Martin Fone

Curious questions: Where did Quality Street get its name from?

You sit there, devouring them all Christmas, and you didn't even think to ask, did you?

Curious Questions: How did a scrotum joke confuse paleontologists for generations?

One of the earliest depictions of a fossil prompted a joke — or perhaps a misunderstanding — which coloured the view of dinosaur fossils for years. Martin Fone tells the tale of 'scrotum humanum'.

Curious Questions: Why do we carve pumpkins at Halloween?

The devilishly smiling image of Jack O'Lantern is inseparable from Halloween, but what's the story behind it? Martin Fone explains — and discovers that the festival many complain about as an American import has been this side of the Atlantic for centuries.

The strange tale of why margarine used to be pink

Margarine has been a staple of our breakfast tables for over a century, but it hasn't always had a smooth ride — particularly from the dairy industry, who managed to impose a most bizarre sanction on their easily-spreadable, industrially mass-produced rival. Martin Fone explains.

How the original Euston Station destroyed in one of the greatest acts of cultural vandalism Britain has ever seen

One of the great masterpieces of 19th century, the original Euston Station, was built in the years after Queen Victoria came to the throne. Less than 125 years later it was razed to the ground; Martin Fone takes a look at the reasons why.

We used to fly cars across the English Channel in 20 minutes — why did we stop?

It seems hard to believe, but taking your car across the English Channel to France by air actually pre-dates the cross-channel car ferry. So how did it fall out of use almost 50 years ago? Martin Fone investigates.

Wine has been made in Britain for over 1,000 years — so why have we only just turned it into an industry?

With the UK wine industry booming, Martin Fone takes a look at its history.

Curious Questions: Who invented the rear-view mirror?

Although obvious now, the rearview mirror wasn't really invented until the 1920s. Even then, it was mostly used for driving fast and avoiding the police.

Curious Question: Did the limerick originate in Limerick?

Before workers wasted time scrolling Twitter or Instagram, they wasted their time writing limericks.

The ship that was in two different centuries, two different years, two different months, two different days and two different seasons, all at the same time

On December 31, 1899, the SS Warrimoo may have travelled through time — but did it really happen?

The 1930s eco-warrior who inspired David Attenborough and The Queen, only to be unmasked as a hoaxer and 'pretendian' — but his message still rings true

Martin Fone tells the astonishing story of Grey Owl, who became a household name in the 1930s with his pioneering calls to action to save the environment — using a false identity to do so.

Curious Questions: Why is race walking an Olympic sport?

The history of the Olympics is full of curious events which only come to prominence once every four years. Martin Fone takes a look at one of the oddest: race walking, or pedestrianism.

Curious Questions: What is mock turtle soup? And did it come before or after 'Alice in Wonderland'?

Martin Fone delves into the curious tale of an iconic Victorian delicacy: mock turtle soup.

Curious Questions: Where does the phrase 'daylight robbery' come from? It's literally about the theft of daylight

Martin Fone tells a tale of sunshine and tax — and where there is tax, there is tax avoidance... which in this case changed the face of Britain's growing cities.

Curious Questions: Is there a way to win at rock, paper, scissors?

Curious Questions: When does summer actually start?

You'd think it would be simple. It's anything but, as Martin Fone discovers.

Whatever happened to saucy seaside postcards?

Saucy seaside postcards were once a mainstay of British life over the summer, but these days they're rarely seen. Martin Fone asks why, and discovers the history of artists such as Donald McGill who turned wry, naughty humour into a huge industry.

Curious Questions: Why did the Garden Cities of Tomorrow never catch on?

The worst excesses of the Industrial Revolution prompted some truly forward-thinking urban planning as far back as the 19th century — yet today, precious few of us live in the idyllic 'garden cities' that were dreamed of. Martin Fone looks at what happened, the benefits that came to pass from those fresh ideas, and what got lost on the way.

Curious Questions: Who was the first person to take a driving test?

For years, all you need to drive a car was to jump behind the wheel — but that all changed. Martin Fone traces the history of the driving test.

Why does the tax year start on April 6th?

The tax-year calendar is not as arbitrary as it seems, with a history that dates back to the ancient Roman and is connected to major calendar reforms across Europe.