On 14 January 1878, Queen Victoria welcomed a special guest and his newest invention to Osborne House, her private retreat on the Isle of Wight. In fact, the encounter was significant enough to warran

In autumn 1883, an unusual news story captured the imagination of the British public. It was a tale of deception, fraud – and telephones. On Friday 21 September, a young barrister’s clerk in Birmingha

Dear Simon, Once again, the December 2025 issue had lots of memories to write about. Starting from the front, Gertcha! – I did love Chas and Dave, as did my husband. Of course, the family always watch

THERE’S CLEARLY a love for Gordon Murray and his obsession with lightweight and fit-for-purpose cars among Octane writers and readers alike. There has also been a bit of coverage of the first hybrid c

Facing a flat-out winter, there’s only one car for the task – the Midget

The parking for Presto, where suddenly your pound is worth more with McVitie’s Swiss Rolls available for only 17½p each. Bargain!