The ancient DNA project connected to Winchester Cathedral is one of those rare historical investigations that feels almost unreal when you first hear about it. Hidden high above the cathedral chancel are a series of painted wooden mortuary chests which are believed to contain the bones of some of the most important people from Anglo-Saxon England.

With the news that the Natural History Museum (NHM) has surpassed the British Museum in visitor numbers (seven million as opposed to six million a year) a new focus on the collection of dinosaur fossils and models has started. Many of the dinosaur models were gifts from Andrew Carnegie, who was born in Scotland and never forgot his British roots. They include the model of a Diplodocus (‘Dippy’) which used to be seen as you entered the NHM.

Vincent Square in the Westminster area of London looks peaceful today, but it has a history that is far more interesting than many visitors might expect. I first looked into its name when I was meeting clients at a hotel there and discovered a story I did not know before. It is a good example of how even a familiar place in London can open up unexpected connections to the past.