Vanessa Collingridge and the team answer listener’s historical queries and celebrate the way in which we all ‘make’ history.
Programme 2
10ÌýApril 2007
The Polish Long Walk
In 1956 Slavomir Rawicz a Pole living in the East Midlands wrote a book about an alleged journey on foot through wartime Soviet Russia starting in Siberia and ending in India. This facts surrounding such an amazing feat have recently been challenged ( ) however, thousands of Poles did undertake a perilous journey from Soviet labour camps to the Middle East.
In September 1939 Poland was invaded twice – once by the Nazis and then a few days later by Stalin’s Soviet army from the East. Eastern Poland was effectively cleansed and its peoples deported to a life of hard labour in Russia. However, when Hitler invaded Russia in June 1941 their situation changed. Released from the labour camps, over 100,000 half-starved men women and children made the journey south eventually crossing into Persia where those who were fit enough joined up with the Allied armies.
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20 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT, Great Britain.
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7589 9249
Opening Hours MUSEUM: Mon. - Fri. 2 - 4 pm and first Saturday of every month 10 am - 4pm ARCHIVES: Tues. - Fri. 9.30 am - 4 pm.
All all other times strictly by prior appointment.
The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz published by the Lyons Press; New Ed edition (April 1, 2006) ISBN-10: 1592289444 ISBN-13: 978-1592289448
Lulu
Dr Vanessa Toulmin of the National Fairground Archive at the University of Sheffield told Making History how she had come across a personal collection relating to the life of a female clown called Lulu on EBay.
According to John Turner’s Circus Biography of the 20th century:
Lulu (right) - born possible 1899 - Female Clown daughter of Joe Craston the famous Victorian bareback rider and clown who performed with Lord George Sanger in the 1890 - Lulu appeared with her father in his clown act in the Edwardian period and developed her own show and act with her brother and sister called the Crastonians in 1923 - ran away and married her husband at age 25 and appeared as a champagne and globe equilibrist act in 1924 appeared in the Olympia in London for five years presenting a number of clown burlesques and was the first woman clown to appear at Olympia presented a comedy duo with her husband Albertino. Took her father's advice with her make up wearing instead a white curling wig and spangles - continued performing until the 195-s with Tom Arnold's circus at Haringey - also performed for Ringling's Circus in American in 1939 returned in 1941.
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Photograph courtesy of National Fairground Archive, University of Sheffield
The History of a House
Making History listeners are encouraged to contact the programme if they think their house has a story to tell. This week Nick Baker visited the home of Sue Bowles who lives in a seventeenth century cottage in Abberton near Colchester in Essex. Local experts Chris Thornton (University of Essex) and Richard Shackle worked out that the house had possibly originally been used as a community hall to celebrate marriages and other local feasts. Then it was divided up into rooms and lived in by a yeoman or husbandman farmer.
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In search of Franklin
In 1845, British Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin (born April 16, 1786) became the first man to prove the existence of a sea passage through the North American Arctic, though it was blocked by sea ice and un-navigable at the time. His expedition ended tragically, however, after his ships were caught in sea ice between Victoria and King William Islands. Lacking proper Arctic equipment such as sleds, snowshoes, extra warm winter clothing, and tents, all members of the expedition perished, presumably of starvation and exposure. No fewer than 40 expeditions were sent to find him.
Making History listener Simon Hoar is related to two men who perished either with Franklin or searching for him, Vanessa Collingridge spoke to Professor Julian Dowdeswell at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge to find out more about the expedition, why it might have failed and whether or not today’s global warming will release new evidence from the ice.
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ´óÏó´«Ã½, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý
Contact Making History
Send your comments and questions for future programmes to:
Making History
´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4
PO Box 3096 Brighton
BN1 1PL
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ´óÏó´«Ã½, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý