US - but Americans (who aren't exactly renowned in Britain for their sense of humour) don't think so. Maybe American music fans are just more formal and prissy than their British counterparts... Bide your time, Russell...

Prime Minister Gordon Brown received a 32-second standing ovation by Labour members yesterday as the party started its Conference in Manchester. This is real politics, not all that silly showbiz razmatazz that is prevalent in American politics, where wannabe Presidents tell soppy stories about...

Mllionaire businessman Anwar Rashid and his family thought they would be happy living in the beautiful 52-room, £3.6 million Clifton Hall in Nottinghamshire - but after just a few hours, they realised moving there was a mistake. The family were left so terrified by the ghostly occurences at...

Nick Arnold, the famous British author of the Horrible Science books, says he has discovered the site of one of the most important battles of British history - the Battle of Cynwit. This battle was fought in 878 - 1130 years ago - between the English and the invading Vikings. The Vikings had...

This case is an example of the terrible violence that occurs in Britain. Katie McNamara, aged 19, was viciously tortured for 13 hours by brutes Francesca Raby, 18, and Kelly Louise Garrity, 26, in Bolton, Greater Manchester after they wrongly accused her of stealing a mobile phone. Katie was...

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall - Prince Charles and Camilla - joined World War II veterans in London today to commemorate the Battle of Britain, the world's most famous aerial conflict, that took place between 10th July 1940 and 31st October 1940 between the British and the Germans and their...

In the 17th Century, England was a very superstitious, God-fearing place. People very much believed in magic, the paranormal and ghosts. Compared to other European countries, such as Scotland or Germany, England wasn't very strict to those who practised magical arts. The amount of "witches"...

The liquid bomb plotters, and other Islamists, should fill us with no fear, says The Spectator. They are just stupid halfwits whose bombs often fail to go off... Have we ever faced an enemy more stupid than Muslim terrorists? Rod Liddle Wednesday, 10th September 2008 The Spectator...

Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats (one of the big three British political parties, alongside the Tories and Labour) has said that his party is poised to win the next General Election, either in 2009 or 2010 - even though his party currently trails the Tories and Labour in the...

British ship The Nancy sank off the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall in south western England, in 1784. They are the the most westerly part of England. Onboard the ship that fateful night was British opera diva Ann Cargill, the 18th Century's "Marilyn Monroe." Ann's ghost is said to...

Many people nowadays, all over the English speaking world, use the word "Bedlam" to describe a scene of uproar and confusion. "God, it's like Bedlam in here!" Bedlam is, in fact, a London mental hospital. Its real name was Bethlem Royal Hospital (Bedlam was its Cockney name) and was at one...

Former Tory politician Norman Tebbit has attacked an American actress after she declared her love for terrorist group the IRA. Lord Tebbit and many other Tory MPs, including then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, were staying at a Brighton hotel during the Conservative Party Conference when it...

The Church of England will apologise to Charles Darwin saying that it was wrong to dismiss Darwin's Theory of Evolution. In these modern times of modern science, only crankpots still subscribe to the Bible's view of the Creation. The Church of England, headed by the Queen, is the Mother Church...

Last year, Prince Harry was the most popular member of the Royal Family after the Queen. This year, he has been voted Britain's coolest young royal, receiving 42% of the votes. Harry celebrates his 24th birthday tomorrow. He is currently with his army regiment The Blues and Royals in...