su 23 de

1947  The transistor first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories

Here's your Christmas present, we've upgraded the bulletin board to version 3.  If you don't like the way it looks click on User Control Panel on the left there (it's what used to be Profile).  Then click on the Board preferences and halfway down by My board style: is a pull down.  Choose a new style there.

th 20 de

1560  The first Church of Scotland general assembly

4:15pm  At most you've got just a couple of hours to post those first class stamped cards if they are to arrive in time for Christmas.

tu 18 de

1892  First performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker

The BBC World Service beams its Hausa language service from Ascension Island a thousand miles to west Africa.  Every week 25 million Nigerians listen to it, primarily on Chinese made shortwave radios that cost about a pound.

fr 14 de

1991  The cricket commentator John Arlott died

That's bad news, the PO are shutting 18 offices in Suffolk including Dennington, Hacheston and sub-post offices in Aldeburgh and Woodbridge.

Ah, it was Bruizer Prods who made that Ed Sheeran vid not the Butley Creek Film Company, sorry fellas.

tu 11 de

1282  The last Welsh born Prince of Wales Llewellyn ap Gruffydd was killed

Amongst other things Reporters Without Borders maintains an annual worldwide press freedom index.  The UK comes in 24th behind Iceland and Norway equal first but ahead of USA (Land of the Free) in 48th position.

sa 8 de

1542  Mary Queen of Scots was born

They may think they're so clever in Norfolk, well we can party in Suffolk too!  All it takes is a party for a significant birthday and we're off.

tu 4 de

1154  Nicolas Breakspear was made Adrian IV, the first and only English pope

We had 5,521 visitors last month, that's 35% more than in October.

th 29 no

1929  Bernt Balchen and Richard Byrd made the first flight over the South Pole

It was the first anniversary of David Berry's death last week.  It's some slight consolation that the 1930 Sunbeam model 9 Sports 500 that he restored (with some finishing off after David's death by Bryan Smith) won First in class, Best British and Best in Show at the Copdock Bike Show.

tu 13 no

1946  For the first time a natural cloud was seeded with 3lbs of dry ice to promote precipitation

Have you lost some digger buckets or perhaps been offered some power tools or a portable welder?

mo 12 no

1035  King Canute drowned

How not to use a microphone.  (Thanks Richard.)

su 11 no

1977  Morecambe's West Pier was swept away in gales

Now the media has discovered Ruth Watson she just doesn't know how to keep her gob shut; eg The Hotel Inspector was about Butley Priory recently.  We don't want everyone to know about Coastal Suffolk Ruth!

su 28 oc

901  Alfred the Great died

sa 27 oc

1879  The Liverpool Echo first published

we 10 oc

1975  Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married for the second time

Friendly this Sunday between the newly formed Aldeburgh Boules Club and and highly successful Stowmarket team Meadlands, and apparently Hachfest raised over £7,000 for charity mate.

su 07 oc

1986  Candido Jacuzzi died

The Suffolk County Petanque Association are hoping to create a Suffolk Coastal league for next year ... and did we say we do web design?

we 03 oc

b1954  Stevie Ray Vaughan would have been 53 today

Car users are 3 times more likely to die on a country road than an urban one.

su 30 se

1955  James Dean died aged 24 in a Porsche

An Alert Card to help people with autism will be launched tomorrow by The Essex Autistic Society in association with the Essex and Suffolk police forces.  The need for the card was identified after several incidents highlighted the difficulty people with autism can face when dealing with the police and other emergency services.  More info at www.essexautistic.org.uk

fr 28 se

1865  Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became Britain's first registered woman doctor

we 26 se

1953  Sugar rationing ended in the UK

This month the two most popular words put in to Google to bring visitors to Near The Coast are ferrets and fairies!

mo 24 se

768  Pippin III King of the Franks died

The wee sweetie on the left here is Chris Lane Gray's seven year old niece Katrina kicking off her season somewhere near Monticello, Arkansas.  Maybe starting this young is why our American erhm ... cousins knocked our ladies out of the world cup Saturday!

su 26 au

55BC  Julius Caesar invaded Britain ... can't help wonder if he had second thoughts

There were a lot of good times being had in a tent at the back of the Worlingworth Swan last night.

we 22 au

1485  The Battle of Bosworth Field brought the Wars of the Roses to an end

We were wrong about Sunday's football match, the captain of the police team was number five Framlingham cop PC Jason King.

tu 21 au

1961  Kempton Bunton stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery

we 15 au

1872  First election in Britain by secret ballot (well secretish)

Mouse balls and what to do if you've got them.

tu 14 au

1967  The Marine Broadcasting Offences Act made pirate radio illegal

we 08 au

1963  2.6 million pounds was stolen in the Great Train Robbery

Five men are in custody after this optimistic con in Lowestoft.  A punter is shown a suitcase full of money except the notes are all black because they've been "smuggled into the country".   A demonstration is given showing how a cleaning solution returns some of the notes to useable condition and then our billy (billy bunter ~ punter) is asked to part with cash in exchange for the black notes and the solution!  Aw bless.

Anyone who may have been approached is asked to call Lowestoft CID on 01986 835300.

tu 07 au

1914  The £1 and 10/- notes were first issued

There must be someone in the Suffolk constabulary who's a film freak.  First the cops are offering free film making courses for yooves and now they've given a video camera to the Kessingland Youth Group ... come to think of it this pic has a hint of David Lynch about it.

mo 06 au

1991  Tim Berners-Lee released files describing his idea for the World Wide Web

How nice, on the whole serving US airman Lt Col Ben Davis likes being stationed in the UK and whilst we're on the subject, and because during WWII there were over 700 airfields in the UK and most of them seemed to be in East Anglia, you might be interested in this.

th 26 jl

1908  The FBI was founded

The recent BSA Bash in memory of David Berry has a memorial cup.  You can own one in exchange for a fiver to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.  (If like us you're only a pretend biker Edward Knobhead was David's opinion of Edward Turner, designer of the Speedtwin.)

At the end of next month Aldeburgh Cinema are showing Paris Je T'aime , which is a bunch of different film makers making a load of different short films and then putting them together.  What's intriguing about this one is despite the title, and it is a French film the directors include Wes Craven and the Coen Brothers!

Whilst we're here the Harwich Electric Palace is showing the Battle of Algiers Wednesday and Sunday week a double bill of Croupier/Get Carter with director Mike Hodges and actor Clive Owen answering questions afterwards.

Whilst we're still here Film @ Fram is showing Run Lola Run in September and as it's only 80 mins long there could be a support film(s).  Put pressure on them to include Plaything by local person Fiona McAlpine and her husband.

su 22 jl

1934  John Dillinger was shot and killed by law officers whilst leaving the Biograph Cinema, Chicago

mo 16 jl

1965  The Mont Blanc Tunnel linking France with Italy opened

We visited the charmingly unassuming All Saints Church, Brandeston for the first time yesterday for an East Anglian Academy concert.

If you're finding Freeview rubbish at the mo it's the hot sultry weather affecting reception and if, like us, you can't get Five US (we're suffering NASCAR deprivation) but can get BBC Asian Network try The Bhanghra Mixtape, even if it would be better with more bhangra and less mix.

su 15 jl

1869  Hippolytes Mege Mouries patented margarine in France

In the mid-80s whilst in the USAF Chris Lane Gray lived in Fore Street, Framlingham and remembers the Hare and Hounds being open which is more than we do.  Chris' baby brother Andy (that's him on the far left) is in the US Navy Reserve and presently serving in Iraq as a land convoy master.  It's a grim detail in this pic that amongst this bunch of healthy, clean, smiling Arkies (they're all from Arkansas) most are wearing side arms.  Stay safe fellas.

And talking of our recent leader's legacy we've been working on one of those lovely Tiny PCs he doled out some five years ago as part of his vision for the information superhighway ... they're still crap.

fr 13 jl

1837  Buckingham Palace became a royal residence

Latitude sold out yesterday, indeed we saw Lea Shores (they're on the Sunday Sunrise stage) in the Earl Soham Vic this lunchtime having a pre-festival drink, we got the Wolsey's vibrant and exciting winter programme this week and absolutely nothing appeals; and how nice, Suffolk web sites Flyer Hosting and Woodbridge Suffolk are linking to us.

PS  Have you lost a rotovator?

mo 2 jl

1934  Tom Springfield (Dusty's brother) was born

Miraculously it didn't rain Friday night for Mouth to Mouth Theatre's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the bottom of the Kettleburgh Chequers' garden.

sa 30 ju

1991  The last five Shackletons were withdrawn from service with the RAF

There's a red Peugeot 205 GTI for sale in Framlingham, in the post office Roger stopped processing happy snaps about a month ago but they can still be done at the Fram chemists; and at Hachfest there are going to be two stages, it must be true, we heard it from Alan!

fr 29 ju

1966  Barclays launched Barclaycard the first British credit card

You can see how a young man could be attracted to hot rod racing.

tu 26 ju

1959  The St Lawrence Seaway was officially opened by Elizabeth II and US President Eisenhower

Bit of a crime wave in Swilland.

mo 25 ju

It's over a fortnight now since this year's open farm Sunday but still worth telling of our visit to Brundish Lodge Farm.

th 21 ju

We see living proof at Little Glemham that god is a biker ...

su 17 ju

A complete mixture of madness, greatness and the inevitable queues for the toilets; the final day of this year's Inter Village Games were held in Laxfield with sultry weather and a thrilling tug of war between Dennington and Metfield.