Sir Vincent Raven

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Sound advice, 3rd Rail, for me to live out me days on.

Incidentally, I'm the last guy who should correct anybody else's typpingg!

[61070]

His blue plaque was unveiled yesterday:
http://www.bpears.org.uk/Misc/Gateshead_Plaques/#RavenV

[Blink Bonny]

Good. Nice one, Gateshead!

[2392]

As something of an "aside" looking at 61070's link to the photo list of Gateshead Council Blue plaques. In particular the one about the Felling Pit disaster, which is bolted to the boundary wall of St Marys' Church beside Heworth Metro/roundabout. Felling was the latest most modern pit in the area in 1812, all the latest most upto date features. Still didn't stop the tragedy. Anyway it prompted the Government of the day to set up a study into how to prevent another such accident and appointed Humphrey Davy to look into it and develop a safety lamp. At the same time a "little known" colliery mechanic called George Stephenson of Killingworth Colliery came up with an almost identical safety lamp. Unlike Davy in a lab, Stephenson by word of mouth/trial & error cobbled together his lamp. Which in turn he trailed the only way he knew how, "down" the mine itself! With success, OK it needed a little "fine tuning" but not much. Much to Davy's displeasure, as here was a man who could bearly read and write! What's more he branded Stephenson a charlatan and a fraud! And on one of those rare ocassion both owners & workers closed ranks and sided with Stephenson, who had been given an award of around £100, which really enflamed Davy even more. What's more his [Stephenson's] colleauges raised a more fitting reward of £1000! To even more rage from Davy. Which would pretty well be equal to winning some of these recent "mega" Euro Lottory jackpots today!