8 November: Lord Lucan

Lord Lucan disappeared on this date in 1974. The 7^th Earl is famous for vanishing in 1974, after his children's nanny, Sandra Rivett, was bludgeoned to death in London, and his wife Veronica was also attacked. 10 things you might not know about him:

1. His given name was Richard John Bingham and he was 7th Earl of Lucan. He was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, the eldest son of George Bingham, 6th Earl of Lucan, and Kaitlin Dawson. The title, in the Peerage of Ireland, dates back to 1691. Some of his ancestors were quite notorious as well. George, 3rd Earl of Lucan, was one of the officers involved in the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade. The 4^th Earl was known as “The Exterminator” because of the number of evictions he made to his estate during the Potato famine in Ireland. It was said that he regarded his tenants as vermin to be cleared off his land.

2. He went to Eton, and it was there he developed a taste for gambling. He’d sneak out of school to place bets on Horses and did well enough to supplement his allowance. He opened a secret bank account in which to keep his winnings.

3. Later on he would earn the nickname “Lucky Lucan” thanks to his early success at gambling tables, although the nickname didn’t confer any guarantees. He once lost today’s equivalent of £90,000 in one evening. His best results came from games involving skill such as bridge or backgammon. He became not only the backgammon champion of the west coast of North America, but was listed as one of the best players in the world.

4. An average student, upon leaving school he served as an officer in the Coldstream Guards. After that, he worked for a bank in London.

5. James Bond creator Ian Fleming was a fellow member of the Clermont Club, and when Sean Connery left the franchise, Fleming suggested that the suave, handsome Lord Lucan would make an excellent Bond. Producer Albert Broccoli offered Lucan a screen test, but he declined. By coincidence, the man contracted to fly an autogyro with infrared cameras during the search for Lucan after he disappeared had previously worked on a James Bond film.

6. He met and married his wife, Veronica, in 1963. For their honeymoon, they travelled first class on the Orient Express, paid for by Lucan’s father. The couple had three children, Frances, George, and Camilla.

7. It wasn’t a happy marriage. Veronica suffered from post natal depression and was isolated and lonely as her husband spent all his time at Gentleman’s clubs and casinos. Veronica claimed he was violent, too: she said Lucan would hit her with a cane, vowing to “beat these mad ideas out” of her. The cane was wrapped in bandages to soften the blow. He suspected her of having an affair with one of his friends, tried to get her committed to a mental hospital, but doctors could find no evidence of mental illness. So he asked the doctors if she was sane enough to be left alone with the children, and when they said she was, he moved out. However, he was obsessed with getting custody of the kids and would spy on Veronica and try to get the succession of nannies to provide him with evidence to help his case.

8. On the night of the murder, Sandra Rivett (who was supposed to be on her night off but had switched in order to spend time with her boyfriend the previous evening) offered to make Veronica a cup of Coffee, but never returned. Veronica went to investigate and was attacked, according to her account, by her husband, who hit her over the head with a pipe. He said, “I’ve killed her. She came down first. If it had been you, you would have got it”. Veronica pretended to be willing to help him escape and tended his wounds, but managed to get out of the house and run to a nearby pub, screaming “Help me! My children...he’s murdered my nanny”! Police found Sandra’s body. She’d been killed by a fatal blow to the head and her body placed in a mailbag. Meanwhile, Lucan had legged it. He phoned his mother, but the police were with her, so he said he’d call back, but never did. He wrote a letter to a friend in which he described his version of events, which was that he’d past by the house and seen, through a window, an intruder attacking his wife. He’d gone in to intervene and the intruder had run away. He said the evidence against him was strong, and Veronica was paranoid and would say he “did it”, so he was going to lie low for a bit. He was never seen again. On February 3, 2016, a high court judge granted a death certificate to the family and his son inherited the title.

9. During the investigation investigators searched Lucan’s apartment and found a suit laid out on his bed beside a book about Greek shipping millionaires. His wallet, car keys, driver’s license and glasses were on the bedside table and his passport was in the drawer. His car was found abandoned in Newhaven. In the boot was a bandaged Lead pipe and a full bottle of vodka. It was claimed much later, by the Daily Mail in 2022, that the detective on the case had revealed that there were also three Cluedo cards: Colonel Mustard, Lead Pipe, and The Hall. Nice twist – but it was the Daily Mail so probably not true.

10. The mystery of what actually happened to Lord Lucan has remained in the public imagination ever since. Veronica’s theory was that he topped himself by jumping off the Newhaven ferry, although his body was never found. Many people have claimed to have spotted him in various places: driving a New York taxi, eating in Paris cafes, drinking in Irish pubs, in an ex-Nazi colony in Paraguay, working in a vineyard in the Rioja region of Spain, running a Sheep station in the Australian outback, backpacking on Mount Etna and working as a waiter in San Francisco. Some more bizarre claims include that he lived in India as a hippy called 'Jungle Barry'; that he was fed to the Tigers at a zoo in Kent; that he was held to ransom by the IRA, who shot him; that he’d been killed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who he’d hired as a hit man, and who wanted to cover it up. There is no evidence to support any of the sightings. That said, Sandra Rivett’s son has dedicated his life to tracking down his mother’s killer, and claimed he’d found him, living in a Buddhist commune in Brisbane. The old man in question denied being Lord Lucan, but when facial software recognition expert Professor Hassan Ugail compared photos of this man with Lucan, he said they were a perfect match.

Character birthday

Cat, aka Gemma Hagen, a minor celebrity in Innovia as a record breaking sprinter. She and her boyfriend, Kyle, an Ironball player, bought a luxury home on Bird Island to spend time in off-season. During the off-season period, they would enjoy a life of excess, taking drugs and drinking, before undergoing a punishing detox before returning to compete for another season.

When the call came for all Innovians to leave Bird Island, Gemma and Kyle were too drunk and stoned to respond. They were sucked through the wormhole caused by the nuclear test to Earth, where they teamed up with Earthguard.

Gemma obtained the power of regeneration from the wormhole, but Kyle was not so lucky. His body turned to organic sand. Although he survived, Gemma ended their relationship as she could not cope with his new appearance.

7 November: Watercress

In the French Revolutionary Calendar today is Cresson (Day of Watercress). 10 things you might not know about watercress:

1. The Latin name for watercress is Nasturtium officinale, which means “twisted nose”, because of its peppery taste.

2. It is a member of the Brassicaceae family which also includes Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Mustard, wasabi, and Horseradish.

3. In the wild, it grows near clear, fast flowing streams, and if not harvested can grow to a height of 50–120 cm.

4. In the United Kingdom, watercress was first commercially cultivated in 1808 by the horticulturist William Bradbery along the River Ebbsfleet in Kent.

5. Hampshire has been growing watercress since the mid 19th century with train loads taken up to London on what became known as The Watercress Line.

6. Charles Dickens’ wife, Catherine, was particularly fond of serving watercress alongside toasted Cheese.

7. In ancient Rome, it was consumed for medicinal reasons. Roman naturalist and philosopher Pliny the Elder credited this peppery plant with being an effective treatment for anxiety, coughs and intestinal worms. The Romans also believed that Watercress juice rubbed into a bald head could restore Hair growth.

8. Watercress is 95% Water and has low contents of carbohydrates, protein and fat, but is an excellent source of vitamin K and also contains significant amounts of vitamin A, Vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, Calcium, and manganese.

9. In medieval times, watercress was boiled in almond milk and served with cheese during Lent.

10. The world’s first Sandwich, invented and eaten by the Earl of Sandwich, contained cold roast beef and watercress.

Character birthday

Rainbow Sputum, a member of the gang of villainous punks known as the Demolition Squad. He suffered a number of unexplained illnesses in childhood which led to him being investigated by Unicorn. It was discovered his saliva contained exotic chemicals due to a genetic variance. His mother, relieved her son wasn't dying, took him home. He had no further contact with the Freedom League.

He became a rebellious teen and embraced punk culture, dying his hair different colours. He also discovered the saliva he produced caused unusual effects as well as varying in colour. He therefore attacks by spitting at people.

6 November: Leonard Name Day

In Poland, today is the name day for people called Leonard.

Leonard or Leo is an English masculine given name and a surname. The name has come to mean "Lion strength", "lion-strong", or "lion-hearted". 10 famous Leonards:

1. Saint Leonard of Noblac: A Saint in the Middle Ages. His intercession was credited with miracles for the release of prisoners, women in labour and the diseases of cattle.

2. Leonard of Port Maurice: Italian Franciscan preacher and ascetic writer.

3. Leonard Bernstein: American conductor, composer, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first American conductor to receive international acclaim.

4. Leonard Cohen: Canadian singer-songwriter. His songs include "Everybody Knows" and "Hallelujah"

5. Leonard "Lenny" Kravitz: American singer and songwriter. His hit singles include "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "American Woman".

6. Leonard Nimoy: American actor and film director, Mr Spock in Star Trek.

7. Leonard McCoy: The doctor in the original Star Trek series.

8. Leonard Rossiter: English actor, Mr Rigsby in Rising Damp.

9. Leonard Hofstadter: Character in The Big Bang Theory.

10. Leonard Cheshire: highly decorated Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot and group captain during the Second World War, and a philanthropist. After the war he founded a nursing home that grew into the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Character birthday

Electroman. Electroman's original life plan was to retire early and travel the world with his wife, Ginny. However, a few weeks after he retired, they had to cancel their world cruise because Ginny was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

After her death, his daughters persuaded him to take the cruise, but he hated every minute as most other passengers were couples, and he missed his wife.

He threw his energy into perfecting a suit of power armour which led to his being recruited by Combat Team Delta.

Electroman is older than most of his team mates – he is in his 60s, but is still in excellent health.

5 November: Alcock and Brown

This date in 1892 saw the birth of Sir John Alcock, who, with Sir Arthur Whitten-Brown, made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1919. Here are some facts about him and his flight:

1. Alcock was born in Manchester and Brown in Glasgow. Both of them served as pilots in the first world war and both were prisoners of war after their planes went down.

2. Before the war, in April 1913, the Daily Mail had offered a prize of £10,000 to “the aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight,” in less than 72 hours. The contest was put on hold, however, because of the war, so the historic flight didn’t happen until 14-15 June 1919.

3. Alcock and Brown’s plane was a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber with two Rolls-Royce Eagle 360 hp engines.

4. They weren’t the only people who attempted to earn the prize. However, while the other teams spent time conducting pre-flight tests, Alcock and Brown just went for it. Which was almost their undoing when they barely cleared the trees at the end of the runway.

5. The flight itself was plagued with bad weather: Fog (making sight navigation impossible), Snow, ice (meaning it was very cold in the open cockpit) and Rain; and technical hitches. Their wind-powered generator failed which meant no radio contact. They couldn’t even talk to each other as the aircraft’s exhaust pipe burst, creating a noise so loud it made conversation impossible and the intercom had also failed.

6. The flight from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland lasted 16 hours, at altitudes varying between sea level and 12,000 ft (3,700 m).

7. The landing didn’t go so well, either. They identified what looked like a suitable place to land, which turned out to be Derrigimlagh Bog, near the town of Clifden. Landing in a bog caused severe damage to the plane.

8. On board with them were two Cat mascots called Lucky Jim and Twinkletoes. They also carried a handwritten note from Alcock to his sister, which read: “My Dear Elsie, Just a hurried line before I start. This letter will travel with me in the official mail bag, the first mail to be carried over the Atlantic. Love to all, Your loving Brother, Jack.” The note was valued on Antiques Roadshow in 2017 at £1,000–£1,200.

9. They were presented with their prize by then-Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill, and a few days later they were knighted by King George V.

10. Sadly, John Alcock was killed on December 18, 1919 when he crashed in France on his way to the Paris Airshow. Arthur Brown died on October 4, 1948 at the age of 62.

Character birthday

Guy Fawkes, whose parents, Patrick and Sheila Fawkes, named him Guy, almost as a joke, when he was born on November 5th. He grew up fascinated by his namesake and by explosives and bombs of all kinds. His mother died of cancer which could possibly have been prevented; his father committed suicide after his free counselling sessions ended. Guy blamed health service cuts for the deaths of both his parents. This led to his desire to bring down the Government.

He gathered around him others with powers, who all had reason to want the Government to fall.

Their attempt to steal nuclear waste to use to build a bomb was foiled by the Freedom League. The story is told in Who’s That Girl?

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

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4 November: 308

Today is the 308^th day of the year. 10 fun facts about the number 308:

1. The Roman numeral for 308 is CCCVIII.

2. The Peugeot 308 is a small family car produced by French car manufacturer Peugeot. It launched in September 2007.

3. Staying with cars, Ferrari produce a number of 308 cars as well, including the Ferrari 308 GT4 and the Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS.

4. The year 308 was a leap year starting on Thursday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and (Galerius) Maximianus. In this year, Constantine raided the territory of the Bructeri and built a bridge across the Rhine at Cologne, and Pope Marcellus I succeeded Pope Marcellinus as the 30th pope.

5. London Bus route 308 runs between Woodbine Place, Wanstead and Lea Bridge Roundabout.

6. 308 Polyxo is a main-belt Asteroid discovered by A. Borrelly on March 31, 1891, in Marseilles.

7. The British Rail Class 308 alternating current electric multiple units were built by British Railways' Holgate Road carriage works between 1959 and 1961.

8. The A308 is a road in England in two parts. The first runs from Central London to Putney Bridge and the second from just beyond Putney Heath to Bisham, Berkshire. It traces four, roughly straight lines, to stay no more than 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Thames.

9. In Binary, it’s 100110100.

10. 308 angel number is a message from the spiritual realm urging you to trust your intuition. You are on the right path and your thoughts, feelings, and instincts are aligned with your life's purpose.

Character birthday

Spyda, a Romanian countess named Natasha Strabinski. For the first years of her life, Natasha lived in a remote castle in Transylvania with her father, the mysterious Count Strabinski. The pair were virtual recluses; no-one knows what became of Natasha's mother. The Gothic castle was viewed with suspicion by local people. When the Count died, Natasha lived in the castle alone. She had no servants and never visited the village, so speculation was rife about what she ate. The rumour that she became a bat and sucked blood was not far from the truth – she actually became a large spider which caught unsuspecting animals in a web. Inevitably, her appetite grew to include any small children who ventured into the castle grounds. In due course, angry villagers chased her away from her ancestral home. She sought sanctuary in England, at first with the Ultra League, having heard of Superwil and his medical facility for variants. She hoped he might be able to help her overcome her desire for human flesh. However, her desire to change was motivated by the desire to get her castle back rather than through remorse, so her course of treatment ultimately failed. She was caught trying to trap Skippi in a web, and was ordered to leave. Spyda lived on the streets for a while, living off rats and swearing to get revenge on Superwil for reducing her to this. She eventually turned to Captain Cricket, an old adversary of the Ultra League, who, on hearing her story, happily took her in as part of his insectoid alliance, The Swarm.

3 November: One World Trade Center

On this date in 2014 One World Trade Center in New York City opened. 10 things you might not know about this building:

1. It stands on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center and was previously known as The Freedom Tower. It is part of an effort to memorialize and rebuild following the destruction of the original World Trade Center complex.

2. It’s the tallest building in the USA, and indeed, in the Western Hemisphere. It stands at 1,776 feet, a direct reference to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. The building’s height without the spire is 1,362 feet, the height of the original South Tower, while its height with the observation deck is 1,368 feet, corresponding to the original North Tower’s height.

3. One World Trade Center was designed by David Childs.

4. Construction for the building started in 2006. On April 30, 2012, and on May 10, 2013, the last piece of the skyscraper's antenna was put in place.

5. It was designed to be the safest office building in the world, incorporating lessons learned from the destruction of the Twin Towers. The safety features include high-strength concrete, which can withstand seven times more pressure than standard concrete, reinforcement steel bars, which are significantly longer than normal, fireproofing and additional staircase for first responders.

6. It has 73 elevators including five express ones, which can travel at more than 36.5 kilometres per hour. While not the fastest in the world (Taipei 101 has that), they are 25% faster than those of the original Twin Towers.

7. There’s a tree planted nearby which survived the attack on 9/11. It is known as the “Survivor Tree.” It was recovered from the debris and re-planted.

8. The building has a cubic base and its edges form eight isosceles triangles. Near its middle, the tower forms a perfect octagon.

9. One World Trade has 103 floors, 71 of which are office space. Tenants include the U.S. General Service Administration and magazine publisher Condé Nast.

10. In September 2013, three BASE jumpers parachuted off the under-construction tower. The three men and one accomplice on the ground surrendered to authorities and received a fine and community service.

Character birthday

Darren Suggs, petty criminal, one of the pair who took in Basil Reynard (The Fox) and became his accomplices.

From A Jack To A King

A royal palace is burning. The King and Queen are dead. The only hopes for an ancient dynasty flee to England for their lives.

A boy runs from his mother and the people he believes want to mutilate him, and vanishes, seemingly forever.

Gary Winchcombe, the experimental "super-cop" pursues a notorious gang of bank robbers, and starts to discover that his friends and neighbours have secrets he never could have imagined.

Tod Reynard wants to turn his life around. When he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Jade, he knows she might just be the one to help him change his life for the better. He cannot possibly know just how much.

When Jade's twin sister Gloria is kidnapped, old rivalries must be put aside and new associations formed in order to save Gloria's life and restore the rightful order of things.

Available from: Amazon, Amazon Kindle

2 November: Day of the Dead: Funny Epitaphs

On the Day of the Dead, here are some Epitaphs looking on the bright side of death:

1. My time was come! My days were spent! I was called and away I went!

2. Let her R.I.P.

3. Here I lie and no wonder I’m dead; For the wheel of a wagon ran over my head.

4. William Makepeace. Gone to join his appendix, tonsils, adenoids, kidney and gall bladder.

5. Blown upward out of sight; He sought the leak by candlelight.

6. I told you I was ill.

7. He’s not in this hole, But only his pod; He shelled out his soul And went up to God.

8. Sacred to the memory of Major James Brush who was killed by the accidental discharge of a pistol by his orderly, 14th April 1831. Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

9. Here lies the body of John Mound Who was lost at sea and never found.

10. Here lies the mule Maggie. In her life she kicked 2 generals, 8 colonels, 7 captains, 16 lieutenants, 541 enlisted men and 1 German mine.

Character birthdays

Crux Australis A member of the Constellations. The Constellations as a group have historically experimented with time travel and inter-dimensional wormholes. Crux Australis is one of a number of humans from Earth who were displaced by such experiments from their time into the present. He is a monk, born in Cornwall, England in 1392.

Electrolyte, aka Gina Jackson. She inherited a talent for electronic

gadgetry from her father, Gadgeteer, and with his guidance, built herself a suit of power armour which gives her the ability to fly, create force fields and superhuman strength. She is a member of the Ultra League.