20th Century
John Alldridge Meets Douglas Bader
In September 1955, the Manchester Evening News sent my uncle to interview Group Captain Douglas Bader – Jerry F There was a time — not so long ago — when for seven weary months I [more…]
20th Century
18th Century
Reparations for Slavery
Free Gear Kier has said reparations are off the table only to find that the Commonwealth leaders have put it firmly on his table. The prediction has to be that this weakling will cave in [more…]
20th Century
The Venona Project, Part Two
The Venona Project was launched by the US Army Signal Intelligence Service in February 1943. The Russians had sent thousands and thousands of coded and enciphered messages over commercial telegraph services. The US Army decided [more…]
20th Century
Close Approach of Mars to Earth
In September 1956, as Mars approached its closest to Earth for 34 years, John Alldridge summed up what we then knew (or thought we knew) of the planet for the Manchester Evening News – Jerry [more…]
18th Century
20th Century
Stalin won the war, Part One
Instead of diving further into the UK’s entanglement with the commies in the thirties, it’s time to take a look at what was going on over the pond. Much of the thirties antics over here [more…]
20th Century
Hasn’t Time Flown?
The conversation ended as it often does with a young colleague reminding me it’s because I’m old. Perhaps because I really am old, I can’t remember the topic. Maybe the latest delivery of dog food [more…]
20th Century
European Journey 1953, Part Eight – Sezanne
This small French town of Sezanne is one of those places — like Crewe — that you are always passing through but somehow never get to know. Three routes nationales converge on it like the [more…]
20th Century
A Ukrainian Enigma
I have an original photograph bought as part of a “bundle” from a militaria seller whose business model is to put together sets of documents, photographs and ephemera that appear to be vaguely related so [more…]