Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
© Peter McDermott, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
A hungry monk thought he had got away with the tastiest of crimes, but St Cuthbert kept his promise to his beloved birds.
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© DanNav, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
The Prince of Denmark is bound to avenge his father’s murder.
Opened in 1725, the Tanfield Railway is one of the oldest railways still operating anywhere in the world.
© Derek Harper, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
Is an old family legend being used as a cover for a very modern murder?
© Rover Car Club of Australia, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
It is not politicians and their policies that create wealth, but the hard work and ingenuity of ordinary people.
© Nachosan, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
A knight issues a bizarre challenge to King Arthur and his court.