View Full Version : The day - today
Pigmy Pony
06-09-2024, 17:20
The places I've been in France (except Paris), if you hadn't got your snap in for the day by 0700 you were knackered.
I don't think they've ever heard of Spar.
Although that was a long time ago now.
Yeah they have Spar shops these days, I used the one in Cap d'Agde a few times this year. Just like the ones at home except:
-Mostly foreign food (even their baked beans looked wrong)
-Twice the cost of here
-Bugger all choice of cereals.
Big Hyper U stores better on price and they sell everything (85" telly for 1200 euros anyone?)
As for the restaurants - the first time I went I found the French had a huge restaurant chain called 'FERME'. I never got to try their food because they were always bloody shut :( McDonalds saved our lives a few times.
Pigmy Pony
06-09-2024, 17:24
https://www.aqueduc.fr/wp-content/uploads/agde-2015-2-1067x600.jpg
Hyper U Agde from a distance. Car park looks quiet, might be a good day for a deal on a giant telly.
I remember going to a Mamut, it had a massive record section, pricey though.
Mostly we was out in the sticks though. '84 to '87. I think McDonalds were still banned there then. Maybe there was one in Paris.
Where we are staying (an Air B&B flat) there is a very good shop next door that sells just about everything, and is open 24 hours.
Yes, there is a Mamut here. The only time I have bought records in France, it has been in Paris. The prices were no different to what they were in the UK.
Yes, there is a Mamut here. The only time I have bought records in France, it has been in Paris. The prices were no different to what they were in the UK.
Depends on the exchange rate I suppose. They were asking the equivalent of £7 for LPs that were a fiver in the UK at the time.
I can't remember the prices. The last time was four years ago and we bought a couple of CDs of a Cameroonian singer, whose output is difficult to obtain in the UK. Before that it was some time in the '90s and I bought a couple of LPs of Tibetan music; again somewhat specialised so I wasn't expecting them to be cheap.
Not quite "The Day Today", but I think Members might be sad to learn that Zoot Money of Zoot Money and the Big Roll Band died yesterday (08.09.24), age 82.
I only saw him the once at the Upton upon Seven jazz and blues festival, and found his act enjoyable and great fun to watch.
RIP Zoot.
We're running out of finance-related musicians.
Zoot Money's gone, Eddie Money went a few years back and Gary U.S Bonds is 85 so only a matter of time.
I suppose the rot set in when 'Dollar' disbanded in the 1980s.
Well Abdullah Ibrahim, the South African jazz pianist who, during the apartheid era, had to perform under the name 'Dollar Brand' is still with us at the age of 89.
But yes they are fast leaving us. :(
Pigmy Pony
09-09-2024, 21:50
We're running out of finance-related musicians.
Zoot Money's gone, Eddie Money went a few years back and Gary U.S Bonds is 85 so only a matter of time.
You forgot Johnny Cash. And The Three Tenners have been down to two for some time. But we still have 50 Cent, which is nice :)
:lol: Great work there chaps, great work!
OK, let's get back to today in history and today's birthdays:
10 September 1960
Running barefoot, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila won the marathon in Rome to become the first Black African to win Olympic gold.
10 September 2023
The UK's hottest-ever September was declared as temperatures soared above 30C for six consecutive days. (I remember it well!)
Birthdays:
Joe Perry, rock musician (Aerosmith), 74
Carol Decker, singer (T'Pau), 67.
Pigmy Pony
11-09-2024, 13:27
2001 - Al Qaeda had their day in the sun with the four plane crashes in the US - one in Pennsylvania, one at the Pentagon, and two hitting the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, killing 44, 125 and 2606 respectively.
1895 - The FA Cup was stolen, and remained a mystery for 68 years, then an 83 year old man confessed to nicking it and melting it down to make counterfeit half crowns.
1962 - The Beatles complete the recording of their first single "Love Me Do" at Abbey Road studios.
2014 - The Society of Biology stated that unusually warm temperatures had prompted flying ants to leave their nests early. Seagulls had themselves a proper feast, and became more aggressive - it was assumed that they'd got pissed on all the formic acid in the ants' bodies. I would have thought 11th September would be way past Flying Ant Day, but who am I to argue with the Society of Biology.
Well spotted Steve, though some claim 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attack.
11 September 1297
William Wallace defeated the English at Stamford Bridge.
11 September 1978
Bulgarian defector Georgi Mark over was stabbed by a poisoned umbrella point wielded by an unknown secret agent at a London bus stop.
Birthdays:
Moby , musician, 59
Richard Ashcroft, musician (The Verve), 53.
12 September 1440
Eton College was founded by Henry VI for 25 poor and needy scholars. Prefects were told to look for 'ill-kempt heads, unwashed faces and foul clothes'. (Doesn't that description remind you of a fairly recent alumnus?)
500 years on:
12 September 1940
The Lascaux cave paintings, estimated to be 17,000 years old, were discovered in France.
12 September 1970
Concorde landed at Heathrow for the first time, sparking a barrage of noise complaints.
12 September 1977
South African black activist Steve Biko died after six days in police custody.
12 September 2013
Voyager 1, launched 36 years earlier, became the first nan-made spacecraft to leave our solar system.
Pigmy Pony
12-09-2024, 21:56
12 September 1440
Eton College was founded by Henry VI for 25 poor and needy scholars. Prefects were told to look for 'ill-kempt heads, unwashed faces and foul clothes'. (Doesn't that description remind you of a fairly recent alumnus?)
500 years on:
12 September 1940
The Lascaux cave paintings, estimated to be 17,000 years old, were discovered in France.
12 September 1970
Concorde landed at Heathrow for the first time, sparking a barrage of noise complaints.
12 September 1977
South African black activist Steve Biko died after six days in police custody.
12 September 2013
Voyager 1, launched 36 years earlier, became the first nan-made spacecraft to leave our solar system.
When it comes to rocket science there's no substitute for a lifetime's experience :) Though Anita is a nan these days and there's no way I'd go up in anything she built :nono: 36 years to leave our solar system? :eek: Space is big.
Edit: I seem to spend a lot of time poking fun at Barry's predictive spelling, I'll try to refrain...
You would have thought predictive texting would have come up with "man-made" over "nan-made" (sic), whereas it was just me, my fat thumb and the adjacent letters 'n' and 'm' on the keyboard!
Actually I though you might pick up on my comment concerning a recent PM and former pupil at Eton.
former pupil at Eton.
I couldn't possibly imagine who you mean! :lol:
Pigmy Pony
13-09-2024, 17:56
I couldn't possibly imagine who you mean! :lol:
Me neither.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WaQAAOSwvdxdVnS7/s-l1600.webp
Birthdays today:
Don McLean, singer, 79
Sting, singer, 73.
31 October 1571
Martin Luther nailed his 95 'theses' to the church door at Wittenberg, inadvertently sparking the Reformation which split the Church.
31 October 1795
Poet John Keats was born in London.
31 October 1940
The Battle of Britain ended. The RAF lost 915 aircraft, the Luftwaffe 1,733 during the campaign.
31 October 1941
After 14 years, work was completed on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.
31 October 1958
Dr. Ake Senning implanted the first internal heart pacemaker during an operation in Stockholm.
31 October 2011
The UN estimated the world population had reached 7 billion. It now stands at 8.2 billion.
Birthdays:
Johnny Marr, guitarist, 61
Vanilla Ice, rapper, 57.
1 November 1512
Michelangelo unveiled his painting on the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
1 November 1755
An earthquake reduced most of Lisbon, Portugal to rubble, killing 70,000 people.
1 November 1848
WHSmith opened its first railway bookstall at Euston Station in London.
1 November 1922
Radio licences went on sale for ten shillings (50p).
1 November 1956
ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) was born as Premium Bonds first went on sale.
1 November 1993
The Maastricht Treaty came into effect, bringing into existence the European Union.
Birthdays:
Anthony Kiedis, rock singer (Red Hot Chilli Peppers), 62
Pigmy Pony
02-11-2024, 09:07
2 November 1981 - Citizens Band Radio (CB Radio) legally allowed in Britain. So that's a big ten four to Hillman Avengers with giant whippy aerials :)
1959 - The opening of Watford Gap services, the oldest motorway services in Britain. Watford Gap has long been hailed as the unofficial cut-off point between the two parts of the country, with 'southerners' sometime criticised for not venturing north of it.
https://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/images/onthisday/watford_gap_sign.jpg
Despite, at one time, frequently driving up and down the M1, I don't think I ever used the Watford Gap. :scratch:
As a child I was fascinated by Motorway services, especially the ones with a bridge across the carriageway, and in particular Lancaster services:
https://i.ibb.co/PNdb5x1/Forton-tower.jpg (https://ibb.co/pxSs324)
In those days there was a restaurant in the tower. Eating there would have been impossibly glamourous.
My father would never stop there as in his words 'I'm not made of money.'
Pigmy Pony
02-11-2024, 14:49
Looking quite shabby lately, a lot of rust. Shame really, somebody should throw some money at it. Not surprised your dad wouldn't stump up for a meal in the Pennine Tower Martin (that's what it was called), have a look at this menu from the 60s:
https://motorwayservices.uk/download/PennineTowerMenu.pdf
No doubt petrol was 4/6 a gallon in those days.
Pigmy Pony
02-11-2024, 16:56
No doubt petrol was 4/6 a gallon in those days.
Yes it was about that, which on the face of it looks really cheap, but in that year average wages were around £15 a week. So your wage might buy you about 65 gallons. Compare that to this year where average wage is reported to be around £690 pw (not round here it ain't), and based on fuel prices working out at a little under £6.50 per gallon, your wage could get you about 105 gallons. We've never had it so good :)
4 November 1843
Nelson's Column was completed in Trafalgar Square, London.
4 November 185
The building of the the new House of Commons was completed with the opening of the Press Gallery.
4 November 1922
The tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered by Howard Carter and Lord Canarvon in Egypt.
4 November 2008
Barack Obama was elected as the first Black president of the United States.
Birthdays:
Loretta Swit, (played "Hotlips" in the 60's US comedy 'Mash'), 87
Louise Redknapp, singer (Eternal), 50.
7 November 1867
Scientist Marie Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland. She and her husband Pierre shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 and she was awarded a second Prize in 1911 for her discovery of radium.
7 November 1872
The Marie Celeste, the ill-fated brigantine, sailed from New York - and was found mysteriously abandoned near the Azores some time later.
7 November 1917
The Bolshevik Revolution, led by Lenin overthrew premier Alexnder Kerensky's government.
7 November 1974
Lord Lucan vanished following the murder of his children's nanny and serious assault of his wife. He has never been seen since.
Birthdays:
Joni Mitchell, singer and songwriter, 81
Tinie Tempah, rapper (Pass Out), 35.
Pigmy Pony
08-11-2024, 07:26
1958 - Melody Maker publishes the first British albums chart.
1970 - "Mamas and papas" singer Michelle Phillips divorces "Easy Rider" actor and director Dennis Hopper after enjoying eight days of marriage.
1987 - An IRA bomb exploded shortly before a Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, killing 11 people.
12 November 1035
King Canute (strictly spelt Cnut) King of England, died.
12 November 1660
John Bunyan, author of The Pilgram's Progress, was jailed for preaching without a licence.
11 November 1859
Rules Leotard, the inventor of the leotard, gave the world's first flying trapeze display.
11 November 1931
Abbey Road recording studio in London was opened by Sir Edward Elgar.
11 November 1944
The Tirpitz, last of Hitler's fleet of 'unsinkable battleships' was sunk off Norway by Lancaster bombers.
Birthday:
Neil Young, 79.
Pigmy Pony
16-12-2024, 08:58
1773 - Taxes by Britain on tea and other commodities led Samuel Adams and 150 "Sons of Liberty" disguised as Mohawk Indians to hold what became known as the Boston Tea Party. 342 chests were tossed into Boston harbour. The War of Independence had begun.
2013 - Figures showed that Britain paid more than £27m in aid to China last year. China, which has poured billions into its flagship space programme, has a GDP of £5.2 trillion compared with Britain's £1.5 trillion.
Pigmy Pony
17-12-2024, 18:19
17th December 1900 - A first prize of 100,000 francs was offered for communication with extraterrestrials, with Martians excluded as they were considered too easy.
Pigmy Pony
17-12-2024, 22:03
Yeah, I thought the wording was a bit odd, so I read up on it a bit. The Prix Pierre Guzman was awarded by the French Academie des sciences to the first person to communicate with and receive a response from a celestial body other than Mars. Many people at the time believed Mars to be inhabited and communication with that planet would not be a difficult enough challenge.
Pigmy Pony
18-12-2024, 07:15
17 December
My birthday.
:champagne::cheers::birthday: Happy birthday Barry! (for yesterday) :doh: I bet you don't look a year older than the day before :)
Gosh, how did we miss that? Belated happy returns of the day, Barry.
No you didn't miss it, the 'system' sent me a birthday greetings message.
I was just feeling a bit sorry for myself as my partner, who is Africa at the moment, and forgot my birthday, thinking it was tomorrow.
Pigmy Pony
21-12-2024, 12:24
21 December 1963 - under soil heating used for the first time at the Leeds Rugby League ground for their match against Dewsbury. Eeh that must have felt reet grand under t'feet :)
21 December 2013 - A poll showed that 1 in 10 people aged 25-34 in Britain thought that Father Christmas was mentioned in the biblical account of the birth of Jesus. Probably more than that now, I'd have to look on Facebook to be sure.
Frank Zappa's birthday today, he would have been 84 today. ("Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny")
21 December 1963 - under soil heating used for the first time at the Leeds Rugby League ground for their match against Dewsbury. Eeh that must have felt reet grand under t'feet :)
[/I]
Lol. What's most amazing is that something so extravagant started in Yorkshire.
I bet the water in the after match bath wasn't heated. 'What art thee lad? Soft or summat?'
Pigmy Pony
21-12-2024, 12:55
Lol. What's most amazing is that something so extravagant started in Yorkshire.
I bet the water in the after match bath wasn't heated. 'What art thee lad? Soft or summat?'
Probably take turns wit' tin bath in front of t'fire, they get 5 minutes each, using their ferret mascot as loofah. Hmm, is that racist? I'm sure they say worse about Lancashire folk.
Probably take turns wit' tin bath in front of t'fire, they get 5 minutes each, using their ferret mascot as loofah. Hmm, is that racist? I'm sure they say worse about Lancashire folk.
To anyone foreign or from south of Watford, we're all indistinguishable anyway.
Pigmy Pony
26-12-2024, 13:34
Exactly 150 years since Boxing day became an official Bank Holiday.
26 December 1900 - a relief crew arrived at the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides, only to find the previous crew of three lighthouse keepers had all disappeared without a trace. The mystery has never been resolved, but rumours and myths abound. Shame Scooby Doo wasn't around back then, they'd have been all over it.
26 December 1944 - Battle of Bastogne: US General George S. Patton's 3rd Army repulses German forces.
https://www.stripes.com/living/europe_travel/migrated.image.Image_31358871.jpg/alternates/LANDSCAPE_910/The%20Sherman%20tank%20on%20Bastogne39s%20McAuliff e%20Squar
Bastogne town centre complete with M4 Sherman tank. Been there a couple of times, nice place to visit, unlike 80 years ago.
26 December 1966 - Jimi Hendrix writes the song "Purple Haze" at the Upper Cut Club, London.
. Shame Scooby Doo wasn't around back then, they'd have been all over it.
.
There was a distinct lack of meddlesome kids back in 1900. Mostly they were down the pit or doing some other crappy job for buttons. Driving round in a VW camper solving mysteries just wasn't a viable option.
Now of course they could do and and probably get a You Tube channel out of it. Use a converted transit for the camper though, VW prices are through the roof, even for a knacker.
I always thought the most unrealistic thing about Scooby Do wasn't the improbable plotlines, but that the four of them plus a great dane - ffs - could be living comfortably in a VW camper.
In later episodes they have to cram Scrappy in there, too.
Pigmy Pony
26-12-2024, 18:14
I always thought the most unrealistic thing about Scooby Do wasn't the improbable plotlines, but that the four of them plus a great dane - ffs - could be living comfortably in a VW camper.
In later episodes they have to cram Scrappy in there, too.
Physics has the answer - being cartoons and therefore two dimensional, they can stack themselves and slip into the paper wallet that has a picture of a campervan on it.
Not unlike Eastenders, with its two dimensional characters and improbable plotlines.
Physics has the answer - being cartoons and therefore two dimensional, they can stack themselves and slip into the paper wallet that has a picture of a campervan on it.
I suppose you're going to tell me now that 'The Flintstones' is not an accurate depiction of life in the stone age?
Pigmy Pony
26-12-2024, 20:03
Well none of the ancient cave paintings include anything resembling wheels. And with sixty-odd million years separating the Cretaceous and Paleolithic periods it seems unlikely that Fred and Dino co existed.
True. His cat on the other hand is contemporary with early human civilisation so they got that right at least.
Although in reality it would have had his arm off up to the shoulder when he tried to put it out for the night.
Pigmy Pony
26-12-2024, 23:51
I think the cat was drugged.
Of course I do believe Fred existed. And Wilma. And Barney and his missus, whose name I can't remember but I always thought she was quite fit. Though I don't believe it was during the Stone Age, but more likely that The Flintstones was actually a series of short films by the Appalacian Tourist Board with the Meth labs airbrushed out so it could get a PG rating.
I know Dino came across as an affable character, but he could be a right bastard if anyone went near Fred's weed crop.
And Barney and his missus, whose name I can't remember but I always thought she was quite fit.
It was Betty Rubble, and yes, she was a babe.
It was Betty Rubble, and yes, she was a babe.
True. Also more tolerant of Barney's antics than Wilma was of Fred's.
I think the cat was drugged.
Of course I do believe Fred existed. And Wilma. And Barney and his missus, whose name I can't remember but I always thought she was quite fit. Though I don't believe it was during the Stone Age, but more likely that The Flintstones was actually a series of short films by the Appalacian Tourist Board with the Meth labs airbrushed out so it could get a PG rating.
I know Dino came across as an affable character, but he could be a right bastard if anyone went near Fred's weed crop.
If you are talking about Betty Rubble, then you are in completion with Lister in 'Red Dwarf', but he was resigned to the fact that Betty would never leave Barney.
Pigmy Pony
27-12-2024, 16:10
If you are talking about Betty Rubble, then you are in completion with Lister in 'Red Dwarf', but he was resigned to the fact that Betty would never leave Barney.
Ha, I was not aware of that, as I have only seen a limited amount of Red Dwarf over the years. Lister was the Craig Charles character iirc.
https://cdn4.volusion.store/usjmr-vhgfv/v/vspfiles/photos/HBCCS44-2T.jpg?v-cache=1734000038
Betty, has that Pigmy Pony been here again?
Pigmy Pony
30-12-2024, 08:20
30 December 1946 - Football League players threatened to strike over the proposed maximum wage of £11 per week.
30 December 1953 - The first NTSC colour TVs go on sale in America for about $1,175. So about 2 years' of English footballers' wages.
30 December 2013 - Forestry Commission figures showed that more than 5 million trees had been felled in Scotland since Alex Salmond came to power in 2007, to make way for wind farm developments, with fewer than 1.6 million planted to replace them.
1 January 1924
First broadcast of the shipping forecast on BBC radio.
Pigmy Pony
01-01-2025, 19:20
1 January 1924
First broadcast of the shipping forecast on BBC radio.
When I used to visit my mate at Achiltibuie each summer, I helped him with his lobster fishing business, and each morning we'd listen to the shipping forecast to see that it was safe to go out there. Though we never went more than a mile offshore, I think it made him feel a part of something bigger. Those were the days, conveniently forgetting about the frozen hands (even though it was June) made red raw from jellyfish stings because we were too stupid to wear gloves.
4 January 2024
World Braille Day. Held in honour and rememberence of Louis Braille, who having become completely blind after a childhood accident, invents a tactile reading system in which the letters of the alphabet and numerals are represented by various arrangement of six raised dots.
Pigmy Pony
05-01-2025, 00:07
4 January 1957 - A dissatisfied plastic surgeon patient was sentenced to ten years in prison after the threatened his surgeon with a gun, complaining that his nose was too short.
Reminds me of a news item a few years ago of a bloke who was desperate for a nose job but couldn't afford it, stuck the muzzle of an air rifle up his nostril and pulled the trigger. Then he reloaded the gun and shot out his other nostril :eek: Some strange folk about.
4 January 1967 - 46 year old Donald Campbell was killed trying to beat his own water speed record on Coniston Water. The Bluebird Project found the wreckage in October 2000, and recovered his body the following June.
4 January 1967 - 46 year old Donald Campbell was killed trying to beat his own water speed record on Coniston Water. The Bluebird Project found the wreckage in October 2000, and recovered his body the following June.
And the recovery was all started by Marillion… there’s an awesome track on their awesome album from 1995 “Afraid of Sunlight” callled “Out of This World” which was dedicated to Campbell and features his last broadcast from Bluebird before he crashed. The song inspired Bill Smith to look for the actual wreckage and the eventual recovery of the boat and Campbell’s body as you said. They remained heavily involved, various twists and turns in the story, but Bluebird is set to run on Coniston water again in 2026.
Bluebird is set to run on Coniston water again in 2026.
If they can find a space in the car park to park the boat trailer. Might have to move on some picnicking OAPs.
It's got a bit busier since 1968.
Pigmy Pony
05-01-2025, 13:54
Currently there's a 10mph speed limit on Coniston for powered crafts, so they really should check before dragging their boat along those narrow Ambleside to Coniston lanes.
Would it be the same craft or a new design? And who is going to make the attempt?
It’s the same craft - fully restored and has been trialled on Bute - interesting documentary here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2oVSlfmrvI
The whole issue has been contentious and litigious for decades, but she is finally back in the museum at Conniston.
https://ruskinmuseum.com/bluebird-k7-a-timeline/
Currently there's a 10mph speed limit on Coniston for powered crafts
I can imagine the Parky coming out as they finish the trial run 'What do you think you're doing, lads?'
Pigmy Pony
05-01-2025, 20:17
My brother used to have a speedboat moored on Windermere for water skiing (I had a go at it once but I'm not going to talk about how that went because it'll make me look like a right tit). But then a speed limit was imposed and speedboats became a thing of the past.
My brother understandably was a bit pissed off about that, though I could understand why they did it (banks erosion, water pollution). He blamed the ramblers with their cagoules and bobble hats. He reckoned it was the folk with the powerboats and jet skis that were keeping the region's economy going with their spending in the hotels, bars and restaurants, while the ramblers turned up with butties and a flask they prepared at home and felt they had the God-given right to trample over anything that wasn't tarmac.
A bit like the motorists/cyclists mutual dislike, though strangely he is a keen cyclist and doesn't have much time for car drivers :scratch: Oh the hypocrisy of some people.
Just learnt of the death, at age 95, of Gene Hackman. He was found dead, along with his wife, at their home in New Mexico.
Hackman was a remarkably versatile actor, winning many awards for his film rôles. He will probably be best remembered for the part he played as "Popeye" Doyle in the film The French Connection. But for me, my favourite film was The Conversation, where Hackman played a surveillance operative, who because of his work and its consequences, suffers a nervous breakdown.
One of my favourite film actors, he leaves a noticeable and respectable legacy.
RIP to the two of them.
he was a truly great actor, good in everything he did.
I think his best performance was in 'Unforgiven' but so many to choose from.
Lawrence001
27-02-2025, 16:47
I won't speculate on the circumstances but it seems very odd, especially given that their dog was also found dead.
Lawrence001
27-02-2025, 16:47
I really must watch The Conversation, it sounds like my sort of film.
I won't speculate on the circumstances but it seems very odd, especially given that their dog was also found dead.
I agree. I suspect it might have been a suicide pact, but we shall see.
Pigmy Pony
27-02-2025, 17:05
I heard it was likely carbon monoxide poisoning. The dog was dead too.
I heard it was likely carbon monoxide poisoning. The dog was dead too.
Emergency services found no sign of toxic fumes. There were other pet dogs, only one dog was found dead.
It's all very odd, no doubt a post mortem will reveal cause of death.
Lawrence001
27-02-2025, 19:57
Did you see the photo of him when he ventured out of his home a year or two ago, he looked very weak (as you would expect for someone if his age)? It was more of a shock to me as he's been hiding away for a long time so the decline is starker.
Back to what happened today in history:
23 April 1616
William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564.
23 April 1661
Charles II was crowned king of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
23 April 1968
The first decimal coins appeared in Britain: the 5p coin replacing the one shilling, and the 10p coin replacing the florin (two shillings).
23 April 2020
US President Donald Trump noted researchers were looking at the effects of disinfectant on Covid-19, and wondered aloud whether they could be injected into people. (! :doh:)
After a pause of three months, on this day:
1 August 1778
The first savings bank opened in Hamburg, Germany.
1 August 1873
The Clay Street Hill Road, San Francisco's cable-powered street car system began running.
1 August 1932
The first Mars bar, made in Slough, went on sale.
1 August 1945
Family Favourites record request programme began on BBC.
Birthdays:
Robert Cray, musician, 72 years.
Sam Mendes, film and theatre director, 60 years.
Pigmy Pony
02-08-2025, 06:45
I'd stopped looking at this after we passed 12 months as I assumed we'd be back to the same ones, but I suppose there will always be something to learn :)
2 August 1961 - The Beatles perform their first gig as the house band at Liverpool's Cavern Club.
2 August 1937 - Marijuana Tax Act 1937 passes in America, rendering marijuana and all its by products illegal. So Prohibition taught them nothing.
2 August 1925 - Writer and broadcaster Alan Whicker would have been 100 today. I used to like 'Whicker's World'.
Whicker's World was great, I wonder why they never repeat them?
Whicker's World was great, I wonder why they never repeat them?
Probably because there are other TV personalities who now do something similar: Michael Palin, Joanna Lumley etc.
Probably because there are other TV personalities who now do something similar: Michael Palin, Joanna Lumley etc.
Palin retired years ago but they still repeat his shows, I wasn't keen.
I admired Lumley's high-kicking antics in 'The New Avengers' but she's done nothing any good since apart from 'Absolutely Fabulous' - which wasn't, although it was watchable.
I suppose there's 'Simon Reeve' but no idea who he is or why he got a travel show - and he's like watching paint dry. Beige paint.
Now I think about it the reason I don't like those Palin travelogues is because he was always moaning about how tired he was and how long he'd been away from home.
If he didn't want the job couldn't he have passed and let one of the funny Pythons do it instead?
I agree with you regarding Simon Reeve, but I always found both Micheal Palin and Joanna Lumley's 'travelogues' both entertaining and interesting, and still do.
I thought Wicker's World was great but I also really liked Palin's around the world in 80 days. His subsequent travel series, or at least the episodes I've seen, didn't seem nearly as interesting. I also quite like the Simon Reeve shows I've seen.
The discussion reminded me of Clive James's Postcards From series which I really enjoyed and which I couldn't remember being shown on tv in a long time. A quick google shows that Postcard from London is available on iplayer but it also threw up a Clive James archive of videos so I may watch a few to see if it's as good as I recall.
https://archive.clivejames.com/video/vplayerPC.htm
The discussion reminded me of Clive James's Postcards From series which I really enjoyed and which I couldn't remember being shown on tv in a long time. A quick google shows that Postcard from London is available on iplayer but it also threw up a Clive James archive of videos so I may watch a few to see if it's as good as I recall.
https://archive.clivejames.com/video/vplayerPC.htm
I enjoyed those first time around but I watched one a while back (can't recall where he was, somewhere in the Orient I think) and his schtick got a bit irritating after a while.
If I have any criticism of current or recent travel presenters it would be:
Micheal Palin, tries to do too much in each series and it shows as he gets visibly tired. Yet his repartee and interviews are still enjoyable.
Joanna Lumley finds everything she sees delightful and wonderful, when in fact it can't be. But that would make for poor TV.
Simon Reeve, despite his "hail fellow, well met" approach is an annoying presenter who when he visits an artisan craftsman's workshop always wants to have a go and makes a hash of it all. He is still young and has enthusiasm, but this doesn't come across in his presentation.
Sadly the world has changed (for the worse) so much since Alan Wicker's globe trotting days, they would appear historic.
Pigmy Pony
03-08-2025, 08:28
I thought Wicker's World was great but I also really liked Palin's around the world in 80 days. His subsequent travel series, or at least the episodes I've seen, didn't seem nearly as interesting. I also quite like the Simon Reeve shows I've seen.
The discussion reminded me of Clive James's Postcards From series which I really enjoyed and which I couldn't remember being shown on tv in a long time. A quick google shows that Postcard from London is available on iplayer but it also threw up a Clive James archive of videos so I may watch a few to see if it's as good as I recall.
https://archive.clivejames.com/video/vplayerPC.htm
I too like the Simon Reeve shows, I've seen 'em all. Really gets under the skin of the places he's visited. Especially enjoyed his visiting Israel then over into Gaza (this programme was made a few years ago), and his travel down through the US. Not fussed about his personality (or lack of), he does have the balls to get into a few tight spots.
when he visits an artisan craftsman's workshop
That's the worst part of any of those shows. That Michael Portillo train journey thing. He's mildly annoying, yes, I can live with that. But he goes to these places that are really interesting in terms of architecture and history and yet it hardly touches on that.
Instead he visits some bloke making tea cosies or a woman making pastries, or something equally dull that gets dragged out for ten minutes. Children's television.
There was a brilliant series shown about ten years ago, maybe more, where the 'Grand Designs' bloke goes round Italy looking at the Renaissance architecture. Fascinating stuff and really well done - television made by adults for adults. Never once been repeated, although Reeve and Portillo are on all the time.
14 August 1880
Cologne Cathedral was completed. It was started in 1248, some 632 years earlier. Must be some kind of record there for the longest time taken to build anything; with the possible exception of Stonehenge. Being an atheist I'm not that interested in cathedrals, but I was very impressed with Cologne cathedral: it looks as if the twin spires had been created by unseen hands 'pouring' stone down from the heavens. For a Catholic cathedral the interior is remarkably spartan.
14 August 1945
Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
14 August 1948
Cricket legend Don Bradman received a standing ovation for his final innings at the Oval and was bowled for a duck - 'blinded by tears in his eyes'.
14 August 1967
The Marine Broadcasting Act came into force outlawing pop pirate radio stations broadcasting within British waters.
So farewell to Radio Caroline; a station I had enjoyed listening to for many years.
14 August 1975
The Rocky Horror Show, the longest running release in film history, opened in Los Angeles.
14 August 1979
The longest lasting rainbow on record shone over North Wales from the coast of Gwynedd to the Clyde, remaining for more than three hours.
Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night
God said "Let Newton be!", and all was light.
Alexander Pope (1730)
Birthdays:
Steve Martin, comedian and actor, 80.
Halle Berry, actress, 59.
Pigmy Pony
15-08-2025, 07:47
You know Barry, Radio Caroline is still going, still sticking with album tracks as opposed to singles, playing the kind of music I know you'd like. I listen to it often (playing it now).
Radio Caroline goes out from MV Ross Revenge, moored in the Blackwater estuary off the Essex coast. Every so often they take visitors I've read.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/MV_Ross_Revenge_2018_-_Radio_Caroline_ship_%28geograph_5865313%29.jpg/1920px-MV_Ross_Revenge_2018_-_Radio_Caroline_ship_%28geograph_5865313%29.jpg
That's interesting. What are they now doing that they couldn't, wouldn't do before, when they broadcasted from the Mia Amigo?
Anyway what frequency are they broadcasting on, or is it now digital?
Today in history:
15 August 1842
The first regular British detective force was formed. This division of the Metropolitan Police assumed the name Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 1878.
15 August 1960
Britain's first motorway restaurant was opened on the M1 at Newport Pagnell.
15 August 1969
The three-day Woodstock music festival began in upstate New York. More than 400,000 people watched artists such as The Who, Santana and Jimi Hendrix.
Birthdays:
Tony Robinson, actor and writer, 79.
Ben Affleck, actor, 53.
Pigmy Pony
15-08-2025, 10:43
It all looks complicated, too much for my little brain. So here's a link to Wikipedia which might explain it all.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Caroline
I just get it through my Amazon Echo, asking Alexa to 'play Radio Caroline'. They also broadcast on AM radio I think, and DAB (might be DAB+). Also there is something called 'Caroline Coastal' on FM down your way, I don't know if that's the same thing.
There's also Sweet Caroline, which just plays Neil Diamond.
Pigmy Pony
15-08-2025, 12:47
There's also Sweet Caroline, which just plays Neil Diamond.
:lol: Or there's Radio Macca, which just does terrible dad jokes!
Pigmy Pony
15-08-2025, 15:49
Course I did, you can't beat a good dad joke :) Shame really that one has a limited shelf life - if I repeated it to my daughters it would mean nothing as they will have no clue about Radio Caroline. Move on another generation and it'll be similar for Neil Diamond, just like Mario Lanza and Al Jolson are to us.
17 August 1982
The first CD was created 43 years ago today. Polygram in Germany is credited with pressing the first copies of Abba's The Visitors on this day, back in 1982.
When Sony and Philips arranged collaboration in 1979 to develop the Compact Disc, the disc was intended to be 11.5cm in diameter. However the President of Sony, who regarded Beethoven's 9th Symphony ("The Choral") as his favourite, suggested the disc diameter be increased to 12cm to allow the full 74 minutes to be stored on the disc.
An alternative reason for increasing the diameter to 12cm is said to be due to the German conductor Herbert Von Karijan. The Wilhelm Furtwängler 1951 recording of the Beethoven 9th Symphony is also suggested as the reason for the increased storage time.
By June 1980 the CD audio Red Book standard was finalised. Abba's The Visitors recorded on CD wouldn't retail until March 1983, whereas in the U.S. the first CD to be released was Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA in September 1984.
Firebottle
18-08-2025, 07:38
17 August 1982
The first CD was created 43 years ago today. Polygram in Germany is credited with pressing the first copies of Abba's The Visitors on this day, back in 1982.
Very forward thinking by Sony and Philips with the EFM and error correction included.
When I first read of how the digits are arranged on the CD I was impressed that the limitations of the optical read diode were overcome with the use of EF modulation, apart from the necessity of clock recovery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-to-fourteen_modulation
Red book still sounds excellent on a good system, how's that for longevity?
17 August 1982
By June 1980 the CD audio Red Book standard was finalised. Abba's The Visitors recorded on CD wouldn't retail until March 1983, whereas in the U.S. the first CD to be released was Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA in September 1984.
'Born In The USA' was the first CD to be manufactured in the USA but CDs first went on sale in the USA around January of 1983 (the exact date seems to be already lost to time), they were all pressed in Japan at that time. They were first on sale in Japan in October 1982.
According to Wiki the first commercial CD was produced on 17 August 1982, whereas, as you rightly say, the first 50 titles to be released in Japan was on 1st October 1982, the first being Billy Joel's 1978 album 52nd Street.
The reason for the increased in diameter to 12cm allowing 74 minutes recording time is also apocryphal and claimed to be a myth (according to Wiki).
I simply relayed what I had just read on my smartphone yesterday being the 43 anniversary of the CD; it wasn't intended to be a definitive history of the development of CDs.
I simply relayed what I had just read on my smartphone yesterday being the 43 anniversary of the CD; it wasn't intended to be a definitive history of the development of CDs.
I know :) It just struck me that 1984 seemed quite late for CDs first going on sale in the USA - I mean it seemed unlikely that America would get them so long after we did - so I looked it up.
A number of sites and articles seem to confuse the first USA manufactured CD with the first CD on sale in the USA.
18 August 1227
Mongol emperor Gengis Khan died after falling from his horse.
18 August 1587
Virginia Dare became the first child born of English parents in the New World - on Roanoke Island, North Carolina - seven days after Walter Raleigh's second expedition landed.
18 August 1960
The birth control pill was launched in America.
18 August 1963
James Meredith became the first Black student to graduate from the University of Mississipi.
18 August 1964
South Africa was banned from the Olympics because of its racial policies.
Birthdays:
Roman Polanski, film director, 92
Robert Redford, actor, 89
Edward Norton, actor, 56
Christian Slator, actor, 56
Should have posted this yesterday, but was otherwise occupied.
4 September 1860
The first weather forecast appeared in the Times.
4 September 1886
Apache chief Geronimo, leader of the last great American rebellion, surrendered in Arizona to General Nelson Miles.
4 September 1909
The first Boy Scout rally took place at Crystal Palace in London.
4 September 1964
The Forth road bridge, 6,156ft long and with a centre span of 3.300ft, was openened by Queen Elizabeth II.
4 September 1970
Russian ballerina Natalia Makarova defected to the West during a visit to London by the Kirov ballet.
4 September 1972
US swimmer Mark Spitz became the first competitor to win seven gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
4 September 1998
Google was founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
3 October 1226
St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order died.
2 October 1906
SOS was established as an international distress signal.
3 October 1929
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovines renamed Yugoslavia.
3 October 1952
Britain first atomic weapon was exploded in the Monte Bello islands, off Australia.
3 October 1959
The postcode, required for mail addresses, was first used in Britain.
3 October 1990
West and East Germany ended 45 years of post-war division, declaring the creation of a reunified country.
Birthdays:
Chubby Checker, singer, 84.
Lindsey Buckingham, musician/producer, 76.
Clive Owen, actor, 61.
Denis Villeneuve, filmmaker, 58.
17 October 1651
Charles II, defeated by Cromwell at Worcester, fled to France.
17 October 1777
British surrendered at Saratoga in the US War of Independence.
17 October 1931
Mobster Al Capone was jailed for 11 years for tax evasion.
17 October 1933
Albert Einstein arrived in the US as a refugee fro Nazi Germany.
17 October 1956
Calder Hall in Cumbria, Britain's first large scale atomic energy power station was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
Birthdays:
Michael Eavis, Glastonbury founder, 90
Mark Gatiss, actor, 56
Eminem, rapper, 53
Matthew Macfadyen, actor, 51
Kimi Räikkönen, F1 driver, 46
Felicity Jones, actress, 42.
Pigmy Pony
17-10-2025, 21:20
17 October 1931
Mobster Al Capone was jailed for 11 years for tax ovation.
I wouldn't have thought applauding the taxation system would be a criminal offence.
Surprised to read that Michael Eavis is 90. So he must have been about 35 when he started it.
Well spotted - bloody predictive texting on my smartphone! :doh:
Yes, I was surprised to learn Eavis is 90. Isn't it about time he was given an honour, if it hasn't already be done?
Oops! - spoke too soon, Eavis has been knighted and been awarded a CBE. :)
Not today, but yesterday (I was too busy to get around to posting):
Tuesday October 28, 1886
The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated in New York by President Grover Cleveland.
October 28, 1914
Polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk was born in New York. Within 10 years of his discovery the vaccine reduced the outbreak of polio by 95%.
October 28, 1929
The collapse of the New York Stock Exchange sparked a world economic crisis.
October 28, 1949
Sooty made his first appearence on BBC TV.
October 28, 1971
The House of Commons voted in favour of UK entering the Common Market by a majority of 112.
Birthdays (yesterday):
David Dimbleby, broadcaster, 87
Hank Marvin, musician, 84
Bill Gates, Microsoft boss, 70
Julia Roberts, actress, 58
Joaquin Phoenix, actor, 51
Matt Smith, actor, 43.
Pigmy Pony
30-10-2025, 07:00
October 28, 1949
Sooty made his first appearence on BBC TV.
Sweep! Stop that now, you'll get us cancelled! Only Mr Corbett's allowed to put his hand up there!
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoVN4fRLQX5p7qdsbhRALKzR9yAPoNl EPYcQ&s
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.