The Origins of Fireworks If you get the opportunity to see some glorious fireworks this Fourth of July on this Independence Day in the USA, you are actually witnessing an invention that can be traced back to China many centuries ago. Here’s how this particular ‘once upon a time’ story goes according to historians: A … Read more
Collared doves first flew in to Britain in the 1950s, expanding their territory that already stretched from Europe all the way across to Japan. They are fairly common now in England. If you haven’t seen one, the adult bird is a smaller and more delicate than a pigeon. Its feathers are a warm grey tinged … Read more
What’s In A Name No sooner did I see the name ‘Dijon’ on our map in the car as we drove to the town from Lyon in May than I could almost taste the delicious, grainy mustard for which the town is so well known. Having decided to take ‘the slow boat to China’ to … Read more