The Beginning of Pantomime
Let me tell you about the beginning of Pantomime. Pantomime today is a form of comic British theatre but it evolved from many different sources. In Roman times they had mime shows created by a single dancer who was known as Pantomimus which according to the records was performed in 467 BC by a dancer […]
Do your children know the history of the Christmas Tree?
There are many different stories, but by far the most popular the most popular one is the St. Boniface story, and even this one is open to several different endings. The basic story comes from Germany where to convince a group of pagans in Germany, who refused to believe his teachings, St. Boniface cut down […]
The Story of Snow White
We all know the fairy tale Snow White, one that has been made into a pantomime. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the most famous fairy tales in the world As with all pantomimes, it is a story of good triumphing over evil. It has it all: Our sister site […]
The real Gunpowder Plot was simple, but it went wrong!
The real Gunpowder Plot was simple, but it went wrong! Basically, it was a very simple plan, however, if it had succeeded its effect would have been anything but. It came about as a result of religious passion, frustration, and desperation, by a group of English Catholics who wanted to change the course of history […]
Krakatoa explodes
“On the afternoon of the 26th there were violent explosions at Krakatoa, which were heard as far as Batavia. High waves first retreated, and then rolled upon both sides of the strait.During a night of pitchy darkness these horrors continued with increasing violence,augmented at midnight by electrical phenomena on a terrifying scale.” By E. W. […]
A Plinian Volcano!
Most of all we all know about Volcanos they shoot lava high into the air but did you know what a Plinian volcano is? The point is that volcanos are not all the same. Surprise, surprise, yes they are the eruption of gases and lava from the centre of the earth, but …….. They have […]
Did the people of Pompeii know they lived by a live volcano?
Pliny the Younger who watched from the other side of the bay told us “There had been tremors for many days previously,a common occurrence in Campagnia and no cause for panic.” Yes, they did! The Pompeiians knew that to Volcanoes provided fertile land, ideal soil along with a climate for growing grapes and olives. That […]
The Titanic – before the Ice Berg
The Titanic was at the forefront of maritime technology, it really was the “Ship of Dreams”. She was: This huge ship was luxurious: Then on April 10th, 1912, as it set out for New York, there were problems. Was the journey doomed? Well, after that everything appeared to be going well. She made two […]
The Great Fire on London
Shortly after midnight on Sunday 2nd September a fire went rogue in Thomas Farriner’s bakery in Pudding Lane in the City of London. Now fires were a regularity in the City of London at this time. Unfortunately, this one, as I said earlier went rogue. It quickly spread to the nearby houses, then to nearby […]
What happened to the White Star Line, owners of the RMS Titanic?
It was a clear, sunny day at 12.13pm on May 31st 1911, when amid much celebration, the RMS Titanic was launched at the Harland and Wolff ship yard in Belfast. It took a further year for her superstructure to be completed and the ship’s sea trials finally began on April 2nd, 1912. Once completed, she […]