Stow on the Wold - a Cotswold gem
Stow-on the-Wold is a small market town in the Cotswolds region of England. Its high position, overlooking beautiful countryside, and its attractive old architecture make it a tourist hotspot.
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Sir Richard Owen - 'hard-hearted' father of the Natural History Museum
Sir Richard Owen was an English biologist, anatomist and palaeontologist, whose efforts helped to establish London's Natural History Museum as the well-loved public institution it is today. Despite his genius, he was thoroughly disliked by many - described by Charles Darwin as "spiteful, extremely malignant," and by the president of the Geological Society as suffering from "lamentable coldness of the heart".
Thrift - beautiful pink wild flowers of the British coastline
Perky round tufts of pink are a familiar sight on coastal walks in Britain - often clinging to cliff edges or craggy rocks. This is thrift, or sea pink, a wild flower well-adapted to an environment that defeats many other plants.
The Francis Trigge Chained Library
Founded in 1598, the Francis Trigge Library in Grantham, Lincolnshire is the oldest public library in England, and one of the last of the great medieval chained collections. It was founded by a local clergyman who was concerned about access to knowledge by the average citizen.
Blackthorn and Hawthorn - bringers of British blossom time
Blackthorn and Hawthorn, also known as May, are prolific British tree and hedgerow bushes that burst into blossom as a sign of spring turning to summer. Blackthorn comes first and is predominantly a cream colour, and then Hawthorn, with a pretty white/pale-pink blossom.
The Marine Chronometer - John Harrison's perfect timepiece
Once international trade began to flourish in the Age of Sail from the 16th century, a problem with navigation became pressing. Latitude (a ship's north-south position relative to the poles and the equator) could be reasonably determined by skilled navigators using a sextant, but longitude (the relative position east to west) was much more difficult.
Six things to delight and entertain you every day.