THE BREEZER Newsletter

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...

However, it wasn’t until sometime in the 1700s that stories from the - newly named - Tower of London Menagerie started to get a little weird - visitors could apparently gain admission by paying threepence or by bringing their live domestic pets to be fed to the lions. 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...

After nightfall on 18 April 1825, Lavalleja led the now-revered ‘Landing of the Thirty-Three’. They crossed the Uruguay River in two small boats, carrying a blue, white and red horizontal-striped flag emblazoned with the words ‘Libertad o Muerte’ - Liberty or Death. 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...

Eleanor promoted the notion of courtly love. This was a revolutionary approach to putting 12th-century knights in touch with their feminine side. It was suppressing the left-brain's desire to ‘grab what you can’ and promoting the right brain’s capacity to think deeper and let curiosity lead the way. 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...

Limited ventilation and perpetually occupied rooms left a distinctive staleness in the air, compounded by the constant fog of cigarette and cigar smoke. This wasn’t Givenchy, but it was the authentic aroma of democracy under threat. 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...

Instead of attacking immediately, Wallace and Moray waited patiently. They watched as more and more English troops gathered on the north side of the bridge. The English mistook this Scottish restraint for weakness - perhaps even surrender. 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...

Tyrrell steadied himself, drew back his nocked bow and fired at the startled stag. The arrow ricocheted off a tree and plunged deep into William’s chest. William fell from his horse and, for a few lingering moments, bled to death on the forest floor. 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...

The brave defence by the men and women of the Isle of Wight was the straw that broke the camel’s back for the French. They called off their invasion attempt and sailed back across the Channel to Le Havre with their tails between their legs. 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...

At 23:38, an explosion reverberated across Auckland Harbour. A military grade limpet mine had been attached to the hull of the Rainbow Warrior - the force of the explosion partially lifted her out of the water. 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...