Britain's most famous blue cheese takes its name from a picturesque Cambridgeshire village — yet it's made nowhere near the place, and not even in the same county. Martin Fone investigates this strange culinary anomaly.
Martin Fone retraces the history of the popular pastime from the word puzzle squares of Roman times to today's cryptic grids.
That wonderful scent in the air when the rain stops falling has entranced people since the dawn of time — but what causes it? Martin Fone investigates.
Martin Fone discovers the origins of wedding anniversary names and investigates the origins of the Flitch Trial tradition.
Martin Fone retraces the history of the order and discovers the stories of its early recipients.
Whether pinned on a politician’s lapel or won in the show ring, rosettes can be more precious than shiny trophies, as Julie Harding finds out.
Martin Fone delves into the history of the lawnmower and discovers a link to weaving machines.
Generations have sworn by dock leaves to take the sting out of a brush with stinging nettles — but modern medicine disagrees. Ian Morton explains more as he delves into the history and lore of this plant.
They're the bane of gardeners' lives, but do they even exist, at least in any consistent and logical sense? Martin Fone takes a step back to think about which plants are and aren't weeds — and how the mystery of fast adaptive evolution means that the 'wrong plant in the wrong place at the wrong time' definition isn't quite enough.
Eighty-three years after it was founded, the RNLI made its largest rescue off the coast of the Lizard, in Cornwall.
Martin Fone traces the history of the Olympics and examines the contribution of Shropshire doctor William Penny Brookes.
Making bread by hand is rewarding, but inconsistent — unlike the stuff you'll get from a decent automatic bread maker. Martin Fone ponders how such a machine, with its artificial kneading, came into existence.
Whether constructive or destructive, waves (some as high as four double-decker buses) claw at our shores in a frenzy of energy, observes Annemarie Munro.
Widely thought to be a form of witchcraft, water divining relies on a pair of rods and ‘the uncanny reaction of the human nervous system’ to factors unknown. Yet it is still employed by water companies today, discovers Catriona Gray.
Over 20 million people have been tuning in to watch England's stirring exploits at Euro 2020, and the huge numbers look only set to get bigger as the summer goes on. It's a far cry from the first ever televised sporting event, almost a century earlier, as Martin Fone explains.
You'd think it would be simple. It's anything but, as Martin Fone discovers.
Martin Fone wonders whether everyone's favourite pet fish has greater cognitive abilities than we give it credit for.
Houseflies are a health hazard, but attempts to swat them have to contend with the insect's exceptional defense mechanism, finds Martin Fone.
May 9 marks the anniversary of what many have regarded to be the first motor trade show; but was it really the first motorcar show, wonders Martin Fone?
Scientists only discovered the humble pollinator's secret in 2005, says Martin Fone.
