Every day certainly is a learning day in this job, and over the years a combination of readers’ letters, and the articles submitted by our freelance contributors, have filled in a few gaps. Although many of these “discoveries” amount to nothing more than a juicy titbit or two, there are times when the contents of a letter or article stops me in my tracks.
This happened most recently when a writer submitted an article covering the early history of the West. Surprisingly, the first Western film wasn’t made in the US, as you would assume, but in Blackburn, Lancashire at the end of the 18th century. Discover more about the British beginnings of the Western in the April 2024 issue of Best of British, which is out now.
Elsewhere, we remember actor Bob Hoskins, look back on the career of actress Eleanor Bron, visit the theatre where Shakespeare trod the boards, see how Sheffield’s Park Hill estate got a new lease of life, uncover some of the earliest motoring diaries, mark the centenary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, and learn more about the restoration of the century old paddle steamer Medway Queen and the Severn Valley Railway’s Eardington station, the only one in the UK to be lit entirely by oil lamps.
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The issue also features a 16-page Forties Post pull-out, which contains a definitive list of this year’s 1940s events and takes a look at the operation that prepared the way for D-day.
Order the new issue here or save money with a subscription.
