As sunshine threatens (watch this space) to break out across the UK we can celebrate the 100th birthday of one of the real treats of summer – the ice lolly. It emerged by accident, when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left some home made lemonade in a glass, along with a stirring stick, outside on his porch […]

How will you spend the forthcoming Bank Holiday? Visiting a local beauty spot or heritage site? or just relaxing at home, possibly pondering how you will spend the double bank holiday coming up in June that marks the 70 year reign of Queen Elizabeth. Well, however you spend the day, spare a thought for Sir […]

You’ll no doubt have heard how dangerous the age of 27 can be for rock stars. The “27 Club” charts the demise of famous musicians at this age. It’s an extensive list that starts with the father of the blues Robert Johnson, includes Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison either side of […]

When it comes to creating inventions that have transformed the world, Japan ranks as high as any country and in the words of Alphaville (this reference will only mean anything if you are a fan of 80s music), everything is Big in Japan From martial arts to video games, electronics and transport, this island in […]

Sharp rises in the cost of living mean many of us will be tightening belts in order to pay bills and for some there’s a real worry about being able to afford food. Fortunately help is at hand, both in terms of tips to make your food budget stretch further and financial assistance for the […]

It’s good to laugh and this year marks the 65th anniversary of one of the most memorable April Fools Day pranks. We know from records that April Fools Day has been around many hundreds of years. The exact origins remain a mystery, though connection to the onset of spring heralding merriment and general confusion of […]

The chances are that in the course of the next 24 hours you’ll see at least one vending machine, umbrella or alarm clock. You might be surprised to learn they were all invented around 2000 years ago and in the same part of the world Greece is perhaps better known for being at the forefront […]

The microwave celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and like many great inventions, its existence is down to a combination of scientific genius and a lightbulb moment. Unlike other inventions, squirrels and the Titanic also played a key role. By the 1930s scientists in various countries had come to realise that when radio waves hit […]

There’s a saying that something is as easy as pie…but, in fact, fathoming out what is and isn’t a pie can be confusing. So, with British Pie Week taking place until Sunday, let’s see what lies beneath the crust. The name comes from magpie, a bird noted for its ability to hoard various random items, […]