This Britain

Shitterton: The village that dare not speak its name

For centuries, this pretty Dorset village has enjoyed a special place in the Gazetteer of Britain. But now, there’s a stirring behind the hedgerows, and some of its residents are (whisper it) rebranding their community.

Inside This Britain

What's in a name? Britain's rudest places

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

Cockington

After 75 years, dog track has finally run its course

Monday, 19 May 2008

For 75 years, the pink and green neon-lit sign that crowns the entrance to Walthamstow Stadium in east London has stood as one of greyhound racing's most iconic symbols.

New drama: Pets, Pete and Amy Winemouse

Sunday, 18 May 2008

On the face of it, it's hard to guess what might link a litter of baby mice; the singer Amy Winehouse and millions of YouTube viewers. Yet the three elements have come together in a web video of the singer playing with a box of baby mice, alongside Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty.

I'm lucky to be alive, says PC beaten by football mob

Saturday, 17 May 2008

A police officer attacked by a mob of Glasgow Rangers fans has described the ordeal as the most frightening of his career. PC Mick Regan, 47, said he was lucky to escape serious injury when supporters of the Scottish side rampaged through Manchester after their team's Uefa Cup final defeat on Wednesday.

The town where nobody is safe from spy cameras

Saturday, 17 May 2008

Seagull Islands hardly ranks as an obvious location for a spying operation designed to help police track terrorists. The outcrops in the elegant sweep of sand and water of Poole Harbour are populated by little more threatening than a colony of oystercatchers and large amounts of reed.

Symbolic date for UK's oldest man

Saturday, 17 May 2008

Europe's oldest man, Henry Allingham, will reach 111 years, 11 months and 11 days today - a symbolic reference to the official ending of the First World War at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month.

Bell ringer comes a cropper in church tower accident

Friday, 16 May 2008

A bell ringer broke his collarbone after becoming entangled in a rope at the top of a church tower.

Through the keyhole of the castle voted UK's best home

Friday, 16 May 2008

For many people seeking to get a foot on the first rung of the property ladder, owning a castle is the ultimate fantasy. For Terry George and Michael Rothwell, the dream has come true with a big dollop of glamour – their mock 18th-century castle has been judged Britain's best home.

Permit for oil well in South Downs is 'act of vandalism'

Thursday, 15 May 2008

A storm is brewing in the normally tranquil South Downs after permission to dig for oil was granted to a petroleum company. Conservation groups are furious that the council is allowing such a development on a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

Worcester's newest tourist attraction: a family of peregrines

Tuesday, 13 May 2008

For many years, Worcester did not boast many notable tourist attractions. A porcelain centre and a dusty museum on Elgar were about all that the city's visitor website could muster.

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