Ye Olde History Buff

30/05/2026

30/05/2026

New research shows net migration to the UK has significantly fallen since 2023, contrary to what the majority of voters think - wonder where they got that idea from

27/04/2026

Think your local park has a dark past? 🏰 Direct your eyes to the Cambridge Castle Mound. While it's a peaceful picnic spot today, in the 18th and 19th centuries, it served a much grimmer purpose.
​Local mothers would bring their children to the top of this hill to use it as a natural grandstand, giving them a clear "front-row seat" to public executions held at the county gaol below. It was considered a moral lesson for the kids—and a day out for the parents. History is wild.

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576740257657

26/04/2026

Think Cambridge is all punting and PhDs? Think again. 💀
​We’re starting at the site of the old County Gaol on Castle Hill. Discover what life was really like behind bars in the 19th century and the grim stories of those who finally made it out.
​Experience the Dark Side Tour. If you have the stomach for it.
Book your spot now

25/04/2026

25/04/2026

The University of Cambridge wants to talk about Newton and Darwin... but they don't want to talk about the Religious Radicals they tried to silence. 🤫⛪️
​In 1629, a group of rebels met in secret right here in Cambridge to sign the "Cambridge Agreement"—the document that essentially founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were considered dangerous extremists by the Crown, plotting to build a "City on a Hill" across the Atlantic. 🦅🇬🇧
​Come see the hidden corners where the founders of Harvard and the pioneers of New England plotted their escape. This isn't just British history—it’s the unauthorized prologue to the United States. 🇺🇸🏰
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Did you know the founder of Harvard University was a Cambridge "troublemaker"? 🎓🔥
​Before there was a Cambridge, Massachusetts, there were the religious rebels of Cambridge, UK. Men like John Harvard and the "Pilgrim Fathers" were outsiders here, fighting a system that wanted them imprisoned. We’re taking you to the colleges that birthed the American spirit—and the dark, gritty reality of what it cost them to leave.

​Forget the postcards. Discover the rebellion that built America. 🗺️🇺🇸

During WWII, Cambridge was the site of a "Friendly Invasion" by thousands of US Airmen—but not all of them made it home. 🇺🇸✈️ Beyond the beautiful American Cemetery lies a darker story of wartime scandals, segregated "GI bars," and the tragic disappearance of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (JFK's older brother) on a secret mission nearby. Hear the haunting stories of the Americans who walked these cobblestones and never left. 🕯️🇬🇧

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17/04/2026

I thought that I would do some walking tours of Cambridge this summer.
From the Old County Gaol to the University's own Gaol for women, via some brothels, o***m den, and medieval riots.

29/01/2026

October 1940 – RAF Duxford, England 🇬🇧✈️

Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, commanding No. 242 (Canadian) Squadron RAF, stands with Pilot Officer Willie McKnight (left) and Acting Flight Lieutenant George Eric Ball (right) outside the Officers’ Mess at RAF Duxford. By this point in the Battle of Britain, the three pilots had already accounted for over 30 enemy aircraft between them.

McKnight was killed in action in January 1941, aged just 22. Ball later died in a flying accident in 1946, aged 27. Bader—who had lost both legs in a flying accident in 1931—survived the war and died in 1982, aged 72.

A powerful moment capturing courage, sacrifice, and leadership at the height of Britain’s darkest hour.

Original image source: IWM

Colorized by: Doug