Other people’s blunders are to my mind wonderful, especially if the perpetrator is important.

So I was delighted to hear about the unfortunate invasion of Spain achieved by the Royal Marines.

Somewhat embarrassingly given the oft strained relationship between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar, a group of 30 commandoes from the Royal Marines, armed with assault rifles and mortars stormed ashore from their amphibious craft at La Linea in Spain.

But as they made their way up the beach they were met by a bemused fisherman a couple of local police officers who suggested they’d gone to the wrong beach.

There then followed some somewhat red-faced apologies as the group returned to their boat and headed back to Gibraltar. 

The error was blamed on bad weather and a spokesperson said they were not trying to take Spain and had no plans to do so.

Reporting the error back to London, the local Royal Marine detachment said that they didn’t think anyone apart from the couple of police officers and the fisherman had noticed the incursion.

Later in today’s show and being a Tuesday, Margaret Mills took us over to Rayleigh to examine the Dutch cottage which resides there on Crown Hill, just a stone’s throw from Rayleigh Railway station.

The Dutch Cottage is a Grade 2 listed building, which is open to the public free of charge, by appointment with the occupant, but don’t believe the date above the front door – 1621. It’s thought to have more likely been built around 1740.

Listen again here to what Margaret had to say about this unusual building: –

Hope to have your company again next week,
Scott