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Puckeridge DECCA Tower
Puckeridge is a village in East Hertfordshire, England with a population of 3,561 ( 2011 Census). It is in the civil parish of Standon. History The earliest known settlement was founded by the Catuvellauni, Celts from northeastern France. The Celts began to arrive around 250 BC. The Belgae arrived around 180 BC. A Roman town existed just to the north of the existing village and the village is at the crossroads of two major Roman roads, Ermine Street and Stane Street. By 200AD the Romans had built a town, at the north of the current village, called Ad Fines. It was a regional capital and was also the start point for the roads to St Albans and Baldock – all-important pre-Roman Celtic centres. Ad Fines had a large temple dedicated to Minerva. It also had at least two bath houses on the banks of the River Rib. The town survived until the end of the 5th century. The neighbouring villages of Standon and Braughing are recorded in the Domesday Book, but Puckeridge is not although ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Watford, and the county town is Hertford. The county has an area of and had a population of 1,198,800 at the 2021 census. After Watford (131,325), the largest settlements are Hemel Hempstead (95,985), Stevenage (94,470) and the city of St Albans (75,540). For local government purposes Hertfordshire is a non-metropolitan county with ten districts beneath Hertfordshire County Council. Elevations are higher in the north and west, reaching more than in the Chilterns near Tring. The county centres on the headwaters and upper valleys of the rivers Lea and the Colne; both flow south and each is accompanied by a canal. Hertfordshire's undeveloped land is mainly agricultural ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Death
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. The disease is caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis'' and spread by Flea, fleas and through the air. One of the most significant events in European history, the Black Death had far-reaching population, economic, and cultural impacts. It was the beginning of the second plague pandemic. The plague created religious, social and economic upheavals, with profound effects on the course of European history. The origin of the Black Death is disputed. Genetic analysis suggests ''Yersinia pestis'' bacteria evolved approximately 7,000 years ago, at the beginning of the Neolithic, with flea-mediated strains emerging around 3,800 years ago during the late Bronze Age. The immediate territorial origins of the Black Death and its outbreak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rose Tremain
Dame Rose Tremain (born 2 August 1943) is an English novelist, short story writer, and former Chancellor of the University of East Anglia. Life Rose Tremain was born Rosemary Jane Thomson on 2 August 1943 in London to Viola Mabel Thomson and Keith Nicholas Home Thomson. Her paternal great-grandfather is William Thomson (bishop), William Thomson, who was Archbishop of York from 1862 to 1890. She was educated at Francis Holland School, Crofton Grange School, the University of Paris, Sorbonne (1961–1962) and the University of East Anglia (BA, English Literature). She later went on to teach creative writing at the University of East Anglia from 1988 to 1995, and was appointed Chancellor (education), Chancellor in 2013. She married Jon Tremain in 1971 and they had one daughter, Eleanor, born in 1972, who became an actress. The marriage lasted about five years. Her second marriage, to theatre director Jonathan Dudley, in 1982, lasted about nine years; and she has been with Richar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him. Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works—books, pamphlets, and journals—on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism. Early life Daniel Foe was probably born in Fore Street, London, Fore Street ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Real Inspector Hound
''The Real Inspector Hound'' is a short, one-act play by Tom Stoppard. The plot follows two theatre critics named Moon and Birdboot who are watching a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery, in the style of a whodunit. By chance, they become involved in the action causing a series of events that parallel the play they are watching. The play was written between 1961 and 1962, drawing on Stoppard's experiences as a Bristol theatre critic. It was initially named ''The Stand-ins'' and later, ''The Critics''. It is a parody of the stereotypical parlour mystery in the style of Agatha Christie's ''The Mousetrap'', as well as of the critics watching the play, with their personal desires and obsessions interwoven into their bombastic and pompous reviews. The title is a direct reference to the ending of ''The Mousetrap'', a play well known for guarding the secrecy of its twist ending, although the producers of Agatha Christie's play could not publicly object without drawing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and political freedom, often delving into the deeper philosophical bases of society. Stoppard has been a playwright of the Royal National Theatre, National Theatre and is one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation. He was Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, knighted for his contribution to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. Born in First Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovakia, Stoppard left as a child refugee, fleeing German occupation of Czechoslovakia, imminent Nazi occupation. He settled with his family in Britain after the war, in 1946, having spent the previous three years (1943–1946) in a boarding school in Darjeeling in the Indian Himalayas. After being educated at schools in Nottingham and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyril Fordham
Cyril Bernard Fordham (22 September 1906 – 22 April 1988) was an English cricketer. Fordham was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off break. He was born at Puckeridge, Hertfordshire. Fordham made his debut in county cricket for Hertfordshire against Buckinghamshire in the 1924 Minor Counties Championship. He played Minor counties cricket for Hertfordshire from 1924 to 1939, making 121 appearances, the last of which came against Buckinghamshire. During his career with the county, he scored nearly 6,000 runs at an average of close to 33, and took nearly 200 wickets with the ball, at 17 apiece. In 1931, he was selected to play for a combined Minor Counties team, making his first-class debut for the team against the touring New Zealanders at the Rose Brothers Ground, Gainsborough. He made four further first-class appearances for the team during the thirties, the last of which came against Oxford University in 1937. In his five first-class appearances for the team, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Legion
The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. Membership Service in the armed forces is no longer a requirement of Legion membership. The Legion has an official membership magazine, ''Legion'', which is free to all Legion members as part of their annual subscription. History The British Legion was founded on 15 May 1921 as a voice for the Ex-servicemen, ex-service community as a bringing together of four organisations: the Comrades of the Great War, the National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers and the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers, and incorporated the fundraising department of the Officers' Association. Field Marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, The 1st Earl Haig (1861–1928), British comman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks in World War II, Tanks and Air warfare of World War II, aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II is the List of wars by death toll, deadliest conflict in history, causing World War II casualties, the death of 70 to 85 million people, more than half of whom were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Allied-occupied Germany, Germany, Allied-occupied Austria, Austria, Occupation of Japan, Japan, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hunt Class Destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of escort destroyer of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in the Second World War, particularly on the British east coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts. The modern Hunt-class GRP hulled mine countermeasure vessels maintain the Hunt names lineage in the Royal Navy. History The Royal Navy had identified the need for two types of destroyer: larger vessels with heavy gun and torpedo armaments for fleet work and another type for escort duties. Although old fleet destroyers could be allocated to escort work, they were unsuitable for the task and new construction replaced them. Fleet destroyers were designed for speed and their machinery was inefficient at convoy speeds, reducing their range. Their shape made them poor sea boats at low speed, also exacerbated by additional equipment on the superstructure. Modifications were needed to ease these problems. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Puckeridge (L108)
HMS ''Puckeridge'' was a of the Royal Navy and first and so far only warship to bear the Name. The vessel was ordered on 4 September 1939 as part of the 1939 wartime emergency program. She was laid down on 1 January 1940 at the J. Samuel White yard, East Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, launched on 6 March 1941 and commissioned on 30 July 1941. ''Puckeridge'' was one of 33, Type II Hunt Escort Destroyers. The hulls of this second batch had an extra section and an increased beam which gave stability for a third twin 4" AA gun as originally designed and additional storage for depth charges. The class were named after British fox and stag hunts, in this case, the Puckeridge Hunt, based in East Anglia. Service history Home Fleet In December 1941 ''Puckeridge'' was attached to the Home Fleet. On 13 December she was attacked by aircraft off the Pembroke coast and was hit by a bomb on her Quarterdeck which caused an explosion in her aft 4-inch magazine. 18 ratings were killed a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Decca Navigator System
The Decca Navigator System was a hyperbolic navigation, hyperbolic radio navigation system that allowed ships and aircraft to determine their position by using radio signals from a dedicated system of static radio transmitters. The system used phase comparison between pairs of low frequency signals between 70 and 129 kilohertz, kHz, as opposed to pulse timing systems like Gee (navigation), Gee and LORAN. This made it much easier to design receivers using 1940s electronics, and operation was simplified by giving a direct readout of Decca coordinates without the complexity of a cathode-ray tube and highly skilled operator. The system was developed by Decca Radar, Decca in the UK. It was first deployed by the Royal Navy during World War II for the vital task of clearing the minefields to enable the D-Day landings. The Allied forces needed an accurate system not known to the Germans and thus free of jamming. After the war, it came off the secret list and was commercially deve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
