Sat, Jul 20, 1974
In the early years of the 20th century, the motor car was not only new but was looked upon somewhat askance by almost everyone as something that was unreliable and had little future. Frederick Royce from Birmingham had a different view. His company manufactured electric dynamos but his passion became the gasoline powered motor car. Throughout most of 1903 and into the first months of 1904, he designed, built and tested his first 2-cylinder car. It's quality in terms of reliability and smooth running was unknown at the time. Charles Rolls meanwhile lived in London and shared Royce's passion for the automobile. The son of a Baron, Rolls was an adventurer who liked to test the limits of cars and later airplanes. An avid racer and balloonist, he had little difficulty selling Royce's vehicles once the two finally met in 1904 and together formed Rolls-Royce Ltd in 1906. Their emphasis on quality automobiles remains their hallmark today. Rolls was killed in an airplane crash in 1910 while Royce lived on for many years.
Sat, Jul 27, 1974
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, has his own mystery to solve when he answers a call for assistance from George Edalji who claims to have been falsely convicted of mutilating animals and imprisoned. Edalji had been accused in a series of anonymous letters and Conan Doyle finds that the police seem to have re-interpreted evidence to fit the accused's movement. His spirited defense of Edalji in a newspaper article leads to friction with the powers that be, particularly in the police. He is successful however in getting the Home Office to have an independent panel review the outcome.
Mon, Dec 4, 1972
Edith Bland was a very successful author and poet who wrote under the name _E. Nesbit_. Many of her books were for children and several, such as The Railway Children (1970), were turned into film. Edith married Hubert Bland and theirs was a different relationship as it included another woman, Alice Hoatson, who lived with them. Both Edith and Alice bore Hubert Bland two children and both women seemed to have accommodated themselves to living under the same roof. Edith was eccentric and loved to write, particularly poetry which it is said she wished she had spent more time writing. The loss of her son Fabian when he was only 15 years-old was a particular shock. She and her husband were founding members of the Fabian Society, which was named after her beloved son.
Mon, Nov 27, 1972
Over several decades, Horatio Bottomley was a figure that was simply larger than life. Frequently sued for fraud or slander, he always defended himself in court and usually won. He was elected as a Member of Parliament and published the John Bull magazine from 1906, which he used to feed the need for the everyman to have someone tear down and attack society's institutions. Bombastic, arrogant and opinionated are only a few views of him as are eloquent, influential and revered. There is little doubt however that he was also a swindler with his many schemes subsidizing his lavish lifestyle; he strongly believed in mixing business and pleasure wherever possible. He was eventually convicted of fraud and spent a long term in prison after which he could not recover his past glory. He died in 1933.
Mon, Dec 18, 1972
Robert Baden-Powell spent his life in the military and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. He was a national hero for the defense of Mafeking in the Boer War and led the inhabitants through a seven month siege, holding on until relief arrived. On his return from that campaign, he learned that his book, Aids to Scouting, had become a bestseller. After his retirement from the Army, his last position was that of Inspector General, he concentrated on the group for which he is now best remembered, the Boy Scouts. A visit from a journalist, Angus Hamilton, forces him to revisit his career.