On this day in history : 13th December 1914 – Lieutenant Otto Koehn – known as ‘the German jack-in-a-box’ – is discovered concealed in a packing crate at Tilbury Docks….attempting to escape to Hamburg….
Otto was a German prisoner of war…. He had been captured from a German freight ship travelling from the USA to Germany….and he had been taken to Poundbury Prisoner of War Camp in Dorchester…. Otto began to plan his escape soon after arriving….
Poundbury Prisoner of War Camp – fair use
Prisoners of war at Poundbury (perhaps Otto is one of them)…. Photo credit : Wessex Branch Western Front Association wessexwfa.org.uk – fair use
His opportunity came when some of the older prisoners were due to be repatriated back to Germany…. When the day came for their departure, there was an extra packing crate amongst their luggage….a crate measuring just 3ft x 2ft x 2ft…. Inside was Otto – which must have been quite a squeeze, as he was over 6ft tall! He had along with him a dozen bananas, some malt extract and three Champagne bottles full of water….
On arrival at Tilbury Docks the SS Batavian was waiting to take the prisoners for repatriation to Hamburg…. Dockers decided the best way to load the crate Otto was secluded in was by rolling it down the ramp to the ship…. So shaken and jolted was Otto inside he could stand it no more…. He burst out of the crate head first….and surrendered….
SS Batavier – unknown photographer – public domain
Otto was returned back to Dorchester….and earned the new name ….’Jack-in-a-box’….
On this day in history : 12th December 1901 – Guglielmo Marconi, Italian physicist and radio pioneer, successfully sends the first wireless transmission 2,000 miles across the Atlantic….
Guglielmo Marconi – Pach Brothers, Public Domain
The simple message, consisting of the morse-code signal ‘…’ for the letter ‘S’ was sent from Poldhu in Cornwall to Newfoundland, Canada….
Marconi had studied physics in his home country of Italy and had become interested in radio wave transmission after learning of the experiments of Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist…. Marconi began his own experiments in 1894 and managed to send a signal for a distance of 1.5 miles…. But his work was unappreciated and he received little encouragement – and so in 1896 he decided to relocate to England….
British Post Office engineers inspect Marconi’s radio equipment, 13th May 1897 – during a demonstration on Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel – Cardiff Council Flat Holm Project CC BY 3.0
Marconi set up a wireless telegraph company and continued to develop his ideas; before long he was regularly sending transmissions over distances of more than 10 miles…. In 1899 he succeeded in sending a transmission across the English Channel…. Also in the same year he gained international recognition when he enabled the results of the America’s Cup yacht race to be transmitted to a New York newspaper from the deck of a ship….
Marconi built transmitting stations at Poldhu, Cornwall and South Wellfleet, Cape Cod…. He later moved the latter to Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland (which is closer to England) after estimating signals would not reach the distance to Cape Cod…. Many experts did not believe radio signals could be sent any further than 200 miles; the theory being the curvature of Earth would not allow it – and instead of following the natural curvature the signal would carry on out into Space….
On the 12th of December 1901 Marconi and his assistant, George Kemp, set up their equipment – a telephone receiver and a wire antenna attached to a kite…. An attempt two days previously had been unsuccessful – but this time at 12.30 pm a faint but distinct ‘pip pip pip’ was heard…. Marconi claimed “I knew then that all my anticipations had been justified…. The electric waves sent out into Space from Poldhu had traversed the Atlantic”…. Marconi believed the signal had been unimpeded by the curvature of Earth…. However, although his experiment had been successful he was wrong to believe the signal had traversed along the Earth’s curvature – in fact the experts were correct…. The signal had carried on out into Space….but then had hit an atmospheric layer of ions – which deflected it back down towards Newfoundland…. But his experiment can only be described as a groundbreaking milestone into the research of radio waves….
Marconi watches associates raise a kite used to lift the antenna at St. John’s, Newfoundland, December 1901 – James M Vey – Public domain
Marconi continued to play a leading role into radio development – and in 1909 he was awarded jointly the Nobel Prize in physics….along with German radio innovator, Ferdinand Braun….
On this day in history : 11th December 1967 – Concorde is rolled out of its hangar for its first public appearance….
Prototype Concorde 001 was revealed in Toulouse amid much pomp and ceremony, in front of some 1,100 guests from organisations such as the British Aircraft Corporation, Sud-Aviation, representatives of airlines who had already placed orders for the aircraft and ministers of state….
Concorde 001 first flight, 1969 – Andre Cros CC BY-SA 4.0
Concorde’s first test flight was on the 2nd of March 1969…. Applause and cheers broke out from those watching as the Anglo-French supersonic airliner took off from Toulouse, at around 3.30pm, for the first time – piloted by test pilot Andre Turcat…. During the test flight the speed did not exceed 300 mph – and it stayed at a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet…. During commercial flights it would reach speeds of 1,350 mph – twice the speed of conventional aircraft – and would fly at a height of 60,000 feet….
British Airways Concorde, 1986 – Eduard Marmet CC BY-SA 3.0
The first flight of the British prototype was made from Filton Airfield, near to Bristol – to RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire on the 9th of April 1969 and was piloted by Brian Trubshaw…. It was also in 1969 – on the 10th of October – that Concorde completed its first supersonic flight….
Landing at Farnborough, September 1974 – Steve Fitzgerald GFDL 1.2
On the 21st of January 1976 Britain and France began their first regularly scheduled Concorde flights – with British Airways operating between London and Bahrain and Air France between Paris and Rio de Janeiro…. The London to New York service began on the 22nd of November 1977…. Concorde set itself a record on the 16th of December 1979 by completing the flight between New York and London in less than three hours….
It was on the 25th of July 2000 that Air France flight 4590 took off from Riossy Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris….bound for New York…. Two minutes later it crashed – killing all 109 passengers and crew on board and 4 people on the ground…. As Concorde had reached take off speed it had struck a piece of metal debris on the runway – that had fallen from a plane that had taken off five minutes previously…. The metal strip caused one of Concorde’s tyres to burst….fragments of tyre hit the aircraft’s wing with such force that the fuel tank punctured…. Gases from the engines ignited the leaking fuel, causing a massive fire…. Concorde crashed into the Hotelissimo Les Relais Bleus Hotel, close to the airport….
Flight 4590 during takeoff – Toshihiko Sato – Fair use
This was the first crash in Concorde’s 31 year history….it was considered to be among the safest of planes…. As a result of the crash all Concordes, both French and British, were grounded pending further investigations…. Commercial services were resumed in November 2001, after £71m being spent on safety improvements….
Parade flight at the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, June 2002 – Bleiglass CC BY-SA 3.0
However, on the 10th of April 2003 British Airways and Air France announced the retirement of their Concorde fleets…. Higher maintenance and running costs – combined with lower passenger numbers, after loss of confidence following the 2000 crash – were blamed…. The final Air France flight took place on the 27th of June – whilst British Airways put on a farewell tour…. The last flight was made on the 24th of October 2003….
On this day in history : 10th December 1979 – Eddie Kidd, motorcycle stunt rider, makes a death-defying leap across an 80ft gap, above a 50ft sheer drop over a viaduct….
The jump was made at the River Blackwater in Malden Essex, on a 400cc Yamaha motorbike, as part of the 1981 drama film ‘Riding High’ – in which Eddie plays the part of Dave Munday, a young motorcycle messenger who is bored with his life and job and so starts to train for a major competition….
Fair use
Born on the 22nd of June 1959, Eddie started his career as a stunt performer at the age of 14; he holds many world records for jumps – of which he made over 12,000 during his career…. He has worked as a stunt double on many films, including for Pierce Brosnan in ‘Golden Eye’, Timothy Dalton in ‘The Living Daylights’ and Val Kilmer in ‘Top Secret’….
Jumping over cars at the Royal Oak Football ground, Harwich in 1984 – John Wray, published by Harwich & Dovercourt CC BY-SA 2.0
In 1993 American daredevil (and son of Evel Knievel), Robbie Knievel, challenged Eddie to a world title ‘jump off’ competition – which took place in Mississippi, USA…. Each rider had to make three jumps, with the length of each totalled together to make the overall winner…. The competition was televised as ‘The Daredevil Duel; Knievel vs Kidd’…. Eddie won by 6 feet and the title still stands with him today…. It was also in 1993 that Eddie jumped over the Great Wall of China…. Despite all this, he didn’t obtain his UK motorcycle licence until 1995….
Eddie Kidd and Robbie Knievel, Daredevil Duel (via YouTube) – Fair use
It was on the 6th of August 1996 that tragedy was to strike…. Eddie attended the ‘Bulldog Bash’ at Long Marston Airfield, Stratford-upon-Avon ~ one of the largest motorcycle festivals in Europe….and during which he performed a 49ft jump…. In comparison to some of his previous stunts this was relatively tame; all went according to plan….he completed the jump and landed on two wheels…. However, as he landed his chin struck the petrol tank of the bike and he was knocked unconscious….and therefore, was unable to stop the bike from crashing…. Eddie sustained serious head and pelvic injuries….he was in a coma for 3 months – and was left paralysed with brain damage….
Eddie’s career took bravery and determination….qualities obviously ingrained deeply within his character…. On the 29th of June 2007 he opened the Beyond Boundaries Live 2007 Exhibition at Sandown Park, Esther; once again he was riding upon a motorbike…. On the 17th of April 2011, leaving his wheelchair at the starting line and using a special walking frame, Eddie embarked on the London Marathon…. 50 days later, on the 6th of June, he completed it…. A truly remarkable feat ~ one in which he raised £75,000 for the charity Children With Leukaemia….and still today Eddie continues to fundraise for worthy causes….
On the 17th of July 2012 Eddie carried the Olympic Torch through Lewes in East Sussex…. It was also in 2012 that he was awarded with a well deserved OBE – for his services to charity….
On this day in history : 9th December 1960 – The very first episode of Coronation Street is aired at 7pm on ITV – and is watched by 7.7 million people….
Fair use
The soap, which was first broadcast in black and white, was only ever meant to have run for 13 episodes – but is now Britain’s longest running soap, having been aired nearly 10,000 times….
The brainchild of scriptwriter Tony Warren of Granada TV, the idea was at first rejected by the TV station’s founder, Sidney Bernstein…. However, producer Harry Elton persuaded Bernstein to run a 13 part pilot series….within 6 months it had become the most watched TV show in Britain…. It has since become a true British institution and part of our culture – even the Queen watches! Many fans around the world can also view it; it has been shown in Australia since 1963 and from 1964 in New Zealand…. It can be seen in Canada, the USA, South Africa and the Republic of Ireland…. Satellite channels make it available in countries such as Cyprus and Malta – and also in Asia and the Middle East….
The soap focuses on the everyday life of working class folk in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on Salford, Manchester…. In its fictional history The Street was built in 1902 as a tribute to the Coronation of King Edward VII….
Cast of Coronation Street, 1960 – Fair use
The very first words spoken in the first episode – “Now the next thing you’ve got to do is get a sign writer in” – were by the character Elsie Lappin as she handed over the reins of the corner shop to Florrie Lindsey…. Also in this first episode Elsie Tanner nags her 18-year-old son, Dennis, who has just served a prison sentence, to get a job…. She also discovers her daughter, Linda, has split up with her husband…. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Ken Barlow argues with his father, Frank, at the dinner table…. The rebellious Ken was later to cause outrage in a 1961 episode when he uttered the first swear word of the soap – “bloody” – which received 83 complaints from viewers….
Ken Barlow in the first episode, 1960 – Fair use
The most watched episode ever was on Christmas Day 1987 – when 26.6 million tuned in to watch Hilda Ogden say “goodbye” to the Rovers…. Not bad viewing figures considering the negative reception it had from the media back in 1960…. The Mirror reported on it as “doomed from the outset”….as it objected to the depressing view of terraced houses with their smokey chimneys ~ and the dreary signature tune…. Even Granada’s general manager said he “couldn’t find a single redeeming quality” about it…. But obviously the British public thought differently….
Cottage Capers 