Beth Meachem

The Most Innovative Games of all Time

A shortlist of the “most influential” video games ever released will always be an impossible task, and your definition of what an “innovative” game means will vary depending on your age, your nationality, and which games you have played.   These are just a few video games that have arguably had a great impact on gaming, whether they popularised a new genre, revolutionised a...
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Posted May. 20, 2026

Markets around the world

Markets are a common feature of travel destinations all over the world, and frequently appear on tourist websites as an opportunity to find out how the local people really live. But are these a real reflection of a country’s way of life, or a specially tailored experience designed to draw...
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Posted May. 11, 2026

The best castles to visit in the UK

Windsor Castle Originally built by William the Conqueror, Windsor Castle in Berkshire is thought to be the oldest and largest occupied castle in the whole world; since its construction, it has housed a staggering forty monarchs. Its extensive grounds and outer gates are well preserved, especially the striking and iconic...
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Posted Mar. 10, 2026

Dialogue in politics: Where to draw the line?

In the US, politically motivated violence is dominating the news. Public figures from both sides of the political spectrum have been assassinated in the past year, causing uproar from their supporters. In June 2025, Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman was shot and killed alongside her husband in their home in Brooklyn...
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Posted Feb. 17, 2026

Are historical video games political?

In a recent interview conducted by GameFile, five current and former anonymous Ubisoft employees discussed their frustrations at the cancellation of a planned game in the company’s hugely successful Assassin’s Creed series. This unnamed instalment would reportedly have been set during the American Civil War, following the Reconstruction Period of...
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Posted Oct. 31, 2025

Should we send Coventry to Coventry?

The famous phrase ‘send to Coventry’ means to ignore and ostracise someone as punishment. It likely originates from the English Civil War, when many Royalist captives were held prisoner in the infamous Parliamentarian stronghold of Coventry. Over the years, this saying has been reinforced by the popular opinion that Coventry...
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Posted Aug. 20, 2025

Art and Motion: Why is animation so good at storytelling?

Animation has long been a deeply underappreciated art form, often written off as only good for the creation of shallow, meaningless children’s media. While much animation is perfect for young audiences, it is a skilled art form and has given life to many beloved stories that appeal to children and...
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Posted Jun. 27, 2025

Celticism in fantasy literature

The Celtic cultures of northwestern Europe, spread across Ireland, Britain, and France, have long histories with rich folklore and mythology that have inspired many tales across the years, recently being used as the foundation for many fantasy novels. Some stories use figures and events in Celtic mythology as basic inspiration...
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Posted Feb. 20, 2025

Forgotten railways: exploring Europe’s abandoned train routes

Europe’s train routes are considered by many to be some of the best in the world, from the bustling London underground to the rural northernmost Scandinavian lines. But over history, with the construction of such an extensive network, certain sections have inevitably fallen into disuse and been abandoned. While many...
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Posted Feb. 19, 2025