History Challenge & Journal

[dtaai-maai]

Further to that, Pete, I believe the Royal Family uses Welsh gold exclusively for their wedding rings, though I doubt that alone is responsible for it staying in business...

[lindosfan1]

Very interesting, Pete, thanks.
One of my earliest memories (I was born in 57) is of walking with my mother to Bolingbroke Hospital (next to Wandsworth Common in SW London) to visit my father, who had had a minor operation. It was less than a mile from home, so very familiar territory, but we still lost our way and had to retrace our steps. I assume it was 1962: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_London_smog

The 1962 London smog was a severe smog episode that affected London, England in December 1962. It occurred ten years after Great Smog of London, in which serious air pollution had killed as many as 12,000 people. While the 1952 smog had led to the passing of the 1956 Clean Air Act, which restricted the burning of domestic fuels in urban areas with the introduction of smokeless zones, fogs continued to be smoky in London for some years after the act as residents and operators were given time to convert from domestic fuels. The December 1962 smog is thought to have led to the deaths of up to 700 people.

I assume the fog still occurs occasionally, as it's a natural phenomenon, but I think the Clean Air Act of 1956, which (gradually) introduced a number of measures to reduce pollution, and in particular the introduction of 'smokeless zones' and the banning of coal, etc. as a domestic fuel, eventually took effect and drastically reduced the 'smog' element.

I imagine the closure of the nearby coal-fired Battersea Power Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battersea ... ar_culture in 1975 also helped!

I remember the smogs in the 1950s, we lived in Bromley my father had a bedford van with a flat front, I remember going out with him probably 1955 or 56 the smog was so thick I had to walk along side the van with a torch because he could not see the curb. The smog was caused as DM said partly by the Batteersea power station, however the prime cause was coal fires, virtually every house had a coal fire. The smogs went back centuries well before Battersea power station. I found this interesting article.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/unite ... ondon-fog/

[PeteC]

Home coal burning wasn't only in the UK. I remember my Dad using cannel coal in our fireplace in the 50's for heating during the many blizzards and power outages we had in Pennsylvania during a few bad winters. One chunk about 2 rugby ball size would burn for half a day.

Edit: Cannel, not canal spell checker kidnap.

[pharvey]

Another item is gold mining in Wales, which I never even knew existed but apparently has been going on since ancient times. Quite a history and an apparent special colour to it due to a bit of copper in the ore. In any event, it seems a dead industry still has some life in it per the below article.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... d-19384122

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_gold

Maybe you can give up your traveling days Pharvey and use your skills closer to home.

A very significant find and as you say certainly breaths new life into an otherwise dead industry. I'd love to work on these mines, unfortunately it won't happen...... Neither will it again on the coal mines.

The rarity of Welsh gold (supposedly the rarest in the world) can put it's price at 30 times that of "standard gold".

Further to that, Pete, I believe the Royal Family uses Welsh gold exclusively for their wedding rings, though I doubt that alone is responsible for it staying in business...

Has been a tradition for the royal family to use Welsh Gold for their wedding rings, recently broken by Hopeless Harry who wears a platinum ring. As such, it has been decreed that he shall be beaten with a giant soggy leek if and when he visits this great land again.

[dtaai-maai]

As such, it has been decreed that he shall be beaten with a giant soggy leek if and when he visits this great land again.

Hmmm... interesting... Almost worth a trip to Wales!

index.jpg (3.57 KiB) Viewed 317 times

[Dannie Boy]

I too remember the smogs very well, especially on one particular day (probably in 1962) going to the Odeon cinema at Erith about 5 miles from where I lived by bus. On the way back, the bus driver took a wrong turn and we ended up going down a road that wasn’t suitable for a double decker bus. Although my memory is a bit sketchy, I believe that the bus conductor helped guide the bus back and onto its correct route.

As for the coal fired power stations being the cause of the smog, there’s little doubt that they were big contributors and there were a number in London that along with Battersea which were closed during the 70’s (including Bankside and Acton Lane) - I used to work for the CEGB who produced all of the electricity in England and Wales at this time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pharvey]

As such, it has been decreed that he shall be beaten with a giant soggy leek if and when he visits this great land again.

Hmmm... interesting... Almost worth a trip to Wales!

I'm told there's a group of "Deviant Druids" up in North Wales who could make your visit "memorable" for a price - apparently they also interpret the meaning of "lockdown" in a slightly different way.......

[pharvey]

Never remember "Smog" in the UK - not back here until the late 70's after being brought up in Africa, but certainly incredibly heavy fog. More noticeable on high ground, plenty of which in Wales! One memorable one however was travelling back to Bath, England - windy, steep road dropping down into the city and I couldn't see the end of the bonnet, not the best driving conditions!!

As for smog, one memory was whilst working in Hohhot/Huhehaote (Mongolia) during winter - the smog/smoke caused by the coal fires was incredible - daylight hours were minimal and even then the skies were dark due to the fires. The smell of the burning coal was intense.

I can only imagine what London was like back in the day.

As for "pollution" as such during those times (50's/60's), my father used to tell me stories of bridges being closed (Rotherham & Sheffield) due to "foam" forming on the river some 20 odd feet below.

[dtaai-maai]

Never remember "Smog" in the UK - not back here until the late 70's after being brought up in Africa, but certainly incredibly heavy fog. More noticeable on high ground, plenty of which in Wales!

In the 80s I lived in a house on the clifftops between Dover and Folkestone, in a village called Capel-le-Ferne. It was beautiful when the weather was clear, but it must be one of the foggiest places in the country! I found this picture on line of a sea fog approaching the cliffs; it would rise, and if it combined with low cloud the result was zero visibility.

capel fog.jpg (46.17 KiB) Viewed 304 times

[lindosfan1]

Never remember "Smog" in the UK - not back here until the late 70's after being brought up in Africa, but certainly incredibly heavy fog. More noticeable on high ground, plenty of which in Wales!

In the 80s I lived in a house on the clifftops between Dover and Folkestone, in a village called Capel-le-Ferne. It was beautiful when the weather was clear, but it must be one of the foggiest places in the country! I found this picture on line of a sea fog approaching the cliffs; it would rise, and if it combined with low cloud the result was zero visibility.

capel fog.jpg

Strange old world about 3 mile from where I live now.Interesting aea, I agree some really beautiful places in the area.

[PeteC]

On this day in 1984 something happened to British money. Any ideas?

[Dannie Boy]

On this day in 1984 something happened to British money. Any ideas?

I’d hazard a guess - pound coins replaced pound notes?

[dtaai-maai]

I think the pound coin was introduced before 1984, but the pound note remained in circulation for a year or two after that, so '84 could be when it was finally removed from circulation.

[PeteC]

No, but it was a coin involved.

[Dannie Boy]

Introduction of the £2 coin?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk