By Alan Roberts During the Civil War, the stronghold at Ashby-de-la-Zouch was the most troublesome royalist garrison in the county, a real thorn in the side of Parliament. This formidable stronghold was the seat of the Hastings family. Colonel Henry Hastings, the earl of Huntington, the leader of the East midlands forces, had executed the… Continue reading The Ashby Garrison in the Civil War
Life in the 1970s
By Tim Lambert There were two sides to the 1970s. On one hand, by 1973 a long period of economic prosperity was coming to an end. By the spring of 1975 unemployment had climbed to 1 million. It was over 5% of the workforce. By 1977 it had risen to 5.5% and in 1979 it… Continue reading Life in the 1970s
Life in the 1960s
By Tim Lambert In the 1960s there was a big rise in living standards in Britain. Consumer goods like cars and fridges became common. Washing machines and vacuum cleaners became near-universal. Meanwhile, plastic or PVC was first used in the 1940s. By the 1960s all kinds of household goods from drain pipes to combs were… Continue reading Life in the 1960s
The Druids
By Tim Lambert After about 650 BC a people called the Celts lived in England. The Celts had priests called Druids. The Druids were very important in Celtic society. As well as being priests they were scholars, judges, and advisers to the kings. The Celts were polytheists (they worshiped many gods and goddesses). They did… Continue reading The Druids
A Brief History of Egypt
By Tim Lambert Ancient Egypt By 5,000 BC the people of Egypt had begun farming. They also wove linen and made pottery. Later they learned to use bronze. About 3,200 BC the Egyptians invented writing. The first Egyptian in history was King Menes aka Narmer who lived shortly before 3,100 BC. At that time Egypt… Continue reading A Brief History of Egypt
Science and Technology in the 19th Century
By Tim Lambert During the 19th century, science made great progress. John Dalton (1766-1844) published his atomic theory in 1808. According to the theory, matter is made of tiny, indivisible particles. Dalton also said that atoms of different elements had different weights. Dalton also studied color blindness. In 1827 the German chemist Friedrich Wohler (1800-1882) isolated aluminium.… Continue reading Science and Technology in the 19th Century
A History of Online Casinos
Ever since the first online casino was launched in the year 1996, the online gambling industry has grown tremendously over the years and contributes a significant portion to the entire gambling activity that happens throughout the world today. Nowadays there are thousands of good quality online casinos, including some of the top-rated kinds you can… Continue reading A History of Online Casinos
Life in the 1980s
By Tim Lambert There were two sides to life in Britain in the 1980s. On the one hand, there was a severe recession in the years 1980-1982 and there was mass unemployment during the decade. The official unemployment rate stood at 5.3% in May 1979. It rose to 14.1% in 1986 then fell to 5.6%… Continue reading Life in the 1980s
A Brief History of Ghana
By Tim Lambert Early Ghana The Portuguese reached what is now Ghana in 1471. They found it was a rich source of gold. So much so that the area was called the Gold Coast. The Portuguese built slaves on the Gold Coast and during the 16th century, they traded with the native peoples. However, in… Continue reading A Brief History of Ghana
A Timeline of Christianity in England
By Tim Lambert c 180 AD The first evidence of Christianity in Roman Britain 304 St Alban is the first known Christian martyr in England 313 The Emperor Constantine allows Christians freedom of worship 314 3 bishops from Britain attend a conference in France 407 The Romans leave Britain and the native people (Celts) are left to fend for themselves… Continue reading A Timeline of Christianity in England