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The Poppies Project is an 18-month community craft project bringing people together from across Lichfield and the wider diocese to create a shared act of remembrance.

In partnership with The Fabric Vault, the project will culminate in a large-scale (and hopefully record-breaking!) sweeping poppies installation at the Cathedral for Remembrance 2027.

We hope to create a record-breaking display made entirely from community-crafted poppies in red, purple, black and white—honouring those affected by war and those committed to peace.

Individuals, schools, community groups and organisations are all invited to take part, contributing handmade poppies to a collective artwork that reflects memory, hope and community.

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What is the Poppies Project?

The Poppies Project is an 18-month community craft project bringing people together from across Lichfield and the wider diocese to create a shared act of remembrance.

In partnership with The Fabric Vault, the project will culminate in a large-scale (and hopefully record-breaking!) sweeping poppies installation at the Cathedral for Remembrance 2027.

We hope to create a record-breaking display made entirely from community-crafted poppies in red, purple, black and white-honouring those affected by war and those committed to peace.

Individuals, schools, community groups and organisations are all invited to take part, contributing handmade poppies to a collective artwork that reflects memory, hope and community.

About the installation

The installation will be made up of over 100,000 handmade poppies, each one created by a member of the community. These will be joined together to be displayed at Lichfield Cathedral for Remembrance 2027.

Poppies can be created in a range of colours, each carrying its own meaning:

Red - remembering victims of war and conflict

Purple - remembering animals affected by war

Black - remembering African and Caribbean communities

White - remembering those committed to peace

Each poppy will form part of a larger whole - a shared artwork that brings together many voices, stories and acts of creativity.

Taking part

The project is open to everyone, regardless of experience. Contributors are invited to create poppies using any textile method, including knitting, crochet, sewing or embroidery.

Poppies can be any size and may include green leaves. To enable them to be joined into the final installation, each poppy should include a loop or piece of string for attachment.
Completed poppies can be dropped off at Lichfield Cathedral or The Fabric Vault. Throughout the project, free community Poppy Stitch Club sessions will be held at Lichfield Cathedral, offering opportunities to learn new skills, meet others and contribute to the project in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Poppy Stitch Clubs

Monday 4 May 10:00 - 12:00
Monday 25 May 10:00 - 12:00*
Tuesday 26 May 10:00 - 12:00*, 14:00 - 16:00* & 18:15 - 19:45
Wednesday 27 May 10:00 - 12:00*
Thursday 28 May 10:00 - 12:00*
Friday 19 June 10:00 - 12:00 & 18:15-19:45
Tuesday 21 July 14:00 - 16:00* & 18:15-19:45
Monday 3 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Thursday 6 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Monday 10 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Monday 17 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Thursday 13 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Tuesday 18 August 14:00 - 16:00* & 18:15-19:45
Thursday 20 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Monday 24 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Wednesday 26 August 10:00-12:00* & 14:00-16:00*
Tuesday 8 September 14:00 - 16:00 & 18:15-19:45
Tuesday 6 October 14:00 - 16:00 & 18:15-19:45
Monday 26 October 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00*
Tuesday 27 October 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00*
Wednesday 28 October 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00*
Thursday 29 October 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00*
Monday 2 November 10:00 - 12:00
Friday 18 December 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00
Monday 28 December 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 16:00*

*All ages welcome - as these are during school holidays, bring your small people along to have a go!

Progress & display

The Poppies Project will run over 18 months, with opportunities to see the project develop along the way. A progress update will be shared in November 2026.

The completed installation will be unveiled in Lichfield Cathedral in October 2027, forming a central part of the Cathedral's Remembrance programme.

Further information

To find out more and to download a pattern, please visit the Fabric Vault's website.

Visit: Poppies Project

£1 from every sale of the patterns or project packs (available to buy at the Fabric Vault and Lichfield Cathedral Shop) goes to support The Royal British Legion.

In partnership with:

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The Poppies Project is an 18-month community craft project bringing people together from across Lichfield and the wider diocese to create a shared act of remembrance.

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The Auschwitz Goalkeeper: A Prisoner of War's True Story by Ron Jones

Ron Jones was a British Prisoner of War who was sent to E715 Wehrmacht British POW camp in 1942. He became known as the ‘Goalkeeper of Auschwitz’ when he joined the Auschwitz Football League as the goalkeeper of the Welsh team. In 1945, Jones was forced to join the death march across Europe. Miraculously, he survived.​

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The annual House History Quiz will take place on Friday 10th July 2026. Please see your form tutor to sign up your team!

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Maus by Art Spiegelman

Recommended by a Year 9 student. The first and only graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize, MAUS is a brutally moving work of art about a Holocaust survivor -- and the son who survives him

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The Complete MAUS: The Pulitzer-winning graphic novel depicting the Holocaust - by the author who transformed the genre

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BAFTA award-winning producer, author, historian, and presenter, David Olusoga, will be presenting a very special & seasonal talk at Lichfield Cathedral on Thursday 3rd December 2026 There is nothing more British than a cup of tea. Tea is our national drink and our national obsession. Yet the history of tea is the ultimate global story. It links over 350 years of British history to the histories of China, India, the Caribbean, and the United States. It encompasses the Boston Tea Party, the Opium Wars, and the history of the British East India Company. It is a story that involves industrial espionage and a vast forgotten migration within India, and the creation in Britain of a whole new world of domestic traditions and even new consumer household goods

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The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum

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The Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum

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For the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England.

Following a historic agreement with France, the 70-metre-long tapestry, depicting events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, will be loaned to the British Museum from 10th September 2026 to 11th July 2027.

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For the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England.

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Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

By the time she died in 2005, Rosa Parks was known around the world as an icon of activism. Her act of defiance one ordinary Thursday afternoon in Montgomery, Alabama, catapulted her to the forefront of the battle for racial equality in America. But what was her story before that fateful moment in 1955? What course did her life take afterwards?

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Short History Of... - Rosa Parks - BBC Sounds

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A defiant act catapults Rosa Parks to the forefront of the battle for racial equality.

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Custer’s Last Stand.
The Great Sioux War of 1876 – the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Lakota/Northern Cheyenne/Arapaho victory.
The commander of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry, George Armstrong Custer, and 267 of his cavalrymen and scouts were killed.

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Birth of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II.
(Killed by Bolsheviks in 1918, aged 17, along with the rest of her family.)

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The Black Power movement was established in the USA by civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael. It operated until the 1980s.

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On June 6, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops—primarily from the UK, US, and Canada—landed on five beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword) to liberate Western Europe.

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Essay Competition - The Nazi Soviet Pact

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Essay Competition - The Nazi Soviet Pact

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The UK prize is open to students who will be in Year 12 or 13 in the academic year 2026–27 and who are resident in the United Kingdom. This competition would particularly suit students wishing to strengthen their UCAS personal statements.The deadline for entries is 12.00 pm (noon) on Sunday 24 January 2027

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Julia Wood History Essay Competition 2026

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Julia Wood History Essay Competition 2026

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Open to Year 12 students. Closing date 22nd July 2026.

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Julia Wood History Essay Competition - St Hugh’s College

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Where could your favourite subject take you? Get inspired by people using Geography, History and Religious Studies in real-life jobs. Find out how much you could get paid for different roles and what qualifications you might need.

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Jobs that use Geography, History and Religious Studies - Careers - BBC Bitesize

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Where could your favourite subject take you? Get inspired by people using Geography, History and Religious Studies in real-life jobs. Find out how much you could get paid for different roles and what qualifications you might need.

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Write an article for publication in the the Herstory Project.

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Write for our website!
We welcome article submissions for our website from anyone and everyone, it’s a great way to gain experience! We look forward to reading your work!

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Deeds Not Words by Helen Pankhurst

In Deeds Not Words suffragette descendant and activist Helen Pankhurst charts the changes in the lives of women over the last 100 years. She celebrates landmark successes and little-known victories, looking at politics, money, identity, violence, culture and social norms and turning to the voices of both pioneers and ordinary women for their perspective.

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This list looks at the story of American civil rights, from chronicles of cruelty under slavery to the heroes of the 1950s and 1960s, up to where race relations stand in America today.

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10 books that chronicle the black American experience

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This list looks at the story of American civil rights, from chronicles of cruelty under slavery to the heroes of the 1950s and 1960s, up to where race relations stand in America today.

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A great podcast for the new unit on Queen Elizabeth I. Covering all the topics from the GCSE course.

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GCSE History podcasts - Elizabeth I - BBC Bitesize

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Bitesize and Sounds revision podcasts | Overview

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An Englishman in Auschwitz by Leon Greenman

In May 1940, Holland was overrun by the Nazis, by which time Leon and his family had been effectively abandoned by the British Consulate and stranded with neither passports nor money. Eventually, they were deported to Birkenau where Esther and their small son, Barney, were gassed on arrival. Leon was chosen with 49 others for slave labor. This book tells the story of Leon's remarkable survival, of the horrors he saw and endured at Auschwitz, Monowitz and during the Death March to Gleiwitz and Buchenwald camp, where he was eventually liberated.

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Yr 8 - Women's Suffrage - Sophia Duleep Singh

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Yr 8 - Women's Suffrage - Sophia Duleep Singh

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Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary by Anita Anand

Sophia transcended her heritage to devote herself to battling injustice and inequality,a far cry from the life to which she was born. Her causes were the struggle for Indian independence, the fate of the Lascars, the welfare of Indian soldiers in the First World War - and, above all, the fight for female suffrage.

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Stories of Hope from Auschwitz: Inspiring True Stories of Hope, Love and Survival by Petra Stevenson.

When Auschwitz was liberated in 1945, after the horror of one of history's greatest atrocities, the world rejoiced. Although seven thousand people had survived this ordeal, the camp had also been witness to countless others who had resisted, sabotaged and even escaped from their captors. Some fought for their freedom or against injustice, and others disrupted Nazi operations. Then there were those who found ways to hold on to hope and positivity and spread it to their fellow inmates - a source of light in one of the world's darkest places.

This book celebrates those heroes of Auschwitz, telling the inspiring true stories of the ordinary prisoners who became symbols of hope and defiance. At turns touching and uplifting, these stories show the best of humankind and are testament to the incredible resilience and bravery that shines through even in the toughest times.

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Do you know these 15 famous women who made history?

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Do you know these 15 famous women who made history?

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From groundbreaking scientists to fearless activists and political leaders, these women made history through their incredible accomplishments and determination. Discover the stories of some of the most famous women in history – legendary figures like Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, and many others who shaped our world in ways that continue to inspire generations.

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Do you know these 15 famous women who made history?

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Explore the stories of 15 famous women who made history, from pioneers in science to fearless leaders and activists. Be inspired how these women changed the world with their groundbreaking achievements.

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The forgotten Indian woman trailblazer in British medicine

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The forgotten Indian woman trailblazer in British medicine

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In the early 20th Century, when medicine was still overwhelmingly male and European institutions largely closed their doors to women, a young doctor from colonial India's Bengal broke through one of its most formidable gates.

In 1912, Jamini Sen became the first woman ever admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, external - an institution founded in 1599 and long closed to women.

Yet, unlike many pioneers of modern medicine, her story largely disappeared from view.

Now, more than a century later, Sen's remarkable life - spanning palace wards in Nepal, examination halls in Britain and epidemic-stricken towns in colonial India - has been reconstructed in Daktarin Jamini Sen, a new biography by her great-niece Deepta Roy Chakraverti.

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Jamini Sen: The Bengali doctor who made medical history in Britain

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In 1912, Jamini Sen became the first woman Fellow of Glasgow’s Royal College, founded in 1599 and long closed to women.

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In 1967, the world heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, refused to be indicted into the American military. His decision to follow his conscience and not serve in Vietnam galvanised radicals across the US. Simon Watts speaks to Dr Nathan Hare about a visit by Muhammad Ali to Howard University at the height of the outcry over his refusal of the draft.

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Witness History - Muhammad Ali and the Draft - BBC Sounds

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How the boxing champion’s refusal to go to Vietnam made him a hero to 1960s radicals

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At the start of the war, Edith was an English Nurse in occupied Belgium who became part of a secret underground network helping hundreds of Allied soldiers who were cut off behind enemy lines to get back safely to England. But in October 1915 after being betrayed, interrogated, and subjected to a show trial, she was executed by a German firing squad. Her death provoked outrage and revulsion throughout the world. The Germans later claimed that she and her network were spies, an accusation that has always been firmly rejected in Britain.

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Secrets and Spies: The Untold Story of Edith Cavell - BBC Sounds

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Stella Rimington uncovers startling new evidence about the executed British heroine.

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A young doctor, with a seemingly impossible task: rebuild the shattered faces of World War One soldiers. Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.

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History's Heroes - Saving Face with Harold Gillies - BBC Sounds

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Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.

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Joan of Arc is burned at the stake.

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Supreme Court makes a landmark decision for US schools

In Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. A major victory of the civil rights movement, it was a pivotal challenge to the long-established doctrine of ‘separate but equal’.

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Supreme Court makes a landmark decision for US schools In Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously ruled that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. A major victory of the civil rights movement, it was a pivotal challenge to the long-established doctrine of ‘separate but equal’.

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The first vaccination is administered.

To test his theory of protecting people from smallpox, the English physician Edward Jenner inoculated eight-year-old James Phipps with the pus from a cowpox sore. The boy fell ill, but when Jenner then infected him with a dose of smallpox, the disease did not develop.

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William Wilberforce takes up the cause of abolition

“I mean not to accuse anyone, but to take the shame upon myself, in common, indeed, with the whole parliament of Great Britain, for having suffered this horrid trade to be carried on under their authority. We are all guilty – we ought all to plead guilty, and not to exculpate ourselves by throwing the blame on others; and I therefore deprecate every kind of reflection against the various descriptions of people who are more immediately involved in this wretched business.”

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William Wilberforce takes up the cause of abolition “I mean not to accuse anyone, but to take the shame upon myself, in common, indeed, with the whole parliament of Great Britain, for having suffered this horrid trade to be carried on under their authority. We are all guilty – we ought all to plead guilty, and not to exculpate ourselves by throwing the blame on others; and I therefore deprecate every kind of reflection against the various descriptions of people who are more immediately involved in this wretched business.”

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Millions celebrate Victory in Europe Day

The news of Nazi Germany’s surrender, bringing an end to the Second World War in Europe after nearly six years, leads to joyous VE Day celebrations around the world.

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Millions celebrate Victory in Europe Day  The news of Nazi Germany’s surrender, bringing an end to the Second World War in Europe after nearly six years, leads to joyous VE Day celebrations around the world.

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Roger Bannister breaks the four-minute mile

The English runner Roger Bannister easily won the mile race at Ifley Road track, Oxford, but as he crossed the finish line the large crowd on that early evening were brimming with excitement and anticipation. The question was how quickly he had won. The official, pipe in mouth and stopwatch in hand, let the tension build before declaring, “Three minutes…”, at which point the rest was drowned out by cheering.

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Roger Bannister breaks the four-minute mile The English runner Roger Bannister easily won the mile race at Ifley Road track, Oxford, but as he crossed the finish line the large crowd on that early evening were brimming with excitement and anticipation. The question was how quickly he had won. The official, pipe in mouth and stopwatch in hand, let the tension build before declaring, “Three minutes…”, at which point the rest was drowned out by cheering.

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A battle breaks out between prisoners and guards at Alcatraz

An escape attempt from the notoriously inescapable maximum-security prison, on an island in San Francisco Bay, escalated into a firefight and a siege of one of the cellhouses. After 48 hours of the so-called battle of Alcatraz, more than a dozen people were injured and five dead: two officers and three of the escaping prisoners.

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A battle breaks out between prisoners and guards at Alcatraz An escape attempt from the notoriously inescapable maximum-security prison, on an island in San Francisco Bay, escalated into a firefight and a siege of one of the cellhouses. After 48 hours of the so-called battle of Alcatraz, more than a dozen people were injured and five dead: two officers and three of the escaping prisoners.

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Captain Cook lands in Australia. On Saturday 28 April he spotted “a bay which appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from all winds”, and the following day he made landfall. When he and his men went ashore, they found “several of the natives and a few huts”, but the inhabitants scattered when Cook fired his musket.

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Bay of Pigs fiasco fails to oust Castro

Rumours of the invasion had already spread to the island from Miami, and the Cuban militia were quickly on the scene. Within hours the invaders had come under heavy fire, two of their ships had been sunk and the sky was thick with fighter planes. Far from storming inland to a huge popular welcome, the exiles were bogged down on the beaches. As Castro’s troops raced to the scene, where was the promised US support?

Within two days it was all over. The Americans managed to rescue a handful of the exiles by sea, but the rest were killed or captured. Kennedy had been humiliated. And Castro? He stayed in power for the next 47 years.

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RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton at midday.

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created by twelve nations.

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Available on BBC Sounds. In October 1962, three men – Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro – hold the fate of the planet in their hands. A dispute over Soviet missiles in Cuba spirals out of control. Officials in the USA and the USSR prepare for a war that would end life on Earth as we know it. How exactly did it come to this? And just how close will the world come to nuclear Armageddon? This is a Short History Of... the Cuban Missile Crisis, Part 1.

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Short History Of... - The Cuban Missile Crisis, Part 1 of 2 - BBC Sounds

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Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.

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Yr 8 - Medicine & Treatment in the First World War

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Yr 8 - Medicine & Treatment in the First World War

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A young doctor, with a seemingly impossible task: rebuild the shattered faces of World War One soldiers. Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.

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History's Heroes - Saving Face with Harold Gillies - BBC Sounds

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Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.

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Available on BBC Sounds. Narrative history series exploring over 2,000 years of western medicine, with medical historian Andrew Cunningham. Episodes cover blood transfusions, transplants, the development of the NHS, the nursing profession and much more.

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BBC Sounds - The Making of Modern Medicine - Available Episodes

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Listen to the latest episodes of The Making of Modern Medicine on BBC Sounds

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England and Scotland played their first rugby football international, in Edinburgh

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Queen Elizabeth II laid the foundation stone of a new cathedral being built in Coventry. The new building is being erected next to the remains of the 14th-century cathedral destroyed by the German Luftwaffe in 1940.

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Parliament in London votes to repeal the controversial Stamp Act in an attempt to stifle rebellion in the American colonies – “Taxation without representation is tyranny”

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Cruft’s Dog Show was held in London for the first time

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The Scottish-born inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, patented the telephone.

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The British fighter plane Spitfire made its first test flight from Eastleigh, Southampton. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine the aircraft will enter service with the Royal Air Force in the next two years.

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Our Hospital Through Time - The History of Medicine

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Our Hospital Through Time - The History of Medicine

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A really great series that explores the History of Medicine through the archive at St Barts Hospital in London.

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It looks like you are trying to access 5 app from outside the UK.

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LGBT+ History Month is an annual observance dedicated to celebrating the history, achievements, and struggles of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. In the UK, it takes place throughout February to mark the 2003 abolition of Section 28

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February 16th 1923 - 103 years ago - Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun's burial chamber

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February 16th 1923 - 103 years ago - Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun's burial chamber

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Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun's burial chamber.

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February 8th 1587 - 438 years ago - Mary Queen of Scots beheaded

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February 8th 1587 - 438 years ago - Mary Queen of Scots beheaded

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During World War Two, dozens of British-trained women were deployed as spies and saboteurs, to infiltrate behind enemy lines in Nazi-controlled France. Ranging from housewives to countesses, they were trained as secret agents and played critical roles to aid the war effort. But who were these women, and how did they find their way into espionage? What did they do undercover, and what were the consequences of capture? And how did those who made it home adjust to life when the war was won?

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Short History Of... - Female Spies of World War Two - BBC Sounds

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During World War 2, dozens of British-trained women were deployed as spies and saboteurs.

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Yr 9, 10 & Yr 11 - Germany & the Holocaust

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Yr 9, 10 & Yr 11 - Germany & the Holocaust

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When Antony Easton’s father passes away, he goes through his Dad's suitcase, filled with cryptic clues: neatly stacked German money, a family tree he doesn’t recognise, and books filled with sprawling notes. He also finds his father’s birth certificate, but bearing a different name. Confronting his dad’s double identity, Antony begins a ten-year quest to uncover the truth. Piece-by-piece he comes to understand his family’s dark history as he attempts to reclaim his grandfather’s property and art empire, and expose the historic robbery and murder of his relatives.

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The History Podcast - The House at Number 48 - 1. Made in Britain - BBC Sounds

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A man’s quest to uncover his family’s dark past & reclaim a fortune stolen under the Nazis

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Careers in History - where can history take you? 

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Careers in History - where can history take you? 

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Where can your history degree take you?
A history degree equips you with many skills that are attractive to employers.
History is actually very practical, because it involves:

Learning about people - how they interact, the motives and emotions that can tear people apart into rival factions or help them to work together for a common cause (useful knowledge for team-building at work!)

Learning about countries, societies and cultures - so many of today's conflicts and alliances have their roots in the past; how can you negotiate with, trade successfully with, or report on a country if you know nothing of its history?

Learning to locate and sift facts - to identify truth and recognise myth, propaganda and downright lies (useful in every aspect of life!)

Presenting what you've learned in a way that makes sense to others - whether in graphs, essays or illustrated reports - and having the confidence to defend your findings.

All these skills are valuable in a whole range of jobs. So instead of only looking at 'careers in history' you could also look at careers where it will help a lot if you've studied history.

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A history degree equips you with many skills that are attractive to employers. History is actually very practical, because it involves: Learning about people - how they interact, the motives and emotions that can tear people apart into rival factions or help them to work together for a common cause (useful knowledge for team-building at work!)

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January 20th 1265 - 760 Years Ago - England's First Parliament Met

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January 20th 1265 - 760 Years Ago - England's First Parliament Met

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The first parliament in English history met on 20 January 1265, but it was so different from its modern-day equivalent that the two can barely be compared. It was called by the rebellious magnate Simon de Montfort, who had become the standard-bearer for the cause of the barons against the monarchy.

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January 15th 1559 - 466 years ago - The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I

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January 15th 1559 - 466 years ago - The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I

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The date had been specially chosen on the astrological advice of the noted Tudor scholar and mystic Dr John Dee. The previous day Elizabeth had ridden in state from the Tower of London to Whitehall in a display of pageantry that cost the Queen alone the sum of £16,000.

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January 12th 1895 - 130 years ago - The National Trust was founded

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January 12th 1895 - 130 years ago - The National Trust was founded

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The National Trust was rooted deep in the soil of Victorian Britain. The key figure was Octavia Hill, a high-minded reformer who had long believed that working people should have access to “the life-enhancing virtues of pure earth, clean air and blue sky”. There are over 500 National Trust places to visit in Britain today.

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January 10th 1863 - 162 years ago - The London Underground Opened

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January 10th 1863 - 162 years ago - The London Underground Opened

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For the first time in the history of the world,” said The Daily News, “men can travel in pleasant carriages, and with considerable comfort, lower down than gas pipes and water pipes… lower down than the graveyard.” The opening of the London Underground was met with some scepticism!

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January 9th 2007 - 18 years ago - The First I-Phone is Revealed

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January 9th 2007 - 18 years ago - The First I-Phone is Revealed

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“This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years,” he said. “Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything..." Steve Jobs

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Available on BBC I Player. The myths, motives and mentality - Laurence Rees's acclaimed history of the rise of the Nazi party. How could a nation at the heart of Europe have allowed Hitler to come to power?

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The myths, motives and mentality - Laurence Rees’s acclaimed history of the rise of the Nazi party. How could a nation at the heart of Europe have allowed Hitler to come to power?

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A great podcast for the new unit! In this series Datshiane and Katie will be looking at the key moments in German history in the 20th century, their causes and the consequences they had on the country and the world.

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Bitesize GCSE History - Germany in the 20th century - First World War and its impact on Germany - BBC Sounds

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Catch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.

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Empire of the Sun by J.G Ballard

Based on J. G. Ballard’s own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy’s life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai – a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint.

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - John Snow

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - John Snow

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In the 1800s cholera was a mysterious disease killing millions around the world. No-one knew how to stop it till an English doctor, John Snow, began investigating the outbreak of 1854. At a time before germ theory was properly understood, many public health experts thought disease was carried on what they called "bad air". John Snow was alone in thinking cholera was spread through contaminated water and by the time of his death - in 1858 - his theories had still not been fully accepted.

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Witness History - The doctor who discovered how cholera spread - BBC Sounds

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How Dr John Snow found out the cholera bug was spread through contaminated water in 1854.

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Significant Individuals - Florence Nightingale - Year 8

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Significant Individuals - Florence Nightingale - Year 8

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This film follows the life of an extraordinary woman who revolutionised modern nursing and whose legacy continues to benefit millions.

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Film following the life of an extraordinary woman who revolutionised modern nursing.

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Treasure Finding In England Hits A Record High!

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Treasure Finding In England Hits A Record High!

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Treasure finds in England have hit a record high, with a lamp shaped like a human foot and an earwax scoop among the more unusual items unearthed.

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Treasure finds in England reach record high

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Treasure finds in England have reached a record high according to provisional government figures.

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Recommended historical fiction books by Alice Loxton

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Recommended historical fiction books by Alice Loxton

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Books can open doors to other worlds. Reading historical fiction, can also transport us back in time to explore actual real life events from the past, using a mix of history, different view points and fantasy.

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Five historical fiction books from Alice Loxton aka @history_alice - BBC Bitesize

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Renowned historian, author and content creator recommends her favourites.

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Digging for Britain - The Transatlantic Slave Trade Yr 8

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Digging for Britain - The Transatlantic Slave Trade Yr 8

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In Ilfracombe, a picturesque seaside town on the north coast of Devon, archaeologists digging ahead of a new housing development have discovered the sturdy remains of a 17th-century farmhouse, with finds that help show the role Devonshire merchants played in the transatlantic slave trade.

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Digging for Britain - Series 12: 5. Chariots and Slaves

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In the west of Britain, there's one of the largest Roman buildings ever discovered in Britain, an Iron Age chariot is saved, and evidence is found of the transatlantic slave trade in Devon.

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Local History and the First World War Competition

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Local History and the First World War Competition

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Your research can be into anything that is local to your group and relates to the period of World War One - 1914-1918/9. War memorials or Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves in local cemeteries are an obvious choice but it could be about life on the Homefront: schools, industry and war work, entertainment, who lived in my house etc.

Work has to culminate in a final outcome which could be a display, performance, booklet, video etc. It has to be shared with people not involved in the research: perhaps through an assembly, an event for parents or through the school website.

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2025-2026 Primary & Secondary Schools Competition: The Malcolm Doolin Award for Local History Research | The Western Front Association

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There are a number of great competitions for students of all ages to take part in. Take a look!

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Young Historian Awards 2026 – take part (Secondary prizes)

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The 2026 competition is now open. Entries close on 17 July 2026 (3 July for overseas entries).

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Isambard Kingdom Brunel 

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Isambard Kingdom Brunel 

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A short, engaging biography of the brilliant Victorian engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
From tunnels and railways to bridges and ships, Isambard Kingdom Brunel would stop at nothing to realise his amazing engineering ideas.

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Who Was Isambard Kingdom Brunel (Great Victorians) K

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Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery - see the Staffordshire Hoard

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Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery - see the Staffordshire Hoard

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Discover the story of the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.

Visitors can learn more about this incredible treasure, from its Anglo-Saxon warrior history, to the conservation techniques used to unlock its secrets today. Free Entry

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Staffordshire Hoard | Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery | Birmingham Museums

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Discover the story of the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. Visitors can learn more about this incredible treasure, fr

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The Staffordshire Hoard is back on display as Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery completes another phase of its reopening.

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The Staffordshire Hoard is back on display as Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery completes another phase of its reopening.

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Visitors will have unrestricted access to the Anglo-Saxon treasure for the first time since 2020, following the museum's four-year renovation project.

It is the largest hoard of its kind ever discovered and includes hundreds of intricately crafted gold items buried about 1,400 years ago.

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Staffordshire Hoard on display as Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery reopens

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Visitors will have unrestricted access to the Staffordshire Hoard for the first time since 2020.

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Entire contents of the tomb of Tutankhamun now on display

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Entire contents of the tomb of Tutankhamun now on display

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Near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza - Egypt has officially opened what it intends as a cultural highlight of the modern age. A main draw of the GEM will be the entire contents of the intact tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, displayed together for the first time since it was found by British Egyptologist Howard Carter. They include Tutankhamun's spectacular gold mask, throne and chariots.

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ByYolande Knell, Middle East correspondent, Reporting fromin Cairo, and Wael Hussein, Reporting fromin Cairo

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Egypt’s Grand Museum opens, displaying Tutankhamun tomb in full for first time

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The launch of the billion-dollar site sees fresh calls for the return of antiquities held in museums overseas.

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November 26th 1922 - 103 years ago The Tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered  

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November 26th 1922 - 103 years ago The Tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered  

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Archaeologist Howard Carter and his sponsor the Earl of Caernavon make a hole in the door and gaze into the tomb of Tutankhamun.

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November 22nd 1963 - 62 years ago President JFK was assassinated 

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November 22nd 1963 - 62 years ago President JFK was assassinated 

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The world mourns at the news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed in Dallas, Texas.

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November 17th 1558 - 467 years ago Mary I died 

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November 17th 1558 - 467 years ago Mary I died 

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Death of England’s first ruling Queen, Mary Tudor. Unpopular daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

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November 14th 1940 - 85 years ago Blitz on Coventry 

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November 14th 1940 - 85 years ago Blitz on Coventry 

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In one raid 449 German Luftwaffe bombers dropped 503 tons of bombs and 881 incendiaries onto the English City of Coventry during the Second World war.

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November 11th 1918 - 107 years ago The First World War ended 

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November 11th 1918 - 107 years ago The First World War ended 

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After four years and 97 days the guns finally fell silent as the Great War ended. Around 9 million lives lost with a further 27 million injured.

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November 7th 1917 - 108 years ago Lenin becomes leader of Russia

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November 7th 1917 - 108 years ago Lenin becomes leader of Russia

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Bolshevik Red Guards seize control of the Winter Palace and confirm Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin) as leader of Russia.

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November 5th 1605 - 420 years ago Guy Fawkes is arrested 

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November 5th 1605 - 420 years ago Guy Fawkes is arrested 

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Guy Fawkes is arrested beneath the House of Parliament as a plot to blow up England’s King James I is uncovered.

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Isambard Kingdom Brunel

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Isambard Kingdom Brunel

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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Victorian engineer responsible for bridges, tunnels and railways still in use today more than 150 years after they were built. Brunel represented the cutting edge of technological innovation in Victorian Britain, and his life gives us a window onto the social changes that accompanied the Industrial Revolution.

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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Victorian engineer responsible for bridges, tunnels and railways still in use today.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Victorian engineer responsible for bridges, tunnels and railways still in use today more than 150 years after they were built. Brunel represented the cutting edge of technological innovation in Victorian Britain, and his life gives us a window onto the social changes that accompanied the Industrial Revolution. Yet his work was not always successful, and his innovative approach to engineering projects was often greeted with suspicion from investors.

Guests:

Julia Elton, former President of the Newcomen Society for the History of Engineering and Technology

Ben Marsden, Senior Lecturer in the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen

Crosbie Smith, Professor of the History of Science at the University of Kent

Producer: Luke Mulhall.

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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Agnes Marshall, The Queen of Ice Cream

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Agnes Marshall, The Queen of Ice Cream

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Greg Jenner and his guests Dr Annie Gray and Richard Osman get the inside scoop on the history of this delicious dessert while packing in as many of their 'flavourite' ice cream puns as possible (final count: 15!). They savour the dubiously 'legendairy' origins of frozen cream dishes, explore some weird early flavours (whale vomit!), and discover how ice cream went from glamorous luxury to dangerous health risk.

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Greg Jenner and his guests Dr Annie Gray and Richard Osman get the inside scoop on the history of this delicious dessert, The History of Ice Cream.

Greg Jenner and his guests Dr Annie Gray and Richard Osman get the inside scoop on the history of this delicious dessert while packing in as many of their 'flavourite' ice cream puns as possible (final count: 15!). They savour the dubiously 'legendairy' origins of frozen cream dishes, explore some weird early flavours (whale vomit!), and discover how ice cream went from glamorous luxury to dangerous health risk. Plus Dr Annie teaches us how to make our own ice cream in the Nuance Window!"

Research: Chris Wakefield
Script: Emma Nagouse, Chris Wakefield and Greg Jenner
Project Management: Siefe Miyo
Edit Producer: Cornelius Mendez

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BBC Radio 4 - You're Dead to Me, The History of Ice Cream

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Greg Jenner and his guests get the inside scoop on The History of Ice Cream.

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Joseph Bazalgette

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Joseph Bazalgette

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Bazalgette, the grandson of a French immigrant who made a fortune lending money to the Hanoverian royal family, is one of the most important of the great Victorian engineers. He not only built a sewage system for London which wiped out cholera in the city, he also built the famous Embankments, laid out several of the main thoroughfares and built or improved many of the city's landmark bridges.

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Great Lives - Andrew Adonis on Joseph Bazalgette - BBC Sounds

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Lord Adonis chooses Victorian engineer, aka ‘The Sewer King’, Sir Joseph Bazalgette

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Mary MacArthur

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Mary MacArthur

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For decades the women of the Black Country - particularly around Cradley Heath - sweated in dark, cramped outhouses making thousands of links of chain.  In return they were paid pence.

This programme tells the story of how, lead by iconic women such as Mary Macarthur they fought for a better life in one of the most important episodes in Britain's labour history.

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Women Chainmakers - The 'White Slaves' of England

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Women Chainmakers - The ‘White Slaves’ of England

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Mary MacArthur

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Year 8 Significant Individuals - Mary MacArthur

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In 1921 the brilliant and charismatic trade union leader, Mary Macarthur, died aged 40. In her short life, her activism and leadership had been responsible for raising awareness of women’s poor working conditions and encouraging them to speak out against injustice and inequality. Mary Macarthur is perhaps best known for the prominent part she played in the women chain makers’ strike in Cradley Heath, Staffordshire in 1910. This heroic dispute ended with the women receiving the minimum wage that was theirs by right.

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University of Birmingham - History and Entrepreneurship 

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University of Birmingham - History and Entrepreneurship 

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Final year history student Olivia Eaton has turned a small passion project into a sustainable clothing and accessories brand dedicated to ethical production and environmentally conscious materials. Each piece is handmade with care, designed to be both eco-friendly and stylish, and 10% of profits go to charity, supporting causes that align with the brand’s core values.

“I’ve received so much support from the University”, says Olivia. “To start with, I got a £500 start-up grant which was accessible and straightforward to apply for. In the second year, I switched modules to the professional skills module for entrepreneurs, so I met other business owners who helped us to develop our businesses, all whilst gaining credits for our degree.

“The most transformational support that I’ve had from the University so far is from being a part of the Elevate business incubator; it’s honestly amazing. We have physical office space, funding opportunities, and networking opportunities, and it has made me part of an amazing community, which includes consultants whom I can go to whenever I need advice. It’s truly incredible.”

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Mary Macarthur: The Working Woman's Champion 

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Mary Macarthur: The Working Woman's Champion 

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Mary Macarthur is perhaps best known for the prominent part she played in the women chain makers’ strike in Cradley Heath, Staffordshire in 1910. The dispute, which lasted two months, ended in success with the women receiving the country’s first minimum wage. It was a triumph but it was by no means an isolated event and Mary Macarthur, as leader of the country’s first all-female general trade union, the National Federation of Women Workers, travelled the length and breadth of the country making sure that women were strengthened by better pay and working conditions and union membership.

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Righting the Wrong - Mary Macarthur 1880-1921: The Working Woman's Champion

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In 1921 the brilliant and charismatic trade union leader, Mary Macarthur, died aged 40. In her short life, her activism and leadership had been responsible for raising awareness of women's poor working conditions and encouraging them to speak out against injustice and inequality.

Mary Macarthur is perhaps best known for the prominent part she played in the women chain makers' strike in Cradley Heath, Staffordshire in 1910. The dispute, which lasted two months, ended in success with the women receiving the country's first minimum wage. It was a triumph but it was by no means an isolated event and Mary Macarthur, as leader of the country's first all-female general trade union, the National Federation of Women Workers, travelled the length and breadth of the country making sure that women were strengthened by better pay and working conditions and union membership.

This new account of her life seeks to understand what motivated this extraordinary individual and why she chose the path that she did, particularly at a time when it was still far from common for a middle -class woman to appear on public platforms. In other words, this is not just an account of Mary the union leader but of Mary the woman - of her travels and friendships, love and marriage, family and motherhood - explored within the context of her times.

Keywords: Mary Macarthur, Cathy Hunt, Women Chainmaker's, Cradley Heath, Women, Trade Union

Presented by:
Cathy Hunt
Directed by:
Simon Russell
Produced by:
IDM Media
Featuring:
James Deane (Great Grandson of Mary Macarthur)
Thanks to:
James Deane, Lucy Atherton, Neil Bevan, Jane Nellist, Friends of the Women Chainmakers, Cradley Heath Library
Recorded By:
IDM Media
Producer:
Simon Russell
Images Kindly Supplied by:
Library of Birmingham, The TUC Library, The Black Country Living Museum, PA Images
Special Thanks to:
Stream of Sound
Run Time:
4:25
Copyright Date:
2019

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Righting the Wrong - Mary Macarthur 1880-1921: The Working Woman's Champion

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Righting the Wrong - Mary Macarthur 1880-1921: The Working Woman's Champion

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October 31st 1940 - 85 years ago The Battle of Britain ended 

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October 31st 1940 - 85 years ago The Battle of Britain ended 

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After nearly four months of heroic defence by the RAF, the Battle of Britain came to an end. Had the German Luftwaffe successfully claimed dominance over British skies, Hitler would likely have ordered a full-scale invasion.

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October 28th 1962 - 63 years ago The Cuban Missile Crisis ended 

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October 28th 1962 - 63 years ago The Cuban Missile Crisis ended 

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The Cuban Missile Crisis essentially ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove nuclear missiles from Cuba in exchange for a U.S. non-invasion pledge.

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October 21st 1805 - 220 years ago The Battle of Trafalgar 

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October 21st 1805 - 220 years ago The Battle of Trafalgar 

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The battle took place off the coast of Cádiz, Spain. Without losing a single ship, a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, decimated a combined French and Spanish fleet, ending Emperor Napoleon’s ambitions to invade Britain. Nelson was mortally wounded during the battle and died on his ship HMS Victory.

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October 14th 1066 - 954 years ago The Battle of Hastings took place

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October 14th 1066 - 954 years ago The Battle of Hastings took place

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The great armies of King Harold II of England and Duke William of Normandy fought for the throne of England. The Saxon king was defeated and a new era of English and European history was ushered in.

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October 12th 1492 - 533 years ago Columbus reached the New World 

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October 12th 1492 - 533 years ago Columbus reached the New World 

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After 33 days at sea, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus landed in the New World after sighting the Bahamas.

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October 4th 1957  - 68 years ago Sputnik was launched 

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October 4th 1957  - 68 years ago Sputnik was launched 

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The ‘Space Age’ was heralded with the launch of Sputnik 1, as the Soviet Union sent the first satellite into orbit.

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ByDuncan Leatherdalein Shildon, County Durham

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Stockton and Darlington Railway 200: Locomotion No 1 replica anniversary starts trip

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A replica of the Locomotion No 1 is recreating the journey made by the real engine 200 years ago.

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Yr 8 = the Abolition of the British Slave Trade 

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Yr 8 = the Abolition of the British Slave Trade 

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Available on BBC Sounds. In the mid-17th Century, Britain dominated the Slave Trade, shipping over 3 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. Conditions on board slave ships were inhumane, and large numbers of enslaved men, women, and children died en-route. However, during the 18th and early 19th centuries, certain individuals started to speak up and demand an end to slavery. So who were these courageous pioneers, brave enough to challenge the status-quo? How did they fight the establishments? And what of the enslaved people who made their voices heard against all odds?

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Short History Of... - The Abolition of the British Slave Trade - BBC Sounds

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Throughout 18th Century Britain, calls for the end of the slave trade grew louder

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Black & British: A Forgotten History - Transatlantic Slave Trade Yr 8

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Black & British: A Forgotten History - Transatlantic Slave Trade Yr 8

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Historian David Olusoga explores the enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa.

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BBC Two - Black and British: A Forgotten History

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A look at the relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa.

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This will be useful yo yr12 when studying the Globe Theatre

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Shakespeare is now a towering figure of global theatre. But in the 1590s, he was just an up-and-coming young playwright, trying to scratch out a living in Shoreditch's emerging theatre scene. Daniel Swift revisits this early stage of the Bard's career in his new book The Dream Factory, linking it with the story of a long-lost Shoreditch playhouse simply called 'The Theatre'. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, Daniel reveals what it would have been like to see one of Shakespeare's original productions, and how he may have been inspired by a terrible play called Hamlet.

(Ad) Daniel Swift is the author of The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare (Yale University Press, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-dream-factory%2Fdaniel-swift%2F%2F9780300263541.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What happened in Shakespeare's "lost years"?

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Shakespeare is now a towering figure of global theatre. But in the 1590s, he was just an up-and-coming young playwright, trying to scratch out a living in Shore

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On 28 June 1919, in the Palace of Versailles in Paris the signing of the Treaty of Versailles took place. It was a peace agreement that marked the end of World War One. The terms of the treaty punished Germany for their involvement in starting the war. British journalist, William Norman Ewer attended the signing. He told his story to the BBC World Service in 1967. He recalls the moment of the signing and the treatment of the German delegates in this fascinating account.

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Witness History - The signing of the Treaty of Versailles - BBC Sounds

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The signing of a peace agreement that marked the end of World War One took place in 1919

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Year 9 & 10 - The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles

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Year 9 & 10 - The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles

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n this opening episode Bridget examines the treatment of Germany at the Paris Peace Conference. Blamed for the outbreak of the war and not given a seat at the table at the palace of Versailles where the conference was held. The Treaty of Versailles, when agreed, lumped Germany with economic reparations, forced disarmament and reduced territories. Following these punitive measures, the next decades of German history include the rise of Nazism and the outbreak of another World War. Were the seeds sown at Versailles?

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The History of the Treaty of Versailles - in Five Future Wars - WWII and Germany - BBC Sounds

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Bridget Kendall explores how the 1919 Paris Peace Conference shaped a century of conflict.

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Year 8 - The Abolition of the Slave Trade

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Year 8 - The Abolition of the Slave Trade

# data[].attributes.body
In the mid-17th Century, Britain dominated the Slave Trade, shipping over 3 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. . However, during the 18th and early 19th centuries, certain individuals started to speak up and demand an end to slavery. So who were these courageous pioneers, brave enough to challenge the status-quo? How did they fight the establishments? And what of the enslaved people who made their voices heard against all odds?

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Short History Of... - The Abolition of the British Slave Trade - BBC Sounds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Throughout 18th Century Britain, calls for the end of the slave trade grew louder

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Bayeux Tapestry to visit UK in September 2026

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Bayeux Tapestry to visit UK in September 2026

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The Bayeux Tapestry, which documents the Norman invasion of England in 1066, has closed to the public in France as opposition mounts ahead of its move to London.

The next time it will be possible to see the nearly 1,000-year-old work of art should be when it goes on display at the British Museum in September next year.

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Hugh SchofieldBBC News in ParisChris GrahamBBC News

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Bayeux Tapestry: French voice fears over artwork’s move to London

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The precious medieval work is to be displayed in London next year - but the French art world is strongly opposed.