By Slanted Light

Old newspapers are fascinating, aren't they!

Forty odd years ago there was a series of 'Great Newspapers Reprinted' which I used to buy avidly. The front page headlines were all concerned with big news stories such as the sinking of the Titanic, the Relief of Mafeking, the death of Queen Victoria and so on, but I used to spend more time reading the tiny little news items tucked away inside, the classified ads, and the ads for surgical appliances and 'Carters Little Liver Pills' etc. I've still got them all boxed up in the attic somewhere...

I remember seeing the airship hangars at Cardington from the coach going home from Nattercon one year when we were diverted off the M1 for some reason. I was quite taken aback when I saw them, and like you I couldn't work out what they were at the time but they'd obviously been built for something huge. Can't remember now how I eventually found out about them, I've got a feeling that the OH knew all about them when I mentioned the diversion.

Ooh, 'The Romany Rye' by George R Sims - I've got a couple of books by him! Two volumes entitled 'Living London' , published around the turn of the 20th century, packed full of fascinating photos. There are actually three volumes in the series, I believe - I'll have to hunt down my missing one some day!