Today’s stroll into Ripon, before the rain comes. 

Not much news from us, so after looking stuff up ...... on this day in 1763 John Wilkes was kicked out of Parliament for ‘seditious libel’ questioning the King George III speech opening parliament. 

John Wilkes was a radical, libertine, journalist and politician. He fought for the right of his voters rather than the House of Commons to determine their representatives. He was a member of the Hellfire Club ..... and religious! Wilkes was reported to be notoriously ugly, being called the ugliest man in England, but he had a charm that carried all before it. He boasted that it "took him only half an hour to talk away his face". 

Quite a character.