CATEGORIES

AUSTEN'S ENGLAND: FACT OR FICTION?

Jane Austen’s novels provide a fascinating picture of Georgian life – but how accurate are her portrayals? Historian and author Helen Amy considers rural life, social etiquette and more...

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT JANE AUSTEN'S ENGLAND

Dr Lizzie Rogers answers questions about the author and the social conventions of the world in which she lived and wrote

AN AGE OF WAR REVOLUTION AND

Jane Austen's lifetime coincided with near-constant conflict and bloodshed on both sides of the Atlantic

WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY

We explore the story behind an exquisite portrait that reflects the individuality, status and aspirations of its enigmatic sitter

7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TUDOR FASHION

Dr Jane Malcolm-Davies shares a selection of lesser-known tidbits about Tudor clothing – from underwear to headgear

Get a good night's sleep

Being able to enjoy eight hours’ straight slumber is today seen as something of a superpower. But, as Justin Pollard reveals, attitudes to sleep and its medical importance have evolved over the centuries

STONEHENGE

We explore key moments in the history of the Neolithic marvel and its impact on British culture over the past two centuries

A REAL FIGHTING FORCE

Robbie McGuire cast his eye over British war films and compiles his top five

BACK IN TIME WITH COLIN BAKER

BoB's very own Time Lord has fond memories of Britain's favourite headmistress, recalls adventures in Middle-earth and laments the loss of the \"Acton Hilton\" rehearsal rooms

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Dene Bebbington looks back on the life of JRR Tolkien, author of perhaps the most famous fantasy novels ever published

Gloster Meteor F8

Dave Eyles takes to the skies of the 1950s in a sleek silver fighter jet that saw RAF service

The Other Iron Lady

Chris Hallam remembers the actress Gwyneth Powell who played Grange Hill's long-serving headmistress Mrs McClusky among her many roles

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Buildings with less than perfect angles, or \"sloightly on the huh\", have a charm all of their own. Claire Saul shares some wonky favourites

ZANY ZOOKIES

Susan Brewer dusts off some caricature animal ornaments

BRITAIN NOW

TOPICAL SNIPPETS FROM AROUND OUR NATION

POSTCARD FROM ESSEX

Bob Barton finds himself on the trail of witches and ghosts and stumbles upon fairytale characters in a model village with an unusual theme

Cheddar Gorgeous

Simon Stabler visits the birthplace of the country's most popular cheese

KING OF THE HILL

Simon Stabler speaks to an actor whose work caused controversy during the 1980s

DOCTOR AT LARGE

In what would have been Barry Evans' 80th year, Daniel Ward tells the story of an actor who was one of the most famous faces on television in the 1970s

HIGHBURY HIGHS

Colin Mayo looks back on 110 years of Arsenal FC being based in north London

WHAT A CHARADE

Give Us a Clue, asks Chris Hallam

IROQUOIS LONGHOUSE

Northeast America and Upstate New York c.18th century

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF COMMANDER CRABB

He was a war hero and Britain's number one diver, but during a secret mission investigating a Russian cruiser, he vanished never to return...

Rise of the MONGOLS

How Genghis Khan forged an empire that sought to span the world

INDIGENOUS HISTORICAL SITES

From ancient mounds to cliff dwellings, five Native American locations worth visiting

EXPLORING INDIGENOUS RESURGENCE

Taiaiake Alfred guides us through the importance of the revitalisation of Canada's First Nations culture

Abelard & Heloise A Medieval Love SCORY

How the correspondence between two lovers preserved their place in history as romantic icons

BATTLE OF SHIPKA PASS

SHIPKA, BULGARIA, JULY 1877-JANUARY 1878

DEADLY FASHION

If looks could kill, these fashion trends saw their followers pay the ultimate price

HIILILI KOKKO: KATSINA FIGURE

This distinctive wooden figure represents a spiritual being, important to the folklore of the Hopi tribe USA, c.1900