All articles in Trivia & Gift
9th January, 2026 in Fiction, Folklore, Trivia & Gift
Love eternal: a Scottish folklore love story
Stories are important, folk tales echo the hopes and dreams of generations long lost in the mists of time. They will echo on, into the future, for as long as people will fall in love. The tragic story of a thwarted love, but one that cannot be denied. Rowan trees were considered…
17th September, 2025 in Society & Culture, Trivia & Gift
10 things you (probably) don’t know about the physics of your morning routine
Have you ever found yourself wondering how to brew the perfect cup of coffee, or why your kettle whistles? In Physics Around the Clock, Michael Banks answers explains what physics can reveal about so many seemingly ordinary aspects of your daily routine. 1. The perfect way to coo…
9th July, 2024 in Transport & Industry, Trivia & Gift
Three Million Miles in a Volvo
I love finding out about what motivates people and how the journey of their lives has unfolded. I am nosey and make no apology for it. Mind you, these are things you certainly require as a journalist; an almost manic need to dig away until you get what you need, which is generall…
15th November, 2023 in History, Trivia & Gift
Charades for Christmas
In 1895 there appeared an anonymous private booklet of the charades and theatrical conundrums written by the Austen family for their own entertainment. This offers yet another glimpse of the delightful Christmases the Austens enjoyed in their home, particularly at Steventon. Char…
19th April, 2023 in History, Trivia & Gift
A royal flush: Coronation gift guide
To celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, here’s a roundup of some of our royal titles. The Throne by Ian Lloyd ‘An entertaining jog through 38 coronations.’ Daily Telegraph Get the best seat in the abbey. From the crowning of Charles III, thirty-nine coronations have been…
8th February, 2023 in Trivia & Gift
prettycityparis: Discovering Paris’s beautiful places – in pictures
Here are some taster images from prettycityparis, the stunning photography, lifestyle and travel guide to Paris by author and photographer Siobhan Ferguson. Unless stated, all images © prettycityparis
17th June, 2022 in Trivia & Gift
THP’s bookshop recommendations
Bookshop Day takes place annually on the second Saturday of October. In honour of this, our staff have shared some of their favourite bookshop recommendations. Chrissy, Editorial Manager Lionsheart Bookshop in Woking @lionsheartbookshop. Mark, Commissioning Editor One Tree Books,…
6th January, 2022 in Transport & Industry, Trivia & Gift
VanLifers: Beautiful conversions for life on the road
Living and travelling in converted vehicles has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years and the coronavirus pandemic has only increased the trend further. Life on the road can offer an incomparable sense of freedom and community, with endless opportunity for ne…
29th November, 2021 in Transport & Industry, Trivia & Gift
The story behind Giles Chapman’s Britain’s Toy Car Wars
Ever since the publication of my book Britain’s Toy Car Wars: The War Of Wheels Between Dinky, Corgi & Matchbox, I’ve been pondering on collecting old diecast toy cars and lorries again. It’s proved hard to resist, an impulse hard-wired in over more than 50 years. I…
5th August, 2021 in Transport & Industry, Trivia & Gift
Cars We Loved… with Giles Chapman
It’s taken seven years, but now part of my life is complete. With Cars We Loved In The 1990s I’ve finished recording half a century’s worth of the most fondly remembered cars this country has ever known. Exactly 250 of them covered in detail, along with masses of extra contempora…
16th March, 2021 in Society & Culture, Trivia & Gift
Ask the author: Yens Wahlgren on constructed languages
We spoke to Yens Wahlgren, author of The Universal Translator, about his love for constructed languages. You describe yourself as a xenosociolinguist, could you tell us what that means? Well, it’s a made up academic-sounding discipline for the study of how languages from outer sp…
13th December, 2019 in History, Trivia & Gift
Ask the authors: Historians on Christmas (and people) past
The festive season is upon us, and to celebrate we asked some of our authors about the figures from history they’d be interested in chatting to over Christmas dinner, and the Christmases past that most appeal to them… Which figure from history would you invite over for Christmas…