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Online via Zoom. History of Britain in Space, Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 visit to London and Manchester, Covid-19 Facts and Fiction, and Cybersecurity

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C3844735 10:00 Tue July 28th Britain in Space. The story of Britain’s space programme. Single presentation. Online and Free register here.

Tim Peake. Credit ESA
  • Early rocketry Societies in England
  • Development of British Ballistic Missile & Nuclear Tests in Australia
  • Launch Satellite of Black Arrow & satellite Prospero from Woomera
  • British Astronauts Helen Sharman & Tim Peake
  • UK Spaceports
  • Virgin Galactic & Orbit
  • SSTL and Skylon

C3844737 10:00 Thu July 30th. The Day the Cosmonaut came to Manchester. Single presentation. Free and online. Register here.

This presentation is based on my 2011 book – Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. It will cover

  • Gagarin’s achievement?
  • What was he like as an individual?
  • Why he came to Britain?
  • Where in London and Manchester he went and who he met?
  • Legacy of his visit?

C3844797 11:00 Fri July 31st Covid-19 Facts and Fiction. Single presentation. Online and free. register here.

Covid-19

With support from Dr James Anson, a microbiologist and medical director at Liverpool Clinical laboratories, we explore the truth behind the globally popular myths listed on the World Health Organisation website.

C3844740 Staying Safe online. Starts Mon 3rd August. Introduction to key concepts and principles in information security for home computer users. Four weekly sessions. Register here

17:15 Aug 3rd Week1: Cyber Security concepts – an introduction
17:15 Aug 6th Week2: Common Cyber Attacks
17:15 Aug 10 Week3: Secure home working
17:15 Aug 13
Week4: Online Tools and resources

Cybersecurity, History of Britain in Space and Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 visit to London and Manchester – Zoom Sessions. Free

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Starting on Monday 18th May 2020, I will be running three live sessions using Zoom for the Workers’ Educational Association. They are all free, introductory and have no prerequisites. They are organised by the WEA so applicants have to be based in the UK and at least 19 years old. To join/enrol see links and a brief description below.

11:15 -13:15 Monday 18th May 2020. Basic cybersecurity. C3844330 Staying Safe Online

  • Understand basic concepts of being secure online including Social Engineering, Phishing and multi-factor authentication.
  • Recognise the importance of basic security controls including automatic software updates, antivirus solution and good password management.  
  • Become familiar with and make use of authoritative online sources for cybersecurity information and tools

11:15 -13:15 Wednesday 20th May. The story of Britain’s space programme. C3844331 Britain in Space

  • Early rocketry Societies in England
  • Development of British Ballistic Missile & Nuclear Tests in Australia
  • Launch Satellite of Black Arrow & satellite Prospero from Woomera
  • British Astronauts Helen Sharman & Tim Peake
  • UK Spaceports
  • Virgin Galactic & Orbit
  • SSTL and Skylon

11:15 -13:15 Friday 22nd May 2020. Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. C3844333 The Day the cosmonaut came to Manchester

This presentation is based on my 2011 book – Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester. It will cover

  • Gagarin’s achievement?
  • What was he like as an individual?
  • Why he came to Britain?
  • Where in London and Manchester he went and who he met?
  • Legacy of his visit?

Amazon Ebook Promotion. 99p from 11th-15th July – Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

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Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

Next week marks the 57th anniversary of the world’s first cosmonaut’s visit to the UK. Three months after his historic spaceflight on 12th April 1961, the first human in space, Yuri  Gagarin came to Britain. He was here for 5 days. It was not planned that way. Initially, his visit did not include meeting the Prime Minister or the Queen but his visit evolved through the political posturing of the Cold War and he met both.

His visit to Manchester was the only one outside London. Invited by the Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers (Gagarin had trained as a foundry worker), he visited the union’s HQ in Old Trafford, a factory in Trafford Park and was hosted by the Mayor at the Town Hall in Albert Square.

He arrived at Ringway Airport (now Manchester International Airport) at 10am on Wednesday 12th July and by 4pm he headed back there for his flight to Heathrow. To mark this anniversary, the ebook “Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester” is being promoted on Amazon for 99p (or cents in USA) between 11th and 15th July. For book reviews – see here. A 91% discount on the normal price.

A timeline of his 5 days in London and Manchester below.

Tuesday 11th July       

10:30            Arrival at Heathrow [Guardian 11/7/1961]

11:45            Soviet Embassy [Daily Worker 10/7/1961]

13:00            Earl’s Court [Guardian 12/7/1961]

15:00            Press conference in Fashion Hall Earl’s Court [Guardian 12/7/1961]

16:15            BIS medal award at the end of the press conference [Flight 20/7/1961]

16:30            Leave Earl’s Court [Guardian 12/7/1961]

17:30            Evening reception at Soviet Embassy [Daily Worker 10/7/1961]

Wednesday 12th July  

10:00            Arrival at airport [Manchester Evening News 11/07/1961]

10:45            AUFW Medal Ceremony [Guardian 12/7/1961]

11:35            Metropolitan-Vickers at Trafford Park [Manchester Evening News 11/7/1961]

12:45            Manchester Town Hall [Manchester Evening News 11/7/1961]

16:30            Manchester Airport

Thursday 13th July

11:00              Mansion House – Lord Mayor of London [Daily Worker 13/7/1961]

11:45              Tower of London – Gv. Sir Thomas Butler [Daily Worker 13/7/1961]

13:20            Burlington House – Royal Society

15:00            Return to USSR Embassy

15:45            Meet PM at Admiralty House [Prem 11-3543 12/07/1961 National Records Archive]

16:15            Lays wreath at the cenotaph

16:30            Air Ministry in Whitehall – Secretary of State for Air [Daily Worker 13/7/1961]

18:00            Hyde Park Hotel GB USSR Association [Daily Worker 13/7/1961]

19:30            Muscovites-Association cancelled. Sightseeing tour instead [Guardian 14/7/1961]

22:15            Back at USSR Embassy [Daily Worker 13/7/1961]

Friday 14th July        

12:50            Buckingham Palace [FO 371-159606 12/07/1961 National Records Archive]

14:45            Soviet Embassy

15:30            Earl’s Court [Daily Worker 14/7/1961]

16:00            Highgate Cemetery [Time is uncertain; The Times 15/7/1961 says “Evening”]

16:40            Soviet Embassy – British Soviet Friendship Society [Daily Worker 14/7/1961]

21:00            Earl’s Court Live BBC TV interview (at 21:30) from Earl’s Court with Richard Dimbleby, Tom Margerison, science editor of the Sunday Times, and Yuri Fokin of the Soviet Television Service [Daily Worker 14/7/1961]

22:15            Soviet Embassy

Saturday 15th July    

11:00            Leave Soviet Embassy for Airport [Daily Worker 15/07/61]

11:45            Press conference at Airport

12:35            Depart for Soviet Union [Daily Worker 15/07/61]

18:05             Arrive in Moscow [FO 371-159606 12/07/1961 National Records Archive]

 

Episode 67: Technik Museum Speyer

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IMG_3306This episode is a preview of some of the space related exhibits in Europe’s largest aerospace museum – Speyer Technik Museum, in Germany. If you ever go and the following may entice you to do so,  four space exhibits to look out for include the following:

Soyuz TM19 – The landing capsule Soyuz TM-19 was used by the German astronaut Ulf Merbold to return to Earth on 4th November 1994 following his launch in Soyuz TM-20 on 3rd October 1994.

Buran – The Soviet Space shuttle Buran was a the Soviet response to the American Space Shuttle. Two complete working vehicles were made.  The Buran was unmanned and, although reusable, was never actually reused. One made a single flight to space and was later destroyed when the hangar housing it collapsed. The other made 25 test flights also unmanned but only in Earth atmosphere.  Following an unexpected find in the Persian Gulf by German journalists, it was brought to Speyer in 2008.

Bor-5 – To assist the Soviets’ design of the Buran they built and flew BOR-5 – a  1:8 scale model of the Buran. Bor-5  made five unmanned sub-orbital test flights between 1984 and 1988.

Moon rock – One of the largest pieces of Moonrock I have seen on public display. It is from Apollo 15 mission but was unveiled at the Museum in June 2013 by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. 

If you do go, it is is a big place – one day is not enough!

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