Latest news with #HorribleHistories
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Horrible Histories creator Terry Deary: ‘What's the use of universities?'
One day, it dawned on Terry Deary that his favourite crime novels are overrun with characters who have heaps of money, or a degree, or both. ' Agatha Christie, Lord Peter Wimsey, the golden age of crime writing – it's pure Establishment,' he says. The same holds true for his contemporary standbys, Anthony Horowitz ('That man is a genius') and Simon Brett. By contrast, says Deary – who is better known as the brains behind the Horrible Histories series for children – in Actually, I'm a Murderer, his first adult crime novel, 'only about two out of 20 characters went to university'. This will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Horrible Histories. Those books, 70-odd titles that have together sold some 30 million copies, have enlivened great tracts of the past for generations of children by relaying with irresistible delight the viscera of history and the experience of the common man. In them, monarchs and world leaders are usually depicted as monsters or figures of fun: the Romans are 'evil'; the Tudors, tyrants. Deary reserves a particular loathing for Elizabeth I, and he is not at all a fan of the British Empire. 'I get a lot of abuse for it,' he tells me; he's even been accused of 'poisoning the minds of children. But I can't believe anyone would possibly justify the British Empire.' Thirty-two years after the publication of the first Horrible Histories book, Deary says he's done with writing children's books. 'I've written hundreds of them. There's another mountain to climb now.' Actually, I'm a Murderer is the first instalment in what he hopes will develop into a long-running series (he's already written book two) featuring John Brown, an assassin-for-hire in 1970s Sunderland, where Deary grew up. The premise inverts the classic crime thriller setup: we know whodunnit from the beginning; the fun lies in the protracted game of cat and mouse between Brown and the police who, in the first book at least, Deary paints as incompetent, sexist and bigoted. 'Only the men,' he corrects me – the hero of the novel, Aline, is a policewoman fighting her repulsive, handsy colleague for promotion. 'Female police are underrated. When I published a murder mystery for young adults 20 years ago, the editor made me tone down the incompetence of the book's bent policeman,' he adds. 'I had to make the police look better and focus on solving the mystery. I don't think you would get that today.' In fact, Deary is quite a fan of the police, despite having been 'beaten blue' by them when he was a 'naughty nipper'; his dad ran a butcher's shop and Deary says his impoverished childhood 'in a postwar slum' taught him 'how real people lived'. I ask him what he thinks of the Metropolitan Police today, hit by a string of appalling scandals. 'Police are human beings. No one can live up to the expectations that are placed on the police.' Deary, who lives in County Durham with his wife, Jenny, with whom he has one grown-up daughter, was already a successful children's author when he was commissioned to do a history joke book in the early 1990s. He had begun writing in 1976 while working as a drama teacher in Suffolk. He maintains he didn't know much history at the time, although he studied it at A-Level. But then, his intention was never to educate. 'I didn't set out to enlighten their little minds or even get them to read,' he says. 'That just happened.' His main influence was his previous career as an actor: he had spent a few years in the early 1970s with Theatr Powys, in Wales. 'The aim of drama is to answer one question only – why do people behave the way they do? I applied that to my books. Look how they behaved in the past and learn from that.' Today, Horrible Histories is part of the cultural landscape – widely read in schools and embraced by the middle classes. 'Isn't that sickening?' says Deary. 'It's like Mick Jagger. He presents himself as anti-Establishment and then he accepts a knighthood. I hope I never sell out like that.' Fair enough, but the brand is already enormously lucrative – there are theatre, film and television adaptations, and even a Horrible Histories interactive cruise along the Thames, for which Deary writes the voiceover. Is he worried that the brand's original rebel spirit is becoming diluted? 'Horrible Histories is not my brand. I just write the books,' he says. 'And I take no credit for the spin-offs.' He rejects, too, the suggestion that Horrible Histories inculcate an inherently flippant attitude towards the past. 'You forget how boring history books for children were before I came along. Endless parents tell me their child never read a book until they picked up Horrible Histories. Although when people tell me that thanks to my books they studied history at university, I say 'Don't blame me, mate', because what use are universities?' Deary can come across as a bit of a throwback 1980s anarchist. He's famously against the education system, partly because he was caned repeatedly at his primary school. 'I'm against schooling. Not against education,' he clarifies. 'But you need to get rid of the muppets in Whitehall who write the curriculum which applies to every child in this country, when they wouldn't know a child from Newcastle or Sunderland if it thumped them on the kneecap.' He spits at whatever Labour might be planning to address this: it launched a review of the school curriculum at the end of last year. 'It's just tokenism, sorry. You need to get rid of it.' I assume, then, that he is not too concerned by the drop in students reading history at university? He himself never got the chance to go: his teachers suggested when he was 18 that he 'get a job down the pits'; instead, he worked at the electricity board. 'People don't have to waste taxpayers' money spending four years going to this place called university and not working when they can read my books [instead],' he says. I think he means it. 'But it's not my problem. I'm a book writer.' But surely, I suggest, the facts and intellectual rigour taught at university are important tools both for understanding the counter-imperialist view of history he favours and also for combating the growing threat of AI-generated misinformation? In lieu of an answer, Deary tells me how when people hear about a mother who lost her children in a bombing raid during the Second World War, they assume it took place in London or Coventry. 'But it took place in Dresden, too. Everyone comes up with a British-educated answer. But it happened to them as well as us.' I try again. What does Deary think about the ways in which we are rethinking our imperial past – the growing acknowledgment of the extent to which modern Britain was built on profits from the slave trade; the Rhodes Must Fall movement, which argues for the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford? That, he says, is 'actually quite a good idea. Although they should be arguing to take all the statues down, including Lord bloody Nelson in Trafalgar Square. But it's a minority view. Imperialists are taking over the country.' Including, perhaps, in Sunderland – Deary left the city in the early 1970s, but maintains close links – where Reform won 27 per cent of the vote in the last election. Why does he think that happened? 'Because Farage is a big personality,' he says. 'People aren't voting for his policies, but for the man. So don't ask me to condemn my Sunderland friends.' Quite the opposite, I say. Isn't it only because such voters feel let down by the Establishment that they find themselves drawn to Reform in the first place? 'That, I admit, does sway people,' Deary says. 'They think the Conservatives have had their chance but they mucked it up, so we'll try Labour. Oh, they aren't doing so well, so we'll try a third option.' Deary is a tremendous force in publishing – and proud of it: he points out that the paperback edition of his recent nonfiction book A History of Britain in Ten Enemies topped the bestseller charts. 'Not bad for a lad from Sunderland, eh?' He has no plans to stop, nor any intention of toning things down. 'I'm an entertainer, not an academic. And if I don't entertain people, they won't engage.' Actually, I'm a Murderer by Terry Deary (Constable, £18.99) is out on June 12
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
The Faversham explosion that killed 108 and rocked the town
During World War One, Faversham in Kent was rocked by an enormous explosion which killed at least 108 men and boys and left a permanent mark on the Sunday 2 April, workers at a gunpowder site were loading shells when the explosion the cause of the explosion was never discovered, there were theories of a dropped cigarette, sparks from the boiler house hitting TNT sacks, and the sacks naturally combusting in the Tonge, one of the authors of Terrible Tudors in the Horrible Histories series, said: "The gunpowder still haunts Faversham, so it still lives in the history of the town." The site caught fire and there was an enormous explosion which was followed by other detonations as the flames reached other explosion was ruled to be accidental following an a worker later gave a testimony and said staff had become careless and stacked sacks of TNT outside without any consideration of what could happen to Tonge said: "That was the principle problem, is that they had to produce as much as possible for the Western Front to obviate this terrible scandal that was erupting about the shell shortage."Many of those who died were buried at Love Lane Cemetery in the town, and a memorial grave was placed there. Mr Tonge added: "The problem was when they tried to recover bodies, they were recovering parts of bodies, so some were never identified."Some boys as young as 12 were thought to have been working at the site."There are some really very poignant photographs of the parade [and] the funeral cortege through the town and it's attended by inevitably hundreds of people," Mr Tonge the war ended it was decided that the gunpowder business was vulnerable to attacks from Europe, so it was moved to Ayrshire in Scotland.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Warwick Castle is a magical family day out and Zog Live show left huge smiles on my kids' face
'WHAT a good idea!' said Zog. Then up and off he flew. They are words I have read out loud to my four-year-old daughter at hundreds of bedtimes, from Julia Donaldson's story Zog. 3 So we both had big smiles on our faces as we heard it while watching Warwick Castle's Zog Live show. The charming show, running until September, was a big hit, with smoke, giant dragons and a knight on horseback. My daughter Estella also couldn't wait to see Zog Playland, tugging my hand and urging 'Come on Mummy!' as she raced down a wooden walkway towards the slide which is a kid-friendly gateway to the area. It was difficult to coax her from this bright play area that's designed with younger children in mind, full of inventive swings, tunnels, towers and even a zip line. And my two boys, Henry, 11, and Nicholas, seven, were right in their element at the Horrible Histories maze next door. Based on the bestselling books, the mind-muddling maze takes families on a journey through time, picking up fascinating, funny — and gross — facts along the way. Warwick Castle is a great day out for families with kids of all ages because such a wide variety of attractions, shows and tours are included with your entry ticket. The boys were captivated by The Legend Of The Trebuchet show, awe-struck by the giant wooden siege machine catapulting ammo across the sky in dramatic style. And also gracing those skies, best observed from the beautiful riverside setting, were the stars of The Falconer's Quest show, the UK's largest birds of prey display. And all this adventure came before we had even set foot inside the imposing castle, with its near-1,000-year history. Scotland's Hidden Gem: Codona's Named Best Family Day Out at Entertainment Awards Our guided tour of the Great Hall and State rooms gave the children an insight into what life would have been like within their walls, while The Kingmaker walkthrough exhibit recreated the sounds and the atmosphere of the build-up to a War of the Roses battle. But Estella and I sought a moment's solace from all the bloodthirsty historic tales with a trip up the Princess Tower. It's a delightful interactive storytelling experience aimed at children aged three upwards, where we helped crown Princess Eve the Queen of Warwick. Before we headed home, we scaled the ramparts and towers with the many stone steps of the spiral stairs ensuring we had three worn-out adventurers at the end of the day. In the words of the magical Zog, our day out at Warwick Castle really had been a good idea. 3
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Warwick Castle is a magical family day out and Zog Live show left huge smiles on my kids' face
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 'WHAT a good idea!' said Zog. Then up and off he flew. They are words I have read out loud to my four-year-old daughter at hundreds of bedtimes, from Julia Donaldson's story Zog. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 My family loved the Zog Live show at Warwick Castle 3 My daughter Estella also couldn't wait to see Zog Playland Credit: Supplied So we both had big smiles on our faces as we heard it while watching Warwick Castle's Zog Live show. The charming show, running until September, was a big hit, with smoke, giant dragons and a knight on horseback. My daughter Estella also couldn't wait to see Zog Playland, tugging my hand and urging 'Come on Mummy!' as she raced down a wooden walkway towards the slide which is a kid-friendly gateway to the area. It was difficult to coax her from this bright play area that's designed with younger children in mind, full of inventive swings, tunnels, towers and even a zip line. And my two boys, Henry, 11, and Nicholas, seven, were right in their element at the Horrible Histories maze next door. Based on the bestselling books, the mind-muddling maze takes families on a journey through time, picking up fascinating, funny — and gross — facts along the way. Warwick Castle is a great day out for families with kids of all ages because such a wide variety of attractions, shows and tours are included with your entry ticket. The boys were captivated by The Legend Of The Trebuchet show, awe-struck by the giant wooden siege machine catapulting ammo across the sky in dramatic style. And also gracing those skies, best observed from the beautiful riverside setting, were the stars of The Falconer's Quest show, the UK's largest birds of prey display. And all this adventure came before we had even set foot inside the imposing castle, with its near-1,000-year history. Scotland's Hidden Gem: Codona's Named Best Family Day Out at Entertainment Awards Our guided tour of the Great Hall and State rooms gave the children an insight into what life would have been like within their walls, while The Kingmaker walkthrough exhibit recreated the sounds and the atmosphere of the build-up to a War of the Roses battle. But Estella and I sought a moment's solace from all the bloodthirsty historic tales with a trip up the Princess Tower. It's a delightful interactive storytelling experience aimed at children aged three upwards, where we helped crown Princess Eve the Queen of Warwick. Before we headed home, we scaled the ramparts and towers with the many stone steps of the spiral stairs ensuring we had three worn-out adventurers at the end of the day. In the words of the magical Zog, our day out at Warwick Castle really had been a good idea. 3 My two boys, Henry, 11, and Nicholas, seven, were right in their element at the Horrible Histories maze Credit: Supplied
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC star Big Manny's life off screen including Prince William link
TikTok sensation Big Manny is showcasing his talents in the BBC's new series, a creation from the team behind Horrible Histories. Horrible Science made its debut on CBBC on May 9, with the entire series now available for streaming on iPlayer. Much like its predecessor, Horrible Histories, this new comedy show makes education fun for kids through quick-fire sketches centred around scientific themes. Five out of the fifteen episodes even cover topics found in primary school curriculums, including outer space, motion, light and electricity. The show features a recurring cast along with guest appearances from First Dates' Fred Sirieix and social media scientist, Big Manny. While audiences may be familiar with Fred, this could be their first encounter with Manny on television. Let's take a closer look at the life of this viral star off-screen, reports the Daily Record. Who is Big Manny? (Image: Getty Images) Big Manny, whose real name is Emanuel Wallace, uses his nickname across his social media platforms. The BBC star began sharing educational science videos on TikTok in 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown when children were forced into home schooling. Fresh from graduating with a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of East London, Manny started working as a science technician in a secondary school. It was this experience that inspired him to start posting videos online. "I could see first-hand that students were struggling in science because of the lockdown," the London native revealed to Chemistry World in 2023. After four years since his debut post, the TikToker has now amassed a whopping two million followers on TikTok and another 1.6 million on Instagram. But that's not all - Manny recently scooped up the Education Creator of the Year accolade at the first-ever TikTok Awards in December 2024. Manny demonstrates scientific experiments in short videos (Image: TikTok/ @ Manny resonates with younger audiences by breaking down intricate scientific concepts using everyday London vernacular. His ultimate mission? is to show young folks from all walks of life that they too have a place in the science world. In a heart-to-heart with The Voice in 2024, he shared: "So what I am trying to do with my platform is show young people that there are scientists out there that look like you, talk like you, dress like you, come from the same background as you. "So if they can become a scientist then there is no reason why you can't as well." Manny recently collaborated with Prince William (Image: Instagram/@ Meanwhile, back in January, Manny caused quite the stir among his fans with an unexpected Royal cameo. While visiting Nature Metrics, an environmental DNA research group, none other than Prince William dropped in to collaborate with the scientist on an experiment. Proclaiming himself as "Manny's beautiful assistant," for a tutorial on strawberry DNA extraction, the Duke's cameo stunned viewers. The brief 48-second TikTok video racked up over six million views, and fans flooded the comments. One astonished viewer couldn't help but express their shock, exclaiming: "PAUSE? ? IS THAT PRINCE WILLIAM? ?" Meanwhile, another was equally taken aback, jokingly remarking: " I LITERALLY BLINKED TWICE TO CONFIRM WHAT I WAS SEEING." Big Manny guest stars in Horrible Science, streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
