To vote or not to vote, that is the question?
Many years ago, in another century, I stood for the local council and I lost by two votes! Almost immediately after this there was a general election and I went out knocking on doors for my candidate. I lost count of the number of doors I knocked on and was told they hadn’t voted for […]
Was this the Start of British Democracy?
The Putney Debates The Putney Debates took place from 28 October to 8 November 1647, and they were a series of discussions over how they would run the country should they, Parliament, win the civil war. Basically, it was a discussion as to what they would do if they were in charge of the country […]
Who were the Egyptian Gods?
Egyptians worshipped hundreds of gods over long periods of time. Some gods changed over the years, while others were forgotten and then rediscovered. Sometimes animals represented gods. The Jackal, Anubis, was the Protector of the Dead. The God of Wisdom, Thoth, and the Moon God, Khonssu, were represented by a baboon. Here is just a […]
Who were the Ancient Egyptians?
Did you know who was the oldest ruling Pharaoh? Pepy II holds the record for the longest reign of any pharaoh. He came to the throne when six years old, and he was still the King of Egypt at the grand old age of 94. How many Gods did they worship? Egyptians worshipped hundreds of […]
What is the Stone of Scone?
With King Charles’ coronation you will have heard them talk about the Stone of Scone, but do we know what it is, and why it is so important? What is it? It is simply an oblong block of red sandstone. This block of stone has been used for many years for the coronation of the […]
Battle of Beverhoutsveld – was it the first official drunken battle!
It became famous because the Ghent army beat a drunken one from the nearby town of Bruges. I am sure it has happened before, but it is the first time an army has actually admitted they were all drunk! Though it could also have been recorder as the first use, in battle, of The Organ […]
The End of the Aztec Civilization
The Aztec Civilization was brought to an end by the Spanish. What was it? The Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states established in 1427: Then the Spanish arrived! It was left basically untouched until 1517 when Hernandez de Cordoba visited and reported back to the Spanish Governor, Diego Velasquez, in Cuba, what he […]
Who was the first woman doctor?
Do you know who was the first woman doctor? She was a lady called Agnodice. She lived in Athens in Ancient Greece, and yes, it was a time when women were forbidden to practice medicine. How did she get away with it? Well, first of all, she went to Alexandria, in Egypt, where she studied […]
Why do we call politicians right or the left?
The media describe politicians as from the “Left” or “Right”, but do you know why we call them left or right? Well, recently a teacher contacted me to say that she had been asked to explain the difference between Left and Right in politics to her class, she asked me if I could send her […]
What is the Stone of Scone?
With King Charles’ coronation you will have heard them talk about the Stone of Scone, but do we know what it is, and why it is so important? What is it? It is simply an oblong block of red sandstone. This block of stone has been used for many years for the coronation of the […]