I know people come to this blog to read stuff about politics and religion, but that’s not all that the editor of this blog is interested in. I have found that writing about politics and religion whilst stimulating, gives me less time to do or read other stuff and less time to watch and listen to interesting people who are not political anoraks.

Therefore, I’m  taking a short holiday of a few weeks, a break from intensively writing about and consuming political stuff, I thought that I would entertain/bore you with some video channels and sites that I like but which are not primarily or even partially politics or religion. Now inclusion in this list does not mean that I have a garden railway, have ridden in a tube cab or anything similar, it’s just that I find these things fascinating and admirable or just plain odd. I’ve put them in rough sections.

Trains, planes and automobiles

Bringing a steam locomotive back to life after not being in steam since 1939. The narrow gauge loco Welsh Pony has had an odd life. It was taken out of service just before World War II, was cosmetically restored for display on a plinth where it suffered from being used as a bit of a litter bin before being completely dismantled and restored from the ground up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg6wkulsj5U

Garden railways normally seem to me to be built on a much larger gauge and scale, such as O and 5.5” gauge, than indoor model railways. This excellent example uses OO scale, normally used on indoor layouts, with 16.5mm track gauge and a scale of 4mm to the foot. This particular garden railway is most excellently executed. This is a model railway cab ride with a small camera being attached to the model train, to give a driver’s eye view of the layout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvlW1x8jOLY&t=461s

If the railway was the transportation device that built the modern world through its association with the Industrial Revolution, the motor car was the device that brought transport choice to millions of people. Jay Leno has one of the most comprehensive car collections that I have ever seen and his series Jay Leno’s Garage showcases his collection of rare, unusual and iconic cars.

https://www.youtube.com/user/JayLenosGarage

Here’s a video of a very British oddity, the Scammel Mechanical Horse. A three wheeled truck that was ideal for local deliveries from local goods rail yards. With its beetle like appearance it is no wonder it was named the ‘Scarab’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3nfpN-rOSQ

Part of the reason that air travel has become considerably more safe since the 1950’s is that after every accident involving an aircraft, there has been a thorough investigation as to the mechanical, electronic and human factors that caused each crash. This has meant that lessons have truly been learned about air transport problems and what has been learned has contributed to a safer air travel environment. The Flight Channel does some excellent digital reconstructions of air crashes and aircraft incidents and is highly informative.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXh6VKhioaeEaMQasii7IfQ

As someone who has driven extensively both for work and pleasure, I’ve seen an awful lot of idiots on the road and this has given me a bit of a fascination with British dashcam videos. This channel is a good illustration of Britain’s crappy drivers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdxvreI4jF4&t=439s

Every wondered what the driver sees on a London Underground train? Then wonder no more. Here is a driver training video taken on the Piccadilly Line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhzThvmHpBs

History

Mark Felton

Mark Felton is probably one of the greatest military historians out there on You Tube. His incredibly well researched and well delivered videos are highly informative and well worth taking the time to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfCKvREB11-fxyotS1ONgww

The History Guy

This American history channel is an absolute goldmine of information. It’s run by a man with a passion for history and I have found him to be a valuable source of information, especially on aspects of US history where as a Briton I had gaps in my knowledge.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ

History Hustle

A Dutch historian who has covered many aspects of the Second World War and its aftermath with especial focus on the Netherlands.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYLJ8hULBTjTTmJZGL-dq-A

History Matters

Short, often under ten minutes, sometimes humorous explanations of famous historical incidents

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22BdTgxefuvUivrjesETjg

Middle Earth

I am a bit of a Middle Earth anorak. I’ve read the Silmarillion at least eight or nine times and I find something new and fascinating in it at every reading. Here are some of my favourite channels related to JRR Tolkien’s legendarium.

Men of the West

Different aspects of the legendarium featured in detail in videos released on average weekly.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCItHdUEqlpfvDlcCeyZwH6w

History of Middle Earth

Another point of view on the world of Arda that Tolkien created

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaA5XOYRRQ7XeJh-3ugBP0g

Radio, Amateur Radio, CB, historic tech and engineering

The search for the Lincolnshire Poacher. The Lincolnshire Poacher was the name given to a ‘numbers station’ an encrypted one way communication transmitter presumed to be operated by the UK Secret Intelligence Service. The station got its moniker due to the use of the folk tune Lincolnshire Poacher as its opening theme prior to the broadcast of the encrypted message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiz21RxIXAU

More on Numbers Stations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB0MuTtXFKY

Official SWL channel. Short wave radio today. This is just one of many channels out there dedicated to short wave radio listening aka SWL’ing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfWgQpKbvOg

Fred In the Shed

CB radio has not gone away although it seems more well used in rural and semi rural areas than in cities in my experience. Fred In the Shed is probably the best of the UK CB radio information channels on You Tube with tech info and reviews of tech.

https://www.youtube.com/user/fredintheshed1

You know that you’ve got an awful lot of historic tech in the house when you take your small child to the Science Museum in London and they say ‘we’ve got one of those’ to things like video tape recorders, radiograms, CRT monitors and stuff that still uses thermionic valves. The first two channels are really good ones for those interested in historic and current tech and how we got to our current tech standards.

Technology Connections

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy0tKL1T7wFoYcxCe0xjN6Q

Techmoan

This is the site for all things analogue and tape based. Well worth a look.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Techmoan

In a world of HD and 4k video most people seem to have forgotten 405 line which was a standard in UK television on the VHF bands until 1985. 405 Alive, which has now been incorporated into the British Vintage Wireless Society, is all about the technology and the programmes that were once transmitted using the 405 line system. Believe it or not there are a few people out there who are building and using converters so that they can display, via cables, the output from a modern video playing device onto a 1970’s or earlier TV receiver.

https://www.bvws.org.uk/405alive/

Most radio hams and CB radio types are in the main responsible and sensible individuals. The Laughing Policeman Wireless Society is much more anarchic than the Radio Society of Great Britain.

http://www.laughingpoliceman.com/

No list of tech or engineering sites or videos would be complete without a link to Colin Furze’s channel. This man is an absolute genius and has built everything from his own bunker via a woodgas powered lawnmower to a 360 degree garden swing.

https://www.youtube.com/user/colinfurze

Hope that you enjoy or are the very least entertained by these links. I might pop up occasionally with a political story but holiday will take priority. There will also be some unavoidable delays in approving comments for which I would like to apologise for in advance. Normal service will be resumed after my holiday.