[Closed] Bryson's other law - What makes the UK great?

I would have to google them as nothing springs to mind

Cardiff's coal exporting history; Caerphilly's cheese; the Roman settlement at Caerleon

Birth place of Adam Sedgwick (one of the 'fathers' of modern geology); Ribblehead Viaduct; Yorkshire Dales!

Pavilion:

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Oldest Electric railway in the world (sadly all on dry land now):

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The first locomotive to run in the USA was built 5 minutes from my house.
The Titanic's anchor chain was also built close by though I doubt that's of global importance.
Saddam Hussein's infamous Super Gun was being part built close by too.

Kingley Vale SSSI.

So what's within 5 miles of you that left its mark on the world?

Hogwarts.

Burrell collection
Govan shipyards
CRM house for an art lover perhaps.

I went to school next to Alnwick castle
http://www.alnwickcastle.com/explore/history/the-percy-family/earls-of-northumberland
School balls in the Castle were always good fun
Could get to Holy Island and lots of other amazing history, Roman ruins and Hadrians wall, Cragside the first Hydro Electric powered house https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cragside
and a load more

The largest bomb ever dropped on the UK was near me - however it was a test, not an attack:

The Grand Slam was a 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) earthquake bomb used by RAF Bomber Command against strategic targets during the Second World War. It was the most powerful non-atomic bomb used in the war.

Known officially as the Bomb, Medium Capacity, 22,000 lb, it was a scaled-up version of the Tallboy bomb and closer to the original size that the bombs' inventor, Barnes Wallis, had envisaged when he first developed his earthquake bomb idea. It was also nicknamed "Ten ton Tess".

After release from the Avro Lancaster B.Mk 1 (Special) bomber,[2] the Grand Slam would reach near-supersonic speed, approaching 1,049 ft/s (320 m/s), 715 mph (1150 km/h). When it hit, it would penetrate deep underground before detonating. The resulting explosion could cause the formation of a camouflet[9] (cavern) and shift the ground to undermine a target's foundation.

And most frighteningly:

because of the low rate of production and consequent high value of each bomb, aircrews were told to land with their unused bombs on board rather than jettison them into the sea if a sortie was aborted 😯

all from [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(bomb) ]Wiki[/url]

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This is walking distance.[img] [/img]

This is walking distance.

In which case the radio show gave a list of half a dozen other places you could also have picked.

King Charles first immortalised the town by declaring in later years whenever anyone mentioned the weather, if it is raining anywhere in my kingdom it will be raining in Tavistock.

He was right...

Thought of another. This one is closer still.
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Bill Oddie's first ever published article was about the birds on the reservoir half a mile from our house.

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Good show that, worth listening to on iplayer. It also summed up my American wife's reasons for living in the UK- basically that there is no logical reason for living here but it's just "right".

Anyway, we live in the home of the modern mill and on the edge of a world heritage site and a national park.

So what's within 5 miles of you that left its mark on the world?

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Crofton Beam Engines - the only steam engines in the world still doing the job they were designed for (Bank Holidays at least, and when the electric pumps pack up).

The Boulton & Watt beam was installed in 1809. I still find that astonishing, Wellington was still fighting in the Peninsular War!

They made the first radio transmission across open sea near me.

Cardiff is less than 5 miles away too, Biggest and busiest port in the world for most of the industrial revolution, starting point for Scott's ill fated expedition to the Artic, Henry Morgan the infamous Pirate and inspiration for 'Captain Morgan Rum' was born in Cardiff, as was Roald Dahl.

Hmmmm. Drawing a complete blank here.......although if we squeeze the 5miles up slightly, does having the designer of the Mosquito's house count? That's it, really.

Edit: just read P-Jay's post, Roald Dahl lived down the road! Got one!!

Clitheroe Castle and Byrnes' wine shop both half a mile walk

although if we squeeze the 5miles up slightly, does having the designer of the Mosquito's house count?

18th/19th century cotton industry was pretty big round our way, few textiles related things about.

Birth place of D.H. Lawrence but that's all I can think of.

edinburgh city centre...

the problem with where I live is that there's not a lot of anything within 5 miles except the great, bucolic, british countryside. Which I suppose is one of the things that makes Britain great. It's certainly the second most important thing I miss when Im away (the first being Real Ale, natch)

Did Dickens leave a mark on the world? or just Britain? Much of the inspiration is from actual local places (back home).

HMS Victory was built back home. Rope might not have made much impact, but all of the warships that that rope was attached to probably have.

What has not yet made an impact, is SS Montgomery. Although when it does go up, it'll make the first start on Boris Island without even need for a dredger or digger.

Oh and Pocahontas.

Sure I camped out in Crofton Steam engines house many years ago while canoeing the Kennet and Avon canal. The whole trip is a bit hazy in my memory as we stopped in pretty much every pub on the way.

Anyhow, near me, Anderton Boat Lift.
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and Polyethylene was first discovered, (invented probably not quite the correct word as I believe the building exploded regularly) at ICI Winnington.

I live in Reading, does AWE count?

In Prudhoe, so same as OP!

I live in Reading, does AWE count?

Reading the Trident threads, apparently it's the only thing that makes the UK significant.

I live in the birthplace of the father of the [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Starley ]Bicycle Industry[/url]

Bill Oddie's first ever published article was about the birds on the reservoir half a mile from our house.

Edgbaston local?

Being from Birmingham - too many things to mention.

In Prudhoe, so same as OP!

...actually, I'd go for Whittle Dean Reservoirs which Lord Armstrong backed in order to provide the water pressure for the first Hydraulic cranes on Newcastle Quayside, revolutionising docks all over the world.

the problem with where I live is that there's not a lot of anything within 5 miles except the great, bucolic, british countryside. Which I suppose is one of the things that makes Britain great. It's certainly the second most important thing I miss when Im away (the first being Real Ale, natch)

This.

In fact, where I am there's arguably less than there used to be - it's now arable and mixed farming, whereas it was (until 1950 anyway) an area of willow growing and weaving.

Hence why my house apparently has a view of a wood, when all I can see are fields (but not while the bloody maize is 9 feet tall in the field behind us...).

EDIT: where I'm from is famous for two things: [url= https://www.hooky.co.uk/ ]beer[/url] and [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_a_cock_horse_to_Banbury_Cross ]a streaker on a horse[/url].

I work at an old airfield - home to the UK's nuclear deterrent during the 60's.

and...

I'm also less than 5 miles from the first battle fought during the English Civil War - Edgehill on Sunday 23rd October 1642 apparently 8)

I work at an old airfield - home to the UK's nuclear deterrent during the 60's.

and...

I'm also less than 5 miles from the first battle fought during the English Civil War - Edgehill on Sunday 23rd October 1642 apparently

Oh yes. I forgot those ones!

[url= http://www.rollrightstones.co.uk/ ]Not to mention some weird looking rocks.[/url]

Tap O Noth - Iron Age hill fort
Rhynie Man - Pictish standing stone
Rhynie chert - early Devonian flora and fauna

the problem with where I live is that there's not a lot of anything within 5 miles except the great, bucolic, british countryside.

2 mins of google stalking suggests that you have the house and grave of Edward Elgar and The Battle of Upton nearby. Both pretty good!

ah, but are they of Global importance?

And that's creepy by the way. 👿

Papworth Hospital is barely a stone's throw from my house. Raise the limit to 10 mies and I have both Cambridge and Godmanchester/Huntingdon to lay claim to.

I grew up in Fleet in Hampshire.

Little known fact that the printed circuit board was invented there in the late 50's. My dad worked there from 1960.

Once I left school, I started work at the RAE Farnborough, which I could see, and hear, from my folks house. Some pretty significant stuff went on there in the past.

I now live in Alton just up the road. 2 minutes walk from Jane Austin's house. Also 'Sweet FA' Fanny Adams was murdered in Alton, not globally significant perhaps but good local folk lore.

The first hovercraft were designed and built not far away.
Queen Victoria's residence also nearby.

Global? Struggling.

We are within 5 miles of Sherrifmuir battle site (1715 and D-day practice), Wallace Monument and Stirling castle. I think that they are more a national importance.

Again on a national thought, the school massacre led to changes in the law on weapons that impacted the country we live in today.

We also have the estate of [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stirling ]David Stirling [/url], arguably the founder of the modern special forces - that does have global impact (sadly).

I think the biggest global impact would be Doune Castle. Of Monty Python, Outlander, Game of Thrones fame.

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For Reading you can chuck in Henry i being buried their, the music festival, Oscar Wilde being imprisoned there, quite a few other literature references with links to Jane Austen, and Thomas Hardy. Ricky Gervais is from Reading and Gustav Holst lectured at the Uni. George Clooney owns a house on outskirts. Nearby are also Harwell where the UK did a lot of atomic research and Diamond is based and Henley is famous for the rowing.

OMITN, Ive just realised youre nowhere like in the north. If you're near Rollrights, you're not far from where I used to farm (Gt Ris)

I will have to adjust my mental picture of you from whippetty, flat-capped, chip-carrier, to becorduroy'd Golden Retriever stroker.

OMITN, Ive just realised youre nowhere like in the north. If you're near Rollrights, you're not far from where I used to farm (Gt Ris)

That's where I grew up. I do actually live in The North(tm). West Lancashire specifically.

I do own a flat cap - ideal for keeping my head warm on the platform to catch the early train to London every Monday.

I rather miss being on the edge of the Cotswolds - there's something rather ancient about the place that I always loved.

I was going to read the article but I saw that it's in the Daily Telegraph and I noticed elsewhere on STW that the "word" on the "street" is that apparently it's not good enough to scrub one's bottom with.

I grew up in Fleet in Hampshire.
Little known fact that the printed circuit board was invented there in the late 50's. My dad worked there from 1960.

Greens pies

Hartleys XB (sadly no longer)

I was going to read the article but I saw that it's in the Daily Telegraph and I noticed elsewhere on STW that the "word" on the "street" is that apparently it's not good enough to scrub one's bottom with.

thread confusion?

Not sure there's much globally important within 5 miles of where I grew up, if there is it's passed me by.

Where I live now within 5 miles we've got birthplace/final resting place of the world's first vertical-takeoff jet 'aircraft', Byron, Ada Lovelace, DH Lawrence, Eric Coates (Dambuster composer)

Errm..

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Chorlton wins the internet today.

Bletchley park
Marshall amps
And Aston Martin are all local to me

Not much happens in this unfashionable northern town, but I suppose if I walk down the road I can watch the world's oldest classic horse race (St Leger), or walk across town to Doncaster Works where among others the Flying Scotsman and Mallard were made. Boolean Algebra, the mathematical basis for switching circuits and computer logic was invented across he road too. Three miles south of me is the world's last flying Vulcan bomber, which is cool too, but not for much longer.

The Surrey Iron Railway which was the first railway company in the world. It used horse traction btw.

And Croydon Airport control tower which was the first airport control tower in the world (it still stands btw). Indeed the whole concept of air traffic control originates from Croydon (someone thought it might be a good idea if the airport were to communicate with pilots about to land).

And the international distress call "Mayday" was the idea of someone who worked at Croydon Airport.

Thanks to this post and to Wikipedia I now know that I am 4.09 miles from the birthplace and home of Caradog Jones, the first Welshman to reach the summit of Everest.

within 5 miles of my house;
oldest human skeleton found in britain
first photograph of the moon taken
first passenger railway in the world
where am i ?

RRS Discovery

Edward Elgars birthplace is just within a 5 mile radius, but more importantly the worcester sauce factory is closer!

Forth rail bridge
Forth Road bridge
New Forth crossing
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a book in the local pub
Birthplace of Stephen Hendry
Oldest dwelling ever discovered in Scotland (& possibly UK)

piemonster - Member

RRS Discovery

Terra Nova carried Scott's last expedition and was also built locally

Monument to Sir Robert Peel.

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Hadrian's Wall a couple of miles away, practically at the end of the garden.
The site of Baden Powell's first scout camp.

Bill was right wasn't he?

Hadrian's Wall a couple of miles away, practically at the end of the garden.
The site of Baden Powell's first scout camp.

Oldest dwelling ever discovered in Scotland (& possibly UK)

I always thought Baden Powell's first trip was to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour?

I [i]think [/i]the brownsea island trip was more like a trial run after which the scout movement started officially and the second was at Fourstones.

For Reading you can chuck in Henry i being buried their, the music festival, Oscar Wilde being imprisoned there, quite a few other literature references with links to Jane Austen, and Thomas Hardy. Ricky Gervais is from Reading and Gustav Holst lectured at the Uni. George Clooney owns a house on outskirts. Nearby are also Harwell where the UK did a lot of atomic research and Diamond is based and Henley is famous for the rowing.

But if you were parachuted into Reading today, what would you actually go and do or see?

Henry's grave is allegedly somewhere in the abbey area, which has mostly had 2 generations of tower blocks built on it now.

The festival is 3 days in August, and isn't really 'in' Reading, apart from the disruption (i like the festival, but it's not like you can just wander in, and there's no atmosphere outside the fence unlike say the Fringe).

There is the jail, Oscar Wilde was there, important or exciting? It's now on a roundabout with Staples, homebase and Toys'R'us.

Jane Austen, and Thomas Hardy. Austen was further south in Hampshire, Hardy was further north. Neither was in Reading.

Didn't know Gustav Holst lectured at the Uni, but again it's not something you could go and do or see (and I had to google who he was).

I've been here 7 years now, I've still not changed my mind that Reading is a cultural and historical vacuum. It's like Slough, only escaping the same criticisms because Windsor isn't next door to make it glaringly obvious.

[quote=Stoner ]the problem with where I live is that there's not a lot of anything within 5 miles except the great, bucolic, british countryside. Which I suppose is one of the things that makes Britain great. It's certainly the second most important thing I miss when Im away (the first being Real Ale, natch)

Or maybe that you need to research your local history - radar was developed within 5 miles of you, which I should think has global significance.

I'm also going to lay claim to Elgar - his birthplace is within 5 miles, but he was bandmaster and did some of his first composition within a hundred metres or so of where I'm sitting. A place which is probably nowadays more infamous for experimental use of psychedelic drugs

But if you were parachuted into Reading today, what would you actually go and do or see?

Henley, Marlow and Oxford 😆 Actually the surrounding area on a road bike on a sunny day is flipping great.

There is the jail, Oscar Wilde was there, important or exciting? It's now on a roundabout with Staples, homebase and Toys'R'us.

Not just the UK that suffers from this kind of thing. I did a tour of New Orleans and virtually every site had been torn down and replaced with something completely different. Trying to imagine the seedy bar that was the birthplace of jazz, while actually looking at a nondescript modern building takes some effort.

Henley, Marlow and Oxford Actually the surrounding area on a road bike on a sunny day is flipping great.

I agree, I'd still say that (insert name of just about anywhere else) has better biking, but relative to Reading, being somewhere else on a bike is indeed better 🙂

The jail is still there, no idea how much is as it was when Oscar was a resident, but it's mostly a big tall brick wall with a big tall brick tower behind it, and a lot of CCTV and barbed wire. If you like that kind of thing Broadmoor is a bigger, more impressive wall, and scary as f***. In fact Broadmoor could probably make the list of significant things in/around Reading, but again, it's not something you can see/visit.

Still, it could be worse, it could be Basingstoke.

Living in Coventry we have loads of ex and current British car factories, The Cathedral's, various other historic buildings that survived 1940.

Work (same place as JAG I assume) so ex-nuclear deterant airfield.

Born in scotland approx 5miles from the historic [url= http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_254 ]St. Brides Church, Douglas[/url]

The Queen Mother had her honeymoon near me, Roger Waters was born in my village, Barnes Wallis lived nearby as did Thomas Cubitt and Maurice Joseph Micklewhite still does - that's the most famous thing so everyone knows that.

I live near stoke on trent. Large scale pottery manufactured here during the 17th and 18th century, pioneering processes by wedgewood, minton, spode & doulton. There is still a wedgewood factory at barlaston and I ride past it regularly on the canal.

We build these things. They make the world a safer place to live.

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oh god not barrow in furness?