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Ninety years ago, on 7th September 1936, Buddy Holly, the American rock and roll singer, was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas. His career was cut short when he was killed in a plane crash in 1959 – an event remembered as “the day the music died”. Holly was raised by a devout Southern...

It was also 90 years ago, on 21st September 1936, that Frank Hornby, the British inventor, died.  He is remembered for the immensely popular Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys. Hornby was born into a Liverpool working-class family and was said to have been inspired by the industry in the city. He was brought...

It was back in February of 1956 that Buckingham Palace released a press announcement outlining plans for a trial period of ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’. It was the post-war era, and His Royal Highness wanted to help boys bridge the gap between leaving formal education at 15 and starting National Service at 18. He...

Why not consider attending – or even hosting – a Macmillan Coffee Morning? Many are going to be held soon, on 25thSeptember, but you can hold one whenever you like. About 50,000 coffee morning events are held around the country each year. The first Coffee Morning happened in 1990. It was a small affair with...

More than 8,000 people in the UK are hoping for a life-saving organ transplant. The primary organs that can be donated for transplant include the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and small bowel (intestines).   This month’s annual Organ Donation Week will once again raise awareness of the need for transplants, and buildings and landmarks across...

All in the month of AUGUST The infamous Berlin Wall When John Lennon said the Beatles were ‘more popular than Jesus’ The Story of Apple Inc Ten things to know about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe National Allotment Week – 10th to 16th August Where are we all? ** Editor:  We continue our column that looks...

It was: 250 years ago, on 2nd August 1776 that the formal signing of the US Declaration of Independence took place. 175 years ago, on 12th August 1851 that the American inventor Isaac Singer was granted a US Patent for his sewing machine. Since then, well over 100 million various models of Singer sewing machines...

It was 65 years ago, on 13th August 1961 that East Germany first sealed the border between East and West Berlin with barbed wire. Construction on the Berlin Wall itself began two days later, on 15th August. The Wall grew rapidly to become a 96-mile (155km) concrete barrier. It became the physical embodiment of the...

It was 60 years ago, on 4th and 5th August 1966 that US newspapers and radio stations quoted John Lennon as saying his Beatles band was “more popular than Jesus.” It provoked widespread protests across America. The story had really begun some months earlier, when in March Lennon’s comment was originally published in the London...

It was just 15 years ago, on 24th August 2011, that Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple Inc because of ill health. (Pancreatic tumour.) Steve Jobs died on 5th October, but he left behind a company which has transformed how modern society interacts with digital technology. Apple Inc was born in a garage in...

 This year it takes place 7th to 31st August. The largest arts festival in the world, it is made up of thousands of arts and cultural events which together attract the same number of people as a World Cup. This year, it will feature a total of 3,649 distinct shows and 53,884 individual performances across 258...

If you like allotments, then this week is for you. It raises awareness of the very practical good that renting an allotment can do, in both providing space to grow your own food, but also in encouraging more connectedness with your immediate community. This year the theme is ‘Grow to Learn – Lifelong Lessons from...