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THE BREEZER Newsletter

Spend a few minutes each week discovering snippets of history and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week, with a dash of "lots more".

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Gough Whitlam 1972 election

Gough Whitlam was out to lunch

Or to put it another way, an unelected appointee of the British Empire had just overturned the will of millions of Australian voters. Ouch. But hold on—the story doesn’t end there. The Breezer - A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me exploring historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. 9th November 2025. Happy Sunday Reader!If my maths is correct, the 2025 United States federal government shutdown...
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HMS Pandora sinking

Pandora's Botch

The Pandora headed north along the east coast of Australia. But as the frigate rounded Cape York from the Great Barrier Reef and entered the Torres Strait on 29 August 1791, disaster struck. The Breezer - A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me exploring historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. 2nd November 2025. Happy Sunday!A couple of days ago the British press erupted with news that sent...
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Model 299 Flying Fortress On FIre

Beyond winging it - the birth of the checklist

The four Wright Cyclone engines roared into life as Model 299 gathered speed like an aluminium avalanche. With a grace that belied her size, the Flying Fortress’s nose lifted and she rose into the clear Ohio skies. At 300 feet, Model 299 stopped flying. The Breezer - the joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. Add to...
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The morning of the Battle of Agincourt

We few, we muddy few, we band of brothers

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother... The reality was probably a little more prosaic. But whatever Henry may have lacked in Shakespearian eloquence, he more than made up for in raw courage. The Breezer - the historical joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the...
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The grave of Edith Cavell

Patriotism wasn't enough but duty was everything

She was calm. Serene. She told the reverend… "Standing as I do in view of God and Eternity, I realise that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone". The Breezer - the joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. Add to that occasional updates relating to the podcast, a touch of humour...
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Convocation House Oxford

Parliament, plague and Portakabins

It’s the parliamentary equivalent of turkeys voting for Christmas. In this case, Christmas might involve decanting to a village of Portakabins somewhere near York while the Palace is gutted and restored. The Breezer - the joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. Add to that occasional updates relating to the podcast, a...
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No. 10 Downing Street

From Norfolk to No. 10: wily Walpole lands Britain’s most coveted doorstep

The King owned a bijou townhouse off Whitehall, and he would like Walpole to accept it as a gift, address: No. 10 Downing Street, Whitehall, London. Ever the politician, Walpole politely declined. The Breezer - the joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. Add to that updates relating to the podcast, a touch of humour...
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Auschwitz-Birkenhau

The man who volunteered for Hell

But how to get in? Pilecki had a solution. It was elegantly simple and utterly deranged: get himself arrested in Warsaw to be dispatched to Auschwitz, then set up an internal resistance movement, collect intelligence, escape and report back. The Breezer - the joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. Add to that updates...
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The founding of Fort Salisbury

Rough diamonds on the Rhodes to ruin

By 1891, De Beers had cornered 90% of the diamond market. Rhodes had pulled off a diamond-backed coup within three years and become one of the world’s wealthiest men. The Breezer - the joyride for a curious mind: A weekly newsletter from Steve Winduss at the Batting the Breeze podcast. Spend a few minutes with me discovering historical snippets and fascinating facts related to the forthcoming week. Add to that updates relating to the podcast, a touch of humour and a dash of "lots more". 7th...
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