Royal Wedding

Must confess I watched all the Royal Wedding on the TV yesterday. I had intended only dipping into the event and now and then whilst painting some figures, but I got sucked into the whole thing. If there is one thing this country can do well, it is put on a nice royal event. The groom and best man looked very smart, the bride v beautiful, and her attractive sister veryyyyyy easy on the eye :)
I don't consider myself a raving royalist, but I confess the idea of becoming a republic and having to elect some self serving politician horrifies me. Long may the institution of the British monarchy flourish, is what I say. Link
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William Shatner Says ‘Goodnight, Space Shuttle’

William Shatner telling the story of the U.S. spacecraft most directly inspired by Star Trek. The final space shuttle mission ever (by Atlantis) is scheduled for June 28th. This is definately worth a watch. Link
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US Civil War 150th anniversary: How US remains divided

The US is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the country's most destructive conflict, the Civil War. In Charleston in the state of South Carolina, where the war erupted, the BBC's Paul Adams says Americans remain divided over the roots of the conflict to this day. This is quite an interesting article on the BBC web site. Link
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From the English to American Civil Wars: How East Anglians came to control the world

I found this quite an intersting article on the BBC web site, as I live in East Anglia. Link.
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Luftwaffe Dornier 17 at Goodwin Sands 'still intact'

The discovery of a unique German warplane off the Kent coast left experts "incredulous". New images suggest the Dornier 17 is still intact and there are hopes that it will go on show. Link
This is quite a fascinating little story and certainly worth checking out.
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Aircraft Carrier: A Mind-Boggling Building Job

In a shipyard in Scotland the future of the Royal Navy is slowly taking shape. But the construction of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is a mammoth task. Link. Lets hope it all fits together like it should is all I can say !
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Joke Of The Day - 'Phones'

Several men are in the locker room at the golf club. A mobile phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
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MAN: 'Hello'
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WOMAN: 'Darling, it's me. Are you at the club ?'
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MAN: 'Yes'
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WOMAN: 'I am at Bluewater and I've found this beautiful leather coat. It's only £500. Is it OK if I buy it?'
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MAN: 'Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.'
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WOMAN: 'I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership on the way here and saw the new 2010 Models. I saw one I really liked.'
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MAN: 'How much ?'
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WOMAN: '£65,000
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MAN: 'OK, but for that price please make sure you haggle for all the optional extras.'
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WOMAN: 'Great ! Oh, and one more thing...the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking £750,000.
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MAN: 'Well, if you still like it that much, why not make an offer of £700K. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand if you think it's worth it.'
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WOMAN: 'OK. I'll see you later ! I love you so much !'
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MAN: 'Bye ! I love you, too.'
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The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape.
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He turns and asks:
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" Anyone know who this phone belongs to ?"
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HMS Invincible makes final journey to Turkish scrapyard

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Saw this news article on the BBC web site. 'The aircraft carrier HMS Invincible has left Portsmouth for the last time before it is broken up at a Turkish scrapyard. The carrier, which saw action in the Falklands War but has remained in dock since 2005, was sold through an internet site'. Link.
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This make me very sad as I was lucky enough to visit Invincible in 1998 (whilst working up in the English Channel) and see the Sea Harriers operating from it. The deck surface is like the non-slip tarmac surface you get on some roads, and of course it wears over time. I recall standing on the flight-deck near where that helicopter is on the photo, whilst a flight a four Harriers took off, and getting engulfed in a storm of grit thrown up from deck by the thrust from the Pegasus engines ! Awesome ! :)
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Remembering the secret mission of Cockleshell Heroes

A memorial to the Royal Marines who canoed almost 100 miles behind enemy lines to blow up ships in a daring World War II raid has been unveiled in France. But what did the secret mission entail, and why was it so important ?
See the BBC web site for more info. Link
I read a book years ago about these guys, what a hell of a mission they had to undertake.
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