On this day in history : 31st October 1971 – A bomb explodes in the revolving restaurant at the top of London’s Post Office Tower….
The Tower had been open for six years and the restaurant, situated on the 34th floor and with its panoramic views across the city, proved popular with London’s fashionable diners….
Panoramic view from the Tower – Image credit : Colin – own work – CC BY-SA 3.0
According to the Manager of the restaurant around 100 hoax bomb threats had been made over the previous five years or so…. Only this time the threat was for real…. A warning had been given and the building searched – but nothing was found…. At 4.30am an explosion blasted holes in the outer walls of the restaurant and viewing galleries…. Buildings and parked cars up to 400m away were damaged and local residents were woken in their beds…. Thankfully nobody was hurt…. The police received a call shortly after from a man claiming to be from the Kilburn Battalion of the IRA…. The bombing had all the hallmarks of the IRA – although far left anarchist organisation the Angry Brigade also later claimed responsibility….
The bomb had been planted in the roof space of the men’s toilets on the lowest of the public viewing galleries…. It was thought a diner may have gained access to a restricted internal staircase in order to plant it….
The restaurant was closed to the public – and when the owner’s lease expired in 1980 it was closed permanently…. The revolving floor still remains functioning and nowadays the restaurant is used for occasional corporate entertaining….and is also used for part of the filming of the BBC’s annual Children in Need fundraising event….
Image credit : David Castor – own work – Public domain
On this day in history : 30th October 2014 – The death of English actress Renee Asherson – with a career spanning 65 years she was known for her versatility and grace….
Renee Asherson – Fair use
Born Dorothy Renee Ascherson in Kensington, London, on the 19th of May 1915, she was to drop the ‘c’ from her name early in her acting career…. Renee’s father was a German-Jewish businessman and she was brought up in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire – before attending finishing schools in Switzerland and Anjou…. As a teenager her health suffered as she battled with anorexia…. When she announced that she had decided on an acting career her mother was greatly alarmed – it was not what she wanted for her daughter…. However, she enrolled at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London and completed her training….
Renee’s first stage performance was a walk-on part in October 1935, in John Gielgud’s production of Romeo and Juliet…. Her stage career was to focus on Shakespeare at the Birmingham Rep, Old Vic and other leading theatres…. Her first major film role was as Katherine in the 1944 film adaption of Henry V – in which she starred opposite Laurence Olivier…. Rumours were, at the time, that he had chosen her over Vivien Leigh, as he did not want his own performance to be overshadowed….
Renee was to work with actor Robert Donat – who became enchanted with her…. He was then to cast her in the 1945 comedy A Cure for Love…. In 1946 she returned to the stage playing Juliet at St. James’s Theatre – and completely won the hearts of the audience with her charm, poise and elegance…. Olivier tried to persuade her to join him at the Old Vic but she opted to work with Donat – whom she married in 1953….
Robert Donat – Fair use
Donat was suffering from ill-health and Renee put her own career on hold so that she could nurse him…. However, his illness put too much strain on their relationship and the marriage broke down…. Ironically they were on the verge of a reconciliation when Donat died of a brain tumour in June 1958….
Having been left nothing in Donat’s will Renee threw herself back into her work – more out of financial necessity rather than love of her trade…. She never remarried and had no children….
Over the next half a century she proved her versatility as an actress in a large variety of roles…. from Shakespeare to Agatha Christie, to comedy…. Her television work included series such as Clayhanger and Tenko…. Her last film appearance was in 2001, in the haunting story with an incredible twist at the end – The Others – also starring Nicole Kidman….
Fair use
Renee died in Primrose Hill, London, at the age of 99….
On this day in history : 29th October 1618 – Sir Walter Raleigh, adventurer, explorer, celebrated soldier, writer and courtier, is beheaded for allegedly conspiring against King James I….
Sir Walter Raleigh – Public domain
It was in 1580 that Raleigh, as a successful and rather handsome young soldier, caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth I – and he quickly became one of her favourite courtiers…. She bestowed upon him a knighthood and gave him properties and power….
Then in 1592 Raleigh secretly married one of Elizabeth’s maids of honour…. The Queen was beside herself with jealousy and rage and had Raleigh and his now pregnant new wife imprisoned in the Tower of London….
Once released from the Tower Raleigh set about worming his way back into Elizabeth’s affections…. It is reputedly he who introduced the potato and tobacco to Britain, although it is often disputed as to whether he actually did…. It was, however, he who was responsible for making smoking fashionable at Court….
Raleigh was to fall from grace again when King James I came to the throne…. James heard on the grapevine that Raleigh was involved in a plot to overthrow him and so had him imprisoned for treason…. He was tried, found guilty and sentenced to death…. However, good fortune was on his side, his life was spared but he spent the next thirteen years in the Tower of London….
Raleigh’s cell in the Tower of London – Image credit : Kjetil Bjornsrud – own work – CC BY 2.5
Upon his release he once again clawed his way back into favour….and was permitted to lead an expedition to find the mythical El Dorado – a land supposedly filled with gold…. Needless to say it was a quest unable to be fulfilled – so instead Raleigh and his men attacked a Spanish settlement, totally going against Royal orders…. Naturally Spain was furious and demanded that King James do something about Raleigh…. James was more than happy to oblige – he reinstated the death sentence that Raleigh had managed to dodge before…. And so, on the 29th of October 1618 Raleigh succumbed to the executioner’s axe….
He was executed in the Old Palace Yard of the Palace of Westminster…. He said to the executioner “Let us dispatch…. At this hour my ague comes to me. I would not have my enemies think I quaked from fear”…. His last words were…. “Strike, man, strike”….
Illustration circa 1860 from The Popular History of England – Public domain
On this day in history : 27th October 1917 – The death of Arthur Rhys-Davids – flying ace of the First World War and the victor of one of the most famous dog fights of the War….
Portrait of Lieutenant Arthur Rhys-Davids – From the collections of the Imperial War Museums – Public domain
As soon as he had finished his schooling Arthur deferred his entry to Oxford University and joined the Royal Flying Corps…. He first reported for duty on the 28th of August 1916 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps Special Reserve in Oxford and began his training…. He was then to join 56 Squadron at London Colney….
At the beginning of April 1917 the Squadron flew to France and were to based at Vert Galand…. Arthur was to get his first taste of aerial combat on the 7th of May…. He was to encounter a German pilot far more experienced than he was; despite being shot down he lived to tell the tale…. Others were not so lucky; it was a disastrous day for the Squadron, only five aircraft returned to Vert Galand….
Royal AircraftFactory S.E.5 – the type of aircraft Rhys-Davids would have flown – Public domain
On the 23rd of May Arthur scored his first victory – shooting down an Albatross D.111 fighter…. The following day he had three more victories – in just one hour…. And on the 25th he succeeded in bringing down another aircraft – with five victories to his name Arthur was now a flying ace…. On the 25th of June 1917 he learned that he had been awarded the Military Cross….
During an evening flying patrol on the 23rd of September 1917 several members of 56 Squadron, including Arthur, encountered German flying ace Werner Voss…. Credited with 48 victories Voss was much feared but also much admired…. Only at this stage Arthur and his comrades were unaware of who it was they had come across….
The six aircraft of Arthur’s patrol had become involved in a dog fight involving large numbers of aircraft from both sides – when suddenly Voss appeared amidst them…. “The German triplane was in the middle of our formation, and its handling was wonderful to behold. The pilot seemed to be firing at us all simultaneously, and although I got behind him a second time, I could hardly stay there for a second. His movements were so quick and uncertain”…. ~ James McCudden – (one of the most highly decorated airmen in British history and who was flying in the same patrol as Arthur that particular evening…. McCudden was eventually killed in action on the 9th of July 1918)….
The German made no attempt to escape and the six British pilots were now engaged in a ferocious battle with him…. Voss fired and hit McCudden in the wing, then forced two more of the British aircraft out of the fight with hits to their engines…. More British and German planes joined in but still Voss in his Fokker triplane managed to evade them…. Eventually he made a flat turn and Arthur saw an opportunity and managed to get on his tail…. Arthur fired and the Fokker dived towards German lines with the young British pilot still behind him…. But then Voss made an error…. Arthur made a turn away – and the German, mis-reading the situation, turned with him – bringing his aircraft back into Arthur’s firing line – who let him have it full pelt, taking the Fokker down….
When the patrol returned to base it was still unknown to them who the mystery pilot was…. When the Germans announced that their ace pilot Werner Voss was missing in action jubilation broke out in the ranks of 56 Squadron, with showers of congratulations for Arthur….who was later to say…. “If only I could have brought him down alive”….
Werner Voss – a card from the private collection by Scinke, Berlin 1917 – PD-US
On the 27th of October 1917 Arthur was promoted to Lieutenant, backdated to the 1st of September…. Later that same day he took off on a routine patrol and was last seen chasing after a group of German Albatross fighters…. It was just a month after his 20th birthday – he was never found….
On this day in history : 26th October 1965 – The Beatles visit Buckingham Palace to be awarded with their MBE medals by Her Majesty the Queen….
The band had been notified four months before that they were to be the recipients of the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire award, when their names had appeared on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in the previous June….
There were those who did not agree with the decision to honour the Beatles – rock and roll music was still rather distasteful to some…. A few previously decorated individuals even returned their medals in disgust and protest….
However, honoured they were – as Britain’s greatest musical ambassadors…. They received their awards that day alongside 185 other people…. They were taken to one side before the ceremony and coached in the protocol for meeting the Queen…. The boys were so nervous, even popping to the loo for a calming smoke before the proceedings…. But all went smoothly – they even shared a joke or two with Her Majesty….
Ironically, four years later, just as there had been those who returned their medals in protest at the Beatles being honoured, John Lennon was to do the same with his…. “Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against ‘Cold Turkey’ slipping down the charts. With love, John Lennon”….
In 2009 his medal was discovered lying in a vault in St. James’ Palace….
Cottage Capers 