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It’s a Woman’s Life! A celebration of the ATS, inspired by Dad’s Army

As the film adaptation of the beloved BBC television series Dad’s Army is released today, many critics have applauded the film’s new take on women’s involvement in the war. Far from being the running gag of the little woman heard but never seen, Mrs Mainwaring has stepped up to take centre stage, leading a group of women in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Search the newspapers The role that these women played, whether acting as telephonists in France to or cooks

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Historic #gymspiration from the newspaper archive!

So you’re all set for your morning jog when suddenly you realise that it’s raining. It’s getting cold. You can’t find your trainers and you forgot to charge your iPod. Thinking of giving up and crawling back under the sheets for a few extra minutes in dreamland? Well stop right there! We’ve had a look in the newspapers for our favourite pictures of gymnasiums through the ages, guaranteed to get you back up and running!     But, as always, someone

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Coupon Monday: Rationing is introduced in Britain on this day in 1940

On the 8th of January 1940 rationing was introduced in Britain. With over 70% of the food supply imported before WWII, the government decided to safeguard against any plots to starve Britain into submission by introducing the rationing scheme. The Ministry of Food’s explanation for the scheme was published in a number of newspapers: The new scheme was well documented across the newspapers… But there was reassurance that even the royal family was doing their bit for the war effort:

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The Manchester Courier takes a different view of World War One

The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, like other British newspapers, reported that Britain joined the First World War on 4 August 1914. The Courier makes for especially fascinating reading because it reported the news in a very different way.   Manchester Courier: ‘Keep your country out of a wicked and stupid war’ Many newspapers included an advert encouraging unmarried men between 18 and 30 years old to join the Army on 5 August 1914. This example is taken from another

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The start of WW1: Austria-Hungary declares war

World War One officially started on 28 July 1914 when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. There are currently 25 newspapers from 28 July 1914 available to view online at The British Newspaper Archive. You’ll find clippings from some of these newspapers below, showing how the start of the war was reported.   Explore newspapers from 1914   Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war starts WW1 The Serbian Prime Minister received a telegram at 12.30pm on 28 July 1914. It stated that ‘Austria-Hungary…

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100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated 100 years ago on Sunday 28 June 1914, starting the chain of events that lead to World War One. The first reports about the assassination were printed in British newspapers the following day. You can read many of them online at The British Newspaper Archive.   Read reports about Franz Ferdinand   Manchester Evening News: ‘What the tragedy will mean’ The article published in the Manchester Evening News included a report about what the assassination of

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Death of the real Sherlock Holmes

A 19th-century police officer named Jerome Caminada died 100 years ago today. Angela Buckley, author of The Real Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Story of Jerome Caminada, explains what newspapers can tell us about the detective’s incredible life. ************** On 10 March 1914, just five days before his 70th birthday, Detective Jerome Caminada died at home. Born in the slums of Manchester, he had enjoyed an extraordinary career, earning him a place in history as one of the city’s finest police

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