Formerly Known as The Rights of Fans
London, 1977. At just 21, Belinda Strong is making clothes for punk royalty and fighting for garment workers' rights. But when her father's illness threatens everything, a lucrative fashion contract offers salvation. What happens when the price of success is surrendering the very principles she lives by?
Thirty years of poisonous put-downs, family humiliation and Christmas dinners from hell. Trudy Palmer has endured her mother-in-law, nicknamed Napalm, long enough. But this Christmas, an unexpected guest witnesses the carnage, and the festive celebrations take a spectacular turn.
The Clash attacked the establishment with Remote Control, only to discover their own record company was controlling them. Their furious response, Complete Control, exposed the music industry's hypocrisy. The ultimate punk irony? CBS happily released the song condemning itself.
From nineteenth-century British soldiers stranded in India to everyday British conversation, the expression ‘going doolally’ has a fascinating history. Discover how boredom, illness and military slang gave us one of our most wonderfully peculiar descriptions of eccentric behaviour.
Trevor was the undisputed pub philosopher, holding court with his cronies and declaring himself an expert on everything. But when he unexpectedly falls for Petunia, a mixed-race barmaid, his deeply ingrained prejudices threaten to expose the man behind the bluster.
A prestigious antiques fair at the Royal Albert Hall, a successful dealer and her reluctant husband, and an eccentric heiress with an extraordinary talent for getting under people's skin. As a disappointing weekend unfolds, an increasingly exasperated Stuart discovers that dealing with difficult customers requires considerably more patience than he possesses.
“I'm not a racist, but…” Six words that invariably warn you something unpleasant is coming. From pub philosophers to casual conversations, this familiar expression attempts to disguise prejudice as reasonable opinion. But who is really being fooled? A look at the origins, contradictions and extraordinary staying power of one of the English language's most revealing conversational disclaimers.
Apparently, the entire country is obsessed with The Celebrity Traitors. At least, that's what the BBC and the tabloids would have us believe. But is Britain really gripped by this supposed television phenomenon, or are we witnessing a publicly funded broadcaster desperately trying to demonstrate its own importance?
From Shakespearean actors to rock stars, politicians and television celebrities, the green room has witnessed centuries of gossip, nerves, outrageous behaviour and bruised egos. But where did its curious name originate? Discover the fascinating history of this backstage sanctuary, where glamour and human vulnerability meet behind closed doors.
From a cholesterol-laden Full English breakfast to unemployed Sheffield steelworkers stripping naked, few expressions are as wonderfully British as ‘the full monty’. But where did it originate? Field Marshal Montgomery, a famous tailoring empire or something altogether different? Discover the curious history of three words that conquered the world.
Sticking drawers can turn a simple morning routine into a wrestling match. But the solution might already be sitting in your kitchen cupboard. Drawing on decades of experience selling vintage furniture, here's a remarkably quick, inexpensive trick using ordinary olive oil that could have those troublesome drawers sliding smoothly again.
In 1970s Hackney, a young father struggles to support his family while working in a pub riddled with corruption. Surrounded by thieves, he clings to his principles until desperation presents an extraordinary opportunity. With £25,000 within reach, he must decide whether honesty is a virtue he can still afford.