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Well that was me, Royal Iris, on the river Mercy beat n’ with the band, that was me Paul McCartney, That Was Me, 2007 Few people who pass by what’s left of the MV Royal Iris in Woolwich realise the important role the boat played in the cultural history of Britain and the world. The ship has been moored by the Thames Flood Barrier since 2002, seemingly left to rot. But for most of the preceding fifty years she was at the centre of cultural life in Liverpool and played an important role in the development of the Merseybeat scene and the emergence of the Beatles.Read More →

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British parliamentary democracy has experienced a bit of a reputational downturn recently, but it’s still known around the world as the ‘mother of Parliaments’. One of the most iconic parts of British democracy is Prime Ministers Question Time (PMQs). PMQs is a weekly opportunity for the Leader of the Opposition, and MPs from across political parties, to directly field questions to the Prime Minister. Odd Days Out has been to investigate how you can join in before the entire thing collapses in on itself. History of PMQs Like many aspects of British Democracy, PMQs is the result of an informal precedent only very recently acquiringRead More →

Rampion offshore wind farm

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Any day-tripper to the Brighton coast can’t fail to notice the horizon’s newest edition – eight miles out in the channel, the colossal wind turbines of the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm stoically face the shoreline. Since 2017, the 27 square mile wind farm has been supplying the national grid and now the public can hop on a boat for a close up tour. (See details below for how to book a visit.) The Wind Farm My trip out from Brighton Marina to the wind farm took close to an hour, all the while battling the currents and wind. Slowly but surely, the true stature ofRead More →

diagon alley

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ODO has been to visit two locations used in the Harry Potter films for the famous street of Diagon Alley.  Or perhaps not. Both Leadenhall Market and Goodwin’s Court feature heavily in the plethora of Harry Potter walking tours around London. Yet only Leadenhall Market is actually in the film.  Goodwin Court is included in the walks on an unsubstantiated theory that it was the original ‘inspiration’ behind Diagon Alley. What is Diagon Alley? For the few people who are still unaware of the Potter phenomenon, the central theme is that, unknown to most of us, there is a secret ‘otherworld’ where wizards use magic toRead More →