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It was: 250 years ago, on 16th Dec 1775 that Jane Austen, novelist (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion) was born. Over 30 million copies of her books have been sold, 7,000 of them in her lifetime. 175 years ago, on 4th Dec 1850 that William Sturgeon, physicist, electrical...

It was 250 years ago, on 16th December 1775, that novelist Jane Austen (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion) was born. Over 30 million copies of her books have since been sold – 7000 in her lifetime. She was the second daughter and seventh child of the Revd George...

Some 75 years ago, on 25th December 1950, the Stone of Scone, the coronation stone of British monarchs, was taken from Westminster Abbey in London by four Scottish students as a home rule gesture. They transported it to Scotland but broke it accidentally. It was later left by them in the ruined Arbroath Abbey, repaired...

It was 65 years ago, on 9th December 1960, that the first episode of the TV soap Coronation Street was broadcast on ITV. The programme, then as now, centred on a terraced street in the fictional town of Weatherfield, in Greater Manchester. It was based on Salford, the hometown of the series’ creator, Tony Warren...

How many are sold each year?  According to recent figures, about five million real Christmas trees are sold in the UK each year. How old are they?  Your typical Christmas tree of six to seven feet is between ten and 12 years old. How are they grown?  Seed is collected from trees either in the...

Even before the time of Christ, evergreen trees were seen in winter as a symbol of fertility. It was the 16th century monk, Martin Luther, who is credited with the idea of having lights on Christmas trees. He added candles to his tree, to look like stars in a forest. Windsor Castle got its first...

This month Christians worldwide welcome the Baby whose life and death and resurrection bring us eternal life. But meanwhile, it seems that Putin and Xi Jinping are wondering if they might achieve a bit of immortality without divine help. In a recent meeting to attend the Beijing military parade, the dictators of Russia and China...

We are going with multiple choice questions this year. No “ask a friend” or “phone the audience”, sorry. No prizes for pointless answers or can you beat the chaser. Ashley, Bert and Conall were: Names of storms Names of Eurovision entrant Names of footballers There was a re-wilding lynx project this year. Was it: A...

Ashley, Bert and Conall were names of storms The re-wilding lynx project was releasing cats in the wild. Palmerston was brought out of retirement for a “purr-fect” diplomatic posting to Bermuda. President Trump’s favourite word is tariffs. The nickname of the original line was the Varsity Line as it linked the two universities. It was...

All in the month of November Remembering Lord Tennyson Sullivan – of Gilbert and Sullivan George Bernard Shaw – the man who wrote Pygmalion Take it easy on those country roads We are losing our peregrine falcons Editor:  An idea for your magazine for Remembrance Day Songs of Praise and the nation’s favourite school hymn...

It was: 175 years ago, on19th November 1850 that Alfred, Lord Tennyson, became Poet Laureate of the UK (until 1892). 125 years ago, on 22nd November 1900 that Arthur Sullivan, British composer, died.  Best known for his collaborations with the dramatist W S Gilbert on operas including H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirate of Penzance. He...

Some 125 years ago, on 22nd November 1900, Arthur Sullivan, the British composer, died.  Best known for his collaborations with the dramatist W S Gilbert on light operas including HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance, he also wrote the music to the hymn Onward, Christian Soldiers. Sullivan was born in 1832 in Lambeth. His...