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Author: Jo Laver
The legendary Spike Milligan
The legendary British-Irish comedian Spike Milligan died on February 27th, 2002. Born to an English mother in April 1918, ‘Terence Alan Milligan’ father was born and raised in India, the son of an Irish captain serving in the British-Indian army. Disliking his first name, Milligan later changed it to ‘Spike’. Remembered for his extraordinarily witty one-liners,…
Who was St David?
Who was St David? Many people have heard of St David’s Day: it is celebrated on March 1st every year, to mark his death on this day in 589. It is when David, as the patron saint of Wales is honoured. To celebrate, we have put together some top facts about this special day in…
Top ten facts to celebrate decimal day
When decimalisation happened on February 15th 1971, it brought about a massive change to the British currency. Britain was not the first to convert to a decimal form of currency – for example Russia and France already used decimal currency systems, and had done since the 1700s. Here, we present our top ten facts about…
Your Scottish ancestry
Are you tracing your Scottish ancestry? Over the centuries, thousands of Scots emigrated to countries around the world in search of a fresh start or the chance to make their fortunes. Today people across the globe can trace their roots back to Scotland. Our friends at Visit Scotland have published a fantastic online guide to…
Votes for women
On February 6th 1918, votes for women finally became a reality. During the years of the First World War, up to 2 million women had proven that they were just as capable as men at doing traditionally ‘male’ jobs. However, the vote was only given to women over the age of 30, who had specific…
Valentine’s Day Traditions
Valentine’s Day is a special time of year, when romance and love are celebrated with gifts such as flowers, chocolates and cards. Many people also choose other personal gifts to display affection. But have you ever wondered how Valentine’s Day all started or what the tradition of Valentine’s Day is all about? In this article,…
What Togetherness Means
In our recent Facebook competition, we asked our followers what togetherness means to them. We had a fantastic response to the competition and many of the responses were thoughtful and heartfelt. Thank you to all who took art. We are pleased to share with you some of the lovely responses, many of which were filled…
Australia Day
On Australia Day, Australians celebrate all the things about the county. For example, its land, sense of decency, lifestyle, democracy, and freedoms. But particularly it is all about celebrating Australia’s people. Australia Day is about acknowledging and celebrating the contribution that every Australian makes to the contemporary and dynamic nation. This includes all people, from…
Winston Churchill says a final goodbye
Sir Winston Churchill, one of the world’s most iconic leaders, passed away on this day in history, shortly after 8am on Sunday 24th January 1965. He had suffered an extreme stroke and passed away at his home. Coincidentally, it was 70 years to the day since the death of his own father. He had been…
The Death of George V
The death of George V occurred on 20th January 1936. He had reigned as King from 6th May 1910, and had been born during the reign of his Grandmother Queen Victoria. This short article looks at key points of his reign. Plus, we look at the succession of his son Edward. Early years George…