Today in History

[Gemini]

1838

Queen Victoria was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. She was just 19 years old.

[Gemini]

1996

In addition to a practical exam, learner drivers in Britain had to pass a written exam for the first time.

[Gemini]

2014

A 4m x 4m beach hut at Mudeford Spit near Christchurch in Dorset went on the market for £225,000. The hut has no bathroom, mains electricity or running water and only glimpses of the sea that "can be caught from inside, but the view directly in front of the hut is of (very nice) sand dunes and grass.

[Gemini]

1888

Three match girls were fired at the Bryant and May match factory in London for giving information about working conditions. The other 672 employees went on strike, a landmark for women workers in Britain that led to the formation of a Matchgirls' Union.

[Daisy]

T

2014

A 4m x 4m beach hut at Mudeford Spit near Christchurch in Dorset went on the market for £225,000. The hut has no bathroom, mains electricity or running water and only glimpses of the sea that "can be caught from inside, but the view directly in front of the hut is of (very nice) sand dunes and grass.

This is very near to where we live. The prices of beach huts continues to rise steeply. In most of the country you could buy a good-sized house for what the huts cost. Some are owned by the Council though and you can rent them. We have neighbours who rent one for about 3 months every summer. I dread to think how much it effectively costs them per visit!

[Gemini]

1996

Nelson Mandela, on a state visit to Britain, was welcomed by crowds at Horse Guards Parade and the Mall.

[Gemini]

2000

Figures released by the government showed that one in four British homes were using the Internet.

[Daisy]

Gem - I wonder what the figure is now!

[Gemini]

2012

The public launch of the Canal & River Trust (formed on 2nd July 2012). The new charity took over from British Waterways and was given responsibility for canals and rivers in England and Wales. It was the largest ever single transfer of state assets to the voluntary sector

[Daisy]

I don't even remember it getting any publicity. Handing over canals to the voluntary sector sounds sensible, but rivers are a lot more involved, I would have thought.

[Oma]

I can’t remember this happening 🙄
I thought it was still British waterways .

[Daisy]

Oma, so did I.

[Gemini]

1939

The government announced that all infants and nursing mothers would get fresh milk free or at no more than two pence a pint.

[Daisy]

There was a time when young children also got free orange juice. They would say it's a no-no now because of teeth forming or something!

[Gemini]

And that rose hip syrup Daisy, which I suspect was mostly sugar!