Winter Robin @ WWT London by Adam Swaine Via Flickr: Lovely Saturday visit and captured 1 of the many Robins on the reserve so tame beautiful bird against the soft green backdrop!
Hever Castle and Gardens are closed to the public until 11th February 2026. The perfect time for me to pay a private visit... to remind me of my childhood days when I could freely roam the estate without the hustling public!
When I say "free to roam", I was not allowed to enter the Italian Gardens and a few other areas... but, sometimes I was a bit of a naughty boy, if you can believe that!!
One of Hever's gardeners told me today that the first Daffodils are blooming. They are very early! I noticed several bulbs (is that the correct term?) shooting leaves in my garden yesterday. But, I will not know what they are until the flower buds appear.
San Angelo Standard-Times, Texas, March 19, 1945
When I was at school in the 1960's/70's the year 2000 seemed like a lifetime, or more away
In my last year at junior school, the teacher set us a project to predict and/or design something we might see in the new millennium. Several of my friends predicted flying cars... although their drawings were much better than this one.
At the age of eleven I already had an interest in electronics... and designed something much more useful. It combined a typewriter keyboard, a television screen and a cassette tape recorder. I said it could be used to type letters or documents, and correct mistakes before they were printed... or they could be stored on tape for printing at a future date. I also predicted that the system might be able to record music... and maybe even television broadcasts. Although at that time I knew nothing about television/video recording, I went into quite a lot of detail about how storing typed letters might work.
Basically, I designed a home computer!
My teacher disappeared from the school soon after I left. I sometimes wonder if he sold my idea to one of the big tech. companies!
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce at the Cottons Centre in London Bridge City (1988)
My Grandfather's Stockbroking and Insurance company was one of the first businesses to move into the development on the south side of London Bridge, when Hay's Galleria opened in 1987.
In an attempt to get me to join the old family firm, I was invited to spend a day in the brand new office, after they relocated from the City of London. They had all the latest technology... although not quite as impressive as this photograph of CIBC.
Long before the days of the the world wide web, they were connected to what I can only describe as... a very small, local internet, which allowed them to view share prices, etc. as they changed minute by minute.
But to access their New York bank account they had to dial a number on the phone, and physically attach the phone handset to a very basic computer keyboard and printer similar to this.
They only used it to get a daily bank statement... but, left alone in the office for a short time I discovered much more could be done. I managed to get into the Administrator mode... and changed their password. It took my cousins nearly a week to regain access to their New York account.
For some reason they never asked me to visit the office again!
Mars has a monster canyon system called Valles Marineris that runs about 4,000 km long, can spread up to about 600 km wide in places, and can drop roughly 7 to 10 km deep, so yeah it’s basically the Grand Canyon’s final boss.
Winston Churchill unexpected visit to Iceland on his way home to Britain after his first meeting as Prime Minister with President Roosevelt off the coast of Newfoundland
This is sad... but true for most areas in the UK.
In the 1980's most areas had their own butchers, bakers, greengrocers and fishmongers. Nearly all have disappeared.
I can remember at least five traditional butcher shops in Sevenoaks... only one remains, just outside the town in Riverhead. A farm shop opened in Westerham (close to where I live) in 2024, which sells locally sourced fresh produce, including meat.
If you have a small shop near you selling fresh meat, fish or vegetables... support it! It may cost a little more than the local supermarket... but, once all the small traders have disappeared, it is almost certain that the giant retailers will increase their prices!
1931 Bentley 8-Litre Open Tourer by Harrison
18th January 1919 - Bentley Motors Limited was founded by Walter Owen Bentley.
For their first 27 years, Bentley did not manufacture a complete car. They made the engine and chassis, and a coachwork company would add the body.
Bentley also designed and made racing cars, which were very successful.
Rolls-Royce Motors bought Bentley in 1931. Bentley is now owned by the Volkswagon group, but their head office is still in Crewe.
18th January 1779 - Peter Mark Roget was born in Soho, London. A British physician, natural theologian and lexicographer.
He is best known for his Thesaurus first published in 1852, a classified collection of related English words and phrases... which took him 47 years to compile.
It's original title was, "Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition."
Do you remember penny sweets? 🍬
Winchester’s Butter Cross, also known as the High or City Cross, dates from the early 15th century and stands at the heart of the city’s historic commercial centre. It takes its name from its original role as a market cross, where is it said that country traders once sold butter and other produce.
In 1770 it was going to be sold by the city’s Paving Commissioners, but an attempted removal prompted a small riot by local citizens, securing its survival. The monument was restored in 1865 by architect Sir George Gilbert Scott.
In the back of this archive photo is Allen’s Sweet Store, maybe the next stop for the two women in the foreground.
Well I am far to young for penny sweets But I remember our paper man who always sang Its only Harry when he came with the papers and would give all the kids sweets in our road always had his Border Collie with him a rea nice guy
On 18th January 1812 The Comet, built by John Wood and Co at Port Glasgow, the first commercial steam-powered vessel in Europe made her trial trip.
Later in the year it made the first passenger-carrying steam sailing from Port Glasgow to the Broomielaw, and then back down to Greenock, greatly reducing the journey time. History was made. Bell advertised in a local newspaper “The Greenock Advertiser”
The Steamboat Comet Between Glasgow, Greenock and Helensburgh for Passengers Only
The subscriber, having at much expense, fitted up a handsome vessel to ply upon the River Clyde from Glasgow, to sail by the power of air, wind, and steam, intends that the vessel shall leave the Broomielaw on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays about mid-day, or such hour thereafter as may answer from the state of the tide, and to leave Greenock on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the morning to suit the tide.
The fare was “four shillings for the best cabin, and three shillings for the second.”
In 1816 she was in operation on the Firth of Forth and in 1819 was used to establish steam communication between the West Highlands and Glasgow. She ran aground at Craignish Point, near Fort William.
The Comet was the forerunner to the Clyde Steamboats, the only one left today is of course the Waverley
The photo with the carving of The Comet is in Port Glasgow town centre in Inverclyde.
