Curious Questions

Curious Questions: Why does Easter move dates every year?

Phoebe Bath researches why exactly Easter is a called a 'moveable feast'.

Curious Questions: Why do we eat hot cross buns at Easter?

Annunciata Elwes traces the curious history of the hot cross bun in Britain.

Who was the original Jack Russell who gave his name to one of Britain's favourite dog breeds?

Kate Green takes a look at the the legacy of Revd John Russell, the man who gave his name to the Jack Russell and Parson Russell terriers.

The kiwi fruit is from China — so how did it get its New Zealand-inspired name?

Martin Fone peels the layers back on the strange tale of how the kiwi fruit got its name.

Curious Questions: When — and why — did we stop wearing hats?

The hat was once as essential for leaving the house as a pair of trousers, but the sight of a dapper gent sporting one is now all too rare, laments John F. Mueller, while Toby Keel takes a look at the reasons we stopped wearing them.

Curious Questions: Why do barristers and judges wear wigs?

Like marmalade on toast, saying sorry and the Shipping Forecast, there are few things more typically British than the courtroom wig. Agnes Stamp explains why our barristers and judges wear them.

Curious Questions: What really happened to the Flying Dutchman?

Tales of phantom ships are as old as time itself, but the story of the Flying Dutchman has haunted sailors for generations.

What it's like to live and work in a National Park

Cumbrian farmer Douglas Chalmers weighs the pros and cons of living in a national park.

Curious Questions: Why does the weather keep getting colder even when the days start getting longer?

The coldest months of the year in Britain are always January and February — despite the fact that we're getting more sunshine and daylight than we do during December. Martin Fone investigates why the weather gets colder even though the days are getting longer.

The weather lore of January that claims to predict the future

Predicting the weather using folklore is not as lackadaisical as it might seem, says Lia Leendertz, as she reveals what we can look forward to this month.

Why does BBC Radio 4 broadcast 'the pips' at the top of the hour?

The Greenwich Time Signal has been an ubiquitous part of BBC Radio for a century, but few know what it really is and where it came from

How to tie the only knots you'll ever need

The 'Surrey Six' is a collection of ways to tie rope that, for most people, are the only six knots you'll ever need. Agnes Stamp tries her hand at tying them, and looks in to the lore of knot tying.

The years when England cancelled Christmas

No feasting. No drinking. No celebrations. Ian Morton explores what the festive period was like when Oliver Cromwell’s Christmas clampdown gripped the nation.

Curious Questions: Why do ships have figureheads?

Always adorned with eyes, often female and sometimes in a compromising pose, carved figureheads were cherished by their crews. But why? Harry Pearson takes a look.

The stories behind the strangest phrases in English from being 'gone for a burton' to 'caught red-handed'

Learning a language is one thing, getting to grips with a pig in a poke is another altogether. Octavia Pollock explores some of our best idioms

What should you do if bats take up residence in your roof?

Watching bats flit across the night sky might be captivating, but their presence can be a challenge for the homeowners in whose roofs they roost. Jane Wheatley reports on what to do if a colony has taken up residence.

When did Stir-up Sunday first begin?

On the last weekend before Advent, families gather to make Christmas pudding on the day we know as Stir-up Sunday. But when did we start giving it that name? With Stir-up Sunday 2023 falling on November 26th, Neil Buttery takes a look.

The penny-farthing rider who made a 400-mile trek across war-torn Ukraine

Is it still possible to use a penny-farthing today? The answer is an emphatic yes, at least if you're former Special Forces officer and adventurer Neil Laughton. He rode his Victorian high wheeler for 400 miles across war-torn Ukraine, doing everything from making pizza for local children to raising money for charity. Here he tells his tale.

Fifty of shades of green: The sex lives of plants

Plants have developed surprising ways of spreading their seed, says John Wright, as he explores the unusual and risqué manner in which some species reproduce to answer one of botany's oldest questions: how do plants have sex?

How did they come up with the numbers for shoe sizes?

If you've ever wondered why a six is a six and a ten is a ten, so has Martin Fone. He decided to find out how we came to settle on the shoe size numbers we use today.