Obstetric forceps

Time has made these roles obsolete, but could they be your next career?

Male readers may want to look away now, or at least cross their legs. We are, you see, going to begin by explaining how to make a castrato. It’s an uncomfortable subject, for sure, so if you’re of a n

Although we may imagine the bathing practices of our ancestors to be few and far between, in fact there exists a longstanding love story between bathing and the British Isles. This tale begins with th

Quaint relic or symbol of bad taste, garden gnomes have gone in and out of fashion. They are generally thought to have originated in Switzerland and Germany in the late 18th century. Then, in 1841, a

A pub might seem a strange place to begin a history of Britain’s playgrounds. Yet in June 1858, Charles Dickens delivered a speech at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate Street that, he hoped, would tran

Little-known fact: abortion is a criminal offence in Britain, governed by a law from before women got the right to vote. As powerful anti-choice groups seek to roll back reproductive rights here – as we’ve seen in the US and Europe – seven women, for whom the fight is personal and political, explain why it’s time to join our new campaign to enshrine in law that abortion is healthcare