Sometimes it takes a scandal for progress to be made. I’m sure you can think of examples from recent times, and the same was true in the Victorian era. Whether it was conditions in workhouses, prostitution, or the treatment of domestic servants, it was often the discovery of shocking abuses that prompted changes in the law. In Rosalind Crone’s cover feature, on page 57, she highlights eight episodes where public outcries helped change society for the better.

The 19th century was also notable as the highpoint of Britain’s imperial dominance, but by the early 20th century the empire was beginning to creak. In spite of that, an enormous festival was held in Wembley in 1924, celebrating the achievements of the colonies. Nowadays such a venture would be greeted with suspicion, and even then it had its critics, but it also attracted more than half the population of Britain through its doors. In his piece on page 20, Matthew Parker looks back at the British Empire Exhibition from a century’s distance.

One of the joys of having slightly older children is that they watch TV programmes that aren’t completely unbearable for adult viewers. And there’s no better example of that than Horrible Histories. It’s brilliantly entertaining and a great way to initiate an interest in the past – who doesn’t want to know about medieval poo? This month, the programme is celebrating its 15th anniversary and on page 11 we’ve spoken to some of its creators to find out how they bring the very old to the very young.