HMS Blessing of Burntisland Sank 1633

UK: King Charles I – 1633 Wreck of Royal Ferry [Blessing of Burntisland] – Located on Sea-Bed! (21.8.2026)

A community heritage group believes it has located the wreck of the Blessing of Burntisland, a timber ferry that sank in Scotland nearly four centuries ago while carrying royal baggage and treasure across the Firth of Forth.

Burntisland Heritage Trust said that underwater surveys, physical exploration and the recovery of timber had identified a possible wreck-site about 1.5km from the Fife town of Burntisland, describing the evidence as “promising”.

The Blessing foundered in unexpectedly rough weather in July 1633, while sailing from Burntisland to Leith during the Stuart King Charles I’s Scottish coronation tour. Only two of the 35 passengers and crew onboard are believed to have survived.

The ferry was reportedly transporting royal possessions valued at about £100,000 at the time, including jewellery, textiles, coins and precious-metal plate.

PrOP-M - Soviet Rover - 1971

USSR: The 1971 Mars 2 & Mars 3 Missions – Carried the 1st Soviet-Made “Mars Rovers” [PrOP-M]! (18.8.2026)

The USSR and Eastern Europe had been devastated by Hitler during WWII with the Soviets suffering 41 million (killed and wounded) casualties whilst large swathes of the Western USSR was materially devastated. Leningrad, of course, was reduced to starvation by the Nazi blockade (rather like what Trump II is attempting to do to Cuba). Despite suffering that material and psychological devastation – within a few short years of reconstruction directed by Joseph Stalin – the country was able to regroup and direct its resources toward space exploration, a process which sent shockwaves throughout the world of the US, a place which had suffered no material or economic damage during WWII. Make no mistake about, although Stalin passed away in 1953 – everything that unfolded in the USSR from a technological position – manifested from the groundwork laid by Stalin between 1945-1953. This dialectical preparation sustained the country for decades despites its leaders betraying Stalin and taking the country in a Counter-Revolutionary direction. Indeed, the Mars 2 and Mars 3 Soviet fact-finding missions to Mars in 1971 both carried a version of the world’s first “rover” designed to explore the area immediately surrounding the lander (or “Mars Station”). This “Device Assessing [through] Cross-Country Capability-Mars” [Прибор оценки проходимости-Марс – Pribor otsenki prokhodimosti-Mars] or “ПрОП-М” [PrOP-M] was attached to the lander via a 15 metre tethering cable (similar to the first-generation remote controls attached to TV sets and video recorders).

Lay Mum's Stair-Carpet 2023!

Paignton: Laying the Stair-Carpet! (27.12.2023)

I say ‘properly’ – but what I mean is doing the job ‘to the best of our ability’ – which is far from professional (but then none of us are carpet-layers or decorators)! The entire job took about three-hours and we did a good job all things considered. Gee interspersed sessions of hammering nails with myself – whilst Paul kept the carpet ‘straight’ and unrolling properly! Manual labour is the essence of social, cultural and political development! None of us are beneath manual labour!

Old Telephone Box - Galmpton

Galmpton Village: A Boxing Day Walk! (26.12.2023)

Although we had booked today (December 27th, 2023) to visit Agatha Christie’s house (Greenway) nearby – we just received an email notification that due to the bad weather – the house is currently ‘Closed’! Although there is a storm blowing – many Agatha Christie enthusiasts have still made their way here – one or two from as far away as Japan! Still, we are not exactly Agatha Christie fans, but we are interested in history and cultural development. Yesterday, the wind and rain stopped for an hour or two and this allowed myself and Gee to walk the dogs through Galmpton Village. It seems to be a place where rich people retire and the envious walk through.