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Interesting trivia thread

derek kelly

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Just found it from vfr-ray1

First rule - don't call the place the "Orkney's", really pisses off the locals like me. The name Orkney is actually plural so doesn't need an "s" added but you will get off with Orkney Islands.
 

andyBeaker

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During WW2 over 3 million Anderson air raid shelters were distributed in kit form for home build/installation In the UK.

During the same conflict over 60 million change of addresses were registered in the UK.
 

andyBeaker

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Just found it from vfr-ray1

First rule - don't call the place the "Orkney's", really pisses off the locals like me. The name Orkney is actually plural so doesn't need an "s" added but you will get off with Orkney Islands.
it really pisses me off when people use ‘ incorrectly.:meparto:
 

Duck n Dive

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I've just realised, having recently again been reading the hobbit I hadn't clocked it was about a place.

I thought the statement was all about Auk Knees.

I couldn't grasp why there was such concern about the middle earth health service.

As for Orkney Islands, north of Watford is bad enough, north of Edinburgh is the stone age :)
 

Cougar377

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I've just realised, having recently again been reading the hobbit I hadn't clocked it was about a place.

I thought the statement was all about Auk Knees.

I couldn't grasp why there was such concern about the middle earth health service.

As for Orkney Islands, north of Watford is bad enough, north of Edinburgh is the stone age :)
Sassenach.
 

slim63

Never surrender
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During WW2 over 3 million Anderson air raid shelters were distributed in kit form for home build/installation In the UK.
Not many Anderson shelters remain intact and very few are accessible to the public as most were sited in private gardens
 

andyBeaker

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And the less known Morrison shelter…designed to withstand a two storey house falling on it, room for two adults and two kids.

1642345459711.jpeg
 

slim63

Never surrender
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And the less known Morrison shelter…designed to withstand a two storey house falling on it, room for two adults and two kids.

View attachment 62611
yep often had a wooden top bodged onto them and used as a dining room table, as a kid a family in the village still had one of these used as a dog kennel
 

andyBeaker

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The respective British and German Admirals involved the operation that led to the sinking of The Bismark were close friends before WW2. The German was aboard The Bismark. It is believed that the British Admiral was aware of this.

War is horrible.
 

Duck n Dive

Rebel without a clue ...
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A while ago someone mentioned the Hawker Hunter which flew under London Bridge on 5th April 1968.

Purely by accident today I came across someone who knew the pilot.

Apparently it was a chap called Alan Pollack.

He was unhappy about what he felt was a lack of celebration of fifty years of the RAF by the MOD - no displays planned.

His protest involved circling Parliament and then looking at the rivets under Tower bridge.

He wasn't alone in his disgruntlement.

He was the Flight Commander No1 (fighter) squadron he led his colleagues on a leaflet raid of various RAF bases on 1st April.

On 4th April he led his unit on a visit to RAF Tangmere where they did their own impromptu display.

He followed this with his own personal display on the 5th over London.

The decision for no displays was made by MOD and was not popular in the RAF (Harold Wilson govt)

It seems he also visited several other RAF airfields on his way home - at 200 feet inverted.

He was arrested and left the RAF on medical grounds - this avoided a court martial and he kept his pension etc.

He died in 2019 aged 76.
 

Cougar377

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A while ago someone mentioned the Hawker Hunter which flew under London Bridge on 5th April 1968.

Purely by accident today I came across someone who knew the pilot.

Apparently it was a chap called Alan Pollack.

He was unhappy about what he felt was a lack of celebration of fifty years of the RAF by the MOD - no displays planned.

His protest involved circling Parliament and then looking at the rivets under Tower bridge.

He wasn't alone in his disgruntlement.

He was the Flight Commander No1 (fighter) squadron he led his colleagues on a leaflet raid of various RAF bases on 1st April.

On 4th April he led his unit on a visit to RAF Tangmere where they did their own impromptu display.

He followed this with his own personal display on the 5th over London.

The decision for no displays was made by MOD and was not popular in the RAF (Harold Wilson govt)

It seems he also visited several other RAF airfields on his way home - at 200 feet inverted.

He was arrested and left the RAF on medical grounds - this avoided a court martial and he kept his pension etc.

He died in 2019 aged 76.
Interesting fact about his Hunter... It was one of a batch sold to the Chilean Air Force. Ultimately it was lost in a crash in 1982.
 

andyBeaker

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Another dare devil feat involving Tower Bridge…

On 30th December 1952, Albert Gunter was happily going about his day job, driving the number 78 bus over Tower Bridge towards Shoreditch. To his utter surprise, the road in front of him seemed to drop away.

Gunter quickly realised that the Bridge was opening, and his bus was on a rising bascule. Back in the 1950s, a watchman was supposed to ring a warning bell and close the gates before Tower Bridge opened, but on that particular day, he somehow forgot to do so.

Slamming his foot down on the accelerator, Gunter managed to jump the rising bascule. He successfully reached the north side of Tower Bridge, which had not yet begun to open, getting all his 20 passengers across safely.

As a precaution, all those of on board were taken to hospital. Thankfully, there was only one person injured: Gunter broke his leg. Amazingly enough, the bus, which was going at just 12 mph (19.3 km/h), was intact.

For this act of bravery and quick thinking, Albert was awarded a day off work and a reward of £10 (about £290 in today’s money).
 

andyBeaker

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There are just over 6000 armed response police officers in service in England.
 
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