This is being posted in Black History Month: an important time in history, for a period, whilst curricula chose (for diplomatics reasons or otherwise) not to teach the young people of the UK about “the End of Empire” or about what preceded it or about life beyond what is now the Commonwealth - not to mention the tensions of integration in past decades as those, in the UK, who were less-well-educated and less-well-travelled had to get their heads around changes to the people and customs they were seeing. It was nothing new in some places. In others it was. “New” meant one thing in one place; another in another. Times have changed, of course, since the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2010s. What we watch on the internet or TV from overseas feels closer to “home”. What those fortunate few (who can afford the medical insurance, passports, flights, etc) to travel and see overseas and report back has changed too. Often it is forgotten, courtesy of the internet or TV, that the USA is a long way further from the UK than Europe and Africa and the Middle East. It is often more expensive to get to as well. It is also forgotten, at times, that British and American (and indeed European) history are not quite so intertwined, at all times, as we might perceive or wish to believe: fog in the English channel has also been fog in the Atlantic at times. Indeed, there has even been fog between London and other British cities - and between London and the countryside. Everywhere is not anywhere. Anywhere is not everywhere. Even if ubiquitous retail chains like McDonalds, Nandos, Tescos, Morrisons and others may make us feel like the opposite is the case. There was a time, before the Empire (no I don’t mean Star Wars! that’s the point!), that David Olusoga advises saw the Catholic Church of the Mediterranean courting favour with African leaders. There was a time when King James I of England VI of Scotland had an Ambassador located in India. Presumably people travelled in both directions. Marco Polo and “Samurai William”, not to mention Caractacus in Rome, are worth a look too. There’s a big planet out there - and many of the issues raised by Black History Month are human issues: as applicable in Western China or South America or Eastern Europe as they are in the UK; but to different peoples. And, in that context, prejudice is an idea worth being careful with. So, just as the global history of all peoples matters in the other eleven months of the year too, here’s something to prompt a decent debate. It does not even limit itself to skin colour - which is, in itself, is refreshing - as every straight Christian male of African heritage and a certain age will doubtless appreciate.

A poem to enable discussion of gender politics in an ancient but familiar, and mathematical, context. Incidentally, what is the maximum possible number of Queens on the board?