All articles in History
23rd July, 2026 in Biography & Memoir, History, Women in History
A warning from fiction
Hidden in the bowels of the British Library, an obscure novel written in 1942 seemed eerily prescient as the Alternative für Deutschland held its 2026 party conference in the central German state of Thuringia earlier this month. The novel, written by Mea Allan, one of the few wom…
27th May, 2026 in Biography & Memoir, History, Women in History
Mary Boleyn: Debunking the myth of the ‘great and infamous whore’
Among the few facts of Mary Boleyn’s life is that she was the mistress of Francis I and that she gained a notorious reputation at the French court, being known as ‘the great and infamous whore’. The goal of my book about Mary was to return to the original source which gave Mary t…
26th March, 2026 in Biography & Memoir, History, Maritime
Ask the author: Alan Harper on Greenvile Collins, cartographer to the King
Despite his immense legacy, Greenvile Collins (1643-94), might be the most important naval officer you’ve never heard of. In Master and Cartographer, yachting journalist Alan Harper tells his incredible story in full for the first time. Here, Alan answers questions about this fas…
19th March, 2026 in History, Local & Family History, Military
Before and After: Blitz on Cheshire in pictures
When we think of the Blitz, our minds often go straight to major cities and industrial centres like London, Glasgow, and Coventry. But that’s only half of the story. Blitz on Cheshire is a look into the devastation that everyday people suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Through…
25th February, 2026 in History, Women in History
The missing face of Anne Boleyn
One of the most intriguing aspects of Anne Boleyn, and likely why she still fascinates us 500 years after her death, is the fact that we don’t even know what she looked like. Even that most basic element, seeing the face of the woman who the King of England ripped the entire coun…
18th February, 2026 in History, Local & Family History, Society & Culture
The stories and symbols of Saint Patrick’s Day
March 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day, the feast day of the saint traditionally credited with converting Ireland to Christianity in the 5th century. The date has become an occasion to celebrate wider Irish identity, its uptake a reflection of modern Irish history. Irish emigration fr…
27th November, 2025 in Biography & Memoir, History, Women in History
Ask the author: Stella Butler on the female pioneers who broke the glass ceiling of science
Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Science tells the story of eleven incredible women pioneers who excelled at science, overcame prejudice and made significant discoveries along the way. Author, Stella Butler, pays tribute to these remarkable women and answers our questions. What insp…
20th November, 2025 in Biography & Memoir, History, Women in History
Princess Louise, the Diana of the 19th century
When I first heard about the destiny of Princess Louise, mother of the famous Prince Albert, I was left shivering. Yes, it was a cold and dark winters day and the medievally adorned ballroom in Rosenau Castle in Coburg, where Louise once danced and her son Albert was christened,…
12th November, 2025 in History, Local & Family History
A chapter of North East England’s history
Around 140 years after the Romans had deserted the shores of Britain, Ida the Flamebearer, Chief of the Angles, landed on the North East coast of, what is today, England, and founded his dynasty at Bamburgh. After bloody struggles against, and eventual victory over, the Celtic Br…
12th November, 2025 in Folklore, History
A Norwegian Christmas folk tale
If you have ever had a good look at a map of Norway you’ll see it’s an extraordinary shape and size. It’s the same distance from Oslo to Rome as from Oslo to north Norway, so not surprisingly the country was divided into many small kingdoms. However, in the year 860 a lad was bor…
29th October, 2025 in Biography & Memoir, History, Society & Culture
Five Black journalists who should be as popular as Orwell
Before social media, much less a #BLM hashtag, journalists of colour were putting hot metal to paper to declare that Black lives matter. Here, journalist Yvonne Singh introduces us to five of the pioneers who strove to give their communities a voice; individuals who addressed glo…
28th October, 2025 in History, Local & Family History, Women in History
Nottinghamshire’s remarkable women
Nottinghamshire has been home to some extraordinary women throughout history. They were often underestimated, demonstrated strong character and achieved their goals against the odds. Even today, they largely remain either anonymous or uncelebrated. Less than 5% of statues across…