Portal:South East England

Calshot Castle

Calshot Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII on the Calshot Spit, Hampshire, England, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire and defend Southampton Water as it met the Solent. The castle had a keep at its centre, surrounded by a curtain wall and a moat. Initially heavily armed, it had a garrison of 16 men and as many as 36 artillery guns. The castle continued in use for many years, surviving the English Civil War intact and being extensively modernised in the 1770s. During the 19th century, Calshot Castle was used by the coastguard as a base for combating smuggling. In 1894, however, fresh fears of a French invasion led to it being brought back into use as an artillery fort: a large coastal battery was constructed alongside the older castle and a boom built across Southampton Water, controlled from the castle.

During the First World War, Calshot Castle was primarily used as a base for seaplanes, deployed on anti-submarine patrols in the English Channel; its guns were removed before the end of the war, probably for use in France. The air base, by then called RAF Calshot, grew in size during the inter-war years, hosting the Schneider Trophy air races. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Calshot was re-armed in the face of a possible German invasion. The station continued in use after the war, but as military seaplanes became obsolete, it was finally closed in 1961. After a short period of use by the coastguard, the castle was opened to the public by English Heritage in the 1980s. Restored to its pre-1914 appearance, the castle received 5,751 visitors in 2010. Historic England considers Calshot a "well-preserved example" of King Henry's Device Forts. (Full article...)

Margolyes in 2008

Miriam Margolyes OBE (/ˈmɑːrɡəliːz/ MAR-gə-leez; born 18 May 1941) is a British and Australian actress. Known for her work as a character actor across film, television, and stage, she received the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Mingott in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence (1993), and achieved international prominence with her portrayal of Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). Margolyes was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2002 New Year Honours for Services to Drama.

After starting her career in theatre, Margolyes made the transition to film with a small part in the British comedy A Nice Girl Like Me (1969). Subsequent credits include Yentl (1983), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Little Dorrit (1988), I Love You to Death (1990), Immortal Beloved (1994), Different for Girls, Romeo + Juliet (both 1996), Magnolia, End of Days (both 1999), Being Julia, and Ladies in Lavender (both 2004). She voiced roles in Babe (1995), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Mulan (1998), Happy Feet (2006), Flushed Away (2006), and Early Man (2018).

Margolyes appeared in the television films Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987), Orpheus Descending (1990), Stalin (1992), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004). Her other credits include Blackadder (1983–1988), Vanity Fair, Supply & Demand (both 1998), and Doctor Who (2023), as well as the recurring roles of Prudence Stanley in the Australian drama series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012–2015), and Sister Mildred in the BBC1 drama series Call the Midwife (2018–2021).

On stage, Margolyes toured her one-woman show, Dickens' Women, between 1989 and 2012; starred as Sue Mengers in the Australian premiere of I'll Eat You Last (2014); and originated the role of Madame Morrible in Wicked (West End, 2006; Broadway, 2008). Outside acting, she has fronted various travelogue series and written two memoirs: This Much is True (2021) and Oh Miriam! (2023). (Full article...)

• 1970: The wedding of John Major (born in Carshalton, Surrey) to Norma took place. John became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1990.
• 1978: Footballer Neil Clement was born in Reading, Berkshire.
• 2015: Former Secretary of State for Defence and Chancellor of the Exchequer Denis Healey died in Alfriston, East Sussex

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