London Undergorund

London Underground (or London Tube) is certainly one of the British capital's landmarks. The first underground electric railway, the City and South London, which ran from near the Bank of England under the Thames to the South Bank, opened in 1890.It was the first line to be called 'the Tube'. Tube carriages originally had buttoned upholstery and no windows and were nicknamed 'padded cells'.

When the first escalator was installed on the London Underground, to reassure people that it was safe, a man with a wooden leg called 'Bumper' Harris was hired to travel up and down it continuously for a week.

Morris Dancing

The morris dances of the Cotswold, Borders and North-West are all ritual not social dances and, as such, were traditionally performed only by men. Their origins are obscure and their association with fertility debatable, but some features do suggest a relationship with the courtly dances of medieval Europe. Sword dances, and even mumming plays, are also often considered as being part of 'the morris'.

Villages once had their own morris 'sides' and style of dancing, whose secrets were passed down from father to son. The loss of so many men in World War I broke this continuity but, fortunately, most dances were rescued by dedicated collectors before they faded into oblivion. Since then, there has been a great revival of interest in the morris and, today, there are male, female and mixed morris sides throughout the country, performing dances from all these areas and not just on high days and holidays.

The beautiful coast of Hartland Quay, Devon, England

Hartland Quay was once a thriving harbour, mainly because of the area's remote location and the difficulty of transporting goods by road. In the mid 18th century, once the railway had reached Bideford and improvements were made to the road network, the harbour fell into decline, and it became uneconomic to repair from the repeated storm damage.

Hartland Quay, photo by James Appleton

A New Year's Day customs and first-footing

New Year is a minefield of superstitions. There is plenty of good luck to be garnered, but one foot wrong - first or otherwise - and ill-fortune, the evil eye, death, plagues of carnivorous geese and worse await. From Manchester comes a warning about being over-zealous in enforcing these traditions. A man once walked into a pub in the city and asked for whisky on credit. Giving money in the form of cash or credit on New Year's Day is considered very bad luck, but as the date was Monday January 2nd, the man felt that he was entitled to his whisky. The barman refused, pointing out that as New Year's Day had fallen on the Sunday, the Monday was the carried-over holiday and so counted as January 1st, taboos and all. One thing led to another, and during the ensuing brawl the barman was stabbed to death. The discreditable drinker was sent to the gallows.

The history of 'Union Jack' flag

Today, the British flag, the popular "Union Jack", is one of the most global and most easily recognizable symbols? It is so popular that can be easily found not only all around the United Kingdom, but even abroad - on fashion clothing and accessories, gifts, mugs, posters, stationery...

Lets go back in time and see how is the 'Union Jack' is born. Until early 17th century, England and Scotland were two independent counties that shared a small territory of the island, often involved into mutual conflicts and wars. After the death of the English ruler, Queen Elizabeth I, who died unmarried and childless. The England throne was succeeded in 1603 by James VI, King of Scotland, queen's cousin. He became James I, King of England and  England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a 'union of the crowns'.

Cadbury World: The Chocolate Heaven

If you visiting Birmingham or West Midlands area, one of the most popular places to visit is Cadbury World - chocolate factory and exhibition space. No, you would not need a golden ticket to visit, and you won't need any proof that you are good. You will be navigated through the world of chocolate, from the very beginnings in South America to delicious products we buying today.

From its early beginnings in Birmingham, Cadbury grew to become a pioneer in the development of eating chocolate and the UK's most prestigious chocolate company. The creations of the Cadbury family have had a huge impact on the way that Britain enjoys chocolate today.

Origins of British surnames

Surnames in England came in the use after the Norman conquest in 1066. As the country's population grew, people found it necessary to be more specific when they were talking about somebody else.  Thus arose descriptions like John the Butcher, Henry son of Richard, Thomas the Whitehead, Mary the Cook and Sarah from Gloucester, that, ultimately, led to many current English surnames.The introduction of parish registers in 1538 contributed significantly to the stabilization of the surname system, but it was not until the late 17th century that fixed surnames were introduced throughout England.

In England today there is around 45,000 different surnames, but most had their origins as one of these seven types.

Occupational

Many people have got their surnames based on their job, trade or position in society. Calling a man 'Henry Fiddler' indicated that he played a fiddle for a living, while someone named Chapman was a shopkeeper. Other occupational names include Archer, Baker, Brewer, Butcher, Carter, Clark, Cooper, Cook, Dyer, Farmer, Faulkner, Fisher, Fletcher (arrow maker), Fuller, Gardener, Glover, Hornblower, Hunter, Judge, Mason, Milner, Page, Parker, Potter, Sawyer, Slater, Smith, Taylor, Thatcher, Turner, Weaver, Woodman and Wright, as well as many more. Some surnames may come in variations such as Cartwright, Arkwright or Wainwright.

Fish and Chips - essential British food

Some people may say that the traditional British meat is beef. The beef meat in Britain is of very good quality, and its crown is Sunday lunch - roasted beef, mash and roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. But, for many people the quintessential British food would be a good old deep-fried meal of fish and chips.

The word "chips" Charles Dickens first mentioned in "A Tale of Two Cities" in 1859. Henry Mayhew, 19th century social  researcher, journalists and reformer, called fish and chips the food of the poor in 1861. And it was, for long time, a food of working-class.

Historians think that battered fish came to England with Portuguese Jews, Marranos, in 16th century. Though they were officially Christians, they were secretly practising Judaism. Friday is the Christian world's fish day, so they prepared their fish meals on Friday, but have eaten it cold on Sabbath.  The written source from 1544 tells us “that the favourite diet of Marrano refugees” [from the Inquisition in Portugal] was fried fish, sprinkled with flour, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs".

England's icon - Stonehenge

Stonehenge is certainly one of the most important tourist sites in England, Wiltshire. This prehistoric monument and its mysterious history started to intrigue scholars, travelers and adventurers, as much as ordinary people, in Victorian time. Victorians were very keen to preserve British past and tradition, and in that time Stonehenge became a real tourist destination.

There are about 20 different theories who, how and why built Stonhenge. Starting with the claims that it was built by Romans, Danes, Phoenicians, Saxons, or even Minoans, it was unclear what was the purpose of the building and what construction techniques were used.

Introduction

Hello,

My name is Tamara and recently moved to live in United Kingdom. I always loved UK, especially the rich history of the country. I actually have a feeling that the country is on the constant move from past to present with an often trips to the future. The past can be seen everywhere and everyday through the architecture, heritage, tradition, culture. All this is woven into the present, modern lifestyle of the new generations. And the future? The future is in great opportunity for research, science and development on any level.

I'll write about places that I visited, things I have experienced and I hope, I'll be able to inspire future travelers and visitors to find some hidden gems of Britain.

Please enjoy and try to visit as many places in your area and far, far away!

Tamara x