Today in History

[Gemini]

1955
Frozen Birdseye fish fingers first went on sale in Britain.

I like them, do you?!

[Daisy]

Yes, I like them too. It was a long time before I realised that Birdseye was the name of the man who set up the company selling them!

When he was a student my DS1 used to have fish finger sandwiches for breakfast!

[Gemini]

2016

The late Sir Terry Wogan (who died on 31st January 2016) will be honoured in a special memorial service live in Westminster Abbey, today, on the 50th anniversary of his first BBC radio broadcast

Aww lovely Terry Wogan, much missed.

[Daisy]

He is much missed, Gem. There's a special programme about him at the week-end - I thinks it's Sunday on BBC1.

[Gemini]

1974
The first McDonalds restaurant opened in London.

I lived in London then, and for a short time had an American boyfriend, on my college course. He was so excited about the new McDs, an d almost forced us all to go there with him

Up until then Wimpy Bars were where you bought a burger.

[Gemini]

1996
Mandy Allwood lost the last five of the octuplets she had been expecting after a 19 week pregnancy. She had refused 'selective reduction' and her case provoked a media storm in Britain

[Gemini]

1916

The birth, in Sunderland, of James Alfred Wight (James Herriot ), vet and author of 'All Creatures Great & Small'. His surgery was in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.


It is now a museum, I have been several times

[Daisy]

The practice itself is still thriving, but mainly small animals now because there are far fewer farms in the area.

I love the tv series.

[Gemini]

1666
Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary that Charles II had started wearing the first known waistcoat. The King was so overweight that he left the bottom button undone, a fashion custom followed to this day,

I clearly remember my mum telling me this fact when I was a child!

[Gemini]

1980

The Queen made history by becoming the first British monarch to make a state visit to the Vatican, when she met Pope John Paul II.

[Daisy]

1987 - 15/16 October (sorry a day late!)

The Great Storm. This was the worst storm in nearly 300 years and although it lasted just 3 hours it caused millions of pound of damage across southern England, destroyed millions of trees and killed over 20 people.

[Gemini]

Gosh, I remember that. One of my best friends had just moved down there, and there was lots of damage where she lived.

[Gemini]

1966
144 people, 116 of them children, were killed in the small Welsh mining village of Aberfan when tons of slush, from a nearby coal slag tip weakened by rain, slid downhill and engulfed the village school, a farm and a row of terraced houses. The tragedy occurred at the beginning of the school day and on the day before the school closed for the half-term holiday. The children are buried in Aberfan's cemetery, on the hillside above the valley

So very tragic. I remember it well, I was 12 at the time.
I saw a TV programme about it recently, many of the mums are still alive. The sight of all those little graves was terrible, Why couldn't it have happened over half term, at night or out of school hours?? The devastation would have been far less.

[Clover]

An unbelievable tragedy and in retrospect preventable.So sad.

[Daisy]

It was a terrible tragedy which I believe could have been avoided.

It is one of those dreadful events where you can't help thinking "... if only ...." . Even an hour earlier would have meant those children would have still been at home.