Sir Frederick "Boy" Browning (1896–1965) was a British Army general who has been called the "father of the British airborne forces". He was also an Olympic bobsleigh competitor, and the husband of author Daphne du Maurier. Educated at Eton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards in 1915 and served on the Western Front in the First World War. During the Second World War, Browning commanded the I Airborne Corps in Operation Market Garden in September 1944. During the planning for this operation, he was alleged to have said: "I think we might be going a bridge too far." In December 1944 he became chief of staff of Admiral Lord Mountbatten's South East Asia Command. After the war Browning was comptroller and treasurer to Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh. After she ascended to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, Browning became treasurer in the Office of the Duke of Edinburgh. (Full article...)

Two dresses from The Girl Who Lived in the Tree

The Girl Who Lived in the Tree is the 32nd collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, made for the Autumn/Winter 2008 season. The primary inspirations were British culture and national symbols, particularly the British monarchy, as well as the clothing of India during the British Raj. It was presented through the narrative of a fairy tale about a feral girl who lived in a tree before falling in love with a prince and descending to become a princess. The collection's runway show was staged on 29 February 2008 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris. Forty-two looks were featured in two phases: during the first the ensembles were all in black and white, with most having a slim, tailored silhouette; those from the second were richly coloured, with luxurious materials and embellishments (examples pictured). Critical response was positive, and in retrospect it is regarded as one of McQueen's best collections. Garments from the collection are held by various museums. (Full article...)

New Brompton F.C. in 1894

During their 1894–95 season, New Brompton F.C. (known as Gillingham F.C. since 1912) competed in the Southern Football League Division Two. The club had been formed a year earlier but in the inaugural season played only friendly matches and games in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup and FA Amateur Cup. In 1894, New Brompton turned professional and joined the newly formed Southern League. The team dominated Division Two of the new league, winning all but one of their matches, and gained promotion to Division One by winning an end-of-season "test match" against Swindon Town, who had finished bottom of the higher division. New Brompton also entered the FA Cup, reaching the third qualifying round. The team played 15 competitive matches, winning 13, drawing none, and losing two. Arthur Rule was the team's top goalscorer for the season. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home, the Athletic Ground, was approximately 8,000 for the visit of Chatham in the FA Cup. (Full article...)