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It’s probably fair to assume that most of us will recall that scene at the climax of Four Weddings and a Funeral where the groom’s brother, David – played by deaf actor David Bower – uses sign language to explain why the wedding should not go ahead. Well once again, life has outdone art.
Delving into Leicester Cathedral’s parish records we find that when Thomas Tilsey, a deaf blacksmith, married in 1576 he delivered his vows in sign language. It was not British Sign Language that David Bower used, but a fairly common form of signing that had developed over hundreds of years and which deaf people had been using to plight their troth since at least 1198, when they got a papal dispensation to say “I do” in sign language.
When it comes to speeches, one of the most consequential in history was delivered 150 years ago this week and comprised just nine words. “Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you” was what Alexander Graham Bell said to his assistant on March 10 1876 in the world’s first telephone call. Read all about it here and learn what happened to the unfortunate inventor whose patent for a similar gadget was filed just an hour later.
Tomorrow is Mothers’ Day. And while my own mum is sadly no longer available for spoiling, I’m happy to say I have a delightful mother-in-law who I think the world of. And I hope she recognises herself in one of these famous paintings of mothers chosen for us by our panel of art experts.
This week on the international affairs desk the focus was, unsurprisingly, squarely on what is happening in Iran. Of course the hope is that the killing can be brought to an end as soon as possible, but as Donald Trump keeps changing his mind about his war aims, an “off ramp” looks farther away than ever. And, as ever, it’s important to ask “cui bono” – who benefits? Understanding this may be key to ending the war.
This week we also learned that hedgehogs can hear high‑frequency ultrasound and why this could help them avoid hazards. We found out more about why some people developed blood clots after being given certain COVID vaccines. And we
doffed our caps to the hardy Scandinavians who cycle to work, even in sub-zero temperatures.
As usual, if you are looking for something to read, watch or listen to this weekend, our arts team has you covered with their regular look at Something Good, which has reminded me that I haven’t seen Hamnet yet, so that’s my Saturday night taken care of.
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