The peak of infatuation

Many of my friends are smitten by mountains.

Mucus ado about snails

Aloe vera and shea butter are well known for skin care. But how about snail slime?

Joan of Arc and Saint Michael

Joan of Arc died 586 years ago today, burned at the stake after a politically motivated trial for heresy.

Fingered!

The food and drink company Nestlé has lost a UK court appeal to trademark the shape of the four-fingered KitKat bar.

End of the line

The London Necropolis Railway opened in November 1854 to carry deceased persons to a newly opened cemetery outside the city.

Magnolia tree

For such a beautiful tree, there are surprisingly few poems about magnolias.

Forgotten lives: The man who invented la poubelle

Some people have pasteurisation named after them, others the humble dustbin.