194th anniversary of British Forces burning Washington DC down

Happy anniversary! I know that Blair apologised on behalf of every British person ever about this in 2002, but this is the trump card that British people have when they meet people from the Mid-West who end up saying "Hey, who won the War of Revolution?", and don't understand when you say "The French." Instead, we get to say, "Yeah, well tell me who burnt down the White House and Capitol Hill and Congress Library?" So be proud, British people, today is your day. Stand tall and reflect on what might had been had we not also been thrashing Napoleon at the same time in Europe and had been able to concentrate fully all the might of the world upon America...

Another Shoebury Sunset!

Sunset over Southend/3
Originally uploaded by gavieb

I think that sunsets are probably my most favourite sights of all, so here is another one from the beach at Shoebury

100th anniversary of Tunguska explosion

100 years ago today, a massive explosion occurred over the Tunguska river in Russia. It is widely believed to have been a meteorite exploding over the area, and had it happened over a settled area, would have been catastrophic in loss of life. As it was, it happened in a region so remote that it took years for people to discover that it had even happened.

Sunset at Shoebury Beach