Life in the UK

Everything, on one page

Every table in the course, open, in order. Nothing here asks you a question. For the night before, or for checking one thing without walking the road to reach it.

Back to the road

The four nations

Countries and capitals

Country	Capital	Share of the UK
England	London	84%
Scotland	Edinburgh	8%
Wales	Cardiff	5%
N. Ireland	Belfast	3%
The UK	London

Patron saints

Country	Patron saint	Saint's day
England	Saint George	23 AprilSt George's Day; no longer a public holiday, still celebrated.
Scotland	Saint Andrew	30 NovemberSt Andrew's Day; an official holiday in Scotland, though not every business closes.
Wales	Saint David	1 MarchSt David's Day.
N. Ireland	Saint Patrick	17 MarchSt Patrick's Day; an official holiday in Northern Ireland.

National flowers

Country	Flower
England	rose
Scotland	thistle
Wales	daffodil
N. Ireland	shamrock

Places in England

Place	Where
Stonehenge	WiltshireProbably a gathering place for seasonal ceremonies, not a settlement.
Maiden Castle	DorsetAn Iron Age hill fort you can still see today.
Sutton Hoo	SuffolkAn Anglo-Saxon king's grave, with his treasure, in a ship under a mound.
The Eden Project	CornwallGiant greenhouses in the south-west of England.
The Lake District	EnglandEngland's largest national park; Wastwater there was voted Britain's favourite view in 2007.
Big Ben	the Houses of Parliament in LondonThe nickname of the great bell of the clock, not the tower.
10 Downing Street	central LondonThe Prime Minister's official home, near the Houses of Parliament.
Hadrian's Wall	the north of EnglandBuilt by the Emperor Hadrian to keep out the Picts, the ancestors of the Scottish people.
Housesteads fort	Hadrian's WallOne of the wall's forts you can still walk to; the whole wall is a World Heritage Site.
Vindolanda fort	Hadrian's WallThe other fort on the wall that still stands.
The Danelaw	the east and north of EnglandWhere the Viking invaders settled and stayed; Grimsby and Scunthorpe are Viking names.
The statue of Boudicca	Westminster Bridge in LondonShe is still remembered: the statue stands near the Houses of Parliament.
The Globe Theatre	LondonIt recreates the Elizabethan theatres where Shakespeare's plays were first performed.
St Paul's Cathedral	LondonThe medieval cathedral burned in the Great Fire and was rebuilt by Christopher Wren.
The Hindoostane Coffee House	George Street, LondonBritain's first curry house, opened by Sake Dean Mahomet in 1810.
The Nightingale Training School for nurses	St Thomas' Hospital, LondonThe first nursing school of its kind, founded by Florence Nightingale and still open today.
Nelson's Column	Trafalgar Square, LondonCommemorates Admiral Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
HMS Victory	PortsmouthNelson's flagship at Trafalgar, preserved today as a visitor attraction.
The Great Exhibition	Hyde Park, LondonHeld in the purpose-built Crystal Palace, displaying exhibits from Britain and abroad.
Jodrell Bank	CheshireIts radio telescope was for many years the biggest in the world and still operates today.
The Royal Albert Hall	LondonWhere the Proms, eight weeks of concerts, end each September with the Last Night.
The O2	Greenwich, south-east London
The National Gallery	LondonMore than 2,300 paintings, most of them from the 13th to the 19th century, free to see.
Tate Modern	London
The White Tower	the Tower of LondonBuilt by William the Conqueror after 1066; the Crown Jewels are kept there.
The Royal Crescent	BathIts design reflects architect Robert Adam’s influence on 18th-century style.
The Cenotaph	WhitehallWhere the wreaths are laid on Remembrance Day.
Hardwick Hall	Derbyshire
A famous celebration of Diwali	Leicester
The Aldeburgh festival	SuffolkComposer Benjamin Britten founded this festival, now internationally significant.
Dedham Vale	the Suffolk–Essex border in the east of EnglandConstable country: the landscape he painted.
The Queen’s House	Greenwich
The Banqueting House	Whitehall
Kew Gardens	EnglandA World Heritage Site, and home to the largest collection of living plants anywhere.
Sissinghurst	England
Hidcote	England
Wembley Stadium	LondonEngland's national football stadium, and where the FA Cup final is played.
The National Horseracing Museum	Newmarket, Suffolk
Cowes	the Isle of WightThe sailing regatta held there each August.
Land’s End	EnglandThe far south-west tip of the mainland.
The execution of Anne Boleyn	the Tower of LondonThe second of the six wives, and the mother of Elizabeth I.
Canals built during the Industrial Revolution	industrial areas of the middle and north of EnglandCanals linked new factories to towns, cities and ports as trade expanded.
The main site of the 2012 Olympic Games	Stratford, East London
The 2012 Paralympic Games	LondonHeld the same year as the London Olympics; the Paralympics trace back to Stoke Mandeville hospital's patients.
Stoke Mandeville hospital	BuckinghamshireStoke Mandeville hospital, where Paralympic sport began, is in Buckinghamshire.
Royal Ascot	BerkshireA five-day meeting attended by the Royal Family; not the same event as the Grand National at Aintree.
The Grand National	Aintree, near Liverpool
The first tennis club	Leamington Spa
The Wimbledon Championships	the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The most famous sailing event in the UK	Cowes, Isle of Wight
The yearly rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities	the ThamesThe handbook places the Oxford-Cambridge yearly rowing race on the Thames.
The Laurence Olivier Awards	LondonHeld every year at different venues in the city, for the theatre.

Places in Scotland

Place	Where
Skara Brae	OrkneyThe best-preserved prehistoric village in northern Europe.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park	the west of ScotlandA national park of 720 square miles.
The Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood	EdinburghWhere MSPs meet.
The monastery founded by St Columba	the island of IonaMissionaries from Ireland spread Christianity through the north from here.
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC)	Glasgow
The National Gallery of Scotland	Edinburgh
Dumfries House	Scotland
Crathes Castle	Scotland
Inveraray Castle	Scotland
St Andrews	ScotlandWhere golf began, in the 15th century, and where its rules are still written.
John O’Groats	ScotlandThe far north-east tip of the mainland; the other end of the country from Land's End.
The Scottish Grand National	Ayr
Europe’s longest dry ski slope	near Edinburgh

Places in Wales

Place	Where
Snowdonia	North WalesA national park.
The Senedd	Cardiff BayWhere the Welsh Assembly meets.
Conwy Castle	WalesOne of the huge castles built to hold Wales after Edward I annexed it.
Caernarvon Castle	WalesThe other castle of the same campaign, built for the same reason.
The Dylan Thomas Centre	SwanseaThe centre in Swansea, Dylan Thomas's birthplace, is one of several memorials to the poet.
The National Museum	Cardiff
Bodnant Garden	Wales
The Millennium Stadium	Cardiff

Places in N. Ireland

Place	Where
The Giant's Causeway	Northern IrelandColumns of volcanic rock on the north-east coast.
Stormont	BelfastWhere the Northern Ireland Assembly meets.
Mount Stewart	Northern Ireland

Languages

What	Language
Wales	WelshTaught in schools and universities.
Scotland	GaelicSpoken in parts of the Highlands and Islands.
N. Ireland	Irish Gaelic

Population over time

The UK in	Population
1600	4M
1700	5M
1801	8M
1851	20M
1901	40M
1951	50M
1998	57M
2005	60M
2010	62M
2022	67.6M

The UK at a glance

What	Is
Currency	the pound sterlingWritten £, and there are 100 pence in a pound.
National anthem	God Save the KingPlayed at important national occasions and where the King or the Royal Family is present.
Official flag	the Union FlagOften called the Union Jack. Three crosses in one, and no Welsh dragon.
Head of state	the monarchGovernments and Prime Ministers change; the head of state does not.
Most popular sport	Football
Most well-known rugby league club competition	the Super LeagueThe handbook names the Super League as the best-known rugby league club competition.
Oldest tennis tournament	The Wimbledon ChampionshipsThe handbook calls Wimbledon the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
Only Grand Slam tennis tournament played on grass	The Wimbledon ChampionshipsThe handbook calls Wimbledon the only Grand Slam event played on grass.
Official name	the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandThe full name; 'Britain' and 'British' are used in the handbook for everyone in the UK.
Most famous rugby union competition	the Six Nations ChampionshipRugby union, not league; the Super League is the league game's competition.
System of government	a parliamentary democracyVoters in each constituency elect an MP; the monarch is head of state, Parliament governs.
Location	the north west of EuropeMade up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Area

What	Area
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park	720 square milesLoch Lomond is the largest stretch of fresh water in mainland Britain.
Snowdonia	838 square milesIts best-known landmark is Snowdon.
The Lake District	885 square milesEngland's largest national park, and its lakes and mountains draw the crowds.
The UK from end to end	about 870 miles, or 1,400 kilometresMeasured from the far north of Scotland to the south-west corner of England.

Other places

Place	Where
The Eid ul Adha animal sacrifice in Britain	a slaughterhouseWhere the sacrifice must legally take place in Britain.

How the country is run

The parliaments and assemblies

Body	Meets in	Members
The National Assembly for Wales	CardiffThe Welsh government is based there too.	60Elected every four years by a form of proportional representation.
The Scottish Parliament	EdinburghAt Holyrood.	129Elected by a form of proportional representation.
The Northern Ireland Assembly	BelfastAt Stormont.	90Known as MLAs.
The UK Parliament	Westminster
The UN Security Council		15The UK holds one of the five permanent seats on this body.
The Commonwealth		5454, not the 56 in our copy's own list: that list adds Gabon and Togo, which joined in 2022.
The Council of Europe		47It protects and promotes human rights across its member countries.
The United Nations		more than 190The UN was set up after the Second World War to promote peace and security.
The European Union		27The UK was one of them until it left.

The courts

Kind of case	England, Wales & N. Ireland	Scotland
Minor criminal cases	a Magistrates' CourtMagistrates are local people, usually unpaid and without legal qualifications.	a Justice of the Peace Court
Serious criminal offences	a Crown CourtTried in front of a judge and a jury.	a Sheriff CourtHeard by a sheriff, or a sheriff with a jury.
Cases against someone aged 10 to 17	a Youth CourtUp to three trained magistrates, no public, and no naming the young person.	the Children's Hearings SystemNot a court: a separate system for children who have offended.
Civil disputes over money, injury or divorce	a County CourtDebts, personal injury, family matters, broken contracts.	the Sheriff CourtThe same court that takes serious criminal cases.
Civil claims for a large amount of compensation	the High Court	the Court of Session in Edinburgh
The gravest cases, such as murder		a High CourtA judge and a jury, for the cases a Sheriff Court does not take.

Juries and verdicts

Where	Jurors	Verdicts
England, Wales and Northern Ireland	12Jurors are picked at random from the local electoral register.	guilty or not guilty
Scotland	15Three more than the rest of the UK.	guilty, not guilty or not provenThe third verdict is the one thing about a Scottish trial everyone is asked.

Small claims limits

Where	Limit
England and Wales	£10,000An informal hearing in front of a judge, round a table, without a lawyer.
Scotland	£5,000
N. Ireland	£5,000The same limit as Scotland, half the one in England and Wales.

Who sat in them

What	Made up of
The House of Commons	the elected MPsMPs are chosen by voters in a General Election, one per constituency.
The House of Lords	peers, who are not elected and do not represent a constituencyPeers do not represent a constituency.
The House of Lords, until 1958	hereditary peers, senior judges, or bishops of the Church of EnglandPeerages passed from father to son, so the chamber was inherited rather than appointed.
The opposition	the second-largest party in the House of CommonsThe opposition leader usually becomes PM if their party wins the next election.
The UN Security Council	five permanent members, including the UKIt recommends action when there is a threat to international peace.
The cabinet	the ministers the Prime Minister appoints to run government departmentsThe cabinet usually meets weekly to decide government policy.
The shadow cabinet	senior opposition MPs, known as shadow ministersThe shadow cabinet challenges the government and proposes alternative policies.

Voting systems

What	Elected by
The House of Commons	first past the postThe candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins it, whoever else stood.
The European Parliament	a system of proportional representationSeats go to each party in proportion to the votes it won.
The National Assembly for Wales	a form of proportional representationMembers are called AMs and serve four-year terms.
The Scottish Parliament	a form of proportional representation
The Northern Ireland Assembly	a form of proportional representation

Roles and duties

What	Responsible for
The Prime Minister	making decisions on government policiesThe leader of the party in power, who also appoints the ministers who run the departments.
The cabinet	making decisions about government policy with the Prime Minister
The monarch	opening the new parliamentary session each yearThe speech at the opening sets out the government's policies for the year ahead.
An MP	representing everyone in their constituency, helping to create new laws, and scrutinising what the government is doingAlso making laws, scrutinising the government and debating national issues.
The House of Lords	checking the laws the House of Commons passesIt can hold the government to account and suggest amendments, but not block a law for ever.
The Speaker	chairing debates in the House of Commons, keeping order, and representing Parliament on ceremonial occasionsChosen by the other MPs in a secret ballot, and still an MP for their own constituency.
HMRC	collecting taxesIncome tax, National Insurance and the rest.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer	the economy
The Home Secretary	crime, policing and immigration
The Foreign Secretary	managing relationships with foreign countries
The Council of Europe	the protection and promotion of human rights in its member countriesIts best-known text is the European Convention on Human Rights.
The licensee	deciding the hours that the pub or night club is openNot the law, and not a fixed closing time: the licensee sets the hours.
The owner of a dog in a public place	keeping the dog under control, cleaning up after it, and making sure it wears a collar showing the owner's name and addressIt is against the law to treat a pet cruelly or to neglect it.
New citizens at the citizenship ceremony	swearing or affirming loyalty to the KingPart of the ceremony at which someone becomes a British citizen.
The police	protecting life and property, preventing disturbances (keeping the peace), and preventing and detecting crimeEveryone in the UK is expected to help the police prevent and detect crime when they can.
The judiciary	interpreting the law and ensuring that trials are conducted fairlyThe judiciary is all the judges together.
The judge	deciding on the penalty when the jury finds a defendant guiltyThe jury decides guilt from the evidence; the judge decides what follows.
Secretaries of State	subjects such as education, health and defenceThe cabinet ministers other than the Chancellor, the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
The leader of the opposition	leading their party in pointing out what they see as the government's failures and weaknessesPrime Minister's Questions is one important chance to do it.
All those living in the UK	respecting and supporting the fundamental values and principles British society is founded onNot only citizens: the values apply to everyone who lives in the UK.
Civil servants	supporting the government in developing and implementing its policies, and delivering public servicesChosen on merit and politically neutral, not political appointees; accountable to ministers.

Age limits

What	Age
Drive a car or motorcycle	17And you need a licence, which means passing a test of both knowledge and skill.
Ride a moped	16
Buy alcohol in a pub or night club	18Selling it to someone younger, or buying it for them, is a criminal offence.
Drink alcohol with a meal in a hotel or restaurant	16The one exception to the rule that alcohol is for over-18s.
Stand for election as an MP	18Though winning without a major party behind you is rare.
Serve on a jury	18It follows the electoral register rather than citizenship, which catches people out.
Become a school governor or school board member	18Unlike jury service there is no upper limit here, which is the kind of asymmetry the test likes to probe.
Join the National Citizen Service	16The only youth-specific age gate in this chapter, easy to confuse with the jury service age.
Apply for a free TV licence	75The handbook says people over 75. Blind people get a 50% discount; watching TV without a licence brings a fine of up to £1,000.
Go into a betting shop or gambling club	18There are also casinos in many places.
Buy a National Lottery ticket or scratch card	18The minimum rose from 16 to 18 in April 2021, so older practice questions may still say 16.

Culture, customs and the calendar

The calendar

January
- 1New Year
February
- 14Valentine’s Day
March
- 1Wales's patron saint's daySt David's Day.
- 17Northern Ireland's patron saint's daySt Patrick's Day; an official holiday in Northern Ireland.
April
- 1April Fool’s DayJokes are played only until midday.
- 14VaisakhiIt is a Sikh festival celebrating the founding of the Khalsa community.
- 23England's patron saint's daySt George's Day; no longer a public holiday, still celebrated.
May
June
July
August
September
October
- 31HalloweenIt has roots in a pagan festival marking the start of winter.
November
- 5Bonfire Night
- 11Remembrance DayOriginally it commemorated the dead of the First World War.
- 30Scotland's patron saint's daySt Andrew's Day; an official holiday in Scotland, though not every business closes.
December
- 24Christmas Eve
- 25Christmas Day
- 31New Year’s Eve
- 31HogmanayFor some Scottish people, Hogmanay is a bigger holiday than Christmas.

Moves each year

Boxing Daythe day after Christmas Day
Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Daythe day before Lent starts
Mothering Sunday, or Mother’s Daythe Sunday three weeks before Easter
Father’s Daythe third Sunday in June
EasterMarch or April
Lentthe 40 days before Easter
DiwaliOctober or November
HannukahNovember or December
Eid al-Fitra different day each year

Who they were

Writers and composers

Graham Greene
- The Heart of the Matter
- The Honorary Consul
- Brighton Rock
- Our Man in Havana
Benjamin Britten
- Peter Grimes
- Billy Budd
- A Young Person's Guide to the OrchestraBuilt on a piece of music by Purcell, to introduce the instruments of an orchestra.
Evelyn Waugh
- Decline and Fall
- Scoop
- Brideshead Revisited
George Frederick Handel
- the Water MusicHandel wrote it for King George I.
- Music for the Royal FireworksHandel wrote it for George II.
- MessiahThis oratorio is sung regularly by choirs, often at Easter time.
Gilbert and Sullivan
- HMS Pinafore
- The Pirates of Penzance
- The Mikado
Robert Louis Stevenson
- Treasure Island
- Kidnapped
- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Cats
- The Phantom of the Opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Evita
Charles Dickens
- Oliver Twist
- Great Expectations
Dylan Thomas
- Under Milk WoodA radio play, first performed after his death in 1954.
- Do Not Go Gentle into That Good NightA poem he wrote for his dying father in 1952.
Jane Austen
- Pride and Prejudice
- Sense and Sensibility
Sir William Walton
- FaçadeIt later became a ballet.
- Balthazar's FeastWritten to be sung by a large choir.
Thomas Hardy
- Far from the Madding Crowd
- Jude the Obscure
Dame Agatha Christie
- The MousetrapIt has had the longest initial run of any show in West End history.
Geoffrey Chaucer
- Canterbury Tales
Gustav Holst
- The PlanetsIt is a suite of pieces themed around the planets of the solar system.
J K Rowling
- the Harry Potter series
John Milton
- Paradise LostMilton wrote it as Protestant ideas spread among English poets.
JRR Tolkien
- The Lord of the RingsIn 2003 it was voted the country’s best-loved novel.
Lord Byron
- She Walks in Beauty
Roald Dahl
- Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryOne of his best-known children's books, with George's Marvellous Medicine.
Robert Browning
- Home Thoughts from Abroad
Robert Burns
- Auld Lang SyneSung at the New Year in the UK and other countries.
Samuel Pepys
- a diary of the Great Plague and the Great Fire of LondonPublished later and still read today.
Sir Edward Elgar
- the Pomp and Circumstance MarchesMarch No 1, Land of Hope and Glory, is usually played at the Last Night of the Proms.
Sir Kingsley Amis
- Lucky Jim
Wilfred Owen
- Anthem for Doomed YouthOwen was inspired to write about his experiences in the First World War.
William Blake
- The Tyger
William Shakespeare
- HamletWith A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, one of his most famous plays.
William Wordsworth
- The Daffodils

Who led what

Oliver Cromwell
- the new republicCromwell became head of the Commonwealth after defeating royalist forces.
- the campaign in IrelandCromwell's harsh suppression of the revolt still makes him a divisive figure in Ireland.
William, Duke of Normandy
- the invasion of 1066Won at Hastings and became king: William the Conqueror.
- the survey that produced the Domesday BookEvery town and village listed, with who lived there and what they owned, just after the Conquest.
Aneurin (Nye) Bevan
- the establishment of the National Health ServiceBevan, as Minister for Health, drove the NHS into being as a free, universal service.
Bobby Moore
- the England football team that won the 1966 World CupThat 1966 tournament was hosted in the UK and remains England's only World Cup win.
Boudicca
- the Iceni's revolt against the RomansQueen of a tribe in what is now eastern England, and the resistance to Rome that is still remembered.
Charles II
- the Scottish invasion of EnglandCharles II tried to reclaim the English throne by force after his father's execution.
Elizabeth I
- the restoration of the Church of England as the national church of EnglandAfter Mary’s Catholic reign, Elizabeth restored the Protestant church but did not police private belief.
Ernest Rutherford
- the team that first split the atomTheir work at Manchester and Cambridge fed into the Manhattan Project.
Guy Fawkes
- the Gunpowder Plot
Henry Tudor
- the House of Lancaster at the Battle of Bosworth FieldHe won, took the throne as Henry VII, and the House of Tudor began.
Henry V
- the English at the Battle of Agincourt
Henry VIII
- the founding of the Church of EnglandThe Break with Rome: England left the Pope for a national church under the Crown.
Julius Caesar
- the Roman invasion of 55 BC
Kenneth MacAlpin
- the peoples of the north uniting against the VikingsThe union the name Scotland was first used to describe.
King Alfred the Great
- the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms uniting against the VikingsHe defeated the Vikings, but many of them stayed and mixed with local communities.
King Charles III
- the CommonwealthThe monarch has no power over Commonwealth members, though membership can be suspended.
King James I
- plantations in several other parts of IrelandJames extended the plantation policy of settling Protestants on Irish land.
Lord Horatio Nelson
- the Battle of TrafalgarNelson's Column in London commemorates him.
Lord Wellington
- the Battle of Waterloo
Margaret Thatcher
- the Conservative government from 1979 to 1990Thatcher led sweeping privatisation and trade union reform during her decade in office.
Robert the Bruce
- the Battle of BannockburnThe Scottish king who won at Bannockburn.
Sir Francis Drake
- the circumnavigation of the world in the Golden HindDrake's ship became one of the first to sail all the way around the world.
Sir Ian Botham
- the England cricket team of the 1980sBotham captained England and holds English Test cricket records.
Sir Ian Wilmot and Keith Campbell
- the team that first cloned a mammalTheir work made Dolly the first mammal ever cloned.
St Augustine
- the mission that brought Christianity to the southHe became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
the Archbishop of Canterbury
- the Church of EnglandThe monarch is its head; the Archbishop of Canterbury leads it in spiritual matters.
the Emperor Claudius
- the Roman invasion of AD 43Claudius's invasion is the one that succeeded, unlike Caesar's.
the Moderator
- the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandThe Moderator is appointed for one year only.
Winston Churchill
- Britain in the Second World WarHe became Prime Minister in May 1940, as German forces advanced through France, and refused to surrender.

Architects and designers

Inigo Jones
- the Queen’s House at Greenwich
- the Banqueting House in Whitehall
Clarice Cliff
- Art Deco ceramics in Britain
Richard Arkwright
- horse-driven spinning mills that used only one machineHis single-machine mills raised production efficiency in the early textile industry.
Robert Adam
- Dumfries House
Sir Christopher Wren
- the new St Paul’s Cathedral
Sir Edwin Lutyens
- The Cenotaph in WhitehallSir Edwin Lutyens was responsible for the Cenotaph among his many war memorials.
Thomas Chippendale
- 18th-century British furniture design

Festivals

Festival	Celebrated by	Lasts
Diwali	Hindus and SikhsDiwali is kept by Hindus and Sikhs.	five daysDiwali runs for five days.
Vaisakhi	SikhsVaisakhi is a Sikh festival.
Hannukah	JewsHannukah is a Jewish festival.	eight daysHannukah runs for eight days.
The requirement for a newly qualified driver in Northern Ireland to display an R plate		one year after passing the testR for restricted driver; Northern Ireland only.
The right to drive in the UK on a licence from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway		as long as the licence is validAny other country's licence is good for up to 12 months.
The right to drive in the UK on a licence from any other country		up to 12 monthsAfter that you need a UK licence; EU, Icelandic, Liechtenstein and Norwegian licences last while valid.

Builders and designers

What	Built by	Designed by
Tower of London	William the ConquerorThe Tower of London was first built by William the Conqueror.
The White Tower	William the ConquerorThe White Tower, in the Tower of London, was built on William the Conqueror's orders.
The Queen’s House at Greenwich		Inigo Jones
The Banqueting House in Whitehall		Inigo Jones
The new St Paul’s Cathedral		Sir Christopher Wren
Dumfries House		Robert Adam
18th-century British furniture design		Thomas Chippendale
Art Deco ceramics in Britain		Clarice Cliff
The Cenotaph in Whitehall		Sir Edwin LutyensSir Edwin Lutyens was responsible for the Cenotaph among his many war memorials.

Leaders

What	Led by
The Commonwealth	King Charles IIIThe monarch has no power over Commonwealth members, though membership can be suspended.
The Gunpowder Plot	Guy Fawkes
The Church of England	the Archbishop of CanterburyThe monarch is its head; the Archbishop of Canterbury leads it in spiritual matters.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland	the ModeratorThe Moderator is appointed for one year only.
The England cricket team of the 1980s	Sir Ian BothamBotham captained England and holds English Test cricket records.

Key dates

What	Year
The Turner Prize being established	1984It is named after painter Joseph Turner and celebrates contemporary art.
The Mousetrap opening in London	1952It has been running ever since, the longest-running play anywhere.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction being founded	1968It is awarded for the best fiction novel by an author from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe.
The release of The 39 Steps	1935Alfred Hitchcock directed this 1935 British film.
The release of Brief Encounter	1945
The release of The Third Man	1949
The release of Lawrence of Arabia	1962
The release of Women in Love	1969
The release of Don't Look Now	1973
The release of Chariots of Fire	1981
The release of The Killing Fields	1984
The release of Four Weddings and a Funeral	1994
The release of Touching the Void	2003
England winning the football World Cup	1966England's only World Cup win came in 1966, on home soil.
Films first being shown publicly in the UK	1896Screenings quickly became popular; British studios flourished in the 1930s.

Writers and works

What	Written by
The Water Music	George Frederick HandelHandel wrote it for King George I.
Music for the Royal Fireworks	George Frederick HandelHandel wrote it for George II.
Messiah	George Frederick HandelThis oratorio is sung regularly by choirs, often at Easter time.
The Planets	Gustav HolstIt is a suite of pieces themed around the planets of the solar system.
The Pomp and Circumstance Marches	Sir Edward ElgarMarch No 1, Land of Hope and Glory, is usually played at the Last Night of the Proms.
Façade	Sir William WaltonIt later became a ballet.
Balthazar's Feast	Sir William WaltonWritten to be sung by a large choir.
Peter Grimes	Benjamin Britten
Billy Budd	Benjamin Britten
A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra	Benjamin BrittenBuilt on a piece of music by Purcell, to introduce the instruments of an orchestra.
HMS Pinafore	Gilbert and Sullivan
The Pirates of Penzance	Gilbert and Sullivan
The Mikado	Gilbert and Sullivan
Jesus Christ Superstar	Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Evita	Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Cats	Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom of the Opera	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Paradise Lost	John MiltonMilton wrote it as Protestant ideas spread among English poets.
Canterbury Tales	Geoffrey Chaucer
Home Thoughts from Abroad	Robert Browning
She Walks in Beauty	Lord Byron
The Daffodils	William Wordsworth
The Tyger	William Blake
Anthem for Doomed Youth	Wilfred OwenOwen was inspired to write about his experiences in the First World War.
Pride and Prejudice	Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility	Jane Austen
Oliver Twist	Charles Dickens
Great Expectations	Charles Dickens
Treasure Island	Robert Louis Stevenson
Kidnapped	Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde	Robert Louis Stevenson
Far from the Madding Crowd	Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure	Thomas Hardy
Decline and Fall	Evelyn Waugh
Scoop	Evelyn Waugh
Brideshead Revisited	Evelyn Waugh
Lucky Jim	Sir Kingsley Amis
The Heart of the Matter	Graham Greene
The Honorary Consul	Graham Greene
Brighton Rock	Graham Greene
Our Man in Havana	Graham Greene
The Harry Potter series	J K Rowling
The Mousetrap	Dame Agatha ChristieIt has had the longest initial run of any show in West End history.
The Lord of the Rings	JRR TolkienIn 2003 it was voted the country’s best-loved novel.

Days of the year

What	Date
Christmas Day	25 December
Christmas Eve	24 December
Boxing Day	the day after Christmas Day
Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day	the day before Lent startsPeople eat pancakes to use up foods like eggs, fat and milk before fasting.
Vaisakhi	14 AprilIt is a Sikh festival celebrating the founding of the Khalsa community.
New Year	1 January
New Year’s Eve	31 December
Hogmanay	31 DecemberFor some Scottish people, Hogmanay is a bigger holiday than Christmas.
Valentine’s Day	14 February
April Fool’s Day	1 AprilJokes are played only until midday.
Mothering Sunday, or Mother’s Day	the Sunday three weeks before Easter
Father’s Day	the third Sunday in June
Halloween	31 OctoberIt has roots in a pagan festival marking the start of winter.
Bonfire Night	5 November
Remembrance Day	11 NovemberOriginally it commemorated the dead of the First World War.
Easter	March or AprilEaster is also celebrated by people who are not religious, with chocolate eggs as a symbol of new life.
Lent	the 40 days before EasterWhen Lent falls relative to Easter.
Diwali	October or NovemberWhen Diwali falls in the year.
Hannukah	November or DecemberWhen Hannukah falls in the year.
Eid al-Fitr	a different day each yearWhether Eid al-Fitr falls on a fixed date.

Prizes

What	Awarded for
The Mercury Music Prize	the best album from the UK and IrelandAwarded each September.
The Brit Awards	best British group and best British solo artist
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction	the best fiction novel by an author from the Commonwealth, Ireland or ZimbabweAwarded annually since 1968.
The Turner Prize	contemporary artNamed after painter Joseph Turner.
The Laurence Olivier Awards	best director, best actor and best actressFor the theatre, in a range of categories.
Torvill and Dean’s Olympic gold medals	ice dancing
Sir Steve Redgrave’s Olympic gold medals	rowing
Dame Kelly Holmes’s Olympic gold medals	running
Ellie Simmonds’s Paralympic gold medals	swimming

People and religion

What	Share
Christian	70%The UK is historically a Christian country.
Of no religion	21%Everyone has the legal right to choose a religion, or to practise none.
Muslim	4%
Hindu	2%
Sikh	1%
Of another religion	2%Jewish and Buddhist were each under 0.5% in the same survey.

What each one includes

What	Made up of
The fundamental principles of British life	democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and participation in community lifeThese five principles are set out as the basis British society is founded on.
The pledge new citizens speak at the citizenship ceremony	a declaration of loyalty to the United Kingdom, respect for its rights and freedoms, support for its democratic values, and a promise to observe its laws and fulfil civic dutiesThis is the spoken pledge new citizens make as part of the citizenship ceremony.
The responsibilities of someone who wants to be a permanent resident or citizen of the UK	obeying the law, respecting other people's rights and opinions, treating others fairly, looking after yourself and your family, and looking after your local area and the environmentThese five duties are listed as what is expected of residents in return for the freedoms below.
What the UK offers in return to permanent residents and citizens	the freedom to hold your own beliefs and religion, freedom of speech, freedom from unfair discrimination, the right to a fair trial, and the right to help elect a governmentThese five freedoms are presented as the reciprocal side of the responsibilities expected of residents.
The role of school governors and school boards	setting the schools strategic direction, ensuring accountability, and monitoring and evaluating school performanceThree named roles, which is exactly the kind of triad the test likes to list back in a different order.
Public offices British citizens can stand for	local councillor, Member of Parliament or its devolved equivalent, and Member of the European ParliamentDistinguishes standing for office from the separate right to vote.
Nationalities besides British citizens who may stand for public office	Irish citizens, eligible Commonwealth citizens, and citizens of another EU country except for standing as an MPThe MP exception is the trap: those three groups can stand for other offices but not Parliament.
Ways to volunteer with the police	becoming a special constable or a lay, non-police, representativeShows volunteering with the police does not require becoming a police officer.
Ways to look after the environment	recycling waste, shopping for products locally, and walking or using public transport instead of drivingThe three headline actions of section 5.8.2, likely tested together as a single which-of-these question.
The heptathlon	seven different track and field events
The Ashes	Test matches between England and AustraliaThe handbook describes the Ashes as a Test match series between England and Australia.
Rugby	union and league
The Six Nations Championship	England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and ItalyThe handbook names the six competing nations in the Six Nations Championship.
The menorah	eight candles, one lit on each day of the festivalWhat a menorah is made up of.
Giant’s Causeway	columns formed from volcanic lavaThe Giant's Causeway is a rock formation made of lava columns.
The traditional pub games	pool and dartsPub quizzes are popular too, though the handbook does not call them a game.
The Crown dependencies	the Channel Islands and the Isle of ManClosely linked with the UK, with their own governments, and not part of it.
British overseas territories	St Helena and the Falkland IslandsThe handbook's two examples; linked to the UK, in other parts of the world, not part of it.
Great Britain	England, Scotland and WalesOnly those three. Northern Ireland is in the UK but not in Great Britain.
What you need to apply to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK	speaking and reading English, and a good understanding of life in the UKTwo things, and this course is the second of them.
The famous horse-racing events the handbook names	Royal Ascot, the Grand National and the Scottish Grand NationalBerkshire, Aintree near Liverpool, and Ayr.
The core values of the civil service	integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartialityImpartiality includes being politically neutral; civil servants stay when governments change.
The six changes the Chartists campaigned for	the vote for every man, elections every year, equal electoral regions, secret ballots, any man being able to stand as an MP, and MPs being paidA campaign of the 1830s and 1840s, when only men over 21 with property could vote.
The main parts of government in the UK	the monarchy, Parliament, the Prime Minister, the cabinet, the judiciary, the police, the civil service and local governmentEight parts in the handbook's list; Parliament means both Houses and the judiciary means the courts.
The independent bodies that take complaints about the police	the Independent Police Complaints Commission in England and Wales, the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland, and the Police Ombudsman for Northern IrelandThe other route is a police station, or a letter to the Chief Constable of the force involved.
The personal characteristics UK law protects from unfair treatment	age, disability, sex, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexuality, and marital statusIn any area of life or work; eight in the handbook's list.
The exceptions to who can stand for public office	members of the armed forces, civil servants, and people found guilty of certain criminal offencesMost citizens of the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth aged 18 or over can stand; peers may not stand for the Commons.
The income people in the UK have to pay tax on	wages from paid employment, profits from self-employment, taxable benefits, pensions, and income from property, savings and dividendsIncome tax pays for services such as roads, education, the police and the armed forces.
The driving test	a test of your knowledge and a test of your practical skillsYou must pass it to get a UK driving licence, and you need a licence to drive on public roads.
The two kinds of law in the UK	criminal law and civil lawCrimes are investigated by the police and punished by the courts; civil law settles disputes between people.
Examples of criminal offences in the UK	carrying a weapon, buying or selling illegal drugs, causing harassment because of someone's religion or ethnic origin, selling tobacco to under-18s, smoking in enclosed public places, selling alcohol to under-18s, and drinking in an alcohol-free zoneThe handbook's list; it says it is not all crimes, and murder, theft and assault apply in most countries.
Examples of civil law in the UK	housing law, consumer rights, employment law and debtNone of these is a crime: a dispute over faulty goods or an unpaid debt goes to a civil court.
The ways to arrange a visit to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont	contacting the Education Service or contacting an MLAMLA: a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
The matters on which the Scottish Parliament can legislate	civil and criminal law, health, education, planning and additional tax-raising powersAnything not specifically reserved to the UK Parliament.
The issues the Northern Ireland Assembly can make decisions on	education, agriculture, the environment, health and social servicesThe handbook's list for Northern Ireland; note that planning appears only in Scotland's.
The core values of the Commonwealth	democracy, good government and the rule of lawIt has no power over its members, though it can suspend membership.
Activities schools might organise to raise money	book sales, toy sales and bringing food to sellFor extra equipment or out-of-school activities; parent-teacher associations often run them.
What you need for settlement or permanent residence from October 2013	passing the Life in the UK test, and evidence of speaking and listening skills in English at B1 of the Common European Framework of ReferenceB1 is the same level as ESOL Entry Level 3.
What you need to bring to the Life in the UK test	some identification and proof of your addressWithout them you will not be able to take the test.
What you agree to when applying to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK	accepting the responsibilities that come with permanent residence, and respecting the laws, values and traditions of the UKThe handbook calls the application an important decision and commitment.
The major political parties in the UK	the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, and parties representing Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish interestsA candidate is unlikely to win a seat unless nominated by one of them.
The UK	England, Scotland, Wales and Northern IrelandGreat Britain is only England, Scotland and Wales.
Examples of the poets popular in the 19th century	William Blake, John Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Robert and Elizabeth BrowningPoetry was very popular then, the handbook says.

Who is in charge

What	Responsible
Protecting Britain's fundamental values and principles	law, custom, and expectationThe handbook grounds these values in legal protection as well as social custom, not statute alone.
Raising school standards	school governors and school boardsNames the body without naming an individual, which is how the source frames accountability here.
Recycling information in Northern Ireland	the local authorityNorthern Ireland is the odd one out: the other three nations each have a named website, NI does not.
Registering a car or motorcycle if you live in the UK	the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)It also issues driving licences.
Arranging a National Insurance number for someone with permission to work in the UK	the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)You telephone the DWP to arrange it; you can start work before it arrives.
Paying National Insurance Contributions	almost everybody in the UK who is in paid work, including self-employed peopleThe money pays for state benefits and services such as the state pension and the NHS.
Telling you the reason for your arrest	a police officerAt the police station; you will also be able to seek legal advice.
Policy and laws on defence, foreign affairs, immigration, taxation and social security	the central UK governmentThe matters kept back from the devolved administrations.
Arranging a booking to visit the Welsh Assembly	the Assembly Booking ServiceThe Senedd is an open building: guided tours, or seats in the public galleries.
Registering to vote	your local council electoral registration officeUsually based at the local council; you must be on the register to vote in any election.
Appointing life peers	the monarch, on the advice of the Prime MinisterNominated by the Prime Minister, the other main parties' leaders or an independent Appointments Commission; the PM's power dates from 1958.
Advising, warning and encouraging the Prime Minister	the monarchIn regular meetings; the decisions on policy are the Prime Minister's and the cabinet's.
Appointing the government, which the people have chosen in a democratic election	the monarchThe monarch invites the leader of the party with most MPs, or of a coalition, to be Prime Minister.
Public services such as education, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland	the devolved administrationsDefence, foreign affairs, immigration, taxation and social security stay with the UK government.

Known for

What	Known for
Christmas Day	the birth of Jesus ChristWhat Christmas Day marks.
Boxing Day	the day after Christmas Day, and a public holidayWhat Boxing Day is.
Good Friday	the day marking the death of Jesus ChristWhat Good Friday marks.
Easter Sunday	the day marking Jesus Christ rising from the deadWhat Easter Sunday marks.
Lent	a time for Christians to reflect and prepare for EasterWhat Lent is a time for.
The Easter egg	chocolate eggs given as gifts at Easter, symbolising new lifeWhat Easter eggs symbolise.
Shrove Tuesday	the day before Lent begins, also called Pancake DayWhat Shrove Tuesday is.
Pancake Day	eating pancakes, traditionally made to use up eggs, fat and milk before fastingWhy pancakes are eaten on this day.
Ash Wednesday	church services marking Christians with an ash cross as a sign of mortality and sorrow for sinWhat happens at Ash Wednesday services.
Diwali	the victory of good over evil and the gaining of knowledgeWhat Diwali celebrates.
Hannukah	remembering the Jews’ struggle for religious freedomWhat Hannukah remembers.
The menorah lighting	the story of oil that lasted eight days instead of oneThe story behind lighting the menorah.
Eid al-Fitr	marking the end of RamadanWhat Eid al-Fitr marks.
Ramadan	a month when Muslims fastWhat Ramadan is.
Eid ul Adha	the prophet Ibrahim being willing to sacrifice his son when God commanded itWhat Eid ul Adha remembers.
Vaisakhi	the founding of the Sikh community, the KhalsaWhat Vaisakhi celebrates.
Valentine’s Day	an occasion for lovers to exchange cards and giftsWhat Valentine’s Day is for.
April Fool’s Day	people playing jokes on each other until middayWhat happens on April Fool’s Day.
Mothering Sunday	children sending cards or buying gifts for their mothersWhat people do on Mothering Sunday.
Father’s Day	children sending cards or buying gifts for their fathersWhat people do on Father’s Day.
Halloween	an ancient festival rooted in a pagan marking of the start of winterWhere Halloween customs come from.
Bonfire Night	a failed 1605 plot by Guy Fawkes and other Catholics to kill the king in Parliament with a bombThe origin of Bonfire Night.
Remembrance Day	commemorating those who died fighting for the UK and its alliesWhat Remembrance Day commemorates.
Tower of London	housing the Crown JewelsVisitors to the Tower of London can see the Crown Jewels there.
The White Tower	being an example of a Norman castle keepThe White Tower is an example of a Norman-era castle keep.
The Cenotaph in Whitehall	being the site of the yearly Remembrance Day serviceThe Cenotaph hosts the UK's annual Remembrance Day service.
The Eden Project	its biomes that hold plants gathered from around the worldThe Eden Project's biomes are giant greenhouses holding plants from around the world.
Loch Lomond	being the biggest area of fresh water in mainland BritainLoch Lomond is mainland Britain's biggest area of fresh water.
Snowdonia	being home to Snowdon, the highest peak in WalesSnowdonia's best-known feature is Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.
The Lake District	its lakes and mountains, and popularity with climbers, walkers and sailorsThe Lake District is loved for its lakes and mountains by climbers, walkers and sailors.
Wastwater	being voted Britain's favourite view by TV viewersWastwater, in the Lake District, was voted Britain's favourite view on television.
The jester at a medieval court	telling jokes and making fun of people in the CourtThe handbook traces British comedy and satire back this far.
Punch	being the most famous of the satirical magazines, published for the first time in the 1840sSatirical magazines began in the 19th century; political cartoons attacking politicians came in the 18th.
Private Eye	continuing the tradition of satire in magazines todayPolitical cartoons continue in newspapers alongside it.
Music hall	a form of variety theatre with comedians, very common until television became the leading form of entertainmentTelevision replaced it as the leading form of entertainment in the UK.
Morecambe and Wise	performing in the music halls of the 1940s and 1950s before becoming stars of televisionThe handbook names them as the example of that move from music hall to television.
The situation comedy, or sitcom	looking at family life and relationships in the workplaceThey remain popular.
That Was The Week That Was	television satire in the 1960sSpitting Image carried the same tradition into the 1980s and 1990s.
Spitting Image	television satire in the 1980s and 1990sThat Was The Week That Was did the same job in the 1960s.
Monty Python's Flying Circus	introducing a new type of progressive comedy in 1969Stand-up comedy, a solo comedian talking to a live audience, has become popular again more recently.
Stand-up comedy	a solo comedian talking to a live audienceIt has become popular again in recent years.
British soap opera	regular programmes such as Coronation Street and EastEndersThe handbook names these two as the regular soap operas.
The BBC	being the largest broadcaster in the world, and the only wholly state-funded media organisation that is independent of governmentIt is paid for by the money from TV licences. Other UK channels are funded by advertisements and subscriptions.
A community's 'local' pub	being a natural focal point for social activitiesPub quizzes are popular there.
The British pub	opening during the day from 11.00 am, or 12 noon on SundaysNight clubs with dancing and music usually open and close later than pubs.
The National Lottery	draws made every week, which you enter by buying a ticket or a scratch cardUnder-18s are not allowed to take part.
The Proms	a season of orchestral classical music organised by the BBC since 1927The Last Night of the Proms is its most well-known concert.
The London Eye	a Ferris wheel 443 feet, or 135 metres, tall on the southern bank of the River ThamesIt was originally built as part of the celebrations for the year 2000.
The Fringe	being the biggest and most well-known of the Edinburgh Festival's arts festivalsThe Edinburgh Festival runs every summer; the Fringe is mainly theatre and comedy.
The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf	telling of its hero's battles against monstersStill translated into modern English; the oldest poem the handbook names.
The National Trust	working to preserve important buildings, coastline and countrysideA charity, founded in 1895; the National Trust for Scotland does the same there.
The Open Championship	being the only golf 'Major' held outside the United StatesGolf's four Majors; this is the one played on British links courses.
Halloween lanterns	being carved out of pumpkins, with a candle inside31 October; children dress up and go trick or treating.
William Wordsworth	poetry inspired by natureThe Daffodils is his; he lived in the Lake District.
Nick Park	his animated films, including three featuring Wallace and GromitFour Oscars in all.
The James Bond films	being one of the two highest-grossing film franchises produced in the UKHarry Potter is the other.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle	his stories about Sherlock Holmes, one of the first fictional detectivesA Scottish doctor as well as a writer, 1859 to 1930.
The British constitution	not being written down in any single document, which is why it is described as 'unwritten'Unlike America or France, the UK never had a revolution that swept in a wholly new system of government.
The Citizens Advice Bureau	giving the names of local solicitors and the areas of law they specialise inSolicitors' charges are usually based on the time they spend on a case.
The National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline	taking calls 24 hours a day from anyone facing domestic violenceThe police can also help someone find a safe place to stay.
The National Citizen Service	giving 16- and 17-year-olds the chance to enjoy outdoor activities, develop their skills and take part in a community projectOne of the programmes for young people the handbook names under volunteering.
The MOT test	being required every year once a vehicle is more than three years oldNot having an MOT certificate for a vehicle over three years old is an offence.
Housing law	disputes between landlords and tenants over issues such as repairs and evictionCivil law, not criminal.
Employment law	disputes over wages and cases of unfair dismissal or discrimination in the workplaceCivil law, not criminal.
Magistrates and Justices of the Peace in England, Wales and Scotland	working unpaid and not needing legal qualificationsLocal people who receive training; in Northern Ireland a paid, legally qualified District Judge sits instead.
A Youth Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland	hearing cases against people aged 10 to 17, in front of up to three specially trained magistrates or a District JudgeThe most serious cases go to the Crown Court.
A Magistrates' Court in Northern Ireland	cases being heard by a District Judge or Deputy District Judge, who is legally qualified and paidThe odd one out: in England, Wales and Scotland magistrates usually work unpaid.
Jury service	being compulsory for everyone summoned, unless they are not eligible or have a good reason to be excusedA criminal conviction can make someone ineligible; ill health is a good reason to be excused.
Pressure and lobby groups	being organisations that try to influence government policySome represent British business, like the CBI; others campaign on a topic, like Greenpeace or Liberty.
The Palace of Westminster	its public galleries in both Houses, where the public can listen to debatesWrite to your MP for tickets in advance, or queue on the day; entrance is free.
The Commonwealth	being an association of countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals in democracy and developmentMost members were once part of the British Empire; a few that were not have joined too.
The Treaty of Rome	setting up what was then called the European Economic Community (EEC), now the European UnionSigned by six western European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
The Council of Europe	drawing up conventions and charters such as the European Convention on Human Rights, though it has no power to make lawsSeparate from the EU: 47 member countries, including the UK, and responsible for protecting and promoting human rights in them.
NATO	being a group of European and North American countries that have agreed to help each other if they come under attackIt also aims to keep peace between its members; the UK is one.
Crisis and Shelter	working with homeless peopleTwo of the charities the handbook names; Age UK works with older people, the NSPCC with children.
The PDSA	working with animalsIts full name is the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.
The Life in the UK test	being based on all parts of the handbook, with questions that differ for each person at a test sessionPassing it is part of showing you are ready to become a permanent migrant to the UK.
British society	having no place for extremism or intoleranceStated just before the five fundamental principles are listed.
The Pre-Raphaelites	being an important group of artists in the second half of the 19th centuryDetailed pictures on religious or literary themes in bright colours; Holman Hunt, Rossetti and Millais.
The UN Security Council	recommending action when there are international crises and threats to peace15 members; the UK is one of five permanent members.
The United Nations	being set up after the Second World War to prevent war and promote international peace and securityMore than 190 countries are members; the UK is one.
The Speaker	being neutral and not representing a political party, even though he or she is an MPChosen by other MPs in a secret ballot.
Forced Marriage Protection Orders	protecting a person from being forced into a marriage, or a person already in oneIntroduced in 2008 under the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007.

Other names

What	Also known as
Diwali	the Festival of LightsAn alternate name for Diwali.
Yeoman Warders	BeefeatersTower of London tours are given by the Yeoman Warders, informally called Beefeaters.
The great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament	Big BenBig Ben is the nickname for the Houses of Parliament's great clock bell.
The Church of England, in Scotland and the United States	the Episcopal ChurchIn other countries it is called the Anglican Church.
London's West End	TheatrelandWhere the big theatres are; The Mousetrap has run there since 1952.
A piece of additional land that people rent to grow fruit and vegetables	an allotmentGardening is one of the most popular pastimes; not everyone has a garden of their own.
The official reports of what is said in Parliament	HansardProceedings are also broadcast on television; the written record is in large libraries and online.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children	the NSPCCOne of the charities the handbook names for volunteering with children.
The Prime Minister's country house outside London	ChequersThe official home in town is 10 Downing Street.
The ceremonial leader of a council, appointed by many local authorities	a mayorCeremonial in most councils; a few cities elect a mayor who runs the council.
MPs who do not represent any of the main political parties	independentsUsually elected on one issue that matters to their constituency.
The fresh election held in a constituency when its MP dies or resigns	a by-electionOnly that one seat is contested; the rest of Parliament carries on.
Members of the European Parliament	MEPsTheir elections were held every five years, by proportional representation rather than first past the post.
The regular local meetings where constituents can talk to their MP in person	surgeriesAdvertised in the local newspaper; Assembly members, MSPs and MEPs hold them too.
Safe places to stay for people escaping domestic violence	refuges or sheltersNot in every area; the helpline section of Yellow Pages lists the nearest women's centre.
A marriage where one or both parties do not or cannot give their consent	a forced marriageForcing another person to marry is a criminal offence.
A marriage where both parties agree to it	an arranged marriageAcceptable in the UK; what the law forbids is forcing someone to marry.
The system where your employer takes income tax from your wages and pays it to HMRC	Pay As You Earn (PAYE)How most employees pay: the right amount is taken automatically before the wages arrive.
The system self-employed people use to pay their own tax, which includes completing a tax return	self-assessmentThe self-employed are not on PAYE, so they work out and pay the tax themselves.
All the judges together	the judiciaryTheir job is to interpret the law and make sure trials are fair.
The democratically elected councils that govern towns, cities and rural areas	local authoritiesSome areas have both a district and a county council.
The voter registration system used in Northern Ireland	individual registrationEach voter completes their own form; elsewhere one form per household lists everyone eligible.
Parent-teacher associations	PTAsThey organise school fundraising events.
Persuading people to vote for a party's candidates by handing out leaflets or knocking on doors	canvassingYou do not have to tell a canvasser how you intend to vote.
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals	the PDSAThe handbook's example of a charity working with animals.
The public holidays on which banks and many other businesses are closed for the day	bank holidaysThe other public holidays, besides the festivals the handbook names first.
The arrangement that distributes ministerial offices among the main parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly	a power-sharing agreementThe Assembly has 90 members, elected by a form of proportional representation.
Working for good causes without payment	volunteeringCharities, schools, political parties and the police are among the places the handbook names for it.

Who did what

What	Who
Introduced James Bond in his books	Ian FlemingThe films that followed are one of the two highest-grossing franchises made in the UK.
Were inspired to write about their experiences in the First World War	Wilfred Owen and Siegfried SassoonOwen's Anthem for Doomed Youth is the poem the handbook names.
Appoints the local Chief Constable	Police and Crime CommissionersElected by the public in England and Wales since November 2012; they set local police priorities.
Is chosen by other MPs in a secret ballot	the SpeakerOnce chosen the Speaker is neutral: still an MP with a constituency, but for no party.
Should be notified if you think someone is trying to persuade you to join an extremist or terrorist cause	your local police forceThe handbook's one instruction on extremism.
Can decide to change the Prime Minister	the MPs in the governing partyThe other route is the Prime Minister choosing to resign, as they usually do after losing a General Election.
Used the power to suspend the Northern Ireland Assembly several times	the UK governmentWhen local political leaders could not work together; the Assembly has run without a break since 2007.

Directors

What	Directed by
The 39 Steps	Alfred Hitchcock1935; one of the famous British films the handbook lists with its director.
Brief Encounter	David Lean1945; Lean also directed Lawrence of Arabia.
The Third Man	Carol Reed1949.
The Belles of St Trinian's	Frank Launder1954.
Lawrence of Arabia	David Lean1962; Lean also directed Brief Encounter.
Women in Love	Ken Russell1969.
Don't Look Now	Nicolas Roeg1973.
Chariots of Fire	Hugh Hudson1981.
The Killing Fields	Roland Joffé1984.
Four Weddings and a Funeral	Mike Newell1994.
Touching the Void	Kevin MacDonald2003.

How many

What	Count
Questions in the Life in the UK test	24Based on all parts of the handbook, and different for each person at a test session.
Life in the UK test centres around the UK	about 60Only a registered, approved centre counts, and the test can only be booked online.
National parks in England, Wales and Scotland	15Protected countryside that everyone can visit, where people also live and work.
Local authorities in London	33The Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London coordinate policies across the capital.

Early Britain

to 1066

Key dates

What	Year
Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain	55 BCRome's first try at Britain. It failed, and Rome kept away for nearly a century.
The Emperor Claudius's invasion of Britain	AD 43The invasion that worked: Rome held nearly all of Britain after this, for 400 years.
The Roman army leaving Britain	AD 410Rome pulled its army out to defend the rest of the empire, and it never came back.
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms being established in Britain	AD 600Two centuries after Rome left. Much of Wales and Scotland stayed outside their rule.
The first Viking raids on Britain	AD 789The first Viking contact was a raid for goods and slaves; settling came later.
The Battle of Hastings	1066The last foreign invasion of England to succeed.

Leaders

What	Led by
The Roman invasion of 55 BC	Julius Caesar
The Roman invasion of AD 43	the Emperor ClaudiusClaudius's invasion is the one that succeeded, unlike Caesar's.
The invasion of 1066	William, Duke of NormandyWon at Hastings and became king: William the Conqueror.
The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms uniting against the Vikings	King Alfred the GreatHe defeated the Vikings, but many of them stayed and mixed with local communities.
The peoples of the north uniting against the Vikings	Kenneth MacAlpinThe union the name Scotland was first used to describe.
The mission that brought Christianity to the south	St AugustineHe became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Iceni's revolt against the Romans	BoudiccaQueen of a tribe in what is now eastern England, and the resistance to Rome that is still remembered.
The survey that produced the Domesday Book	William, Duke of NormandyEvery town and village listed, with who lived there and what they owned, just after the Conquest.

Known for

What	Known for
The first farmers in Britain	arriving about 6,000 years ago, probably from south-east EuropeThey built houses, tombs and monuments, and their ancestors changed Britain from a land of hunter-gatherers.
The Bronze Age	beginning about 4,000 years ago, when people learned to make bronzePeople lived in roundhouses and buried their dead in tombs called round barrows.
The Norman Conquest	being the last successful foreign invasion of EnglandIt changed government and social structure; nobody has managed it since.
The people of the Iron Age	speaking a language from the Celtic family, and making the first coins minted in BritainSome coins carry the names of Iron Age kings; the Celtic languages survive in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
The Bayeux Tapestry	commemorating the Battle of Hastings in a great piece of embroidery, which can still be seen in France todayA record of 1066 that survives in France.

Other names

What	Also known as
The system of land ownership used by the Normans	feudalismThe king gave land to his lords in return for help in war; the lords did the same down the chain.

Where they came from

What	From
The Vikings	Denmark and NorwayFirst raiders, then settlers in the east and north of England, the Danelaw.
The Jutes, the Angles and the Saxons	northern EuropeThe tribes that invaded after the Romans left; the handbook names no countries.
William the Conqueror	Normandy, in what is now northern FranceHe defeated Harold at Hastings in 1066.

The Middle Ages

1066 to 1485

Key dates

What	Year
English rule over the Pale being established	1200The Pale was the area around Dublin; English troops came to help an Irish king and stayed.
Magna Carta limiting the king's power	1215The charter King John's noblemen forced on him. It established that even the king was subject to the law.
The Battle of Bannockburn	1314The Scots under Robert the Bruce defeated the English.
The Black Death	1348A plague that killed a third of the people of England, and a similar share in Scotland and Wales.
English becoming the language of the courts and official documents	1400Three centuries after the Conquest, the ruling class's Norman French had given way.
The Battle of Agincourt	1415A battle of the Hundred Years War, won by an English army that was vastly outnumbered.
The Wars of the Roses	1455Lancaster's red rose against York's white rose; ended at Bosworth Field in 1485.
The Battle of Bosworth Field	1485Ended the Wars of the Roses; Henry Tudor became Henry VII.

Acts of Parliament

What	Passed
Statute of Rhuddlan	1284Edward I's law annexing Wales to the Crown of England.

Leaders

What	Led by
The Battle of Bannockburn	Robert the BruceThe Scottish king who won at Bannockburn.
The English at the Battle of Agincourt	Henry V
The House of Lancaster at the Battle of Bosworth Field	Henry TudorHe won, took the throne as Henry VII, and the House of Tudor began.

Who sat in them

What	Made up of
The House of Lords in the Middle Ages	the nobility, great landowners and bishopsNobody elected them; they sat by rank or by office.
The House of Commons in the Middle Ages	knights and wealthy people from towns and citiesThese were elected, though only a small part of the population could vote.
The Scottish Parliament	the lords, the commons and the clergyThree Houses, called Estates, where England had two.
The king's council of advisers	important noblemen and the leaders of the ChurchParliament grew out of this: the body a medieval king actually governed through.

Emblems

The House of	Emblem
Lancaster	a red roseOne of the two sides of the civil war, and where the war's name comes from.
York	a white roseThe other side.
Tudor	a red rose with a white rose inside itThe two roses joined, as a sign that York and Lancaster were now allies.

Known for

What	Known for
The Hundred Years War	a long war with France that actually lasted 116 yearsThe Battle of Agincourt in 1415 was one of its most famous battles.
William Caxton	being the first person in England to print books using a printing pressThe Canterbury Tales was one of the first books he printed.
The Black Death	killing one third of the population of England, and a similar share in Scotland and WalesThe worst disaster to hit Britain; labour became scarce and wages rose.
Scotland's legal system in the Middle Ages	developing slightly differently from England's, with laws that were 'codified', that is written downEngland's common law grew from precedent instead.
The growing wealth of the towns after the Black Death	the development of a strong middle classPeople had left the countryside for the towns after the Black Death.

Other names

What	Also known as
The period from the Norman Conquest up to about 1485	the Middle AgesAlso called the medieval period; it ends with the Battle of Bosworth Field.
The owners of large areas of land who appeared after the Black Death	the gentryA new class that rose out of the labour shortage the plague left behind.
Magna Carta	the Great CharterWhat the Latin means; the charter of rights King John's noblemen forced on him.

What each one includes

What	Made up of
The English language	Norman French and Anglo-Saxon, which gradually combined into oneThe king's court spoke one and the peasants the other, for two centuries after the Conquest.

Where they came from

What	From
The engineers who came to work in England in the Middle Ages	GermanyEngland was a trading nation; weavers came from France, glass makers from Italy.
The canal builders who came to work in England in the Middle Ages	HollandOne of several skilled trades that came from abroad to a trading nation.

The Tudors and the Stuarts

1485 to 1714

Key dates

What	Year
The abolition of the Pope's authority in Scotland	1560The Scottish Parliament broke with Rome and banned the Catholic Mass in the same year.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada	1588Defeated in the reign of Elizabeth I.
The death of Elizabeth I	1603Elizabeth I died without an heir of her own, passing the throne to her Scottish cousin.
The Gunpowder Plot	1605A plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the Protestant king. Bonfire Night marks its failure.
The first Union Flag being created	1606England's cross of St George with Scotland's cross of St Andrew. Ireland's cross of St Patrick came later.
Charles I recalling Parliament to ask for funds	1640He needed money and had ruled without Parliament for eleven years. The quarrel that followed became a war.
The revolt in Ireland	1641Catholic Ireland rose up while Puritan influence grew in the English Parliament.
The start of the English Civil War	1642Parliament's Roundheads against the King's Cavaliers.
Parliament winning the civil war	1646Parliament's victory left Charles I a prisoner and ended his hope of ruling by force.
The execution of Charles I	1649England became a republic, the only time in its history that it had no monarch.
The first Jews since the Middle Ages settling in London	1656Marked the return of Jewish settlement to Britain after a long absence.
The death of Oliver Cromwell	1658His son Richard became Lord Protector but could not keep the army's support.
The Restoration of the monarchy	1660Charles II was invited back after Cromwell's death.
The Great Plague	1665
The death of Charles II	1685His brother became James II of England, Wales and Ireland and James VII of Scotland.
The Glorious Revolution	1688Protestants asked William of Orange to take the throne rather than have a Catholic king.
The Battle of the Boyne	1690William III's victory over James II secured Protestant rule and is still marked today.
Newspapers being allowed to operate without a government licence	1695The start of a free press: newspapers not controlled by the government. Increasing numbers began to be published.

Acts of Parliament

What	Passed
Habeas Corpus Act	1679Forbade unlawful imprisonment.
Bill of Rights	1689Confirmed Parliament's rights and the limits of the king's power.
Act of Union	1707Joined the kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Who did what

What	Who
Recalled Parliament in 1640 to ask for funds	Charles I
Believed in the Divine Right of Kings	James I and Charles IThe idea that the king was appointed by God to rule, which put both at odds with Parliament.
Was one of the founders of England's naval tradition	Sir Francis DrakeA commander against the Armada, and the captain of the Golden Hind round the world.
Became William III in England, Wales and Ireland, and William II of Scotland	William of OrangeAfter the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Became queen of Scotland when only a week old	Mary, Queen of ScotsHer father had died; much of her childhood was then spent in France.
Defeated the Scottish army in the Battles of Dunbar and Worcester	Oliver CromwellCharles II had been crowned king of Scotland and led that army into England.
Escaped from Worcester, famously hiding in an oak tree, and eventually fled to Europe	Charles IIHe came back as king at the Restoration.

Leaders

What	Led by
The new republic	Oliver CromwellCromwell became head of the Commonwealth after defeating royalist forces.
The campaign in Ireland	Oliver CromwellCromwell's harsh suppression of the revolt still makes him a divisive figure in Ireland.
The Scottish invasion of England	Charles IICharles II tried to reclaim the English throne by force after his father's execution.
The circumnavigation of the world in the Golden Hind	Sir Francis DrakeDrake's ship became one of the first to sail all the way around the world.
Plantations in several other parts of Ireland	King James IJames extended the plantation policy of settling Protestants on Irish land.
The founding of the Church of England	Henry VIIIThe Break with Rome: England left the Pope for a national church under the Crown.
The restoration of the Church of England as the national church of England	Elizabeth IAfter Mary’s Catholic reign, Elizabeth restored the Protestant church but did not police private belief.

What each one includes

What	Made up of
The new powers the king gained over the Church of England	the power to appoint bishops and set the rules of worship, powers that used to belong to the PopeNaming bishops and setting worship had been the Pope’s. Handing them to the king is what the break actually meant.
The beliefs and worship of the Protestants	reading the Bible in their own language rather than Latin, not praying to saints or shrines, and valuing individual faith over obedience to the ChurchThese three practices are the shorthand the test uses to distinguish Protestant belief from Catholic practice throughout this chapter.
The two main groups in Parliament after the Glorious Revolution	the Whigs and the ToriesThe modern Conservative Party is still sometimes called the Tories.

Who came next

What	Followed by
Henry VII	Henry VIIIThis is the start of the Tudor line proper on the throne, and the sentence the course was missing that puts Henry VII in a question at all.
Henry VIII	Edward VIEdward was the only surviving son of Henry VIII, by Jane Seymour, and became king as a child.
Edward VI	MaryThe death of Edward VI at fifteen, after a six-year reign, is what puts Mary on the throne.
Mary	Elizabeth IThis is the hinge the current course starts from; the row before it is what was missing.

Henry VIII's six wives

What	What became of her
Catherine of Aragon	divorcedHer failure to produce a surviving son is the reason Henry sought the divorce that led to the Break with Rome.
Anne Boleyn	executedHenry had broken with Rome to marry her; she was queen for less than three years.
Jane Seymour	diedShe died giving Henry the male heir, Edward VI, that the other five marriages had failed to produce.
Anne of Cleves	divorcedUnlike Catherine of Aragon, this divorce was quick and the marriage was political rather than personal from the start.
Catherine Howard	executedShe was a cousin of Anne Boleyn and met the same fate for the same accusation, a pairing worth revising together.
Catherine Parr	survived himShe is the only wife of the six who outlived Henry and died a natural death after he did.
Charles I	executedHeld prisoner by the parliamentary army, unwilling to agree terms, executed in 1649.
Mary, Queen of Scots	kept a prisoner for 20 years, then executed, accused of plotting against Elizabeth IElizabeth's cousin, who had fled to England hoping for help.

Parents and children

What	Child of
Mary	Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIIIMary was the only child of Catherine of Aragon to survive infancy, which is why she inherited after Edward VI rather than a son.
Elizabeth I	Henry VIII and Anne BoleynNaming both parents ties the woman who opens the current course back to the marriage that caused the Break with Rome.

Other names

What	Also known as
Mary	Bloody MaryThe nickname is shorthand for her persecution of Protestants and is one of the most recognisable labels in the chapter.
The movement against the authority of the Pope in Henry VIII's time	the ReformationAcross Europe, against the ideas and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; Protestants came out of it.
The Conservative Party	the ToriesFrom the two main groups in Parliament after the Glorious Revolution, the Whigs and the Tories.
Britain's system of government after the Glorious Revolution	constitutional monarchyBegun by the laws passed after 1688.

Known for

What	Known for
William Shakespeare	a great influence on the English language, inventing many words still common todayPlaywright and poet, born in Stratford-upon-Avon; his lines are still quoted.
The Battles of Marston Moor and Naseby	the defeat of the king's army in the Civil WarCharles I's army lost both; the Roundheads won the war.
Britain's time as a republic	lasting 11 yearsFrom the execution of Charles I to the Restoration; without Cromwell there was no clear leader.
The Glorious Revolution	the laws passed after it, the beginning of what is called 'constitutional monarchy'1688: William of Orange took the throne and Parliament's power was confirmed.
The Bill of Rights	confirming the rights of Parliament and the limits of the king's power1689; the monarch had to ask Parliament every year to renew funding for the army and navy.
The Elizabethan period	growing patriotism, a feeling of pride in being EnglishEnglish explorers sought new trade routes and tried to expand trade into the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
Scotland after the Act of Union of 1707	keeping its own legal and education systems and Presbyterian ChurchNo longer an independent country, but not absorbed either.

Writers and works

What	Written by
Hamlet	William ShakespeareWith A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, one of his most famous plays.
A diary of the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London	Samuel PepysPublished later and still read today.

Birthplaces

What	Born in
William Shakespeare	Stratford-upon-Avon1564 to 1616; a playwright and actor as well as a poet.

How long they last

What	Lasts
The maximum term of a Parliament	five yearsThree years after the Glorious Revolution, then seven, and now five.

A global power

1714 to 1901

Key dates

What	Year
Parliament choosing George I to be the next king	1714Queen Anne died and George I, a German, was her nearest Protestant relative.
Robert Walpole becoming Prime Minister	1721The first Prime Minister, though nobody used the title then, and the longest-serving one.
Robert Walpole's time as Prime Minister ending	1742The first man to be called Prime Minister, from 1721.
The rebellion of the clans	1745Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, tried to put a Stuart king back on the throne in place of George II.
The Battle of Culloden	1746Ended the last Jacobite attempt to restore a Stuart king and broke the power of the Highland clans.
13 American colonies declaring independence	1776The quarrel was over taxation.
Sake Dean Mahomet coming to Britain	1782He later opened the Hindoostane Coffee House, Britain's first curry house, in London in 1810.
Britain recognising the colonies' independence	1783Formally ended the American War of Independence, seven years after the 1776 declaration.
The revolution in France that led to war with Britain	1789The new French government soon declared war on Britain.
Ireland becoming unified with England, Scotland and Wales	1801After the Act of Union of 1800.
The Battle of Trafalgar	1805Nelson defeated the French and Spanish fleets.
Trading slaves in British ships or from British ports becoming illegal	1807Banned the slave trade in British ships and ports, a step before empire-wide abolition in 1833.
The Hindoostane Coffee House's opening	1810Opened by Sake Dean Mahomet, it was the first curry house in Britain.
The Battle of Waterloo	1815Napoleon's final defeat.
Queen Victoria becoming queen of the UK	1837Began a 64-year reign, the longest of any British monarch up to 2013, naming the Victorian Age.
The repealing of the Corn Laws	1846Ended protection on grain imports, letting cheaper raw materials fuel British industry.
The legal limit on working hours for women and children being set at 10 hours a day	1847One of the first laws protecting factory workers, capping women's and children's hours at 10 a day.
The Great Exhibition	1851Showcased British and world industry in a purpose-built glass and steel hall.
The start of the Crimean War	1853Britain, Turkey and France against Russia. It was the first war the newspapers covered closely.
Florence Nightingale going to Turkey to nurse soldiers	1854She and her fellow nurses cut the mortality rate in military hospitals during the Crimean War.
The first tennis club’s founding	1872Founded in Leamington Spa, as modern tennis was taking shape in England.
The setting up of the Women's Franchise League	1889Campaigned to win married women the vote in local elections, an early step toward suffrage.
The founding of the National Trust	1895Founded by three volunteers.
The start of the Boer War	1899Britain went to war in South Africa with settlers who had come from the Netherlands.
Winston Churchill becoming a Conservative MP	1900He entered Parliament decades before leading Britain in the Second World War.

Acts of Parliament

What	Passed
Act of Union with Ireland	1800It joined Ireland to England, Scotland and Wales as the United Kingdom.
Reform Act	1832Abolished pocket and rotten boroughs and gave more seats to towns and cities.
Emancipation Act	1833Abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.
Second Reform Act	1867It widened the vote again, to more of the men in the towns and cities.

Leaders

The Battle of	Led by
Trafalgar	Lord Horatio NelsonNelson's Column in London commemorates him.
Waterloo	Lord Wellington

Who did what

What	Who
Became queen of the UK in 1837	Queen Victoria
Became Prime Minister in 1721	Robert Walpole
Came to Britain in 1782 and later opened its first curry house	Sake Dean Mahomet
Went to Turkey in 1854 to nurse soldiers	Florence Nightingale
Was chosen by Parliament in 1714 to be the next king	George I
Defeated the Emperor Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815	Lord WellingtonThe end of the French Wars. He later became Prime Minister.
Set up the first formal anti-slavery groups in the late 1700s	the QuakersThey petitioned Parliament to ban the trade; William Wilberforce led the campaign there.
Was reigning when the British Empire became the largest empire the world had seen	Queen VictoriaHer reign is known as the Victorian Age.
Pioneered the railway engine	George and Robert StephensonFather and son; the railways then expanded greatly in the Victorian period.
Was supported by clansmen from the Scottish highlands and raised an army in 1745	Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie)The grandson of James II; defeated at Culloden in 1746.
Said there should be no taxation without representation in the British Parliament	the American colonistsThe British government wanted to tax the colonies; the colonists saw it as an attack on their freedom.
Played an important part in changing the law and turning public opinion against the slave trade	William WilberforceAn evangelical Christian and MP, one of the abolitionists.

Designers

What	Designed by
Horse-driven spinning mills that used only one machine	Richard ArkwrightHis single-machine mills raised production efficiency in the early textile industry.

Known for

What	Known for
Adam Smith	ideas about economicsHis work founded ideas about economics that are still cited today.
David Hume	ideas about human natureHis writing on human nature still shapes philosophy today.
Captain James Cook	mapping the coast of AustraliaHis mapping was followed by the establishment of colonies there.
Richard Arkwright	improving the carding machine, and the efficient and profitable way he ran his factoriesCarding prepares fibres for spinning; this was part of his wider textile work.
Sake Dean Mahomet	introducing shampooing to BritainHe and his wife brought this Indian head-massage practice to Britain.
The Acts of Parliament of 1870 and 1882	giving wives the right to keep their own earnings and propertyBefore them, a married woman's earnings and property automatically belonged to her husband.
The Huguenots	Protestant refugees who came from France between 1680 and 1720Persecuted for their religion. Many were educated and skilled: scientists, bankers, weavers.
The Great Western Railway	being the first major railway built in BritainIsambard Kingdom Brunel's line, from Paddington in London to the south-west and Wales.
The Boer War	a war in South Africa against settlers from the Netherlands, called the Boers1899 to 1902; it made the discussions about the future of the Empire more urgent.
The famine in Ireland in the middle of the 19th century	the failure of the potato crop, which many depended on for a large part of their dietA million died and another million left, many for Britain and America.
James Watt	his work on steam powerOne of the scientific discoveries that helped the progress of the Industrial Revolution.
The British Empire in the Victorian age	an estimated population of more than 400 million people, the largest empire the world had seenThe largest empire the world had seen; the figure is the handbook's own estimate.
The Bessemer process	the mass production of steelIt fed the shipbuilding industry and the railways.
The cross of St George	being a red cross on a white groundSt George is the patron saint of England; his cross is one of the three on the Union Flag.
The cross of St Andrew	being a diagonal white cross on a blue groundSt Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland; his cross is one of the three on the Union Flag.
The cross of St Patrick	being a diagonal red cross on a white groundSt Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland; his cross is one of the three on the Union Flag.
The official Welsh flag	showing a Welsh dragonThe dragon is not on the Union Flag.
Queen Victoria's reign	lasting almost 64 years, until 1901She became queen at 18; the handbook (2013) calls it the longest reign of any British monarch.
The Corn Laws	preventing the import of cheap grainRepealed in 1846, one of the century's reforms.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel	being an engineer who built tunnels, bridges, railway lines and shipsOriginally from Portsmouth.
The Chartists	campaigning for the vote for the working classes and other people without propertyThey presented petitions to Parliament; their six demands are a row of their own.
The Reform Act of 1832	increasing the number of people with the right to vote and abolishing the pocket and rotten boroughsMore parliamentary seats went to the towns and cities.
Emmeline Pankhurst	helping to found the Women's Social and Political Union, the first group whose members were called suffragettes1903; she was born in Manchester.
The suffragettes of the Women's Social and Political Union	civil disobedience: chaining themselves to railings, smashing windows, committing arson and going on hunger strikeEmmeline Pankhurst was among those who went on hunger strike.
The Jacobites	an attempt to put James II's son on the throne in place of George IQuickly defeated; a second rising came in 1745.
The Enlightenment	new ideas about politics, philosophy and science developed in the 18th century, including the principle that everyone has the right to their own political and religious beliefsMany of its great thinkers were Scottish: Adam Smith on economics, David Hume on human nature.
British industry in the 19th century	producing more than half of the world's iron, coal and cotton clothIt led the world, the handbook says.
Working conditions during the Industrial Revolution	being very poor, with no laws to protect employees, who were often forced to work long hours in dangerous conditionsChildren worked too, and were treated the same as adults, sometimes more harshly.
The East India Company	gaining control of large parts of India, despite originally being set up to tradeBritain gained control over Canada in the same period.

Other names

What	Also known as
Robert Burns	The BardA Scottish poet; Auld Lang Syne, sung at New Year, is his.
The Duke of Wellington	the Iron DukeHe later became Prime Minister.
The rapid development of industry in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries	the Industrial RevolutionBritain was the first country to industrialise on a large scale.
A constituency controlled by a single wealthy family	a pocket boroughAbolished, with the rotten boroughs, by the Reform Act of 1832.
The destruction of small farms (crofts) by Scottish landlords to make space for large flocks of sheep and cattle	the Highland ClearancesEvictions became very common in the early 19th century; many Scots left for North America.
The New Year in Scotland	HogmanayAuld Lang Syne is sung to celebrate it.

Birthplaces

What	Born in
Emmeline Pankhurst	ManchesterBorn in 1858; she founded the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903.
Rudyard Kipling	India1865; he later lived in India, the UK and the USA.

Where they came from

What	From
The slaves carried on British ships	West AfricaTaken to work on plantations in America and the Caribbean, in horrible conditions.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel	Portsmouth, EnglandThe handbook says originally from, not born in.

What each one includes

What	Made up of
The Union Flag	the cross of St George, the cross of St Andrew and the cross of St PatrickNo Welsh dragon: Wales was already united with England when the first flag was made in 1606.
The lands the British Empire grew to cover in the Victorian period	all of India, Australia and large parts of AfricaThe largest empire the world had seen, with more than 400 million people.

Writers and works

What	Written by
Auld Lang Syne	Robert BurnsSung at the New Year in the UK and other countries.

The 20th century

1901 to 1945

Key dates

What	Year
Motor-car racing in the UK	1902The UK remains a world leader in developing motor-sport technology today.
The founding of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)	1903The WSPU pioneered the term 'suffragette' and used civil disobedience to campaign for votes for women.
Kipling being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature	1907Kipling's poems and novels, including The Jungle Book, portrayed the Empire as a force for good.
The first time the UK hosted the Olympic Games	1908The earliest of the UK's three Olympic hosting years; the others were 1948 and 2012.
Home Rule being proposed for Ireland	1913A self-governing Irish parliament within the UK was proposed.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria	1914The killing that started the First World War.
The Easter Rising	1916Irish nationalists rose against British rule in Dublin.
The Battle of the Somme	191660,000 British casualties on the first day.
Women over 30 getting the vote	1918The first stage of votes for women.
The end of the First World War	1918The fighting stopped at 11 o'clock on 11 November.
The peace treaty splitting Ireland in two	1921Ended the guerrilla war that followed the Easter Rising.
The Northern Ireland Parliament being set up	1922When Ireland was divided.
Ireland becoming two countries	1922The south became the Irish Free State; six counties in the north stayed in the UK.
The BBC's first radio broadcasts	1922Radio broadcasting began, changing how news and entertainment reached the public.
Women getting the vote at 21, the same as men	1928The voting age for women became the same as for men.
The discovery of penicillin	1928Discovered by Alexander Fleming, a Scottish doctor.
The UK getting a fully democratic voting system	1928
The Great Depression	1929Followed by high unemployment, worst in heavy industry.
The first television broadcast, between London and Glasgow	1932John Logie Baird's broadcast marked the start of working television technology.
Hitler coming to power in Germany	1933His rise set in motion the policies that led to the Second World War.
The first successful radar test	1935Radar let Britain detect enemy aircraft by radio waves, a key wartime advantage.
The BBC starting the world's first regular television service	1936The BBC launched the world's first regular television service.
The most recent British man’s Grand Slam singles title before Murray’s 2012 US Open win	1936The handbook says no British man had won a Grand Slam singles title since 1936 before Murray.
The German invasion of Poland	1939It brought the UK and France to declare war on Germany.
The evacuation of Dunkirk	1940About 300,000 men were rescued, many by volunteers in small boats.
The Battle of Britain	1940The air battle between Germany and Britain.
German forces advancing through France to the Channel	1940The collapse of allied defences in France led to the Dunkirk evacuation.
Winston Churchill becoming Prime Minister	1940He took over as the army was being evacuated from Dunkirk.
The German invasion of the Soviet Union	1941The invasion opened a huge new front that ultimately weakened German forces.
The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour	1941It brought the United States into the war.
The publication of the Beveridge Report	1942William Beveridge's report set out the ideas behind the modern welfare state.
The D-Day landings in Normandy	1944Allied forces landed in Normandy and began the advance that ended the war in Europe.

Acts of Parliament

What	Passed
Education Act	1944R A Butler's Act: free primary and secondary education for all.

Who did what

What	Who
Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907	Rudyard Kipling
Became Prime Minister in 1940	Winston Churchill
Became a Conservative MP in 1923 and later took charge of education	R A ButlerHis 1944 Education Act made secondary education free for all.

Leaders

What	Led by
Britain in the Second World War	Winston ChurchillHe became Prime Minister in May 1940, as German forces advanced through France, and refused to surrender.
The team that first split the atom	Ernest RutherfordTheir work at Manchester and Cambridge fed into the Manhattan Project.

What each one includes

What	Made up of
The Central Powers in the First World War	Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and, later, BulgariaThe side the Allies fought against.
Examples of the social measures introduced in Britain before the First World War	financial help for the unemployed, old-age pensions and free school mealsPart of what the handbook calls a period of optimism before the war.

Known for

What	Known for
The evacuation of Dunkirk	giving rise to the phrase 'the Dunkirk spirit'Small boats from Britain helped the Navy rescue more than 300,000 men from the beaches.
The Manhattan Project	developing the atomic bomb in the United StatesBritish scientists, including Rutherford's team who first split the atom, took part.
John MacLeod	co-discovering insulin, used to treat diabetesA Scottish physician and researcher, 1876 to 1935.
The Spitfire and the Hurricane	being the most important planes the Royal Air Force used in the Battle of BritainBoth were designed and built in Britain, the handbook adds.
The Battle of the Somme	about 60,000 British casualties on the first day aloneThe British attack began in July 1916.
The Great Depression of the 1930s	badly affecting traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding, while new industries like automobiles and aviation developedIts effects were felt differently in different parts of the UK.
The Battle of Britain	being the aerial battle the British fought and won against the Germans in the summer of 1940Fought with the Spitfire and the Hurricane.

Other names

What	Also known as
The German night-time bombing of London and other British cities	the BlitzAfter the Battle of Britain: the air force could not win by day, so it bombed by night.

Britain since 1945

Key dates

What	Year
Clement Attlee becoming Prime Minister	1945Churchill's deputy in the war; his government founded the NHS.
The Allied victory over Germany	1945The war in Europe ended with Germany's comprehensive defeat.
The end of the war against Japan	1945The war ended after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Alexander Fleming winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine	1945His discovery of penicillin was recognised with the Nobel Prize.
Winston Churchill losing the General Election	1945He lost office just after leading Britain to victory in Europe.
Nine colonies, including India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, gaining independence	1947Part of the end of the empire after the war.
People from the West Indies being invited to come and work in Britain	1948The first of the post-war invitations to work in Britain; more followed from India and Pakistan.
The establishment of the National Health Service	1948Free health care for everyone at the point of use, from Beveridge's plan.
The second time the UK hosted the Olympic Games	1948The middle of the UK's three Olympic hosting years, between 1908 and 2012.
The Irish Free State becoming a republic	1949The Irish Free State, formed after partition, became a republic in 1949.
The UK signing the European Convention on Human Rights	1950British diplomats and lawyers helped draft this Convention.
Winston Churchill returning as Prime Minister	1951He served a second term as Prime Minister in the 1950s.
Queen Elizabeth II becoming queen	1952She succeeded on her father's death and reigned for seventy years.
The discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule	1953The discovery underpinned later advances in medicine and forensic science.
The first sub-four-minute mile	1954A landmark in middle-distance running: no one had run a mile in under four minutes before this.
The European Economic Community being formed	1957The EEC's six founders later grew into the European Union, which the UK joined in 1973.
The Treaty of Rome being signed	195725 March 1957; the UK joined what it created in 1973.
The Prime Minister gaining the power to nominate life peers	1958A peerage for one lifetime only, which ended the chamber being inherited.
Margaret Thatcher being elected as a Conservative MP	1959Cabinet minister from 1970, as Secretary of State for Education and Science.
Winston Churchill standing down as an MP	1964He remained a Member of Parliament for over six decades.
Winston Churchill's death	1965He was given a state funeral after his death.
England’s only international football tournament victory	1966That World Cup was hosted in the UK the same year England lifted the trophy.
The first cash machine being put into use	1967The first ATM, at Barclays in Enfield, began the shift away from bank-counter withdrawals.
The Troubles breaking out	1969
The voting age being set at 18	1969With a few exceptions, every UK-born and naturalised adult can vote.
Concorde first flying	1969The world's only supersonic passenger aircraft, built by Britain and France together.
The Northern Ireland Parliament being abolished	1972Shortly after the Troubles began.
Mary Peters winning an Olympic gold medal in the pentathlon	1972Peters later became a leading figure in Northern Ireland sport and tourism.
The UK joining the EEC	1973The forerunner of EU membership.
Concorde beginning to carry passengers	1976Concorde's passenger service began seven years after its first flight.
The birth of the world's first IVF baby	1978The birth in Oldham followed IVF research by Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe.
Margaret Thatcher becoming the first woman Prime Minister	1979Thatcher went on to become the UK's longest-serving 20th-century Prime Minister.
Argentina invading the Falkland Islands	1982
Torvill and Dean’s Olympic ice dancing gold medal	1984The pair also won four consecutive ice dancing world championships around this time.
Information first being transferred over the World Wide Web	1990This first web transfer followed Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the World Wide Web.
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait	1990The invasion led Britain into a leading role in the coalition that liberated Kuwait.
The first successful cloning of a mammal	1996Dolly's cloning opened research into cloning for conservation and medicine.
Powers beginning to be devolved to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland	1997More control over matters that directly affect each nation.
The Labour Party under Tony Blair being elected	1997Blair's government went on to introduce the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.
The Good Friday Agreement	1998Also called the Belfast Agreement; it led to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Scottish Parliament being established	1999Devolution to Scotland.
The Welsh Assembly being established	1999Devolution to Wales.
The Northern Ireland Assembly being elected	1999The Assembly followed the Good Friday Agreement's plan for devolved government.
Hereditary peers losing the automatic right to sit in the House of Lords	1999Hereditary peers now elect a few of their number to represent them instead.
Winston Churchill being voted the greatest Briton of all time	2002A public vote decades later still ranked him as Britain's greatest figure.
The Northern Ireland Assembly being suspended	2002Suspension reflected continuing difficulties in the peace process after devolution.
Concorde being retired from service	2003Concorde's retirement ended the era of scheduled supersonic passenger travel.
Dame Kelly Holmes’s Olympic gold medals for running	2004Both golds came from the same 2004 Games: a demanding double for any runner.
Ellen MacArthur becoming the fastest person to sail solo around the world	2004A yachtswoman's record: sailing around the world alone, without a crew, faster than anyone before her.
Gordon Brown taking over as Prime Minister	2007Brown succeeded Blair as Labour leader and Prime Minister without a general election.
The Northern Ireland Assembly being reinstated	2007Its return in 2007 marked stable, working devolved government in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Assembly running again without suspension	2007Before this the Assembly had been suspended several times by the UK government.
The vote naming Wastwater Britain’s favourite view	2007TV viewers voted Wastwater as Britain's favourite view in 2007.
Forced Marriage Protection Orders being introduced	2008Scotland introduced an equivalent order in 2011.
Ellie Simmonds’s first Paralympic swimming gold medals	2008She was the youngest member of the British team at these Games.
British combat troops leaving Iraq	2009Their withdrawal ended Britain's combat role in the Iraq conflict.
The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition forming a government	2010No party won an overall majority, the first time since February 1974. David Cameron became Prime Minister.
The Welsh Assembly gaining the power to pass laws without the UK Parliament's agreement	2011
Forced Marriage Protection Orders reaching Scotland	2011England, Wales and Northern Ireland got equivalent orders in 2008.
The clock tower at Parliament being named Elizabeth Tower	2012For Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee	2012Sixty years on the throne. The clock tower at Parliament was renamed the Elizabeth Tower for it.
The third time the UK hosted the Olympic Games	2012The most recent of the UK's three Olympic hosting years; its main site was in Stratford, East London.
Bradley Wiggins becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France	2012A cyclist's breakthrough: no British rider had ever won the Tour de France before this.
Mo Farah’s Olympic gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m	2012Farah, a distance runner born in Somalia, took both these golds at the same London Games.
The first Briton to win Olympic gold in the 10,000 metres	2012The handbook names Mo Farah as the first Briton to win Olympic 10,000m gold, in 2012.
Jessica Ennis’s Olympic heptathlon gold medal	2012Ennis, an athlete, also holds a number of British athletics records beyond this title.
Andy Murray winning the US Open men’s singles title	2012His win ended Britain's long wait for a men's Grand Slam singles title, stretching back to 1936.
Andy Murray winning Olympic gold and silver medals	2012Part of a stellar year: the same 2012 that brought his US Open title and Wimbledon runner-up finish.
Andy Murray’s runner-up finish in the Wimbledon men’s singles	2012That same year he went one better by winning the US Open instead.
Ellie Simmonds’s second Paralympic swimming gold medals	2012She also holds a number of world records across her swimming events.
The referendum on leaving the European Union	2016The referendum result set the UK on the path to leaving the European Union.
The UK leaving the European Union	2020Four years after the referendum that decided it.
Queen Elizabeth II's death	2022Her elder son Charles became king on her death.
King Charles III becoming king	2022His heir apparent is his elder son, William, Prince of Wales.
The Labour Party under Keir Starmer winning a majority	2024Labour's 2024 win ended 14 years of Conservative-led government.
The general principles of EU law ceasing to be part of UK law	2024EU law had applied in the UK until this point, even after Brexit itself.

Leaders

What	Led by
The establishment of the National Health Service	Aneurin (Nye) BevanBevan, as Minister for Health, drove the NHS into being as a free, universal service.
The England football team that won the 1966 World Cup	Bobby MooreThat 1966 tournament was hosted in the UK and remains England's only World Cup win.
The team that first cloned a mammal	Sir Ian Wilmot and Keith CampbellTheir work made Dolly the first mammal ever cloned.
The Conservative government from 1979 to 1990	Margaret ThatcherThatcher led sweeping privatisation and trade union reform during her decade in office.

Acts of Parliament

What	Passed
Human Rights Act	1998
Scotland Act	1998
Northern Ireland Act	1998
Government of Wales Act	1998
Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act	2007This Act created the Forced Marriage Protection Order.
Equality Act	2010

Prizes

What	Awarded for
Mo Farah’s 2012 Olympic gold medals	the 5,000 metres and the 10,000 metresThe handbook states Farahs 2012 Olympic golds were for the 5,000m and 10,000m.
Jessica Ennis’s 2012 Olympic gold medal	the heptathlon

Other names

What	Also known as
The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament	Elizabeth TowerThe Parliament clock tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The 1960s	the Swinging SixtiesA decade of significant social change, and the name the handbook gives it.
NATO	the North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationAn alliance set up to resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies; the UK joined.

Who did what

What	Who
Was Winston Churchill’s Deputy Prime Minister in the wartime coalition government	Clement Attlee
Was Prime Minister when the National Health Service was created	Clement AttleeBevan, his Minister for Health, led the work; Attlee led the government.
Became Prime Minister in 1945	Clement Attlee
Won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945	Alexander Fleming
Was given a state funeral after his death in 1965	Winston ChurchillThe handbook records the funeral as the honour, not the burial place.
Was voted the greatest Briton of all time in 2002	Winston Churchill
Became the first woman Prime Minister, in 1979	Margaret Thatcher
Took over as Prime Minister in 2007	Gordon Brown
Became queen in 1952	Queen Elizabeth II
Became king in 2022	King Charles III
Won Olympic gold for ice dancing in 1984	Torvill and Dean
Won Olympic gold medals for running in 2004	Dame Kelly Holmes
Became the fastest person to sail solo around the world, in 2004	Ellen MacArthur
Became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, in 2012	Bradley Wiggins
Won the US Open men’s singles title in 2012	Andy Murray
Won Paralympic swimming gold medals in 2008 and again in 2012	Ellie Simmonds
Was made a Dame of the British Empire in 2000	Mary PetersFor her work promoting sport and tourism in Northern Ireland.
Worked closely with the United States President, Ronald Reagan	Margaret ThatcherAnd was among the first Western leaders to welcome the changes in the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War.
Helped establish the Northern Ireland peace process	John MajorPrime Minister after Margaret Thatcher.
Led the government that reached the Good Friday Agreement in 1998	Tony BlairIt built on the peace process John Major had helped start.

Inventions

What	Developed by
The television	John Logie BairdA Scotsman, working in the 1920s; he made the first broadcast between London and Glasgow in 1932.
Radar	Sir Robert Watson-WattA Scotsman, who proposed that enemy aircraft could be found by radio waves. First successful test in 1935.
The jet engine	Sir Frank WhittleAn RAF engineer officer, working in Britain in the 1930s.
IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) therapy	Sir Robert Edwards and Patrick SteptoeA physiologist and a gynaecologist; the handbook's word is pioneered.
Concorde	Britain and FranceThe world's only supersonic commercial airliner.

Inventions

What	Invented by
The Turing machine	Alan TuringA theoretical device from the 1930s whose theory shaped computer science and the modern computer.
The hovercraft	Sir Christopher CockerellA British inventor, working in the 1950s.
The cash machine	James GoodfellowInvented in the 1960s. The first was put into use by Barclays in Enfield, north London, in 1967.
The World Wide Web	Sir Tim Berners-LeeBritish. Information was first sent over the web on 25 December 1990.
The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner	Sir Peter MansfieldThe handbook calls him co-inventor and names no other.

Builders

What	Built by
The radio telescope at Jodrell Bank	Sir Bernard LovellWorking with radar led him to astronomy. It was the biggest in the world for many years and still runs.

Known for

What	Known for
The Swinging Sixties	growth in British fashion, cinema and popular musicPeople also started to become better off, and many bought cars and other consumer goods.
The popular music of the Swinging Sixties	groups such as The Beatles and The Rolling StonesBoth are named in the handbook as examples of the decade's popular music.
Francis Crick	being awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the structure of the DNA moleculeThe structure was worked out in 1953 at universities in London and Cambridge.
The Harrier jump jet	being an aircraft capable of taking off verticallyDesigned and developed in the UK; one of the handbook's 20th-century British inventions.
Sir Ian Wilmot and Keith Campbell	leading the team that was first to clone a mammal, Dolly the sheep1996; two British scientists.
The national system of benefits introduced after the Second World War	providing 'social security', so that the population would be protected 'from the cradle to the grave'Introduced alongside the NHS by the Labour government elected in 1945.
Harold Macmillan	his 'wind of change' speech about decolonisation and independence for the countries of the EmpirePrime Minister at the time.
Dylan Thomas	being a Welsh poet and writerUnder Milk Wood and Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night are his best-known works.
Roald Dahl	his children's books, though he also wrote for adultsBorn in Wales to Norwegian parents; he served in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.

What each one includes

What	Made up of
The liberalisation of social law in the 1960s	changes to the law on divorce, and on abortion in England, Wales and ScotlandThe abortion change covered England, Wales and Scotland, not Northern Ireland.
What Parliament changed for women at work in the 1960s	the right to equal pay, and a ban on employers discriminating against women because of their genderBefore this it was quite common for employers to ask women to leave their jobs when they married.
The new architecture that became common in the 1960s	high-rise buildings, concrete and steelThe decade was one of technological progress, and the buildings showed it.
The industries the 1945 Labour government nationalised	the railways, coal mines, and gas, water and electricity suppliesTaken into public ownership.
The five 'Giant Evils' the Beveridge Report said the government should fight	Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and IdlenessThe report provided the basis of the modern welfare state.

Where they came from

What	From
Margaret Thatcher	Grantham in LincolnshireThe daughter of a grocer.

Birthplaces

What	Born in
Clement Attlee	London1883; the Labour leader who became Prime Minister in 1945.

Writers and works

What	Written by
Under Milk Wood	Dylan ThomasA radio play, first performed after his death in 1954.
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night	Dylan ThomasA poem he wrote for his dying father in 1952.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	Roald DahlOne of his best-known children's books, with George's Marvellous Medicine.

Who came next

What	Followed by
Margaret Thatcher	John MajorHe helped establish the Northern Ireland peace process.

The four nations

Countries and capitals

Patron saints

National flowers

Places in England

Places in Scotland

Places in Wales

Places in N. Ireland

Languages

Population over time

The UK at a glance

Area

Other places

How the country is run

The parliaments and assemblies

The courts

Juries and verdicts

Small claims limits

Who sat in them

Voting systems

Roles and duties

Age limits

Culture, customs and the calendar

The calendar

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Moves each year

Who they were

Writers and composers

Graham Greene

Benjamin Britten

Evelyn Waugh

George Frederick Handel

Gilbert and Sullivan

Robert Louis Stevenson

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Charles Dickens

Dylan Thomas

Jane Austen

Sir William Walton

Thomas Hardy

Dame Agatha Christie

Geoffrey Chaucer

Gustav Holst

J K Rowling

John Milton

JRR Tolkien

Lord Byron

Roald Dahl

Robert Browning

Robert Burns

Samuel Pepys

Sir Edward Elgar

Sir Kingsley Amis

Wilfred Owen

William Blake

William Shakespeare

William Wordsworth

Who led what

Oliver Cromwell

William, Duke of Normandy

Aneurin (Nye) Bevan

Bobby Moore

Boudicca

Charles II

Elizabeth I

Ernest Rutherford

Guy Fawkes

Henry Tudor