Impossible escapes

Many birds have fabulous plumage to attract mates or send warning messages. Some of the colours in their feathers are produced by microscopic structures on the feather surface that absorb and reflect

How a Castilian knight fought Christians and Muslims alike to become a national icon

I once met a man who claimed he saw a huge black panther (circa 1990) near his farmhouse in Scotland. It had a pheasant in its mouth. He ran to get his shotgun but the creature had vanished. I knew th

In 1798, Britain’s most celebrated admiral pursued the French across the Mediterranean, attempting to thwart General Bonaparte’s mission to Egypt. The pursuit culminated in what was arguably the most strategically important naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars

One day late in 1939, a small article appeared in our daily newspaper. It was submitted by the government and was an appeal for British women to knit socks for men in the army, which was unable to obt

KATHERINE COBB is a member of AGRA based in Somerset JAYNE SHRIMPTON is a professional dress historian and portrait specialist ROGER KERSHAW is migration records specialist at The National Archives ST