To counter Smorgs's endless torrent of second rate inventors, tone deaf musicians and semi literate writers and poets that hail from Manchester, I now cite just one person, who knocks all the aforementioned into a cocked hat.
I shall find more, no doubt...but this should suffice on it's own.
<AHEM>
Colonel Pierpoint.
London's (and Britain's) first Traffic Island was put in St. James's Street in 1864 at the personal expense of a Colonel Pierpoint, who was afraid of being run over on his way to the Pall Mall club.
When it was finished, he dashed across the road to admire his creation and was knocked down by a cab.
