For 800 years the city of London has been careful to make sure it pays its annual rent for two pieces of land it leases from the Crown. In its determination not […]
Keeping Up on the Rent, Even When the Property is Lost
Using Pennies to Keep Big Ben Accurate Makes Good Cents
Aside from the monarchy, one would be hard-pressed to think of anything more iconically British than the clock in the Elizabeth Tower of Westminster Palace. Its massive bell, Big Ben, has been […]
Something’s Fishy About Royal Rights
Under the law of the United Kingdom, the monarch owns all sturgeon and whales as part of the royal prerogative.
The Gift That Didn’t Please His Wife
Cecil Chubb (1876-1934) was in the market for the perfect gift for his wife and thought he found just the thing. Apparently thinking that her love for “big stones” meant something other […]
God Save the King — and Please Hurry Him Along!
Spectators at the Rathenau railway station in Brandenberg, Germany on February 9, 1909 hoped to get a chance to see United Kingdom’s King Edward VII. They got a bit more than they […]
Meet the Feathered Guardians of the United Kingdom
Permanent residents of the Tower of London include six ravens. They have been seen in and around the tower since being built in 1078. They have been officially-sanctioned since the days of […]
What Happens If They Have a War, But Everyone Forgets About It?
Hostilities broke out in 1651 between the Netherlands and the Isle of Scilly. While the details are a bit sketchy, it appears that Dutch Admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp arrived at Scilly to […]
Truly, a Fate Worse Than Death
Sometimes it just isn’t worth it to become a celebrity. Take, for example, the case of Charlotte Taylor. In 2009 the 18-year-old attended the Leeds Festival and stopped to make use of […]
Want Their Autographs? It Will Take a While To Write All of It
Two friends, formerly known as Daniel Knox-Hewson and Kelvin Borbidge Daniel Knox-Hewson and his friend Kelvin Borbidge of Nottingham, United Kingdom, decided in 2011 to have their names reflect their love of […]
This Post Brought to You by DAMS: Speeding Mothers Against Dyslexia
In 2010 Matthew Cook was clocked at 103 mph in a 60 mph zone in East Sussex, United Kingdom. His defense? He said he had dyslexia, and thought he was only going […]
Welcome to the Heat Ray of Death Building
One of the newest additions to the London skyline is the skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street. Popularly known as the “Walkie Talkie” because of its shape, the building is rapidly becoming better […]
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire. Really. As in, “Help! Fire!”
Every year the firemen of Gillingham, in Kent, England, would construct a makeshift house out of wood and canvas for the popular fire-fighting demonstration at the fundraiser for St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream
Got a craving for ice cream? Try one of these distinctive flavors from around the world: Honey Jalapeño Pickle from Sweet Action Ice Cream in Denver, Colorado Goat Cheese Cashew Caramel from […]
Need Extra Days for Christmas Shopping? Move to Foula
The island of Foula in the Shetland Islands of Scotland operates off of a different calendar than the rest of the United Kingdom. When Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, […]
You’ve Heard of Flying Reindeer; What About Pollyanna, the Reindeer of the Deep Seas?
Pollyanna, with officers of the HMS Trident The British submarine HMS Trident had an unusual crew member for part of its World War II service: a reindeer named Pollyanna. The Trident was […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 