Portal:England/Did you know/09 2008


 * ... that Winston Churchill (pictured) lost his first election, the Oldham by-election of 1899, after promising to vote first for, then against, the Clerical Tithes Bill?
 * ... that Bridgewater House, Runcorn, Cheshire, was built for the Duke of Bridgewater when he was supervising the building of the Bridgewater Canal in the 1760s, and is now used as offices?
 * ... that in the storming of Bristol in 1643, Royalist invaders used "fire-pikes"&mdash;rudimentary flamethrowers&mdash;against the defending Parliamentarians?
 * ... that Redruth railway station was only moved to its present site when a viaduct was built 61 ft above the streets of the town?
 * ... that England's Tom Brittleton is the oldest footballer ever to play a competitive match for Sheffield Wednesday?