Great minds my friend…
There is one day during 1945 that I will never forget, even though I was only 5 at the time.
VE day following the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, Tuesday 8th May 1945. . . may those days of conflict never be revistied.
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You’ll not see those days again LongDriver, because no bugger will fight for the country next time. (a few in the far right might be able to cobble together some resistance but you can forget about the lefty wuss’s)
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The horrendous earthquake in November 1980 in our areas is one piece of news that comes to mind and before that in 1977, the death of Elvis Presley.
Oh, and just as I’m writing, I’ve just remembered the tragic story of little Lester Chapman which I’ve just looked up, it happened in 1978. I remember our teacher talking about this to us at primary school. 
The only major news story I remember is Vietnam. There was a point towards the end of the war that it was constantly on the news in the UK. None of it made any sense to me then.
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I remember when Ruth Ellis was hanged in 1955, it was reported on the radio and really affected me, I was 9 years old and still remember it clearly.
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Me too, I was reminded of it by this recent news
King Charles 111 granted a posthumous conditional pardon to Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom
on July 8th 2026
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Now you mention it Annie the Vietnam situation went way over my head. I vaguely remember asking my dad quite sincerely why those people were throwing their medals away?
I think his his answer was along the lines of that medals won’t bring your legs back…
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To be quite honest, I must have taken less notice of the news than I do now because there is nothing that sticks in my mind until I was 51 and the Twin Towers incident.
When I read about some of the events that took place during my life from posters, I remember them happening but couldn’t tell you where I was when they happened, or even remembered them if I hadn’t seen a recent reference to them.
Probably didn’t make much of an impact, just the world doing what the world does.
I think the reason why i remember the early major world events, especially the assassination of JFK when i was only 6 years old, is because of the reaction of my family around me at the time.
Being so young, i obviously picked up from them how serious it was.
Mum and Dad were out at work most of the time and we didn’t have a telly until later.
News in those days wasn’t 24 hour rolling news channels, just the odd few words on limited news broadcasts on the radio. Even news on the telly amounted to just ten minutes a couple of times a day. Very low key…
I think I had music on most of the time in the sixties and seventies.
Surprising just how much i remember about that day.
It must have been early evening when the news came through about the assassination.
As a 6 year old i was likely watching a kiddies programme on TV while mum was cooking our tea in the kitchen.
Dad was still working, my brother trying to teach himself guitar in his bedroom, and my sister was at her friends house.
Very clear memory of that day in 1963.
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Disasters. I have known a number of disasters in my life time from Aberfan to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Maybe it’s my morbid curiosity.
I didn’t learn the history until much later, even later than the Paul Hardcastle song. A tragic and senseless war.
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Surely you remember when Elvis died or John Lennon?
Very much so! 
I think someone mentioned it at work Annie.
Neither made a lasing impression.
Might has discussed it around the canteen table, then back to work…
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Not the first headline I can remember by anymeans but I think I was a tad shocked by this at the age of eleven. We didn’t get the Mirror but I’m pretty sure it was on the front page of most of the papers.
I think it was all of the hoopla about JF Kennedy running for president, being so very young, his older running mate, and Jackie being so pretty.
Perhaps that is why I have listened to news daily, reading newspapers, radio, and paying attention to what’s going on in the world. Almost always was into politics as soon as I could vote.
Yes Nazi Germany, Tuesday 8th May 1945 surrendered, but I now the real reason why.
so let me tell you.
I was born in March that year and it seems I was so ugly as a baby my photo was in every newspaper.
Churchill was PM back then and saw my picture in his newspaper. He immediately ordered thousands of copies to be printed. Next a bomber was designated to fly over Germany and release all those pictures.
One copy reached Hitler and with just one glance at the photo decided invading the UK was not a good idea, as he didn’t want German women to cross mate with new born babies later on in life . So the best he could do was surrender
And that dear members is the true story of how I won the war for the UK
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