Local Histories

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Jonathan David Collins In the Middle Ages and the 16th century, if they could not work, disabled people relied on relatives and neighbours. There were also almshouses, but only a small number of disabled people lived in them. Often, they became beggars. In 1530, a law in England allowed disabled… Continue reading A History of Disability

By Tim Lambert Today, road safety is much better than it was 100 years ago. Early cars were dangerous, and road accidents were common. However, road safety gradually improved during the 20th century. In Britain, the first speed limit was introduced in 1895. It was 2 miles per hour. In 1896, Walter Arnold became the… Continue reading A History of Road Safety

By Tim Lambert Men’s underwear has a very long history. Both Roman men and women wore a loincloth or shorts called a subligaculum. During the Middle Ages, men wore linen shorts called braies. The Industrial Revolution made the mass manufacture of underwear possible. The word pants is derived from a character in an Italian comedy… Continue reading A History of Men’s Underwear

By Tim Lambert It’s believed that donkeys were domesticated in East Africa approximately 4,000 BC. They quickly spread to Egypt and Iraq. Donkeys were very useful beasts of burden. They were used to pull carts. They were also ridden. Donkeys are mentioned several times in the Bible. Jesus rode a donkey when he entered Jerusalem. … Continue reading A Brief History of Donkeys

By Tim Lambert Early Cats Cats were first domesticated about 8,000 BC, when humans in the Middle East started farming. They stored grain, which naturally attracted rodents. Cats began hanging around the grain stores to hunt. Humans appreciated cats hunting rodents and gave them food and shelter. Cats were useful animals. Cats were highly esteemed… Continue reading A Brief History of Cats