Visit Heritage Blog

Did you know that the last Friday in June is National Cream Tea Day? An annual celebration of all things cream tea? It is a staple of British tradition, so we thought we’d make sure you are prepared by giving you a quick lesson in how to best enjoy a Cream Tea.

June marks Pride Month – a time where we can celebrate LGBTQA+ achievements and their history. Now we’re in June, we thought we would highlight the history of Pride and some of the achievements of the LGBTQA+ community throughout British history.

You might have noticed that May only has one bank holiday this year thanks to the extra bank holidays we get for the Platinum Jubilee, but did you know that May used to have a national holiday on 29^th? This holiday was known as oak Apple Day and at one time, it was one of the most important holidays of the year. So, what happened?

This year the whole of Britain is celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee – not only is this an amazing achievement for Her Majesty reaching such a milestone, but she is also the first British monarch to have done so!  

This May half-term, families can enjoy a programme of special craft activities to celebrate the Jubilee week at the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery.

Anne Boleyn is probably one of the most divisive female figures in history. As the second wife of Henry VIII she is credited with influencing the reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries and for the ensuing religious chaos which lasted years after her death and of course, she is the mother of one of the world’s best loved queens.

The second ever World Topiary Day is fast approaching, this year falling on 12^th May. Launched in 2021 by Levens Hall, home to the world’s oldest Topiary Garden and EBTS UK, the day is a celebration of the timeless art of clipping and shaping trees.

Throughout March and April there are a host of Saints Days including St David, St Patrick and St George, who is the patron saint of England. He is celebrated annually on 23rd April, but how well do you know him?  

Aside from being St George’s Day and World Book Day, 23^rd April is also the birth (and death) day of William Shakespeare, perhaps one of Britain’s greatest playwrights, so to celebrate his legacy, here’s everything you need to know about William Shakespeare.

As Easter creeps nearer, you might wonder why we, as a nation, do some of the things we do. There are a host of British traditions that take place at Easter, so here are some of them and why we do them.

As one season ends and another begins, we thought we would look at some of the supposed last words that are attributed to notable figures throughout history and maybe even dispel a few myths at the same time.

Now that the final series of Peaky Blinders is out in the world, we thought we’d investigate the true stories of the real-life Birmingham gang that lent their name to the hit show. You might not know this, but the Peaky Blinders were a real-life gang and show creator, Steven Knight, has even talked about his own family connections to England’s criminal underworld and how this inspired him to create the Shelbys and their various misdeeds.