Phoebe
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Crash of Air France flight 4590
Upon the departure of a Continental Airlines DC-10 from Charles de Gaulle International Airport on 25th July, 2000, a metal wear strip used during a recent repair of the aircraft was dislodged and fell onto the runway. The titanium alloy piece was approximately 1.4 mm thick, a little over an inch wide and roughly 17 inches long. A scheduled 3pm clean-up of the runway failed to take place, and the debris remained where it fell. French President Jacques Chirac was inbound on a 747 from Japan, following his attendance at a G8 summit. The arrival of his flight forced the adjustment of Air France flight 4590 to a different take-off…
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Battle of Harlaw
Overshadowed by the more glamourous battles of Sterling and Bannockburn a century before, between the Scots and the English, Harlaw has been long forgotten by many, but remains historically as important to the Scottish line of succession, not to mention being one of the bloodiest battles ever to have taken place. Historians when asked, will argue at length as to the significance of Harlaw as a battle for the right of lineage, some claiming it as a clan war, others claiming it nothing more than an excuse for looting. But in July 1411, the succession of the Earldom of Ross was the cause of this bloody and inconclusive battle. In…
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Anne Bronte
Anne Bronte was the youngest of six children born to Maria Branwell and Patrick Bronte, on January 17th 1820 in the village of Thornton in Yorkshire. When Anne was a few months old, Patrick, a clergyman, was given the post of perpetual curate of the Church of Haworth a few miles away. The family moved into the parsonage in April. Less than a year later Maria fell ill, and her sister Elizabeth Branwell moved in to nurse her. Maria died in September 1821, quite possibly from uterine cancer. Anecdotal recollections by members of the Bronte circle have stated that Maria’s main concerns knowing her condition was terminal were for her…
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John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, was born on March 6, 1340 to King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was called “John of Gaunt” because he was born in Ghent, then rendered in English as Gaunt. He was born a member of the House of Plantagenet. His older brother Edward, Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) was next in line to the throne until his death in 1376 following a ten year battle with recurrent amoebic dysentery. When Edward III died in 1377 and his ten-year-old grandson succeeded as Richard II of England, John’s influence strengthened. However, many people suspected him of wanting to seize…
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Historical Towns Series – Whissendine, Rutland
Rutland is the smallest county in England, at around 147 square miles with a population of only 35,000 people. Made up of several small villages, it nestles quietly between several larger counties, including Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Cambridge in the East Midlands. At its longest point it is 18 miles north to south and at its widest point, 17 miles east to west. It is a charming quiet area, rural and recently voted the best place to live in England. As we journey through this tiny county, there is a wealth of history and it becomes obvious how much this tiny little county has contributed to History. Whissendine – Whissendine…
