I cannot now remember if I put this into the MHICE trivia I write, but Madam Pleater visited Southampton in April 1912 and having some time to wait before seeing the Titanic leave on her fateful voyage she visited a second hand bookshop.

In order to minimise the possibility of changing the timeline she bought books as the shop was closing and took them back next morning as soon as the shop opened. This was quite usual - I did it myself at one time, though I returned and chose the book in the same visit.

On the morning of the ship's departure as she stood waiting a young man came to the shop, and found it closed. He was disappointed, and so she gave him the book she had, and changed history. Today I found out the title of that book - it was Lyra Heroica.

Today - at 4.30pm Sunday 3rd January 2010 on BBC radio 4 Miles Jupp's Muscular Lines described the book.

It is worth looking up on the listen again feature if you can access it.

If you Google for the title it can be downloaded.

In the second part of the program there is an interview with Tim Collins, Lt Colonel of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment of the British Army, who's 'eve of battle' speach on 19th March 2003 is quite something.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: