From Norfolk to No. 10: wily Walpole lands Britain’s most coveted doorstep
23 days ago • 13 min readThe 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...
READ POSTThe man who volunteered for Hell
30 days ago • 15 min readBut 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...
READ POSTThirty-three men in a boat
about 2 months ago • 16 min readAfter 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...
READ POSTRed-haired and royally shafted
3 months ago • 17 min readTyrrell 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...
READ POST