On this day in history : 3rd May 1830 – The opening of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway – also known as The Crab and Winkle Line….
Two specially cut down SER locomotives for Tyler Hill Tunnel – Photo credit : Ben Brooksbank CC BY-SA 2.0
Up until the early 1800s goods had been transported from the Canterbury area via the River Stour…. However, the river was constantly silting up and the cost of dredging it became untenable….
In 1823 pioneer promoter of rail transport, William James, visited Canterbury and it was he who suggested a rail link between Canterbury and the Thames Estuary…. An initial Act of Parliament for the construction of a line to Whitstable – which was just a small fishing port at the time – was passed on the 10th of June 1825….
William James c.1800 – Engraving by W.Rolfe – Public domain
Plans for Whitstable were ambitious and included a whole new harbour…. James surveyed the area and decided the best route was the most direct, despite it involving three steep gradients and an 828 yard long tunnel…. Unfortunately James was not around to personally oversee the plans – as he had over-stretched himself in his financial commitments and found himself in debtor’s prison…. However, work continued without him with construction beginning soon after the Act had been passed….
Whistable Harbour map, 1938 – Public domain
George Stephenson was the appointed engineer – but in all fairness it was his deputy, John Dixon, who did the bulk of the work…. It did not take long before the ambitious scheme began to run out of money and in April 1827 a second Act of Parliament released another £19K…. The Tyler Hill Tunnel proved to be tricky, making progress a slow and difficult task…. A third Act of Parliament was required to secure another £21K….
In 1830 the line had reached Whitstable and freight transportation along with hourly passenger services began on the 3rd of May…. It took another two years for the link to the harbour to be completed….
By 1844 the line was facing bankruptcy and was taken over by the newly formed South Eastern Railway…. It was never to be a prosperous line and faced a further set back in 1860 with the opening of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway – which offered a faster passenger service between Whitstable and London….
In 1923 the line became part of Southern Railway – and on the 1st of January 1931 passenger services ceased – although the line continued to carry freight such as grain, coal, stone and during WW2 munitions…. The final freight train departed with its load on the 29th of November 1952 and the line finally closed on the 1st of December…. Almost immediately the lines were lifted and the infrastructure removed….
Site of Blean and Tyler Hill Halt, 1963 – Photo credit : Ben Brooksbank CC BY-SA 2.0
In 1997 a charity named The Crab and Winkle Line Trust formed to reopen the route as a footpath and cycleway…. In 1999 a seven mile long section running along part of the original track route was opened….
On this day in history : 2nd May 1969 – The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departs Southampton to embark on her maiden voyage to New York….
QE2 at Southampton Docks, 1976 – Image credit : Adrian Pingstone – Public domain
The QE2 had been launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the 20th of September 1967…. Sea trials began in the Irish Sea on the 26th of November 1968 and proved to be disastrous…. Serious problems arose with the turbine engines and the QE2 had to return to the shipyard – with Cunard refusing to take delivery until the problems had been rectified…. As a result the original maiden voyage, which had been scheduled for January 1969 had to be cancelled….
When the liner did eventually leave Southampton thousands lined the quayside to wave her off and wish her bon voyage…. Equally as many were there to greet her on her arrival in New York on May the 7th…. It was a voyage that had taken 4 days, 16 hours and 35 minutes….
Image credit : Murgatroyd49 – own work – CC BY-SA 4.0
In her 35 years service as Cunard’s flag ship she carried some 2.5 million passengers – including The Queen and Nelson Mandella…. She was renowned for her elegant style and luxury…. However, on the 12th of May 1982 she set off for the Falkland Islands; all of her luxury fittings had been stripped out, lounges were turned into dormitories and three helicopter pads had been built…. She was carrying 3,000 troops to the South Atlantic…. She was to arrive back safely in Southampton on the 11th of June 1982….
The QE2 was involved in her fair share of adventures…. On the 8th of January 1971 she was called on to rescue passengers from the Antilles, which had run aground…. On the 7th of August 1992 she hit uncharted rocks near Cuttyhunk Island, Martha’s Vineyard and on the 11th of September 1995 she was caught in Hurricane Luis in the westbound Atlantic – and was hit by a 95 foot wave….
In October 1986 work began to convert the QE2’s engines from steam to diesel…. By January 1996 she had clocked up 4 million miles….by the end of August 2002 this had reached a staggering 5 million miles….
QE2 being fitted with new engines, Bremerhaven, November 1986 – Image credit : Dashers – own work – CC BY 3.0
She was becoming a tired old lady – albeit a majestic one…. On the 27th of November 2008 she was permanently berthed in Dubai – to await her fate….
QE2 in Port Rashid, Dubai, late October 2015 – Image credit : Jidhin George CC BY-SA 4.0
On the 18th of April 2018 the QE2 finally opened as a luxury hotel – with 224 rooms and suites, 6 restaurants and nightlife venues, a spa, theatre, swimming pool, gym and meeting and conference rooms among the facilities….
Image credit : Gerpsych at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0
On this day in history: 1st May 1759 – English potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood founds the Wedgwood pottery company – quickly becoming one of the leading manufacturers of Staffordshire pottery….
Josiah Wedgwood by Joseph Priestley – Public domain
Josiah, often described as ‘the Father of English Potters’, was born in 1730 the youngest of eleven children, in Burslem, Staffordshire – the heart of English pottery country…. He served an apprenticeship under his brother Thomas – but after suffering smallpox he was left with an extremely weak knee, making it nigh-on impossible for him to operate a potter’s wheel effectively…. Matters were not helped when his brother denied him a partnership in the business….
Undeterred, at the age of 29 Josiah set up his own business, initially renting the Ivy House works, Burslem, from his cousins John and Thomas Wedgwood…. He began to experiment in different techniques with clay….
In 1762 he met Thomas Bentley, a Liverpool merchant who had travelled extensively across the continent and had a vast knowledge of classical and Renaissance art…. A partnership was formed, one that would last until Bentley’s death in 1780….
Wedgwood ice bucket circa 1770 Queen’s Ware – Daderot own work – Public domain
It was also in 1762 that Josiah was called on to produce a tea and coffee service for Queen Charlotte – the wife of King George III…. She permitted him to call this new cream coloured fine china he had produced ‘Queen’s Ware’…. A few years later the Empress Catherine the Great of Russia commissioned 50 place settings comprising of 952 pieces – all hand-painted with English scenery…. Wedgwood would go on to grace the tables of royalty and heads of state across the world….
Plate from service for Catherine II of Russia – Public domain
Josiah purchased the Ridge House Estate, 350 acres of land with a factory upon it…. This led to the opening in 1769 of the new Wedgwood factory at Etruria near Stoke-on-Trent…. Attached to the factory was a village which provided homes for the workers and their families – it was ensured that they had a good standard of living….
Another of Josiah’s well-known inventions is Jasperware…. After years of experimentation with Barium Sulphate the unglazed vitreous stoneware appeared in 1774…. It is instantly recognisable, with its delicate, moulded, relief-work set on a background of blue, green, yellow, lilac, black or white….
Jasperware vase – Victoria and Albert Museum – CC BY-SA 3.0
Black Jasperware – GFDL
Josiah made everyday pottery into an art form…. In 1783 he was elected to The Royal Society….
After Bentley’s death Josiah was to go into another successful partnership, this time with his friend Erasmus Darwin…. The two families were to become even more entwined when Erasmus Darwin’s son married Josiah’s daughter – and they became parents to none other than evolution theorist Charles Darwin….
Josiah died in 1795; management of the business passed to company partners Josiah II (his son) and Thomas Byerley….
On this day in history : 30th April 1947 – The birth of English actor Leslie Grantham; who amongst his varied acting roles was to play ‘Dirty Den’ in the BBC1 soap opera ‘EastEnders’….
Grantham as ‘Den Watts’ – Fair use
Leslie Michael Grantham was born in Camberwell, South London and in 1965, at the age of 18, he joined the Army – enlisting with the Royal Fusiliers…. He was soon to be sent to Germany but the young Grantham found himself in the situation of being unable to cope financially and he quickly fell into debt…. In desperation he resorted to crime….
It was on the 3rd of December 1966 that things were to go so catastrophically wrong – resulting in a man losing his lie…. Felix Reese was a taxi driver and Grantham attempted to rob him at gunpoint…. A struggle occurred and the gun went off; Reese sustained a gunshot to the head…. Grantham was arrested and charged with murder – he claimed he did not know the gun was loaded….
Grantham came to trial in April 1967 and was convicted of murder, receiving a sentence of life imprisonment…. However, because the sentence was greater than two years it could not be served in Germany and he was transferred to a British prison – Leyhill Prison in Gloucestershire…. He was also dishonourably discharged from the Army….
After serving ten years Grantham was released in 1977…. Whilst in prison he had become involved in amateur dramatics, performing in plays for other inmates…. One of his fellow prisoners was disgraced Labour politician T. Dan Smith, who was serving time for corruption charges…. He spotted that Grantham had a natural flair for acting and encouraged him to pursue it…. Encouragement also came from the actress Louise Jameson, known for roles such as ‘Leela’ in Dr Who, ‘Susan Young’ in Bergerac, ‘Rosa de Marco’ in EastEnders, ‘Blanche Simmons’ in Tenko and for Emmerdale fans she plays the part of ‘Mary’…. Louise Jameson and Grantham were to become good friends….
Upon his release from prison the encouragement Grantham had received from his friends led him to enrol in the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art…. It was at stage school in 1977 that Grantham was to meet his wife, Jane Laurie…. The couple were married for 31 years before divorcing in 2013…. They had three sons, Spike, Jake and Daniel…. Daniel plays the part of ‘Reggie Jackson’ in the BBC’s Call the Midwife….
Grantham’s TV debut came in 1982 when he played the character ‘Boollie’ in Jake’s End, a production for BBC2’s Playhouse…. A number of minor roles followed; he played ‘Frank’ in the short-lived sitcom Goodnight and God Bless, ‘Davros’ in Dr Who and the part of a signals sergeant in the series The Jewel in the Crown….
Then in 1984 Grantham’s big break came, when he auditioned for the BBC’s new soap opera EastEnders…. The original audition was for the role of market trader ‘Pete Beale’ (former husband of ‘Kathy Beale’ and father of ‘Ian Beale’)…. Grantham was not offered the part of Pete – but he was offered the part of ‘Den Watts’, landlord of the Queen Victoria public house…. His long suffering, alcoholic, onscreen wife ‘Angie’ was played by Anita Dobson…. Grantham’s character soon got the name ‘Dirty Den’, which was well-deserved with his long string of extramarital affairs…. One of the most memorable storylines being when he fathered the child of 16-year-old ‘Michelle Fowler’ (played by Susan Tully) who was the best friend of his own adopted daughter ‘Sharon’ (played by Letitia Dean)….
On Christmas Day 1986 some 30 million viewers (then more than half of the British population) watched ‘Den’ serve ‘Angie’ with divorce papers – delivering them with the words…. “Happy Christmas, Ange”….
Fair use
During 1988 his character began to be seen less of…. ‘Den’ had sold the pub and fewer main storylines were to come his way…. Grantham announced his intention to leave EastEnders, giving the producers of the soap a major headache – as Anita Dobson was also about to leave and they could not afford to lose two main characters in one go…. Therefore, intense advanced filming took place, enabling Grantham to move on in the autumn of 1988 – but leaving behind enough footage for his presence onscreen to continue into 1989….
The continuing plot of the soap saw ‘Den’ become involved with a criminal gang – imaginatively called ‘The Firm’…. The story unfolded over the summer of 1988…. ‘Den’ had to disappear from Albert Square after falling out with ‘The Firm’ – but was to ‘feel the heavy hand of the law’, landing him on remand in prison…. ‘The Firm’ ambushed the vehicle taking ‘Den’ to Court but somehow he managed to escape both the gang and the police…. But then, on the towpath beside the canal, he met his ‘demise’…. All we saw was a bunch of daffodils concealing a gun – and then with a splash ‘Dirty Den’ was gone…. No body was to be found – until a year later when a decomposed corpse turned up in the canal and it was presumed to be ‘Den’….
Fair use
We all thought ‘Dirty Den’ was finally pushing up daisies – but behind the scenes the BBC were trying to persuade Grantham to return to EastEnders…. In the meantime he had undertaken various other roles, such as Danny Kane in the TV crime series The Paradise Club (1989-90)…. He had a part in The Detectives in 1993 and produced and starred in the sci-fi mini series The Uninvited…. He co-hosted the game show Fort Boyard with Melinda Messenger from 1998-2001 and in 2000 co-starred with Anita Dobson in the two-part The Stretch on Sky One….
Then on the 29th of September 2003 – “Hello Princess”…. ‘Dirty Den’ had returned to Albert Square, walking into the E20 nightclub – now owned by his daughter ‘Sharon’…. It turned out he hadn’t died in the shooting but had survived and fled to Spain, aided by his mistress ‘Jan’…. The twists and turns of life on Albert Square continued, including ‘Den’ trying to get the Queen Vic pub back in December 2004 – which was now run by ‘Sam Mitchell’ – sister of ‘Phil’ and ‘Grant’…. Don’t mess with the ‘Mitchells’!
Photo credit : Matt Pearson – Flickr CC BY 2.0
It was in May 2004 that in real life Grantham became embroiled in a sex scandal, resulting in his three attempts at suicide…. It was confirmed that this time ‘Den’ would be leaving EastEnders for good…. On the 18th of February 2005 16.2 million viewers watched his second wife ‘Chrissie’ hit him over the head with a doorstop during a fight…. Grantham was bitter about EastEnders and spoke out against it – claiming it to be untrue to real life….
Fair use
After EastEnders Grantham appeared on stage in the Jeffrey Archer play Beyond Reasonable Doubt – and he also appeared in pantomime…. He appeared in a couple of episodes of ITV’s The Bill and did some film work…. In 2010 he played ‘Ebenezer Scrooge’ in A Christmas Carol at the Lincoln Theatre Royal….
Grantham was to play the part of ‘John’ in The English Neighbour – a series on Bulgarian TV – and Bulgaria was now where he had made his home…. In June 2018 he returned to England for treatment for lung cancer…. He died on the 15th of June 2018 at the age of 71….
On this day in history : 29th April 1956 – The death of Harold Bride, the Junior Wireless Officer who survived the ill-fated maiden voyage of RMS Titanic….
Harold Bride, April 1912 – Public domain
Harold Sydney Bride was born in Nunhead, London on the 11th of January 1890, the youngest of five children…. On deciding he wanted to be a wireless operator he trained with Marconi, completing his training in July 1911…. His first sea assignment was onboard the American transatlantic liner SS Haverford…. He had further postings on the Beaverford, LaFrance, the Lusitania and the Anslem, before in 1912 joining the crew of RMS Titanic as Junior Wireless Officer, assisting Jack Phillips….
The Titanic left Southampton bound for New York on the 10th of April….The wireless room was situated on the Boat Deck and amongst the operators’ duties was to send personal messages on behalf of the passengers…. Another crucial duty was to receive iceberg warnings from other ships….
RMS Titanic departing Southampton, 10th April 1912 – Public domain
On the evening of the 14th of April Bride was grabbing a few hours sleep before he was due to take over from Phillips at midnight…. The pair were trying to clear a backlog of messages to be sent for passengers – as the radio had not been working properly earlier….
The Titanic struck an iceberg at 11.40pm…. Bride woke and rushed to find out what had happened…. Phillips told him they had struck something and Bride hurried to finish his preparations to go on duty…. Shortly afterwards Captain Smith appeared and asked the two wireless operators to be on standby to send out a distress signal…. Just after midnight he reappeared, giving them the ship’s position and ordering them to request help….
Phillips sent out the distress call and Bride acted as messenger to keep the Captain informed as to which ships may come to the now sinking Titanic’s aid…. The closest ship was RMS Carpathia – unfortunately it did not arrive until after the Titanic had gone down….
Phillips and Bride remained at their post sending out SOS signals…. By now Bride was wearing a life jacket, Phillips was still to put his on…. The Captain came in to tell them that their duty was done and that they were relieved…. Bride went to fetch some personal belongings – whilst Phillips continued to work…. When Bride returned he discovered another crew member attempting to steal Phillips’ life jacket – he managed to grab hold of the man and Phillips rose and knocked the crew member out…. By now water was flooding into the wireless room….
Bride began to help launch one of the two remaining lifeboats – only it was to be washed off the deck inside down….with Bride beneath it…. Somehow he managed to swim out and climb on to the upturned boat…. He and 15 other men managed to cling on until they were taken into other lifeboats and eventually RMS Carpathia…
Although badly injured Bride was able to help Harold Cottom, Carpathia’s wireless operator, send out scores of messages from other Titanic survivors…. Bride had badly sprained one of his feet, the other was severely frost bitten – he had to be carried from the Carpathia – but was greeted by Guglielmo Marconi himself…. He received $1,000 from the New York Times for his exclusive story – and later gave evidence at the inquest….
Bride being carried up ramp of ship – Public domain
Bride went on to marry Lucy Downie in April 1920 and they had three children…. He continued to be a Marconi wireless operator and in World War 1 served as an operator onboard the steamship ‘Mona’s Isle’…. In 1922 he retired from service, settled in Glasgow and worked as a salesman…. He died aged 66 of lung cancer….
Cottage Capers 