Page 27 | 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.

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.

🤯

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/

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.

GrimDamnFanjo · 14/03/2023 18:30

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

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.

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/

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.

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

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.

GarlicGrace · 15/03/2023 02:27

There are no tigers in Africa - Just checked this! Blow me, I had no idea.
Up yours, Livingstone!

AndTheSurveySays · 15/03/2023 02:32

David livingstone was attacked by a lion, not a tiger.

sashh · 15/03/2023 02:44

AndTheSurveySays · 15/03/2023 02:32

David livingstone was attacked by a lion, not a tiger.

It might have looked like a lion but how do we know it wasn't identifying as a tiger? It might have been ahead of the game.

GarlicGrace · 15/03/2023 03:43

sashh · 15/03/2023 02:44

It might have looked like a lion but how do we know it wasn't identifying as a tiger? It might have been ahead of the game.

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😂😂😂

Podgedodge · 15/03/2023 09:14

David Livingstone was attacked by a lion and probably died from severe haemorrhoids. Probably not the most fitting memorial, but that’s life I suppose.

MissBattleaxe · 15/03/2023 12:03

@Podgedodge David Livingstone was attacked by a lion and probably died from severe haemorrhoids. Probably not the most fitting memorial, but that’s life I suppose. I can't think of a worse way to die!! Ouch!!

DailyMaui · 15/03/2023 14:45

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.

My friend's parents both come from St Helena. And they met here in the UK.

Needmorelego · 15/03/2023 15:00

@DailyMaui I vaguely remember seeing on Newsround many moons ago (well I am guessing 90s?)that St Helena got TV for the first time and they were going to follow the effects of how TV was on children as they grew older.
I am curious how that went.... might have to Google that one.

Misunderestimated · 15/03/2023 20:49

MissBattleaxe · 15/03/2023 12:03

@Podgedodge David Livingstone was attacked by a lion and probably died from severe haemorrhoids. Probably not the most fitting memorial, but that’s life I suppose. I can't think of a worse way to die!! Ouch!!

Bugger!

Peverellshire · 15/03/2023 23:24

www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/swiss-ring-watch-003312 modern, Swiss watch found in ancient, Chinese tomb.

wwar1.blogspot.com Harry Lamin's story told in 'WW1' real time with postcards as received by family - did he survive?

english.newsnationtv.com/offbeat/news/taured-mystery-the-man-who-vanished-253965.html The man who vanished who came from 'Taured' the country no one knew.

Needhelp101 · 16/03/2023 00:38

What a thread! Is it in Classics yet?

For those who are interested in post WW2 London, Sarah Waters' The Night Watch is a fab read. Obviously it's fiction but it's a fascinating look at what it was like after the war. Also it's written 'backwards' which is interesting.

Emotionalsupportviper · 16/03/2023 09:34

Biilie82 · 10/03/2023 18:42

The best thing I found was programming myself to look for my hands in my dream or touch my head.
One reason for that is that if you specifically have decided to do something once you're dreaming, and you do, you're likely to remember. Decide to do one of these things every night before you go to sleep, then once your brain makes the link you can recognise that you are dreaming and take control of it.
Hope that makes sense, it’s hard to explain but it sounds like you are predisposed to be able to do it and hopefully you can build this up!

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I shall try that.

I've experienced lucid dreams but never been able to programme myself to have one.

Emotionalsupportviper · 16/03/2023 09:35

Needhelp101 · 16/03/2023 00:38

What a thread! Is it in Classics yet?

For those who are interested in post WW2 London, Sarah Waters' The Night Watch is a fab read. Obviously it's fiction but it's a fascinating look at what it was like after the war. Also it's written 'backwards' which is interesting.

This is the best thread I've ever read - I've learned so much and found so many interesting things to read about.

Emotionalsupportviper · 16/03/2023 09:37

sashh · 11/03/2023 03:27

Another, "I'm not a monster" fan here.

I watched a fascinating thing on YouTube about 'agent Garbo'.

A Spanish couple in WWII volunteered to spy for Britain, they were told 'no' so they set up a domestic spy ring to be double agents.

They moved to Portugal and contacted the Germans, saying they were in Britain and pro Nazi.

The husband (Juan Pujol García) used train time tables, British newspapers and radio to create fictitious 'intelligence', he told the Germans he had a contact who was flight crew flying between London and Lisbon to account for the Portuguese post mark / stamps.

The British took notice when the German's tried to find a fleet of ships Garbo had made up.

So he became a double agent and moved to Britain, he also 'ran' about 30 other agents, all fictitious.

He even had an agent become ill, die, have an obituary in the paper and then a pension paid to the non existent widow.

He even had an agent become ill, die, have an obituary in the paper and then a pension paid to the non existent widow.

Shades of Shadwell and the Witchfinder Army! 😂

Emotionalsupportviper · 16/03/2023 09:52

SinnerBoy · 11/03/2023 17:00

Needmorelego · Today 08:22

have you seen the musical Six about the 6 wives? Really clever way of telling their stories.

There's a band called Blyth Power and they had an album called "Out From Under The King." There's a song called Katherine's Will, about Catherine Parr and how she won by outliving him.

Go to 8 minutes 25 and you can see the lyrics, not sure when the actual song starts!

Yes - she was fortunate.

After Henry's death it came to light that he was looking at getting rid of her, too, and had been exploring his options for some time. She was probably days away from the axe.

Emotionalsupportviper · 16/03/2023 10:07

OldFan · 11/03/2023 23:16

@ElizabethBest I haven't seen the film you mentioned about castrati, will track it down, thanks.

Nowadays it's easy to self publish stuff, I've published a couple of things through Lulu and was impressed with the quality. Then you can pay to get a thingy number and also sell them on Amazon if you like (I didn't do that but have a friend who did.) There's no initial outlay for Lulu.

If we're talking grizzly stuff, it haunts me about Captain Oates. I mean, his last line was haunting. And his fellow climbers must've known he wasn't coming back, I suppose. I decided on that. Before that I used to imagine what it'd been like for them to eventually decide to leave without him. 😧I could've just looked that up apparently, that they knew, but it was so gory I didn't want to know any more about it.

Of course, a lot of people are fascinated by anything WW2 , holocaust, nazis, hitler etc. It is fascinating as it's so relatively near us in time but so different and gruesome. My dad will read or watch anything about that.

I have a great interest in the Holocaust and the psychology of Nazi Germany - and indeed of Europe at the time.

I've read and watched some dreadful stuff - but I can honestly say that the worst cruelties I've ever read about were perpetrated during the Russian Revolution, and then later by Stalin. I physically could not read some of them, they were so sickening, and God knows there is plenty of competition.

The Holocaust will always be unique in the annals of horror, but Stalin's purges, and the Holodomor (the deliberate murder by starvation of millions of people, particularly Unkrainians, in the early 1930s) is also heartbreaking reading. It explains much, too, about the determination of Ukraine never again to be ruled by Russia.