Sunday, August 22, 2010

HOPE THIS ISN'T THE BEGINNING OF THE END

It didn't spark any debate at this week's meeting of Brigg Town Council's planning and environment committee, but disappointing news has been received about the Wolds Villager bus service linking Brigg to Wrawby and Barnetby.
Under the heading Service Review, it was reported that due to increasing un-reliability of the vehicle purchased six years ago through Rural Bus Challenge Funding, North Lincolnshire Council will be inviting tenders from bus operators to take over the operation of the service from January 2011.
It's good that North Lincs is not just ending the service now that the bus seems to be coming to the end of its working life. But what if no-one comes forward to provide a replacement bus at an acceptable price?
The Wolds Villager is used by more Barnetby people coming into Brigg than Brigg folk going to the village. But it provides our town with a useful link to North Lincolnshire's main railway junction. I've used the Wolds Villager myself many times for that reason. Brigg shops also benefit from the people brought in on the Wolds Villager.
No doubt more will be heard on this topic from North Lincolnshire Council in the coming months.
This posting's headline is fitting, as yesterday the country marked the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain by reading one of Sir Winston Churchill's most famous war-time speeches. The great Prime Minister, of course, spoke of "the end of the beginning." KEN HARRISON WILL BE STANDING BY IN THE STREETS, IF NOT THE LANDING GROUNDS AND BEACHES, TO GIVE YOU MORE FROM SIR WINSTON.

3 comments:

Ken Harrison said...

.....nor the end of the beginning!

Slight correction, Old Nige...yesterday, 21st August, was the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain....it was the 70th anniversary of Winnie's famous speech, 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few....,' referring to the ongoing efforts of the Royal Air Force pilots who were at the time fighting the Battle of Britain.

Battle of Britain Day is the 15th September and BofB Sunday, 2010 - 19th September.

We often associate Spitfires and Hurricanes to the battle, but dujring the initial conflict a variety of other RAF aeroplanes took part - including a squadron of biplanes - the Gloster Gadiator; other aircraft included Fairey Battles - a grossly underpowered aeroplane which had an air gunner in the rear of a very long canopy = it was the canopy which gave the aeroplane's nick-name, The Flying Coffin' - but it was easy prey to the Jermins, (Liverpool accesnt), which only reinforced its nickname. However, it is recorded that some German aircraft pounced on the rear of a lone Battle thinking it was a Spitfire....only to be shot down by the otherwise unexpected gunner in the rear turret. RAF 2 Jermins 0_

For info - the Spitfire was constantly upgraded = the Mk 1 (Battle of Britain) had a max speed of aboout 310 mph - by the end of the war it has a max speed approaching 475mph.

The Hurricane was the most numerous RAF type in the battle.

The average age of pilots was about 22/23.......putting them in their early 90's now.

The most difficult handling aspect of a Spitfire was taxying.
It was one of tha last 'tail draggers) ie had a tailwheel and the long nose made it impossible for the pilot to see forward. The pilot had to meander looking out from either side of the cockpit.

When the Spitfire protoype was produced, it was going to be called the 'SHREW'.

From birth, Winston Spencer Churchill had a speech impediment.

He was an academically poor school pupil.

He had a number of heart attacks during the war, but these were kept secret.

He often distated letters to his secretary whilst sitting in his bath

He was related to the Spencer family.

He received the Nobel prize for literature.

He was made an honary American citizen by JFK.

The boat that carried his coffin down the Thames in 1965 is often moored near a jetty near the HP. (I went on it last month)

Winnie was the 2nd of 3 Prime Ministers during WW2 - Name the other 2.

Ken Harrison said...

It's a good job that Winston's parents were permiscious - Winnie was born two months premature, six months after his parents good married.

Apart from an ardent cigar smoker, WS was very fond of alcholic drink.

In a passing conversation with Bessie Braddock - a physically large and outspoken Labour MP for Liverpool -

BB ' Winston, you're drunk.'

WS 'Bessie, you're ugly. Tomorrow I shall be sober.'

WS died exactly 70 years to the day after his father died.

One of his daughters was an actress and starred with Fred Astaire - no, not Winston, his daughter!

Ken Harrison said...

Me spellings getting terrible 'Permiscious' indeed.

Carry on like this and Nige will have me sitting on the Naughty Step.

I wasn't promiscuous when I was a teenager, I left it until I was old enough so me wimmen friends enjoyed it.