On 1 September 1939, with war imminent, the government had initiated Operation Pied Piper, which would see the evacuation of over 1.5 million people from urban 'target' areas, of whom 800,000 were children. What were the consequences of this massive scheme, both short-term and long-term?
The National Health Service (NHS) is seventy years old today. Founded on 5 July 1948 by Clement Attlee’s Labour government, the NHS is now the most celebrated welfare institution in Britain. It regularly tops polls of what makes people ‘most …
To begin this blog, I am going to set the scene and ask a few hypothetical questions. Imagine it is the height of summer, 1917. The Great War has been raging for almost three years, and there is still no …
Gifts to the State can present interesting challenges, particularly if they are alive and quite possibly kicking. For whom, ultimately, is the gift intended? And, who is responsible for looking after the gift and ensuring that it delivers the anticipated …
‘In an office like ours, which is engaged solely on war work, it is often a matter of extreme difficulty to decide whether a man’s duty is to remain in his present post or to join the Army’ (National Archives …
...the Chief Constable. Edith Smith. Photo: Grantham Museum Criticisms and controversies Yet Edith Smith’s appointment was controversial. The Home Office advised that women could not be sworn in because they...
...churches. The bombing of David Lloyd George’s house was part of this campaign. Bombs concealed in cupboards More recent experience of domestic terrorism suggests the bombing of Lloyd George’s house...
When Parliament met on 10 April to pay tribute to Baroness Thatcher, Prime Minster David Cameron observed that, ‘at a time when it was difficult for a woman to become a Member of Parliament, almost inconceivable that one could lead …