The legacy

I n 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That, at least, is what the famous rhyme tells us. Memorising such dates is a common experience of being taught history – a cliché superbly lampooned by the w

There is something rather special about driving a car built in the 1800s. This 1899 Wolseley 3.5hp Voiturette’s single-cylinder motor first burst into life when Queen Victoria was on the throne and pr

Obelisks, pyramids and motifs from ancient Egypt didn’t only influence grand country houses or powerful Biblical paintings, but also shaped tea-ware, cinemas and even factory floors, as Michael Hall reveals

How the Qin forged a great power from the fragments of the Warring States

Dear Simon, I have only just got around to reading your June issue with its piece by Cardinal Cox about the relatively modern origins of some supposedly old customs. He refers to Lady Raglan and the G

You find yourself in a room. It is a bedroom, in fact, in Cheshire in the year 1966. Sitting in front of you are two teenaged boys. It is the year of England’s World Cup victory, and the two friends a