history

The Pacific Prince: Remarkable unseen images of the late Duke of Edinburgh visiting island communities during his solo 1959 round-the-world voyage come up for auction

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The Pacific Prince: Remarkable unseen images of the late Duke of Edinburgh visiting island communities during his solo 1959 round-the-world voyage come up for auction

Never-before-seen photos of Prince Philip that were compiled by a member of the Royal Yacht Britannia crew on on his round-the-world cruise in 1959 have come to light. They show the Duke of Edinburgh visiting various far-flung places, including some of the remotest islands on earth. Having been put together by an official photographer for … Read more

Star Wars memorabilia which belonged to Grand Moff Tarkin actor Peter Cushing including a rare script and the slippers he had to wear on set are going to auction

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Star Wars memorabilia which belonged to Grand Moff Tarkin actor Peter Cushing including a rare script and the slippers he had to wear on set are going to auction

A rare Star Wars script that belonged to Peter Cushing has been discovered in a loft as part of a remarkable archive of the late actor’s move memorabilia.  The collection – valued at tens of thousands of pounds – spans the British star’s 60-year silver screen career. It includes scripts, contracts, photographs, props and personal letters … Read more

Group at centre of Nazi uniform row at 1940s festival insist they were NOT dressed as Germans but instead foreign troops who joined the SS to fight Stalin’s Red Army

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Group at centre of Nazi uniform row at 1940s festival insist they were NOT dressed as Germans but instead foreign troops who joined the SS to fight Stalin’s Red Army

Men who wore Nazi SS uniforms while attending a popular 1940s festival insisted they were not dressed as Germans and were instead depicting troops who fought against Stalin. The men were wearing uniforms bearing swastikas and the Nazi ‘death’s head’ symbol at the event in Sheringham, Norfolk at the weekend.  They were also reportedly seen … Read more

The Yorkshire Ripper’s ’14th victim’: How top police chief portrayed by David Morrisey in ITV drama The Long Shadow suffered heart attack after notorious hoaxer ‘Wearside Jack’ tricked cops into believing they were hunting a killer from Sunderland

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The Yorkshire Ripper’s ’14th victim’: How top police chief portrayed by David Morrisey in ITV drama The Long Shadow suffered heart attack after notorious hoaxer ‘Wearside Jack’ tricked cops into believing they were hunting a killer from Sunderland

He was widely regarded as a ‘top notch copper’, an old school policeman with three decades experience.  Assistant Chief Constable George Oldfield was the man who led West Yorkshire Police‘s hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.  But, after suffering a near-fatal heart attack in 1979 and being taken off the case, he went on to retire … Read more

What we USED to do to shoplifters: How the courts used to sentence professional thieves to hard labour – or kick them out of the country if they were foreign

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What we USED to do to shoplifters: How the courts used to sentence professional thieves to hard labour – or kick them out of the country if they were foreign

Shopkeepers today can expect little help from police when thieves plunder items from their stores.  Business owners often do not even bother reporting thefts to officers when they are raided, recent reports have revealed. But, back when the notorious Forty Elephants female shoplifting gang were operating – from the 1870s – the law was not … Read more

King t’! Tutankhamun’s links to Yorkshire jeweller who weighed and valued boy King’s coffin after tomb was found in 1922 are celebrated in new exhibition

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King t’! Tutankhamun’s links to Yorkshire jeweller who weighed and valued boy King’s coffin after tomb was found in 1922 are celebrated in new exhibition

When archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of Tutankhamun in November 1922, his first words to his wealthy funder went down in history.  Asked by Lord Carnarvon if he could see anything as he peered through a small hole, Carter famously replied, ‘Yes. Wonderful things’, as he took in exotic treasures including the solid gold … Read more

What happened the last time Britain banned dangerous dogs – and the mistakes that the Government must not repeat this time around

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What happened the last time Britain banned dangerous dogs – and the mistakes that the Government must not repeat this time around

The announcement today that the American XL Bully will be banned by the end of the year following a series of attacks will be welcome news to many. Rishi Sunak said the dogs would be banned following a ‘pattern of behaviour’ that ‘cannot go on’. His words come more than 30 years after then Home Secretary Kenneth … Read more

The Battle for Reading Gaol: Government ‘agrees sale’ of historic prison where Oscar Wilde was banged up for being gay after ministers rejected £2.6million bid from council to turn it into cultural hub

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The Battle for Reading Gaol: Government ‘agrees sale’ of historic prison where Oscar Wilde was banged up for being gay after ministers rejected £2.6million bid from council to turn it into cultural hub

The Battle for Reading Gaol: Government ‘agrees sale’ of historic prison where Oscar Wilde was banged up for being gay after ministers rejected £2.6million bid from council to turn it into cultural hub Wilde was imprisoned at Reading Gaol between 1895 and 1897 His experience inspired his last published work, the Ballad of Reading Gaol  … Read more

How Queen Elizabeth marked the first anniversary of the death of her father King George VI: Young monarch attended private holy communion service at Sandringham parish church as wreaths were placed on his tomb in St George’s Chapel

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How Queen Elizabeth marked the first anniversary of the death of her father King George VI: Young monarch attended private holy communion service at Sandringham parish church as wreaths were placed on his tomb in St George’s Chapel

It was a year on from the day that, while staying in Kenya, Princess Elizabeth learned of the death of her father and became Queen. On February 6, 1953, Her Late Majesty marked the first anniversary of King George VI‘s death quietly with her husband Prince Philip. The pair attended a private Holy Communion service … Read more

‘I loved her and will miss her very deeply’: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby pays tribute to his mother days after her funeral as he remembers the Queen on first anniversary of her death

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‘I loved her and will miss her very deeply’: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby pays tribute to his mother days after her funeral as he remembers the Queen on first anniversary of her death

Justin Welby paid a public tribute to his mother today, days after her she was laid to rest.  Speaking on the Thought for the Day slot on Radio 4’s Today Programme, the Archbishop of Canterbury revealed that Lady Jane Williams’s funeral took place on Tuesday.  He said he ‘loved her and will miss her very deeply’ … Read more