White Wedding Dresses

 I made a video about white wedding dresses. They are not worn to show virginity.

Rule of Thumb

 I heard this myth again the other day. This myth refuses to die. In the past, a man had a right to beat his wife provided he did not use a stick thicker than his thumb.

There has never been a rule or a law in England that a man is entitled to beat his wife provided he uses a stick no thicker than his thumb. William Blackstone (1723-80) wrote Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-1769). He made no mention of a supposed rule that a stick could be used to hit your wife if it was not thicker than a thumb. So it was never a part of English common law.

We are not certain how the phrase ‘rule of thumb’ arose but it probably came from craftsmen using their thumbs to measure.

Namibia

 I wrote a brief history of Namibia 

Malawi

 This is my history of Malawi 

The Cathars

 I wrote a brief history of the Cathars, a religious sect that flourished in southern France in the Middle Ages

Blackpool

 I wrote a brief history of the English seaside town of Blackpool. It's a famous resort. 

Holocaust Memorial Day

27 January is Holocaust Memorial Day. On 27 January 1945, the Russian army liberated Auschwitz concentration camp.