Flamborough Head are playing the Saturday Night at SEfest 2006 and I know that a few of you have seen and enjoyed them. However, does anyone realise where the Band name may have come from and that it may have an historical origin?

On the night of the 23/24th September, 1779, a homwards bound convoy of merchentmen was making its landfall off Flamborough Head, East Yorkhire, escorted by HMS Serapis and the armed sloop, Countess of Scarborough. During the crapiscular twighlight, sails were sighted, and these were identified as a squadron of armed vessels under the nominal command of John Paul Jones, an American privateer, armed with his cannon, and a letter of marque from the fledgling government of the new United States of America.

Some of you will know what happened next, for those who do not, then a quick visit to http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/flambororough_head.htm is called for. It makes for some fascinating reading I promise you.

However, a friend of mine who runs the Yorkshire History web-site has just made contact with a decendent of one of the American midshipmen, who has in his possession papers and letters of midshipman Mayrant. Tom Mayrant has very generously agreed to exclusively share with www.yorkshirehistory.com any and all papers and letters pertaining to the battle. As far as he is aware, these have not been published before.

Not only that, but Melissa Ryan, the Project Leader of the expedition to discover the wreck of the Bonhomme Richard, Jones' flag ship, which foundered during the action, has, and continues to provide insight and information about the expedition. The search began on the 17th July this year, and continued until the 7th August using all the very latest underwater search technology.

Now I know that this has nothing to do with prog rock but I know that some of you have a liking other things and thought this might be of interest.