Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born today in 1806. The greatest engineer of his age he built the Clifton suspension bridge, the Great Western Railway with its 7ft 1/4 inch gauge and the SS Great Britain steamship. The photo of him standing in front of the ship's anchor chains with his top hat on and a cigar clamped firmly in his lips is the epitome of the self-made man. They named a university after him and one or two of My Own Sixth Form have gone on to fine things at the University of Isambard.
In other news ... Francis Bacon died today in Highgate, London in 1626. He was a statesman, philosopher, Attorney-General, probable spy and quite a good egg (I am writing this on Easter Sunday, so eggs are very much on my mind as well as smeared down one trouser leg and thoroughly coating the cat, thanks to Nolan and his dear little egg-hunting friends from Mrs Whatmough's Academy For Young Delinquents). Rumour has it that he died of a cold brought on by trying to freeze a chicken by stuffing it with snow. If only he'd gone to Tesco's, like the rest of us.
