They left Southampton in 1619, headed for Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent British settlement in North America. The first batch of settlers, all of them male, had arrived 12 years earlier, principally to grow tobacco. They’d endured food shortages, hostility from native Americans and a life almost entirely devoid of women.
Here was an alpha-male workforce getting increasingly despondent and sexually frustrated – hence the idea of bringing in a shipful of ready-made spouses from home. Read More...
When the bestselling books of James Herriot and the TV adaptation All Creatures Great and Small thrust the Yorkshire market town of Thirsk into the spotlight in the 1970s, no one was more bemused than the author of the tales, Alf Wight (who wrote under a pseudonym). “He expected to write a book that would collect dust somewhere,” says Thirsk vet Peter Wright. “He never expected it to be a phenomenon, but the characters, the scenery and the way of life captured the imagination of the public. Read More...
This will include paddle boats, barges, steam cars, trains and traction engines, with viewers getting to learn about their fascinating history as the trio share great chats and laughs.
Along their journey, they’ll discover the history and engineering genius of the machines they’re travelling on, as well as how steam engineering changed life in the UK forever. They will also meet the steam enthusiasts keeping the tradition going and visit some iconic historic landmarks. Read More...
