It's time for this another Random Friday! This month is the despatch box which belonged to Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. The despatch box was originally used to carry important documents. #TowerRandom

Learn more about the life of Perceval on our blog: ow.ly/nOgz50QZuNP

Kicking off a new series of blogs on our ‘Inside the Act Room’ platform titled ‘A Year Like No Other’. We begin by going back half a century to 1974 when there was twelve months filled with incident, intrigue & two elections. Making for a really good read! ow.ly/u7ou50Re4tb

Adding itself to the pantheon of great books based in World War One is Alice Winn’s much acclaimed ‘In Memoriam’. A love story between two soldiers who met in public school & later find themselves trying to survive the horrors of the Western Front detailed in this map. #TowerWW1

After the recent finale of the Olympic themed Great British Menu we are warming up for the Games in the summer. This letter from our collection discusses the 1948 London Games describing them as 'magnificent' and the 5,000 metre runners having to run through heavy rain. #TowerTV

'Sherlock Holmes & the Whitechapel Fiend' was a comedy play put on in Barn Theatre, based in 1888 Holmes & Watson try to uncover Jack the Ripper's identity. In 1888, after the Whitechapel murders, 500 people signed a petition for the better protection of women. #TowerPetitions

As icons go Bob Marley is top of the pops. So, it’s no surprise that ‘One Love’ has been a big smash at the flicks. Featuring all his classic hits that became the soundtrack for a new Jamaica that emerged in the post-independence era (see the historic 1962 Act below). #TowerActs

Finishing off our Inside a Collection Spring culture browse with the 'Cute' exhibition at Somerset House exploring the power of cuteness. We don't have any cute plushies in our archive collection, this stuffed bear is the closest we have to a teddy bear. #TowerCulture

Over at the Royal Academy its ‘Entangled Pasts’ exhibition features artwork connected to colonialism. Included amongst the exhibits is ‘Middle Passage’ by Frank Bowling. In a nod to his Guyanese roots here’s a 1968 order tabled by their newly independent Parliament. #TowerCulture

The exhibition 'The Glass Heart' put on at Two Temple Place celebrates the beautiful and delicate art that can be made from glass. Some glass-adjacent art from our collection with this design drawing of a stained glass window from 1844. #TowerCulture

The Queen's Gallery exhibition 'Holbein at the Tudor Court' showcasing his works. One of Holbein's portraits of Henry VIII and family is listed in this list of late King Charles I treasures priced at £15 in 1660. #TowerCulture

Find out more on our blog archives.blog.parliament.uk/2018/02/20/kin…

Let’s go culture vulturing as ‘Inside a Collection’ celebrates some real spring gems open now. Kicking off at the V & A with their lauded ‘DIVA’ exhibition. Giving us the opportunity to show again this wonderful photograph of Marlene Dietrich on the Commons Terrace. #TowerCulture

Hampstead Theatre audiences have been lapping up their latest production titled ‘The Divine Mrs S’ that celebrates the stage career of Sarah Siddons a leading West End light in the late 18th Century when the infamous riots took place on Drury Lane (see below). #TowerProclamations

First, we had the vinyl record revival & now that eighties staple the cassette tape is making a comeback. Though for real authenticity they need to be played on a stereo stack with dimensions akin to a pizza oven… Like this example from Parliament’s audio sound days. #TowerRetro

The trend of taking ice water baths is not new development. Did you know Charles Darwin was a fan of cold water plunging? In the hopes that this would relieve his various ailments. From our collection, this contemporary article from 1878 which discusses Darwinism. #TowerFunFact

Great to see such good use made of our collections!

It’s me! Do take a look at this Act, sometimes called the first piece of feminist legislation. Filmed in Parliament Archives Collection Care studios #WomensHistoryMonth

There are many ongoing campaigns to save and protect the UK's traditional orchards and their products such as cider. In 1763 the Cider Act put a tax on cider making which caused outrage. This was soon repealed in the 1766 Cider Act (see below). #TowerActs

Whoever came up with the concept to create an animated version of ‘Dad’s Army’ (broadcast last year) really nailed the brief. From our collections a photograph of the Palace of Westminster’s WW2 Home Guard. Now who would be the Captain Mainwaring ‘type’ within the ranks? #TowerTV

It's time for another Random Friday, this month a volume from our collection full of uniform sketches from 1948-1955. This page features a fully annotated sketch of the dashing uniform of the deputy Serjeant-at-Arms. #TowerRandom

Today is the International Day of Forests, which was created to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance forest. So what better forest to celebrate than the historic Forest of Dean? From our collection, this beautiful plan of the Forest of Dean from 1787. #TowerPlans