Ian Bradley

The Mighty MacCailean Mór

No Scottish clan is as controversial as the Campbells. Yet, says Ian Bradley, the opening of its Argyll Mausoleum offers a chance to re-assess a contentious past.

The English Sunday

Since Tudor times, and for four centuries, the observance of the Sabbath was strictly enjoined by Government regulation.

The Old Vic

Since its foundation, writes Ian Bradley, the Old Vic theatre became in turn a drinking den, a temperance hall, and the home of serious ballet and drama.

St Columba, Scotland's First Minister

Though Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, the influence of St Columba on Scottish Christianity remains profound. Ian Bradley examines the Celtic evangelist’s legacy 1,450 years after his arrival on the Hebridean island of Iona.

Priessnitz: Keep Taking the Liquids

Ian Bradley looks at the life of Vincent Priessnitz, pioneer of hydrotherapy, whose water cures gained advocates throughout 19th-century Europe and beyond and are still popular today.

W.S. Gilbert: He was an Englishman

Ian Bradley examines the achievements of the surprisingly radical Victorian dramatist and librettist who, in collaboration with the composer Arthur Sullivan, created classic satires of English national identity.