Hello all -
Happy Sunday!
I popped up to London on Wednesday with my youngest son to attend a couple of appointments. Since it was the day after the new Parliament sat for the first time following last week’s elections, we decided to take a wander around Parliament Square to see what was going on. With the anniversary of the pivotal moment of the French Revolution - the Storming of the Bastille - in Paris, coming up, (today actually, 14 July 1789) this seems to have been a good day to doff the cap to British democracy.
Coming from the Strand, we turned left at Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall, past Banqueting House, the spot where our own shorter-lived revolution began in 1649 when King Charles I was executed. Oliver Cromwell took charge to kick-start an eleven-year experiment as a republic which helped convince the British that we actually quite like Kings and Queens after all.
Then, a little further on, we paused at the entrance to Horse Guards Parade, originally commissioned by Henry VIII as a jousting ground in 1533 and used for parades and ceremonies since the 17th century.
Moments later, Downing Street. Our first Prime Minister, more-or-less, Sir Robert Walpole, was the first to move in here in 1735. Fifty-seven Prime Ministers later, Keir Starmer entered No. 10 for his first time officially last week.
Standing there soaking up all these symbols of British democracy prompted me to remember that I once met a Prime Minister, well… former Prime Minister, Edward Heath.
In 1989, Bournemouth Rugby Club had just moved to its new ground at Chapel Gate, adjacent to the main runway of Bournemouth International Airport. To celebrate, we were playing local rivals, Salisbury RFC. Ted Heath was a Salisbury resident and, as such, agreed to attend the official opening of the clubhouse. I was the Bournemouth captain and had the pleasure of chatting with Ted for at least… ooooooo…. eight seconds. Feeling a little short-changed, I then walked down the line and introduced him to my team. They were allotted about two seconds each, which made me feel a whole lot better.
Back to Downing Street; we moved on past the Cenotaph, the focal point for Remembrance Sunday each year. The Cenotaph was originally unveiled this week on 18 July 1920, to commemorate the 750,000 British and Commonwealth military personnel who died in World War I. Today, we remember military and civilian personnel who have died in all wars and conflicts since that date.
Then, across Parliament Square to the Houses of Parliament, the home of British democracy and a symbol to democratic nations around the world. We stopped outside St. Stephen’s Entrance and pondered the great and the good who had crossed that threshold over the years. King Richard II had married Anne of Bohemia in the adjacent St Stephen’s Chapel this week on 20 July 1382.
It always fascinates me how these renowned historical locations are in such close proximity to each other. You could throw a single large blanket over Whitehall and Parliament. If you haven’t already, I would thoroughly recommend spending an afternoon loitering around Parliament Square, immersing yourself in the atmosphere. You can feel history pressing down on you.
This Tuesday to Thursday would be ideal as the Household Division, cavalry and infantry, is ‘Beating Retreat’ - and we Brits know how to put on a good show when it comes to ceremonial razzamatazz.
Podcast episode... a look back
Episode 11. Secondhand Embarrassment
On the train on the way to London, we were corralled into the seating area opposite to the toilet. On many UK trains, the toilet is quite prominent and the toilet door is an imposing, curved structure that seems to take up most of the carriage that people are sitting in.
Ironically, the last time my son and I were together on a train on the way up to London, we were again sitting by the toilet door. That day, my mind had wandered. I'd contemplated how embarrassing it would be for the occupier if, mid-session, that toilet door inexplicably opened to reveal a full carriage of onlookers.
Well, believe it or not, moments later it actually happened right in front of us.
Since I spend much of my time nudging other people to share life experiences with me, I thought it only fair that I should, at least once, share one of my life experiences too. This was my chance. Check out Secondhand Embarrassment and let me know how you think I performed.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music or just about any other podcast player of your choice. Check out the show notes for the links and transcript to learn more.
I know it sounds a bit pompous to talk about 'favourite quotes from the episode' when I was the person providing them, but here goes….
The toilet door itself is an enormous curved structure, so large and so prominent that when open, the toilet becomes part of the carriage, passengers at one with the toilet. Fair play to the designers, this is great for those in wheelchairs who wish to go in, but not so good for those in seats who wish to stay out.
The experience reminded me of eating a chocolate pudding. As soon as the pudding is gone, remorse and self-loathing wash over you in equal measure.
Dates with History...
Balloons...
Friday marks the anniversary of France declaring war on Prussia on 19 July 1870 to mark the start of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. It wasn’t the defeat for France or the final unification of Germany that was interesting me but…… balloons.
The most significant event of the war was the 4-month Siege of Paris. With the City surrounded, the French used hot-air balloons to transport millions of letters and dispatches over Prussian lines to land back in French hands, from where they resumed their normal postal routes to their final destinations. They were also used - a little more precariously - to transport people over the lines too.
This wasn’t the first time hot air balloons had been used in war. I know, for instance, that they were used for spotting enemy positions during the American Civil War, 1861-65.
Prior to that, the US Post Office sanctioned their first airmail delivery by the balloon "Jupiter" in 1859.
Earlier still, the Austrians launched the first official air raid on the City of Venice using pilotless balloons. A small number of balloons were sent over Venice, each carrying a single 24-pound bomb, this week on 15 July 1849. The outcome was classified as “ineffective”—perhaps not surprisingly.
Explorers...
Many of us will recognise the anniversary date next Saturday, 20 July 1969, as the day man first landed on the moon. But did you know that Saturday also marks the anniversary of NASA’s Viking 1 Lander becoming the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars on the same day seven years later, 20 July 1976?
A couple more...
On 17 July 1964, Donald Campbell broke the land speed record on Lake Eyre in South Australia, reaching a speed of over 400 mph.
New Zealand held its first-ever General Election today, 14 July 1853. Admittedly, it was still part of the British Empire, only men with property could vote and most Maori were excluded, but it was a start I guess. That was all put right in the country's first General Election independent of the British in 1949.
Question of the week...
I mentioned earlier the use of hot-air balloons in 19th-century warfare. The first hot-air balloon to carry passengers in 1783 and herald the beginning of human flight was the invention of which brothers?
And finally...
This week marks the anniversary of General Francisco Franco broadcasting to the Spanish nation from the Canary Islands on July 18 1936, effectively marking the start of the Nationalist uprising and the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39.
When speeches of this nature are delivered, every word counts. As well as speechwriters, there will be political, military, legal and historical advisors, proofreaders and so on.
So how did it happen that, reportedly, General Franco said in his last speech before he died in 1975…?
Last year I had to report that we were standing on the edge of a precipice. This year I am delighted to confirm that we have taken one giant step forward!
Spread the word...
If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please help me spread the word by forwarding it to a friend.
If you have received this newsletter from a friend and would like to receive your own weekly copy of The Breezer, then feel free to sign up here.
Thank you for joining me. Have a great week!
Steve
HOST & CHIEF STORY HUNTER
P:S: Incidentally, I am always keen to receive your feedback to help me continuously improve this newsletter and the podcast. Just hit reply to this email and...... let it rip! I respond to every email that I receive.
Answer to Question of the week: The Montgolfier brothers, Jospeh-Michel and Jacques-Etienne. By the end of 1784, they had carried 7 passengers in La Flesselles.
NEXT WEEK'S BREEZER
Ozymandias and Frankenstein, look on my Newsletter, ye Mighty, and despair!
LAST WEEK'S BREEZER
Oranges, lemons and Harold Habgood
Attribution for cover image: Execution of Charles I: Jan Luyken, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
THIS NEWSLETTER IS PUBLISHED ON THE BATTING THE BREEZE WEBSITE WITH A 2-WEEK DELAY. TO RECEIVE YOUR PERSONAL NEWSLETTER ON THE DAY, WHY NOT SIGN UP NOW. THANK YOU.
You can listen to the Batting the Breeze podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music or any other podcast player of your choice. See podcast player links at the top of this page.
Copyright © 2024 Logical Business Ltd. All rights reserved.
