Waterloo Day today- 205 years since Napoleon got his comeuppance from the combined forces of the British, Dutch, Hanoverians and Prussians. A very close fought battle that was only won by the allies by the timely intervention of Blucher and his Prussians arriving at Napoleon's right flank and Wellington's left at the last minute, after the Prussians had fought several battles on the way to the link up.
As far as I can determine, Arthur Wellesley didn't own any slaves and favoured Catholic emancipation, so his statues should be reasonably safe. Beyond slaughtering a few thousand Indians in favour of colonialism, he seemed to be a decent cove, although not that good as a Prime Minister. Having been a Field Marshal and experiencing total control of armies, he tended to see his cabinet members as brigade commanders and expected total obedience.
If you're interested in seeing whether your family name appears in the list of people compensated for their slaves, you can search the digitised list here.
One positive about pubs opening with social distancing rules is that one will no longer have to stand at a bar for half an hour, waving a £20 note under the noses of the staff, only to be constantly ignored.
While out shopping yesterday and seeing all the nobility scooters around, I realised they suffer from two major drawbacks - speed and range. They're fine for tootling around a shopping centre, but if you live out of town, it can take you ages to return home, and you risk the battery running flat on the way.
As far as I can determine, Arthur Wellesley didn't own any slaves and favoured Catholic emancipation, so his statues should be reasonably safe. Beyond slaughtering a few thousand Indians in favour of colonialism, he seemed to be a decent cove, although not that good as a Prime Minister. Having been a Field Marshal and experiencing total control of armies, he tended to see his cabinet members as brigade commanders and expected total obedience.
If you're interested in seeing whether your family name appears in the list of people compensated for their slaves, you can search the digitised list here.
One positive about pubs opening with social distancing rules is that one will no longer have to stand at a bar for half an hour, waving a £20 note under the noses of the staff, only to be constantly ignored.
While out shopping yesterday and seeing all the nobility scooters around, I realised they suffer from two major drawbacks - speed and range. They're fine for tootling around a shopping centre, but if you live out of town, it can take you ages to return home, and you risk the battery running flat on the way.
I thought it would be a good idea to combine an electric mobility scooter with an auxiliary two stroke engine for getting to and from the shops, but I was a bit downcast when I discovered someone has already come up with the idea.
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