Page 6 | Things that are utterly bloody fascinating

ElizabethBest · 2023-03-06T14:24:28+00:00

Let's hear it please - I love a good wikipedia rabbit hole. I'll start - [[https://www.willardsuitcases.com/ The Willard Suitcases]]. Over 400 suitcases of possessions were found in an attic at the Willard Insane Asylum belong to patients who had died whilst inpatients so never left. The New York State Museum started a project to document the cases and their contents, and you can learn all about it and see the cases on their website.

SkaterGrrrrl · 14/03/2023 23:23

awaynboilyurheid · 07/03/2023 08:21

The life of David Livingstone and his wife, is the most fantastic story, it would make a fantastic film.
He was born in a wee town in Scotland not from a wealthy family, yet was driven to go to Africa ( to spread Christianity) but really he preferred exploring, and used this as a pretext of funding his trips.
He tried again and again to find the source of the river Nile, was attacked by a tiger but his tweed jacket( unbelievable in the African climate) saved him as it’s teeth caught on it, although his arm was damaged.
His wife following on, giving birth to many children at the same time! This woman alone deserves a film.
When he died the African men who explored huge areas of Africa with, carried him hundreds of miles, risking their own lives as carrying dead bodies through villages was not allowed and punishable by death. They returned his body to a ship bound for Britain as a tribute to him allow him to be buried at home. They must have thought highly of him to attempt this feat,
No fancy equipment, no malaria tablets, no comforts of any kind in blistering heat covering hundreds and hundreds of miles on foot! This is a fascinating story as I’ve zero idea how anyone could do all this.

There are no tigers on Africa.

Britinme · 14/03/2023 22:36

The Rabbit Hole Detectives sounds good - maybe a bit like the brilliant No Such Thing As A Fish. www.nosuchthingasafish.com

ComeTheFckOnBridget · 14/03/2023 21:15

AlecTrevelyan006 · 14/03/2023 19:13

without wanting to make the thread too political - it's incredible that the govt of post-war Britain despite being in far more debt than the current one, launched the National Health Service, revolutionised secondary education for all and embarked upon the a huge scale of progamme of house building never seen before or since.

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Possibly the greatest government we've ever had.

Fluffymule · 14/03/2023 20:10

I've just started listening to a new podcast called 'The Rabbit Hole Detectives' that chimes very well with this thread.

"Have you ever briefly looked something up and found yourself interested to the point of distraction, passing into some realm that, once entered, is extremely hard to get out of? It might be Japan or tennis or Spanish enclaves or Peppa Pig or tax law or Alfred Hitchcock, but the more you look, the further down the Rabbit Hole you go……..if so, you’ve come to the right place.

Welcome to The Rabbit Hole Detectives, a podcast where Dr Cat Jarman, Richard Coles, and Charles Spencer chase the provenance of historical objects both real and metaphorical.Each episode they set one another the task of finding out as much as they can about a particular subject to present a comprehensive understanding of the origin stories of……stuff.

Forensically researched, beautifully observed, and using vast historical knowledge, each episode of The Rabbit Hole Detectives leans in to intelligent conversation and personal anecdote to leave you the listener, extremely distracted.After all, everything has a history. It just depends on how far down the rabbit hole you’re prepared to go."

Link to their IG for more details for those who may be interested - www.instagram.com/p/CpiARZugcL3/

AlecTrevelyan006 · 14/03/2023 19:13

Almahart · 08/03/2023 19:10

@DailyMaui that's incredible. Not as interesting but another general chaos story, my great aunt lost her fiance in Singapore and there is some story about how she set off to look for him after the war and came back married to someone else.

I also really want to know more about post war London, where people lived and how it all got rebuilt, London in the fifties fascinates me too.

without wanting to make the thread too political - it's incredible that the govt of post-war Britain despite being in far more debt than the current one, launched the National Health Service, revolutionised secondary education for all and embarked upon the a huge scale of progamme of house building never seen before or since.

GrimDamnFanjo · 14/03/2023 18:30

This is an amazing list.
I like to research cryptozoology lists.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 14/03/2023 18:08

I am mildly obsessed by the island of St Helena. It’s just weird that there’s this small island with such a tiny population of about 4,000 Brits in the middle of nowhere. It’s not even a particularly pretty island.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 14/03/2023 18:04

Re Henry VIII - the king was distantly related to all six of them by descent from Edward I.

tudorqueen6.com/2013/05/03/the-hampton-court-pedigrees-the-six-wives-of-henry-viii/

SunshineAndFizz · 14/03/2023 18:04

Kate0902900908 · 07/03/2023 00:02

I found out 2 years ago I am a human fusion chimera. I absorbed the cells of my non identical twin in early pregnancy and have twos sets of DNA. I have two completely separate sets of reproductive organs including 4 ovaries. 2 mine 2 my female twin. Twins are the only ones working.

I keep loosing babies because I have a rare blood type and she wouldn’t have had so my body has aborted 4 babies in a row as technically they are completely foreign bodies. Heart just stops.

I have various other signs autoimmune conditions and organs in different places and a heart shaped pancreas.

All a bit strange.

🤯

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 14/03/2023 17:56

It has the Pomone! (This will mean nothing to most of you, but it's very exciting for me.)

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 14/03/2023 17:33

Oh wow - that's a massive rabbit hole you've just thrown me down, Squeaky. If nobody's heard from me by next month, send a search party. Or snacks.

SqueakyDinosaur · 14/03/2023 15:47

I find this absolutely fascinating www.prizepapers.de/the-project/the-prize-papers-collection

It's a joint project between the UK National Archives and a German university to digitise and analyse this treasure trove - the ship's records for every ship captured by UK naval forces between 1652 and 1817 - around 35,000 of them.

NeedWineNow · 14/03/2023 15:23

Brahumbug · 12/03/2023 05:50

The last US civil war widow, only died in 2020 and was still getting the civil war pension.

@Brahumbug that is amazing! I've just now looked the lady up on the back of your post. What a fascinating story!

This is the kind of thread I love. No nasty remarks, or trolls, just fascinating interesting stories full of new things to discover. Thank you everyone for sharing.

NeedWineNow · 14/03/2023 15:12

Excellent thanks @Hotmess1 !

Hotmess1 · 14/03/2023 11:02

NeedWineNow · 08/03/2023 13:48

I've got that on my Kindle ready for my holiday. Glad to hear it's worth reading. I've always quite fancied doing one of the Ripper walks. Has anyone done one?

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@BabyTa I haven’t read the full thread yet so apologies if this has already been suggested but if you can’t get to do the actual tour this live streamed version on you tube was great!!

OldFan · 14/03/2023 03:21

I'm currently into the life of Lonnie Frisbee. There's a film The Jesus Revolution out but from what I've heard it leaves a lot of relevant and interesting content out.

He was a leading evangelical Christian hippy but also was gay/bi and died of AIDS in his early 40s.

I'm not a fan of his for various reasons but it's an interesting story.

Bunchamunchacarrots · 13/03/2023 22:12

catfunk · 06/03/2023 23:26

The gut brain link and new research on the microbiome. It's fascinating and will be changing a lot of healthcare.....

I love reading about this too and wish I'd taken my education in this area further so I could better understand. I'm especially interested in some of the research around gut microbiome and autism.

UsefulSmartPrettyHappy · 13/03/2023 21:31

There is a documentary called The Family, that was made by the BBC in 1974.

It focuses on one family, and includes teen parenthood, a child who is the product of an affair, an unmarried couple living together, and also a young white teen, in a relationship with her boyfriend, who is mixed race.

The documentary series The Family (1974), is all on YouTube, and I found It interesting to watch. There is also a one off episode from 1984, on YouTube, which shows The Family 10 years later.

I just enjoyed watching it from a social history point of view.

Ellie474747 · 13/03/2023 20:14

ah I didn't realise he wasn't. I've just read He's a sociologist no wonder the archeologist are annoyed. However I do agree with what he says where academics do need to be more open to other possibilities, it's interesting as a lot of what we used to call pseudoscience is now being took seriously especially around consciousness and the mind. After all we will never truly know everything. So I think open mind is what's needed. For reference I have two science degree's so do get both perspectives.

Still it's an interesting watch.

GrandTheftWalrus · 13/03/2023 13:49

Lastleafonthetree · 12/03/2023 22:31

It's on Burnbank Road, not far from Equi's ice cream shop at Peacock Cross - there's still a plaque on the wall outside, I believe.

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Ah yes I remember now thanks.

Changedmymindtoday · 13/03/2023 13:48

TheVanguardSix · 12/03/2023 16:07

Changedmymindtoday Watch Aftershock on Netflix! It’s about the earthquake that hit Kathmandu in 2014 and the documentary focuses on the Everest climbers during/after the event (among others but the climbers are the main story).
Have tissues on the ready!
It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a while.
Where did you watch the Spencer Matthews documentary? I’m trying to find it.

@TheVanguardSix thanks so much. I’ll watch it this week. There are so many documentaries about it. I’ll just have to watch them all.

Sweetpea1532 · 13/03/2023 13:14

I have enjoyed two documentaries lately.
The first is THE POISON SQUAD. It is truly eye opening.... a heartbreaking account of the life of Dr. Harvey Wiley, a US governmental chemist in the late 1800s and early 1900's. I was actually shocked and embarrassed to find out how the US government and Congress allowed chemicals to be added to food way back in the late 1800's. I thought it was just a recent practice. Dr. Wiley dedicated his entire life to exposing the damages food additives caused to Americans. No one would listen...that is until he decided to get the Suffragettes involved in the early 1900's because milk supplies were being contaminated with chemicals so babies were suffering. Women to the rescue once again! You can watch it on YouTube.
THE MUSIC OF 007 is fascinating, especially if you enjoy music and/or all things JAMES BOND. You are in for a real treat! We watched it last night on Amazon Prime.

Embelline · 13/03/2023 07:36

@TheVanguardSix its on Disney+ I didn’t enjoy it tbh and I’m fascinated by Everest, I think it was quite uncomfortable to watch the way he and his team treated certain people he came
into contact with.

Almahart · 13/03/2023 07:10

TheVanguardSix · 12/03/2023 16:07

Changedmymindtoday Watch Aftershock on Netflix! It’s about the earthquake that hit Kathmandu in 2014 and the documentary focuses on the Everest climbers during/after the event (among others but the climbers are the main story).
Have tissues on the ready!
It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a while.
Where did you watch the Spencer Matthews documentary? I’m trying to find it.

Agree, this was an absolutely brilliant documentary

Lastleafonthetree · 12/03/2023 22:31

GrandTheftWalrus · 12/03/2023 17:02

Where in Hamilton is it? I used to live in Hamilton but can't for the life of me remember it lol.

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It's on Burnbank Road, not far from Equi's ice cream shop at Peacock Cross - there's still a plaque on the wall outside, I believe.