Most motor racing statues are located at race tracks, but the International Ulster Trophy Race Memorial in Ballyrobert, near Belfast International Airport, is in the centre of the village, although it had been a race track once upon a time. Back in 1946, the Ballyclare / Ballyrobert street circuit was used for the International Ulster…
There is a story doing the rounds on social media that the game “tag” derives from “touch and go”. It doesn’t. That is, at best, a backronym. The word “tick” dates back to the mid 15th century as a word to mean “to tap lightly”, and similarly the Middle English word “tek”. By 1721, the…
Today is Fathers’ Day, and among the many events across the country is the Kenilworth Castle British Classic Car Event 2018, with a series of British cars on the grass in the ruins of the once great castle. Classic British Car day at Kenilworth Castle A post shared by Mark Haggan (@markhaggan) on…
I wrote a few years ago about the 25th anniversary of the Larne Grammar School Conservation Society, which was formed in response to the Blue Peter Christmas Appeal that year. The society started with a recycling campaign but grew very quickly to include clean ups, tree planting, education, and all sorts of other activities. Nearly…
It is often quoted that Britain has an issue with a lack of diversity among its statues, with most of them being of white men. There is also an often held erroneous belief that impressive women who changed society in Britain appeared in our history in the mid nineteenth century, with many being hard pressed…
The UK has no shortage of unusual ceremonial titles, and alongside the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod and the Grand Carver of England is the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. As you may have guessed by the name, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office is…
I wrote recently about the 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix, an unusual Formula One race where no one came second, which led to some conversation about just how unusual an outcome that is. It requires a driver to be disqualified and the subsequent drivers not being promoted to take their places. There has been another case,…
Thirty-five years ago today, on the 13th March 1983, there was a rather unusual finish to a motor race, it was the Formula One race where no one finished second. The Brazilian Grand Prix was being held at Jacarepaguá, a circuit that hosted the race ten times, as the opening round of the World Championship…
It’s St George’s Day, and among the events being held today is the National Memorial Arboretum Drive It Day, seeing various vehicles on display at the Arboretum. Among the many memorials today, which are informative, impressive, thought provoking and often poignant, are a series of cars, lorries, tractors and other motorised vehicles, ranging from the…
Football is a game of two halves, as the old saying goes, but there has been at least one time when football was a game of three halves, although it was not recently. The 1st September 1894 saw the opening day of the 1894-95 season for the English First Division, the top league at the time.…
When you ask most people to name some of the pioneers of Rock ‘n’ Roll, there are a series of names that you will commonly hear; Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis are all likely to make an appearance. Less well known is Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who predates many of…
Conversations abut both mythical creatures and cars are a common thing in my house, and I expect quite normal in many places with a four year old. My son likes to point the emblem on the centre of my steering wheel and remind me that it is a jaguar, and also to suggest that I…