Did you know that London was the original robot battlefield, using radar unit produced by the Radiation Lab at MIT, creating automated anti-aircraft fire to bring down German V-1 flying bombs? Terminator must have spoke cockney, originally, albeit designed by American Hendrik Wade Bode?
Stuart Glendinning Hall
History —
Category Archives: History
Save the Bowstring Bridge
I thought I should report this from the Leicester Civic Society as I understand there’s a petition to save the Western Bridge:
“The ‘Bowstring Bridge’ viaduct at the junction of Western Boulevard and Braunstone Gate has been a Leicester landmark since the 1890s and is now under imminent threat of demolition.
“De Montfort University now own the [...]
New York was once in Leicestershire hands
While my uncle is reportedly the last surviving member of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment I was reminded of the history of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment today with a visit to the Newake Houses Museum. Little did I know that in 1776 the forerunner to the regiment, the 17th Regiment of Foot, helped capture New York [...]
Painting the Forth Bridge to be a thing of the past - well, almost
Story from The Telegraph..
“Work on giving the Forth Bridge its last coat of paint for at least 20 to 30 years is being accelerated. Balfour Beatty, the engineering group, has promised to try to complete the most famous painting job in Britain by 2012 and finally consign the familiar bon mot “like painting the Forth [...]
“Summits”
Christ’s Fellow Professor David Reynolds and alumnus Russell Barnes (m. 1987) have teamed up again to make a series of films entitled “Summits”. Ranging from Chamberlain and Hitler to Reagan and Gorbachev, this three-part series will air on BBC4 on Wednesdays at 9pm, starting on Wednesday 30 January, with repeats probably on Thursdays and [...]
Mercurial systems
One to watch - Mercury Computer Systems (MRCY) which recently launched Visage Imaging. 52 Week High = 14.66; currently pretty near the low; watch?
PS: Talking about ‘mercury’ heard the amazing news that the first emperor of China is reportedly buried with rivers of mercury surrounding him. Got to get to that exhibition at the [...]
Calais
We’re staying right next to the old tower in the centre of Calais!
A little bit of China comes to London
Thanks to Robert, and the BBC, just found out that a little bit of China comes to London in September:
“China’s famed Terracotta Army is to star in an exhibition about its first emperor at the British Museum.
“About 20 life-size figures from the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi are being loaned for the event.
“The [...]
Winston Churchill gets the chop
Sad to hear Winston Churchill has been dropped from the history syllabus, according to the Sun.
I appreciate not everyone thinks Churchill was a great hero, but that’s no reason to give me the boot, after all who else would have done his job?
So to my one and only Churchill anecdote! Leading European political historian [...]
Battle of Brunanburh
Why is the Battle of Brunanburh important? “This poorly recalled battle is actually one of the most important in British history since Athelstan’s crushing defeat of the combined Norse-Celtic force facing him (King Athelstan) irrevocably confirmed England as an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, forcing the Celtic kingdoms to consolidate in the positions they occupy today.” [Thanks to [...]