Author: Purple Brolly

When steam trains were the new, exciting mode of transport around the country, they drew great admiration and interest. Those people intrigued by numbers and with time to spare were able to take this interest further, since every locomotive bore its own number and sometimes a name. Collecting these identifiers in a record book became known as the hobby of ‘train spotting‘.

It began in the 1920s, but really picked up steam after WW2. Ian Allan, OBE (1922-2015) was working in the office of Southern Railways and was dealing with so many requests for locomotive information that he decided to put it all in a booklet, ‘ABC Southern Locomotives‘, in 1942. Its success inspired him to form Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., which went on to specialise in various types of transport publications for enthusiasts.

In the 1960s there was another surge of popularity as steam was being replaced by diesel and electric, and people wanted to catch as many sightings of the old engines as possible before they disappeared. Spotting requires patience and spotters equip themselves accordingly. Adult spotters have tended to be regarded as ‘anoraks’ (loner experts) but there is currently an app to facilitate a new train spotting community.

(Image: Robin Webster at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

The legend of Lady Godiva, or Godgifu (?-1067) is perhaps the female equivalent of Robin Hood‘s heroics, in that she is credited with championing the poor and, by a courageous deed, winning the reduction of their tax burden. In her case, the supposed tyrant was her own husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia (?-1057).

The couple are known to have lived in the 11th century and in 1043 founded St. Mary’s monastery in Coventry on the site of a former nunnery. There are suggestions that this was not a new monastery but that they lavished gold and silver treasures upon it. Leofric was in fact extremely generous with gifts of land to the monks, who became very wealthy.

Nevertheless, two hundred years later, Roger of Wendover (?-1236) saw fit to create the story of Lady Godiva pleading with him to have pity on the peasants. He agreed to drop all taxes except those on horses, but only if she rode naked on horseback through the town. Defiantly, she accepted the challenge but ordered that no-one should watch, though her long hair partially saved her blushes. Of course, there is always one who disobeys; hence ‘Peeping Tom’ was struck blind for giving in to temptation.

(Image: Clard at pixabay.com)