Today in 1952 the first 'Top Ten' of what the young people called the Hit Parade was published in NME (Not Musically Exciting). Vera Lynn was No 1 with 'Homing Waltz'. Jo Stafford was at No 2 with 'You Belong to my Heart' and Nat King Cole was third with 'Somewhere Along the Way'. All too soon, it was all going to get much, much worse.
In other news ...
The worst bombing raid to hit Coventry was mounted tonight in 1940. The Cathedral was left a smoking shell, there were 554 deaths and 865 injured. 449 bombers dropped 503 tons of bombs. The phrase 'to coventrate' became part of the English language.
Showing posts with label WW2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WW2. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Friday, 9 November 2012
9th November
The Stealth bomber was unveiled today in 1988, a sneaky beast that can't be detected by radar, but can - as we now know - be shot down. I was idling my time during the First Gulf War in a London antique market and I heard a customer ask the stall owner if he had any bits of Stealth aircraft for sale. In those long-gone naive days we all assumed he was a hopeful collector rather than a terrorist. Of course, the stall holder said, 'No, sorry, I'm afraid you're asking for the impossible.' He looked at the customer, winked and said, 'Come back tomorrow and I'll see what I can do.' I've often wondered whose side he was on.
In other news ...
Charles de Gaulle died today in 1970. He was the one, according to Allo! Allo! with the big 'ooter. This man was leader of the Free French army during World War Two and a complete pain in the backside to everybody he met. When they made the remake of Day of the Jackal I hoped the sniper would get him this time.
In other news ...
Charles de Gaulle died today in 1970. He was the one, according to Allo! Allo! with the big 'ooter. This man was leader of the Free French army during World War Two and a complete pain in the backside to everybody he met. When they made the remake of Day of the Jackal I hoped the sniper would get him this time.
Monday, 30 July 2012
30th July
It was WW1 and WW2 all over again today in 1966 when England beat Germany 4-2 in the World Cup. England was ahead 2-1 until the last minute when there was a German equalizer (think Arnhem, 1944). Alf Ramsay, the England Manager, said to his boys, 'Well, you've won it once. Now you'll just have to do it all over again and you will. The Germans are knackered.'
And so it proved (see Anthony Beevor's Berlin) in 1945.
In other news ...
The Parkinson family were in the news again today with the birth of Northcote in 1909. He was the one who coined the idea of Parkinson's Law - Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. His dad invented the handle of the condition and his granddad, Michael, is still churning out insurance ads on the telly. And perhaps it is time someone told him he is nowhere as cute as a meerkat (although in his defence he is also infinitely less irritating than a tenor).
And so it proved (see Anthony Beevor's Berlin) in 1945.
In other news ...
The Parkinson family were in the news again today with the birth of Northcote in 1909. He was the one who coined the idea of Parkinson's Law - Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. His dad invented the handle of the condition and his granddad, Michael, is still churning out insurance ads on the telly. And perhaps it is time someone told him he is nowhere as cute as a meerkat (although in his defence he is also infinitely less irritating than a tenor).
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