26 May: National Grey Day

Today is National Grey Day, so here are 10 things you might not know about the colour grey.

1. Or is it Gray Day? If you're in Europe or the Commonwealth, it's probably grey, whereas in America it's usually gray. The first recorded use of grey as a colour name in the English language was in AD 700.
2. In the Middle Ages, undyed wool was grey, meaning it was the colour most commonly worn by peasants. Hence it was adopted by monks and friars of the Franciscan and Capuchin orders because grey clothing symbolised humility and poverty. It's also the colour of ashes, so could also represent mourning and repentance.
3. Grey is a colour which is less visible from a distance. Hence it is a common colour for animals such as Wolves, Elephants and Mice.
4. For the same reason, grey has often been adopted by the military, especially since the age of long range weapons. The Confederate Army during the American Civil War and the German army during World War II are examples of grey uniforms. Warships are usually grey and there is a shade specifically known as "Battleship grey".
5. Rembrandt used grey a lot in his paintings. He mixed Black pigments with lead or lime White, adding a tiny bit of red to give they grey a warmer hue. He often placed his subjects on a grey background in order to highlight their faces. Whistler was another artist who often used grey.
6. Why are some clouds grey and others white and fluffy? The thicker a cloud is, the darker it becomes as sunlight cannot filter through. Hence, a cloud which is dark grey and stormy looking to a viewer on the ground will look white if you fly above it in an aeroplane.
7. Why do older people have grey hair? Hair follicles have cells attached to them called melanocytes, which inject melanin into the hair cells, giving them their colour. As a person ages, for reasons nobody really knows, the melanocytes inject less and less pigment and finally stop. This can happen as early as the 20s, or much later. Hence grey has come to represent older people and give rise to terms like "the grey pound", "the grey vote" and "grey power."
8. While grey could represent the wisdom and experience of age, it is more often associated with more negative things such as neutrality, conformity, boredom, uncertainty and indifference. Only 1% of people say grey is their favourite colour while 13% say it is their least favourite colour. Colour historian Eva Heller says of it: "grey is too weak to be considered masculine, but too menacing to be considered a feminine color. It is neither warm nor cold, neither material or spiritual. With grey, nothing seems to be decided." Something that is neither good nor bad may be described as a "grey area". This is probably why very few political parties choose grey as their colour. An exception is the German Grey Panthers.
9. On a TV or computer screen, white is made by combining Red, Green, and Blue light combined at full intensity. Lowering the intensity creates grey. As the human eye can detect the merest hint of colour, most shades of grey have a warm or cool cast to them.
10. Wearing grey suits to work became popular in the mid 19th century and in the 20th century became even more ubiquitous as film stars and politicians started wearing them. Lyndon Johnson was the first US President to be inaugurated wearing a grey business suit in 1965. More recently, however, dark blue is taking over as the most popular colour for business suits.

Closing the Circle

A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.

Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader. 

Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.

The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.

Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.

Available from:

Amazon (Paperback)

Amazon Kindle

Completes The Raiders Trilogy. 

Other books in the series:

Book One

Book Two