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A winning smile from Cynthia Kowlessar, a 24-year-old clerk at Ealing Common rail depot, who was selected London Transport Charm Girl of 1964 at the annual sports gala at Osterley.
Image and text found on Leftover London
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Asina is an orange soda produced by the small soda plants in Norway. it was launched in 1948 as an orange soda for the small plants among the members of the Soda Factory Association, meant as a competitor to Solo, also an orange soda, Norway’s most popular soda at the time – I had a bottle of Asina yesterday – Ted ;-)
Image found on Roma soda plant’s Facebook page
Suddenly Aunt Mabel regretted that she had told her two friends that she was wearing no knickers that day in the park.
There was one thing to prefer to practice playing the violin without wearing any knickers in the privacy of her own home, quite another to go for a picnic without any.
At home young Johnny was the only one who could see her and he didn’t mind at all of course. It became rather embarrassing when her two friends in the park insisted on having a look.
Young Johnny preferred rock as any sane young man of course, but with a view like this, who care what music is being played.
The Great Laxey Wheel, Isle of Wight
The Laxey Wheel (also known as Lady Isabella) is the world’s largest working waterwheel, built in 1854 to pump water from the mine shafts, and now run as a tourist attraction.
Image and text from Lemon Tea & Earwig Biscuits
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A European brand name with over 150 years experience in beauty and skin care
The name Kaloderma is derived from the Greek words kalos ‘beautiful‘ and derma‘skin‘
Back in 2013 I posted a series of posts based on the 1930 edition of Ward Lock & Co’s “ Illustrated Guide Book to London”. For those who have followed this blog for a while it should come as no surprise that I also have in my possession the 1910 edition of Ward Lock & Co’s illustrated guide book for the same city. And just for the record, I have the 1948 and 1956 editions too.
This will be the first post based on the 1910 edition which is surprisingly enough more richly illustrated than the one from 1930. And we start of course with the introduction and work our way through the most interesting parts of the book – Ted
CABS These vehicles, for which there are stands in or adjoining all the principal thoroughfares, are of three kinds taximeter motor cabs, hansoms, & four-wheelers, Some of the two latter classes of vehicle are now also provided with taximeters.
The Motor Taximeters, introduced in 1907, are fast ousting the older forms of conveyance. The taximeter is a small piece of machinery, generally set to the left of the driver, which automatically records the fare by a combination of time and distance as the journey proceeds. When “ in repose " a small flag of red metal is displayed bearing the words for hire.
Directly the cab is engaged, the driver turns down the flag and the machinery by means of which the fare is calculated is set in motion. Four passengers can generally be accommodated. The vehicles are roomy, smartly painted, well upholstered, and silent running, and can be used either open or closed, according to the weather.
Their one drawback is that they usually only convey a small quantity of luggage. The drivers, who are all stylishly uniformed and present none of the picturesque but not always agreeable oddities of the old-style cabman, are generally paid by a commission on their earnings, and have to pay for their own petrol and to provide “rank money” and other expenses.
Needless to say, they have no insuperable objection to accepting a few coins of the realm over and above the amount demanded by the dial. The following is the ofiicial scale of charges for taximeter motor-cabs, whether hired or discharged within or without the four-mile radius from Charing Cross:
Two children under ten count as one person.
Not exceeding one mile, or for time
not exceeding ten minutes:
0s. 8d.
Exceeding one mile or ten mimutes
(1) For each quarter of a mile, or time
not exceeding two and a half minutes
0s. 2d.
(2) For any less distance or time:
Each additional person beyond two,
the whole journey
0s. 6d.
Packages carried outside
0s. 2d.
Bicycles, etc.
0s. 6d.
In addition to their use in town, motor “taxies" are often hired for country and seaside trips. It is optional for other public vehicles to adopt the taximeter system; these also are usually distinguished by a small flag. The following is the official scale for Horse-drawn Taximeter cabs:
Not exceeding one mile, or for time not exceeding 12 minutes
0s. 6d.
Exceeding one mile or 12 minutes; for each half-mile, or
time not exceeding six minutes; or any less distance or time
0s. 3d.
Handsoms in Regent Street
Hansoms, named after their 1nventor, are two-wheeled vehicles with a perch for the driver behind. They have seats for two only, but are frequently used by three. The “fare” communicates with the driver by means of a trap-door in the roof.The Four-wheelers, or “Growlers" seat four inside with more or less discomfort, and accommodate an outside passenger on the box. They are generally employed when the traveller is encumbered with heavy luggage.
Four-wheelers aka Growlers at Westminister
To summon a taximeter, a cab-whistle is blown once; for a hansom twice; for a four-Wheeler three times. Fares for non-taximeter cabs are usually computed by distance; but they may be calculated by time instead, if the hirer expresses his wish for such an arrangement when taking the cab.
Fares By Distance
If hired and discharged within the 4-mile radius from Charing Cross,
1s. for two miles or under; 6d. for each additional mile, for not more than two persons; each additional person 6d. extra for the entire journey. Two children under ten count as one adult.
If hired outside the radius, wherever discharged,
1s. for the first mile; 1s. each succeeding mile or part of a mile.
If hired within but discharged without the radius,
1s. for the first mile, 6d. for each mile ended within circle, 1s. for each mile ended without circle, 1s. for any part of a mile over.
Cabs kept waiting,
8d. for each completed quarter of an hour. Drivers of horse-drawn cabs not fitted with a taximeter may, if they so desire, intimate to the “fare,” their willingness to accept sixpence for any journey not exceeding a mile.
Fares By Time
Within the radius,
four-wheelers, 2s.; hansoms, 2s. 6d. for the first hour; 6d. and 8d. for each additional quarter hour.
If hired outside the radius wherever discharged, or if hired within but discharged without,
four-wheelers and hansoms, 2s. 6d. for the first hour or less; 8d. for each additional quarter hour.
Luggage carried outside the cab, 2d. per package, bicycles, etc., 6d.
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image found on RetroDoll
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse looks unreal. It is located on the coast of the North Sea in Rubjerg, Hjørring Municipality, Denmark. Construction began in 1899 and it was first lit on December 27, 1900.
In August of 1968 the lighthouse ceased operating but remained open as a coffee shop and museum. In 2002 it was all abandoned because of the intensely shifting sands. By 2009 the buildings were removed because of the damage caused by the pressure of the sand. It is believed that the tower will fall into the sea by 2023.
Check it out on Google Maps or Earth with these coordinates 57°26’56.02”N 9°46’27.66”E. I couldn’t see it well with Google Maps, but I know it’s there because you can plainly see it’s shadow across the sand!
Images and text found on ThingsIHappenToLike
The BBC has received a mixed reaction to a spoof documentary broadcast this evening about spaghetti crops in Switzerland. The hoax Panorama programme, narrated by distinguished broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, featured a family from Ticino in Switzerland carrying out their annual spaghetti harvest. It showed women carefully plucking strands of spaghetti from a tree and laying them in the sun to dry.
But some viewers failed to see the funny side of the broadcast and criticised the BBC for airing the item on what is supposed to be a serious factual programme. Others, however, were so intrigued they wanted to find out where they could purchase their very own spaghetti bush.
Spaghetti was not a widely-eaten food in the UK and was considered by many as an exotic delicacy. Mr Dimbleby explained how each year the end of March is a very anxious time for Spaghetti harvesters all over Europe as severe frost can impair the flavour of the spaghetti. He also explained how each strand of spaghetti always grows to the same length thanks to years of hard work by generations of growers.
This is believed to be one of the first times the medium of television has been used to stage an April Fools Day hoax.
In Context
The origins of April Fools Day are not clear but it is known that the tradition of practical joking and mischief-making dates back to Ancient Roman times. It would appear that the festival is closely related to the coming of Spring.
Ancient Romans and Celts celebrated a festival of practical joking at about the time of the Vernal Equinox, as do millions of India’s Hindus. The French also mark 1 April but instead of April Fools they call it Poisson d’Avril (April Fish).
April Fool or “Aprilspøk” as we call it in Norway has a long tradition both in national radio and television. And they have pulled a few very good ones over the years – Ted
Tekst from BBC’s OnThisDay
NSU-Fiat was a German automobile manufacturer which produced Fiat vehicles under license at a plant acquired from NSU in Heilbronn from 1929 to 1957.
In 1957, following a complicated litigation process over the right to use the by now increasingly high profile "NSU" name on passenger cars, the name used for the Fiat-designed cars was changed to Neckar, and with this name the company continued to produce Fiats in Germany until 1971.
Neckar was in the late 1950s producing fewer than 25,000 vehicles a year, Fiat 500 (Neckar Weinsberg), 600 (Neckar Jagst) and 1100 (Neckar Europa) slightly modified, often more luxurious and sporty than the Fiats produced in Turin.
The launch of the Fiat 1500 in 1961 and of the Neckar Panorama (derived from the Autobianchi Bianchina) allowed Neckar to reach a yearly production of 50,000 units in 1962. A coupe derived from the 1500 and called the Neckar Mistral was designed. A coupe and a convertible based on the Fiat 600 was produced as the Neckar Riviera. The Fiat 850 (as the Neckar Adria) was the last model produced by Neckar.
Text from Wikipedia
Posted from my computer at work: My home computer crashed just after I came home from Easter holiday and it is in for service and upgrade at the moment. Besides I’m queuing up for a hip replacements operation and the line in front of me is getting shorter and shorter. When that operation is over I will end up at a convalescence center for at least four weeks (free of charge as the operation, standard here in Norway).
So you see there might be a while before I can continue my posting, but I’ll return with a upgraded computer and a right hip made from titanium as soon as I can. Enjoy some older post in the meanwhile – Ted
Note: I will unfortunately not be able to answer mail or messages until my home coomputer is back in action. Here at work I’ve got my hands full with other things.
