Lady Lucy Houston was a British philanthropist who, after WWI, recognized the need for a strong Air Force. When the British government refused, she funded development of what became the Spitfire. She passed before WWII, and never saw how much that investment paid off.
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In 1972 legendary English songwriter…
In 1972 legendary English songwriter Paul McCartney wrote the song, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish.” It was promptly banned from broadcast in the United Kingdom and not played by the majority of radio stations in the United States. However, it was the number one song in Ireland.
Great Britain abolished slavery..
Great Britain abolished slavery in 1807, then strong-armed other great powers to do the same, then used a large part of their fleet for 52 years to catch 1600 slaver ships, and in 1833 banned slavery in the full empire, buying free all slaves with a huge loan they were paying off until 2015.
Southern Thule Capture the Flag Game
Argentina invaded the British island of Southern Thule in 1976.
The island was uninhabited and is so remote that the British weren’t aware of the invasion for over a month. When it was discovered that the Argentinians had set up a permanent military base and weather station there it was decided that diplomacy (secretly) was the smartest choice. It leaked to the press about a year later and Operation Journeyman was started to force a peaceful (albeit with the military) resolution.
It wasn’t until after the Falklands War ended that the British forced Argentina to leave (with shells fired at the island to force a surrender). But 6 months later an Argentine flag appeared on the island again.
How the British flag was replaced with the Argentinian one is unclear, although they did leave the British one neatly folded under a rock nearby. The British decided not to play the ‘replace the flag’ game and instead destroyed all the buildings (bar one small hut for emergencies) and left the British flag on the pole as they left.
Britain removed all their road signs…
Britain removed all their road signs during World War II so that if the Germans invaded, they would get lost. These defensive preparations included the removal of signposts, milestones, and railway station signs. Gas pumps were also removed from service stations near their coast.
The UK sits under 5 different air masses…
The UK sits under 5 different air masses, creating unpredictable weather patterns and mimicking both tropical and polar climates. Although on the same latitude as Canada the UK often gets rain instead of snow throughout the year and humidity compared to that of a rainforest in summer.
UK has started Minister…
UK has started Minister of Loneliness, currently held by Tracey Crouch, after growing consensus that loneliness is a public health concern.
In 2010 a man was rescued while attempting…
In 2010 a man was rescued while attempting to sail around the United Kingdom. Using only a road map for navigation the ‘sailor’ had been keeping the coast to his right and in error ended up sailing in circles around the Isle of Sheppey until he ran out fuel.
Many famous British artists…
Many famous British artists, including Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, left the UK in the early 70s to avoid an 83% tax on the top bracket of their income.
In the United Kingdom, Several Prisons….
In the United Kingdom, several prisons have restaurants that are fully run by inmates at the prison, including chefs and waiters. These restaurants are also open to the public and rank highly on Tripadvisor.