Today in 1821 saw the death of John Rennie, the famous engineer who constructed the Crinan Canal.

Rennie was one of the greatest civil engineers of his era. His pioneering use of materials, combined with the soundness of his technical and commercial judgements on the largest and most novel projects of the time, mark him out as almost unique. Apart from Crinan Canal, he was responsible for designing a host of great civil works, from London Bridge to Leith Docks.

Today in 1883 the Boys' Brigade was founded in Glasgow by Sir William Alexander Smith.

A Sunday School teacher and an officer in the army, his stated object was, the advancement of God's Kingdom among boys and the promotion of habits of reverence, discipline, self-respect, and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.

The first uniformed youth organisation in the world, from one small company of 35 boys it has grown into a worldwide organisation with companies in over 60 countries.

Today's recipe: with mushrooms now in season it's a perfect time to try this really easy mushroom risotto.