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All in the month of February 4th anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war Mary Shelley and Frankenstein The funeral of Queen Victoria Remembering the work of L S Lowry The Winter Olympics returns to Europe Three in four car thefts unsolved ** Editor:  We continue our column that looks at memorable dates in the month (this...

It was: 300 years ago, on 20th Feb 1726 that William Prescott, an American colonel in American Revolutionary War was born. Famous for giving the order: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” 200 years ago, on 4th Feb 1826 that James Fenimore Cooper’s historical romance novel The Last of the Mohicans...

As 24th February approaches, the statistics are grim for the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Massive displacement: 6.9 million refugees have fled Ukraine, with a further 3.7 million internally displaced. Significant casualties: Russia has hit one million casualties in all, including 250,000 soldiers killed. Ukraine has had about 53,000 casualties, including about...

It was 175 years ago, on 1st February 1851, that the novelist Mary Shelley died. She is best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein. Her parents were the influential philosophers William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, a strong advocate of women’s rights who died 11 days after Mary’s birth from complications. The future Mary Shelley was...

Exactly 125 years ago, on 2nd February 1901, the funeral of Queen Victoria took place. She had died at the age of 81 on 22 January, having ruled for nearly 64 years, and her death took her family, courtiers and subjects by surprise in difficult times. The Boer war was still in progress, and the...

Fifty years ago, on 23rd February 1976, the artist L S Lowry died of pneumonia. He was known primarily for his bleak industrial landscapes of north-west England, populated with matchstick men, but he also painted original and striking seascapes and impressive portraits. Laurence Stephen Lowry was born on 1st November 1887 in Stretford. His father worked for...

If you like snow-sports, you are in for a great month. From 6th to 22nd February, Italy will be hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as Milano Cortina 2026. The opening ceremony is at football’s famous San Siro stadium. The Paralympic Winter Games follows, from 6th to 15th March. For the first time the...

Keep a close eye on your car this year, because sadly, no one else seems to be able to do so. Recent figures have revealed that more than 121,000 car theft offences were not solved in 2024-25. The British Transport Police, South Yorkshire, City of London, Sussex and Warwickshire police forces reported that more than...

All in the month of January Menai Suspension Bridge celebrates 200 years Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear From slaughter on a beach through gates of splendour Remembering Agatha Christie World Leprosy Sunday – 25th January 2026< Burns Night – 25th January Australia Day – 125 years on Holocaust Memorial Day What makes snow stick?...

It was: 250 years ago, on 1st Jan 1776 that, according to tradition, George Washington raised the first American flag, the Grand Union Flag, at Prospect Hill in Charleston, Somerville, Massachusetts. Also 250 years ago, on 24th Jan 1776 that E T A Hoffmann, German fantasy/Gothic horror writer, composer, artist and judge was born. Offenbach’s...

If you have ever gone to Anglesey, chances are that you used the Menai Suspension Bridge (Pont y Borth, in Welsh).  A lot of people do – an average of 13,300 vehicles a day, or about 4.8 million vehicles a year. The bridge celebrates a big anniversary this month: it is 200 years old. It...

It was 100 years ago, on 13th January 1926, that Michael Bond, the children’s writer, was born. He has an assured place in any literary Hall of Fame, for he created the characters Paddington Bear and Monsieur Pamplemousse. Paddington Bear padded into Michael Bond’s life quite by accident. It was back in 1956 that Michael...