https://britishheritage.com/world-war-i/in-1947-norway-sent-london-a-christmas-tree-to-thank-britain-for-its-help-in-the-second-world-war-79-years-later-oslo-still-sends-one-every-year-usually-a-50-to-60-year-old-spruce-more-than-20-me/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T11:01:00+00:00 In 1947, Norway sent London a Christmas tree to thank Britain for its help in the Second World War. 79 years later, Oslo still sends one every year, usually a 50- to 60-year-old spruce more than 20 metres tall https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1894-john-barbour-began-supplying-oilskins-in-south-shields-to-sailors-facing-the-north-sea-132-years-later-his-family-still-leads-the-company-which-holds-a-royal-warrant-from-the-king/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T08:00:00+00:00 In 1894, John Barbour began supplying oilskins in South Shields to sailors facing the North Sea. 132 years later, his family still leads the company, which holds a royal warrant from the King https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1856-an-american-entrepreneur-opened-a-rubber-factory-in-an-edinburgh-mill-during-the-first-world-war-it-made-1185036-pairs-of-boots-for-the-army-today-the-brand-is-known-as-hunter/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T04:09:00+00:00 In 1856, an American entrepreneur opened a rubber factory in an Edinburgh mill. During the First World War it made 1,185,036 pairs of boots for the Army. Today the brand is known as Hunter https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1918-milton-hershey-quietly-signed-over-his-entire-stake-in-the-hershey-chocolate-company-worth-60-million-to-a-school-for-orphan-boys-he-had-founded-with-his-wife-that-gift-now-funds-a-school/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T02:31:57+00:00 In 1918, Milton Hershey quietly signed over his entire stake in the Hershey Chocolate Company, worth $60 million, to a school for orphan boys he had founded with his wife; that gift now funds a school trust worth more than $15 billion https://britishheritage.com/history/in-december-1926-agatha-christie-vanished-for-11-days-and-more-than-1000-police-and-15000-volunteers-searched-for-her-she-was-found-at-a-harrogate-spa-hotel-signed-in-under-the-surname-of-her-hu/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T01:40:36+00:00 In December 1926, Agatha Christie vanished for 11 days, and more than 1,000 police and 15,000 volunteers searched for her. She was found at a Harrogate spa hotel, signed in under the surname of her husband’s mistress https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1895-american-heiress-consuelo-vanderbilt-was-married-off-as-a-teenager-to-the-duke-of-marlborough-who-collected-2-5-million-in-railroad-stock-he-reportedly-told-her-on-the-honeymoon-that-he-ha/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T01:32:36+00:00 In 1895, American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt was married off as a teenager to the Duke of Marlborough, who collected $2.5 million in railroad stock. He reportedly told her on the honeymoon that he had married her only to save Blenheim Palace, and the money did just that. https://britishheritage.com/history/when-beatrix-potter-died-in-1943-she-left-4000-acres-and-14-farms-in-the-lake-district-to-the-national-trust-on-one-condition-they-had-to-keep-grazing-herdwick-sheep-more-than-80-years-later-the/ British Heritage en 2026-11-14T01:19:08+00:00 When Beatrix Potter died in 1943, she left 4,000 acres and 14 farms in the Lake District to the National Trust on one condition: they had to keep grazing Herdwick sheep. More than 80 years later, the Trust still honors it. https://britishheritage.com/history/sissinghurst-1930-sackville-west-shillingses/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T23:21:47+00:00 Sissinghurst was a run-down Elizabethan mansion with farm workers’ housing, vegetables and hop gardens when Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson bought it in early 1930, and by the late 1930s its garden was open to the public for a shilling https://britishheritage.com/history/caspian-barn-farmoor-florence-pugh/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T23:21:46+00:00 Caspian Barn at Farmoor, the five-bedroom 17th-century barn conversion outside Oxford where Florence Pugh grew up, carries a guide price of £1,650,000 with Knight Frank, and reports say her parents bought it for £950,000 in 2011 https://britishheritage.com/history/powick-old-bridge-signet-ring/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T23:21:45+00:00 A copper-alloy signet ring engraved with a reversed letter R, late 15th or 16th century and thought to have been worn by a merchant, has come out of the river silt just downstream of Powick Old Bridge, with a fired lead musket shot https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1971-roger-saul-and-his-mother-joan-founded-mulberry-55-years-later-the-luxury-brand-still-makes-about-half-its-bags-in-somerset/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T17:19:00+00:00 In 1971, Roger Saul and his mother, Joan, founded Mulberry. 55 years later, the luxury brand still makes about half its bags in Somerset https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1970-sir-roger-daltrey-bought-holmshurst-manor-a-sussex-manor-house-more-than-half-a-century-later-the-who-frontman-still-owns-it/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T23:00:00+00:00 In 1970, Sir Roger Daltrey bought Holmshurst Manor, a Sussex manor house. More than half a century later, The Who frontman still owns it https://britishheritage.com/history/kipling-batemans-1902/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T22:00:00+00:00 Bateman’s has 1634 carved above its main entrance, and Rudyard Kipling, who had recently declined both a knighthood and the post of Poet Laureate, bought the house and 33 acres in 1902, two years after first seeing it. https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1985-princess-diana-danced-with-john-travolta-at-the-white-house-in-a-gown-by-the-london-designer-victor-edelstein-34-years-later-historic-royal-palaces-bought-the-dress-for-264000/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T11:00:00+00:00 In 1985, Princess Diana danced with John Travolta at the White House in a gown by the London designer Victor Edelstein. 34 years later, Historic Royal Palaces bought the dress for £264,000 https://britishheritage.com/history/highgrove-duchy-of-cornwall-king-charles-rent/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T10:34:14+00:00 In 1980, the Duchy of Cornwall bought Highgrove, a Georgian house near Tetbury, as a country home for Prince Charles. Since he became king the Duchy has passed to his son, and Charles now pays rent to live in the house he spent more than 40 years gardening https://britishheritage.com/history/sandringham-time-clocks-half-an-hour-fast/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T07:00:00+00:00 In 1862, Sandringham was bought for the 20-year-old Prince of Wales for £220,000. He set every clock on the estate half an hour fast for winter shooting, and “Sandringham time” lasted until the night George V died there in 1936 https://britishheritage.com/history/in-the-1980s-a-woman-paid-10-for-a-ring-at-a-car-boot-sale-in-west-london-and-wore-it-for-30-years-thinking-it-was-costume-jewelry-in-2017-it-turned-out-to-be-a-26-carat-diamond-and-sold-at-sotheby/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T01:49:18+00:00 In the 1980s, a woman paid £10 for a ring at a car boot sale in west London and wore it for 30 years thinking it was costume jewelry. In 2017 it turned out to be a 26-carat diamond and sold at Sotheby’s for £656,750 https://britishheritage.com/history/paul-ogrady-knoll-hill-house/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T01:32:57+00:00 Knoll Hill House, the Edwardian country house Paul O’Grady bought from Vic Reeves for £650,000 in August 1999 and lived in for almost 24 years, is on the market at £2.4 million with 25.5 acres overlooking Romney Marsh https://britishheritage.com/history/malmesbury-bronze-age-gold-bracelets/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T01:32:56+00:00 Three gold bracelets made between 1150 and 800 BC, two of them rolled up and flattened, have been declared treasure after a detectorist found them near Malmesbury, and they are on show at the town’s Athelstan Museum until February https://britishheritage.com/history/warwickshire-gold-posy-ring-auction/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T01:32:56+00:00 Fifteen minutes into an evening of metal detecting in a Warwickshire field, Kevin Short found a gold posy ring inscribed “I live in hope”, which the British Museum dates to the 16th to 18th century and which goes to auction on 2 December. https://britishheritage.com/history/verica-atrebates-woman-argument/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T01:32:56+00:00 Miles Russell of Bournemouth University argues that Verica, the Atrebates ruler who fled to Claudius and persuaded him to invade Britain in AD 43, was a woman, citing a name ending like Cartimandua’s and Boudica’s https://britishheritage.com/history/for-decades-londoners-blamed-their-wild-green-parakeets-on-jimi-hendrix-releasing-a-pair-on-carnaby-street-in-1968-in-2019-scientists-used-criminal-geographic-profiling-on-more-than-5000-sightings/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T01:09:19+00:00 For decades Londoners blamed their wild green parakeets on Jimi Hendrix releasing a pair on Carnaby Street in 1968. In 2019, scientists used criminal geographic profiling on more than 5,000 sightings and found the real culprits were ordinary escaped pets https://britishheritage.com/history/in-1980-freddie-mercury-bought-a-kensington-mansion-on-the-spot-the-first-time-he-saw-it-he-left-it-to-his-close-friend-mary-austin-who-kept-it-for-more-than-30-years-before-putting-it-up-for-sale/ British Heritage en 2026-11-13T00:58:48+00:00 In 1980, Freddie Mercury bought a Kensington mansion on the spot the first time he saw it. He left it to his close friend Mary Austin, who kept it for more than 30 years before putting it up for sale in 2024 for over £30 million https://britishheritage.com/history/princess-elizabeth-praa-sands-letter/ British Heritage en 2026-11-12T23:00:00+00:00 Princess Elizabeth, aged about 10 at Praa Sands in Cornwall, covered a letter to Royal Lodge housemaid Beatrice Stillman with drawings of horses and highwaymen, and in February 2026 Hansons sold it for £25,000 against a £2,000 to £4,000 estimate https://britishheritage.com/history/burley-on-the-hill-churchill-fire-auction/ British Heritage en 2026-11-12T22:00:00+00:00 The 1908 fire at Burley on the Hill broke out during a party attended by Winston Churchill, who commandeered a fireman’s helmet and helped fight it, and the Great Stair and library it spared go to auction at Savills on 24 November, guided at £3.25m https://britishheritage.com/history/beatrix-potter-hill-top-farms-national-trust/ British Heritage en 2026-11-12T18:30:00+00:00 In 1905, Beatrix Potter used the royalties from Peter Rabbit and her first little books to buy a working farm in the Lake District village of Near Sawrey. Over the next 38 years, she bought and managed farms across the Lake District, and when she died she left 14 farms and more than 4,000 acres to the National Trust https://britishheritage.com/notes-from-small-islands/in-1998-conservationists-began-removing-grey-squirrels-from-the-island-of-anglesey-to-save-the-last-red-squirrels-there-today-the-island-has-the-largest-red-squirrel-population-in-wales/ British Heritage en 2026-11-12T15:30:00+00:00 In 1998, conservationists began removing grey squirrels from the island of Anglesey to save the last red squirrels there. Today the island has the largest red squirrel population in Wales