Five questions about British castles – Quick Quiz
British castles are bursting at the seams with intriguing stories. (Perhaps that’s why so many of their walls have come down!) Here’s a Quick Quiz about five of them.
Privileged information reveals expats were asked to be spies
“Interviewees’ testimonies bring historical interpretations to life. Recorded life stories are intensely private, often funny, and occasionally heartbreaking. Many of the English-born immigrant interviewees with whom we spent time talked frankly about their fears, expectations, and family separation anxieties.” Author Murray Watson looks at some of the rich data—and some of the surprises!—that social historians can unearth when they ask people to tell their own story.
When wireless was something you listened to
Ray Evans waxes lyrical about the time when a 3½-inch floppy was something personal you didn’t want to talk about.
Five questions about Edwardian farming – Quick Quiz
How much do you know about farming in Edwardian Britain – the last generation of farmers before the tractors came? Maybe not much, but why not have a go at our quick quiz and find out? It’s a fascinating subject!
An untold story about Churchill, expats, rats, and a sinking ship
‘One of the great untold stories of the post-World War II years was the exodus of young British emigrants. Such was the scale of population loss that wartime leader Winston Churchill appealed to those wishing to depart Blighty’s war-torn shores “to stay here and fight it out”. And, in a fit of pique according to reports in the Daily Express, Churchill accused these expats of being ‘rats leaving a sinking ship”.’ Murray Watson reflects on some of the reasons why so many Britons chose to leave the victorious UK.
Five questions about Scotland – Quick Quiz
Scotland’s been in the news a lot this month, what with the #indyref and everything. But how much do you know about the nation’s history? Take our Quick Quiz and find out!