The "Eight Random Facts About Me" Tag..

Linda at "Are We There Yet?" tagged me for this meme. I already did it a little while ago, well actually I did '10 things you didn't know about me', so I'm going to use poetic licence and do


Eight Random Facts About My Town instead, but before I do I have to repeat the rules.


The rules are as follows:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. A Heywood man was the key to preventing the destruction of the entire English Parliament in 1605 - and he’s the reason we celebrate Bonfire Night every November. He was Peter Heywood, a member of the famous family, and a resident of Heywood Hall. And he was reputedly the man who snatched the torch from the hand of Guy Fawkes as he was about to light the fuse which would have detonated kegs of gunpowder stashed in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament. Read more here.


2.The 'other' Peter Heywood and the Bounty mutiny incident. Another son of Heywood found himself facing an ignominious death when he was - wrongfully, it transpired, implicated in one of the most notorious episodes in British history - the Mutiny on the Bounty. Peter Heywood was a son of the famous Heywood family, born in 1773 and was just 13 years old when he joined the navy. Two years later he was a midshipman on HMS Bounty when she set sail on the fateful scientific trip to Tahiti, under the captaincy of Lieutenant William Bligh. Of course, this was the trip during which the crew, led by Fletcher Christian, mutinied over poor conditions and ship’s rations on their expedition to the South Seas. Read more here.

3.Howarth and the Co-op. The Co-operative movement is probably best known for its roots in neighbouring Rochdale, but Heywood can also claim to have played a major role in what became a worldwide institution. Charles Howarth was the architect of the first Co-op in Toad Lane, Rochdale, and it was he who invented the now famous Co-op dividend, or ‘divi’. He lived the latter part of his life in Wilton Street, Heywood, and died and was buried in the town. Read more here.

4. Queens Park. In 1873 Martin J Newhouse, a Heywood prosperous merchant died without making a will. A sum of £10,000 therefore passed to the Queen. Queen Victoria wanted Heywood to benefit from the money from Mr Newhouse’s estate. After much deliberation the Heywood board decided on a Park for the town. Read more here.

5. Heywood and its Stone Age legacy. There are signs that human activity was taking place in Heywood around 10,000 years ago. Read more here.

6. A Royal Visit. King George and Queen Mary drop in for tea and a chat. Heywood received its first visit from a King and queen on 12 July 1913, and the town came to a virtual standstill as a result. Read more here.

7. Medieval Heywood. There can be no doubt that Heywood came under the control of the next invaders of Britain - the Normans - as they conquered the whole country. Read more here.

8. Heywood a borough at last. Heywood's history may go back many centuries, but the town of Heywood, as a borough or district, is only just over 120 years old. Read more here.


My victims choices are as follows, but only if you want to do it. Remember the tag is 'eight random facts about me' unless you're naughty like me.


Headless Chicken at Having a word with myself.

Cynthia at Kaleidoscope

Early Bird at My Gentle Retreat

CG at The Compulsive Worrier

Drunk Mummy at Drunk Mummy

Steve at Bullet Holes in the Mailbox

Josh at The Gabbatha Journey

CS at AnotherTangential Thinker

Addendum
As Mike at Mike's Homefront is desperate to do this tag he is now on the list too.