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Dead Ends: Life and work in the shadows of unsolved murders

Loose ends make a fertile breeding ground for rumour, suspicion and fear. And few loose ends linger in quite the same way as an unsolved…
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‘Little America’: Where the Stars and Stripes fly high

Many years ago, when I worked in Suffolk, I had an idea for a feature about the peculiarly American feel of north west Suffolk. Yes,…
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Inside Reggie Kray’s old prison cell at Blundeston

There are some places you never imagine you’ll end up. Take, for example, the prison cell which was once home to one of east London’s…
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Fertility and aphrodisiacs in the 17th Century

I’m a bit old fashioned. I grew up on letters rather than email and I can still remember the excitement of opening my first ever,…
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De Beers myth: Do people spend a month’s salary on a diamond engagement ring?

Some say you should spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring. Or perhaps two. Or maybe even one. Over the years these ring-wallet equations…
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The ubiquity of the modern beep

We’re surrounded by beeps. From reversing vehicles to supermarket checkouts to trains, they punctuate our day. But what’s the story behind them? (the piece which…
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Mods and rockers 50 years on since Clacton ‘invasion’

Fifty years ago, England was invaded. At least, that’s what the headlines claimed. The invaders? Fans of two-wheeled transport. They were the mods and the…
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What do those squiggles on the pavement actually mean?

Look down at British roads and pavements and there’s often a slew of squiggles, dots and arrows, painted in a plethora of hues. But what…
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People always say the same thing about tattoos

News just in – tattooing is no longer the preserve of bikers, sailors and convicts. More than that, celebrities are getting tattoos. And women too.…
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Shoes, tattoos and female bodybuilding

Behind the scenes I've been having fun meeting some of the nation's more unusual academics. It was an idea born when I heard about a…