Occulomency

BRMC Member No. 7

41 years ago today Donald Campbell lost his life in an attempt to break the world water speed record. Ken Norris, one of the Bluebird's designers, claimed that the accident was caused by engine failure.

One safeguard against Bluebird's nose lifting dangerously high was the thrust from the jet engine, which helped counter the lift. However, the thrust dramatically reduced in the seconds before the crash, causing the craft's nose to rise further.

He reached an unofficial speed of 330mph before throttling back the engine to slow down. As speed decreased Bluebird suddenly lifted up, nose first, rose into the air and somersaulted, before sinking. Norris said: "On the first run it was beautiful, absolutely steady. On the return run we had to contend with the wash from the boat itself, the slight swell and the wake from the water brake which he had used to slow down on the first run.

Campbell had tried to use the boat's water brake, a hydraulic ram that extended six inches below the craft when activated, however by the time the water brake was fully activated Bluebird had already become airborne, rendering it useless.

The answer to Cam's latin question is 'The Picard'. Loved the Mintakans....

Happy Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord*

Well, that was a fun packed year wasn't it? No one is more alive than I to the need to buttress the forces of virtue against the unprincipled elements of the jungle.

And today, as Paul Hewson said, all is quiet. Trouble is, how do we define New Year's Day? My favourite reference for January 1st is the above.

Now, the ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and started the year on 1 March, (which is why some the names of some months which derive from the Latin).

Anyways, in the seventh or eighth century, some bright spark added January and February, which is a bugger really as they are either too hot or too cold depending on where you are reading this from (I guarantee that you will not be comfortable outside, whichever).

In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, dropping the leap month that Numa Pompillus had added (Intercalaris). But 1 March continued to be the first day of the new year.

In the Middle Ages, significant Roman Catholic Holy days came to be used as the beginning of the year. Christmas Day (13th Century), Annunciation Day (25th March) up 'til 1752 when the Greater Britain adopted Circumcision Style (I'm really not kidding, it's what the Catholic Church called it) and January 1st became the day to have a hangover.

Happy new year to all of you. I hope to see you soon.

* In my case, Jeremy Clarkson.