tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72303781509114267222024-03-05T05:40:55.140+00:00Grace Filby's Pigeon PostSecret messages from south east England about history, geography, health and wellbeing, scandals, World War and much moreElizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-31036726569943406392015-10-16T10:27:00.001+01:002015-10-16T10:29:25.931+01:00That Nazi gold train - just a thoughtNo doubt it will cost a lot of money to dig down 8-10 metres to find the train in Poland, and it might take a lot of legal wrangling to get the job done to everyone's satisfaction.
But photographs on Facebook show that, on the surface there are ventilation shafts. Surely someone could use some high tech system or even low tech system, to suspend a camera on a wire - like keyhole surgery? How Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-15530559234328456542015-10-15T16:54:00.001+01:002015-10-16T10:09:56.229+01:00Poland's Nazi Gold Train
This August, whilst preparing for my short talk in Wroclaw, Poland, to my delight there was exciting topical news all over the international press. It was that Nazi gold train hidden in a tunnel in nearby Walbrzych, ever since 1945, having been stuffed with loot from Wroclaw's bank vaults and spirited away. I should say the old German name, Breslau because it was part of Germany in those days -Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-11727903273776837292015-09-11T11:52:00.002+01:002015-10-15T20:41:19.977+01:00Quilts
Lots of new babies recently! Here are some of the quilts I've made. Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-79919711165561683862015-08-18T13:37:00.000+01:002015-08-18T14:19:46.668+01:00The story of FW Twort FRS travels to PolandBack in 2008 I discovered in the Wellcome Trust archives that the famous expert microbiologist and discoverer of bacteriophages, Frederick W Twort was actually born and bred here in Surrey, and I could contact his only son and biographer, Dr Antony Twort.
It was a pleasure to invite Antony to tea. He already knew the way to Reigate because he had regularly driven himself to the Bourne Gallery Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-73118649421351330682015-04-03T11:24:00.000+01:002015-04-03T11:28:42.146+01:00Reigate woman meets the Queen - picture<!--[if !mso]>
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Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-75824376880232121172011-11-27T09:41:00.007+00:002015-04-03T09:24:45.018+01:00Monty's birthday bash in Redhill
17th November was a special date in the calendar for my Churchill's Secret Reigate talk at St.Paul's, Redhill - the event also attracted several volunteer stewards from Chartwell.
This time I started off with topical news - firstly a letter from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council thanking me for my street name suggestions, and to confirm that the new residential road off Linkfield Lane willElizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-40236063087492392582011-06-09T08:35:00.006+01:002011-06-09T17:00:48.861+01:00Reigate Cave Mystery - Lost stoneHave you seen this stone? Missing since 1st June 2011, last seen in Barons Caves, Reigate. There is a long tradition of guides explaining for visitors that it was used in medieval times as a way of summoning service from the castle servants upstairs.Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-23836680302919414522011-04-17T10:00:00.004+01:002011-04-17T10:35:44.776+01:00Whodunnit?Strolling through our Priory Park on Friday, I noticed that the neat lollipop-style bay trees were not looking too healthy any more. Of seven trees, several now have dead, brown leaves and at least one is denuded of its lower bark. Stopping to chat to my park keeper friend who was carefully tending the herbaceous borders in Monks Walk, I just mentioned this and to my horror, he told me what has Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-55119267281671510882011-04-05T12:17:00.006+01:002015-04-03T09:27:58.803+01:00In the comfort of Reigate Priory - problem solvedUpdate March 2015 - the problem of Reigate Priory's leaking roof is solved and all is well. Original post in 2011: While the spring sun shines and the cherry trees blossom beautifully, it is easy to forget the bitterly cold weather of three months ago, but not the damage that it did to roofs, gutters and roads across the country.
Sadly our town's magnificent historic Grade 1 listed building, Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-62437285039025569072011-03-17T08:12:00.017+00:002015-04-03T09:05:32.750+01:00Bath Bomb chemistry from Epsom, Surrey Pure and simple: sodium bicarbonate and magnesium sulphate - with optional extras
With people needing simple solutions to help themselves get rid of 'nasties' like bugs or poisonous metals, what could be lovelier than to remember those times when Grandma scooped a handful of sweet-smelling glittery crystals into the bathwater and swished them around.You can create your own personal health Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-8491389769507842042011-03-16T13:37:00.007+00:002015-04-03T09:15:05.212+01:00St Pauls, Dorking
I was invited to give a talk to the Monday group at St Paul's Church, Dorking during Science and Engineering Week 2011.
The centrepiece was my patchwork quilt comforter which I designed to commemorate 70 years since WSC became Prime Minister, and the Battle of Britain. Naturally it didn't reveal any of the engineering masterpieces that had been constructed underground, e.g. at Deepdene, so Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-91932997763727653002011-02-10T12:42:00.015+00:002015-04-03T10:20:42.284+01:00Surrey PCT legal boilerplate meltdown
Surrey Primary Care Trust replied under the Freedom of Information Act today. http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/hpv_vaccine_untrue_safety_claimsWatch out - before even opening the file there is a long load of legalese lingo - here's one paragraph:
Please note that the information provided is the property of Surrey PCT and subject to Intellectual Property and Database Rights. Any Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-65844742331594457922011-02-05T11:37:00.008+00:002011-02-10T08:20:13.387+00:00Pigeon Post's WW2 pigeon homework..There is nothing better for cheering me up after a truly awful week than a stroke of luck - or was it merely a coincidence? The reason I called this blog Pigeon Post is that during World War 2, a prize-winning pigeon loft at 18 Doods Road, Reigate was commandeered for the war effort. Reigate was the Battle HQ for South Eastern Command, headed by the military VIP, General Montgomery. For my Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-49457676380872561102010-12-29T15:12:00.002+00:002011-01-03T14:11:56.548+00:00"Opportunity missed"For all the publicity about the renovation of Reigate Priory Park through Heritage Lottery Funding of £4.2 million plus more millions from local businesses, I have always maintained that a DVD would be an ideal way of recording the process and the outcome.So it was a great treat this Christmas to see the new DVD sponsored by the Borough Council and Legal & General. It features some key historicalElizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-8924471097407975812010-12-04T16:53:00.006+00:002010-12-05T16:12:14.287+00:00Castle cottagesThere is some good news from my Lib Dem councillor Graham Norman about one of my heritage concerns locally - the boarded up cottages in Reigate's Castle Grounds are for sale!Yes, it will be good to have them occupied again and one trusts fully restored in keeping with their age and location.If they decided to put them on the market as a result of my raising the subject then I am very glad I did -Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-86156602404339988202010-12-04T16:14:00.008+00:002010-12-04T16:50:48.132+00:00Letters to the Editor archivesNow that the local paper has moved offices out of Reigate to Redhill, there is no space for the archives. They have all had to go to somewhere in Brentwood/ford, I hear.So for posterity, here are two of the letters published in October 2008, one by a colleague and the other from me. Well, if only more people had read them at the time, such as our MP Crispin Blunt who lives in London, not his Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-67147686296323292802010-11-19T07:37:00.014+00:002010-11-19T10:30:14.695+00:00Who tore the guts out of the Nazi forces?(1) Lifesaving phage medicine as used for Red Army troops to fight infections throughout WW2 and the Cold War (2) This Soviet medal was for meritorious service in WW2 - in Russian, "We have won"Back in August I was at the Cabinet War Rooms special tea party where I had a most delightful conversation with Mr Hugh Lunghi. He had previously told me about his experiences of being the official Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-88552474651732614742010-11-03T12:32:00.012+00:002010-11-05T07:58:40.131+00:00J Arthur RankHave you ever wondered what to write in an autograph book? Well, this is what J Arthur Rank wrote on 4th February 1923, here in his home town for a neighbour's boy, Eric Hurst of Edes Fields, Park Lane. I had the great honour of showing it to the two audiences of my lecture, Churchill's Secret Reigate.Pray about everythingAlways expect somethingBe thankful for anythingGrumble about nothing.J. Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-81496816929978986032010-10-24T15:31:00.005+01:002010-10-24T16:36:23.570+01:00'Urban Open Land' oasis to be closedDearie me, I hear that the beautiful natural oasis to the east of 'the Priory' pub in Bell Street, Reigate is under threat again from our Borough Council.Our planning officers are insisting that it should be left unmowed, fenced off - and unvisited! This is despite the fact that the landlords pay up to £400 per month in rent to the Godfrey Searle Choir Trust, clearly adding much needed support toElizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-81340482488169483282010-10-18T13:26:00.009+01:002010-10-18T18:03:26.379+01:00New street name suggestionsFor many years my mother Audrey Ward was invited by groups and schools to give local history talks, and far and away the most popular were the ones about street names! We still have the card index, boxes of slides and lecture files, amended each time to satisfy the curiosity of residents of different parts of the borough. Sometimes my father or I went along too, to operate the slide projector andElizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-90775659977740132102010-10-12T07:18:00.013+01:002011-01-04T11:46:15.752+00:00Bad news - Reigate in the ITN health archivesWith so much rich history, a healthy environment and magnificent views over many counties, Reigate's residents have much to be thankful for. Over the centuries, it has been the scene of various battles, on land and in the air. Even cannonballs have been found in the Priory park, possibly from when a local Lord mounted cannon to frighten the rightful young female owner away. Like mine, her name Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-45112138229576929632010-10-10T11:16:00.010+01:002010-10-12T16:43:50.234+01:00A quilted comforter to commemorate the Battle of Britain 1940Yes, it may be a strange thing to do, but I had never made a patchwork quilt before, and I figured it would be a pleasant pastime to combine the fabric colours and prints into a padded picture to mark a remarkable wartime achievement 70 years ago, in August-December1940.A few of my squares are now printed with photos of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, army General Montgomery, my Luftwaffe Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-66761928742774384462010-07-25T17:13:00.013+01:002010-07-25T18:57:44.858+01:00A curiosity - school fire escapes made of wood44 years ago this summer, there was a tragedy waiting to happen in a village in Wales, because nothing had been done about an overloaded slag heap and a water main in a disused canal. It was only a matter of time - actually by October of 1966, when a third factor - so much rain - created a disaster at Aberfan."Tip No 7...slipped and descended upon part of the village killing 116 children and 29 Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-43107209418204745312010-06-07T16:00:00.015+01:002010-06-07T20:35:40.084+01:00The children buried at Reigate PrioryMemorable features in the Priory grounds are the tiny graves for some cherished pet dogs that belonged to Lady Henry Somerset's grandchildren.Now we know from archaeological evidence that some children are buried in the grounds of Reigate Priory, too - since, after all, it was consecrated ground. A colour leaflet about the archaeology includes a photograph of two skeletons, with the following Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7230378150911426722.post-36074201009655462632010-05-30T06:59:00.017+01:002010-12-02T07:16:09.352+00:00Lady Henry Somerset's story - and a society scandalThe most famous female owner of Reigate Prioryis Lady Henry Somerset, and her name is associated locally with the restoration of some Victorian garden features in Priory Park. Numerous roads in Reigate and Redhill commemorate her family names and properties; various buildings were constructed or altered on her instructions. Her cottage dower-house, now known as Makepeace, was built right beside Elizabeth Grace Filbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102153203976807876noreply@blogger.com0