Serendipity ?
If you’re bored and just want to wander somewhere at random, then try these pages.
Maybe you yearn for excitement and aggression ? How about the “so called” last battle between civilian armies on English soil ? Brunel’s private army of 3,000 navvies marched on Mickleton Tunnel in Worcestershire in 1861 to “have a set to”.
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Have you ever wondered why London’s Circle Line trains are so slow ? Don’t blame the train operating company – it’s just a matter of mathematics.
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Years ago we were told at school that the whole of the world’s population would fit on the Isle of Wight. However, you are probably wondering if this is still true today. Wonder no more.
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Oh to be 16 again !
· Did you know that a 16 year old living in England can get married in Scotland without parental consent, but needs their consent to leave home in order to travel to Scotland for the wedding !
· Did you know that a 16 year old is not old enough to drive a car in England, but is old enough to fly an aeroplane solo ?
· Did you know that a 16 year old is allowed to beg for money on the streets, but is not allowed to borrow money for another two years ?
Citizens of England can hop through this minefield here.
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Are you puzzled why it takes more than 2,000 qualified staff just to build a simple office block in any city centre ? Perhaps you wonder why it takes over two years to carry out one year’s worth of work on a building site ? “Electrician – know thy place” gives a simple explanation to these conundrums.
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Talking of “jobs for the boys”, industry came up with a brilliant wheeze in the 1980s dedicated to creating and perpetuating jobs for life – they originally called it “Quality Assurance” for the want of a better name (like “investor in circular paper trails” maybe ?). It was so successful that within 10 years every developed country in the world had adopted it. It has to be Britain’s biggest export of all time. They even changed its name to “Quality Management Systems” to give it veritas and a broader international appeal. Learn all about ISO 9000 (or BS 5750 if you are very very old).
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If all this is getting a little too heavy for you, then it’s time for a wry smile – don’t forget, the old ones are the best !
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In 1836 there was ‘a spot of bother’ in Brunswick, or to be more precise, in the town of Osterode in the Harz Mountains. The Duke of Brunswick (coincidentally, our very own King William IV) managed to settle the matter from his Pavilion in Brighton. The citizens of Osterode were not so impressed with the settlement !
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How about a selection of quite specialist photos which may interest you ? Tramp Steamers of the 1920s, including a particularly fine photo of a ship which broke its back, then sailed backwards (rear half only) from the Red Sea to Calcutta !
Which leads nicely into photos of Mesopotamia, Suez and India, all taken in the 1920s by crew on the above-mentioned tramps steamers.
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I’m useless with a camera, but that hasn’t stopped me photographing wildlife in our village, particularly anything unusual.
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That’s enough of our wanderings – this next index takes you to serious subjects like Family Histories, Public Transport, Biographies etc.. Click here if you are still interested.
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