The Wind in the Willows (musical) A Musical Adventure at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2007 and 2008. The musical has a book by "Downton Abbey" creator Fellowes, based on the 1908 novel "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame and is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with design by Peter McKintosh, lighting design by Howard Harrison and sound design by Gareth Owen. The show features an original score by George Stiles and lyrics by Anthony Drewe. Open auditions were held in April 2016. The musical made its world premiere at the Theatre Royal Plymouth from 8 to 22 October 2016, before
Night of the Big Wind at hand. The Old-Age Pensions Act 1908 introduced pensions for over-70s, but many Irish Catholics prior to the Registration of Births and Deaths (Ireland) Act, 1863 had no birth registration. One of the questions used to establish proof of age was whether the applicant remembered the Night of the Big Wind. A popular story holds that the storm inspired the Director of Armagh Observatory, the Reverend Romney Robinson, to develop the cup-anemometer, which remains the commonly used wind measuring device today. Irish language poems about the event include "Oíche na Gaoithe Móire" by Micheál de Búrc (c.1800 – 1881) and