The development of the Bessemer process for the mass production of steel led to the development of the shipbuilding industry and the railways.Manufacturing jobs became the main source of employment in Britain.

Laws can be divided into criminal law and civil law:Criminal law relates to crimes, which are usually investigated by the police or another authority such as a council, and which are punished by the courts; and Civil law is used to settle disputes between individuals or groups.

Margaret Thatcher was the daughter of a grocer from Grantham in Lincolnshire. She trained as a chemist and lawyer.

Proceedings in Parliament are broadcast on television and published in official reports called Hansard. Written reports can be found in large libraries and at www.parliament.uk.

Prime Minister’s Questions is an important opportunity for the leader of the opposition to point out what they see as the government’s failures and weaknesses. It takes place every week while Parliament is sitting.

Political cartoons continue to be published in newspapers, and magazines such as Private Eye continue the tradition of satire.

Many MPs, SMs and MSPs hold regular local surgeries’ where constituents can go in person to talk about issues that are of concern to them. These surgeries are often advertised in the local newspaper.

In 1860 Florence Nightingale established the Nightingale Training School for nurses at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. The school was the first of its kind and still exists today, as do many of the practices that Florence used. She is often regarded as the founder of modern nursing.

British society is founded on fundamental values and principles which all those living in the UK should respect and support.

Sir Walter de la Mare, John Masefield, Sir John Betjeman and Ted Hughes are popular poets of recent times.

Donated blood is used by hospitals to help people with a wide range of injuries and illnesses. Giving blood only takes about an hour to do.

All of the elected MPs form the House of Commons. Most MPs belong to a political party, and the party with the majority of MPs forms the government.

To get a UK driving licence you must pass a driving test, which tests both your knowledge and your practical skills.

Henry VIll was succeeded by his son Edward VI, who was strongly Protestant.

A very impressive hill fort can still be seen today at Maiden Castle, in the English county of Dorset.

James Il’s elder daughter, Mary, was married to her cousin William of Orange, the Protestant ruler of the Netherlands. In 1688, important Protestants in England asked William to invade England and proclaim himself king.

The National Horseracing Museum is located in Newmarket, Suffolk.

The London Eye is situated on the southern bank of the River Thames and is a Ferris wheel that is 443 feet (135 metres) tall. It was originally built as part of the UK’s celebration of the new millennium and continues to be an important part of New Year celebrations.

Most people live in towns and cities but much of Britain is still countryside. Many people continue to visit the countryside for holidays and for leisure activities such as walking, camping and fishing.

Following his death in 1965, Winston Churchill was given a state funeral. He remains a much-admired figure to this day, and in 2002 was voted the greatest Briton of all time by the public.

King Richard III of the House of York was killed in the battle and Henry Tudor, the leader of the House of Lancaster, became King Henry VII. Henry then married King Richard’s niece, Elizabeth of York, and united the two families. Henry was the first king of the House of Tudor.

The White Tower in the Tower of London is an example of a Norman castle keep, built on the orders of William the Conqueror.

Father’s Day is the third Sunday in June. On this day, children send cards or buy gifts for their fathers.

A national system of benefits was introduced to provide ‘social security’, so that the population would be protected from the ‘cradle to the grave’.