It's A Small World

It’s a Small World

A synopsis

This  is about an area of England centered on its smallest County, Rutland. It tells of people and events that have left their marks beyond their boundaries of an approximately 17 miles cross section. The readers to whom the book is aimed are really my grandchildren and local people from the area to give them an affordable book of memorable tales about the people who are recognizable beyond. If others find it an entertaining read that is a bonus.

Some famous local connections include, George Finch who founded the MCC and formalized the laws of cricket, Isaac Newton (Laws of motion, calculus), Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament, Isaac Johnson – founder of Boston Mass., 1630, Johnnie Johnson, WW11 fighter ace, Henry Royce -  Rolls-Royce,  Beryl Markham -  first to fly the Atlantic East to West, Titus Oates - the anti-papist who gave the world the Habeas Corpus Act, Sir Malcolm Sargent, the conductor, JK , the rock star and Dick Turpin, the highwayman to mention but a few. Several nationally recognized names made their homes in the neighborhood. Including  Lord Lonsdale - The Yellow Earl, John Hawkesworth, (BBC Producer of Upstairs and Downstairs), and Primula Rollo, David Niven’s first wife. Rutland Weekend Television by Monty Python on BBC spoofed the county to the fore in her fight for rebirth.

Digging into the history of England in the 16/17^th centuries  reveals that history was fashioned by these  three powerful local people, William the 1^st Lord Burghley, Robert Cecil, his son and George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham. Archbishop Langham controlled the country in a similar way in 1300s. In the 20^th century a Lord Burghley won gold at the Olympics. A tale told in the movie Chariots of Fire.

The famous local schools, Oakham, Stamford and Uppingham have produced, and to this day continue to add many of the nation’s leaders in learning, military, politics, sports and entertainment. The list includes a Lord Mayor of London, a Chancellor of Oxford University, a headmaster of Eton, a  president of The Oxford Union,  founder of The Bank of England, the attack of the Rhine bridges, the Dam Busters, authors, playwrights, musicians, movie and TV personalities – Boris Karloff and leaders in the culinary arts, not to mention the many national leaders in sports. Several world speed records claim local associations. Uppinghamian, Donald Campbell, won the world land and water speed records. Oakhamian Capt. Everett led the flotilla that sank the German battleship Graf Spee at the outset of WW11.

Rutland can claim world records of her own, Jeffrey Hudson, the smallest person. The world record for steam trains 1939, a record that still holds. Seaton boasts the longest arched viaduct in Britain, which celebrated its 125^th anniversary in 2005. Ruddles ‘County’ Ale won the prize as the best beer in Europe  and not forgetting the world’s first English dictionary by Oakham’s schoolmaster Robert Cawdrey (1604).