The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsIf the Earth were flat, how would our lives be different? Paul TinklerPost your…
From Boudicca to modern Britain: the dream of island utopias, ruled by women
Once the British Isles were seen as a stronghold of female leadership. Patriarchal culture pushed these stories to the geographical margins – yet they live on, a force too potent to ignoreThroughout history, the idea of islands where women rule has bee…
Fun with place name patterns
Peer into the Europe’s past by looking at place names, for example to see the range of Roman conquest of Britain or the historical borders of Poland and Silesia.
Crude Britannia by James Marriott and Terry Macalister review – a harrowing read
A story of missed opportunities and industrial decline is told with rare insight and vivacityThis November the eyes of the world will turn to Glasgow. “Cop26 meeting is last chance, says Alok Sharma as he backs UK’s plan for new oil and gas fields,” th…