Category: Post

Diary: Sunday 29th May 2016

On: By: Philip Wake
After a lovely weekend in Uxbridge with my ex & Katie which featured me strimming the front garden and making it look much neater than before I drove down to the The Bedford in Balham for a dreamy night of salsa.  I took the M25/M4 route to minimize traffic and arrived at 10pm after an hour's drive just in time to miss the lessons and go straight to the social dancing as is my wont.  I had some wonderful dances which will be imprinted on my mind forever but had to leave a bit earlier than Read more [...]

On This Day 63 Years Ago – Hillary & Tenzing First to Conquer Mount Everest

On: By: Philip Wake
On 29th May 1953 the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border! What a wonderful birthday present for Tenzing who reached the age of 39 on this day! They reached the top of the world at 11:30 local time after a grueling climb up the southern face. The two men hugged each other with relief and joy but only stayed on the summit for 15 minutes because they were low on oxygen. Mr Hillary Read more [...]

Facebook conversation about the EU Referendum

On: By: Philip Wake
This is a summary of an illuminating facebook conversation about the EU Referendum! Zia Tasker shared Lionheart GB's photo. 26 May at 17:47 · Lionheart GB Like Page 12 May at 21:41 ·  Lol . Philip Wake We didn't - the Americans did! Lol  27 May at 08:23 . Laura Den Ridder ..... and the Canadians!  27 May at 18:43 . Philip Wake The French & Polish helped too! 🙂  27 May at 18:48 . Laura Read more [...]

The truth about fat in your diet!

On: By: Philip Wake
"Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat. In recent years, the popular media has turned the debate about the causes of major public health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity into something of a "fat versus sugar" dogfight. But the question should not be about choosing between fat or sugar: there are good reasons for cutting down on both." See the full article on the NHS website here.   Read more [...]

On This Day 49 Years Ago – Sir Francis Chichester Sails Around the World in 226 Days

On: By: Philip Wake
On 28th May 1967 Sir Francis Chichester arrived in Plymouth in his yacht, Gypsy Moth IV, after completing his epic single-handed voyage around the world. He crossed the finishing line at 20:58, nine months and one day after setting off from Plymouth having completed the first leg of his journey to Sydney in 107 days and the second leg back to Plymouth in 119 days. Sir Francis was the first man to sail around the world solo with only one port of call. Thousands of small boats accompanied Sir Read more [...]

On This Day 66 Years Ago – Frank Sinatra Appears in the TV Film The Star-Spangled Revue

On: By: Philip Wake
On 27th May 1950 Frank Sinatra made his TV debut on NBC in the TV Film Star-Spangled Review staring Bob Hope He went on to be one of the most successful and recognizable figures in music history! 1950 was a good year for Frank Sinatra: he was still married to the love of his life Ava Gardner and he made his first visit to the UK! In July, Frank topped a variety bill at the London Palladium, two performances each night, with matinees twice a week. Also billed were Wilson, Keppel and Betty Read more [...]

On This Day 76 Years Ago – 700 Little Ships Sailed to Rescue 338,000 Soldiers Trapped on the Beaches at Dunkirk

On: By: Philip Wake
On 26th May 1940 the 700 Little Ships of Dunkirk sailed from Ramsgate in England to Dunkirk in France between 26th May and 4th June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo, helping to rescue more than 338,000 British and French soldiers who were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk during the Second World War. 198,000 of the troops were part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) of the British Army in Europe from 1939 to 1940 during early stages of the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, Read more [...]

On This Day 49 Years Ago – John Lennon Paints His Rolls-Royce Yellow with Romany Inspired Flourishes

On: By: Philip Wake
On 25th May 1967 John Lennon was inspired by an old gypsy caravan he had bought for his garden to paint his Rolls-Royce in a Romany motif. In 1965, shortly after getting his driver's license at age 24, the famous Beatle bought a sports car and a luxury car. The latter was a Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine, serial number 5VD73, painted a sober shade known as "Valentine black." The Phantom was the carriage of choice for the upper classes. The Fab Four rode in Mr. Lennon's new limousine to Buckingham Read more [...]

Diary: Monday 23rd May 2016 – Sunny or Moody!

On: By: PHILIP WAKE
I had a pleasant walk through the Gosport Town Shopping Precinct from the Morrison's end this afternoon and ended up at the Gosport Ferry end.  I walked down the right hand side of the access pontoon and went through the sliding doors at the end on the right to the pontoon which is marked Authorised persons only so that I could have an uninterrupted view of the Solent on what was a lovely sunny day - so sunny was carrying my leather jacket instead of wearing it.  I took a picture as you can Read more [...]

“Eat fat to get thin!” is the daftest headline I’ve seen this year!

On: By: Philip Wake
‘Eat fat to get thin’: Official diet advice is ‘disastrous’ for obesity fight, new report warns You can read the article in the Telegraph for yourself as I’m not going to pass on the daftest advice a so called group of experts have given this century! What really happened is that people were told to avoid fat for silly reasons – like lowering cholesterol and losing weight when the real reason to avoid fat AND sugar is to keep the calories in your food each day down to a reasonable Read more [...]

On This Day 18 Years Ago – Peace in Northern Ireland at Last

On: By: Philip Wake
On 23rd May 1998 the referendum on Norther Ireland returned a resounding YES vote with 71% of voters in Northern Ireland and 94% of voters in the Irish Republic showing their support for the Good Friday peace agreement!  In Context After the euphoria of the positive vote for a peaceful solution to the problems of Northern Ireland came the reality. The first three years of the agreement's implementation saw accusations and counter-accusation from both sides of the divide. Unionists Read more [...]

On This Day 47 Years Ago – Apollo 10 Astronauts Got a Bird’s-Eye View of the Moon

On: By: Philip Wake
On 22nd May 1969 Apollo 10 astronauts got a bird's-eye view of the Moon Two US astronauts aboard Apollo 10 are on their way back to the safety of their mother ship after their lunar module came to within eight nautical miles (14km) of the Moon's surface. Colonel Thomas Stafford and Commander Eugene Cernan were carrying out a rehearsal for a planned Moon landing in the summer. See more information here.  See the Apollo 10 image library here!   Read more [...]

On This Day 84 Year Ago – Amelia Earhart Made the Second Solo Nonstop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean

On: By: Philip Wake
On 21st May 1932 Amelia Earhart made made the second solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean and became the first woman to accomplish the feat. When the scarlet Lockheed Vega touched down, scattering a herd of cows, farmhand Dan McCallion crossed himself. He puzzled at the grease-smeared face and tousled hair of the pilot who emerged from the cockpit, unsure whether a man or woman had landed in his boss’ Londonderry meadow. “Have you flown far?” he finally asked. “From America,” Read more [...]

On This Day 89 Years Ago – Charles Lindbergh Made the First Solo Nonstop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean

On: By: Philip Wake
On 20th May 1927 the American aviator Charles Augustus Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Other pilots had crossed the Atlantic before him but Charles Lindbergh was the first person to do it alone nonstop.  His astonishing feat gained him immediate international fame. The press named him Lucky Lindy and the Lone Eagle. Americans and Europeans idolized this shy, slim young man and showered him with honors! Please see www.charleslindbergh.com for more Read more [...]

Hartmann: Malicious Rules by Helen L Lowe

On: By: Philip Wake
A Bloodthirsty Murder Mystery that Makes Jack the Ripper seem like a Fairy Tale! Dr Hartmann has the good looks from head to toe that makes both men and women swoon and he doesn’t even know it! His past and the story are drip fed to you throughout the book in such a way that you think you get the picture many times but only get the real picture at the end in a climax which will both surprise and shock you. If you’re into a bloodthirsty murder mystery which makes Jack the Ripper seem like a Read more [...]

On This Day 36 Years Ago – Mount St Helens Erupted

On: By: Philip Wake
19th May 1980: Nine dead after Mount St Helens eruption At least nine people have died after the massive eruption of Mount St Helens volcano in Washington State, USA.Many more are missing and the death toll is expected to rise. A huge cloud of ash has turned day into night for towns and cities across north-western America. People have been told to stay indoors and wear gauze masks. Many roads have been closed, trains halted and aircraft grounded. Mount St Helens exploded at 0832 Read more [...]

Diary: Thursday 19th May 2016

On: By: Philip Wake
Dancing at Drift tonight was great upstairs once it got started - had lots of lovely salsa & bachata dances and even a merengue & a kizomba! Stayed until 1am but then decided I need all my energy for Friday night at El Grande until 3am at least! It's been a busy day but very productive having now got my new blog site www.wake.co.uk going well including the facility for people to connect via facebook for making comments and sharing on facebook & other Read more [...]

Eleven Miles by Lance Greenfield

On: By: Philip Wake
Boikanyo had to walk 11 miles to school every day - in fact she used to run and became a successful athlete who achieved her ambition to attend university and seek her fortune in the UK. It was she who inspired this book by Lance Greenfield and if you in turn need inspiration you could not do better than read this amazing story! From the country that gave birth to Amantle Montsho and Mma Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency we discover the amazing life of Boitumelo Hope Read more [...]

On this day 54 Year Ago – The Duke Of Windsor Had A Chat With The Queen In Paris 10 Days Before His Demise

On: By: Philip Wake
On 18th May 1972 the Queen visited her Uncle David in Paris The Duke of Windsor was not well enough to attend tea with the Queen when she came to visit his home in Paris this afternoon. He was said to be "dreadfully disappointed" after doctors told him he was not to come downstairs because of ill health. They made their decision just hours before the Queen, with Prince Philip and Prince Charles, was due to see her uncle for the first time in five years - and the first time in his own Read more [...]

On This Day 73 Years Ago – The Dam Busters Helped To Win The War

On: By: Philip Wake
On 17th May 1943 RAF 617 Squadron became heroes of WW2 "The bombs themselves were invented specifically for the task by the aircraft engineer Dr Barnes Wallis, the designer of the Wellington bomber. They were barrel-shaped, and used the principle of a 'ducks and drakes' stone bouncing on the water to bypass the defences around the dams. The Lancaster bombers flown by 617 Squadron were extensively modified, and the crews trained to fly at less than 100ft (30.48m) above the water, Read more [...]

On This Day 28 Years Ago – Nicotine Declared As Addictive As Heroin

On: By: Philip Wake
On 16th May 1988 C. Everett Koop, surgeon general of the United States, publishes a report declaring nicotine as addictive as either heroin or cocaine. "Nicotine serves as the tobacco plant’s natural defense against insects and, in its pure form, is more poisonous than either strychnine or arsenic. Its chemical structure is similar to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, giving it easy access to the brain’s reward and pleasure pathways. . . . Besides his damning report on nicotine’s Read more [...]

My New Blog

On: By: Philip Wake
I have just installed a WordPress Blog theme on my website and have a lot of work to do to start my blogging.  Meanwhile please see my facebook profile and my new facebook page called Natural Low Density Eating which is the final solution as far as losing weight is concerned because if you adopt the principles permanently your weight will reduce to what it should be and it will stay that way for the rest of your life! You won't get hungry because can eat enormous quantities of natural food because Read more [...]

On This Day 76 Years Ago – The Nylon Stocking Became Something Shocking!

On: By: Philip Wake
On 15th May 1940 nylon stockings were available for the first time at Gimbels Department Store. Some 64 million pairs of nylon stockings were sold that first year at $1.35 each. That is $21 in today's money and more expensive than silk. Over-sexed, Over-paid & Over Here 2 years later during World War 2 the American soldiers who were "overpaid, oversexed and over here" brought them to England with devastating effect! Fashion Meets Science: Introducing Nylon An fascination collection Read more [...]

MY RIGHT ARM IS OUT TO LUNCH UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!

On: By: Philip Wake
Over the weekend my right arm puffed up to twice it's normal size so I resolved to see the doctor as soon as I got back to Gosport. I was lucky because he was in reception when I arrived and immediately diagnosed that my elbow had become infected as a result of the injury I receive 15 days ago when I went salsa dancing in Brighton. Had I not had it seen to it could have spread to the rest of my body and developed into septicemia which is a serious blood stream infection which can lead to death! Read more [...]

GOING SALSA DANCING CAN BE DANGEROUS!

On: By: Philip Wake
On Sunday 27th March 2016 I discovered how dangerous going salsa dancing can be at: SALSA AT THE VIEW EASTER SALSA & BACHATA ALL DAYER . I've copied my comments on the facebook post about this event below as it would have taken a lot of embeds! Click on any "2y" to see the original comment. Philip Wake Fantastic night of salsa despite falling over on the wet gravel road leading down to The View and scraping a lot of skin of my right forearm and bruising my right leg from top to bottom. Read more [...]