Sunday 25 September 2011

New books



I have four new history books out this month which I hope you will find interesting. The first is, 'Images of Plymouth : Stonehouse' (Driftwood Coast Publishing) which features a history of Stonehouse together with many old photos from the early 1900s. I've tried to include as much as I can within its pages and some of the things covered include prehistory, the Romans, Stonehouse Bridge, Transport, Union Street, the Palace Theatre, Durnford Street etc. It also features people with a connection to the area like Vice Admiral Hardy, Robert Falcon Scott, Harry Houdini, Charles Darwin and even Benny Hill.


Talking of Harry Houdini, my second book features his appearances around the UK in the early 1900s and is called 'Houdini : the British Tours' (Driftwood Coast Publishing). It features the recorded appearances of Houdini in Britain between 1900 and 1920 and tells of his amazing stunts, his leaps in chains from bridges, his challenges, his imitators and his rivals etc. It features many photos together with newspaper reports of the day which help to bring the stories of Houdini's many tours of Britain alive. Regular readers of this blog will know that Houdini appeared in Plymouth and there's an interesting section about this within the book.


The third book is, 'Plymouth at War Through Time' (Amberley Publishing). You may have read some of my other Through Time books. This one features old photos from the Second World War together with colour photos of the same area today. I love the look of these books and think that the idea works really well.


The fourth book is 'A 1970s Childhood' (History Press) which tells what it was like growing up in the 1970s. It features the fashions, the music, the tv, sweets, the strikes, school and much more.
All books are available from Waterstones, Smiths and all  the normal outlets and also online at Amazon, Tesco, Foyles etc.
I hope that you'll enjoy them very much. There are also more books to come from Amberley but I'll write about them later.

Tuesday 20 September 2011

The Tamar Bridge



Like me, the Tamar Bridge is 50 this year. It's also 50 years since the ferry stopped crossing between Saltash Passage in Plymouth to Saltash in Cornwall.
While researching material for the Blue Sound project, I came across some very interesting newspaper cuttings from 1959 and 1960 which showed the bridge as it was being built. I've never seen any of these photos anywhere else so I thought that I would post them on here. The first shows a drilling platform being rigged on the St Budeaux side in readiness for trial borings.




The second photo is dated 30th November,1959 and shows one of the main pillars being constructed. The Royal Albert Bridge can be seen in the background. This photo has been taken on the Plymouth side. The next photo is from February 1960 and shows the main towers being erected, again on the Plymouth side.






The next photo shows more construction work which is followed by a picture of workers with a sign apologising for the inconvenience caused by the works. The houses of Saltash Passage can be seen in the background.


The final photo comes from 11th October 1960 and shows the bridge well under way. Two men can be seen walking the temporary, precarious bridge between the two main pillars.
(Please click on the photos to see them larger).

Thursday 1 September 2011

More Houdini



I've written about Houdini's appearance at the Palace Theatre in Union Street several times before but, as I've been compiling my book about Houdini's tours of Britain, I've discovered other pictures and newspaper articles about his appearance in Plymouth. I think the following article, taken from a newspaper of the day, captures what it was like to be at his show:

HOUDINI AT PLYMOUTH.
AN INEXPLICABLE TRICK.
Harry Houdini, expert prison breaker and handcuff manipulator, who has been mystifying the Plymouth public at the Palace Theatre of Varieties this week, gave a marvellous exhibition of his wonderful powers last evening. The test arose from a challenge issued by five mechanics and joiners of the Devonport Dockyard that they could make a box from which Houdini could not escape. The 'handcuff king' accepted the challenge, which was decided at the second house at the Palace yesterday. The challenge excited great interest and every seat was booked and the building packed to overflowing. Many hundreds were unable to gain admission. The mechanics filed onto the stage with the box, which was of inch thick wood, and fastened together with 2½ inch wire nails. As it has been exhibited at the Palace for some days, the challengers, to preclude any suggestion of it having been tampered with, went around every edge and inserted handfuls of fresh nails. Houdini, who was received with tremendous applause, soon stepped into the box, and was, after it was seen by the audience that he was really inside, securely nailed in. Previously, ventilation holes were drilled in two of the sides. A strong rope was then passed around the box with half hitches, and was itself then nailed to the wood. The performer was then heard to ask if everything was all right, and, on being assured that that was the case, the curtain was placed around the box. The latter had also been thoroughly examined by the Dockyardmen and a committee of the audience, who were on the stage. Houdini was also searched, but no tools were found on him.
During the interval of waiting, the orchestra played several well known songs, which the audience sang to pass away the time. After twelve minutes, the band suddenly stopped and the 'house' was in uproar. Houdini had appeared, perspiring profusely, while during his confinement he had also discarded his dress coat. Cheer upon cheer greeted the performer and everyone, the challengers, committee and audience, admitted themselves to be thoroughly at a loss how to explain the trick. The box was in exactly the same condition as when Houdini was nailed in. There was no sign of an opening anywhere. The nails, rope and cover were also as securely fastened as they were previously. The box, during the test, was at the request of the challengers, placed on a carpet and not on the stage flooring. The Dockyardmen accepted their defeat and each heartily congratulated Houdini on his success. The box was subsequently inspected by the audience.
At the first house, a gentleman offered Houdini £10 if he could escape from the strait jacket after being fastened in it by a number of sailors. The challenge was accepted but Houdini got free in a little over seven minutes. The ten pounds will today br handed over to the Mayor with the suggestion that £5 shall be sent to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund and £5 to a local charity.
THE DIVE FROM STONEHOUSE BRIDGE.
Rain did not deter an immense crowd from assembling at Stonehouse Bridge last evening to witness Houdini, 'the handcuff king', doubly manacled, dive from that structure. Punctually at six o'clock, the intrepid American appeared on the bridge, nude accept for a pair of white knickers. He seemed anxious to make the plunge but for a few seconds, he was prevented by the presence of boats below. Mr. Field, the manager of the Palace and Houdini's men, who were also in boats, shouted to the occupants of the obstructing craft and they tardily cleared the course.
Houdini was speedily shackled by his chief assistant. An arm-iron was placed around the upper part of his arms and fastened at his back, after which his hands were secured with handcuffs. Without betraying the slightest sign of trepidation, fettered and hampered as he was by 18lbs. weight of iron and his hands bound behind his back, he stood for a few seconds in an upright posture, drew several deep inhalations until his lungs were visibly distended and then hurled his body forward into space. In falling, he gave a backward kick in order to balance his body. His head cleaved the placid waters and Houdini disappeared from view.
Then followed a period of suspense and to alter slightly Macaulay's 'Horatius' :-
'The spectators in dumb surprise,
With parting lips and straining eyes.
Stood gazing where he sank.'
Houdini's head reappeared above the surface in the space of forty-five seconds amid the plaudits of the multitude. He had succeeded in releasing himself from his fetters and at once swam ashore, jumped into the cab in which he had driven out and assumed his clothes on the way back to the New Palace Theatre.

This story and many more are featured in my book, 'Houdini : The British Tours' which will be available from 30th September 2011. It's on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Houdini-British-Tours-Derek-Tait/dp/0956078176/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314910812&sr=8-1