1888, the year of the death of the composer Charles-Valentin Alkan (Chopin's friend and neighbour) is also the year of the earliest surviving recording of music and earliest recorded film.

As is well known, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, with tin foil initially being used as the medium for recording sound (mainly the human voice). However, these early tin foil recordings were fragile and prone to tearing, and the sounds reco...

Why Americans and Brits say 'cider' to mean very different things.

She may live in LA these days, but Tottenham girl Adele still feels right at home in a greasy spoon. Vogue’s November cover star braved the ultimate British taste test, tucking into traditional dishes from cockles to spotted dick – all while wearing a bli...

A group of modern shopkeepers and their families are on the journey of a lifetime - they're taking over empty shops in a neglected market square in Shepton Mallet to see if they can turn back time for the British High Street. They'll live and trade throug...

The popular Georgian "Health Retreat" on the Brighton seaside was blooming into a full-blown resort town in the Victorian era. Millions flocked to this small coastal village every year seeking fresh sea air. But "Dr. Brighton" was secretly serving up heav...

The life and loves of France's most famous king, Louis XIV. Dubbed the Sun King by his admiring court, Louis conquered half of Europe, conducted dozens of love affairs, and dazzled his contemporaries with his lavish entertainments. But perhaps his greates...

It's Britain's most famous dish. Fish and Chips! I'm sharing my recipe that I cooked for the palace staff and then in part II The Queen's fish and chips recipe, a little more fancy! Fish and Chips was on the menu every Friday lunch at the palace and we...

The Wars of the Roses ended in August 1485 when Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth. However, Henry would never have become king and founded the Tudor dynasty without his mother, Margaret Beaufort. Historian Dan Jones concludes his...

During the Revolutionary War, food was often at the center of the clash between the American colonists and the British. From the Boston Tea Party to coffee riots, Americans used food to express their anger at the British. Others stocked up on rum and Made...

Did you realize how many accents there are in the UK? If you're FROM the UK you might not even have sat down and counted what you know. There are quite a few. Check it out!

Do you know the difference between "Elizabethan" and "Victorian"? Have you noticed how many English or British kings were called Edward, or George, or Henry?

Three British mums try, review and score each other's Shepherd's Pie as they compete for the crown of 'best pie'. 🥧

Darren is back to music. A few months now. This is definitely not his typical kind of music. It's quite funny actually. Watch and listen.

We challenged chefs of three different skill levels - amateur Bianca, home cook Julie, and professional chef Palak Patel from the Institute of Culinary Education - to fry us up some fish and chips. Once each chef had presented their dish, we asked food sc...