Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral

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Did you know that Britain’s first self service petrol station opened in November 1961 on the south end of Southwark Bridge? The very first fuel-only (as opposed to repairs) garage was opened by the AA in 1920, at Aldermaston. Petrol, by the way, only entered our vocabulary in 1870, strangely a trade name of a company called Carless Refining who coined the word for a solvent used, among other applications, to treat nits.

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Famous Southwark people:

George Brown
John Stainer
Michael Faraday
Sian Williams
Thomas Girtin

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Brit Quote:
Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results. - Ernest Shackleton
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On this day:
Pepys’ First Diary Entry, - 1660, The Act of Union Signed - 1707, Ironbridge Opened - 1781, First Issue of The Times - 1788, English Claim to French Crown Ends - 1801, Frankenstein Published - 1818, Victoria Proclaimed Empress of India - 1877, Britains 1st telephone directory is published - 1880, Manchester Ship Canal Opens - 1894, Old-Age Pensions First Paid - 1909, First Edition of Desert Island Discs - 1942, Stanley Matthews Knighted - 1965, Britains Joins the EEC - 1973, First UK Mobile Phone Call - 1985, Fred West Found Hanged - 1995
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