Today in History

[Oma]

I liked the old Coronation street when Hilda and Stan were in and Mavis but I haven't watched it for years now

[Daisy]

Oma - same here. I used to watch it right from the start, but they started to screen it more often, and I couldn't be bothered to watch it that often, then the story lines got more and more gloomy and far-fetched and it sort of blended into East Enders. I gave up!

[Oma]

I thought the same , the amount of murders on one street and affairs , explosions , etc and they all run the same story line ,
If someone in Eastender's gets knocked over someone in Coranation st and Emerdale does .
Bring back Annie Sugden and Ena Sharples I say

[Daisy]

Oma - I'm sure Ena and Annie would have them all sorted out in no time at all! Such goings on.

[Gemini]

1877

English photographer Eadweard Mubridge won a long standing bet for a millionaire by proving that a horse's four feet are all off the ground simultaneously once every stride. He used multiple cameras around the track, each taking a single frame via a series of trip wires.

[Daisy]

Gem - this is still the Holy Grail of photographing moving horses! But in those days of slow shutter speeds and manual focussing and all the other limitations, it must have been really difficult.

[Gemini]

1975

The six-day Balcombe Street siege ended peacefully in London after four IRA gunmen freed their two hostages and gave themselves up to police.

[Plantaholic]

I used to wonder why they killed Ross McWirter was murdered

[Gemini]

1989

A deaf choir from South Wales gave what was claimed to be the first concert using sign language. Performed in unison with a leading male voice choir, it enabled members of the audience who were deaf, to enjoy the concert at the Gwyn Town Hall in West Glamorgan.

[Daisy]

What a fantastic idea.

[Gemini]

1918

The first woman elected to Parliament was Constance, the Countess Markievicz who won for Sinn Fein, contesting a Dublin seat. She was unable to take her seat as she was in Holloway Prison, London. The 1918 General Election was also the first time that women in Britain had the vote.

[Daisy]

I think it would have taken longer for women to get the vote if it hadn't been for the First World War - and I don't think all women got it initially. We take these things for granted now, but they were hard won battles for the women of the day. We owe them such a lot.

[Gemini]

1982

Reputed to be Robin Hood's tree, the 'Major Oak' in Sherwood Forest, was fitted with a fire alarm.

[Daisy]

I'm sure by the time the fire brigade would be able to get to it there would have been a lot of burnt wood.

[Gemini]

1914

German warships attacked the seaside resort of Scarborough, believing it to be a major British port. Hartlepool and Whitby were also targeted.
It was the first successful bombing on British shores for 250 years. Over five hundred shells of varying calibres were fired into Scarborough and on to the Grand Hotel .
The attacks resulted in a total of 592 casualties, many of them civilians, of whom 137 died.
There was public outrage towards the German navy for an attack against civilians and against the Royal Navy for its failure to prevent the raid.