It's hard to imagine a world without the life-saving antibiotic, penicillin. Yet, it was only around a hundred years ago that Alexander Fleming first realised its importance. During the First World War Fleming realised the use of antiseptics was not preventing infections, particularly in deep wounds. And it was a lucky accident in 1928 thatContinue reading "A life-saving miracle"
Let’s get creative
Great news this week when Outset's best-selling children's author, Lexi Rees, discovered one of her activity books has been added to The School Reading List. It was praise indeed to see her book, Scavenger Art, added to the list alongside well-known authors, such as Julia Donaldson, Allan Ahlberg, Andrea Beaty, Kari Herbert, David Hockney, AkwaekeContinue reading "Let’s get creative"
To a land of endless sunshine
My research into family life during the Second World War keeps throwing up surprises. We have often heard about the evacuation of children from the cities to the countryside, and then later from the coast to inland safe havens, when coastal areas came under enemy attack. But recently I came across information detailing the numbersContinue reading "To a land of endless sunshine"
Healthcare for all
On 5th July 1948 the British National Health Service was born. The NHS is such an intrinsic part of our country that it is difficult to imagine a time when it didn't exist. But it's also fascinating to note the timing of its creation. Britain was coming out of the other side of six yearsContinue reading "Healthcare for all"
Reaching for the sky
Squadron Leader N G Pedley, the CO of No. 131 Squadron RAF, about to set out on a sweep in his Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB from Merston, a satellite airfield of Tangmere in Sussex, June 1942. If you love watching old movies, you may well have seen that classic biopic about the incredible wartime exploitsContinue reading "Reaching for the sky"
The wonders of radar
Radar, which stands for 'radio detection and ranging', is a system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of aircraft, ships, and other objects, by sending out pulses of radio waves which are reflected off the object back to the source. It was early in 1935 that Sir Henry Tizard's Aeronautical Research Committee began testing aContinue reading "The wonders of radar"
Clever creations
By the mid part of World War Two pretty much everything was rationed - petrol, food, coal, even clothes. From June 1941 each person was issued with a book of clothing coupons. The thinking behind it was that clothes manufacturing needed to focus on war work. Woollen material usually used for coats and suits wasContinue reading "Clever creations"
Keeping the spirits up
Much has been said about the extent to which music lifts the spirits. It was Friedrich Nietzsche who said: 'Without music, life would be a mistake'Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols And I for one wholeheartedly agree! So, seeing this picture of a group of women carpenters from World War 2 using saws and other implementsContinue reading "Keeping the spirits up"
Licence? What licence?!
When young men joined the armed forces at the beginning of World War 2 there were fewer than three million cars on British roads - compared with some forty million today! By the 1930s horse-drawn vehicles had given way to the motor car. Motor cars now offered their drivers the chance to speed, resulting inContinue reading "Licence? What licence?!"
Every penny counts
It was strange to see HM The King mentioned on this World War Two poster. Having had a Queen reigning over us for the last seventy years having a female head of state seems ingrained in our way of thinking, from the National Anthem to our stamps, coins and banknotes. Poster issued by the BritishContinue reading "Every penny counts"
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