The Anne Boleyn thing rings a slight bell! RD are hard to crack. I had one letter published by them years ago. Never had a commission for an article, but the letter paid about £60, I think, so that was worthwhile!

The Oldie might be a good home for your funny true anecdotes. It's the sort of thing they publish. I've never cracked them either, but perhaps I'm not old enough, or bad tempered enough! Not suggesting you're bad tempered, but they do like a good rant.

Or you could try Best of British for longer pieces... although don't give them exclusivity, or wait for a response, because their communication is non-existent, competition is fierce, and a lot of stuff just disappears into a black hole.