Archive for 2005
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December 2005
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Living in Westcliff
Apart from being born in Rochford, I spent the first twenty one years of my life living in Westcliff.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Strange New Year Customs
As we’re coming up for New Year’s Eve, I thought it might be interesting to have a look at a few customs and beliefs relating to this auspicious occasion.
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See Churches and Cathedrals on Coach Trips
Many people are interested in old churches and magnificent cathedrals. This may of course be an interest because of religious faith, or it may be simply for the history and architecture of these splendid buildings.
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Spinnaker Tower Has Opened
The Spinnaker Tower, the wonderful structure overlooking Portsmouth Harbour, has finally opened to the public.
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Ken Mackintosh
Ken Mackintosh, one of the leading British bandleaders in the fifties and sixties, has died.
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The Adventures of the Bearded Cinema Manager
I recently gave my “Adventures of the Bearded Cinema Manager” talk to members of the Wednesday Club, at a house in Knighton.
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Happy Christmas to You and to All the World
On Christmas Day, as millions of Christians throughout the world rejoice at the birth of their Lord, may I add my own greetings for a happy, peaceful and tolerant Christmas, and for that happiness, peace and tolerance to continue without end.
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Who Are All These Kings?
I sometimes get asked, during a Guided Walk, or a Coach Trip, or a talk, “Who Are All These Kings?”
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Origins of the Christmas Tree
Without a doubt, one of the best loved aspects of Christmas is the Christmas Tree. But what are its origins? And is it really anything to do with this important Christian festival?
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New Cathedral Tower for Bury St. Edmunds
The new mediaeval-style cathedral tower of Bury St. Edmunds has been completed.
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Leicestershire Promotes Market Towns
Leicestershire County Council have produced a booklet entitled “Seasons Greetings From Leicestershire Market Towns and Shopping Centres”.
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Get Walking in the New Year
The very popular series of Guided Walks in the Leicester area continues into the New Year.
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Being Born in Rochford
Although I am now most associated with Leicester, I come from Essex, and was born in the small market town of Rochford.
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Being Born in Rochford
Although I am now most associated with Leicester, I come from Essex, and was born in the small market town of Rochford.
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Hugglescote Ladies Find Out About Leicester's Long History
I recently gave a talk to Hugglescote and Coalville Women’s Institute about Leicester’s Place in English History.
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What's Hemel Hampstead Really Like?
Hemel Hempstead has been very much in the news recently for pretty negative reasons. But what else is there interesting about the town?
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Handel and Watts' Greatest Hit
If you were asked to name some high profile songwriting teams, you might come up with Gilbert and Sullivan, or Rodgers and Hammerstein (or maybe Rodgers and Hart), or very likely Lennon and McCartney. But you probably wouldn’t say Handel and Watts.
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Half Price Coach Tickets For You
Here’s a very special offer for readers of this website – two half price tickets on a Coach Trip of your choice.
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Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics
The inimitable Brewer’s organisation have published another amazing book which you might like to have in your collection. It’s called “Brewer's Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics”.
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Barkby Children Explore Historic Leicester
I recently had the pleasure of taking a party of schoolchildren from Barkby on a Guided Walk around the oldest parts of the ancient City of Leicester.
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Do They Really Love Cricket?
Last Summer, as England beat Australia to regain the Ashes in an exciting series, enormous numbers of people announced what they had previously been unaware of - that they were cricket lovers.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Carol Written for Daughter as a Prese
“Christians Awake”, the splendid Christmas carol that you may well sing on Christmas morning, has an interesting story behind it.
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Worcester Christmas Fayre
I recently visited Worcester, for the annual Christmas Fayre.
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Back Off Plate to Discourage Tailgating
A simple device has been unveiled which could help to discourage one of the major forms of irresponsible driving.
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Christmas Walks and Talks
Now we are in the Christmas period (actually, we’re not – we’re in Advent), I am doing lots of things to help people enjoy the season.
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James Bond Gets a Museum
The famous spy James Bond 007 has now got a museum dedicated to his life and times.
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Who is Santa Claus?
I gave a talk recently to the ladies of Springbrook and Scraptoft Women’s Institute about the origins of Father Christmas.
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Annual Treat at Stonehurst Farm
Every year Stonehurst Farm in the Leicestershire village of Mountsorrel organises a Victorian Christmas Weekend.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Quakers Founder Came From Leicestersh
It is certainly a little known fact that the Society of Friends, the gentle Christian denomination better known as the Quakers, were founded by a man from Leicestershire named George Fox.
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Dunstable Tudor Festival
Anne (my wife) and I spent the day recently at Dunstable in Bedfordshire.
November 2005
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George Best
George Best has died.
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An Amazing Day in Liverpool
The Coach Trip to Liverpool was, predictably, a great success. Everybody appreciated what an amazing city this is.
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British Film Sets Top Ten
A long overdue poll has taken place and come up with the Top Ten films using British locations.
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European Visitors Learn About Leicester Ghosts
Visitors to Leicester from all over Europe recently enjoyed a walk around the Old Town and learned about some of the many ghosts who lurk in the area.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Essex Battles
The very historic county of Essex provided the sites for two important battles, fought within a few miles of each other at Maldon and Ashingdon, and within 25 years.
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Landmarks of Britain
A new book presents an overview of British history in a novel and extremely interesting way.
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Two Yorkshire Towns Visited
I visited two Yorkshire towns recently – Wetherby and Selby.
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Essex Rivals Old Smelly
One of the more bizarre news items recently published concerns the change of name of a village in Serbia, which until now has been known by a name that translates as Old Smelly.
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Secrets of Leicestershire Were Revealed
Unusual aspects of the picturesque counties of Leicestershire and Rutland were revealed on a morning Coach Trip recently.
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Four Day Plan for Loughborough Fair
There has been a suggestion made that the nationally-famous Loughborough Fair should in future last four days instead of three.
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Vista Members Learn About History
I recently gave a talk to members of Vista at Market Harborough.
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Another Addition to Brewer's Library
Everybody who is interested in the history of British towns and cities (and I guess that’s most people who come on my trips) will be interested to know about a new book in the Brewer’s series.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Thomas Cook and Mountsorrel
A little known fact indeed is that Thomas Cook’s second-ever trip was from Leicester to Mountsorrel.
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Lake District in the Autumn
I was able recently to have a look at what the Lake District is like in the Autumn.
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Conservation Area Sought for Church Gate
There is a proposal before Leicester City Council to create a new Conservation Area around Church Gate.
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Leicester to Light Up for Christmas
The famous Christmas lights of the City of Leicester, probably the best outside London, are to be switched on on Sunday 20th November.
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John Fowles
The author John Fowles has died.
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Everybody Loved the Epping Forest Tour
Did you miss the Epping Forest Tour? Everybody said how much they enjoyed it, and quite a few people since have said they wished they had come!
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Congratulations to Woods Coaches
Woods Coaches of Wigston Magna have recently won a new accolade.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: King Lear and Leicester
One of William Shakespeare’s best known plays is the tragedy “King Lear”. What is not generally known is that the play has connections with the ancient city of Leicester.
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Fireworks on the Thames
On Saturday 5th November, I did something which I very rarely do – I watched a fireworks display.
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A Precious Weekend Away
Anne (my wife) and I were recently able to find time to have a weekend together.
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New Maze Owes Design to Saffron Walden
A new maze has been created at Seaton in South Devon, based on the design of the famous maze at Saffron Walden in historic Essex.
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Financial Advertisers and a Fat Cat
Sometimes clubs and companies ask me to lead Guided Walks for them, and one of the most popular types of walk is the ghost walk.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: The Piper at the Gates
I’m always fascinated by unusual names. I wrote about names of shops recently, inspired by seeing again “Brazen Hussy” in The Broadway at Leigh.
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Huge Daniel Lambert Came From Leicester
Daniel Lambert, usually regarded as England’s heaviest man, was a native of Leicester. If you come from Leicester yourself, you probably know that, but if not you probably don’t.
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Three Favourite Towns in the North
I recently went on a Coach Trip with Woods Coaches – yes, as a passenger! It’s good to sometimes just sit back and enjoy the trip with somebody else taking the responsibility.
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You Can't Beat a Brazen Hussy
While I was walking along The Broadway at Leigh recently, I noticed again a shop which over the years has always made me chuckle very time I see it.
October 2005
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Leicester's Place in English History
I recently gave a talk to the Co-op Ladies at their Knighton centre, on “Leicester’s Place in English History”.
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Lots More Places on Website
A big spurt of typing has led to information about lots more places being added to the website.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Fun in Parliament
The Leicester area has always had more than its fair share of larger than life Members of Parliament.
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Walled Towns in Wales
I’ve said before that I really enjoy going on other people’s Coach Trips. Much as I enjoy running my own trips, it’s nice to be able to relax sometimes and see the sights without any responsibility!
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Swinford Ladies Go A-Haunting
I recently took a party from Swinford Ladies Group on a ghostly walk around the historic old market town of Market Harborough.
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Leicester Lights Up for Diwali
Sunday 23rd October saw the switch-on of Leicester’s renowned annual Diwali lights. The ceremony was attended by over 30,000 people.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: The Elephant Man
Most people have heard of the Elephant Man. But few realise that he was a real person, and fewer still will know that he was a native of Leicester.
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Johnny Haynes
Johnny Haynes has died.
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Coach Trips for 2006
All you people who love going on Coach Trips – I’m now in a position to be able to give you details of my excursions for 2006.
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Have a Happy Retirement
I gave a talk recently on “Places of Interest in Leicestershire” for the Leicester Adult Education Centre.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: The Birthplace of Tourism
Everyone has heard of Thomas Cook. But people outside Leicestershire are mostly unaware that he was, in a very real sense, the founder of modern tourism.
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End of Empire at Halstead
I have just learned of the closure of the cinema aspects of the Halstead Empire Theatre.
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Mrs Webb Wins the Prize
In the Journal a couple of weeks ago I posed a question, and the first correct entry to be drawn on Saturday 8th October was to win two tickets on a Coach Trip or two places on a Guided Walk.
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Southend Pier on Fire
As I write, yet another disaster has befallen Southend Pier, the iconic structure in my home town. The Pier Head caught fire on Sunday night, and some of its buildings collapsed into the Thames Estuary in the dark. By now, the fire should be under control, but the damage is probably irreparable.
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Southwold: Old Town By the Sea
Everyone had a lovely time on the trip to Southwold.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: The Real Sherlock Holmes
One of the oddest sights in Leicester is the house in London Road that has sixteen carved heads, all wearing hats.
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Ronnie Barker
So sorry to hear that Ronnie Barker has passed away.
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Group Trip to Bakewell
An organisation that I particularly like working with is Vista, which provides services for the visually impaired.
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Praise for Ross-on-Wye
I recently went on one of Woods Coaches trips to Ross-on-Wye.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: The Gates of Loughborough
Mrs R.Swann of Mountsorrel has been in touch, to ask about the gates of Loughborough.
September 2005
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Win Tickets for Coach Trip
Do you like Coach Trips? Well, here’s a chance to win a pair of tickets for one of my forthcoming trips – exclusively for readers of The Blog on this website!
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Rutland Church Stars in Film
The tiny 12th century St. Peter’s church in the Rutland village of Brooke plays a part in the new film version of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, now showing at cinemas across the land.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: Arty Underpass
There is a complex system of underpasses in Leicester, which do an unusual thing – they actually give something interesting to look at.
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A Lovely Morning around Watling Street
Did you miss the Soar Valley Tour?
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Group See the Humber Stone
One of the interesting and enjoyable things about being a Blue Badge Guide is working with groups from clubs. Especially when they come back for more!
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Ludlow Coach Trip a Hit
The recent Coach Trip to Ludlow was voted a hit by those who came, especially those who came on the Guided Walk around this lovely old Shropshire town.
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Colin's Little Known Facts: The Great Hole of Leicester
The other day, Mrs J. Scott of Oadby asked me "What on Earth is the big circular hole beside the road by West Bridge in Leicester?"
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Well Done Essex Cricketers
Congratulations to Ronnie Irani and the lads at Essex County Cricket Club on winning the National League title.
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A good weekend in Southend
I've just come back from Southend. I went there for the weekend, to lead two Guided Walks. Council officers had asked if I could visit, to be a part of this year's Sea Britain campaign, which celebrates the 200th anniversary of Nelson's defeat of the French at Trafalgar.
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Leicester Expo had something for everyone
We've just had the second annual Expo in Leicester City Centre.
August 2005
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Welcome to the site
Welcome! This is the brand new website for Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby, which contains full details about his Upcoming Events. As well as upcoming events, the website also contains a huge amount of information (which will be growing daily) about various towns and villages around the United Kingdom. Currently, this information is generally restricted to Leicester and the surrounding region, as well as the Southend area where Colin grew up.