Last night we should have been at the Depeche Mode concert in London (Pete's idea, not mine), but it was cancelled due to Dave Gahan's illness. So we had a BBQ instead. Not much to tell you so here is some "strange but true" trivia I picked up recently:
The sword has had an impact on modern society in a couple of ways:
Why do we shake hands with people?
The origin of the handshake lies in medieval history. By offering a right hand to a stranger, a hand that could otherwise be used to draw a sword, men were overtly displaying their intentions of peace towards one another. So now “shaking on it” remains a symbolic sign of agreement.
Why do we drive on the left-hand side of the road in the UK?
The basis for a lot of British law comes from the Middle Ages. The theory is that knights riding on horseback would have wanted to keep their right hand, usually their sword hand, exposed to oncomers . They would therefore keep to the left when travelling. This custom was transferred to the modern road in the Highway Act of 1835, which declared a fine for drivers not keeping the left or near side.
Now you know!
aww sorry u had to miss the concert. hopefully they'll postpone and honour your tickets. i save Dave perform several years ago when he was doing his solo shtick, but he did do some Depeche Mode songs thankfully.
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