Last of the Summer Wine is a British National Television Award winning sitcom which airs on BBC One and is written by Roy Clarke and produced and directed by Alan J. W. Bell. Last of the Summer Wine originally premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973, with the first series of episodes following on 12 November 1973. The 30th series premiered on 19 April 2009 and concluded on 21 June 2009. On the 26 June 2009 the BBC announced that it had recommissioned the show for its 31st series, consisting of six episodes to be broadcast in 2010. Reruns of the show air in the UK on satellite stations UKTV Gold and UKTV Drama and in over twenty-five countries, including various PBS stations in the United States. Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running comedy programme in Britain and the longest-running sitcom in the world.

Set and filmed in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England, the plot centres around a trio of older men, the lineup of whom has changed over the years, but originally consisted of the scruffy and child-like Compo, deep-thinking and meek Clegg, and authoritarian and snobbish Blamire, who was replaced by war veteran Foggy after two series in 1976. The three never seem to grow up, revelling in youthful stunts, and always finding a unique perspective on their equally eccentric fellow townspeople. (read more . . . )

Joseph Priestley (13 March 1733 (old style) – 6 February 1804) was an 18th-century British theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works. He is usually credited with the discovery of oxygen gas. Priestley was born to an established Dissenting family in West Yorkshire.

During his lifetime, Priestley's considerable scientific reputation rested on his invention of soda water, his writings on electricity, and his discovery of several "airs" (gases), the most famous being what Priestley dubbed "dephlogisticated air" (oxygen). However, Priestley's determination to reject what would become the chemical revolution and to cling to phlogiston theory eventually left him isolated within the scientific community.

Priestley's science was integral to his theology, and he consistently tried to fuse Enlightenment rationalism with Christian theism. In his metaphysical texts, Priestley attempted to combine theism, materialism, and determinism, a project that has been called "audacious and original". He believed that a proper understanding of the natural world would promote human progress and eventually bring about the Christian Millennium. Priestley, who strongly believed in the free and open exchange of ideas, advocated toleration and equal rights for religious Dissenters, which also led him to help found Unitarianism. (read more . . . )

Hull City Association Football Club, an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, was founded in 1904. The team's first competitive matches came in the FA Cup, being beaten 4–1 by Stockton in a replay following a 3–3 draw, before they were elected to the Football League Second Division ahead of the 1905–06 season. Hull missed out on promotion in the 1909–10 season, having an inferior goal average to Oldham Athletic and finishing in third. The 1929–30 season saw Hull relegated to the Third Division North after 21 seasons in the Second Division while reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Arsenal after a replay. Promotion back to the Second Division was achieved three years later, with the Third Division North championship becoming the club's first major honour. However, they were relegated in the 1935–36 season and it was 13 years before another return to the Second Division was made, when, under the player-management of former England international Raich Carter, the Third Division North title was won. Relegation back to this division came in the 1955–56 season and following League reorganisation implemented for the 1958–59 season Hull won promotion in the Third Division's inaugural season, although they were relegated after one year.

The Third Division championship was won in the 1965–66 season and Hull remained in the Second Division for 12 years before relegation in 1978. Hull reached the semi-final of the Watney Cup in the tournament's inaugural staging in 1970, where they were beaten by Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out; this was the first game in English football to be decided by this method. The Final of this competition was reached in 1974, where Hull were beaten by Stoke City. Relegation to the Fourth Division for the first time in the club's history came in 1981 and a return to the Third Division was secured two years later in the 1982–83 season. The season after, Hull reached the final of the Associate Members' Cup in its inaugural season and were beaten by AFC Bournemouth. Promotion to the Second Division came the following season, although relegations in the 1990–91 and 1995–96 seasons saw the club return to the fourth tier.Hull's first play-off campaign ended unsuccessfully, being beaten by Leyton Orient in the semi-final in the 2000–01 season. However, successive promotions in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons saw Hull rise from the fourth tier to the second tier in a space of two years. After 104 years of existence, Hull were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history, beating Watford in the play-off semi-finals and Bristol City in the 2008 Football League Championship play-off final. Hull's first Premier League season saw safety from relegation ensured on the last day of the season, although the club was relegated the following season after finishing 19th in the league. Three years later, Hull returned to the Premier League after finishing the 2012–13 season as Championship runners-up. In the 2013–14 season they achieved their highest ever league finish of 16th and were runners-up to Arsenal in their first ever FA Cup Final appearance. Since then, they have been relegated to the Championship and promoted again. (Full article...)

• ... that St. Oswald's church, Oswaldkirk (pictured), hosted the first sermon of the future Archbishop of Canterbury and chaplain to Charles II, John Tillotson?
• ... that York City have recorded more league victories against Rochdale than against any other club, having beaten them 43 times from 100 attempts?
• ... that Blair Athol won the 1864 Derby despite getting repeatedly kicked in the genitals by a lad paid by bookmakers to prevent him from competing, and later sired Silvio, who also won the Derby in 1877?