Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday

21st April 1926 was the day when Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, the Queen Elizabeth II, was born. Actually, at the time of her birth, nobody would think she will become the Queen of the country. There was a great deal of public interest when news came through that the Duke and Duchess of York had become a proud parents of  a baby daughter. 

Her uncle, Edward, became the King after the death of George V, but he abdicated very soon. On 10th December 1936, Princess Elizabeth of York was with her sister, Margaret, in their London home, 145 Piccadilly, when she became aware of people shouting for her father outside. Her father was away and her mother was ill in bed. Finally, she went to ask a footman the reason for the commotion. He replied that her beloved uncle, Edward VIII, had abdicated and her father was king.

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.

Places and names in UK

The meaning of a placename is almost always a matter of guesswork. The main fact about place names in England is that they are in origin overwhelmingly English or Norse. This reflects the occupation of England by the Anglo-Saxons and the later settlement of much of eastern England by the Vikings.

Traces the older Celtic placeneames crop up here and there, sometimes in odd ways. Bre was the Celtic word for 'hill' and dun meant 'hill' in Old English. So Breedon on the Hill in Leicestershire is named 'Hill hill on the hill'. In Scotland, Wales and Cornwall many more Celtic names have survived.

Quirky British history: The oldest Crimean War veteran

When did last survivor of the Crimean War died? In 2004. The last veteran  of the Crimean War (1853–1856) was Timothy, a Mediterranean spur-thighed  tortoise. He was thought to be approximately 160 years old at the time of his death, and the UK's oldest resident.

Timothy was found aboard a Portuguese privateer in 1854 by Captain John Courtenay Everard of the Royal Navy and served as a mascot on a series of Navy vessels until 1892, including service as ship's mascot of HMS Queen  during the first bombardment of Sebastopol in the Crimean War.

He then retired to Powderham Castle, where he was taken in by Everard's relative, the tenth Earl of Devon.  Timothy had a Devon's family motto - "Where have I fallen? What have I done?" - inscribed on his underside.

How to remember monarchs of England and Great Britain?

Do you like history but you are struggling to remember the facts? A useful mnemonic rhyme for memorising the order of succession to the English Throne, from William the Conqueror (in 1066) right through to the present days of Elizabeth II can helps you. 

Many versions existed through the times and many generations of students use them in the schools, while learning by heart was still popular method.The origin of the rhyme is unknown but it may be about a century old as different endings seem to have been extended to cover the last few monarchs.

Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three,
One-To-Three Neds, Richard Two,
Harrys Four-Five-Six... then who?

Edwards Four-Five, Dick the Bad,
Harrys (twain), Ned Six (the lad),
Mary, Bessie, James you ken,
Then Charlie, Charlie, James again...

Will & Mary, Anne of gloria,
Georges (Four), Will Four, Victoria,
Edward Seven next, and then
Came George the Fifth in 1910...

Ned the Eighth soon abdicated,
So George Six was coronated,
Then Number Two Elizabeth...
And that's all, folks until her death!!!

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.

My favourite British nursery rhymes

I always loved nursery rhymes. They are cute and remind us of the childhood, but sometimes they might have surprising words. I enjoy finding connections between nursery rhymes in my country and in UK. It is amazing how many are common around the world.

One of those is nursery rhyme/play "This Little Piggy"(England, c1760). You probably know this one, maybe in some other wording. But the principle is that you play with child's fingers (or toes) white recite the rhyme.

This little piggy went to market, (wiggle one finger)

This little piggy stayed home, (wiggle the next finger)

This little piggy had roast beef, (and the next one...)

This little piggy had none,  (and the next one....) 

And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home. (and the thumb!)

This Little Pig Went to Market by Lilly Martin Spencer, 1857

Pearly Kings and Queens of London

Pearly Kings and Queens are one of the most intriguing, unique and beautiful attractions of London. Each London Borough has a its King and Queen, as do the City of London and the City of Westminster. It is a colourful London tradition and one that has been kept alive by a few dedicated people, who work hard on the promotion of this tradition. Today there are 30 Pearly families that are active in collecting money and fund raising different charities.

The story about Pearly Kings and Queens started in the Victorian London among street traders or 'The Costermongers', as they were called. They were selling their goods marching the streets of London, selling from baskets, later from barrows, and, finally, from static market stalls. It was usually a family business and went from the generation to generation.

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.

20 interesting facts about Great Britain

Every country in the world has its own tradition, unwritten rules and peculiarities. Great Britain is not an exception and here are 20 interesting facts you may not know about England.

1. England is 74 times smaller than the United States, 59 times smaller than Australia and 3 times smaller than Japan. However, England is 2.5 times more populous than Australia.

2. The highest temperature ever recorded in England was 38.5 degrees Celsius in Brogdale, Kent, on 10th August 2003. I personally find English summer very pleasant and temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius are on average in the summer months.

3. This is not an urban myth! British people consume more tea per capita than anybody else in the world - 2.5 times more than the Japanese and 22 times more than the Americans or French. The tea time in England is not anymore about the time itself (well known 5 pm), but having a tea means to refresh yourself, recharge the batteries during a day, have a break from the work, have a nice hot drink while being snugged in the front of TV... you name it.The tea time is important time in England.