Weddings
Weddings in the UK are now high on the list of life’s major expenses at an average of £30,000. Wedding fairs, websites, […]
Read MoreMonth: October 2019
The Isle of Wight Festival
In 1968, around 15,000 people paid 25 shillings each to attend the first Isle of Wight Festival, featuring Jefferson Airplane, T-Rex and […]
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J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien, CBE (1892-1973), was the author of the epic fantasy trilogy ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (1954-5) and its precursor ‘The […]
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Highwaymen
In the period of 1650-1830, that small, persistent, criminal section of society found a new method open to it, giving rise to […]
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Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) houses the world’s largest collection of art and design, making it the ‘go to’ resource for […]
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Badminton Horse Trials
At the 1948 Summer Olympics, the British equestrian team picked up just one bronze medal. This so dismayed the 10th Duke of […]
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The White Horse
Our most famous and oldest chalk-cut hill figure is the White Horse near Uffington. Unlike later equine hill figures, this one is […]
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The pedal bicycle
James Starley (1830-81) from West Sussex was the pioneer of the modern pedal bicycle, along with his London-born nephew, John Kemp Starley […]
Read MoreJames Starley (1830-81) from West Sussex was the pioneer of the modern pedal bicycle, along with his London-born nephew, John Kemp Starley (1854-1901). The very first bicycle, nicknamed the ‘bone-shaker’, was made entirely of wood, with no pedals at all, resulting in the rider’s footwear being quickly ruined! The Starleys made the design modifications that led to the much more practical and safe version we have today.
James Starley was very mechanically-minded and began his working career repairing sewing machines and he patented several improvements to their mechanisms. It was while he was manufacturing his own models that he started to look at ways to improve a ‘bone-shaker’ brought to him from Paris. He first of all made a four-wheeled version with suspension, in 1865. In 1870 he patented the spoked wheel and made an all-metal bicycle. In 1871 he invented the Penny-Farthing, with a large wheel at the front and small wheel at the back.
He continued upgrading his design, adding pneumatic tyres, a chain, levers, and inventing the differential gear. In 1876 he patented a tricycle used by Queen Victoria (1819-1901). He even made tandem tricycles. His nephew developed the safety features and experimented with adding motors. His ‘Rover’ line eventually morphed into Rover cars.
(Image: Karen Roe at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0)
Wallace’s Realms
Alfred Russel Wallace, OM FRS (1823-1913) was born in Monmouthshire and showed a fascination for identifying flora and fauna from a young […]
Read MoreAlfred Russel Wallace, OM FRS (1823-1913) was born in Monmouthshire and showed a fascination for identifying flora and fauna from a young age. This led him to make major explorations of far-flung parts of the world, in which he carried out ground-breaking first-hand observations and discoveries of thousands of species. He also realised, for the first time, that the world is divided into various biogeographic regions, named Wallace’s Realms in his honour. These six regions have only recently been updated to eleven in number.
He spent 1848-52 in Brazil, mapping out the Amazon River and collecting specimens of insects, birds and mammals, many of which were lost when his ship home sank. Undeterred, he then travelled extensively around Malaysia and Indonesia, where he collected 125,660 specimens, of which 5,000 were previously unknown. He noticed the differences in the types of species either side of what is called Wallace’s Line between the islands.
Once in possession of so much data, Wallace then came to the same conclusion as Charles Darwin on the evolution of species by the mechanism of natural selection. In 1858, he sent Darwin an essay on his findings for his opinion, unaware of the similarity since Darwin had not yet gone into print.
(Top image of Wallace statue at the Natural History Museum: Matt Brown at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0)
Wicca
Wicca, also known as ‘The Craft (of the Wise)’, owes its modern surge in popularity to Lancashire-born Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964). He […]
Read MoreWicca, also known as ‘The Craft (of the Wise)’, owes its modern surge in popularity to Lancashire-born Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964). He retired to Dorset in 1938 and became involved in two local groups ~ the naturists and the secret followers of a mystery tradition. Gardner’s ‘Book of Shadows’ is regarded as the ultimate Wiccan manual and Gardner himself as the father of modern witchcraft, although a Wiccan may or may not be a witch.
Potential Wiccans are expected to request initiation rather than being converted. Some covens then give them a year’s grace period before instruction begins. Only adults are accepted. Their rites and rituals generally take place in woods or parks and involve moving in a circle to help generate spiritual energy. The circle features in the Wiccan symbol, the pentagram or pentacle, where it represents the universe and the five points the elements of fire, air, water, earth and spirit.
Today it is possible to take the first steps towards becoming a Wiccan by online correspondence course. It is one of the fastest-growing religions in the UK and other parts of the world. Its reverence for nature and old pagan ways strikes home with many people seeking a spiritual path.
(Top image of Gardner’s Book of Shadows: Midnightblueowl at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Friday the 13th
The number 13 has long been considered unlucky but its combination with Friday in a double-whammy of doom is a relatively new […]
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Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the oldest recognition of outstanding service to the nation or the monarch. It was […]
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