splat21 - there fell a carriage of not too long ago (only a few years ago, but don't ask me for the exact date), but there was no elephant involved.

Edit: I just googled for the exact date: it was on April 12th 1999. The accident happened because of mistakes made during construction work at one of the skyrail stations, 5 passengers were killed and 46 injured. Normally this accident couldnt have happened as there are very good safety systems. This accident was blamed on the firm which did the construction work.



Post Edited (08-12-03 02:41)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colourless green ideas sleep furiously.

(N. Chomsky 1957)

Didn't the original Jumbo the Elephant get wiped out by a train when he stood on the tracks for too long? Perhaps there are shades of revenge involved here.

Accidents happen.
The opening of Britain's very first public pasenger railway, between Liverpool & Manchester (not the better-known Stockton-Darlington line, famous for Stevenson's Rocket, apparently...) was marred by the death of one of the guests-of-honour. William Huskisson* MP, who was serving (if my source for the story was correct) as Minister of Transport (under whatever title was associated with that job back in those days...) somehow ended up on the tracks in front of the train: He was knocked down &/or run over by it, and consequently died... One version of the story says that he'd nipped around in front of the train in search of somewhere out of the crowd's view where he could urinate...

(Correct spelling?)

************************************************************

Warning! Product may contain Newts!



Post Edited (08-12-03 14:12)

What would you know? Within arm's reach lies a first edition of "The last journey of William Huskisson" by Simon Garfield.

Rocket ran on the Liverpool and Manchester railway, the most famous engine on the Stockton to Darlington Railway was the Locomotion, which was easier than learning your ABCs. Rocket became the most famous of the early engines after the Rainhill trials, held to decide which locomotive to use on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

Huskisson didn't die after nipping out for a whizz, but after leaving the carriage carrying the toffs to inspect the line during the opening ceremonies. Due to the inability of people to realsie that those trains were far away, and those trains were very small, and furthermore that that train was not getting bigger but closer he left insufficient time to get back into the carriage. He was hit by the engine on the parallel track, and basically had his knee crushed.

In the rush to get Huskisson to a surgeon Rocket set a landspeed record of over 30 miles per hour, but he died at a local farmhouse before anything could be done. At the time he was no longer at the Board of Trade, but was still the sitting MP for Liverpool, although in ill health.

If you see the book, I heartily recomend reading it.



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

PSD _
Thanks for the additional information.

************************************************************

Warning! Product may contain Newts!

ah psd, do I spot a father tedism in that description. Have strange desire to go and play hide and seek in a very small caravan.

Yes, there was a slight outbreak of nostalgia for the size-related oddities of bovines...



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

<sighs> nostalgia, Im sure there was a lot more of that around when I was a girl..

See my poem... Down a few pages by now, no doubt...



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

The one for your friend on her 21st? I'll bet she loved it. the memories of my 21st are lost in some kind of haze, whether its time or alcohol I have no idea!

My 21st birthday party was a total flop. Lots of people came, but they split into three groups who wouldn't have anything to do with one another (the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the strictly non-politicals), and then there was Mike S who sat in the doorway for the whole evening grinning oddly at people and kissing their hands if he got the chance. I'm convinced he was in an illegal state of mind at the time.



..........................................................................................

That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

I went to party at a friends once and her younger sister invited a whole hoard of foreign exchange students in. The place was heaving yet my friend claims not to be able to remember this at all....

Just out of interest, what is the correct group noun for a "hoard" of foreign exchange students? Or hasn't one been coined? (har har!)

Holly- the older one, titled 'Nostalgia'...

Deeper and deeper, I'm afraid...



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I had chicken pox for my 21st birthday. Kinda ruined all the plans....

How the hell did they wrap it?



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

In several layers of clothing and calomine lotions, actually.

Right I'll go and look for that one PSD

Ptols - ok so perhaps I meant horde but I cant be perfik all the time. Anyway maybe she was hoarding them!

psd - actually searching back through those old pages I became quite nostalgic for some of those ancient topics...they don't post 'em like that anymore.
Of course once I found your poem I did remember reading it before. I happen to like a good old wander down memory lane as it goes. (wonder if there is such a postal address in Uk) and to be side tracked even further I have a friend who lives in a place called Aston Clinton, she always refers to it as Aston Cli*oris so we sent her a PC thus addressed and it was delivered. > so it can't be that difficult to find< tho of course we used the postcode. (this is why the Brazilian is so popular with women, its nothing to do with keeping cool, its a guide!) Anyway, where was I, oh yes, nostalgia, fine in its place but beware the rose tinted glasses, they make your beer look a funny colour.

I happen to like a good old wander down memory lane as it goes. (wonder if there is such a postal address in Uk)
There's one in Leicester, just off the A607.



Post Edited (08-14-03 11:43)