Like all encyclopedias should, we aim to be a useful resource for the general reader, and a starting point for further research by providing reliable sources for those seeking to find out more.
Some articles from our collection; click on any image to see more
The Singing Butler
The Singing Butler Banksy's reimagining of the original by Jack Vettriano
Sunbeam Tiger
Sunbeam Tiger High-performance V8 version of the Sunbeam Alpine
Rover safety bicycle
Rover safety bicycle The 1886 inspiration for all modern bicycles
There was a Crooked Man
There Was a Crooked Man English nursery rhyme, first printed in 1842
Witch's Broomstick
Witch's Broomstick Broomsticks smeared with flying ointment were believed to give witches the power of flight
Lady Lovibond
Lady Lovibond Ghost ship said to be sailing in British waters
Mandrake
Mandrake Plant the cries of which when pulled from the ground can be fatal
Metrovick 950
Metrovick 950 Early British transistorised computer, built in 1956
Ordsall Hall
Ordsall Hall 15th-century manor house in which the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 may have been hatched
The Enigma of Hitler
The Enigma of Hitler Painting by Salvador Dalí, created in 1939
Eilean Mòr Lighthouse Mystery
Eilean Mòr Lighthouse Mystery Disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1900
Bagpuss
Bagpuss
Children's television series about a saggy old cat
Cottingley Fairies
Cottingley Fairies Five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1901–1988) and Frances Griffiths (1907–1986)
Lilias Adie
Lilias Adie Reconstructed face of an alleged Scottish witch exhumed in 1852
Tam o'Shanter
Tam o'Shanter Poem by Robert Burns describing Tam's encounter with a coven of witches
Brocken spectre
Brocken spectre Nothing supernatural, just a perceptual illusion
Annie Kenney
Annie Kenney Working-class suffragette and poster girl for the movement
Inspiration
Inspiration World land-speed record holder for a steam-powered car
The Mezzotint
The Mezzotint Horror story by M. R. James, first published in 1904
Rag pudding
Rag pudding With chips and gravy
Baby Asleep
Baby Asleep
Painting by Madge Young Mitchell (1892–1974)
Ruby Cycle Company
Ruby Cycle Company British mtorcycle manufacturer 1909–1922
Gas Light
Gas Light 1938 play which gave rise to the term "gaslighting"
Brown Lady of Raynham Hall
Brown Lady of Raynham Hall Most famous ghost photograph ever taken
RHS Garden Bridgewater
RHS Garden Bridgewater Royal Horticultural Society’s first new garden since 2003
The higher the readability score, the easier the text is considered to be to read. A score of between 40 and 60 is generally what we’re aiming for; 50 ± 5 is probably ideal for our likely audience.
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