For those who are privy to the strange world of Peter Maxwell, let me just explain that I don't know how this works, how my daily jottings will get out there into what people apparently call cyberspace. I just know that Mrs B has told me what keys to press and occasionally I find that there is somewhere for me to write. Today is one of the lucky days. I'm sure that on others I will inadvertently end up buying a used Fiesta on eBay, but since I am here, I will do what I intend to do each day (with a following wind and a bit of help from passing IT staff, wives and my increasingly computer literate child and, rather more worryingly, cat) and that is share a few thoughts on historical events from the day in question. So, on this day ...
Paul Revere was born, 277 years ago. If you're British, you've probably never heard of him; if you're American, he's right up there with Babe Ruth and Mother Teresa. He was a silversmith and Ratfink who gave the game away in the War of American Independence by galloping all over the villages of New England, shouting, 'The British are coming! The British are coming!' The more sensible Americans who heard him just adhered to the later World War Two advice - 'Keep Calm and Carry On Drinking Coffee.'
In other news ... in 1961 those mysterious fellows who design and mint coins had one less job to do. They stopped making farthings, the smallest and dinkiest coin, which, the oldies will remember, had a cute little Jenny Wren on it (and of course Her Majesty, God Bless Her, on the other side). Depending on your take on life, this was either a sensible move because you hadn't been able to buy anything for a farthing for at least a century or it was part of the international conspiracy that was to lead to decimalization, the advent of the European Union and the End of Civilization.
Well ... that was surprisingly simple. The next surprise will be when I am here again tomorrow, with some January 2 facts. Perhaps I ought to just stay in front of this screen all night, to be sure.
And finally, don't forget; if you can read this, thank a teacher.
