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Plastics are among the most versatile materials on the planet. They can meet just about any requirement as they're durable, versatile and available in a large selection of colours and shapes. What's more, the industry is playing a vital role in arresting climate change, consuming only 4% of the world's oil production for feedstock. Compared with metals, paper and glass, plastic production is...

The famous BBC sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo had the unlikely setting of a small café in occupied France during World War II. Run by proprietor René Artois and his wife Edith, all is not as it seems in the tiny village of Nouvion, as Café René is a stronghold of the French Resistance and the seemingly bumbling owner is the unlikely hero, whose codename is Nighthawk. René was played by Gordon Kaye and w...

Could any boss possibly be more cringeworthy than David Brent, general manager of the Wernham Hogg paper merchants' Slough branch? If you've been living on another planet since 2001 and haven't heard of possibly the most annoying boss in history, then grab yourself a box set of BBC Two’s sitcom The Office, as you're in for a treat. Brent is the creation of British comedian Ricky Gervais and ...

Iconic host of programmes such as the Eurovision Song Contest and BBC Children in Need, the late, great Sir Terry Wogan enjoyed an illustrious career in radio and television that spanned almost 60 years. The Limerick-born star became an Honorary Knight Commander in 2005 in the Queen's Birthday Honours, after being awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1997. On leaving Belvedere College ...

The Royal British Legion is a national charity that offers financial, emotional and social support to Armed Forces members and veterans and their dependants. As Remembrance Sunday approaches, the charity is preparing for its biggest annual fundraiser, Poppy Day. Millions of people across the nation will buy poppies to commemorate and honour those who have lost their lives fighting for their cou...

Generations of children have been inspired to pick up a paintbrush thanks to artist and children’s TV presenter Tony Hart, whose media career spanned more than 50 years. The former British Army officer became an artist after leaving the Armed Forces and he was renowned for programmes such as Vision On, Take Hart and Hartbeat. He taught children to draw, paint and create art out of everyday o...

Most anglers tend to fish locally for much of the time, at sites just a stone's throw from home - but nonetheless, almost everyone has dreams of travelling to some far-off destination to enjoy the ultimate fishing trip. Read on to find out more about 10 of the world's best saltwater fishing sites: 1. Malindi, Kenya Anglers have a realistic chance of accomplishing the rare feat of a billfi...

It's hard to believe that it's almost 20 years since the BBC comedy, Dinnerladies, was first broadcast - it seems as fresh today as it did back in 1998. The sitcom is set for renewed interest after BBC chiefs announced a new TV documentary - based on Victoria Wood's previously unseen diaries written during the filming of Dinnerladies. The comedian, singer, writer and actress who died of canc...

Four decades ago, when television sitcom The Good Life was first broadcast, its subject matter was quite ground-breaking - a couple leaving the rat race to become self-sufficient, with an allotment in their suburban front garden. Today, living healthily and growing your own fruit and veg isn't as unusual but the humour in The Good Life was mainly based on the ups and downs of free-spirited T...

Antiques fairs have grown in popularity in the UK in recent years, perhaps because of the increasing number of TV programmes which show ordinary people taking their bargains to be valued and discovering, in many cases, that they're worth a fortune. In times gone by, antiques were perhaps viewed as luxury items that the average person couldn't afford. As recently as 20 years ago, having an an...