The Story of St. Chad
“Chad” is a popular given name in the US (although not, strangely enough, in his own country in modern times) that has become associated with the Chad vs. Virgin meme, where Chad is depicted as…
Tag: Graeme Restorick
Brian Jacques: Children’s Fantasy Author
James Brian Jacques (known as Brian), was born in Liverpool, Lancashire on the 17th of June 1939. One of his earliest memories was of the Second World War, and his memories of the German bombing…
Open the Gates for Me: A Look at the Life and Times of C.S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis was a British-Irish writer who is best known as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia series as well as his Christian apologetics such as The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity.…
Sharpe: The Rise of a Natural Born Leader
The Sharpe Series, based on Bernard Cornwell's books, was a popular period drama series set during the Napoleonic Wars that was originally screened on ITV in the UK between 1993 and 1997 (with one-off episodes…
Evergreen: The Origins of the Modern Christmas Tree
It is difficult to imagine Christmas without a Christmas tree. It is one of the most vivid and recognisable symbols of this festive time of year. Although the origins of this tradition are very…
An Ordeal of Honour: The 13th King's and the Somme Offensive
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Somme Offensive, the costliest and bloodiest offensive in British military history. This was the first major military action in which the so-called 'New Armies' played a…
"Gentleman Johnny:" The Life and Times of General John Burgoyne
The Right Honorable General John Burgoyne, General in the British Army and MP for Preston, is probably most famous for commanding the losing Army at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, during the American War…
An English Jacobite: James Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater and the '15 Rising
“Circumstances unhappily concurred to draw [Derwentwater] into this snare, to his destruction, and the utter ruination of the most flourishing family in that part of the country”. So said Robert Patten, an Anglican clergyman who…
Tolkien's War: The History behind the Lord of the Rings
“One has indeed personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression; but as the years go by it seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by…