Today's County in the Spotlight:Part 2

[NewcastleFalcon]

Limavady gets another entry in the thread for this

William Ferguson Massey.....nothing to do with the tractors.

Regards Neil

[myglaren]

Eva Cassidy makes you listen to the words, and yes jerks a tear. Not a sweet soft rendition throughout, but such emotion.

Regards Neil

I am sure you can guess whom I think does it best. And she was only nine when she recorded it.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Londonderry pub of the day

The Corner Bar in Limavady...why ...its got a mural of Jane Ross!

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Looks like Draught Guinness is the order of the day at the Corner Bar




Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Amelia Earhart flies into our County Spotlight of the day. Almost unbelievably it was 21st May 1932 when she landed in a field near Culmore, I'd say a FCF spooky near miss, 90 years almost to the day, Londonderry has its day-ish in the spotlight.

Her first solo transatlantic crossing in 1932, took off from Harbour Grace in Newfoundland and landed near Culmore in County Londonderry in a field, "the best available pasture". In her own words she said

"I got down without any trouble and taxied up to the front door of a surprised farmer's cottage"

https://simpleflying.com/90-years-ago-a ... ic-flight/

Wonder how the plaque erectors have commemorated the event.

er....they haven't as far as I cant find. Burry Port in Carmarthenshire as we discovered in its day in the spotlight went reasonably big on the plaque front, for her 1928 crossing of the Atlantic as a passenger.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

In our piece on Selkirkshire the commons ridings an annual celebration and commemoration, of "those days are past now and in the past they must remain" of times of conflict, and of battles won and lost and lives lost. In particular the borders ridings focus on Flodden yes in 1513. Strip away the origins, and its more a day for an inclusive community to celebrate their "Selkirkness" and do the same things every year, carry on a tradition and come together.

Londonderry, or Derry whatever you call it has more recent scars, and a divided community, and suffered on all sides in "the troubles". People visit Derry to view the murals and the memorials. In contrast to the borders common ridings the "Marching Season" and July 12th commemorating the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, nearly as ancient as Flodden, are viewed as tradition in one part of the community, but as provocation in another.

To conclude county Londonderry not a mural or a memorial but the peace bridge.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

________Londonderry Done _______34 remain_

Already selected
1,3,5,6,11,16
20,26,42,43,44,45

New selection
Next random number 27
Next County Middlesex

First name to come to mind Fred Titmus the Cricketer

I think we have to Lob "London" in with this, North Bank anyway!

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Interactive map
https://wikishire.co.uk/map/#Middlesex/ ... 63/zoom=10
Main Settlements covered

click to enlarge

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Need a quick strike to get things going.

Wembley is in the boundaries of the map of our historic county. Only been there once for an event which was this one. I should have had a programme not thrown out to mark the occasion, and probably still do but cant find it.

Spur of the moment day trip to see an England International at the Empire stadium on Wednesday 12th September 1979. There was I, standing on the terraces singing the national anthem which was probably the best moment of the trip, and seeing Kevin Keegan score the only goal, and England win the match. Late, probably last train back up North from Kings Cross...great day!

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

The Middlesex flag is almost as familiar to me as the Hertfordshire one having spent many days at Lords over the years

BFTW

All the details here.

and the location in the UK:

BFTW

Neil has given a list of places with the interactive map but I find this is a handy quick reference!!

BFTW

[Rp0thejester]

Hendon has a great ww2 museum that's all I know about that area

[mickthemaverick]

Hendon has a great ww2 museum that's all I know about that area

It's actually an RAF Museum covering a lot more than just WW2 stuff. I have enjoyed a visit on three occasions

[Rp0thejester]

I dabbled in aircraft restoration at Duxford as a teen in hanger 5, working on the Airspeed Ambassador. I was lucky and met Stephen grey and sat in all his planes, and all the other planes in the other hangers. That includes the Hind helicopter, yuck inside colour, Sally B, etc, etc. My mate worked at Hendon, he rebuilt the Henkel 111 seat that's on display in Hendon.

[Rp0thejester]

The P47 Thunderbolt was fun to get into in full overalls, run up the undercarriage at full speed! Getting down was easy, sit down and slide down the wing, lol

[Rp0thejester]

I believe the Hatfield spotlight forgot to mention the De Havilland Museum in London Colney. It has one of the prototype Mosquitos, plus others that you can go and look inside in