May 21st

Today is the Feast Day of St. Herbert of Sowerby Bridge. Best remembered for the 1234 "Miracle of The Fish and Chips",when Herbert produced, out of the ground seemingly, thirty fish suppers for his hungry followers who had accompanied him to The Shrine of the Lady at Cleckheaton. It is alleged that each follower's meal included every personal taste, e.g. mushy peas,salt and vinegar, scratchings, etc. He is venerated each May 21st as the devoted Herbertites place fresh Spring flowers and a hot fish supper on his shrine in Sowerby BGerard  Also commemorated by an Old Age Pensioners' sheltered housing block in Chadderton, Oldham.

1894 The Manchester Ship Canal is officially opened by Queen Victoria.

1917 Raymond William Stacey Burr is born in New Westminster, British Colombia, Canada. He is best known for playing wheelchair bound detective Robert Ironside in the eponymous TV series,  he had also switched careers to play top lawyer Perry Mason in nearly 300 episodes from 1953 until his death in 

1927 Charles Lindbergh touched down at Least Bourget Field in Paris completing the first non-stop trans Atlantic flight.

Politics Nigel Farrrrrrage today admitted he 'cannot stand his German born wife and their Kraut kids', he said, " I cannot wait until they go back to the Fatherland and leave me in peace with my new PR lady...what do you mean she's French? Ah well sleeping with the enemy and all that...vote UKIP this Thursday you may not know what we stand for...but neither do we! Just vote for me Nigel Farrrrrrage!"

1938 World Champion Dry Stone Wall Jumper, Frederick Winter bottom was born in Pickering, North Yorkshire. Winter bottom won his first North Riding Wall-jumping championship aged 17. He won the first of seven World titles in 1957, defending it in 1958,'59,'60 and 1961. Injury and a court case for damaging a farmer's wall in Holmfirth, preventedvhim from competing again until 1966, when Winter bottom successfully regained the World Title beating Nikolai Putin, (Vladimir's cousin), in a photo-finish, he defended it successfully in 1967 and 1968 before injury forced his retirement in 1969. Today the Dry Stone Wall Jumping World Championship trophy bears his name, " The Winterbottom Cup".

1948 Pop Star from the 1970s, Leo Sayer is born in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex as Gerard Hugh Sayer.

1949 Daily Politics host and former newspaper editor, rabid,right wing,Thatcher adoring, Andrew Neill is born in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

1973 Mighty Boosh star, Noel Fielding, was born in Westminster, London.

2000 Fragrant, Romantic novelist, Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland, died aged 98yo at her home in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

2000 Respected Thespian, Sir John Gielgud, died peacefully aged 96yo.