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Despite Scotland and England’s 300 years of shared history, and of the economic ties either side of their border, dissatisfaction has grown in the north. Firstly, there is the persistent half-life of historical folk memory – what was done to us years ago should be remembered by the present generation, lest it is done again. […]

To judge in retrospect, The Versailles Treaty laid the foundations for the Second World War. It showed little mercy, and in time the concequences would be dire. France in particular, under the leadership of Clemenceau, set out to humiliate Germany. The generation who fought Britain and France in 1914 never accepted the moral responsibility for […]

Economic globalisation is the interdependence of national economics across the world, encouraging the cross-border movement of goods, services, people (including the international tourist trade), technology (internet), corporations and businesses. Economic globalisation links advanced economies with developing economies by reducing trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas. It promotes open markets, encourages competition and drives down […]

The UK exam system is set to change quite a bit over the next three or four years. Both the A-level and GCSE systems are going through significant changes, starting with A-levels. What does this mean for current and prospective students? As long as you take all your examinations by June 2016, you are unlikely […]

British and German historians agree on the Kaiser’s unfortunate personality traits and their impacts on the events leading up to the outbreak of the First World War. His private letters, diaries and public correspondence show him as a bombastic bully, indecisive, untrustworthy, often frightened of his actions, a racist and an anti-Semite. His racial prejudices […]

In 1914 there were no mobile telephones, televisions or ipods. There were no computers and so no twitter or You Tube. Cinema and radio were still a novelty. People received their news via the tabloid papers, telegrams or witten letters. And none of these methods was entirely reliable. Communications between individuals and governments tended to […]

In many ways Europe in 1914 was just like it is now. How life was experienced, particularly in capital cities, then as now depended on the cultural norms and classs divisions of each society. What is surprising is the international flavour of European society before the Great War. Scientific knowledge and advances in medicine travelled […]

February 14th, the day when all young lovers give their sweethearts chocolates and flowers. Many believe that Saint Valentine’s Day goes back to the Roman fertility festival of Lupercallia – young things frollicking in the woods and glades, getting up to all sorts of things. Of course, the early Christian Church could not tolerate such […]

“The poor are always with us” as someone once said. And there are an awful lot of low-paid workers in Britain. About 9.5 million households, with 7 million having at least one member who is in paid employment. About 1.35 million receive the minimum wage, currently £6.35 an hour, though the Chancellor is in favour […]

Is there ever an “exceptional” time for children to have time off during term, and should there be any difference in the answer with regard to whether or not they are home schooled? Before September 2013, schools were able to authorise up to 10 days leave from school. The new law states that requests for […]