Not nostalgia, but vivid memories of the central London life when those forced power cuts were in operation. Street by street, often one side on & one side off showing a changed city from top deck bus rides and at work using a manual typewriter by candlelight whilst wearing a wooly hat & scarf.

What a fabulous find and such an informative thread, thank you very muchly. Wishing you future success in finding at least 3 more so you can put them on display in true cannonball pyramid fashion. :)

That Grauniad item had me grab my early childhood book, a family handmedown 10th ed. printed in WW1 with rough cut pages, was a very much loved & imagination firing tale. Also own a 1947 print edition of Methuen's The Kenneth Grahame Book which still has The Piper chapter. :)

Another succinct and splendid cartoon, thank you. :)

Thank you, great reportage! Wondering if you saw the recent Shropshire news that the Volunteers at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Telford have restored the replica of The Trevithick, the first steam railway locomotive by Richard Trevithick in 1802, it's now up & running. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I have that eye scan once year for monitoring the safe detachment etc. Am just so grateful that this and the other high level techno examination kit is available and routinely used by my local optician. Sure helps reduce the fear of aging and the associated eye problems. :)

My apologies, I should have realised that you'd have supplied them with one each and as you say Miss C is implying 'but the other one isn't in that spot where I want to be as well'. Have to say again thank you for sharing the daily antics of these two wonderful characters, a smile maker every time.

Awww, maybe there needs to be a fluffy fort on the Christmas gift list so there's one each if they're not inclined to share the space together. Gave that same fur nest as a b'day present to my DiL's female tortie and it very quickly became the favourite sleeping place. :)

Splendid work, and a big thank you for the resulting cheerfulness after reading. Is always a delight to be entertained and enlightened with your wordsmithing. :)

It does indeed, and can still recall the childhood smells of kitchens & food back then. First person in our family to get a domestic kitchen fridge was my Grans sister in the very early 50's, it made a distinct 'cold' smell, & getting that same whiff over the years take me right back to her kitchen.

Also the Thames Estuary is a grave to so many shipwrecks, including 300+ during the second world war. Half were armed Royal Navy ships so there is likely ordnance scattered. Don't know how many WW1 ships are there. The 2nd map shows how close Monty is to Sheppey. :) www.wildfire3.com/ships-lost.h...

The Thames Estuary is a watery grave to so many shipwrecks, including 300+ during the second world war. Half were armed Royal Navy ships so there is likely ordnance scattered. Don't know how many WW1 ships are there. The 2nd map shows how close Monty is to Sheppey. www.wildfire3.com/ships-lost.h...

Thank you for that reminder of his song, tis memory lane journey of my BBC watching/listening over many decades, plus he's on here too. :)

@mitchbenn.bsky.social

Post WW2 the prevailing thought by 'those in charge' about what to do with the Monty was that amount of ammo exploding & the closeness to the low lying Isle of Sheppey & Sheerness with its RN dockyard, would be absolutely devastating.The 1953 floods demonstrated that damage. I lived there back then.

Ah, the standard kitchen unit of my childhood, most folks had one especially those in 2 up 2 down terraced houses with a little offshot kitchen & outside toilet, including my Granny, seeing you picture now so many memories of us cooking meals when I stayed with her. Belfast sink, ancient gas cooker!

Was a child on the island when the 1953 floods happened and Sheppey was 2/3rds flooded and cut off from mainland. I learned much later from family who worked then at RN Dockyard Sheerness, where ships were sunk/damaged, that one big worry was what had the huge sea surge movement done to the Monty.

Am from a Sheppey family. Post WW2 Sheerness attraction for folks was cheap 'trips round the wreck' on little boats from off the beach. Monty had all her superstructure & lilos/balls etc that were washed out to sea gathered there. Back then as a child we'd 'nearly got that' close to grabbing one. ;)

Home early to family will be such a good happening for all of you plus the procedure recovery, especially whilst the lab works proceed and then next steps need to be considered.

Hooked on the first series, and so binged S2 & now S3. Gives a splendid take on the reality of life on that side of the Irish Sea. BBC really does give us some excellent TV :)