31.3.06

New £1Million Quiz Show


ITV1 has commissioned a new entertainment gameshow created and fronted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, with a guaranteed prize of £1 million.
The diminutive duo came up with the idea for the new general knowledge series entitled The Con.Test more than two years ago.
In each show a series of quickfire general knowledge rounds will whittle six players down one by one until just two remain to play head to head for up to £50,000. The winner of each show wins a place in the grand final where winnings of £1 million are at stake. There are seven hour-long episodes.
A spokesperson for production company Talkback Thames, which is making the show in conjunction with the Geordie pair’s own indie Gallowgate Productions, said: “You don’t need to know any of the answers to win. The Con.Test is a game of wit, nerve and cunning where bluffing is the name of the game. You don’t have to understand the questions or know any of the answers. You just need to make people think you know.”
Players must gauge how well or badly they have done in each round and strategically bluff fellow contestants to try to force them out of the game.
Contestants will face multiple choice questions with three possible answers, but have just four seconds to answer them in. The show could go out on Saturday evenings but Donnelly admitted it may be broadcast over seven consecutive days.

charityquiz.co.uk


A site where you pay £5 to one of the nominated charities and you can then take part in a quiz.
The quiz is in the form of DITLOIDS and open to interpretation. The correct answer will be that of the quiz setter.
Visit - http://www.charityquiz.co.uk/

The current quiz - First Prize : £50 / Second Prize : £30 / Third Prize : £20
This quiz is open until July 31st 2006 -
To enter all you have to do is sponsor any of the fundraisers from the list on the website for a minimum of £5.

THE QUIZ
1 GS in a QM
2 H on a BC
3 C on a TL
4 P in a B
5 R on the OF
6 H a D
7 CITS
8 L o a S
9 SOB
10 P for W a FOGP
11 DS (H of the C of the E)
12 H (on the BS)
13 C 9 or L in a Y
14 S of the C
15 FB at R
16 GF on a BS
17 UKNOS by the B
18 H on a GC
19 SNP in C
20 Q: A, V or M
21 S in a G
22 Y in a C
23 T T T T T
24 K of the G
25 WHS in the UK
26 M in a M
27 B in the NT
28 T in a S of D
29 MS in a CH
30 D in J
31 D in O
32 CP
33 CQ for the IFH
34 B of C in a S
35 MA for a USP
36 P for a MB in S
37 D in the PK
38 W in the CSTI
39 P of L
40 LBA
41 S by M
42 D on a P of D
43 B in EC of N
44 FTE
45 SWA
46 C in a H
47 PP in EE
48 C by SQ
49 N in the NL
50 S on the S and S
51 S of A
52 W in a Y
53 N on H the LB
54 C in a D (I J)
55 D at P
56 P in a H a H
57 HV
58 F on a FBCS
59 BL in B
60 M in an H

For Sale - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?


Complete Communications Corporation Ltd (CCCL), the parent company of Celador Productions and Celador International, has today announced that it is making the worldwide intellectual property rights and UK programme library of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, its globally successful quiz show format, available for sale.

CCCL has employed the services of corporate finance advisory house, LongAcre Partners, to advise on the sale.

If a sale of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is agreed, the parent company will encourage and support a management buyout of both Celador Productions and Celador international.

Commenting, CCCL Chairman, Paul Smith, said:

“I have been at the helm of Celador for over 20 years and it is no secret that I have, for some time, wished to reduce my responsibilities within the television division to allow me to focus my attention on opportunities within radio broadcasting and film production. I also wish to allow myself more leisure time. To that end I have been pursuing a partial exit and succession strategy for the past 18 months.

“I have already significantly downscaled my day-to-day involvement with Celador Productions and Celador International by devolving responsibility to the managing director of each company. Both are led by motivated and accomplished management executives, have healthy current projects as well as a number of exciting developments in the pipeline, and prosperous futures ahead of them.”

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was launched in September 1998 on ITV1 and quickly became a ratings phenomenon. Since then the format has won over 60 awards globally and been licensed to 105 countries. Now in its 19th season in the UK, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is a mainstay of ITV1’s Saturday night schedule, regularly attracting audiences of over 7m viewers. Alongside its on-air success, the format’s reach extends into a range of hugely popular consumer products and pioneering interactive applications.

Although renowned for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celador has enjoyed success spanning two decades and has earned a reputation for producing innovative and original programming for broadcasters at home and abroad, and distributing and licensing entertainment brands across a global platform.

Celador Productions’ factual entertainment format, You Are What You Eat, became one of Channel 4’s highest rating shows when it launched in 2004. Now in its third series, the completed programme or format has been sold to 17 countries and spawned a range of successful consumer products including a series of best-selling books. The company is currently producing a brand new factual entertainment series, Turn Back Your Body Clock, for transmission on Channel 4 in May, which will be launched internationally at Mip TV next month. A tenth series of the enduringly popular Commercial Breakdown recently concluded on BBC1 having consistently won its slot with an audience share of over 20%, and a new six-part comedy for BBC3, Live! Girls!, has just commenced production. Celador Productions is also expanding its operations to a regional office, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks. Its radio production division is thriving with 20 new commissions from BBC Radio 2 and 4 across the past two years.

Celador International’s portfolio of successful game shows includes Talking Telephone Numbers, The People Versus, and Brainiest, all of which are watched by global audiences. Last year the company acquired the rights to the kids animated classic Roobarb & Custard, the new series of which is currently showing on Five’s Milkshake strand and on Boomerang, as well as ABC in Australia and Ireland’s RTE. It has also just been released on DVD in the UK. Celador International also holds the merchandising rights to the new Tales of the Riverbank movie, which has recently commenced principal photography.


Website Story Link

How much do you know about Apple?


Thirty years after it was founded on 1 April 1976, Apple Computer has grown from a tiny start-up to a household name and cultural icon. But how much do you really know about Apple?
QUIZ LINK

In The News - Last Week At A Glance

Friday March 24
A security source claimed that the three peace activists freed by an SAS-led coalition force after being held hostage in Iraq for four months refused to co-operate fully with an intelligence unit sent to debrief them.
The gangmaster who sent 23 Chinese cocklers to their deaths in Morecambe Bay two years ago was sentenced to life imprisonment.
A Government survey revealed that one in five secondary pupils takes illegal drugs and the use of cocaine among children has doubled in a year.
President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan reportedly gave assurances that an Afghan convert to Christianity will not face the death sentence for apostasy.

Saturday March 25
The peace activist Norman Kember gave qualified thanks to the soldiers who rescued him and two colleagues after 119 days of captivity in Iraq.
John Prescott gave the go-ahead for a firm of developers to build a giant shopping centre months after the owners of the company secretly gave Labour a £3.3 million loan.
The Government admitted that criminals are being released from jail little more than a year after they have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Madonna's reincarnation as Middle England's favourite mum is alienating her American fan base and hindering US chart success.

Sunday March 26
Smoking was banned in thousands of pubs, clubs and cafes in Scotland - the first such action in the United Kingdom. England and Wales will follow next year.
Tony Blair admitted that his decision to announce his intention to resign as Prime Minister was an error that has left him weaker and allowed his opponents to push for his early removal from No 10.
BBC staff and listeners were angered by revelations that, while the BBC undergoes swingeing budget cuts, it still found £238 a head to wine and dine guests at Marco-Pierre White's Criterion restaurant.
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in America against plans for a crackdown on immigrant workers, setting the stage for a showdown between President George W Bush and members of his own party.

Monday March 27
Scientists said that a contraceptive pill that could reduce rather than increase the risk of breast cancer should be available within five years.
A court was told that an al-Qa'eda cell leader said Britain deserved its own September 11.
New figures showed that average council taxes almost doubled in England since Labour took office in 1997.
Tony Blair came under pressure from Labour MPs to announce the date when he will step down so that the party can plan a smooth transition to a new prime minister.

Tuesday March 28
The political landscape of Israel was redrawn as the newly-formed Kadima party led by Ehud Olmert became the first centrist movement to win an Israeli general election in the country's history.
Experts warned that the number of pensioners who will have to continue working part-time to make ends meet has risen to 10 per cent and is likely to double in the next five years, .
Police arrested scores of demonstrators as France's biggest day of protest against a new job law ended in violence in central Paris.
The Nigerian government was accused of allowing Africa's most notorious fallen tyrant to escape justice after he vanished from his grace-and-favour residence.

Wednesday March 29
The family of a murdered schoolgirl demanded to know how her killer, a convicted Latvian rapist who had spent more than 20 years in prison, was allowed to enter Britain unchecked.
It emerged that the Government spent £52.5m in six years on management consultants for the NHS.
Mr Blair arrived home to face a deepening crisis and growing pressure to state publicly when he intends to step down from leadership.
Crowds from South America to Central Asia witnessed the first total eclipse since 2003.

Thursday March 30
The Government announced that MPs are to be protected from the pensions crisis that is blighting the retirement of millions of people.
British tourists were feared dead after a passenger boat carrying around 180 people sank off the coast of Bahrain.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Liverpool on the first leg of her visit to the North-West.
The model Naomi Campbell was arrested at her New York home after allegedly assaulting one of her assistants.

And...
A rebel force of Countdown fans alleged that, since the death last year of Richard Whiteley, Carol Vorderman attempted a putsch against his replacement, Des Lynam... 'Jillywood' bus tours were set up for members of the public to see the homes of the rich and famous living in the Cotswolds... The lives of the saints have been turned into comic books by a company hoping to attract young people to the Catholic Church… The Blue Peter badge, a symbol of hard work and dedication, was sullied by dealers who are selling fake versions so parents can save money on family days out… A small country firm of auctioneers was left embarrassed but elated after selling a box of photographs it valued at £80 for £75,000... The short era of the rollerskating bobby came to an untimely end because the criminal fraternity rapidly noted the flaw in the footwear: it did not work on grass... Austria's dog-owners are being encouraged to take a "driving licence" for their animals to improve relations between humans and canines… A pilot who landed his passenger jet at the wrong airport in Northern Ireland was being investigated by aviation authorities… Married life may not always be easy, but it will keep one younger and better looking than life on the shelf, said researchers... The production company Celador announced it is selling off the rights to Who Wants To Be a Millionaire... Women have rather more traditional, conservative views on one-night stands than researchers expected.

Quiztime Cash Quiz


1. What number in Bingo is 'Open Two Doors'?
44
2. Which British comedian said "Money can't buy you friends but you get a better class of enemy"?
Spike Milligan
3. What currency is used in Denmark?
Kroner
4. How much has supermodel Heidi Klum reportedly insured her legs for?
£2 million pounds
5. Where would you go to spend your Rupees?
India
6. Which country does not have the euro as its currency - Switzerland, Italy, Ireland or France?
Switzerland
7. Where would you go to spend your kips?
Laos
8. The COLOUR OF MONEY was a sequel to which film?
The Hustler
9. A Premium Bond bought in 1966 would be worth how much in real terms today?
9p
10. In which nursery rhyme was the king in his counting house counting out his money?
Sing a Song of Sixpence
11. In what 1972 film about a large Italian family does the line ''And the promise is the deal is so good, we can’t refuse'’ appear?
The Godfather
12. What does GDP stand for?
Gross domestic product
13. The exchange rate for foreign-exchange transactions which are being done immediately is called what?
Spot rate
14. Which solo artist sang IT AIN’T THE MONEY?
Macy Gray
15. What, before Euroland, was the currency in The Netherlands?
Guilder
16. What did Cyrus McCormick invent that revolutionised the retail industry?
Hire purchase
17. Who sang the immortal line 'Get your money for nothing'?
Mark Knopfler
18. Where in the world would you spend your drams?
Armenia
19. How much is the basic retirement pension for a single person?
£82.05
20. Which actor paid £30,000.01 for the Big Brother purple diary room chair in 2000?
Alan Davies

21. The collection of funds which a cheque is drawn on, and the payment of those funds to the bearer is called what?
Clearing
22. What is a FTSE 100 index tracker?
A fund that invests in all of the FTSE 100 companies in order to follow the index's movements
23. When did the first premium bond draw take place?
June 1 1957
24. What is a sector fund?
A mutual fund that invests in the stocks of a particular industry
25. National Insurance Contributions are payable by employees between what ages?
16 and 65 for men or 16 and 60 for women
26. What is a blue-chip company?
A company which is considered to be sound and likely to produce solid financial returns
27. When applying for a loan what does the accronym AER mean?
Annual Equivalent Rate
28. A formal opinion by the Stamp Office as to the amount of stamp duty due is called a what?
Adjudication
29. How did Ken Livingstone earn the £150,000 he failed to declare to Parliament?
After-dinner speaking
30. How much unpaid parental leave is an employee with more than 1 year's service entitled to take to care for their child?
13 weeks
31. A contractual clause which stipulates who should pay for certain items is called a what?
Charges clause
32. What is a tracker fund?
A unit trust linked to the movements of the Stock Exchange
33. To Take the King's Shilling meant to what?
To enlist in the Army or Royal Navy
34. What does APR stand for?
Annual Percentage Rate
35. What sort of couple faces an average bill of over £13,000, according to recent Norwich Union research?
A divorcing couple
36. What is an officer of the court called who can take and sell a debtor's goods to get money to pay the debtor's debts?
Bailiff
37. What does OPRA stand for?
Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority
38. What is the commission earned by stockbrokers called?
Brokerage
39. What is the term used for primitive forms of currencies?
Shell Money
40. Who created the comic characters "Loadsamoney" and "Bugger all Money"?
Harry Enfield

Tiebreaker - How much did Sharon Osbourne admit to spending on plastic surgery?
£120,000

Fears over cost of holding DJ nights

Licensees are concerned they could face massive price hikes to run special recorded music events, such as discos, in their pubs.Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL), which grants licences to allow pubs to play sound recordings, is re-examining the way Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) tariffs are calculated. An SFE licence enables a pub to play recorded music as a main or special attraction, not just in the background, and covers discotheques and DJ presentations.
Under the current system, licensees are charged a rate based on how many hours of recordings are played at an event, together with the average attendance and the number of events planned over a year.
PPL is suggesting in a consultation paper that the tariff should instead be worked out based on the capacity of the venue. Richard Stewart, rights negotiation executive at PPL, said: “It’s only a slightly different way of doing things but an easier one than the current slow, complicated process.”
Licensees are already up in arms after PPL moved to raise the prices charged on playing background music by 500 per cent at the start of this year.
Allan Hayes, licensee of the Buck House Hotel, in Bangor on Dee, Wrexham, said: “I can’t see how this isn’t going to cost us more money. Pubs may have a large capacity but won’t always fill it. My past experience with this sort of thing, and with PPL fees already going up, is this will be another kick in the teeth.”
Stephen Pike, licensee at the Bay Horse pub in Huddersfield, Yorkshire said: “I think it’s completely wrong because there is no necessity for it whatsoever. Pubs are doing fine as they are but we keep getting picked on. It annoys me that people keep on changing the rules.”
Bill Sharp, spokesman for the Guild of Master Victuallers, said: “What if you have a real bummer of a night? It doesn’t do you any good if you’ve still got to pay for a packed-out venue.”
Have your say
If you would like to have your say on the PPL consultation contact Richard Stewart on 020 7534 1276 or email
sfereview@ppluk.com by June 23.

New eBay charity auction goes live


The second of The Publican's eBay charity auctions is now live.
It features a matching Marston’s Pedigree glass and mug, with all profits going to the Licensed Trade Charity,
To bid, go to eBay.co.uk and search for auction number 6267175498, user name the publicansales, or use this link - http://tinyurl.com/m54e7

There's also still a few days left on our first auction, for a selection of Heineken branded merchandise.

30.3.06

Today's The Day - 31st March


31st March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Benjamin,
St Balbina,
St Acacius,
and St Guy of Pomposa.


History Test for March 31st
Name the artist who died today in 1837, famous for his paintings `The White Horse' and `The Cornfield'. -John Constable
Which American singer reached the top of the UK pop charts today in 1973 with `The Twelfth of Never'? -Donny Osmond
Born today in 1732 who wrote the oratorios `The Creation' and 'The Seasons'? -Franz Joseph Haydn
Name the legendary American athlete, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and died today in 1980. -Jesse Owens
The film `Ordinary People' won four Oscars today in 1981. Better known for his acting skills, who directed it? -Robert Redford


Events today...
1282 The Sicilian Vespers, a massacre of the French in Sicily begun the previous evening, ended.
1547 Death of King Francis I of France.
1621 Death of King Philip III of Spain.
1631 Death of John Donne, English poet.
1820 American missionaries arrived in Honolulu to spread the Word.
1837 Death of John Constable, English painter.
1854 Japan finally opened its doors to American traders.
1855 Charlotte Brontë, the reclusive Yorkshire novelist and author of Jane Eyre, died. The life of the Brontë sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - followed the quintessentially English pattern of mighty passions smothered by the grinding tedium of provincial life in Victorian England. But Charlotte's passion spilled out - the horrors of her schooling were transformed into Jane Eyre. The book, published under a pseudonym, was an immediate success, arousing great public curiosity in its secretive author. Her next book, Villette, was the result of a spell in Brussels as a governess, when she fell in love with a married man. Charlotte was held in great critical acclaim.
1858 China capitulated to British and French demands for trade concessions.
1866 Chile sided with Peru in war against Spain.
1889 Paris, the graceful capital of measured stone architecture and mellowed historic buildings, received its tallest and brashest tourist attraction when the new Eiffel Tower was opened by French premier Tirard. The soaring skeleton of exposed wrought-iron latticework was by far the tallest man-made structure in the world, standing at almost a fifth of a mile. Only the revolutionary engineering in Alexandre Eiffel's design made the tower possible: its pylons were curved so precisely that the high wind pressures the top of the tower is subjected to compress the structure on to its base rather than weakening it. Eiffel also built the steel structure which held up the Statue of Liberty in New York. It took two years to complete the tower in time for the Paris Exposition celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution. A monument to the achievements of modern engineering, the 984 ft (300 m) tower dominated the whole city. Many Parisians, including the writer Guy de Maupassant, were far from happy that science should so dominate in this world capital of art. Visitors and Parisians both, however, certainly enjoyed ascending effortlessly in the Eiffel Tower' power-driven glass lift cages for the truly wonderful view.
1896 The first zip fastener was patented in the USA by its inventor, Whitcomb Judson.
1901 German inventor Gottlieb Daimler named his latest 53mph, four-cylinder creation after his daughter, Mercedes.
1905 Britain's canniest criminals were no longer to sleep easy in their beds, lulled by the sticky end of Sherlock Holmes, the world's most brilliant detective. Writer Arthur Conan Doyle tried to destroy his most successful creation, killed as he fell over the Reichenbach falls in 1893. But public demand for his hero was so overwhelming that he gave way and resurrected him.
1913 New York's Ellis Island received a record 6745 immigrants in one day.
1934 American bank robber John Dillinger escaped from police custody.
1939 The British government pledged to defend Poland under the terms of a new tripartite UK/French/Polish treaty.
1950 The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl published an English translation of his epic 1948 voyage across the Pacific Ocean aboard a raft. He and a crew of five made the 5000-mile (8050 km) journey aboard Kon-Tiki to test his theories about the diffusion of early civilisations. He believed Polynesia was settled by voyagers from Peru, and that there may have been contacts between Egypt and South America centuries before Columbus crossed the Atlantic. Sailing from Peru, the expedition proved that aboriginal South Americans could have voyaged to the Pacific islands.
1959 The ruler and spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, fled to safety in India after Chinese military occupation of his country has made his position in Lhasa impossible. He slipped quietly away on horseback, narrowly escaping capture by the Chinese. On his arrival in West Bengal the young priest-king was welcomed by thousands of Tibetans also in exile. He was careful to avoid overt criticism of Chinese troops who were reported to have been using force in their efforts to eradicate the country's ancient Buddhist faith. Tibet was an independent nation until 1951, when China's People's Liberation Army invaded, crushing all resistance, imposing Chinese law, language and customs. Resentment at the communist suppression of religious customs boiled up into violent protests earlier in the year, which were harshly put down. According to Tibetan sources an estimated 65,000 Tibetans lost their lives, while an equivalent number fled to safety in India. The Chinese installed Panchen Lama in the Dalai Lama's place.
1973 Racehorse Red Rum set a record of 9 min 1.9 sec for the Grand National Steeplechase.
1980 Black American athlete Jesse Owens died, aged 67. He was the star of the 1936 "Aryan" Olympics in Hitler's Germany, winning four Gold Medals - but Hitler refused to shake his hand at the Olympics because he was black.
1981 Death of Enid Bagnold, English novelist.
1985 The British National Coal Board announced a record annual loss of £2,225million.
1986 Hampton Court Palace, near Richmond, South-west London, was severely damaged by a fire which broke out in the south wing.
1989 The master of the Exxon Valdeztanker responsible for polluting a vast stretch of Alaskan waters was sacked for drunkenness by the Exxon company.
2003 An entire Hong Kong apartment block was sealed off as health officials battle to contain a deadly virus.
2003 Hundreds of villagers are reported missing after a landslide in northern Bolivia buried about 400 homes.
2003 Two former paramilitaries received lengthy sentences at The Hague for their roles in the 1990s Balkans conflict.
2003 Tony Blair dismissed calls for an end to war as Geoff Hoon tells MPs it was always going to be a "dangerous" conflict.
2003 A vehicle crashed into the British embassy in Tehran, killing the driver but no-one else was reported hurt.
2003 A court heard that the woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by ex-MP Neil Hamilton and his wife sought fame.
2003 EastEnders actress Barbara Windsor took an immediate break from the soap because of poor health.
2003 A juror's coughing fit delayed the trial of three people accused of using coded coughs to cheat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
2003 The mother of Kirsty MacColl was shocked at a £61 fine for the driver of the boat that killed the singer in Mexico.
2003 Brian Lara was appointed as West Indies skipper for the Test series against Australia.
2003 Bolton's Stig Tofting faced four months in jail after deciding not to appeal against his assault conviction.
2004 UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was making a final effort to broker a deal on Cyprus, just hours before the midnight deadline.
2004 The Muslim Council of Britain wrote to every British mosque, urging people to help in the fight against terror.
2004 England's 36-year winless streak against Sweden continued with a 1-0 defeat in Gothenburg.
2005 Terri Schiavo, the US woman at the heart of a bitter legal dispute, died 13 days after her feeding tube was removed.
2005 Prince Charles voiced his dislike of facing the media at a photo call during his annual winter skiing holiday, muttering that the BBc's Nicholas Witchell was an awful man.
2005 Actor Christopher Eccleston quit from his role as Doctor Who after just one episode of the new series was broadcast.
2005 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne escaped unhurt after a fire broke out at their Buckinghamshire mansion.
2005 Newcastle striker Alan Shearer decided to postpone his retirement from professional football.
2005 Roger Federer beat Tim Henman in straight sets to reach the Nasdaq-100 Open semi-finals.

BIRTHDAYS (for 31 March 2006)
Rene Descartes, 410 (born 31 March 1596)
French philosopher and inventor of the technique of methodical doubt.
Franz Joseph Haydn, 274 (born 31 March 1732)
Austrian composer of symphonies, oratorios, operas and chamber works.
Nikolai Gogol, 197 (born 31 March 1809)
Russian writer whose novel Dead Souls is considered one of the finest ever.
Robert Bunsen, 195 (born 31 March 1811)
German physicist and chemist and inventor of the bunsen burner.
John Fowles, 80 (born 31 March 1926)
British novelist whose books include The French Lieutenant's Woman which was made into a film starring Meryl Streep.
Richard Chamberlain, 71 (born 31 March 1935)
American television and film actor who first came to prominence as Dr Kildare in the TV series of the same name.

Today's The Day - 30th March


30th March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Osburga,
St John Climacus,
St Zosimus of Syracuse,
St Ludolf,
St Leonard Murialdo,
and St Rieul.


History Test for March 30th
Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was born today in 1930. What was his first top ten British hit? -`Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport'
Hollywood star James Cagney died today in 1986. He won an Oscar for his role as a vaudeville star in which 1942 film? -`Yankee Doodle Dandy'
Which war officially ended today in 1856 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris? -The Crimean
English dandy George Brummell died today in 1840. What was his nickname? -`Beau'
Today in 1981, how did John Hinckley Junior make news in Washington DC? -He shot President Reagan in the chest


Events today...
1775 The British parliament passed an Act forbidding its North American colonies to trade with anyone other than Britain.
1783 Death of William Hunter, Scottish anatomist and obstetrician.
1840 After a long exile in France, where he had fled to escape gambling debts, Beau Brummell, the Regency Dandy and saviour of sartorial elegance, died.
1842 Ether was used as an anaesthetic for the first time by American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long.
1855 Afghan leader Dost Mohammed ended 12 years of hostilities by signing a peace treaty with the British.
1856 The bloody three-year conflict between Europe and Russia, The Crimean War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
1858 A new idea of combining a pencil with an eraser attached to the non-writing end was patented by inventor, Hyman Lipman of Philadelphia.
1867 The USA bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (oil had not yet been discovered).
1893 Thomas Bayard, the USA's first ambassador to Great Britain, arrived in London.
1925 Death of Rudolf Sceiner, Austrian philosopher.
1949 Death of Friedrich Bergius, German scientist.
1950 Death of Léon Blum, French politician
1978 Leading ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi were hired by British Conservatives in a new political propaganda offensive.
1981 In Washington DC, USA, would-be assassin John Hinckley shot President Reagan in the chest, as he walked out of a Washington Hotel.
1986 James Cagney, American film actor who started his career in Vaudeville, died at the age of 87.
1989 American actor Kurt Russell wiped the smile from Goldie Horn's face by proposing marriage in front of a television audience of 1.5 billion people who were watching the couple present Oscars.
1997 At 6pm Britain’s fifth TV Channel, `Channel 5’ began broadcasting. The first programme featured ‘The Spice Girls’.
2002 Death of HRH Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, aged 101.
2003 A suicide bomber attacked a cafe in the Israeli town of Netanya, injuring around 30 people.
2003 Under a strict new law, smokers in New York City could no longer light up in any restaurant, bar or nightclub.
2003 A top Serbian politician said the wife of the former Yugoslav leader planned the murder of a political rival.
2003 Police made 120 arrests after a clash between rival fans in Wroclaw left one man dead and several injured.
2003 Steven Wilson - jailed for life for the murder of his two young sons the week before - was found hanged in his cell.
2003 England thrashed Ireland 42-6 in Dublin to seal their first Six Nations Grand Slam in style.
2003 Andre Agassi won his third straight Nasdaq-100 Open title, beating Carlos Moya 6-3 6-3 in the final.
2004 Eight men were arrested and half a ton of potentially explosive fertiliser seized in raids across southern England.
2004 The CEO of French mobile phone giant Orange quit his job in what the firm said was a "wide-ranging" reorganisation.
2004 The Tories published evidence which they said highlights "catastrophic" failings in the immigration system.
2004 A party of British cavers flew home after being trapped underground and then expelled from Mexico.
2004 Veteran BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke, best known for his Letter From America show, died at home.
2004 An independent report said fans at Old Trafford were at risk because there were insufficient barriers at the ground.
2005 Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver welcomed new money for English schools to improve children's lunches.
2005 The BBC board of governors rejected thousands of complaints over "Jerry Springer - The Opera".
2005 The psychologist who was first to hear the abuse claims by Michael Jackson's accuser gave evidence at court.
2005 The BBC commissioned a second series of the new Doctor Who series after high ratings.
2005 Steven Gerrard and David Beckham scored as England beat Azerbaijan 2-0 in the World Cup qualifier.

BIRTHDAYS (for 30 March 2006)
Francesco Goya, 260 (born 30 March 1746)
Spanish court painter whose works grew increasingly gloomy, especially those insoired by the French invasion of Spain.
Vincent Van Goch, 153 (born 30 March 1853)
Dutch Post-Impressionist painter driven by insanity to suicide who sold his paintings during his lifetime and whose work now fetches record prices.
Melanie Klein, 124 (born 30 March 1882)
Austrian psychiatrist noted for her studies of children.
Sean O'Casey, 122 (born 30 March 1884)
Irish playwright whose best known works, such as Juno and the Paycock, were written for the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
Warren Beatty, 69 (born 30 March 1937)
American fim actor and director, brother of Shirley MacLaine.
Eric Clapton, 61 (born 30 March 1945)
British Rock guitarist.
M.C. Hammer., 44 (born 30 March 1962)

29.3.06

Today's The Day - 29th March


29th March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of Saints Gwynllyw and Gwladys,
St Cyril of Heliopolis,
St Berthold,
St Mark of Arethusa,
St Rupert of Salzburg,
Saints Jonas, Barachisius and Others,
Saints Armogastes, Masculas, Achinimus, and Saturus.


History Test for March 29th
Born today in 1931, which former Conservative MP became Trade and Industry Secretary in 1983 and later Party Chairman? -Lord Tebbit
Today in 1977, which Australian-born actor was awarded a posthumous Oscar for his role in `Network'? -Peter Finch
Today in 1976, who was ousted by a military coup in Argentina? -President Isabelita Peron
Born today in 1914, which journalist and spy novelist wrote `Their Trade is Treachery'? -Chapman Pincher
Name the author of `Testament of Youth' and `Testament of Experience', who died today in 1970. -Vera Brittain


Events today...
1461 Henry VI’s Lancastrian forces were crushed by the Yorkists at the bloody Battle of Towton, in Yorkshire, and the position of the newly proclaimed King of England, Edward IV, was secured.
1788 Death of Charles Wesley, English evangelist and hymn-writer.
1792 Enlightened Swedish King Gustavus III was gunned down at a masked ball.
1827 Ludwig van Beethoven was buried in Vienna, mourned by a crowd of more than 10,000 that came to bid farewell to this titan of music.
1837 Death of Maria Fitzherbert, mistress of King George IV.
1871 The Albert Hall, London, was opened by Queen Victoria.
1886 A new fizzy drink went on sale at a pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. Coca-Cola, an "Esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage", was to cure anything from hysteria to the common cold, claimed its inventor, Dr John Pemberton.
1891 British explorer Robert Falcon Scott died in Antartica after reaching the Pole.
1891 George-Pierre Seurat, developer of the style of painting known as pointillism, died.
1927 Malcolm Campbell’s world land-speed record was smashed by Sir Henry Segrave driving his Mystery car on the hard white sands of Daytona.
1929 Britain’s suffragettes won their battle, as the House of Commons voted in favour of the Equal Franchise Bill that gave the vote to all women over the age of 21, amending earlier legislation that had enfranchised only women over 30.
1957 Irish-born writer Joyce Carey died.
1970 Peace campaigner and writer Vera Brittain died.
1971 In the USA, Lt. William Calley was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the murder of civilians in the South Vietnamese village of My Lai in 1969.
1973 American troops pulled out of South Vietnam.
1974 US spacecraft Mariner 10 took close-up photographs of the planet Mercury.
1979 Uganda’s bloody dictator Idi Amin Dada was driven from the capital, Kampala, and hid in the interior. His army was rapidly being wotn down by Tanzanian forces sent by President Julius Nyerere to aid Ugandan rebels.
1988 Lloyd Honeyghan knocked out Jorgé Vaca to become the first British boxer to regain a world title since Ted "Kid" Lewis some 71 years previous.
1989 France’s president François Mitterand inaugurated the vast glass pyramid at he entrance to the Louvre in Paris - the largest of the monuments his administration built to celebrate the bicentennial of the French Revolution.
1989 Soviet citizens turned their thumbs down to the ruling Communist Party in the first real choice they had since the 1917 revolution. Communist candidates were defeated in the elections for a new congress, the first contested multi-party election in Soviet History.
1989 Space Services Inc. of Texas became the first private company to make a commercial space launch, sending aloft an instrument package. (What - Three oboes and a grand piano).
2003 An Iraqi army officer killed four US soldiers in a suicide attack, a tactic Baghdad said it would start using regularly.
2003 French President Jacques Chirac said he wanted France and Britain to work closely together with the UN in post-war Iraq.
2003 In a Euopean Qualifier, England saw off Liechtenstein 2-0 with goals from Michael Owen and David Beckham. Wales maintained their perfect Euro 2004 qualifying record with a 4-0 over Azerbaijan in Cardiff, and a Lee Wilkie header gave Scotland a crucial 2-1 win over Iceland at Hampden.
2003 Andre Agassi beat Albert Costa 6-2 6-4 and will now face Carlos Moya in the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open.
2004 The UN Secretary General presented his reunification plan to Greek and Turkish Cypriots in Switzerland.
2004 Pakistan said an al-Qaeda intelligence chief it called "Mr Abdullah" has died in its Afghan border operations.
2004 Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith was cleared of the main charge of impropriety as MPs published their report on the "Betsygate" affair.
2004 Actor Sir Peter Ustinov, one of Britain's most revered actors and writers, died aged 82.
2005 Emergency aid was heading for the Indonesian island of Nias, which was devastated by a massive earthquake the day before.
2005 A British policeman sent to help in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster died in a road crash in Thailand.
2005 Sex offender Jonathan King was told to "shut up" after he protested his innocence when he was released from jail.
2005 Comedian Vic Reeves was dropped from car insurance ads after being charged with drink driving.

BIRTHDAYS (for 29 March 2006)
Elihu Thomson, 153 (born 29 March 1853)
English-born American inventor and co-founder, with Thomas Edison, of the General Electric Company, now known as G.E.C.
Cy Young, 139 (born 29 March 1867)
baseball pitcher.
Edwin Lutyens, 137 (born 29 March 1869)
British architect known as the last English designer of country houses and for his work on the vice-regal palace of New Dehli.
William Walton, 104 (born 29 March 1902)
British composer who first came to the public’s attention with his composition Façade.
Chapman Pincher, 92 (born 29 March 1914)
Journalist and spy novelist who wrote "Their Trade is Treachery".
Pearl Bailey, 88 (born 29 March 1918)
American jazz singer noted for her role in the all-black version of Hello Dolly
Lord Norman Tebbit, 75 (born 29 March 1931)
Former Conservative MP, became Trade and Industry Secretary in 1983, and later Party Chairman.

28.3.06

Upgrade Your Browser

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27.3.06

Scrabble Words


In Scrabble, the highest scores available for playing a single word without contrived or highly unlikely circumstances involve an 8-letter word played across two triple-word-score squares, with a high-scoring tile on the double-letter-score square in between, and using a single letter previously played on a non-premium square. The scores include the 50-point bonus (nicknamed a "bingo") for playing all 7 tiles.
Scrabble in North America recognizes five words worth 392 points in this situation: OXAZEPAM, BEZIQUES, CAZIQUES, MEZQUITS, and MEZQUITE
However, the Official Scrabble Words, based on Chambers, includes QUIZZIFY for 419 (not 509 since only one Z is available and a blank must be used for the other). Other high-scoring words include WHIZBANG, QUETZALS, and HIGHJACK (each 374); QUIXOTIC (356); and MUSQUASH (338)
The highest known theoretically possible score for a single play under American tournament Scrabble rules (OSPD+MWCD) is 1,778 points for joining 8 already-played tiles to form the word OXYPHENBUTAZONE across three triple-word-score squares, while simultaneously extending 7 specific already-played words to form new words. In the Scrabble FAQ this construction is credited to Dan Stock.
The highest-scoring opening plays in Scrabble are MUZJIKS (128) in OSPD, and QUARTZY or SQUEEZY (each 126) in OSW. Other words yielding high scores as an opening play are POPQUIZ (128) and ZYXOMMA (130, but not in OSPD).
The highest score obtainable by playing a seven-letter word is 164 for playing QUARTZY across a triple-word-score square with the Z on a double-letter-score square. It will also score 162 points if played across two double-word squares. BEZIQUE and CAZIQUE are next with a possible 161 points. However, these scores include the 50-point "bingo" bonus, which would would only be possible in these situations if a second word was made on the same play, scoring additional points.
QI (a life force in Chinese medicine) appears in Chambers. Barry Harridge says, "Its introduction threw the Scrabble world into a tailspin, with some players arguing that the Q should no longer be worth 10 points." Bruce D. Wilner says, "Not only do they allow QI in the U.K., they also allow ZO (a type of hornless cattle). This makes playing U. K. Scrabble much less of a strategic challenge than U. S. Scrabble, which features a host of "blocking tiles," i.e., tiles that cannot form 2-letter words and effectively block off opportunities for your opponent.
ETAERIO (an aggregate or cluster fruit such as the raspberry) is the most likely seven letter word to appear on a Scrabble rack.
The plural ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETATES is the longest word in a electronic Scrabble lexicon. (However, not explained where on the Scrabble board the word fits!)
The Q without U words accepted in the U. S. Scrabble list are: QAT, QAID, QOPH, FAQIR, QANAT, TRANQ, QINDAR, QINTAR, QWERTY, SHEQEL, QINDARKA, and SHEQALIM (alternate plural of SHEQEL). The combined US/UK list (SOWPODS) adds (from Chambers Dictionary), with their plurals: BUQSHA, BURQA, INQILAB, MBAQANGA, MUQADDAM, QABALAH, QADI, QAIMAQAM, QALAMDAN, QASIDA, QI, QIBLA, QIGONG, QINGHAOSU, QIS, QIVIUT, QWERTIES, QWERTYS, SUQ, TALAQ, TRANQ, TSADDIQIM, TSADDIQ, TZADDIQIM, TZADDIQ, UMIAQ, WAQF, and YAQONA.
[Some words containing Q and U but not the QU sequence are QIVIUT, UMIAQ, and BUQSHA.]


Source - A Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia

Today's The Day - 28th March


28th March 2006

Religious events today...
Feast day of St Alkelda of Middleham,
St Gontran,
and St Tucilo.


History Test for March 28th
Born today in 1921, which film actor called a volume of his autobiography `A Postillion Struck by Lightning'? -Dirk Bogarde
Today in 1967, who won an Oscar for his role as Sir Thomas More in the film 'A Man for All Seasons'? -Paul Scofield
Former American President Dwight D. Eisenhower died today in 1969. Who was his Vice President? -Richard Nixon
Today in 1920, Douglas Fairbanks married 'America's Sweetheart'. Who was she? -Mary Pickford
Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock was born today in 1942. What is the name of his wife? -Glenys


QUOTE
"I'm not interested in making an assessment of myself and stripping myself for the general public to view." -Marlon Brando, who refused an Oscar today, 1973, because of Hollywood's abuses of the American Indians.


Events today...
1797 Patent for the first washing machine awarded to Nathaniel Briggs.
1800 The Irish parliament passed the Act of Union with England.
1868 Death of James Thomas Brudenell, 7th earl of Cardigan, leader of the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava during the Crimean War. He is now best remembered for the woollen garment named after him.
1871 Patriotic French radicals filled with the fervour of the Revolution of 1789 that reclaimed Paris a "commune of the people". They sought to turn France's lost war against the Prussians into a triumph for Jacobin-style socialism. The "communards" aimed to set up a municipal government independent of the national government, which had fled to Versailles.
1881 Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky died, aged only 42.
1910 The first seaplane took off near Marseille in the South of France.
1912 Oxford and Cambridge boat crews took to the water in the annual Varsity race and both boats sunk. Oxford won the re-run to register their fourth successive win. On the same date in 1925, Oxford sank again.
1920 Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford - known to millions as the King and Queen of Hollywood - married surrounded by friends. Their marriage came just one year after they broke away from the big Hollywood companies and formed United Artists with Charlie Chaplin.
1930 The cities of Angora and Constantinople, in Turkey, changed their names to Ankara and Istanbul respectively.
1939 After three years of destruction, the Spanish Civil War ended when General Francisco Franco's nationalist forces took Madrid peacefully and the Republican government fled to Valencia. Tens of thousands died, families had been split and the scars of battle would take generations to heal.
1941 The British Navy sunk seven Italian warships for no loss at the battle of Matapan, off the Greek island of Crete.
1941 The British writer and member of the Bloomsbury Group Virginia Woolf committed suicide.
1943 Russian emigre composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninov died in California.
1945 Germany mounted its last V2 rocket attack against Britain.
1955 England dismissed New Zealand for just 26 runs in 27 overs in their second innings at Auckland -- the lowest ever in Test cricket as England won by innings and 20 runs.
1958 Death of W. C. Handy, US blues composer.


1964 The pirate station Radio Caroline began transmitting from a ship in the North Sea.
1969 Death of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th president of the USA.
1979 A meltdown in the nuclear reactor core of the Three Mile Island power station at Harrisburg in Pennsylvania caused panic in the eastern United States. Experts were warning that the reactor core may release radioactive clouds through the region.
1979 The government of British premier James Callaghan fell, over the Home Rule for Ireland question.
1980 A mine lift cage at the Vaal Reef gold mine in South Africa plunged more than a mile, killing all 23 aboard. It is thought to be the longest lift fall ever. -Some South African mines reached down to 11,500 ft (3700 m) below the surface.
1985 Russian-born painter Marc Chagall, latterly famous for his ballet sets and costume designs, died.
1990 Forty switches which could be used to trigger a nuclear weapon were seized at London's Heathrow airport by US and British officials in a "sting" operation. They were being exported by a Californian firm to Baghdad where they were destined for Iraq.
1991 Diego Maradona's future was in doubt after allegations that the Argentinian soccer star failed a drugs test.
1993 England's plane was struck by lightning on landing at Izmir in Turkey, but no-one is hurt. England won the European qualifying game 2-0 three days later.
1997 The Tories accused Tony Blair of "chickening out" of a TV clash with John Major.
1998 A fan was killed outside Gillingham Football Club following a confrontation of around 50 supporters after their match against Fulham.
1999 Shots were fired at the US Embassy in Moscow during a protest against the NATO bombing in Kosovo.
2003 The UN voted to revive Iraq's vital oil-for-food programme, and also launched an appeal for more help for Iraq.
2003 The home secretary welcomed "substantial" EU support for a proposal to deport asylum seekers to special centres outside Europe.
2003 The British army's most senior officer said a battle with guards loyal to Saddam Hussein outside Baghdad was getting closer.
2003 The Rolling Stones cancelled two concerts in China because of a fatal mystery virus that had broken out in Asia.
2003 EastEnders stars Steve McFadden and Lucy Benjamin split up after three years, but said they remain "friends".
2003 Tennis: Andre Agassi beats Younes El Aynaoui to reach the semis of the Nasdaq-100 Open.
2003 England's Under-21s lost 4-2 to their Portugal counterparts in a European Championship qualifier.
2004 The Israeli attorney general considered a legal recommendation amid calls to indict Prime Minister Sharon.
2004 Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan declared victory after his party wins around 40% of votes in local elections.
2004 A British civilian and a Canadian died in a drive-by shooting in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul.
2004 It was announced that Sven-Goran Eriksson was to remain as England coach until 2008.
2004 R&B singer Usher topped the new album chart and both singles charts in the UK and US.
2004 Only Fools and Horses was given the title of the public's favourite situation comedy in a live BBC vote.
2004 Louis Saha levels late on to earn Man Utd a 1-1 draw at Arsenal.
2004 Cambridge won a controversial 150th Boat Race, bringing an end to two years of Oxford dominance.
2005 A major quake hit the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, three months after the Boxing Day tsunami.
2005 Rachmaninov's second piano concerto topped the Classic FM Hall of Fame for the fifth year running.
2005 Paul Hester, drummer with band Crowded House, was found hanged in a park in Melbourne.

BIRTHDAYS (for 28 March 2006)
Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio), 523 (born 28 March 1483)
great Italian painter of the Renaissance.
St Teresa of Avila Carmelite, 491 (born 28 March 1515)
Spanish noblewoman who joined the Order of Carmelite nuns in 1533 and after several mystical experiences dedicated her life to reforming the movement.
King George I, 346 (born 28 March 1660)
King of England
Frederick Pabst, 170 (born 28 March 1836)
brewer.
Aristide Briand, 144 (born 28 March 1862)
French socialist statesman and, with the German statesman Gustav Stresemann, joint winner of the Nobel Peace prize in 1926.
Flora Robson, 104 (born 28 March 1902)
English actress
Dirk Bogarde, 85 (born 28 March 1921)
Died 1999. English film actor and writer who starred in films such as Joseph Losey's The Servant and Luchino Visconti's The Damned.
Neil Kinnock, 64 (born 28 March 1942)
British politician and former Labour leader
Steve Baddeley, 45 (born 28 March 1961)
(badminton) -- Former European and Commonwealth champion - now chief executive of the Badminton Association of England
Philip Walton, 44 (born 28 March 1962)
(golf) -- Irishman whose singles win secured Europe's 1995 Ryder Cup victory at Oak Hill in America
Steve Bull, 41 (born 28 March 1965)
(soccer) -- veteran Wolves and former England striker
Nasser Hussain, 38 (born 28 March 1968)
(cricket) -- Essex and England batsman

Today's The Day - 27th March


27th March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Rupert,
St Athilda,
and St John of Egypt.


History Test for March 27th
Born today in 1912 which former British Prime Minister also served as Foreign and Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer? -Lord Callaghan
Born today in 1924, which American jazz singer and pianist was known as `The Divine One'? -Sarah Vaughan
Which song took Brotherhood of Man to the top of the UK pop charts today in 1976 and won them the Eurovision Song Contest? -'Save All Your Kisses For Me'
Born today in 1899, which veteran American actress played Norma Desmond in the film `Sunset Boulevard'? -Gloria Swanson
Scottish chemist Sir James Dewar died today in 1923. What useful picnic item did he invent? -The thermos/vacuum flask


QUOTE
"The hungry hare has no frontiers and doesn't follow ideologies. The hungry hare goes where it finds the food. And the other hares don't block its path with the tanks." - Lech Walesa, 1981.


Events today...
1625 Death of King James I of Great Britain.
1770 The last great Italian painter of the Renaissance, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo of Venice, died after a lifetime of creativity which made him one of Europe's most sought after artists. His huge output and extraordinary technical virtuosity gained him patrons in Italy, Germany and Spain, and he died in Spain, working to the end. With flawless draughtsmanship and brilliant light and colour, Tiepolo's work summed up the magnificence of Italian decorative painting. A master of perspective, he painted large ceiling frescos which were spectacular illusions of space and light, the actual structure of the building vanishing in the scene. His Banquet of Cleopatra and Transport of the Holy House of Loreto, both in Venice, were perhaps his masterpieces. Tiepolo's two talented sons, trained by their father, carried on painting in his style.
1774 The American colonists called them the Intolerable Acts. The British parliament preferred the label "coercive acts" and said they are needed to restore order after the episode of the Boston Tea Party. Whatever the name, London's latest package of legislation for its unruly colony was causing a furore. The Boston Port Act closed the harbour entirely until the colonists paid compensation for the spilled tea. The Massachusetts Government Act put the legislature under control of the crown, and banned all public meetings. In London, parliament was urgently considering further provocative legislation - one such was a bill to try Americans in English courts, while another would give power to British soldiers to requisition any house they want for military quarters. The notion that enforced idleness encouraged Boston's traders to see the error of their ways was a curious one - their resolve to confront Britain was hardening daily.
1794 The United States Navy was formed.
1802 Britain and France signed the Peace of Amiens.
1813 Prussia declared war on France, and Russian forces occupied Dresden.
1814 Troops under General Andrew Jackson inflicted an overwhelming defeat on the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in eastern Alabama. More than 800 Indians lost their lives in the battle, which marked the end of a year-long war. Much of the Creek territory in Alabama and Georgia was subsequently brought into the United States.
1835 Texan rebels were massacred by the Mexican army at Gohad.
1871 Scotland beat England in the first international rugby match between the two nations.
1878 Death of George Gilbert Scott, English architect.
1914 Medical history was made in a Brussels hospital where the first successful blood transfusion is performed.
1923 Death of James Dewar, Scottish physicist and chemist who invented the thermos flask.
1931 Death of Arnold Bennett, English novelist.
1957 Duncan Goodhew, the English Olympic Breaststroke swimmer was born.
1958 Soviet prime minister Marshal Nikolai Bulganin was ousted by Nikita Kruschev in a Kremlin power struggle and became leader of the Soviet Union.
1964 Britain's Great Train Robbers were sentenced to a total of 307 years imprisonment after being found guilty of stealing more than £2.6 million from mail bags.
1968 Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man to orbit the earth, died in a plane crash near Moscow.
1975 British composer and Master of the Queen's Music, Sir Arthur Bliss died.
1977 The worst accident in flying history shocked the world, when two Jumbo jets collided, claiming 574 lives. The two Boeing 747s, belonging to KLM and Pan Am, crashed on the runway at Tenerife on the Canary Islands, sending huge jets of flame and smoke into the air. The accident happened when the American plane turned on to the runway where the Dutch Jumbo was about to take off. Both had been diverted from nearby Las Palmas because of a bomb threat. All 248 KLM passengers perished in the ensuing fire, while some 70 Pan Am passengers were treated overnight in hospital for horrific burns.
1980 A North Sea oil platform overturned during a storm late in the afternoon and over 100 men were feared drowned. Phillips Petroleum's Alexander Kielland platform was used for recreation. About 200 workers were relaxing aboard when one of the five legs buckled and the platform turned turtle, trapping many inside. Rescue teams rushed to the scene, 250 miles (400 km) from the Scottish coast.
1981 Millions of Polish workers staged a general strike in protest at police harassment of activists belonging to the trade union Solidarity. They were urged to do so by union leader Lech Walesa. The strike was a show of strength against hard-line communists trying to reclaim concessions made a year before, when mass strikes won Solidarity recognition as the Warsaw Pact's first independent trade union. The union wanted the hard-liners forced out of power. Walesa was willing to make deals with the communist rulers to secure the union's position, but union militants pressed for a more political line. Meanwhile Poland's new party leader, General Jaruzelski, was under pressure to declare martial law.
1983 Death of Anthony Blunt, English art historian and Soviet spy.
1989 A finance scandal rocked Japan as tycoon Hisashi Shinto was charged.
1989 Communist hard-liners faced defeat in the first elections for the Soviet Parliament.
1999 England beat Poland 3-1 in the Euro 2000 qualifiers. Manchester United,s Paul Scholes scoring twice.
2003 Serbian police fatally shot two alleged mafia bosses suspected of masterminding the murder of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
2003 The man accused of murdering Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn told the first day of his trial that he committed the crime.
2003 Tony Blair accused Iraq of "executing" two British soldiers, as he concluded talks with US President George Bush.
2003 A medic told the court that the man accused of cheating on Who Wants to be A Millionaire? had "cough variant asthma".
2003 The house in Liverpool where John Lennon spent his early years was opened to the public by his widow Yoko Ono.
2004 Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian tried to defuse the political crisis over his narrow re-election by inviting his rival for talks.
2004 Israeli TV said state prosecutors would recommend indicting prime minister Sharon in a corruption probe.
2004 The US space agency said its experimental X-43A scramjet had beaten the world speed record.
2004 UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived at a Swiss resort for crucial talks aimed at reuniting Cyprus.
2004 In rugby, France survived a late English fightback at the Stade de France to win the Grand Slam 24-21.
2004 Ireland won their first Triple Crown in 19 years with a tense victory in Dublin.
2004 Birthday-boy Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink netted a hat-trick as Chelsea destroyed Wolves 5-2.
2005 Pope John Paul II appeared at his Vatican window, looking frail and in discomfort, to bless Easter crowds.
2005 Doctor Who's long-awaited return was a ratings success for the BBC, attracting around 10.5 million viewers.
2005 Crooner Tony Christie continued his career revival by topping both the single and album charts.

BIRTHDAYS (for 27 March 2006)
Baron Georges Haussmann, 197 (born 27 March 1809)
French town planner and the man responsible for transforming Paris into a city noted for its long, wide boulevards and splendid vistas.
Sir Henry Royce, 143 (born 27 March 1863)
British engineer and co-founder, with C. S. Rolls, of the Rolis-Royce motor company.
Gloria Swanson, 108 (born 27 March 1898)
American star of silent films remembered for Sunset Boulevard, in which she played a faded movie star.
Sarah Vaughan, 82 (born 27 March 1924)
American jazz singer popular for her rendering of middle-of-the-road songs.
Cale Yarborough, 66 (born 27 March 1940)
auto racer.
Duncan Goodhew, 49 (born 27 March 1957)
English Olympic Swimmer

26.3.06

Quiztime Picture Quiz CD

Quiztime Picture Quiz CD - 330+ Files for £14-99

At last! Over 300 Picture Quizzes on one CD
All Quizzes are in PDF format
All Quizzes are in 20 Pictures per Quiz format
Just 'open' each file and 'print'


The Disc Contents -
1960's Picture Quiz.pdf
2006 Grand Prix PicQuiz.pdf
A Host Of Female Stars.pdf
A Host Of Male Stars.pdf
A to Z of Actors 1.pdf
A to Z of Actors 2.pdf
Action Movie Posters 1.pdf
Action Movie Posters 2.pdf
Airline Logos Quiz.pdf
Album Covers.pdf
An Actors Life 1.pdf
An Actors Life 2.pdf
An Actors Life 3.pdf
An Actors Life 4.pdf
An Actors Life 5.pdf
An Actors Life 6.pdf
Anyone For Tennis Picture Quiz.pdf
Art or Crap Quiz.pdf
Bank Logos.pdf
Blue Peter Picture Quiz.pdf
Bond Girls.pdf
Bond Movie Posters Quiz.pdf
Bonnie Scotland Picquiz.pdf
Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms.pdf
Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_2.pdf
Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_3.pdf
Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_4.pdf
Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_5.pdf
British Born Actors and Actresses 1.pdf
British Born Actors and Actresses 2.pdf
Car Makes and Models Quiz 1.pdf
Car Makes and Models Quiz 2.pdf
Car Manufacturers.pdf
Caricature Entertainment Quiz 1.pdf
Cartoon Characters.pdf
Cartoon Characters Picture Quiz.pdf
Celbrity Cyborgs PicQuiz.pdf
Celebrity Beauties 1 PicQuiz.pdf
Celebrity Beauties 2 PicQuiz.pdf
Celebrity Couples PicQuiz.pdf
Celebrity Impersonators PicQuiz.pdf
Celebrity Mugshots.pdf
Celebrity Pets PicQuiz.pdf
Childrens TV PicQuiz.pdf
Childrens TV Quiz.pdf
Classic Photos PicQuiz.pdf
Clowning Around PicQuiz.pdf
Come on you reds.pdf
Comedians Picture Quiz.pdf
Comedy Stars PicQuiz 1.pdf
Comedy Stars PicQuiz 2.pdf
Coronation_Street_PicQuiz 1.pdf
Coronation_Street_PicQuiz 2.pdf
Crisp Flavours PicQuiz.pdf
Daytime TV Picture Quiz.pdf
Disney Characters PicQuiz.pdf
Disney Films Quiz.pdf
DJ Heaven.pdf
English Landmarks.pdf
Evil Twins PicQuiz.pdf
F1Drivers MotorRacing 2004.pdf
Famous Athletes PicQuiz.pdf
Famous Cats PicQuiz.pdf
Famous Dogs PicQuiz.pdf
Famous Paintings.pdf
Famous Scots Picquiz.pdf
Famous Sketches PicQuiz.pdf
Fantasy Movie Posters.pdf
Female Stars.pdf
Film Stars.pdf
Films_Quiz.pdf
Films_Quiz_2.pdf
Flying Objects.pdf
Football Caricatures PicQuiz.pdf
Football_Museum_PicQuiz.pdf
Footballers PicQuiz.pdf
Footy Emblems Quiz.pdf
Formula One Racing PicQuiz.pdf
Formula One Quiz.pdf
Get Your Kit Off.pdf
Girls On Top - Of The Pops.pdf
Glam Rock Pop PicQuiz.pdf
Glamrus PicQuiz.pdf
Glory Glory ManUtd.pdf
Gone But Not Forgotten PicQuiz.pdf
Gone In 2005 Pt1 PicQuiz.pdf
Gone In 2005 Pt2 PicQuiz.pdf
Gone In 2006 1 PicQuiz.pdf
Halloween Picture Quiz.pdf
Help The Aged PicQuiz.pdf
Heroes And Villains PicQuiz.pdf
Horror Actors.pdf
Icons Of England PicQuiz.pdf
Ilove70s_Picquiz.pdf
Irish_Music_Quiz.pdf
Irish_Sports_Quiz.pdf
I-Spy PicQuiz.pdf
Jackpot PicQuiz 310705.pdf
Keep It In The Family.pdf
Manchester Music PicQuiz.pdf
Mens Tennis 2005 PicQuiz.pdf
Mens Tennis PicQuiz.pdf
Movie Monsters PicQuiz.pdf
Movie Posters 2004.pdf
Muppet Show Quiz.pdf
Musical Pictures 1.pdf
Musical Pictures 2.pdf
Musical Pictures 3.pdf
Musical Talents PicQuiz.pdf
Mystery Objects Picture Quiz.pdf
Name The Logo Picture Quiz.pdf
Name the Personality 1.pdf
Name the Personality 3.pdf
Name the Personality 4.pdf
New Balls Please.pdf
Newspapers Quiz.pdf
NW Presenters PicQuiz.pdf
Olympic Mascots PicQuiz.pdf
Paparazzi Snaps PicQuiz.pdf
Past and Present Pop Picture Quiz.pdf
PicQuiz 201105.pdf
Political Scandal PicQuiz.pdf
Pop Caricatures PicQuiz.pdf
Pop Trans-Mutations PicQuiz.pdf
Pops The Question 1.pdf
Pops The Question 2.pdf
Pops The Question 3.pdf
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Posers XXX Picture Quiz.pdf
Pub Signs PicQuiz.pdf
Quiz In Need Picture Quiz.pdf

Quizerama Series Picture Quizzes 1 to 114

Quiztime 2012 Olympics Quiz.pdf
Quiztime Birdwatch 1 PicQuiz.pdf
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Quiztime ChefsnCooks PicQuiz.pdf
Quiztime Dr Who PicQuiz.pdf
Quiztime Garden Wildlife 1 PicQuiz.pdf
Quiztime Kids TV PicQuiz.pdf
Quiztime Logos Quiz 1.pdf
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Quiztime NewYear FunQuiz.pdf
Quiztime Open Golf PicQuiz 2005.pdf
Quiztime Santas Quiz 1.pdf
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Quiztime Shapeshifters PicQuiz.pdf
Quiztime Telly Addicts PicQuiz 1.pdf
Quiztime Telly Addicts PicQuiz 2.pdf
Quiztime TV Presenters PicQuiz 1.pdf
Quiztime TV Presenters PicQuiz 2.pdf
Quiztime TV Shows PicQuiz.pdf
Quiztimes Snookered.pdf
Racially Abused PicQuiz.pdf
Radio Stations.pdf
ScrumDown.pdf
Seventies PicQuiz.pdf
Seventies Pop 1 PicQuiz.pdf
Simpsons Guest List PicQuiz.pdf
Simpsons PicQuiz.pdf
Sitcoms PicQuiz.pdf
Snack Time Picture Quiz.pdf
Snooker Stars PicQuiz.pdf
Soap Awards 2005.pdf
Soap Stars.pdf
Soccer Stars PicQuiz 1.pdf
Sporting Legends PicQuiz.pdf
Sporting Venues.pdf
Sports Bag PicQuiz.pdf
Sports Personalities 1.pdf
Sports Personalities 2.pdf
Sports Stars.pdf
Spot The Dog Picture Quiz.pdf
Stars Bad Day 1 PicQuiz.pdf
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Stars In Their Hats.pdf
Stars Of The Sixties.pdf
Supermarionation PicQuiz.pdf
Swingin Chicks of 60s part 1.pdf
Swingin Chicks of 60s part 2.pdf
Taffy Or Not PicQuiz.pdf
Telly Addicts Quiz 1.pdf
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Test Match Special.pdf
The Eighties.pdf
The Models PicQuiz.pdf
Trains and Railways.pdf
TV Ads PicQuiz.pdf
TV Cooks.pdf
TV Crimebusters.pdf
TV Drama PicQuiz.pdf
TV Shows Quiz.pdf
Ugly Footballers PicQuiz.pdf
US State Flags Quiz.pdf
When They Were Young PicQuiz.pdf
Where In The World 1.pdf
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Who Are They 1 PicQuiz.pdf
Who Are They 2 PicQuiz.pdf
Wimbledon PicQuiz 2005.pdf
Wimbledon Tennis PicQuiz 1.pdf
Wimbledon Tennis PicQuiz 2.pdf
Women Of Tennis PicQuiz.pdf
World Athletics.pdf
World Champions PicQuiz.pdf
World Cup 2006 Team Strips.pdf
World Flags Quiz1.pdf
World Flags Quiz2.pdf
World Flags Quiz3.pdf
World Landmarks.pdf
World Leaders 1.pdf
World Leaders 2.pdf
World Of Sport PicQuiz.pdf
Year Of The Dog Picture Quiz.pdf
Zombie Celebrities PicQuiz.pdf

Plus
30 PicsQuiz A.pdf
30 PicsQuiz B.pdf
30 PicsQuiz C.pdf
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Today's The Day - 26th March


26th March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St William of Norwich,
St Liudger,
St Felix of Trier,
St Castulus of Rome,
St Braulio,
and St Basil of Rome.


History Test for March 26th
Diana Ross was born today in 1944. Which other singer did she portray in the film `Lady Sings the Blues'? -Billie Holiday
Which group had a Number One UK chart hit today in 1983 with `Is There Something I Should Know'? -Duran Duran
Leonard Nimoy was born today in 1931. His 'Star Trek' character Mr. Spock is half human, half - what? -Vulcan
At which location did Prime Minister Begin of Israel and President Sadat of Egypt sign their historic peace treaty today in 1979? -On the White House lawn in Washington, witnessed by President Carter
Which composer wrote the `Eroica' Symphony and the `Emperor' Concerto and died in Vienna today in 1827? -Ludwig van Beethoven


QUOTE
"The thing we secretly dread most often happens. When I was a little boy I used to tremble to think what it would be like to lose someone and see her married to another. I exercised my mind with that thought. And you see!" - Cesare Pavese, Italian poet, writing on this day, 1938.


Events today...
1660 The return of the monarchy to England was now all but certain after the longest Parliament in the country's history dissolved itself. The so-called Long Parliament survived for 20 years through the Civil War. A new Parliament was to be elected to prepare the way for the restoration of King Charles II, who had promised to rule as a constitutional monarch. The country was now looking forward to peace.
1726 Extravagant baroque architect and fashionable playwright Sir John Vanbrugh died.
1780 Britain's first Sunday newspaper, the British Gazette and Sunday Monitor, was launched.
1827 German composer Ludwig van Beethoven died, aged 57.
1839 Watched by crowds sipping champagne and eating sumptuous picnics, the first rowing regatta at the English riverside town of Henley-on-Thames took place. This unusual sport was growing in popularity across the country. Originally the means of carrying armies across the Mediterranean, it had become one of the favourite pastimes of the British upper classes. Organisers of this regatta hoped it will become an annual event.
1878 The world's first game reserve was designated - the Sabi Game Reserve in South Africa.
1886 The funeral of the first person to be officially cremated in Britain took place in Woking, Surrey.
1892 Death of Walt Whitman, US poet.
1902 British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes died in Cape Town aged 48. Rhodes amassed huge wealth in South Africa's mining boom in the 1870s and '80s, finally controlling 90 per cent of the world's diamond production. In 1890 he became prime minister of the Cape Colony. His chartered British South Africa Company conquered black kings to establish the British crown in Northern and Southern Rhodesia. He was implicated in the piratical Jameson Raid on the Transvaal Boers in 1896, and forced from office. He sacrificed his chances of vindication in the scandal for the sake of England's honour. Friends said it broke his heart, and brought him to an early death.
1920 The British special constables known as the Black and Tans arrived in Ireland to fight the IRA.
1923 The first radio weather forecast was broadcast.
1923 The great French actress Sarah Bernhardt died after a long and extraordinarily successful career, loved by millions around the globe. She was 78. She took Paris, London and then New York by storm in the 1870s, making several world tours. On tour in South America, she injured her right knee jumping off a parapet in Tosca, and in 1915 her leg had to be amputated. Nine months later she was back on stage, performing with a wooden leg. Audiences were spellbound by her flashing eyes and lovely voice and she used her eccentricities, such as sleeping in a coffin, to promote her fascinating public image.
1934 Driving tests were introduced in Britain.
1936 New Zealand radio began live broadcasts from the nation's parliament.
1942 In Germany, Nazis started sending Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp.
1945 David Lloyd George, former Liberal Prime Minister of Britain, died aged 82.
1959 Private investigator Philip Marlowe died with his creator, writer Raymond Chandler.
1964 Barbara Streisand triumphed on Broadway with a new musical comedy show, Funny Girl.
1973 Death of British dramatist, composer, actor, playwright and entertainer, Noel Coward.
1973 The first woman stockbroker set foot on the floor of the London Stock Exchange.
1979 Hopes of a lasting peace in the strife-torn Middle East were given a major boost when the leaders of Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace treaty in the presence of US President Jimmy Carter. The agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to restore diplomatic relations opened a new era: 30 years of conflict between the two nations would now be solved. The treaty crowned two years of patient diplomacy following Sadat's surprise journey to Jerusalem to open peace negotiations. Both leaders faced domestic problems getting this bold step accepted. For Carter, the treaty would restore much of the prestige he lost during the Iranian revolution.
1983 "The Fourth Man" of Britain's upper-class spy ring died of a heart attack. Anthony Blunt was the Cambridge spymaster who in the 1930s recruited Donald Maclean, Kim Philby and Guy Burgess to the communist cause. They went on to penetrate the British security services, while Blunt climbed to the top as an art historian and was appointed by Queen Elizabeth to look after the royal art collection. The spy ring undermined security during the Cold War. Blunt's role was uncovered four years earlier in the House of Commons, when it was revealed that he had confessed as far back as 1964 in exchange for immunity.
1997 At 6:30am a bomb exploded at Wilmslow Railway Station. Luckily no-one was killed or seriously injured, although debris was strewn as far as the A34 Bypass.
2003 Tony Blair arrived in Washington for his first summit with US President George Bush since the war on Iraq began.
2003 Pictures said to show two dead British soldiers, two UK POWs and a drone were broadcast on al-Jazeera TV.
2003 A man who claimed he went to Iraq to fight for Saddam Hussein reportedly handed himself to coalition forces, saying he wanted to go back to Manchester.
2003 A mystery donor saved a £12.5m portrait. It was one of the most costly paintings ever sold in the UK, Joshua Reynolds' Portrait of Omai.
2004 Anti-terror police in Paris questioned three people over blackmail threats to bomb the French rail network.
2004 Six Britons rescued after being trapped in Mexican caves were questioned before their flight home.
2004 David Bowie paid tribute to Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley as they presented their final BBC Radio 1 show.
2004 Hollywood couple Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz announced that their three-year romance was over.
2004 Tim Henman was beaten 6-7 6-2 6-7 by Jurgen Melzer in the second round of the Nasdaq-100 Open.
2005 The former Labour Prime Minister Lord Callaghan died at home on the eve of his 93rd birthday.
2005 Sacked Tory MP Howard Flight said it is up to his local party to decide whether he stood in the election.
2005 Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce from fellow actor Brad Pitt, 11 weeks after they announced their separation.
2005 Emmerdale's Zoe, actress Leah Bracknell, announced she was to take a break from the ITV1 soap to qualify as a yoga teacher.
2005 England scored four second-half goals to beat Northern Ireland in the World Cup qualifer at Old Trafford.

BIRTHDAYS (for 26 March 2006)
Robert Frost, 132 (born 26 March 1874)
American poet and triple Pulitzer Prize winner.
Chico (Leonard) Marx, 115 (born 26 March 1891)
American film comedian and member of the famous Marx Brothers family of comic actors.
Tennessee Williams, 92 (born 26 March 1914)
American playwright, screen writer and novelist.
Pierre Boulez, 81 (born 26 March 1925)
French eomposer and conductor.
Leonard Nimoy, 75 (born 26 March 1931)
American actor who played Mr Spock in the cult TV series Star Trek.
Diana Ross, 62 (born 26 March 1944)
American singer and former member of the Tamla Motown all-girl group The Supremes.

'Jillywood' tours target Cotswolds' reluctant celebrities


The quiet Cotswold village of Tirley (pop 450) boasts neither school nor shop, but the community spirit is fostered by a thriving village hall (circa 1934).

When the hall committee was awarded a borough council grant to buy some transport, the Tirley Community Minibus Association was duly formed and the £30,000 bought a 150bhp turbodiesel Volkswagen LT45, seating 16.

An enticing programme of day trips was drawn up and distributed among the mainly retired membership - Cheddar Gorge, Clark's Shopping Village, Clearwell Caves - all profit from the £8-a-head tickets going towards the vehicle's running costs and the maintenance of the fabric of the village hall (which is badly in need of new lavatories).

Bookings were steady but unspectacular. It began to look as though the committee had overestimated the Tirley pensioner community. Then Derrick Swan, 70, a retired assistant college principal, and village hall committee member, had an idea.

With so many famous people, both alive and dead, with local connections, why not organise an historical and cultural tour of the wealthy Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester triangle with historical commentary and quiz?

He and Brian Pegler, a local historian, worked out a route, devised the quiz, scheduled the trip and added it to the programme. "Hollywood comes to the Cotswolds" they called it.

The response was encouraging. A local paper ran a piece about the tour, rechristening it the "Jillywood" tour because Jilly Cooper's home village of Bisley is on the itinerary questionnaire (Tour Quiz, Question 5. (1937-) Well-known journalist, writer and media superstar. Author of many No. 1 bestsellers, including Riders, Rivals, Polo. Lives at Bisley.) A crowd of ladies from Cheltenham ensured a full minibus for the forthcoming first outing in June.

The enterprise was picked up by other newspapers, and tastefully embellished by yet more, until it reached the stage last week, when you couldn't open a newspaper without forming a mental picture of double-decker, luxury coaches packed with -rubber-necking tourists, barreling down the narrow Cotswold lanes or stationed outside the gates of Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet's £3.5 million 14th-century manor near Stow-on-the Wold.

"We've been astounded by the fuss," says Mr Swan, standing in his kitchen. Over his right shoulder, in the far distance, I can see Bredon Hill, subject of AE Houseman's beautiful poem in A Shropshire Lad, and am transfixed by it. Mr Swan is a tall, polite, kindly man, but clearly struggling to come to terms with his unexpected celebrity.

"But it's got entirely out of proportion," he says. "We've got two minibuses booked for our Jillywood tour in June. That's all. But I could fill half a dozen with all the journalists and media people that have rung up about it." The telephone rings for the third time in five minutes and he visibly sags in despair. Even his Pyrenean mountain dog seems jittery.

Had he considered that he is himself now eligible for star billing on the Jillywood tour itinerary? (Question 1. (1936-) Name this Tirley Community Minibus Committee Member and Tirley's most famous resident. In latter years, mentally unstable. Complained continually of hearing ringing telephones. Drowned himself in village hall's new lavatories in 2006.)

Oh, he had indeed, he says, shaking his head in wonderment. We finish our coffee and with the sound of his telephone accompanying us to the front door, he hands me a Jillywood quiz paper and takes me out on my own -private tour preview.

As we motor through the dripping Cotswold countryside, I scan the quiz. Of the 24 locations listed, 10 are connected with famous people who are dead (including the poets Laurie Lee and Ivor Gurney, "Bomber" Harris, Sir Ralph Richardson and Nelly Shaw, the founder member of a local nudist colony based on Tolstoyan principles), three more are the homes of members of the Royal family (Charles, Anne, and Prince Michael of Kent), but only two - Liz Hurley's £2.7 million, eight-bedroom farmhouse and 72-acre estate just outside the village of Barnsley, and perhaps Jilly Cooper's chantry at Bisley - could incontrovertibly be said to have any connection with Hollywood.

And the tour not only doesn't stop at these places (the only stops are of the "comfort "variety) it doesn't even go past them.

Not that there's much to see at either place anyhow. We make a detour and stop outside the unpretentious wooden gates to Liz Hurley's house ("Private. Keep Out", says a sign in big red capitals) but the road leading up to the house disappears over one hill, reappears on a more distant one and finally disappears into woods on the distant horizon.

There's not even a gleam of a tiled roof among the trees. Then, feeling uncomfortably like a couple of voyeurs, we drive down to have a look at Jilly Cooper's house at Bisley.

The streets of Bisley are narrow in the extreme, far too narrow for anything like a minibus. Even if Jillytour punters wanted to get out and goggle at the house's exterior for a while, they would have to walk.

To Mr Swan's acute embarrassment, I walk across the gravel and bang on Jilly Cooper's front door, hoping that the author might enjoy hearing that she's mentioned in a Tirley Community Minibus Association tour quiz. But a very nice lady who isn't Jilly Cooper very politely says that Jilly is hard at work on a newspaper article and can't be disturbed.

Of course, there are so many celebrities living in the Cotswolds that if you threw a rolled up copy of Hello! up any of the village high streets, you'd probably hit one. There's Kate (Winslet) and husband Sam, and there's Hugh and Damian and Kate (Moss).

But celebrity is so cheap today, that the entire British countryside, from Cornwall to Cumbria, is positively throbbing with them. Call me old-fashioned, but one bona fide Hollywood star out of 24 Cotswold personalities on the tour, many of them brown bread, hardly warrants the title Jillywood and a media scrum, if you ask me.

We get back into the car. Whether graced by celebrities or not, the countryside in between these locations is intensely pretty, even on a soggy day at the end of a long winter. The ochre dry-stone walls are as satisfying to look on as completed jig-saw puzzles. And, though recently cut by mechanical flails, the wild blackthorn and hawthorn hedges bordering the road are as square and neat as topiary.

A six-hour tour of such attractive country ending at a pub is worth £8 of anybody's money. I sit back and enjoy. Sod the celebrities, I say.

25.3.06

Trivia Hall Of Fame

Visit the site for 12 new questions on the stuff people collect!
Answer this bonus question correctly to be listed in (and rise in) the Trivia Hall of Fame.
If you're a rock hound or a lepidopterist or a conchologist, even, you may keep your stash in something that is itself collected by phillumenists. What?

COLLECTING FACTOIDS.
The first US stamps, issued on July 1, 1847, featured George Washington and Ben Franklin, making the former Postmaster General the first non head of state to appear on a stamp anywhere in the world..
Appearing on an 8-cent stamp in 1902, Martha Washington was the first woman to have her face on a US postage stamp issued in her honour..
In 1940, Booker T Washington became the first black person depicted on a US postage stamp..
No living people are supposed to appear on US stamps, although there are exceptions. Neil Armstrong was one; three 9/11 firefighters were another..
In the 1990s, Robert Zoellner managed to own a complete collection of US stamps. Louis Eliasberg, meanwhile, had a complete collection of US coins, although technically it did not differentiate between proofs and circulation strikes.

Reminder - Clock's Go Forward!

Just to remind you that the clocks
SPRING forward by an hour on
Sunday morning
in the UK

1980's Number One Hits


1980
01. Brass In Pocket - Pretenders
02. Too Much Too Young - The Specials Live EP
03. Coward Of The County - Kenny Rogers
04. Atomic - Blondie
05. Together We Are Beautiful - Fern Kinney
06. Going Underground - The Jam
07. Working My Way Back To You - Detroit Spinners
08. Call Me - Blondie
09. Geno - Dexy's Midnight Runners
10. What's Another Year - Johnny Logan
11. Suicide Is Painless (Theme From Mash) - Mash
12. Crying - Don McLean
13. Xanadu - Olivia Newton John & ELO
14. Use It Up And Wear It Out - Odyssey
15. The Winner Takes It All - ABBA
16. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
17. Start - Jam
18. Feels Like I'm In Love - Kelly Marie
19. Don't Stand So Close To Me - Police
20. Woman In Love - Barbra Steisand
21. The Tide Is High - Blondie
22. Super Trouper - ABBA
23. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
24. There's No-one Quite Like Granma - St Winfred's School Choir

1981
01. Imagine - John Lennon
02. Woman - John Lennon
03. Shuddup You Face - Joe Dolce Musical Theatre
04. Jealous Guy - Roxy Music
05. Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz
06. Stand & Deliver - Adam And The Ants
07. Being With You - Smokey Robinson
08. One Day In Your Life - Michael Jackson
09. Ghost Town - Specials
10. Green Door - Shakin' Stevens
11. Japenese Boy - Aneka
12. Tainted Love - Softcell
13. Prince Charming - Adam And The Ants
14. It's My Party - Dave Stewert & Barbara Gaskin
15. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
16. Under Pressure - David Bowie & Queen
17. Begin The Beguine - Julio Iglesias
18. Don't You Want Me - Human League

1982
01. Land Of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz
02. Oh Julie - Shakin' Stevens
03. The Model - Kraftwork
04. A Town Called Malice - The Jam
05. The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Tight Fight
06. Seven Tears - Goombay Dance Band
07. My Camera Never Lies - Bucks Fizz
08. Ebony & Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
09. A Little Peace - Nicole
10. House Of Fun - Madness
11. Goody Two Shoes - Adam And The Ants
12. I've Never Been To Me - Charlene
13. Happy Talk - Captain Sensible
14. Fame - Irene Cara
15. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
16. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
17. Pass The Dutchie - Musical Youth
18. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
19. I Don't Wanna Dance - Eddy Grant
20. Beat Surrender - The Jam
21. Save Your Love - Renee And Renato

1983
01. You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins
02. Down Under - Men At Work
03. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
04. Billie Jean - Micheal Jackson
05. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
06. Is There Something I Should Know - Duran Duran
07. Let's Dance - David Bowie
08. True - Spandau Ballet
09. Candy Girl - New Edition
10. Every Breath You Take - The Police
11. Baby Jane - Rod Stewert
12. Wherever I Lay My Hat (Thats My Home) - Paul Young
13. Give It Up - KC & The Sunshine Band
14. Red Red Wine - UB40
15. Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
16. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
17. Only You - Flying Pickets

1984
01. Pipes Of Peace - Paul McCartney
02. Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
03. 99 Red Balloons - Nena
04. Hello - Lionel Richie
05. The Reflex - Duran Duran
06. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - Wham
07. Two Tribes - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
08. Careless Whisper - George Michael
09. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
10. Freedom - Wham
11. I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
12. I Should Have Known Better - Jim Diamond
13. The Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
14. Do They Know It's Christams - Band Aid

1985
01. I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
02. I Know Him So Well - Barbara Dickinson & Elaine Page
03. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - Dead Or Alive
04. Easy Lover - Phil Collins & Phillip Bailey
05. We Are The World - USA For Africa
06. Move Closer - Phyllis Nelson
07. 19 - Paul Hardcastle
08. You'll Never Walk Alone - Crowd
09. Frankie - Sister Sledge
10. There Must Ba An Angel (Playing With My Heart) - Eurythmics
11. Into The Groove - Madonna
12. I Got You Babe - UB40 & Chrissie Hynde
13. Dancing In The Street - David Bowie & Mick Jagger
14. If I Was - Midge Ure
15. The Power Of Love - Jennifer Rush
16. A Good Heart - Feargal Sharkey
17. I'm Your Man - Wham
18. Saving All My Love For You - Witney Houston
19. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens

1986
01. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys
02. The Sun Always Shines On TV - A-ha
03. When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going - Billy Ocean
04. Chain Reaction - Diana Ross
05. Living Doll - Cliff Richard & The Young Ones
06. A Different Corner - George Michael
07. Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
08. The Chicken Song - Spitting Image
09. Spirit In The Sky - Doctor And The Medics
10. The Edge Of Heaven - Wham
11. Papa Dont Preach - Madonna
12. Lady In Red - Chris DeBurgh
13. I Want To Wake Up With You - Boris Gardner
14. Dont Leave Me This Way - Communards
15. True Blue - Madonna
16. Every Loser Wins - Nick Berry
17. Take My Breath Away - Berlin
18. The Final Countdown - Europe
19. Caravan Of Love - Housemartins
20. Reet Petite - Jackie Wilson

1987
01. Jack Your Body - Steve 'Silk' Hurley
02. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - Aretha Franklin & George Michael
03. Stand By Me - Ben E King
04. Everything I Own - Boy George
05. Respectable - Mel & Kim
06. Let It Be - Ferry Aid
07. La Isla Bonita - Madonna
08. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
09. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
10. Star Trekkin' - The Firm
11. It's A Sin - Pet Shop Boys
12. Whos That Girl - Madonna
13. La Bamba - Los Lobos
14. I Just Cant Stop Loving You - Micheal Jackson With Siedah Garrett
15. Never Gonna To Give You Up - Rick Astley
16. Pump Up The Volume - MARRS
17. You Win Again - Bee Gees
18. China In Your Hand - T 'Pau
19. Always On My Mind - Pet Shop Boys

1988
01. Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
02. I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany
03. I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue
04. Don't Turn Around - Asward
05. Heart - Pet Shop Boys
06. S' Express - Theme From S' Express
07. Perfect - Fairground Attraction
08. With A Little Help From My Friends - Wet Wet Wet
09. Doctorin' The Tardis - The Timelords
10. I Owe You Nothing - Bros
11. Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You - Glen Medeiros
12. The Only Way Is Up - Yazz & The Plastic Population
13. A Groovy Kind Of Love - Phil Collins
14. He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies
15. Desire - U2
16. One Moment In Time - Witney Houston
17. Orinoco Flow - Enya
18. The First Time - Robin Beck
19. Mistletoe And Wine - Cliff Richard

1989
01. Especially For You - Jason Donovan & Kylie Minogue
02. Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart - Marc Almond With Gene Pitney
03. Belfast Child - Simple Minds
04. Too Many Broken Hearts - Jason Donovan
05. Like A Prayer - Madonna
06. Eternal Flame - The Bangles
07. Hand On Your Heart - Kylie Minogue
08. Ferry 'Cross The Mersey - Various Artists
09. Sealed With A Kiss - Jason Donovan
10. Back To Life - Soul II Soul Featuring Caron Wheeler
11. You'll Never Stop Me Loving You - Sonia
12. Swing The Mood - Jive Bunny & The Master Mixers
13. Ride On Time - Black Box
14. That's What I Like - Jive Bunny & The Master Mixers
15. All Around The World - Lisa Stansfield
16. You Got It (The Right Stuff) - New Kids On The Block
17. Let's Party - Jive Bunny & The Master Mixers
18. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid II

March 25 - Independence Day in Greece


March 25 is both a national (revolution against the Turks) and religious holiday (Annunciation). March 25 is the nameday for Vangelis or Evangelos and Vangelio or Evangelia or Eva.
There is a school flag parade in every town and village and a big armed forces parade in Athens , the capital of Greece .
The Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Greeks remained under the Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years. During this time their language, their religion and their sense of identity remained strong.
On March 25, 1821 the bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Greek flag at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Peloponnese and one more revolution started against the Turks. The people of Greece shouted "Freedom or Death" and they fought the War of Independence for 9 years (1821-1829) until a small part of modern Greece was finally liberated and it was declared an independent nation.
The struggle for the liberation of all the lands inhabited by Greeks continued. In 1864, the Ionian islands were added to Greece; in 1881 parts of Epirus and Thessaly. Crete, the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia were added in 1913 and Western Thrace in 1919. After World War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece.

About the Greek flag: "Freedom or Death" ( Eleftheria i Thanatos) was the motto during the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire. It is believed that the nine lines of the flag reflects the number of syllables in the greek phrase "Eleftheria i Thanatos" = Freedom or Death.
The line pattern was chosen because of their similarity with the wavy sea that surounds the shores of Greece.The interchange of blue and white colors makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day to look like the Aegean Sea. The Greek Square Cross that rests on the upper left-side ofthe flag demonstrates the respect and the devotion that Greek people have for the Greek Orthodox Church and signifies the important role of Christianity in the formation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the dark years of the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped the enslaved Greeks to retain their cultural characteristics: the Greek language, the Byzantine religion and generally the Greek ethnic identity. Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion among Greeks. Therefore the existence of the Cross is justified.

The Greek National Anthem: Hymn to Liberty (Imnos stin Eleftheria)
English Translation -
We knew thee of old,
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes,
And the light of thy Sword,
From the graves of our slain,
Shall thy valour prevail,
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
(repeat previous two lines three times)

LINKS
Listen to the Greek National Anthem in midi format
Get a free
Greek National Anthem ringtone for your Nokia cell phone
More information about
the Greek National Anthem

Today's The Day - March 25th


25th March 2006

National Day of Greece.

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Barontius, St Alfwold,
St Dismus,
St Lucy Filippini,
St Hermenland,
and St Margaret Clitherow.

History Test for March 25th
Composer Bela Bartok was born today in 1881. What was his nationality? -Hungarian
Today in 1958 boxer Walker Smith Robinson won the World Middleweight title. What was his nickname? -'Sugar Ray'
Born today in 1133, which king appointed Thomas a Becket Archbishop of Canterbury? -Henry II
Today in 1991, who won an Oscar for directing the film `Dances With Wolves'? -Kevin Costner
The French composer Debussy died today in 1918. What was his first name? -Claude

QUOTE
"Shakespeare - the nearest thing in incarnation to the eye of God." - Laurence Olivier, 1949.

Events today...
1306 The eighth Earl of Carrick, Robert the Bruce, was crowned King of Scotland at Scone, becoming Robert I. Bruce's grandfather lost his claim to the throne in 1292; Bruce won back the crown after murdering his rival John Comyn in 1302. Comyn was backed by the English under King Edward I. After a decade when his allegiance to the cause of Scottish nationalism was wavering, the murder and his accession to the throne now committed Bruce to the fight to restore national independence to Scotland.
1609 English explorer Henry Hudson set off from Amsterdam, on behalf of the Dutch East India Company, in search of the North West Passage.
1807 Influenced by the philanthropic MP William Wilberforce, the British parliament abolished the slave trade.
1809 Death of Anna Seward English novelist who wrote Black Beauty.
1815 Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia formed a new alliance against Napoleon Bonaparte.
1836 Death of Nicholas Hawksmoor, English architect.
1843 A pedestrian tunnel was opened beneath the Thames in London, linking Wapping with Rotherhithe.
1876 In the first football international between Wales and Scotland, played in Glasgow, Scotland won 4-0.
1914 Frederic Mistral, French poet, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905 and co-founder of the Felibrige movement to preserve the language and culture of Provence, died aged 84.
1918 Claude Debussy, the French composer whose works included Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, Pelleas et Melisande and La Mer, died aged 55 after losing his nine-year battle against rectal cancer.
1929 Benito Mussolini, leader of the Fasci di Combattimento organisation, claimed to have won 90 per cent of the vote in the Italian elections.
1949 British actor and director Laurence Olivier was the toast of Hollywood after his film version of Hamlet swept five Oscars. The production was the first British film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture; Olivier himself won the Best Actor award. 41-year-old Olivier also directed the film, which had a mixed reception at its premiere last year. Critics then said he was too old to play Shakespeare's hero opposite 18-year-old Jean Simmons as Ophelia. He was also attacked for hacking the classic down to a mere two and a half hours, but this ceremony gave him the last laugh. Olivier's triumph confirms him as one of the leading actors and directors of his time. His screen credits included Rebecca, Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice, while his work with London's Old Vic had endeared him to thousands of theatregoers.
1957 Six European countries (France, Belgium, Luxembourg, West Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands) signed the Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Community.
1958 The great American boxer Sugar Ray Robinson won the world middleweight title for an unprecedented fifth time when he outpointed Carmen Bastillo over 15 rounds in Chicago.
1975 Saudi Arabia's King Faisal was murdered by his nephew luring a ceremony at the palace in Riyadh to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Mahommed. The killer, 31-year-old Prince Faisal ibn Museid, was reported to be mentally deranged. If condemned under Saudi law he faced a public beheading. Faisal's death was a diplomatic blow for the United States, which had relied on the king as a moderating influence in the political powder-keg of the Middle East.
1990 In New York, 87 people died in a disco fire.
2003 UK forces fired on the southern city of Basra in support of what they said was a civilian uprising, as Baghdad came under renewed bombing.
2003 A "friendly fire" incident claimed the lives of two UK soldiers near Basra in southern Iraq.
2003 In a seesaw battle, US Senate moderates succeeded in cutting President Bush's tax cut plan in half.
2003 A senior special police officer was arrested in Serbia on suspicion of assassinating Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
2003 Mohammed Sacirbey - best known as Bosnia's articulate ambassador during the war - was arrested on fraud charges.
2003 Former French PM Edith Cresson was charged with corruption during her time as a European commissioner.
2003 Ten-man Arsenal progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals after beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
2004 Al-Jazeera aired a tape said to be by Osama Bin Laden's deputy, calling for Pakistan's leader to be toppled.
2004 Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic refused to grant consent to a change of judges at his war crimes trial.
2004 Specialist divers rescued the first four of six Britons who had been trapped in a Mexican cave for a week.
2004 Queens Park Rangers defender Terrell Forbes was remanded in custody after the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl.
2004 Singer George Michael was considering offers to create a stage musical based on his old pop group Wham!.
2004 Igor Biscan was sent off as Marseille knock Liverpool out of the UEFA Cup.
2005 Kyrgyzstan's deposed leader Askar Akayev denied he had resigned, as the acting president promised fresh polls.
2005 Millions of Christians worldwide marked Good Friday - but ill health forced the Pope to keep a low profile for Easter.
2005 "Saving Private Ryan" star Tom Sizemore was jailed for 17 months after violating his probation.
2005 American Idol judge Paula Abdul was fined and put on probation for hitting a car and driving away.

BIRTHDAYS (for 25 March 2006)
Arturo Toscanini, 139 (born 25 March 1867)
Italian conductor who refused to conduct in Italy or Germany when they were ruled by the Fascists and the Nazis respectively.
Bela Bartok, 124 (born 25 March 1882)
Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist whose music blends East European folk music with dissonant harmonies.
A. J. P. Taylor, 100 (born 25 March 1906)
British historian and broadcaster.
David Lean, 98 (born 25 March 1908)
British film director who made Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago and Bridge over the River Kwai.
Howard Cosell (born Howard William Cohen), 86 (born 25 March 1920)
sports commentator.
Aretha Franklin, 64 (born 25 March 1942)
American singer dubbed the`Queen of Soul'.
Elton John, 59 (born 25 March 1947)
British songwriter, pianist and singer.

24.3.06

Eurovision - Athens 2006: a contest of rendez-vous?


The 2006 Eurovision Song Contest might well go down in the the history books as the year of rendez-vous, with a number of former Eurovision contestants bidding to represent their country (or another!) once again. As many as 21 former participants are trying to secure a ticket for Athens in the national preselections – and there could be more as the finalists of some countries’s selection contests are still to be anounced!

Sweden
Carola, who represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983 with ‘Främling’ (which finished third) and in 1991 with the winning song ‘Fångad av en stormvind’, is taking part in the Swedish semi-finals of Melodifestivalen with ‘Evighet’.

Other former Eurovision participants in the Swedish selection are Anna Sahlene, who represented Estonia in 2002 with ‘Runaway’ and Kayo, who was a member of the Swedish group Afro-dite in 2001. Futhermore, Roger Pontare who represented Sweden at the 1994 and 2000 Eurovision Song Contests and Kikki Danielsson, who was seen in the 1982 and 1985 events, will also be trying again. Finally, Magnus Bäcklund and Jessica Andersson – formerly of the duo Fame who sang ‘Give me your love’ – who will now take part as solo artists.

Germany
In Germany, Greek-born Vicky Leandros is one of the hopefuls in the national selection. She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972 for Luxembourg with ‘Après toi’ after having made her Eurovision debut in 1967 with ‘L’amour est bleu’, also for Luxembourg.

Iceland
Birgitta Haukdal will take part in the third Icelandic semi-final. She previously represented her home country at the 2003 contest in Riga with ‘Open your heart’. Gunnar Ólason, one half of the duo TwoTricky, will also be taking part. He took to the stage for Iceland in 2001 with ‘Angel’.

Belgium
Barbara Dex won the second semi-final of the Belgian selection contest Eurosong 2006. In 1993, she represented her country at Eurovision with ‘Iemand als jij’. Unfortunately, it is said that the only thing most people remember is her dress. So this year, Dex is going for revenge! Vanessa Chinitor, who competed in 1999 with ‘Like the wind’, was less fortunate. She came last in the first semi-final in Belgium she came last, ending her hopes of returning to the Eurovision stage in Athens.

Estonia
Ines, who came fourth at the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Once in a lifetime’, is bidding to represent Estonia again with ‘Iseendale’, her song for the Eurolaul 2006 competition. She wrote the song together with her brother Ivo Etti, who was part of the Estonian group Ruffus at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003.

Norway
Norwegians will meet a well-known face from last year’s Finnish selection contest: Geir Rønning! Last year, the Norwegian-born artist represented Finland with ‘Why’. Apart from singing, he also wrote one of the other participating songs. Tor Endresen struggled for nearly ten years to make it to a Eurovision Song Contest final but when he finally did top the poll to sing for Norway, he finished last in Dublin in 1997. Little wonder, perhaps, that Norwegian voters were reluctant to award him a second chance for his subsequent attempts in 1999 and 2005! This year, though, he’s taking part in the third Norwegian Semi Final.

Poland
In Poland, the band Ich Troje is hot favourite to win the national selection Piosenka dla Europy. With ‘Zadnych granic – Keine Grenzen’, the band came seventh at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest. This year they will perform ‘Follow my heart’.

Serbia & Montenegro
No Name will participate again in their national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2005, they represented Serbia & Montenegro with the song ‘Zauvijek moja’ which came seventh in the Final.

Albania
Although she didn't succeed, Anjeza Shahini did attempt to represent Albania at this year’s contest in Athens. Two years ago, she was the first ever Albanian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, singing ‘The image of you’. This year, Luiz Ejlli won the ticket to Athens with ‘Zjarr e ftohte’, making him the third Albanian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Denmark
’I will never ever let you go’ was the song with which Søren Poppe (as part of the duo Rollo & King) finished second at the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark and for Denmark. In this year's Danish selection, he will be on stage together with Lene Matthiesen Nørrelykke, singing ‘En som dig’. Trine Jepsen, who represented Denmark in 1999 with Michael Teschl singing ‘This time I mean it’, will take part with Christian Bach, singing ‘Grib mig’.

Malta
Fabrizio Faniello will take part in the Maltese selection contest. In 2001, he represented his country in Copenhagen with ‘Another summer night’.

Greece
Breaking news announced by ERT recently: Anna Vissi will represent Greece in the 51st Eurovision Song Contest. During her career Anna Vissi had already participated twice in the Song Contest: 1980 for Greece with "Autostop" and two years later for her home country Cyprus with "Mono i Agapi".

BBC Quiz Index

The BBC Magazine Online provides some interesting Quizzes to test the grey cells.


 

The Week's News - At A Glance

Friday March 17
It was revealed that booster jabs could be made obsolete after the discovery by a British scientist of the first effective way to control the speed at which vaccines are released in the body.The Prince of Wales won his privacy claim against a Sunday newspaper over a leaked journal in which he described Chinese leaders at the handover of Hong Kong in 1997 as "old waxworks". Dame Anita Roddick, the tycoon who taught women the joys of papaya body butter, stood poised to earn £118m after agreeing to sell her stake in The Body Shop to L'Oréal. It was announced that Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, is to stand down as an MP at the next general election.

Saturday March 18

It emerged that Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, was recommended for a bonus of up to £34,000 despite a string of gaffes and questions over his leadership. Slobodan Milosevic was finally buried in the Serbian soil for which he spilt so much blood, in a funeral that saw his country mourn and celebrate with equal passion. The biggest joint student and worker demonstrations in France since May 1968 ended in violence as baton-wielding police fought running battles with troublemakers who hurled dustbins and smashed shop windows. Figures from Ofwat revealed that water companies are making record profits despite presiding over sharp increases in water leakages.

Sunday March 19

The Government prepared to press ahead with the latest phase of its police merger plans, even though a Whitehall study concluded that they would be too expensive and disruptive.Iyad Allawi, one of Iraq's most pro-western figures and former prime minister said that the country was in the grip of a "terrible" civil war.Child rights lawyers demanded an immediate inquiry by the British Sea Cadets after one of its most senior officers was convicted of sexually abusing street children in Bombay. It emerged that 12 pensioners have been stranded on the upper floors of their care home since a lift broke down on Christmas Day.

Monday March 20

Labour named a dozen millionaires who bankrolled its 2005 election campaign, in an effort to prevent sleaze claims from destroying Tony Blair's premiership.The Probation Service came under fire after it emerged that four members of a gang who murdered a 16-year-old girl were supposed to be under its supervision.President George W Bush issued a stark warning to Iran when he said that America's military would be ordered into action if Teheran carried out its threat to attack Israel.The most powerful cyclone to hit Australia in decades roared into Queensland at 180mph, devastating the coast and leaving thousands of people homeless.

Tuesday March 21

Labour was plunged into a crisis after millionaire businessmen embarrassed by the disclosure that they had made "secret" loans insisted on the party paying back at least £6.5 million. The mother of Abigail Rae told an inquest how she pulled her dying daughter from a neighbour's pond after the two-year-old wandered away unnoticed from a village playgroup. The Old Bailey was told that a terrorist cell allegedly linked to al-Qa'eda planned to blow up pubs, nightclubs and trains in a bombing campaign in Britain. Nuclear inspectors from the IAEA established a link between Iranian nuclear documents and the blueprint for a warhead bought by Libya on the black market.

Wednesday March 22

Gordon Brown used his 10th and possibly final Budget to show he would be a high-spending, rather than a tax-cutting, prime minister with an ambition to ensure state school pupils had the same quality of education as those in private schools. Basque separatist group Eta surprised the Spanish government by declaring a "permanent" ceasefire, which could be the first step to ending almost 38 years of violence. Five law lords ruled that a schoolgirl who was refused permission to wear a full-length Islamic gown in class was not deprived of the right to manifest her religion. A new treatment that can double the life expectancy of women with advanced breast cancer was announced. It combines a standard chemotherapy drug with one devised to treat advanced bowel cancer.

Thursday March 23

Norman Kember, the British peace activist kidnapped in Iraq four months ago, was freed with two other hostages after an operation led by the SAS.President Jacques Chirac stormed out of an EU summit after a French employers' leader said that English was "the language of European business".Rioters set cars on fire in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower after breaking off from the latest Paris demonstration against the youth job law to attack the police.A senior US general revealed that Britain had been named as a prime candidate to host missiles for America's controversial "son of Star Wars" defence system.

And...

The California town of Calabasas led the western world by imposing a ban on public smoking, provoking celebration, bemusement and anger from residents... A video game said to help the older generation sharpen their minds and delay the onset of dementia was poised for launch... Enid Blyton emerged as an unexpected winner in a list of the most-borrowed authors from British libraries... A university study showed that teenage goths were likely to become doctors, lawyers or architects in later life... The rest of Britain might have been hoping for the first signs of spring but there were no complaints about the cold weather from thousands of skiers in Scotland's mountain resorts... Alan B'Stard MP, the odious hero of a 1980s television series that satirised the "sleaze" years of the Tory government, is to be reborn as a corrupt Labour MP… A report suggested that three out of four people do not know the cost of a first-class stamp - 30p... An obese man became an icon after walking across America in a bid to lose weight... A cartoon that lampoons stereotypes, including grasping Jews and aggressive blacks, in a drive to counter racism is a new hit on American television... Scientists found that a nasal spray containing a female hormone could be used to make aggressive businessmen negotiate more reasonably.

Today's The Day - 24th March


24th March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Dunchad,
St Hildelith,
St Macartan,
St Aldemar,
St Simon of Trent,
St William of Norwich,
St Catherine of Vadstena,
and St Irenaeus of Sirmeum.


History Test for March 24th
The New York premiere of the play `Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' took place today in 1955. Who wrote it? -Tennessee Williams
Today in 1949 `Hamlet' became the first British film to win an Oscar. Who played the title role? -Sir Laurence Olivier
Silent film star Roscoe Arbuckle was born today in 1887. What was his nickname? -'Fatty'
Which American comedian was married to Bebe Daniels and died today in 1979? -Ben Lyon
Actor Steve McQueen was born today in 1930. In which 1968 film, featuring a classic car chase, does he play a detective? -'Bullitt'

QUOTE
"A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a spark,
Struck out from a steed flying fearless and fleet:
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light
The fate of the nation was riding that night."
- From Paul Revere's Ride, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who died today, 1882.

Events today...
1401 Tamerlane the Great captured Damascus.
1603 Elizabeth I, England's virgin queen for 45 years, died, ending a reign that made England the leading Protestant and maritime power of Europe - and one in which the arts flourished as never before. Without an heir, she was succeeded by the son of Mary Queen of Scots, uniting the thrones of England and Scotland; he would be James I of England, and James VI of Scotland. Her final years were clouded with frustrations at the continuing Irish rebellions and the death of her handsome young favourite, the Earl of Essex. The Queen's last words were "All my possessions for a moment of time".
1603 The crowns of England and Scotland were united when King James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English throne.
1839 Chinese troops blockaded the foreign traders' warehouses in Canton as the Peking court's struggle to suppress the opium trade moved towards outright war. Commissioner Lin Ze-xu, the Emperor's special envoy, surrounded the warehouses and ordered the foreign merchants to give up more than 20,000 chests of the illegal drug, worth about $12 million. The merchants had little choice but to comply and the opium was destroyed. The drug - first imported from India in the l7th century - was ruining China morally and financially, said Peking. But it was filling the coffers of the Scottish, English and American trading houses with facilities at Canton. It was a balance of addiction: the London exchequer was being drained of silver for the hard-currency payments China demanded for selling its tea to the thirsty British - until merchants forced them to start accepting payment in opium which the merchants could buy very cheaply in India. The matter was not to end with Lin's tough action: for the Western powers, access to China's markets was at stake.
1877 The Oxford-Cambridge boat race ended in a dead heat, the only time this has happened.
1882 Death of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, US poet.
1905 Death of J. M. Synge, Irish playwright whose Playboy of the Western World caused riots when it was premiered at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
1905 Jules Verne, French author of Around the World in Eighty Days and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, died at the age of 77.
1911 Denmark abolished capital punishment.
1922 Only three of the 32 horses in the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree finished the race.
1938 British prime minister Neville Chamberlain admitted that he would not oppose Adolf Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia in the interests of avoiding war between Britain and Germany.
1942 The national loaf was introduced in Britain.
1944 Death of Orde Charles Wingate British general.
1946 First broadcast of Alistaire Cook’s ‘Letter from America’.
1953 Death of Queen Mary, widow of King George V of England.
1976 Argentinian president Isabel Peròn, third wife of former president Juan Peròn, was deposed by the army in a bloodless coup.
1976 Death of Bernard, Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, British Field Marshall and Commander of the Eighth Army in World War II.
1988 An Israeli court sentenced technician Mordecai Vanunu to eight years in prison for revealing details of Israel's nuclear programme to the Sunday Times in London.
1989 The US Congress agreed to renew a $40 million aid programme for the right-wing Contra rebels fighting Nicaragua's Sandinista government. The condition was more Congressional oversight of the administration's affairs. The funding was stopped during the Iran-Contra scandal, in which it was revealed that CIA and National Security Council chiefs were secretly funding the Contras. The aid money was only be used for non-lethal equipment, but its resumption was an important coup for the Repuhlican right wing.
1989 Two little-known scientists today published a paper in which they claimed to have unlocked the secret of low-temperature nuclear fusion. It could allow man to tap the same source of energy that powers the sun but with total control. Stanley Pons of the University of Utah and Martin Fleischmann of the University of Southampton, England stunned the scientific world with their claim. Pons and Fleischmann claimed they achieved room-temperature fusion in a simple laboratory experiment that produced a small, steady stream of electricity. In fusion several atomic nuclei join together, releasing large amounts of energy but little radio-active waste. If the scientists, who were being asked to repeat their experiment, were right, it would be one of the greatest post-war discoveries.
1990 Indian peacekeeping troops pulled out of Sri Lanka.
1991 Madonna sang her hit "Sooner or Later" from the movie in which she starred Dick Tracy, at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles - and won an Oscar for it. But was hardly be able to find room for it on her mantelpiece. Earlier in the month she won Rolling Stone's Best Single, Best Video, Best Tour, Best Dressed Female Artist, Sexiest Female Singer, Best Video and Hype of the Year awards - no mean feat, considering that the previous year the magazine gave her the Worst Female Singer and Worst Video awards. Three days earlier her single "Vogue" won the International Single of the Year award, and the day before "Rescue Me" was the highest-debuting single by a female artist in history. Madonna had sold more than 80 million albums world-wide; at one time she had a No. 1 hit in 28 countries simultaneously. Only Elvis Presley and the Beatles beat her chart success.
2003 A Vietnamese nurse died after contracting a mysterious respiratory bug, bringing the death toll to 22 world-wide.
2003 The governing nationalists in the Spanish region of Catalonia published a proposal for sovereignty within Spain.
2003 British ground forces in Iraq suffered their first combat loss as UK troops got involved in fierce fighting in Iraq's second city of Basra.
2003 The film "Chicago" won six Oscars including best film, as war casts a shadow over many acceptance speeches.
2003 Harry Potter author JK Rowling and her husband, Dr Neil Murray, were celebrating the arrival of their first child.
2003 Defending champion Andre Agassi defeated Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 6-0 in the Nasdaq-100 Open.
2003 Ipswich midfielder Darren Ambrose joined Premiership high-flyers Newcastle for a fee of around £1m.
2004 The EU fined the software giant Microsoft almost 500m euros for anti-competitive behaviour and it demanded changes to its software.
2004 The French prime minister appealed for calm after a suspected bomb was found on a railway track.
2004 A 15-year-old boy was found guilty of the manslaughter of a teenager who died when trapped in a burning skip.
2004 The final episode of hit US sitcom Frasier was filmed in the US, bringing the show to a close after 11 years.
2005 Kyrgyzstan's parliament appointted interim leaders after protests toppled President Askar Akayev.
2005 Conservative MP Howard Flight resigned as deputy chairman of the party in a row over spending cuts.
2005 The FA confirmed England would get a four-week break before the 2006 World Cup.

BIRTHDAYS (for 24 March 2006)
William Morris, 172 (born 24 March 1834)
British designer, artist and poet who was associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Harry Houdini (born Ehrich Weiss), 132 (born 24 March 1874)
magician & escape artist.
Roscoe `Fatty' Arbuckle, 119 (born 24 March 1887)
American silent film comedian whose career was ruined in 1921 after a sex scandal in which a young actress was found dead in sordid circumstances at a party.
Steve McQueen, 76 (born 24 March 1930)
American film actor whose first major film was The Magnificent Seven.
Alan Sugar, 59 (born 24 March 1947)
Spurs and Amstrad chairman
Peter Powell, 55 (born 24 March 1951)
Former Radio 1 DJ, and husband and agent of Anthea Turner


23.3.06

Mastermind

Test your knowledge online, with questions taken from previous series of 'Mastermind'.
We'll regularly add a new quiz, so keep coming back for more.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/entertainment/mastermind/quizzes.shtml

BBC Wales are looking for contestants for a new TV series to determine the Welsh Mastermind.
The series will go out on S4C. You MUST be a Welsh speaker.
To find out more CLICK HERE

The Publican launches charity eBay auctions

They love freebies at The Publican and quite pathetically grateful when they get sent cases of beer, boxes of crisps, chocolate, tickets to major sporting events, trips to exotic destinations and similar goodies. PR companies take note.

However, some of the stuff they get sent in might be high-quality branded merchandise but, for one reason or another, it fails to find an owner.

So they've decided to starting flogging it on eBay, the auction website that appears to have been invented for the sole purpose of shifting unwanted presents. And they are going to donate the profits to a worthy cause - the Licensed Trade Charity.

To kick us off, they've got some stylish bits and pieces from mates at Heineken, sponsors of the Champions League and, coincidentally enough, the Heineken Cup. The auction includes a floppy sun hat, a pack of playing cards, some cool sunglasses, a zip-up bottle holder and some ear-plugs (don't ask). Also included is a very rare, highly collectible, Proud Of Pubs/National Pubs Week beermat...

You can find the auction on ebay.co.uk by clicking on the link below, searching for their user name, thepublicansales, or by auction number 6265126417. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6265126417&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:UK:31

They will be adding more auctions in the weeks to come, all in eBay's "breweriana" categories, and you will be updated on the amount they have raised. Remember - bid early, bid often. Jolly exciting isn't it?

BBC to screen World Cup in HDTV

The BBC is to screen this summer's football World Cup and Wimbledon championships in High-definition television (HDTV).
The trial run of the service will include the BBC's share of World Cup matches and key Wimbledon ties in June.
The corporation is trying out HDTV for up to a year, starting in mid-May.
The system delivers more detailed pictures and sharper action shots, and will be an additional stream to the current analogue and digital services.
Blades of grass
HDTV will only be available to viewers who have HD-enabled television sets, set-top boxes and relevant services via satellite and cable distributors.
Roger Mosey, the BBC's director of sport, said the service was particularly effective with live action football and other sports.
"It gives fantastic picture quality, from the blades of grass that are being played on right to the back of the stands," he said.
Mr Mosey stressed that the trial would only be available to a selected group of viewers, but hoped it would prove to be "a glimpse of the future".
The first World Cup match and live HDTV programme to be broadcast will be Germany v Costa Rica on 9 June, which will also include match commentary and studio coverage.
The feed will come from Premiere, Germany's host broadcasters for the tournament.
High-definition images will also be fed into standard digital and analogue transmissions of the game and the Wimbledon Championships, where the BBC is the host broadcaster.
Limited airspace
The BBC's HDTV trial, expected to last between six and 12 months, will begin in May with streams of programmes, including Planet Earth and Galapagos.
Chances to revisit action from dramas Hotel Babylon and Bleak House will also be offered.
HDTV transmissions cannot be offered on Freeview at present due to limited airspace, while a trial limited to a few hundred households in London which have yet to be chosen will take place.
The digital switchover between 2008-2012 is expected to provide an opportunity to broadcast HDTV via Freeview.
Any ongoing HDTV service will have to be approved by the new BBC Trust.

Scottish licensees prepare for Sunday

Scotland’s ban on smoking in public places – which includes pubs – comes into effect on Sunday at 6am.
From that time licensees will be forced to ask their customers to step outside if they want to spark up. Scotland joins Ireland, which introduced a full smoking ban in March 2004, with England and Wales likely to follow suit in 2007.
The authorities have already made clear their intention to enforce the rules strictly. In Edinburgh “smoking” officers will be checking the city’s pubs and bars to ensure drinkers are not flouting the ban. Four smoking-ban officials will join a team of 146 environmental officers enforcing the new law. An initial two-and-a-half-week blitz will be carried out on 3,000 premises in Edinburgh, with the officials employing tactics picked up from officers in Dublin.
Despite reports that enforcement officers would go undercover and wear “civvies”, the council has denied this will happen.
Patrick Browne, chief executive of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, said he was concerned about whether there would be “consistency” from councils over enforcement. “There’s a lot of information flying around that’s confusing the issue,” he said.
Under the new laws, licensees will face a £200 fine for allowing customers to smoke on their premises and a further £200 fine if they do not display correct signage.

Spotlight Year - 1960

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The £ Money Files - 5

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Spotlight Year - 1948

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National Day Of Pakistan

The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002.

note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; on 12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years; on 1 January 2004, MUSHARRAF won a vote of confidence in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial assemblies chief of state: President General Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Shaukat AZIZ (since 28 August 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the president is elected by Parliament for a five-year term; note - in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years (next to be held NA 2007); the prime minister is selected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (next to be held NA 2007) election results: AZIZ elected by the National Assembly on 27 August 2004 with 191 of the votes

22.3.06

Today's The Day - 23rd March

23rd March 2006

National Day of Pakistan.

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Gwinear,
St Turibius,
St Benedict the Hermit,
St Victorian,
St Ethelwald the Hermit,
and St Joseph Oriol.

History Test for March 23rd
Today in 1991 the song 'Sooner or Later' won an Oscar. In which film does Madonna sing it? -`Dick Tracy'
Sir Roger Bannister was bom today in 1929. In which city did he break the `four minute mile'? -Oxford
Today in 1961 who reached Number One in the UK pop charts with 'Wooden Heart'? -Elvis Presley
Today in 1990, the Duchess of York gave birth to her second daughter. Name her. -Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena
Comedy actor Jimmy Edwards was born today in 1920. In which TV series did he play the headmaster of Chiselbury School? -`Whack-0!'

Events today...
1752 Canada's first newspaper, the Halifax Gazette, hit the streets.
1765 The British parliament passed the Stamp Act, imposing a tax on all publications and legal documents in British colonies.
1815 The British Corn Law halted the import of grain.
1842 Death of Stendhal French novelist.
1861 London's first tramcars went on the streets in Bayswater.
1891 Goal nets, invented by Liverpudlian J. A. Brodie, were used for the first time in an FA Cup Final.
1919 The Italian Fascist Party was formed by Benito Mussolini.
1925 Authorities in the state of Tennessee, USA, outlawed the teaching of Darwinian theory in schools.
1933 A bill was passed in the German parliament allowing Adolf Hitler to rule by decree, so establishing a dictatorship.
1945 Death of Steve Donoghue, English jockey.
1953 Death of Raoul Dufy, French painter.
1956 Pakistan was declared an Islamic republic within the Commonwealth.
1956 Queen Elizabeth II laid the foundation stone of the new Cathedral being built in Coventry, a symbol of Britain's resurgence after the wartime horrors of the Blitz.
1964 Death of Peter Lorre, Hungarian-born US film actor.
1966 In Rome, the first official meeting for 400 years between the heads of the Catholic and Anglican churches took place.
1981 Death of Claude Auchinleck, British Field Marshal.
1981 Death of Mike Hailwood, English champion motor cyclist.
1983 In the USA, President Reagan dubbed the Soviet Union "an evil empire" and proposed a "Star Wars" defence system.
1984 British Civil Servant Sarah Tisdall was sent to jail for six months for leaking the news to the Guardian that cruise missiles were on their way to Britain.
2003 Five captured US soldiers were paraded on Iraqi television as coalition forces met determined resistance in the push to Baghdad.
2003 Australia clinch their third Cricket World Cup with a 125-run victory over India.
2003 Missing ITN reporter Terry Lloyd was killed after coming under friendly fire in Iraq.
2003 The prime minister, Tony Blair, said the war on Iraq is going to plan "despite the tragedies that have occurred", but warned of tough times ahead.
2003 Two RAF Tornado jet crew members were confirmed dead after being shot down by a US missile near the Kuwaiti border.
2003 Tiger Woods took the Bay Hill Invitational, becoming the first player in 73 years to win the same golf tournament four years running.
2003 Arsenal returned to the top of the Premiership with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Everton.
2004 The 9/11 inquiry heard top ministers say that President Bush recognised al-Qaeda's threat to the US and acted on it.
2004 The new leader of the militant group Hamas took power with a call-to-arms, urging followers to "teach Israel a lesson".
2004 The US space agency announced that its robotic Mars rover Opportunity was parked on what was once the shore of a salty Martian sea.
2004 A court found the man who knifed Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh guilty of murder and not manslaughter.
2004 The Russian nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great" was deemed unseaworthy, prompting a scare over the safety of its reactor.
2004 Six army cavers were trapped by rising water levels in a cave in Mexico where they had spent five days.
2004 A mother was jailed for a second time for failing to make sure her child attended school.
2004 Chat show host Des O'Connor announced he was going to be a dad again with his 35-year-old fiancee.
2004 England retained the Wisden Trophy with a seven-wicket win over West Indies.
2004 Milan stunned Deportivo with four goals in eight minutes, beating them 4-1, to close in on the Champions League semi-finals.
2005 An explosion hit a BP oil refinery in Texas, killing at least four people.
2005 Prosecutors at Michael Jackson's abuse trial argued the jury should be told about pornographic images on his computers.
2005 US TV network ABC bought the rights to a create a US version of hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

BIRTHDAYS (for 23 March 2006)
Joan Crwaford, 98 (born 23 March 1908)
American film actress whose many films include A Woman's Face and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Wernher von Braun, 94 (born 23 March 1912)
rocket scientist.
Donald Campbell, 85 (born 23 March 1921)
British World speed record-breaker.
Roger Bannister, 77 (born 23 March 1929)
British sportsman who ran the world's first sub-four-minute mile in the 1950s
Marty Pellow, 40 (born 23 March 1966)
Lead singer with `Wet Wet Wet'
Damon Albarn, 38 (born 23 March 1968)
Singer with `Blur'
Mike Atherton, 38 (born 23 March 1968)
England Cricket captain
Princess Eugenie, 16 (born 23 March 1990)

Animal Facts

Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
Bulls are color blind.
A cow's only sweat glands are in its nose.
Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.
The Poison Arrow frog has enough poison to kill 2,200 people.
Emus can't walk backwards.
A group of unicorns is called a blessing.
A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
A group of owls is called a parliament.
A group of ravens is called a murder.
A group of bears is called a sleuth.
Twelve or more cows is called a flink.
A baby oyster is called a spat.
Chickens can't swallow while they are upside down.
The average garden-variety caterpillar has 248 muscles in its head.
A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds.
A mule won't sink in quicksand but a donkey will.
More people are killed annually by donkeys than in airplane crashes.
Animal breeders in Russia once claimed to have bred sheep with blue wool.
Penguins are the only bird that can leap into the air like porpoises.
India has 50 million monkeys.
By some unknown means, an iguana can end its own life.
Americans spend around $3 billion for cat and dog food a year.
Pigs can cover a mile in 7.5 minutes when running at top speed.
The shell constitutes 12 percent of an egg's weight.
A squid has 10 tentacles.
A snail's reproductive organs are in its head.
When a horned toad is angry, it squirts blood from its eyes.
The typical hen lays 19 dozen eggs a year.
The ostrich has a 46-foot long small intestine.
A scallop has 35 blue eyes.
The left leg of a chicken in more tender than the right one.
The only dog that doesn't have a pink tongue is the chow.
Dogs and humans are the only animals with prostates.
The giraffe has the highest blood pressure of any animal.
Zebras can't see the color orange.
There are more insects in ten square feet of a rain forest than there are people in Manhattan.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
The smartest dogs are the Jack Russell Terrier and Scottish Border collie. Dumbest: Afgan hound.
A rat can go without water longer than a camel can.
The fat molecules in goat milk are 5 times smaller than those found in cow milk. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to breakdown as opposed to the hour that it takes to break down cow milk.

Languages


The first word spoken on the moon was "okay."
Seoul, the South Korean capital, just means "the capital" in the Korean language
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with
The "you are here" arrow on maps is called an ideo locator
The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want
In English, "four" is the only digit that has the same number of letters as its value
Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States
The word "trivia" comes from the Latin "trivium" which is the place where three roads meet, a public square. People would gather and talk about all sorts of matters, most of which were trivial
TYPEWRITER, is the longest word that can be made using the letters only one row of the keyboard
"Speak of the Devil" is short for "Speak of the Devil and he shall come". It was believed that if you spoke about the Devil it would attract his attention. That's why when you're talking about someone and they show up people say "Speak of the Devil"
The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means, "the King is dead"
The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English language
The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.
Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village"
Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand
The most common name in the world is Mohammed
The longest non-medical word in the English language is FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION, which means "the act of estimating as worthless".
Mafia in Old Arabic means 'sanctuary.'
The longest word in the Old Testament is "Malhershalahashbaz."
Karoke means 'empty orchestra' in Japanese.
The first message tapped by Samuel Morse over his invention the telegraph was: "What hath God wrought?"
The first words spoken by over Alexander Bell over the telephone were: "Watson, please come here. I want you."
Papaphobia is the fear of Popes
The Academy Award statue is named after a librarian's uncle. One day Margaret Herrick, librarian for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, made a remark that the statue looked like her Uncle Oscar, and the name stuck.
The first words spoken by Thomas Edison over the phonograph were: "Mary had a little lamb."
The three words in the English language with the letters "uu" are: vacuum, residuum and continuum.
A baby in Florida was named: Truewilllaughinglifebuckyboomermanifestdestiny. His middle name is George James
'Dreamt' is the only English word that ends in the letters 'mt'
There are only four words in the English language which end in '-dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
The word 'Bye' is used in both English and Spanish meaning the same thing
Pogonophobia: The fear of beards
In Chinese, the words crisis and opportunity are the same
The infinity character on the keyboard is called a "lemniscate"
Good bye came from God bye which came from God be with you. So-long came from the Arabic salaam and the Hebrew shalom
The word 'nerd' was first coined by Dr. Seuss in 'If I ran the Zoo'
before Jets, Jet lag was called Boat lag
The word "monosyllable" actually has five syllables in it
There are no words in the English language that rhyme with silver and orange
The letter "n" ends all Japanese words not ending in a vowel.
It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.
'Zorro' means 'fox' in Spanish
You won't find a "6" in Cameroon phone numbers--the native language has no sound for "x."
The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable."
Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them would burn their houses down--hence the expression "to get fired."

Very Interesting - But!


No piece of paper can be folded more than 7 times.
The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
Earth is the only planet not named after a pagan God.
A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning
The first owner of the Marlboro company died of lung cancer.
All US Presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
The inventor of the flushing toilet was Thomas Crapper.
The average bed is home to over 6 billion dust mites.
Plastic lawn flamingos outnumber real flamingos in the U.S.A.
Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a novel with over 50,000 words, none of which containing the letter "e."
Apples are more effective at keeping people awake in the morning than caffeine.
The largest pumpkin weighed 377 pounds.
The largest cabbage weighed 144 pounds.
Pinocchio was made of pine.
Alfred Hitchcock had no belly button for it was eliminated during surgery.
A quarter has 119 grooves around the edge.
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
Cranberry Jell-0 is the only kind that contains real fruit.
The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
Maine is the toothpick capital of the world.
New Jersey has a spoon museum with over 5,400 spoons from almost all the states.
There was once a town in West Virginia called "6."
Singapore only has one train station.
The parking meter was invented in North Dakota.
Napoleon made his battle plans in a sandbox.
Roman Emperor Caligula made his horse a senator.
The green stuff on the occasional freak potato chip is chlorophyll.
Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon with his left foot first.
There are 333 toilet paper squares on a toilet paper roll.
The Eiffel Tower has 2,500,000 rivets in it.
"Jaws" is the most common name for a goldfish.
On an average work day, a typist's fingers travel 12.6 miles.
Every minute in the U.S. six people turn 17.
2,500 lefties die each year using products designed for rightists.
Ten tons of space dust falls on the Earth every day.
On average, a 4-year-old child asks 437 questions a day.
Blue and white are the most common school colors.
Swimming pools in Phoenix, Arizona, pick up 20 pounds of dust a year.
In a normal lifetime an American will eat 200 pounds of peanuts and 10,000 pounds of meat.
A new book is published every 13 minutes in America.
America's best selling ice cream flavor is vanilla.
Every year the sun loses 360 million tons.
Because of Animal Crackers, many kids until they reach the age of ten, believe a bear is as tall as a giraffe.
The Gulf Stream could carry a message in a bottle at an average of 4 miles per hour.
The bulls-eye on a dartboard must be 5 feet 8 inches off the ground.
The doorbell was invented in 1831.
The electric shaver was patented on November 6, 1928.
Japan is the largest exporter of frog's legs.
There are seven points on the Statue of Liberty's crown.
Napoleon was terrified of cats.
The first Lifesaver flavor was peppermint.
The typical American eats 263 eggs a year.
The parking meter was invented by C.C. Magee in 1935.
The oldest known vegetable is the pea.
Jack is the most common name in nursery rhymes.
The avocado has the most calories of any fruit.
The first zoo in the USA was in Philadelphia.
France has the highest per capita consumption of cheese.
The shortest English word that contains the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F is "feedback."
The state of California raises the most turkeys out of all of the states.
George Washington Carver invented peanut butter.
Iceland was the first country to legalize abortion in 1935.
The dumbest domesticated animal is the turkey.
Russia has the most movie theaters in the world.
The most fatal car accidents occur on Saturday.
The Eiffel Tower has 1792 steps.
The mongoose was barred live entry into the U.S. in 1902.
Goldfish swallowing started at Harvard in 1939.
Dry fish food can make goldfish constipated.
The stall closest to the door in a bathroom is the cleanest, because it is the least used.
Toilet paper was invented in 1857.
Alaska could hold the 21 smallest States.
Before Prohibition, Schlitz Brewery owned more property in Chicago than anyone else, except the Catholic church.
If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.
Kermit the Frog is left-handed.
Nondairy creamer is flammable.
The car in the foreground on the back of a $10 bill is a 1925 Hupmobile.
If you can see a rainbow you must have your back to the sun.
The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
It's rumored that sucking on a copper penny will cause a breathalyzer to read 0.
The ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2, should always be written as QE2. QEII is the actual queen.
The correct response to the Irish greeting, "Top of the morning to you," is "and the rest of the day to yourself."
Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City, after the Catholic Church.
When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home to a sellout crowd, the stadium becomes the state's third largest city.
Ohio is listed as the 17th state in the U.S., but technically it is Number 47. Until August 7, 1953, Congress forgot to vote on a resolution to admit Ohio to the Union.
When Saigon fell, the signal for all Americans to evacuate was Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" being played on the radio.
The pet ferret was domesticated more than 500 years before the house cat.
The dome on Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, conceals a billiards room. In Jefferson's day, billiards were illegal in Virginia.
The most common speed limit sign in the United States is 25 m.p.h.
At any one time, there are 100 million phone conversations going on in the United States.
The world's record for continuous pogo stick jumping is 41 hours.
The Ottoman Empire once had seven emperors in seven months. They died of (in order): burning, choking, drowning, stabbing, heart failure, poisoning and being thrown from a horse.
You can make edible cheese from the milk of 24 different mammals.
Sir Isaac Newton, who invented Calculus, had trouble with names to the point where he would forget his brothers' names.
In medieval Thailand, they had moveable type printing presses. The type was made from baked oxen dung.
By law, employees do not have to wash hands after sneezing.
The average American consumes enough caffeine in one year to kill a horse.
More American workers (18%) call sick on Friday than any other day of the week. Tuesday has the lowest percent of absenteeism (11%).
Enough beer is poured every Saturday across America to fill the Orange Bowl.
A newborn expels its own body weight in waste every 60 hours.
Whales die if their echo system fails.
Florida's beaches lose 20 million cubic yards of sand annually.
Naturalists use marshmallows to lure alligators out of swamps.
It takes a ton of water to make a pound of refined sugar.
Weevils are more resistant to poisons in the morning than at night.
Cacao, the main ingredient of chocolate is the most pest-ridden tree in the jungle.
In deep space most lubricants will disappear.
America once issued a 5-cent bill.
The average person can live 11 days without water.
In 1221 Genghis Khan killed 1,748,000 people at Nishapur in one hour.
There are 35 million digestive glands in the stomach.
In 1800 on 50 cities on earth had a population of more than 100,000.
More steel in the US is used to make bottle caps than to manufacture automobile bodies.
It is possible for any American citizen to give whatever name he or she chooses to any unnamed mountain or hill in the United States.
King Henry III of France, Louis XVI of France and Napoleon all suffered from ailurophobia--fear of cats.
Before 1850 golf balls were made of leather and stuffed with feathers.
Clocks made before 1687 had only one hand, and hour hand.
The motto of the American people, "In God We Trust," was not adopted as the national slogan until 1956.
More Americans have died in automobile accidents than have died in all the wars ever fought by the United States.
The ampersand (&) was once a letter of the English alphabet.
The principality of Monaco consists of 370 acres.
There are more than 40,000 characters in Chinese script.
During the time of Peter the Great, any Russian man who had a beard was required to pay a special tax.
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. treasury.
The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters
Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.
The amount American Airlines saved in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class: $40,000.
City with the most Rolls Royces per capita: Hong Kong.
State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska.
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness--28%. Percentage of North America that is wilderness--38%.
Average number of days a German goes without washing his underwear: 7.
Percentage of American men who say they would marry the same woman if they had it to do all over again: 80%.
Percentage of American women who say they'd marry the same man: 50%.
Cost of raising a medium size dog to the age of 11: $6,400.
Average people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.
Average lifespan of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
The only President to win a Pulitzer Prize: John Kennedy for "Profiles in Courage."
The youngest Pope was 11 years old.
Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.
First novel ever written on a typewriter: "Tom Sawyer."
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
The main library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades--King David, Clubs--Alexander the Great, Hearts--Charlemagne and Diamonds--Julius Caesar.
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one leg front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all 4 legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. The last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are useable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
The first airline, DELAG, was established on October 16, 1909, to carry passengers between German cities by Zeppelin airships. Up to November 1913, more than 34,000 people had used the service.
Titanic was running at 22 knots when she hit the iceberg
The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; '7' was selected because the original containers were 7 ounces. 'UP' indicated the direction of the bubbles
Francis Scott Key was a young lawyer who wrote the poem, 'The Star Spangled Banner', after being inspired by watching the Americans fight off the British attack of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The poem became the words to the national anthem
Because radio waves travel at 186,000 miles per second and sound waves saunter at 700 miles per hour, a broadcast voice can be heard sooner 13,000 miles away than it can be heard at the back of the room in which it originated
Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know your there
The bagpipe was originally made from the whole skin of a dead sheep
Inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver in 1836.
It has been recommended by dentists that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet (two meters) away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush!
In ancient Rome it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked nose
It is possible to drown and not die. Technically the term 'drowning' refers to the process of taking water into the lungs, not to death caused by that process.
The first known heart medicine was discovered in an English garden. In 1799, physician John Ferriar noted the effect of dried leaves of the common foxglove plant, digitalis purpurea, on heart action. Still used in heart medications, digitalis slows the pulse and increases the force of heart contractions and the amount of b lood pumped per heartbeat.
Dry cereal for breakfast was invented by John Henry Kellogg at the turn of the century
During World War II, a German U-boat was sunk by a truck. The U-boat in question attacked a convoy in the Atlantic and then rose to see the effect. The merchant ship it sank had material strapped to its deck including a fleet of trucks, one of which was thrown in the air by the explosion, landing on the U-boat and breaking its back
Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher who died in 1832,left his entire estate to the London Hospital provided that his body be allowed to preside over its board meetings. His skeleton was clothed and fitted with a wax mask of his face. It was present at the meeting for 92 years.
Diet Coke was only invented in 1982.
Methane gas can often be seen bubbling up from the bottom of ponds. It is produced by the decomposition of dead plants and animals in the mud.
There are more than 1,700 references to gems and precious stones in the King James translation of the Bible.
The E. Coli bacterium propels itself with a 'motor' only one-millionth of an inch in diameter, a thousand times smaller than the tiniest motors built to date by man. The rotation of the bacterial motor comes from a current of protons. The efficiency of the motor approaches 100 per cent.
Henry Ford produced the model T only in black because the black paint available at the time was the fastest to dry.
At - 40 degrees Centigrade a person loses about 14.4 calories per hour by breathing.
Pet superstores now sell about 40 percent of all pet food
One million Americans, about 3,000 each day, take up smoking each year. Most of them are children.
In 1933, Mickey Mouse, an animated cartoon character, received 800,000 fan letters.
There are only four words in the English language which end in '-dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
If you attempted to count to stars in a galaxy at a rate of one every second it would take around 3,000 years to count them all.
Less than 3% of Nestlé's sales are for chocolate.
The average person will spend two weeks over their lifetime waiting for the traffic light to change
More than 2500 left handed people are killed every year from using right handed products
It is estimated that at any one time, 0.7% of the world's population are drunk
The tip of a 1/3 inch long hour-hand on a wristwatch travels at 0.00000275 mph
Less than one per cent of the 500 Chinese cities have clean air, respiratory disease is China's leading cause of death.
The number of cars on the planet is increasing three times faster than the population growth
The X's that people sometimes put at the end of letters or notes to mean a kiss, actually started back in the 1000's when Lords would sign their names at the end of documents to other important people. It was originally a cross that they would kiss after signing to signify that they were faithful to God and their King. Over the years though, it slanted into the X
Nova Scotia is Latin for 'New Scotland.'
The term Cop comes from Constable on Patrol. It's from England.
The collecting of Beer mats is called Tegestology.
Even though it is widely attributed to him Shakespeare never actually used the word 'gadzooks'.
Only 2 blue moons (the saying 'only once in a blue moon ' refers to the occurrence of two full moons during one calendar month) are to occur between now and 2001. Those times are January 1999 and March 1999
There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet
"Naked" means to be unprotected. "Nude" means unclothed
Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower', because in the time when al original print had to be set in individual letters, the 'upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case stored smaller, 'lower case' letters
In the 40's, the Bich pen was changed to Bic for fear that Americans would pronounce it 'Bitch.'

Pipe network to be mapped in 3D

The schematic diagram above shows the typical level of complexity of pipes and cables that exists under one London street
Nationally, four million holes are dug each year at a cost of £1bn; indirect costs, such as road congestion, are estimated at £3-5bn
In the UK there are: 275,000km of gas pipes; 353,000km of sewer pipes; 396,000km of water pipes; 482,000km of electricity cables
A third of the pipes in London were laid more than 150 years ago; 20 cable firms have worked in London in the last five years
Camden High Street in London was dug up 144 times in one year; Glasgow's Great Western Road, 223 times


The maze of pipes and cables that snake beneath the UK's streets are to be mapped in a £2.2m pilot project.
An intimate knowledge of this tubular underworld is expected to help reduce the number of holes that need to be dug by utilities, and cut traffic jams.
Nottingham and Leeds researchers will trial new 3D mapping technologies at half a dozen UK locations.
It is thought there are enough pipes and cables below ground in Britain to stretch to the Moon and back 10 times.
Some were laid more than 200 years ago and accurate information on their precise positions is often non-existent or sketchy at best.


Even modern records will be spread across numerous databases, making it very difficult sometimes for a contractor to know what a pneumatic drill might hit when it goes into the ground.
There are 30 to 40 incidents each year where workmen are seriously injured because they have accidentally sliced through electricity cables.
"When utilities and highways authorities are digging in the street, they often find things they didn't expect, or don't find the things they were looking for," explained Mike Farrimond, director of UK Water Industry Research Ltd, which is managing the mapping project.
"If we had detailed 3D maps of what was down there, we'd be much more efficient at finding and fixing leaks, and connecting people to services."



The project, known as Vista (Visualising integrated information on buried assets to reduce streetworks), is largely funded by the Department of Trade and Industry.
It will pull together the current records of pipes, cables and wires - be they held in digital form or on paper - and link them to new surveys undertaken at six trial locations.
The in situ observations will use ground-penetrating radar and other sensing technologies to find the precise depth and course of the local tubeworks - to within an accuracy of 5cm.
The project team hopes to come up with a mapping system that can be rolled out to other parts of the country.
"You can't look at an Ordnance Survey map to find out what's under the ground," explained Tony Cohn, professor of automated reasoning at Leeds University.
"We will be producing an 'underlay' to the OS, to show you what's down there. We'll combine all the historical data from the utilities with the in-street data found with location-sensing technology. We want to merge this information dynamically and put it on some kind of handheld unit."
The project could result in mobile devices or displays in street diggers that would present streetworkers with a 3D picture of the pipe and cable layout in front of them. This would give workers the confidence to dig without the fear of accidentally cracking a water main or causing a major gas leak.
One of the major challenges facing the researchers will be in developing the centimetre-accurate, satellite-based location technology they will need to make their street observations.
The Global Position System (GPS) is far from reliable in high-rise urban areas or, indeed, in very leafy locations.
"What we're doing is integrating GPS with other technologies, such as inertial navigation sensors and devices called pseudolites and locatalites (which are ground-based satellites, in effect); and survey equipment that measures angles and distances - to give us the accuracy we need," explained Dr Gethin Roberts from Nottingham University.
However, future streetworkers will not need such complicated location-finding equipment to make sense of their 3D maps. It is expected Europe's new sat-nav system, called Galileo, will greatly enhance the GPS performance once it comes on line towards the decade's end.
Although the Vista project is being led by Leeds in collaboration with Nottingham, there is support from 19 utility, transport and engineering organisations.
Vista links in with another project called Mapping the Underworld - funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), in collaboration with five other universities - which is researching improved sensor technologies to find pipes and new ways of tagging them so they never become lost.


Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/4831238.stm

The £ Money Files - 4


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XXXX looking to send drinkers to Oz

Castlemaine XXXX is giving pub-goers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy the action at one of Australia’s most famous rugby league tournaments.
The brand is reinforcing its bar appeal and celebrating its role as Official Beer of Rugby League in the UK by offering consumers the chance to jet Down Under to watch a State of Origin clash.
The State of Origin tournament, which has been running since 1980, involves three games every year between bitter rivals Queensland, who are sponsored by XXXX, and New South Wales.
Every customer purchasing a pint of XXXX in-outlet will receive a game card featuring a scratch-off panel. Each card offers the chance to enter a free prize draw but consumers can also qualify for instant rewards – a XXXX rugby league polo shirt or a XXXX rugby league baseball cap.
The top prize, which is a holiday for two including a pair of tickets for the State of Origin match along with flights and accommodation, will be drawn from all entries received from participating outlets.
These will be supplied with a promotional kit bag featuring tent cards, a back bar display unit and posters to publicise the event plus game cards and instant-win prizes.
Steve Kitching, managing director, on-trade sales at InBev UK, says: “This XXXX promotion will drive volume and margin through generating repeat purchase of the brand – our research shows that 60 per cent of consumers will purchase a brand on promotion.”

Championing real beer

1. What are the four raw ingredients that make real beer?
a. Malted barley, yeast, hops, liquor
b. Barley, liquor, sugar, yeast
c. Wheat, malt, liquor, yeast

2. Which real beer is the No. 1 standard cask ale in the world?
a. Fuller’s London Pride
b. Tetley’s Cask
c. Greene King IPA

3. How many days should a cask of real beer be sold for once the first pint has been served?
a. 3 days
b. 5 days
c. 7 days

4. How many pints are there in a firkin?
a. 62
b. 72
c. 82

5. At what temperature should real beer be stored in the cellar at?
a. 7 – 10 degrees
b. 11 – 13 degrees
c. 14 – 17 degrees

6. What happens if casks are not stillaged in a level
position?
a. Beer will become cloudy
b. Beer will not condition fully
c. Beer will be lost when venting

7. When should you begin to tilt a cask?
a. When it is first delivered and still full
b. Towards the end when a couple of pints are left
c. When there is between half and two thirds left

8. How long after stillaging should casks be vented?
a. 2 – 4 hours
b. 6 – 8 hours
c. 10 – 12 hours

9. How long does real beer take to condition from
venting?
a. 1 day
b. 3 days
c. 5 days

10. When does a real beer need to be tapped?
a. 24 – 48 hours before serving
b. 48 – 72 hours before serving
c. 72 – 96 hours before serving

11. Which of the following items should not be stored in the cellar?
a. Thermometer
b. Empty casks
c. Strong smelling or fresh produce

12. When sampling real beer before serving, what three qualities should you monitor?
a. Clarity, taste, aroma
b. Sparkle, vinegary smell, cold temperature
c. Cloudy, warm temperature, no off smells

13. How should the perfect pint of real beer be poured?
a. In clean, cool, branded glass
b. Upright in the first glass that comes to hand
c. In any clean glass straight from the glass washer

14. How should your barstaff present the perfect pint to a drinker?
a. Held at the base of the glass, branding facing the customer, with a smile
b. Held at the rim, branding facing away from the customer
c. Unclean glass, hurriedly slopped onto the drip tray

15. What are the key taste characteristics that should barstaff should know when recommending Abbot Ale?
a. Strong, smooth, sharp aftertaste
a. Heavy, dark and spicy
c. Fruity, rich with a bittersweet finish


Answers

1. A
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. B
11. C
12. A
13. A
14. A
15. C

Today's The Day - 22nd March

22nd March 2006

Religious Events today...
Feast day of St Deogratius,
St Basil of Ancyra,
St Paul of Narbonne,
St Nicholas Owen,
and St Benvenuto of Osimo.


History Test for March 22nd
Today in 1975, which group came second in the Eurovision Song Contest with `Let Me Be the One'? -The Shadows
Born today in 1931, who is the author of `The Virgin Soldiers'? -Leslie Thomas
Today in 1945, which organisation was set up in Cairo by seven Middle Eastern countries? -The Arab League (The original members were Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen)
French mime artist Marcel Marceau was born today in 1923. What is the name of his famous white-faced character? -Bip
Today in 1910, the author Nicholas Monserrat was born. What is the title of his best-selling novel, set on a British warship? -`The Cruel Sea'


Events today...
1622 Three hundred and fifty American settlers as James River were killed by Indians, the first attack for many years.
1687 French composer Jean Baptisite Lully died of a gangrenous abscess on his foot.
1772 Death of John Canton, English physicist.
1824 The British parliament voted to buy 38 pictures at a cost of £57 000, to establish the national collection which is now housed in the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square London.
1829 In London, a conference agreed the boundaries of independent Greece, free of Ottoman rule after nearly 400 years.
1832 Death of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, novelist, and playwright.
1888 The English Football League was formed in a hotel in Fleet Street.
1895 French cinema pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière gave the first demonstration of celluloid film, in Paris.
1896 Thomas Hughes, British author of Tom Brown’s Schooldays and Liberal MP, died at the age of 74.
1903 The Niagra Falls ran out of water due to a drought.
1904 In the USA, the Daily Illustrated Mirror, ran the first colour newspaper pictures.
1906 In Paris, England beat France 35-0 in the first rugby international.
1907 The first taxis with fare meters took to the streets in London.
1942 The BBC began broadcasting in morse code to the French Resistance.
1945 The Arab League was founded in Cairo.
1946 Jordan achieved independence from British rule.
1958 Death of Mike Todd, US film producer.
1990 Moscow warned the rebel Baltic republic of Lituania would strike back its declaration of independence - announced just 10 days earlier - if the new country did not disarm and disband militia forces which were coalescing into a small army.
2003 US-led forces seized key areas of southern Iraq as they pushed on to Baghdad, which came under heavy air bombardment again.
2003 Villages were burned indiscriminately by soldiers and ethnic militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta area of Nigeria.
2003 The French president said he would reject any UN resolution allowing the US and UK to administer post-war Iraq.
2003 Man Utd went top of the Premiership with victory over Fulham, while West Ham were out of the bottom three. And, Newcastle beat Blackburn 5-1 to move just three points behind leaders Man Utd. Also, Chelsea kept their Champions League dream alive with a 5-0 thrashing of Man City.
2003 A court heard that Chris Evans attacked management on air after drinking during a radio show for three hours.
2004 Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was offered a temporary refuge in Nigeria.
2004 Spanish authorities arrested four more people in connection with the 11 March Madrid bombings.
2004 Charles Kennedy said he had no intention of stepping down as Lib Dem leader dismissing speculation about his health.
2004 Doctor Who fans gave overwhelming support to Christopher Eccleston as the ninth TV Time Lord.
2004 Pop act "Big Brovaz" sacked group member Flawless after he was found carrying cannabis in a US airport.
2004 Leeds were clinging on to the hope of Premiership survival thanks to Mark Viduka's winning penalty which gave them a 2-1 win over Man City.

BIRTHDAYS (for 22 March 2006)
Sir Anthony van Dyck, 407 (born 22 March 1599)
Flemish artist who became portrait painter to the English court and was knighted by Charles I.
Nicholas Monsarrat, 96 (born 22 March 1910)
British author of The Cruel Sea and The Tribe That Lost its Head.
Karl Malden, 93 (born 22 March 1913)
American film and television actor.
Marcel Marceau, 83 (born 22 March 1923)
French mime artist.
Stephen Sondheim, 76 (born 22 March 1930)
American composer of musicals such as A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd.
William Shatner, 75 (born 22 March 1931)
Star Trek's Captain Kirk
Lord Lloyd-Webber, 58 (born 22 March 1948)
Composer

21.3.06

The £ Money Files - 3


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Spotlight Year - 1950


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Radio 1


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April 2006 Sports Calendar


April 2006 calendar
Key events this month

31-Apr 2 RUGBY UNION Heineken Cup quarter-finals
1 FOOTBALL Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final
2 FOOTBALL LDV Vans Trophy Final
2 MOTOR RACING Australian Grand Prix
4-5 FOOTBALL Champions League quarter-final second legs
6 FOOTBALL Uefa Cup quarter-final second legs
6-9 GOLF The Masters, Georgia
6-8 RACING Grand National meeting, Aintree
15-May 1 SNOOKER World Championship, Sheffield
18-19 FOOTBALL Champions League semi-final first legs
19 FOOTBALL Uefa Cup semi-final first legs
22 FOOTBALL FA Cup semi-finals


The month in detail:

20-Apr 2 TENNIS Nasdaq-100 Open, Miami
30-Apr 2 GOLF Algarve Open, Penina
31-Apr 2 RUGBY UNION Heineken Cup quarter-finals

1 FOOTBALL Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final
1-2 ATHLETICS World Cross Country Championships, Fukuoka
2 FOOTBALL LDV Vans Trophy Final
2 FOOTBALL Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final
2 MOTOR RACING Australian Grand Prix
2 MOTOR RACING World Touring Car Championship, Italy
2 ROWING 152nd Boat Race
3-5 TENNIS Davis Cup
3-9 TENNIS Bausch & Lomb Women's Championship, Florida
4-5 FOOTBALL Champions League quarter-final second legs
6 FOOTBALL Uefa Cup quarter-final second legs
6-9 GOLF The Masters, Georgia
6-9 EQUESTRIAN British Open Showjumping Championships
6-8 RACING Grand National meeting, Aintree
7-9 RALLYING Tour of Corsica
9 MOTOR RACING British Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch
9 MOTOR CYCLING British Superbike Championship, Donington
10-16 TENNIS US Men's Clay Court Championship, Houston
10-16 TENNIS Open de Tennis Comunidad, Valencia
10-16 TENNIS Family Circle Women's Cup, Charleston
13-16 GOLF Volvo China Open, Beijing
14-17 CRICKET MCC v Nottinghamshire
15 ATHLETICS European Cup 10,000 metres, Antalya
15-May 1 SNOOKER World Championship, Sheffield
16 MOTOR CYCLING British Superbike Championship, Thruxton
17-23 TENNIS Masters Series, Monte Carlo
17-19 TENNIS Federation Cup
18 CRICKET Start of County Championship season
18-19 FOOTBALL Champions League semi-final first legs
19 FOOTBALL Uefa Cup semi-final first legs
20-23 GOLF BMW Asian Open, Shanghai
22 FOOTBALL FA Cup semi-finals
22-23 RUGBY UNION Heineken Cup semi-finals
23 ATHLETICS Flora London Marathon
23 MOTOR RACING British Touring Car Championship, Mondello Park
23 MOTOR RACING San Marino Grand Prix
24-26 CRICKET British Universities v Sri Lanka (TBC)
24-30 TENNIS Seat Open, Barcelona
24-30 TENNIS Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca
25-26 FOOTBALL Champions League semi-final second legs
26 FOOTBALL Uefa Cup semi-final second legs
27-30 GOLF Open de Espana en Andalucia, Cadiz
28-30 RALLYING Rally Argentina
29-May 1 CRICKET Derbyshire v Sri Lanka
30 FOOTBALL Coca-Cola Championship season ends
30 MOTOR RACING World Touring Car Championship, France
29-30 BASKETBALL BBL Championship finals, NIA BIrmingham

Today's The Day - 21st March


21st March 2006

Religious events today...
Feast day of St Benedict,
St Enda,
St Nicholas of Flue,
St Fanchea,
and St Serapion of Thmuis.


History Test for March 21st
Born today in 1944, who made his debut as James Bond in the film 'The Living Daylights'? -Timothy Dalton
Poet Robert Southey died today in 1843. By what collective name were he and his poet friends Wordsworth and Coleridge known? -The Lake Poets (because they all lived in the Lake District).
Born today in 1869, American theatre manager Florenz Ziegfeld presented spectacular revues. By what name were they known? -`The Ziegfeld Follies'
Sir Michael Redgrave died today in 1985. He made his film debut in 'The Lady Vanishes'. Who directed it? -Alfred Hitchcock
Today in 1946, Labour minister Aneurin Bevan announced plans for which service? -The National Health Service

QUOTE
"A judge is not supposed to know anything about the facts of life until they have been presented in evidence and explained to him at least three times." -Hubert Lister Parker, Lord Chief Justice of England, 1961.

Events today...
1556 England's first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was burnt at the stake as a heretic under the Catholic queen Mary I, known as "Bloody Mary".
1656 Death of James Ussher, Irish theologian and archbishop of Armagh, who fixed the date of the Creation at 4004 BC.
1788 800 buildings were detroyrd as fire ravaged the American city of New Orleans.
1804 A new civil code, the Code Napoleon, came into force in France.
1806 The Lewis and Clark expedition that was charting the vast unexplored territory between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean turned homeward after extraordinary adventures in the American wilderness. The expedition proved there is no easy water
1829 The 60-year-old English prime minister, the Duke of Wellington, fought a bloodless duel with the Earl of Winchelsea over Catholic emancipation, of which the Duke was a convinced supporter.
1843 English Poet Laureate Robert Southey died.
1871 A commune was declared in the French city of Lyons.
1871 Chancellor Otto von Bismarck opened the first parliament of the newly declared German Reich.
1896 Britain's first cinema opened in London's Piccadilly Circus.
1908 French aviator Henri Farman flew over Paris with the first air passenger.
1918 Germany's field commander General Erich Ludendorff launched a massive offensive on the Somme in a bid to break the Allied line before fresh American reinforcements arrived. Crack German troops were advancing rapidly along a 60-mile front.
1933 The first parliament of Nazi Germany, with Hitler as Chancellor, was proclaimed in the garrison church at Potsdam.
1936 Death of Alexander Glazunov, Russian composer.
1942 Death of Philip Wilson Steer, English painter.
1946 British minister Aneurin Bevan announced his Labour Government's plans for a National Health Service.
1952 Kwame Nkrumah was elected prime minister of the Gold Coast (later Ghana).
1960 The Sharpeville Massacre - in South Africa a peaceful demonstration against the pass laws ended with about 70 deaths when police fired on demonstrators.
1963 The notoriuos Alcatraz maximum-security prison in San Francisco Bay, USA was closed.
1976 Pop stars David Bowie and Iggy Pop were arrested in a hotel room in Rochester, Massachusetts, on marijuana charges. They were later released on bail of $2,000 each. Sexually ambiguous mega-star Bowie had just started the US leg of a world tour.
1978 Three black ministers were sworn into the illegal government of prime minister Ian Smith in war-torn Rhodesia. The three, including the Bishop Abel Muzorewa, were underwriting an interim settlement providing the white minority with constitutional safeguards once elections are held.
1982 Death of Harry H. Corbett, English actor.
1989 Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke broke down on television as he confessed his adultery.
1990 A demonstration in London against the poll tax became a riot, in which over 400 people were arrested.
1999 Chechen President, Aslan maskhado survived an assassination attempt.
1999 Comedian Ernie Wise died, aged 73.
2005 A US judge considered the case of brain-damaged woman Terri Schiavo, after a law aimed at keeping her alive was rushed in.
2005 Icelandic MPs voted in favour of granting fugitive former world chess champion Bobby Fischer citizenship rights.
2005 Michael Howard outlined Tory plans to tackle illegal traveller sites amid claims he was trying to start a race row.
2005 The BBC cut more than 2,000 jobs in its programme-making divisions as part of radical changes to the corporation.

BIRTHDAYS (for 21 March 2006)
Johann Sebastian Bach, 321 (born 21 March 1685)
German composer and organist.
Benito Pablo Juarez, 205 (born 21 March 1801)
Mexican president who was deposed by colonial powers Britain and France before being re-elected as head of state.
Paul Tortelier, 92 (born 21 March 1914)
French cellist and conductor.
Peter Brook, 81 (born 21 March 1925)
English stage and film director
Michael Heseltine, 73 (born 21 March 1933)
British politician
Brian Clough, 71 (born 21 March 1935)
Died 2004. English footballer and manager
Ayrton Senna, 46 (born 21 March 1960)
Brazilian racing driver

20.3.06

The £ Money Files


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Spotlight Year - 1955


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Quiztime Themed Quiz Index - Updated

QUIZTIME QUIZZES

All Links Open In A New Window

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    More Quiztime Quizzes Added Regularly
  • Quiztime Thirds Quiz


    1. Who is the third heir to the British throne?
    Prince Henry
    2. What is the name of the third Lord of the Rings film?
    The Return of the King
    3. In the 14th century, a plague killed up to one third of Europe's population. What was it called?
    The Black Death
    4. In the Bible what is the third book of the Old Testament?
    Leviticus
    5. Which children's TV programme provided the BBC’s sales department with a third of their 1997 profits? The Telletubbies
    6. What is the third largest city in Italy?
    Naples
    7. According to the nursery rhyme what did the third piggy have?
    Roast beef
    8. Which is the third largest state in the USA?
    Montana
    9. What is the Medical name for Wisdom Teeth?
    Third Molars
    10. After Mayfair and Park Lane, what is the third most valuable property on a Monopoly Board?
    Bond Street
    11. What is the third tallest mountain in the world?
    K2 Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas - 26,220ft
    12. From which movie does this line come - "TWA 517, do you want to report a UFO? Over!"
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    13. Frank Peterson, a German record-producer, is the third husband of which famous singer?
    Sarah Brightman
    14. Who was the author of the third gospel in the New Testament?
    Luke
    15. Which nation finished third in the 1966 football World Cup?
    Portugal
    16. Whose birthday is celebrated by a public holiday on the third monday in January in the USA?
    Martin Luther KIng
    17. Who was Labour leader when Maggie Thatcher had her third election victory?
    Neil Kinnock
    18. A third series of which cult sci-fi comedy began on BBC Radio 4 in September 2004, 26 years after the original show was first broadcast?
    Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
    19. True or false - One third of Taiwanese funeral processions include a stripper?
    True
    20. What phrase connects a burn and an interrogation?
    Third Degree

    21. Which of Steve Redgrave’s fellow crew members won his third consecutive gold at the Sydney Olympics?
    Matthew Pinsent
    22. What was the third channel to appear on British television?
    BBC 2
    23. Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s first 3 hits reached No 1 – The first was Relax, the second Two Tribes – what was the third?
    The Power Of Love
    24. What is the staple food of one third of the worlds population?
    Rice
    25. What do you give on the third wedding anniversary?
    Leather
    26. Who was the third and favourite son of David in Old Testament?
    Absolom
    27. What was the third leading cause of death in 1900?
    Diarrhoea
    28. Honor Blackman was the first. Diana Rigg was the second. Who was the third of John Steed's sidekicks in TV's The Avengers?
    Linda Thorson
    29. Albert Sauvy coined what term in the 1950's?
    The Third World
    30. Beethoven's third symphony is nicknamed what?
    The Eroica
    31. Chang 1st, Wang 2nd, what is the third most common Chinese name?
    Li
    32. What is the worlds third largest island?
    Borneo
    33. In ancient Athens, every third man worked with what?
    Marble
    34. Which was the third country to launch a rocket into outer space?
    France
    35. In which sport might you see a third man and a long leg?
    Cricket
    36. The famous theme music from the film The Third Man was performed on what type of instrument?
    Zither
    37. In 2003 Gareth Gates became the third artist to have a No 1 hit with which song?
    Spirit In The Sky – not Unchained Melody which was a no 1 in 2002
    38. What was the family’s surname in ‘Third Rock From The Sun’?
    Solomon
    39. What was the third of the Die Hard series of films called?
    Die Hard With A Vengeance
    40. What new measure is to be offered to women for a beer in pubs, which may become known as girlie beer?
    A third of a pint, possibly in a wine glass

    Tiebreaker - In shillings and pence, what was a third of a pound?
    Six Shillings and Eight Pence

    Quiztime Seconds Quiz


    1. What word means something that is second to last?
    Penultimate
    2. Which artist had a piece of work entitled - 'Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate, One Second before Awakening'
    Salvador Dali
    3. Who was the first European athlete to run 100 metres in less than ten seconds?
    Linford Christie
    4. On his second journey across the Atlantic which island did Columbus discover?
    Jamaica
    5. In terms of population, which is the second largest town or city in the Republic of Ireland?
    Cork
    6. Neil Armstrong was the first but who was the second man on the moon?
    Edwin Buzz Aldrin
    7. Which country has the second most airfields in the world?
    Brazil
    8. What was the title of the second film starring Peter Sellars as Inspector Closeau?
    "A Shot In The Dark"
    9. In second hand car adverts, the abbreviation FSH is often used. What does FSH stand for?
    Full Service History
    10. After the USA, which country has the second longest road network in the world?
    India
    11. On which Japanese city was the second atomic bomb dropped?
    Nagasaki
    12. Who was the second wife of Henry VIII?
    Anne Boleyn
    13. Which army was defeated in the Second Battle of Bull Run?
    Unionists
    14. Who won the second series of "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here"?
    Phil Tufnell
    15. What name did Catherine Zeta and Michael Douglas given their second born child?
    Cerys
    16. Which 2000 film starred Nicholas Cage and Vinnie Jones as car thieves?
    Gone In Sixty Seconds
    17. What is the second largest ethnic group in Hawaii?
    Spanish
    18. Andres Escobar was shot after his country failed to qualify for the second stages of the World Cup in 94, what country did he play for? Colombia
    19. Cardiff has the second largest population of what creature in the UK?
    Seagulls
    20. Home to Japan's longest river, the Ishikarigawa, what is the country's second largest island?
    Hokkaido

    21. In Mammals, the Asian Elephant has the second longest, but man has the longest - what?
    Life Span
    22. In a standard Cinefilm how many frames are shown per second?
    Twenty-Four
    23. When there are two full moons in the same month, what is the second called?
    Blue Moon
    24. How many seconds are there in a quarter of an hour?
    900
    25. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War?
    Stalin
    26. What is the name of a secondary object that orbits a planet or star?
    Satellite
    27. In 1986 who became the second Swedish act to top the UK charts?
    Europe
    28. What is the second lightest element?
    Helium
    29. Which incident in the Second World War is chronicled in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!?
    Attack on Pearl Harbour
    30. Which moon of Jupiter, its second largest, is the most heavily cratered satellite in our solar system?
    Callisto
    31. What is the second highest mountain in Africa?
    Mount Kenya
    32. Which is the second month of the year to have exactly 30 days?
    June
    33. Which is the second planet from the Sun?
    Venus
    34. Which is the second largest of the Balearic Islands?
    Minorca
    35. Which novelists first husband died from a drugs overdose and second husband Oscar Lerman died from prostrate cancer?
    Jackie Collins
    36. Which Bard left his wife his second best bed in his will?
    William Shakespeare
    37. Who came second to Tony Blair in the 1994 labour leadership election?
    Margaret Becket
    38. Who is the shotgun carrying character who always comes out second best whilst hunting Bugs Bunny?
    Elmer J Fudd
    39. Who was the second President of the USA?
    John Adams
    40. In “Mission Impossible” the tape always ended up with a self-destruct warning. How long was it before the tape blew up?
    Five Seconds

    Tiebreaker - In 1980, Vince Pilkington of Ireland set the World Record time for plucking a turkey in how many seconds?
    90

    Kilikiti - Sport Files


    The bat is more like a war club, the ball the size of a lemon and the players wear anything but white.
    Kilikiti, a form of cricket played on the islands of Polynesia, is one of the strangest sporting legacies of the British Empire. But in Tuvalu, a scattered archipelago which under British rule was half of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the game is losing out to football.
    "Young people do not want to play kilikiti any more," said Apelu Meneua, 44, a boat captain, as he prepared to occupy the crease on Funafuti, Tuvalu's main atoll. "It is not like the old times when chiefs were captains and the whole village would take part."
    Kilikiti - the word is a Polynesian corruption of "cricket" - features teams of up to 50, including women. It evolved from the efforts of the London Missionary Society to "civilise" the natives of the South Seas in the 19th century, when missionaries strove to substitute competitive sport for tribal warfare.
    It is also played in Tokelau, a dependency of New Zealand, and Samoa, a former British dependency. Batsmen stand in front of a single stump and wield a fearsome-looking three-sided wooden bat.
    The unusual shape of the bat means that the ball is liable to fly off in random directions, scattering pigs, dogs and children and frequently ending up lost in long grass or a grove of coconut palms.
    "I think English cricket must be very easy because the ball is big and there are three stumps," said Apisaloma Ene, 38, a fisherman.
    Colourful T-shirts and lava lavas - wrap-around skirts - replace whites. Supporters sing and dance and taunt the competition.
    "If the batsmen is fat, he can appoint a fitter man to run for him," said Mr Meneua, as a ball flew over his head and into a thicket of banana trees. "Games last an hour or two; we do not play for days like the English."
    The wooden balls, carved from the wood of the native tiare tree, are so small that they are hard to see at times.
    "It is easy to get hit in the face," said Ofulino Ekueta, 25, a nurse at Tuvalu's only hospital. "There can be a lot of injuries."
    If the ball lands in the nearby lagoon it counts as a six but the batsmen must retrieve it himself, an unpleasant task when the lagoon is ringed with pig pens and full of effluent.
    Polynesian pop music blared from a ramshackle bar at a recent match. While a modest crowd watched two village teams slug it out, nearby games of football attracted many more participants.
    "Cricket is boring," said Manoa Lito, 19, a student. "Football is much faster and more interesting." Hundreds of other young islanders, dribbling along the tarmac, appeared to agree with him.

    Quiztime Love Quiz


    1. Who was the Greek god of passion and romance?
    Eros
    2. What was the name of the lovesick young hero in the movie Titanic?
    Jack Dawson
    3. Who was the lover of the Duke of Buckingham in "The Three Musketeers"?
    Anne of Austria
    4. Which Beatles song begins ‘There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done'?
    All You Need is Love
    5. What illness kills Jenny in 'Love Story'?
    Leukaemia
    6. In which 80’s TV series did Kevin Arnold fall in love with Winnie Cooper?
    The Wonder Years
    7. What was the number painted on the side of Herbie in the Love Bug?
    Fifty-Three
    8. What 70’s hit by the Osmonds gave Boyzone a hit in 1994?
    Love me for a reason
    9. At what sport did James Hewitt, one-time lover of Princess Diana, excel?
    Polo
    10. According to the song, love and marriage go together like what?
    A horse and carriage
    11. Which D.H. Lawrence novel became a best -seller in the summer of 1959?
    Lady Chatterly's Lover
    12. In 1986, which group reached Number One in the UK pop charts with 'Caravan of Love'?
    The Housemartins
    13. Born in Italy in 1895 who was known as the cinemas first great lover?
    Rudolph Valentino
    14. The song Love Changes Everything can be heard during which stage musical?
    Aspects Of Love
    15. Who were "Standing in the shadow of love" in 1967?
    The Four Tops
    16. If Clare Danes was Juliet in the 1996 film “Romeo & Juliet” who was Romeo?
    Leonardo Di Caprio
    17. Which Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta is subtitled 'The Lass That Loved a Sailor'?
    HMS Pinafore
    18. From which film does this line come - ‘The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return’?
    Moulin Rouge
    19. In which TV series would you have found the Pacific Princess?
    Love Boat
    20. "Ti Amo" means "I Love You" in which language?
    Italian

    21. Who was the Roman goddess of love?
    Venus
    22. Which US city is known as “The city of brotherly love”?
    Philadelphia
    23. Which song from the film Buster was a No 1 hit for Phil Collins?
    A Groovy Kind of Love
    24. Which flower was name after a mythological character who fell in love with his own reflection?
    Narcissus
    25. According to his 1972 song, Jimmy Osmond was the Long-Haired Lover from where?
    Liverpool
    26. Which 1998 film earned Gwyneth Palthrow a Best Actress Oscar?
    Shakespeare In Love
    27. The heroine of which opera had a bullfighter lover called Escamillo?
    Carmen
    28. What was the first Motown number one in Britain?
    Baby Love by the Supremes
    29. Who are you in love with if you have an electra complex?
    Your father - (female oedipus)
    30. What was Lovejoy's first name?
    Lothario
    31. Who gave birth th the love child of Cecil Parkinson?
    Sarah Keays
    32. Which winners of the talent show New Faces went on to top the charts in 1976 with the song Under The Moon Of Love?
    Showaddywaddy
    33. What was the name of the mad monk, who was given cyanide-laced wine and cakes, shot three times, and was thrown in a river?
    Rasputin - Ra Ra Rasputin was Russia's greatest love machine!
    34. In which film did Doris Day sing “Secret Love”?
    Calamity Jane
    35. Which salad ingredient is traditionally known as the 'love apple'?
    Tomato
    36. Who was the love of Quasimodo's life?
    Esmeralda
    37. Which well-known actor played himself in 'The Love Lottery'?
    Humphrey Bogart
    38. In which 1982 film set in Paris in 1934 does a girl singer become successful when she poses as a female impersonator, which causes problems with her love life?
    Victor/Victoria
    39. Who had a top 20 hit in the UK in 1984 with "Love Me Tender"?
    Roland Rat (Superstar)
    40. Would a man love an ODALISQUE - Yes or No?
    Yes - a female slave!

    Tiebreaker - During which century did the world's greatest lover Casanova live?
    18th Century

    Football World Cup Quiz


    1. England's opening game of the 2006 World Cup will on the 10th June 2006 in Frankfurt against which team?
    Paraguay
    2. Against whom did England gain their first victory at the 1966 World Cup?
    Mexico
    3. In which city was the 1994 final played?
    Los Angeles
    4. Failure to beat which country in Swansea denied Wales a place at the 1982 World Cup finals?
    Iceland
    5. Which two previous winners of the competition failed to make the 1994 World Cup finals?
    England & Uruguay
    6. Who was in goal for West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final?
    Hans Tilkowski
    7. Who defeated Argentina 6-1 at the 1958 finals?
    Czechoslovakia
    8. Which country were eliminated on goal difference in three consecutive World Cup finals - 1974, 1978 and 1982?
    Scotland
    9. When England won the World Cup in 1966, who were the defending champions?
    Brazil
    10. Who were the last two countries to win the football world cup on home soil?
    France & Argentina
    11. Which is the only country to have appeared in every football World Cup Finals?
    Brazil
    12. Who scored Scotland's only goal at the 1986 World Cup finals?
    Gordon Strachan
    13. What was the name of the dog that found the missing World Cup in 1966?
    Pickles
    14. Who was the only Portsmouth player in the Republic of Ireland's 1994 World Cup squad?
    Alan McLoughlin
    15. What is the minimum number of shots a football team need to take in a penalty shoot out?
    Three
    16. Who held Scotland to a draw in their second match at the 1978 finals?
    Iran
    17. Philippe Albert's 90th minute goal did not save Belgium being knocked out of the 1994 World Cup by which team?
    Germany
    18. Who did Holland defeat in the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup?
    Argentina - goal scored by Dennis Bergkamp
    - What is the main colour of the Dutch football teams shirts?
    Orange
    19. Which country were banned from taking part in the 1990 World Cup?
    Mexico
    20. In what year was the World Cup first transmitted in colour in the UK?
    1970

    21. Which South American team beat Holland to win the football World Cup in 1978?
    Argentina
    - Which two Argentinean footballers were bought by Spurs after the '78 World Cup?
    Ardiles And Villa
    22. Which of the following footballers hasn't scored in a World Cup Final, Zenedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, Paolo Rossi or Pele?
    Diego Maradonna
    23. In which city was the Three Tenors 1998 World Cup concert?
    Paris
    24. Where was the 2002 football World Cup held?
    Japan and South Korea
    25. True or false: India qualified for the 1950 football World Cup Finals but withdrew when they weren't allowed to play bare foot?
    True
    26. Which country was the first to retain the football World Cup?
    Italy
    27. Which two players scored the most goals for England in the 1998 World Cup Finals?
    Alan Shearer and Michael Owen
    28. During the 1966 World Cup tournament how many goals were scored against Gordon Banks – three. four or five?
    Three
    29. Most people know that Uruguay won the first Football World Cup, but who did they beat in the Final? Argentina (4–2)
    30. What links the football world cup winners of 1930, 1934, 1966, 1974, 1978 and 1998?
    They were all host nations
    31. Who was Scotland’s manager in the 1986 Football World Cup?
    Alex Ferguson
    32. What was the England World Cup Squad's No 1 hit in 1970?
    Back Home
    33. How many straight lines are there on a football pitch?
    Seventeen
    34. Who were the first African country to reach the World Cup quarter-finals?
    Cameroon
    35. Which two footballers missed penalties to knock England out of the 1998 World Cup?
    David Batty & Paul Ince
    36. Who was the first person to captain and manage a World Cup winning football team?
    Franz Beckenbauer
    37. England beat Germany 4-2 in the 1966 World Cup Final, Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick, who scored England’s other goal?
    Martin Peters
    38. Who became an international at 16 in 1956, won World Cup medals in 1958 and 1970, and scored his 1000th goal in first-class football in 1969?
    Pele
    39. Which three players scored the goal in England’s 5-1 defeat of Germany in the qualifying group game for the 2002 World Cup?
    Michael Owen, Emil Heskey, Steven Gerard
    40. Which country will host the 2010 Football World Cup?
    South Africa

    Tiebreaker - How many games did England lose in the 1982 World Cup finals?
    None

    How many football World Cups have been cancelled due to war?
    Twice - 1942 and 1946

    Cricket Quiztime


    Which English cricket ground was first opened in 1787?
    Lords
    Which businessman turned cricket upside down in 1977 when he lured many test players away from test matches to play World Series Cricket?
    Kerry Packer
    John Willes is traditionally associated with which developement in the game?
    Round arm bowling
    The earliest English cricket festival was established in 1842, but in which Kent town?
    Canterbury
    Who was the leading wicket taker for Australia in the 1989 Ashes series?
    Terry Alderman
    Who was the only English spinner to take a wicket in the 1998 series against South Africa?
    Ashley Giles
    Who was the man of the match in the first Ashes test of 1997?
    Nasser Hussain
    Which England batsman scored hundreds on two consecutive days in one day internationals in 1996?
    Nick Knight
    Whose autobiography is called Anything But An Autobiography?
    Richie Benaud
    Which former Australian spinner was a spokesman for the PCA in the late 1990's and early 2000's?
    Tim May
    Who was the first English test cricketer to be fined for misconduct during a test match?
    Mike Atherton
    Who was the first batsman to be given out "obstructing the field" in test match cricket?
    Len Hutton
    Which team won the first two World Cup tournaments in 1975 and 1976?
    West Indies
    Who was the first batsman to score more than 500 runs in a single first-class innings?
    Brian Lara
    When a bowler oversteps his mark, or is called for chuckiing, what would be the umpire's ruling? No ball
    Which cricketer won the Australian of the Year Award in 1989?
    Allan Border
    Which cricketer was born with an extra finger on each hand?
    Gary Sobers
    Who is the only player to score a century and take 10 or more wickets in the same test match?
    Ian Botham
    Who in 1990 became the first batsman to score a triple hundred and a hundred in the same match against India at Lords?
    Graham Gooch

    Charles Bronson - Filmography


    Born: November 3, 1921 - Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania
    Died: (Died aged 81) August 30, 2003 - Los Angeles, California

    Biography
    The son of a Lithuanian coal miner, American actor Charles Bronson claimed to have spoken no English at home during his childhood in Pennsylvania. Though he managed to complete high school, it was expected that Bronson would go into the mines like his father and many brothers. Experiencing the world outside Pennsylvania during World War II service, however, Bronson came back to America determined to pursue an art career. While working as a set designer for a Philadelphia theater troupe, Bronson played a few small roles and almost immediately switched his allegiance from the production end of theater to acting.
    After a few scattered acting jobs in New York, Bronson enrolled in the Pasadena Playhouse in 1949. By 1951, he was in films, playing uncredited bits in such pictures as You're in the Navy Now (1952) (which also featured a young bit actor named Lee Marvin), The People Against O'Hara (1951), Diplomatic Courier (1952), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952) (as a waiter!), and The Clown (1953). When he finally achieved billing, it was under his own name, Charles Buchinsky (sometimes spelled Buchinski). His first role of importance was as Igor, the mute granite-faced henchman of deranged sculptor Vincent Price in House of Wax (1953).
    The actor was billed as Charles Bronson for the first time in Drum Beat (1954), although he was still consigned to character roles as Slavs, American Indians, hoodlums, and convicts. Most sources claim that Bronson's first starring role was in Machine Gun Kelly (1958), but, in fact, he had the lead in 1958's Gang War, playing an embryonic version of his later Death Wish persona as a mild-mannered man who turned vengeful after the death of his wife. Bronson achieved his first fan-following with the TV series Man With a Camera (1959), in which he played adventurous photojournalist Mike Kovac (and did double duty promoting the sponsor's camera products in the commercials). His best film role up until 1960 was as one of The Magnificent Seven (1960), dominating several scenes despite the costar competition of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, and others. Most of Bronson's film roles after Seven remained in the supporting-villainy category, however, so, in 1968, the actor packed himself off to Europe, where American action players like Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef were given bigger and better opportunities. Multiplying his international box-office appeal tenfold with such films as Guns for San Sebastian (1967), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Cold Sweat (1970), and The Valachi Papers (1971), Bronson returned to Hollywood a full-fledged star at last. His most successful films of the 1970s were Death Wish (1974) and its sequels, a series of brutal "vigilante" pictures which suggested not so subliminally that honest people would ultimately have to dole out their own terminal justice to criminals.
    In many of his '70s films, Bronson co-starred with second wife Jill Ireland, with whom he remained married until she lost her valiant fight against cancer in 1990. Bronson's bankability subsequently fell off, due in part to younger action stars doing what he used to do twice as vigorously, and because of his truculent attitude towards fans. He did little but television work since The Indian Runner (Sean Penn's Directorial debut) in 1991, with Death Wish 5: The Face of Death (1994) his only feature since.

    Did You Know?
    His actual last name was Buchinsky.

    Charles served the United States in World War II.

    Movie Highlights
    Death Wish (1974)
    This was the movie for which Bronson is best known. His role as vigilante Paul Kersey made the most of Bronson's tough guy image.

    Actor Credits
    Chino / Cold Sweat (2003)
    Family Of Cops III (1999)
    Breach Of Faith: Family Of Cops II (1997)
    A Family Of Cops (1995)
    Death Wish V: The Face Of Death (1994)
    Dead To Rights (1993)
    Donato And Daughter (1993)
    The Sea Wolf (1993)
    Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus (1991)
    The Indian Runner (1991)
    Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989)
    Deadly Three (1988)
    Messenger Of Death (1988)
    Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)
    Assassination (1987)
    Murphy's Law (1986)
    Act Of Vengeance (1986)
    Death Wish 3 (1985)
    The Evil That Men Do (1984)
    10 To Midnight (1983)
    Death Wish II (1982)
    Death Hunt (1981)
    Borderline (1980)
    Caboblanco (1980)
    Love And Bullets (1979)
    Hunt To Kill (1977)
    The White Buffalo (1977)
    Raid On Entebbe (1977)
    Telefon (1977)
    St. Ives (1976)
    Breakheart Pass (1976)
    From Noon Till Three (1976)
    Hard Times (1975)
    Breakout (1975)
    Mr. Majestyk (1974)
    Death Wish (1974)
    The Valdez Horses (1973)
    Chino (1973)
    The Stone Killer (1973)
    Chato's Land (1972)
    The Mechanic (1972)
    The Valachi Papers (1972)
    Cold Sweat (1971)
    Red Sun (1971)
    Someone Behind The Door (1971)
    The Family (1970)
    Rider On The Rain (1970)
    You Can't Win 'Em All (1970)
    Violent City (1970)
    Twinky (1969)
    Once Upon A Time In The West (1969)
    Lola (1969)
    The Statutory Affair (1969)
    London Affair (1969)
    Guns For San Sebastian (1968)
    Villa Rides (1968)
    Honor Among Thieves (1968)
    Farewell, Friend (1968)
    The Dirty Dozen (1967)
    The Meanest Men In The West (1966)
    Battle Of The Bulge (1966)
    This Property Is Condemned (1966)
    The Sandpiper (1965)
    Guns Of Diablo (1964)
    Four For Texas (1963)
    The Bull Of The West (1963)
    The Great Escape (1963)
    Kid Galahad (1962)
    X-15 (1961)
    Master Of The World (1961)
    A Thunder Of Drums (1961)
    The Magnificent Seven (1960)
    Never So Few (1959)
    Machine Gun Kelly (1958)
    Showdown At Boot Hill (1958)
    Gang War (1958)
    Jubal (1956)
    Target Zero (1955)
    Apache (1954)
    Vera Cruz (1954)
    Riding Shotgun (1954)
    Drum Beat (1954)
    Tennessee Champ (1954)
    House Of Wax (1953)
    Miss Sadie Thompson (1953)
    The Marrying Kind (1952)
    Pat And Mike (1952)
    You're In The Navy Now (1951)

    Who Am I?

    I am an American, I am an actor / perfomer. I was born in 1903.

    My first British hit was The Isle Of Innisfree, that was in 1952. My birtday is on the 3rd of May.

    I received my nickname due to a childhood addiction to a strip cartoon in a local newspaper. My real christian names are Harry Lillis.

    My first singing group were The Rhythm Boys in the 1920s. My place of birth was Tacoma, Washington. I appeared in the film The King Of Jazz, in 1930.

    I am the singer of the biggest-selling Christmas record of all time. I was last seen alive on October 14th 1977 on a Golf-course in Spain, some people say I was playing with Elvis but he had left the course.

    WHO AM I?

    Music Files - Barry Gray



    The name Barry Gray may not mean much on its face to baby boomers, but a mention of some of the television series that he scored -- Fireball XL5, Supercar, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, Thunderbirds, UFO, Space: 1999 -- will evoke instant recognition from most television viewers who were over 30 in 2001. Although he was engaged in the writing of music for all manner of television programs and even a few feature films scattered between them, Gray inadvertently provided the "soundtrack" for the childhood entertainment of millions of viewers around the world during the 1960s and 1970s. Gray was born in Lancashire, England, early in the 20th century and proved a natural musician at a young age. He later studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and at Blackburn Cathedral and took up the study of composition with Hungarian composer Matyas Sieber. He began his music career writing arrangements for Feldman publishers in London, principally of theater music, and subsequently joined Radio Normandy in the 1930s. Gray's musical career was interrupted by six years of service in the Royal Air Force during World War II, which took him to Africa, India, and Burma. After the war, he returned to London, where he made a living writing and arranging music for various performers and publishers on a freelance basis, working in the music department at Denham Studios and composing and orchestrating music for the radio. Gray's abilities as an arranger and orchestrator soon became known to the top visiting talent of the day and he was engaged by such figures as Eartha Kitt and Hoagy Carmichael and beginning in 1949, he also served as the accompanist and arranger for Vera Lynn, on stage as well as on her television and radio appearances.
    In 1956, Gray joined a tiny, struggling television production company called AP Films Ltd., founded by Gerry Anderson, which managed to attract some attention and enough revenue to survive with a program called The Adventures of Twizzle. That late '50s British television series was special for being populated on screen entirely by marionettes and for the next decade, AP Films -- which later became Century 21 -- specialized in series built around marionettes, all scored by Barry Gray.
    Ironically, Gray's involvement with Anderson came about as a result of his work with Vera Lynn. The singer had recorded several songs written by Roberta Leigh, the author and lyricist, who had created The Adventures of Twizzle -- one of her stipulations in allowing Anderson to produce the series was that Barry Gray be the music director for the program, but that the program use a group of musical themes that a non-musician friend of hers had devised; Gray was obliged to make a tape of this man's humming and transform that into a full score. He did precisely that, orchestrating and arranging those crudely worked out themes into a finished soundtrack that impressed Anderson sufficiently to keep working with Gray for 20 years after that introduction. His work orchestrating Leigh's own music for another series, Torchy the Battery Boy, later in the 1950s, only sealed their professional relationship.
    As with most composers involved in modestly budgeted work -- which the early productions were -- Gray recognized that carrying the series past the limitations of their budgets was a responsibility that would rest largely with him. His own favorite composers were Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, but he also admitted to being heavily influenced by Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy and spent a lot of time poring over Rimsky-Korsakov's and Berlioz's writings on orchestration. He had a chance to write his own "book", in effect, when he went to work for Anderson.
    The introduction of magnetic recording tape at the end of the 1940s had opened up possibilities in the art and science of recording that Barry Gray saw, perhaps better than any arranger/composer in England. In 1950, he had established his own studio in London to experiment with different methods of recording. He'd used it for recording commercials and some of Vera Lynn's work and the early Anderson series were a new addition and extension to its activities. In 1959, after adding yet another program to their output, Anderson and Gray collaborated on the production and scoring of a true rarity in those days, a television feature film called Crossroads to Crime. Gray's music proved essential to the success of Anderson's subsequent series. He'd always had a fascination with the timbral qualities of various instruments, the more exotic the better, and the ways of recording them to maximum effect; at the end of the 1950s, he used what budget he had on the Anderson television shows to extend the range of available sounds into electronic instruments, particularly the Ondes Martenot (whose sound is perhaps most familiar to movie music enthusiasts in Richard Rodney Bennett's score for the movie Billion Dollar Brain) and the Miller Spinetta. These were the closest that the music world had at the time to the Moog, the Mellotron, and other electronic instruments that would become commonplace at the other end of the decade.
    And they were a natural for the scoring of Anderson's new series, Supercar, about a machine that could fly through the air or travel under the sea, and the adventures of its pilot and his friends -- all done, as were the producer's prior programs, with marionettes. Supercar, produced in 1959, was Gray's first major musical triumph and the first of the Anderson-produced series to make an international impact, proving extremely popular with younger viewers in America as well as England. The marionette work, prop designs, and special effects were exceptional for children's television of the period, but the music -- ornamented with unusual electronic sounds and highlighted by a title-track with a driving beat -- made it especially difficult to resist. The next series, Fireball XL5, was even better, more adult-oriented (from a young person's point-of-view) and set largely in outer space. Gray went even further in his scoring, making the electronic sounds even more prominent around a central theme that managed to be both exciting and romantic. Listening to Gray's music from this period, he was almost the soundtrack composer equivalent of Joe Meek, without the mental instability or the shaky budgets. One tribute to Gray's work as a composer was the fact that Meek -- who seems to have taken several pages out of Gray's book -- had his group the Tornados record versions of some of his music.
    Anderson's series Stingray, which was made in 1963 and set under the water, was also the first of the producer's program to be done in color and featured better production values than its predecessors; Gray was able to work with a 38-piece orchestra, up from 24 members, and the writing for the horns and percussion reveled in the larger forces available. By this time, Gray had also come to the attention of the British film industry and during the mid-'60s, he provided electronic music for the feature film Dr. Who and the Daleks, starring Peter Cushing, based on the hit British television series and such science fiction and horror films of the mid-'60s as Fahrenheit 451 and Island of Terror.
    Meanwhile, the next Anderson series, Thunderbirds, about a family-run futuristic rescue organization that operated on land, in the air, underwater, and in space, proved a huge success and afforded Gray and all concerned a bigger canvas still to fill. The music, especially its rousing march, now seemed bigger-than-life, or at least bigger than the television format could hold -- that was borne out with the release of the United Artists feature Thunderbirds Are Go; the movie is pretty impressive on visual terms, but anyone who has ever seen it in a theater will confirm that the scoring, for an orchestra of 70 players, practically makes it a Barry Gray concert accompanied by a film.
    Gray's music for the series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons marked a departure. The title song, which appeared over the end credits, was a superb rock tune sung by an actual band, the Spectrum, but in keeping with the serious and morbid tone of the series -- in which characters are inevitably killed (for that is how the Mysterons move around the Earth, reanimating corpses) -- the music was as dark as most of Gray's work on prior series had been upbeat and exuberant. He subsequently wrote the music for the live-action Anderson production UFO, as well as the feature film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, which showed considerable inspiration and had a distinctive, futuristic sound, in keeping with their settings, as well as great depth in their scoring. By this time, he was using synthesizers, electric organs, and electric harpsichords, and still generating a unique range of sounds more than a decade after he'd started.
    In 1974, Gray created the last of his scores, when he wrote the music for the first season of Anderson's live-action science fiction series Space: 1999. By the middle of the decade, he had moved to Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, and was no longer scoring new television shows or films. He re-emerged at the end of the decade, however, when he was invited to conduct newly arranged orchestral suites from two of his favorite scores, Thunderbirds and Journey to the Far Side of the Sun. This led to his occasional appearances as a guest conductor at film music concert presentations and conventions of science fiction enthusiasts devoted to the various Anderson series and to his writing of new score material for video recompilations of the Anderson children's series from the 1960s. Barry Gray passed away in 1984, but his music has since become an object of fascination from adult baby boomers, nostalgia buffs, and science fiction enthusiasts. Period recordings of his music on the Pye Records label have resurfaced on a CD reissue of the compilation No Strings and in 1992, Silva Screen Records released FAB, a new recording of Gray's music by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

    Multiple Choice Quiz


    1. WHICH ORGANISATIONS MOTTO IS "LET THE DEEP NOT SWALLOW ME UP"?
    A) OIL RIG WORKERS B) FLEETWOOD FISHING TRAWLERMEN OR C) R.N.L.I
    ANSWER - C) R.N.L.I
    2. IN THE MAKING OF BEER, THE BREWERS USE HOP PLANT FLOWERS OF WHICH SEX? A) MALE B) FEMALE OR C) MIXED
    ANSWER - B) FEMALE
    3. WHAT IS HAPU?
    A) CHINESE DISH OF RAW FISH, B) THE HINDU GOD OF FERTILITY OR C) A MAORI CEREMONY
    ANSWER - B) THE HINDU GOD OF FERTILITY
    4. 24 MECHANICAL DEVICES HAVE BEEN PATENTED TO CLEAN OUT WHICH BODILY ORIFICE?
    A) THE NOSE B) THE EARS OR C) THE NAVEL
    ANSWER - A) THE NOSE
    5. IF YOU HAD THE LETTERS M.F.H. AFTER YOUR NAME, WHAT WOULD YOUR HOBBY BE?
    A) TAXIDERMY B) FALCONRY OR C) HUNTING
    ANSWER - C) HUNTING - A MASTER OF FOX HOUNDS
    6. WHAT IS A RUSTICLE?
    A) LONG DEPOSITS OF RUST SEEN ON WRECKS LIKE THE TITANIC, B) A SHAKESPEARIAN WORD FOR A COUNTRY DWELLER OR C) THE NICKNAME FOR ICE-LOLLIES MADE OUT OF IRN-BRU
    ANSWER - A) LONG DEPOSITS OF RUST SEEN ON WRECKS LIKE THE TITANIC
    7. WHICH BREED OF DOG IS NAMED AFTER A GERMAN POSTMAN?
    A) DASCHUND B) DOBERMAN OR C) ST. BERNHARD
    ANSWER - B) DOBERMAN
    8. WHICH EX=PRESIDENT OF THE USA WAS THE YOUNGEST PILOT IN THE US NAVY DURING WORLD WAR II?
    A) RICHARD NIXON B) RONALD REAGAN OR C) GEORGE BUSH Snr.
    GEORGE BUSH Snr
    9. HOW MANY HEARTS DOES AN EARTHWORM HAVE?
    A) 1, B) 10 or C) 100
    ANSWER - B) 10
    10. WHICH DENOMINATION BANK NOTE DID THE BANK OF ENGLAND INTRODUCE IN 1752 BUT WITHDRAW IN 1945?
    A) £200 B) £500 OR C) £1,000
    ANSWER - C) £1,000
    11. WHAT ARE WOOD BLEWIT, AMETHYST DECEIVERS AND WOOD WOOLYFOOT?
    A) MUSHROOMS B) BUTTERFLIES OR C) HERBAL RECIPES
    ANSWER - A) MUSHROOMS
    12. WHAT WOULD YOU USE YOUR ZYGOMATICUS MUSCLE FOR?
    A) TO SIT, B) TO RUN OR C) TO SMILE
    ANSWER - C) TO SMILE
    13. WHICH OF THESE IS NOT A REAL TREE?
    A) AUTOGRAPH TREE, B) SCRAMBLED EGG TREE OR C) SNAKE'S HEAD TREE
    ANSWER - C) SNAKE'S HEAD TREE
    14. IN WHICH YEAR WAS THE LAST OUTBREAK OF THE BLACK DEATH IN ENGLAND?
    A) 1514, B) 1714 or C) 1914
    ANSWER - C) 1914 (Liverpool)
    15. WHAT DID AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON JANUARY 3rd 1938 SAY THAT ALL BRITISH SCHOOLCHILDREN WOULD BE GIVEN FREE OF CHARGE?
    A) GAS MASKS B) MILK OR C) FRUIT
    ANSWER - A) GAS MASKS
    16. WHAT WOULD A GERMAN DO WITH HIS 'ADLERHUMPEN'?
    A) TAKE IT FOR A WALK B) DRINK OUT OF IT OR C) HAVE IT TREATED AT THE DOCTORS
    ANSWER - B) DRINK OUT OF IT - A STEIN!
    17. WHICH OF THESE ROMAN NUMERALS WOULD EXCITE AN ICE-CREAM LOVER?
    A) XCIX B) XCIV OR C) XCXIX
    ANSWER - A) XCIX - 99 WITH A DOUBLE FLAKE PLEASE!!!
    18. WHAT IS A 'HOREHOUND?
    A) A DOG, B) A PLANT OR C) A FISH
    ANSWER - B) A PLANT
    19. IN THE GARDEN THERE ARE TWO BADGERS, THREE SPIDERS AND TWO HERONS, HOW MANY LEGS ARE THERE IN TOTAL?
    A) 32 B) 34 OR C) 36
    ANSWER - C) 36
    20. FROM WHICH DIRECTION WOULD THE SUN RISE IF YOU WERE AT THE NORTH POLE ON URANUS?
    A) NORTH B) SOUTH C) WEST
    ANSWER - B) SOUTH - OF COURSE!
    Extras

    WHO WAS THE FIRST BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TO FLY SUPERSONIC ON CONCORDE? A) HAROLD WILSON B) JAMES CALLAGHAN OR C) TED HEATH
    ANSWER - B) JAMES CALLAGHAN
    WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A 'FELUCCA' - EAT IT, WEAR IT OR SAIL IN IT?
    ANSWER - SAIL IN IT - A NARROW MEDITTERANEAN VESSEL
    WHICH WAS THE FIRST BRITISH FOOTBALL CLUB TO SIGN A SHIRT SPONSORSHIP DEAL?
    LIVERPOOL, MAN UTD OR BLACKBURN ROVERS
    ANSWER - LIVERPOOL

    Today's The Day - 20th March


    20th March 2006

    Religious Events today...
    Feast day of St Cuthbert,
    St Wolfram,
    St Herbert of Derwentwater,
    St Martin of Braga,
    St Photina and her Companions,
    and the Martyrs of Mar Saba.


    History Test for March 20th
    Today in 1806 the foundation stone was laid of which prison in the South West of England? -Dartmoor
    Today in 1956 Tunisia achieved independence from which country? -France
    Born today in 1828, which Norwegian dramatist wrote 'Hedda Gabler' and `A Doll's House'? -Henrik Ibsen
    Born today in 1917, which veteran female singer had fifties hits with `Forget Me Not' and 'Auf Wiedersehen'? -Dame Vera Lynn
    Today in 1974, an attempt was made to kidnap which member of the British Royal Family? -Princess Anne


    QUOTE
    "I did not write it. God wrote it. I merely did his dictation." - Harriet Beecher Stowe on Uncle Tom's Cabin, published today, 1852.


    Events today...
    1413 Death of King Henry IV of England.
    1549 Thomas Seymour, Lord High Admiral of England was executed.
    1602 The Dutch East India Company received a charter granting it the monopoly of all trade between Holland and the lands lying between the Cape of Good Hope and the Straits of Magellan. The initiative followed the establishment two years earlier of the British East India Company. The company's purpose was to displace Portuguese traders from Asia and to deny the English a foothold in the lucrative trade in pepper, nutmeg and cloves from the Indies. The States-General's licence was for trade, but the company would occupy territories and act as a sovereign state to maintain itself. It was to be based at Batavia on the island of Java.
    1653 Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, dissolved the Long Parliament.
    1727 Death of Isaac Newton, English scientist.
    1739 Persian ruler Nadir Shah sacked the Indian city of Delhi.
    1792 The French Legislative Assembly approved the use of the guillotine as a means of capital punishment.
    1793 An army of peasant-royalists defeated the forces of the Republican government in the Vendee region of France.
    1806 The foundation stone of Dartmoor Prison was laid.
    1815 Napoleon Bonaparte re-entered Paris as the returning hero after putting behind him a dreary year of exile on the Mediterranean island of Elba. His protestation of peaceful intentions had not been believed: King Louis XVIII fled to Belgium and the alliance of countries that beat Napoleon's armies - Russia, Britain, Prussia and Austria - were again preparing for war. The allies, who were in Vienna negotiating a complex peace agreement to cover the whole of Europe, had branded Napoleon "the enemy and disturber of the peace of the world". Later in the week they were to sign a specific pact to defeat the former emperor.
    1819 Burlington Arcade, the exclusive shopping mall, opened in London.
    1841 The poet and literary journalist Edgar Allan Poe has published a horrifying yet fascinating work of fiction that critics were citing as the first example of a new style - the detective story. The Murders in the Rue Morgue was a challenging piece of work for the reader, who had to exercise the deductive powers of a detective to keep pace with Poe's writing and discover who was really the villain before the final page. An orphan, Poe gave up a military career to write. He was previously the editor of the Southern Literary Messenger, which published much of his influential criticism, poetry and prose fiction.
    1852 US author Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was published.
    1894 Death of Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian revolutionary leader.
    1929 Marshal Ferdinand Foch, commander of the French forces in the First World War, died.
    1934 Radar was first demonstrated in Kiel harbour, Germany.
    1945 Lord Alfred Douglas, the one-time lover of Oscar Wilde, died.
    1956 Tunisia achieved independence from France.
    1964 Death of Brendan Behan, Irish playwright.
    1969 Beatle John Lennon married Japanese-American artist Yoko Ono.
    1974 Princess Anne, the daughter of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, escaped unhurt after an armed man tried to kidnap her in London. The attempt was part of a bizarre bid to draw attention to declining public health services for mental patients in Britain. The gunman, Ian Ball, ambushed the princess's car close to Buckingham Palace and fired six shots into it. After blocking the royal car with his own, Ball tried to drag out the princess but was beaten off by bodyguards and a passer-by. He escaped into nearby St James Park but was soon hunted down and caught.
    1980 British Pirate radio ship Radio Caroline sank.
    1990 Imelda Marcos, wife of the ex-President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, stood trial in New York for fraud.
    1990 Southern African leaders arrived in the capital Windhoek for a ceremony that brought to an end more than a century of foreign domination and international intervention: the declaration of Namibia's independence. With Sam Nujoma of the South West African Peoples' Organisation (SWAPO) as executive president, Namibia was at last free of the illegal military occupation by South Africa. The country became a German colony in 1884, though some parts were held by Britain. During World War I, South African troops invaded Namibia, forcing the Germans to surrender. The League of Nations granted a mandate to South Africa, which Pretoria clung on to after it was terminated by the World Court in 1966. Only when Cuban troops fighting in neighbouring Angola went home in 1988 did South Africa accept the move towards this independence. World aid organisations expected to offer Namibia support.
    2003 US-led forces began a sustained ground assault on Iraq, as a fresh wave of air strikes rocked Baghdad.
    2003 Traces of the poison ricin were found inside a locker in a railway station in Paris.
    2003 South African activists accused two ministers of manslaughter and demanded their resignation over Aids drugs row.
    2003 EU leaders meeting in Brussels pledged humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq, as tensions between nations over the conflict continued.
    2003 Turkey's parliament voted to allow the US to use Turkish airspace to attack Iraq - but not its air bases.
    2003 In an address to the nation, Tony Blair urged the UK to unite behind British forces as they went into action in Iraq.
    2003 Chris Evans broke down in the witness box as he gave evidence in his legal battle with former bosses.
    2003 Celtic reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals with an emphatic 2-0 win over Liverpool.
    2003 The FA fined Arsenal's Dennis Berkamp £7,500 for elbowing West Ham's Lee Bowyer.
    2005 Former car maker John DeLorean whose factory in Belfast went bust in 1983 dieds after a stroke.
    2005 French car-maker Peugeot announced the loss of 850 jobs at its Ryton plant in the West Midlands.
    2005 Kinsey director Bill Condon won the top prize at the Directors Guild of Great Britain awards.
    2005 Tony Christie's "Is This The Way To Amarillo" topped the UK singles chart, 34 years after its first release.

    BIRTHDAYS (for 20 March 2006)
    Ovid, 2048 (born 20 March 43BC)
    Roman poet best-known for the Metamorphoses.
    Henrik Ibsen, 183 (born 20 March 1823)
    Norwegian dramatist and poet whose early plays made strong criticism of the social mores in nineteenth-century Norway.
    Beniamino Gigll, 116 (born 20 March 1890)
    Italian tenor who made his debut in 1920 at La Scala, Milan in Boito's Mefistofele.***
    Burrhus Frederic Skinner, 102 (born 20 March 1904)
    psychologist.
    Sir Michael Redgrave, 98 (born 20 March 1908)
    British stage and screen actor.
    Dame Vera Lynn, 89 (born 20 March 1917)
    British singer dubbed the `Forces sweetheart' because of her popularity with Second World War servicemen.

    18.3.06

    Today's The Day - 19th March


    19th March 2006

    Religious Events today...
    Feast day of St Alcmund,
    St Joseph,
    St John of Panaca,
    and St Landoald.


    History Test for March 19th
    Today in 1859, the opera 'Faust' was premiered in Paris. Who composed it? -Charles Gounod
    Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of `Tarzan', died today in 1950. What is the name of Tarzan's chimpanzee friend? -Cheetah
    Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened today in 1932. Which Australian state is it in? -New South Wales
    Born today in 1936, who played Bond girl Honey in the first James Bond film, 'Doctor No'? -Ursula Andress
    Actor Patrick McGoohan, star of the cult TV series 'The Prisoner , was born today in 1928. His character was referred to by which number? -Six

    QUOTE
    "There seems to be in the end of his voyage negligence, treason, hunger, sickness and death. He shall find many enemies on his return and have great loss of goods and honour: much villainy and treason shall be wrought." - Dr Simon Forman, astrologer, today warned the Earl of Essex against a military expedition in Ulster, 1589.

    Events today...
    721BC The Babylonians made the first-ever record of an eclipse of the sun.
    1628 The New England Company was formed in Massachusetts Bay.
    1683 Death of Thomas Killigrew, English playwright.
    1791 Equal rights were granted to French and English-speaking settlers in Canada.
    1834 As punishment for trying to-set up a rural trade union, six southern England farmworkers were sentenced to seven years' transportation to Australia. The punishment - effectively a death sentence because of the harsh conditions in the colony - brought a huge public outcry. The convicts were being called the Tolpuddle Martyrs, after the name of their Dorset village. The men wanted to set up a branch of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. At the same time the Whigs were proposing the abolition of wage subsidies to help low-paid farmworkers like the Tolpuddle Martyrs stay out of the workhouses. Britain's harsh treatment of its poor was in stark contrast with its international campaign against slavery.
    1847 Death of Mary Anning, English palaeontologist who discovered the first ichthyosaurs.
    1853 Chinese peasants led by the rebel Hong Xiu Quan captured Nanjing.
    1861 An uneasy truce was established between Maoris and the colonial government of New Zealand in the two-year war over the enforced sale of Maori lands.
    1913 "Boris Godunov", the majestic Russian opera of 17th-century intrigue in the Kremlin, was premiered in its full-length form at New York's Metropolitan Opera with Arturo Toscanini conducting. Modest-Mussorgsky's 1869 opera told of Gudunov's ambition for the Tsar's crown and his guilt once he has gained it.
    1920 The US Senate voted against joining the League of Nations.
    1930 Former British prime minister Arthur Balfour (1902-6) died.
    1931 Indigestion aid Alka-Seltzer went on sale in America.
    1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge in New South Wales, Australia, was opened, the world's longest single-span arch bridge. It had a 1650 ft (503 m) span, carried four railway tracks, a 56 ft (17 m) wide road and two footpaths.
    1950 American novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs, who created Tarzan of the Apes and sold more than 100 million copies of his 70 novels in 56 languages, died aged 75. Educated at a military academy, followed by a short spell in the cavalry, his literary career began inauspiciously in 1911 with pulp magazine fiction. High art it wasn't, but it sold. After Tarzan first appeared in All-Story Magazine in 1912, Burroughs wrote 24 novels about the English aristocrat hero raised by wild apes in the African jungle, and now made famous through the cinema. From Burroughs' pen poured crime stories and westerns, adventure fantasies of lost cities, faraway civilisations and even distant planets, such as the popular "Warlord of Mars" series. Burroughs spun a rattling good yarn and is probably the century's most widely-read novelist.
    1958 Britain's first planetarium opened in London, at the famous waxworks museum, Madame Tussaud's.
    1965 Death of Alan Badel, English actor.
    1969 British troops landed on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, after the island declared itself a republic; they were well received, and the island remained a UK dependency.
    1976 Princess Margaret, sister of the Queen of England, separated from her husband, photographer Lord Snowdon, after 15 years of marriage.
    1982 England's cricket authorities banned 15 English players currently on a "rebel" tour in South Africa, breaking the international sports boycott of the land of apartheid. Test cricketers Graham Gooch, John Emburey and 13 other members of the so-called "Invitation XI" were banned for three years. The cricket board's back-down followed the threat that the Indian and Pakistani tours of England scheduled for the summer would be cancelled in the row over the English players' rebellion.
    1987 TV evangelist Jim Bakker was forced to resign from his very lucrative Praise the Lord religious network in the southern United States after confessing a string of sexual adventures unfitting for a man of the cloth. Bakker and his wife Tammy LaValley were well-known on hundreds of religious networks in dozens of countries, exhorting viewers of the "Jim and Tammy Show" to follow their spiritual example. An extramarital group sex scandal dating from 1980 was to force his unfrocking as a minister of the Assembly of God. In addition, Bakker was under investigation for having pocketed church funds donated by supporters.
    2003 US-led forces moved into attack positions hours before an ultimatum on Iraq expired.
    2003 Mahmoud Abbas agrees to become the Palastinian prime minister, paving the way for possible peace talks with Israel.
    2003 Serbian police arrested the deputy public prosecutor as they searched for the killers of PM Zoran Djindjic.
    2003 An inquiry was launched after bugging devices were found at the French, German and UK missions in an EU building.
    2003 Britons around the world were warned to be vigilant for indiscriminate terror attacks in the face of imminent war.
    2003 The fire dispute was set to go on after members of the Fire Brigades' Union voted not to accept a revised pay offer.
    2003 John Carew scored twice as Valencia end Arsenal's Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win.
    2003 Shane Warne was given permission to play village cricket in England despite failing a drugs test.
    2005 Tens of thousands of people held protests around the world to mark two years since the start of the Iraq war.
    2005 Stars such as Will Smith and Queen performed at Nelson Mandela's Aids benefit concert in South Africa.
    2005 Wales prevailed over Ireland in Cardiff to win their first Grand Slam since 1978 and sealed the RBS Six Nations title, and Jamie Noon scores a hat-trick as England beat Scotland to secure fourth place in the Six Nations.

    BIRTHDAYS (for 19 March 2006)
    Tobias Smollett, 285 (born 19 March 1721)
    British writer of satirical novels.
    Dr David Livingstone, 193 (born 19 March 1813)
    Scottish missionary and explorer and the first white man to discover the Victoria Falls.
    Wyatt Earp, 158 (born 19 March 1848)
    American lawman famed for bringing order to Tombstone, Arizona.
    Adolf Eichmann, 100 (born 19 March 1906)
    German SS colonel and war criminal.
    Philip Roth, 73 (born 19 March 1933)
    American author best known for Portnoy's Complaint, published in 1967.
    Ursula Andress, 70 (born 19 March 1936)
    Swiss actress.
    Courtney Pine, 42 (born 19 March 1964)
    British jazz saxophonist.

    Seventies Number One Hits


    1970
    01. Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse
    02. Wandrin' Star - Lee Marvin
    03. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
    04. All Kinds Of Everything - Dana
    05. Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum
    06. Back Home - England World Cup Squad
    07. Yellow River - Christie
    08. In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
    09. The Wonder of You - Elvis Presley
    10. The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
    11. Band Of Gold - Freda Payne
    12. Woodstock - Matthew's Southern Comfort
    13. Voodoo Chile - Jimi Hendrix
    14. I Hear You Knockin' - Dave Edmunds

    1971
    01. Grandad - Clive Dunn
    02. My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
    03. Baby Jump - Mungo Jerry
    04. Hot Love - T-Rex
    05. Double Barrel - Dave & Ansel Collins
    06. Knock Three Times - Dawn
    07. Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - Middle Of The Road
    08. Get It On - T-Rex
    09. I'm Still Waiting - Diana Ross
    10. Hey Girl Don't Bother Me - Tams
    11. Maggie May - Rod Stewart
    12. Coz I Luv You - Slade
    13. Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) - Benny Hill

    1972
    01. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - The New Seekers
    02. Telegram Sam - T-Rex
    03. Son Of My Father - Chicory Tip
    04. Without You - Harry Nilsson
    05. Amazing Grace - The Pipes & Drums & The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
    06. Metal Guru - T-Rex
    07. Vincent - Don McLean
    08. Take Me Bak `Ome - Slade
    09. Puppy love - Donny Osmond
    10. School's Out - Alice Cooper
    11. You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart
    12. Mama Weer All Crazee Now - Slade
    13. How Can I Be Sure - David Cassidy
    14. Mouldy Old Dough - Lieutenant Pigeon
    15. Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
    16. My Ding A Ling - Chuck Berry
    17. Long Haired Lover From Liverpool - Little Jimmy Osmond

    1973
    01. Blockbuster - Sweet
    02. Cum On Feel The Noize - Slade
    03. The Twelfth Of Never - Donny Osmond
    04. Get Down - Gilbert O'Sullivan
    05. Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree - Tony Orlando & Dawn
    06. See My Baby Jive - Wizzard
    07. Can The Can - Suzi Quatro
    08. Rubber Bullets - 10 CC
    09. Skweeze Me Pleeze Me - Slade
    10. Welcome Home - Peters and Lee
    11. I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am) - Gary Glitter
    12. Young Love - Donny Osmond
    13. Angel Fingers - Wizzard
    14. Eye level (Theme from Van Der Valk) - Simon Park Orchestra
    15. Daydreamer - David Cassidy
    16. I Love You Love Me Love - Gary Glitter
    17. Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade

    1974
    01. You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me - New Seekers
    02. Tiger Feet - Mud
    03. Devil Gate Drive - Suzi Quatro
    04. Jealous Mind - Alvin Stardust
    05. Billy Don't Be A Hero - Paper Lace
    06. Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks
    07. Waterloo - ABBA
    08. Sugar Baby Love - Rubettes
    09. The Streak - Ray Stevens
    10. Always Yours - Gary Glitter
    11. She - Charles Aznavour
    12. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
    13. When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
    14. Love Me For A Reason - The Osmonds
    15. Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
    16. Annie's Song - John Denver
    17. Sad Sweet Dreamer - Sweet Sensation
    18. Everything I Own - Ken Boothe
    19. Gonna Make You A Star - David Essex
    20. You're The first My Last My Everything - Barry White
    21. Lonely This Christmas - Mud

    1975
    01. Down Down - Status Quo
    02. Ms Grace - The Tymes
    03. January - Pilot
    04. Make Me Smile - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
    05. If - Telly Savalas
    06. Bye Bye Baby - Bay City Rollers
    07. Oh Boy - Mud
    08. Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
    09. Whispering Grass - Windsor Davies & Don Estelle
    10. I'm Not In Love - 10 CC
    11. Tears On My Pillow - Johnny Nash
    12. Give A Little Love - Bay City Rollers
    13. Barbados - Typically Tropical
    14. I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love) - Stylistics
    15. Sailing - Rod Stewart
    16. Hold Me Close - David Essex
    17. I Only Have Eyes For You - Art Garfunkel
    18. Space Oddity - David Bowie
    19. D.I.V.O.R.C.E. - Billy Connolly
    20. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

    1976
    01. Mamma Mia - ABBA
    02. Forever And Ever - Silk
    03. December '63 (Oh What A Night) - Four Seasons
    04. I Love To Love - Tina Charles
    05. Save Your Kisses For Me - The Brotherhood Of Man
    06. Fernando - ABBA
    07. No Charge - J J Barrie
    08. Combine Harvester (Brand New Key) - The Wurzels
    09. You To Me Are Everything - Real Thing
    10. Forever And Ever - Demis Roussos
    11. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John and Kiki Dee
    12. Dancing Queen - ABBA
    13. Mississippi - Pussycat
    14. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
    15. Under The Moon Of Love - Showaddywaddy
    16. When A Child Is Born - Johnny Mathis

    1977
    01. Don't Give Up On Us - David Soul
    02. Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
    03. When I Need You - Leo Sayer
    04. Chanson D'amour - Manhattan Transfer
    05. Knowing Me, Knowing You - ABBA
    06. Free - Deniece Williams
    07. I Dont Want To Talk About It/The First Cut Is The Deepest - Rod Stewart
    08. Lucille - Kenny Rogers
    09. Show You The Way To Go - The Jacksons
    10. So You Win Again - Hot Chocolate
    11. I Feel Love - Donna Summer
    12. Angelo - Brotherhood Of Man
    13. Float On - The Floaters
    14. Way Down - Elvis Presley
    15. Silver lady - David Soul
    16. Yes Sir I Can Boogie - Baccara
    17. The Name Of The Game - ABBA
    18. Mull Of Kintyre - Wings

    1978
    01. UpTown Top Ranking - Althia And Donna
    02. Figaro - Brotherhood of Man
    03. Take A Chance On Me - ABBA
    04. Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
    05. Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs - Brian & Michael
    06. Night Fever - Bee Gees
    07. By The Rivers Of Babylon/Mary's Boy Child (Oh My Lord) - Boney M
    08. You're The One That I Want - John Travolta & Olivia Newton John
    09. Three Times A Lady - Commodores
    10. Dreadlock Holiday - 10 CC
    11. Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton John
    12. Rat Trap - Boomtown Rats
    13. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy - Rod Stewart
    14. Mary's Boy Child Oh My Lord - Boney M

    1979
    01. The Village People - Y.M.C.A.
    02. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
    03. Heart Of Glass - Blondie
    04. Tradgedy - Bee Gees
    05. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
    06. Bright Eyes - Art Garfunkel
    07. Sunday Girl - Blondie
    08. Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
    09. Are Friends Electric - Tubeway Army (Gary Numan)
    10. I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats
    11. We Don't Talk Anymore - Cliff Richard
    12. Cars - Gary Newman
    13. Message In A Bottle - The Police
    14. Video Killed The Radio Star - Buggles
    15. One Day At A Time - Lena Martell
    16. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman - Dr Hook
    17. Walking On The Moon - The Police
    18. Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd

    Dr Who Quiz


    1. Christopher Eccleston was the -
    Eighth Doctor, Ninth Doctor or Tenth Doctor
    Answer b) Ninth Doctor

    2. Which Dr. Who first fought against The Daleks?
    Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee or Patrick Troughton
    Answer c) Patrick Troughton

    3. In an episode entitled 'The Deadly Assassin', it is said that a Time Lord can only regenerate How many times?
    8, 10 or 12 times
    Answer a) 8 times!

    4. Who was the first Actor to famously play The Master?
    Roger Delgado, Anthony Ainley or Peter Cushing
    Answer a) Roger Delgado (Anthony Ainley played him second)

    5. Nicholas Courtney played which army officer in charge of UNIT?
    Brigadier Campbell Brown, Brigadier Patrick Smythe or Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
    Answer c) Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart

    6. Before its return in 2005, In which year was the Last episode shown on TV?
    1989, 1990 or 1991
    Answer a) 1989

    7. David Prowse, better known as Darth Vader in Star Wars, once appeared on Dr.Who. What role did he play?
    The Minotaur, A Cyberman or A Silurian
    Answer a) The Minotaur

    8. What is Earth's twin planet, home of the Cybermen?
    Gallifrey, Mondas or Callufrax
    Answer b) Mondas (Telos was the adopted home of the Cybermen)

    9. Which ex- Blue Peter presenter was once an assistant to Dr Who?
    John Noakes, Christopher Trace or Peter Purves
    Answer c) Peter Purves

    10. An episode of Doctor Who entitled 'The Chase' featured The Beatles on the time scanner, What song did they sing?
    When I'm Sixty Four, Ticket To Ride or Help!
    Answer b) Ticket To Ride

    11. Which Doctor was the first to use the sonic screwdriver?
    Patrick Troughton, Tom Baker or Peter Davison
    Answer a) Patrick Troughton

    12. The Sea Devils are related to what other Dr.Who baddies?
    The Cybermen, The Sontarans or The Silurians
    Answer c) The Silurians

    13. In which story was the original Dalek emperor destroyed?
    The Evil Of The Daleks, The Revenge Of The Daleks or Dalek Master Plan
    Answer a) The Evil Of The Daleks

    14. What is the name of the children's puppet show the Master is watching on his prison cell television in "The Sea Devils"?
    The Flintstones, Stingray or The Clangers
    Answer c) The Clangers

    15. After 25 years, what were the Imperial Daleks finally able to do in "Remembrance of the Daleks"?
    a) Travel Backwards In Time, b) Have All Round Vision or c) Climb Stairs
    Answer c) Climb Stairs

    16. How many versions of K-9 were there?
    2, 3 or 4
    Answer b) 3 - K9 mark 3 was featured in "K9 & Company"

    17. Which member of the Doctor Who staff actually owned the car known as the "Whomobile" from "Planet of the Spiders"?
    Jon Pertwee, Sylvester McCoy or Peter Davison
    Answer a) Jon Pertwee

    18. According to a Dr Who episode, What happened to the crew of the Marie Celeste?
    Killed by Cybermen, Eaten by The Sea Devils or Frightened by the Daleks
    Answer c) Frightened by the Daleks

    19. Why was the Dr Who story 'The Dalek Masterplan' postponed halfway through?
    The Doctor was involved in a Car Crash, To make way for a BBC Christmas Special or The script was stolen by a fan
    Answer b) To make way for a BBC Christmas Special

    20. Where does the Doctor typically hide his TARDIS key for safekeeping?
    Under a rock, On a string round his neck or in his shoe
    Answer c) In his shoe

    Eurovision Song Contest Quiz


    1. Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest last year?
    (Greece)
    2. Which English pop group were Eurovision Song Contest winners in 1976?
    (Brotherhood of man)
    3. Who became the first double winner of the Eurovision Song Contest winning in 1980 and 1987?
    (Johnny Logan)
    4. Which British Group won the Eurovision song contest in 1981?

    (Bucks Fizz)
    5. Who won the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Sandy Shaw)
    6. What was Mary Hopkin's entry in the Eurovision song contest in 1970?
    (Knock, knock, who's there?)
    7. With which song did Sandy Shaw win the Eurovision song contest?
    ('Puppet on a String')
    8. Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000?
    (Denmark - The Olsen Brothers singing "Fly on the Wings of Love)

    9. What major achievement have the following got in common?
    "A Ba Ni Bi", "Diggi Loo Diggi Ley" and "La La La"?
    (They have all won the Eurovision song contest)
    10. How many times did Cliff Richard win the Eurovision Song Contest?
    (None)
    11. Which country has won the Eurovision song contest the most times?
    (Ireland)
    12. True or False - Samantha Janus once came tenth in the Eurovision Song Contest?
    (True)
    13. Who represented the UK in the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Niki French)
    14. Who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001?
    (Estonia)
    15. All Kinds of everything - in what year did this win the Eurovision song contest and who is the singer?
    (Dana was the winner of the Eurovision song contest in 1970)
    16. Where is it being staged this year?
    (Athens)
    17. 'Love shine a light' was the 1997 Eurovision winner for the UK, who performed it?
    (Katrina and the Waves)
    18. What song was Britain's 1st ever Eurovision song contest winner?
    (Puppet on a string)
    19. Which singer represented the United Kingdom in the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'One Step Out Of Time'?
    (Michael Ball)
    20. How many times has Norway scored ``nil points'' in the Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Four times)
    21. In which year was the first Eurovision Song Contest?
    (1956)
    22. Which dance phenomenon had its first major TV airing at the 1994 Eurovision song contest?
    (Riverdance)
    23. Who was Britain's first representative in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 with a song called 'All'?
    (Patricia Breden)
    24. Which world famous Eurovision winning group formed the polar music company?
    (Abba)
    25. What was Gina G’s song for europe in 1996?
    (Ooh Ahh Just a Little Bit)
    26. Norway is famous for Nul Points but how many times have they won the competition?
    (Twice)
    27. Who represented Britain in the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Imaani)
    28. Which famous sportsman's father took part in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Barry McGuigan)
    29. Which country did Celine Dion represent in 1988, in the Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Switzerland)
    30. In which year did Bucks Fizz win the Eurovision song contest?
    (1981)
    31. Who was the 2001 British Eurovision singer?
    (Lindsay Dracass - 15th)
    32. From which country was the first Eurovision Song Contest transmitted?
    (Switzerland)
    33. Which Australian singer performed for Britain in 1996?
    (Gina G)
    34. With which song did Brotherhood of Man win the 1976 Eurovision contest?
    (Save your kisses for me)
    35. With which song did Bucks Fizz win the Eurovision song contest?
    (Making Your Mind Up)
    36. Which country won the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest?
    (Latvia)
    37. In which year did the UK last win the Eurovision Song Contest?
    (1997 - Love Shine a Light / Katrina and the Waves)
    38. In Which Year did Kevin Keegan scored two goals in the FA Cup Final and Swedish Popstars Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest?
    (1974)
    39. Only Norway failed to score any points in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, true or false?
    (False - Portugal also scored nil points)
    40. Name the UK entry ( May 24th 2003 ) in the Eurovision Song Contest that scored zero points?
    Jemini


    Eurovision Song Contest
    The official site about the Eurovision Song Contest. Find all information about the participants 2006, the hosting nation Greece


    Something For The Weekend - Media Player Classic 6.4.8.9

    A good alternative to Windows Media Player
    Platform Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP
    Freeware / Size 1.24MB

    Media Player Classic is a compact download that uses few system resources, and loses much of the bloat that characterises other players.
    It looks just like Windows Media Player 6.4, and will therefore be familiar to most of you. Operation couldn't be any simpler, and it has most of the features you would expect.
    File support is extensive, and includes QuickTime, AVI (incl. subtitles), Windows Media, Ogg, MP3 and CD Audio, along with playlist support.
    A built-in DVD player is a bonus, and there's also a RealAlternative codec available which lets you play RealMedia files without the need for RealPlayer to be installed.
    On the downside there is no CDDB support, but don't let this put you off.

    DOWNLOAD LINK

    Telly Addicts Quiz - from the Vaults


    1 What is the name of the camp coffee shop boss in 'Friends' ? Gunter
    2 Which TV chat show host starred in the movie 'Mrs Winterbourne' ? Rikki Lake
    3 Which TV celebrity has a cottage in Mill Water Gardens in Romsey, Hampshire ? Charlie Dimmock (it's in a water garden centre)
    4 Who or what connects 'Fawlty Towers' with Tescos ? Prunella Scales (advertises Tescos on TV)
    5 Who played Lurcio in 'Up Pompeii' ? Frankie Howard
    6 Which comedy series featured the River Police ? Duck Patrol
    7 Who played the punk in 'The Young ones' ? Vivian
    8 In which TV series could you see Cleetus, Daisy and Roscoe P Coltrane ? Dukes of Hazzard
    9 Who was Ricky Butcher's first wife in 'Eastenders' ? Sam Mitchell
    10 What is the firsat name of Inspector Monroe in 'The Bill ? Andrew
    11 What is Chandler's surname in 'Friends' ? Bing
    12 Which Monty Python star had a walk on role as a surfer in 'Home and away' ? Michael Palin
    13 There are two pubs in 'Emmerdale' one is The Woolpack, what is the name of the other one ? The Malt Shovel
    14 Which TV family lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane ? The Munsters
    15 In the TV advert, which car did Nicole and papa advertise ? Renault (Clio)
    16 Who starred in 'The Return of the Saint', the follow up series to 'The Saint' ? Ian Ogilvy
    17 Which actor played Captain Adama in 'Battlestar Galactica' ? Lorne Greene
    18 In 'Neighbours' what was the first name of Mrs Mangle ? Nell
    19 Carol Smillie was an assistant on which TV game show ? Wheel of Fortune
    20 What was the name of Samantha's mother in 'Bewitched' ? Endora
    21 Who got Michelle Fowler pregnant when she was only 16 in 'Eastenders' ? Den Watts
    22 What is the name of the local newspaper in 'Emmerdale' ? Hotten Courier
    23 Which intergalactic group lived on the Liberator ? Blakes 7
    24 Who was the first celebrity to feature in BBC1s 'Celebrity Sleepover' ? Vanessa Feltz
    25 Which TV soap has Bernard Manning appeared in ? Coronation Street
    26 'Animal Watch' is a documentary set in which zoo ? Chester Zoo
    27 In which series does Sam Waldron run a mobile shop ? Postman Pat
    28 Who hosts 'University Challenge' on BBC2 ? Jeremy Paxman
    29 What is the name of the new Scottish Womble ? MacWomble the Terrible
    30 What links the game show 'Oblivion' with 'Big Brother' ? Davina McCall (hosts both)
    31 Which Gaby Roslin show shares its name with the title of a Status Quo hit ? Whatever you want
    32 Which actress played Penny in 'Just good friends' ? Jan Francis
    33 In which kids TV show Scoop, Muck, Dizzy and Rolly ? Bob The Builder
    34 Who did Robert Vaughan play in 'The man from UNCLE' ? Napoleon Solo
    35 What was Marge Simpsons maiden name ? Bouvier
    36 In the TV series 'Batman' which actor played Batman ? Adam West
    37 Which singer played Anita in 'Band of Gold' ? Barbara Dickson
    38 In 'Herges Adventures of Tin Tin' who was the captain of the Karaboudjan ? Captain Haddock
    39 Which scouser presented 'The good sex guide' ? Margi Clarke
    40 On which show would you have seen the Travelator ? Gladiators
    41 Which comedienne was seen 'Through the cakehole' ? Jo Brand
    42 What subject does Doug Digby teach in 'The Grimleys' ? P E
    43 What was the name of the holiday firm in 'Sunburn' ? Janus Holidays
    44 Who is the children's entertainer in 'The Simpsons' ? Krusty the klown
    45 On which show did Neil Morrissey appear as Sammy the shammy ? Noel's House Party
    46 Who plays ' The fresh prince of Bel Air' ? Will Smith
    47 What kind of dog is Scooby Doo ? Great Dane
    48 Which comic played Ted Fenwick in 'September Song' ? Russ Abbott
    49 Who was the chairman of 'The good old days' ? Leonard Sachs
    50 Who presents 'TV Nightmares' ? Steve Penk
    51 Who plays Anthony in 'The Royle Family' ? Ralf Little
    52 Which country was the location for 'Daktari' ? Africa
    53 In which show does Angus Deayton show potentially embarrassing clips of celebrities in their early days ? Before they were famous
    54 Which actor played bounty hunter Josh Randall in 'Wanted : Dead or alive' ? Steve McQueen
    55 What is Rachel's surname in 'Friends' ? Green
    56 What is the name of Fraser's dog in 'Due South' ? Diefenbaker
    57 What is the name of the hospital in 'E R' ? Cook County General Memorial Hospital
    58 Which character is 'Dad's Army' often said 'They don't like it up em' ? Corporal Jones
    59 With which series would you associate the line 'The truth is out there' ? The X Files
    60 In which American city did the Cunningham family live in 'Happy Days' ? Milwaukee
    61 Which comedy duo starred in the remake of 'Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) ? Reeves and Mortimer
    62 Who hosts the quiz show 'Britain's Brainiest Kid' ? Carol Vorderman
    63 Which character did Jennifer Saunders play in 'Absolutely fabulous' ? Edina Monsoon
    64 Who has 'Weird Weekends' on TV ? Louis Theroux
    65 What was the name of Batman's butler ? Alfred
    66 Which actress plays Ally McBeal ? Calista Flockhart
    67 In 'Brookside', what kind of establishment was Jacqui D's ? Hairdessing Salon
    68 Stringfellow, McGee, Feltz and Daniels collectively advertise what on TV ? Heineken
    69 Which actor plays the newspaper columnist, Alex' in 'Life as we know it' ? Richard Wilson
    70 Batman was Bruce Wayne, Superman was Clark Kent but who was Wonder Woman ? Diana Prince
    71 Who turned down the role of Columbo because it wouldn't have left him enough time to play golf ? Bing Crosby
    72 Which 'Coronation Street' actor was a team helper on 'Cheggers plays pop' ? Kevin Kennedy(Curly Watts)
    73 First came 'Star Trek' then 'Next Generation' followed by 'Voyager' and 'Deep Space 9' but what is the latest series soon to be shown on TV called ? Enterprise(and it's set before the original Star Trek)
    74 Which comedian had a 'Commercial Breakdown' in 1997 ? Rory McGrath
    75 How many contestants were there at the start of the BBC1 survival challenge series 'The heat is on' ? 14
    76 What is the name of the coffee bar in 'Friends' ? Central Perk
    77 Who recently toured America on ITV ? Paul O'Grady('s America)
    78 Which mints were advertised on TV as 'a minty bit stronger' ? Trebor mints
    79 What was unusual about the horse in 'Mr Ed' ? It could talk
    80 On which quiz show do you get 'Nothing for a pair' ? Play your cards right
    81 TV presenter Ruth England has recently landed a job on which travel show ? Wish you were here
    82 Which TV series was set in the fictional village of Darrowby ? All creatures great and small
    83 What did Wonder Woman's lasso always make people do ? Tell the truth
    84 In which series did Robson Green launch his TV career ? Casualty (hospital porter)
    85 Who took over from Barry Norman to host of 'Film 99' ? Jonathan Ross
    86 Which former child star went on to play Dr Who's 6th assistant, Mel ? Bonnie Langford
    87 Who is the questionmaster on 'Never mind the buzzcocks' ? Mark Lamarr
    88 When Nick Hancock left 'Room 101' who succeeded him ? Paul Merton
    89 Which actress played Bianca in 'Eastenders' ? Patsy Palmer
    90 What was the name of Frank and Betty Spencer's daughter in "Some mothers do have them" ? Jessica
    91 In which BBC comedy does Caroline Aherne play a character called Denise ? The Royle Family
    92 which supermodel stripped in TV adverts for the Citroen Xsara? Claudia schiffer
    93 Who provides the voice of the chef in South Park ? Isaac Hayes
    94 What is the name of the computer generated character on Catchphrase ? Mr Chips
    95 In Last of the Summer wine, what was Nora's husband called ? Wally Batty
    96 In Dad's Army, what was Private Fraser's day job ? Undertaker
    97 What instrument does Bart Simpson's sister Lisa play ? Saxophone
    98 For which organisation did Captain Scarlet work? Spectrum
    99 What is the name of the Police Chief in The Simpsons? Chief Wiggum
    100 Which programme begins with the line "there is nothing wrong with your television set, we are controlling the transmission …" ? The Outer Limits
    101 On Chris Tarrant's 'Who want's to be a millionaire', how many consecutive questions would you have to answer correctly to win the £1million ? 15
    102 Born Lynda Denise Crapper, who won 'New faces' and then went on to present it ? Marti Caine
    103 In 'Superted', who gave Superted his magic powers ? Mother nature
    104 Which toilet roll ad features a Labrador puppy? Andrex
    105 Who was the first female presenter of the National Lottery Live? Anthea Turner
    106 Which cartoon character is known as 'The friendly ghost' Casper
    107 According to the advert with the swimmer, how long does it take to pour the perfect Guinness ? 119.5 sec
    108 Which former 'Blue Peter' presenter's mother is Gloria Hunniford? Caron Keating
    109 In which series does Sam Waldron run a mobile shop? Postman Pat
    110 Which TV soap recently celebrated its 3,000th edition ? Emmerdale
    111 Who plays Audrey Roberts in 'Coronation Street' ? Sue Nicholls
    112 Which comedy series is set on Craggy Island ? Father Ted
    113 Which 70s kids magazine programme was a rival to 'Blue Peter' and had Susan Stranks as a host ? Magpie
    114 Which actress played Lily Munster in The Munsters ? Yvonne De Carlo
    115 In which TV ad did an elephant smack a bloke in the mouth with it's trunk? Rolo
    116 Who was the first host of 'Crackerjack' ? Eamonn Andrews
    117 Who starred in 'The Fosters', 'Hope and Glory' and 'Chef' ? Lenny Henry
    118 What was the name of the 'Neighbours' character played by Kylie Minogue? Charlene
    119 Where does Mr Blobby live ? Crinkley Bottom
    120 Which actor plays Bob in the ITV series 'Bob and Rose' Alan Davies
    121 What were the christian names of Cagney and Lacey in the TV cop series of the same name ? Christine & Mary Beth
    122 Which actress played Nellie Boswell in 'Bread' ? Jean Boht
    123 On which kids show would you see a puppet called Ortis ? Live & kicking
    124 Which actor from the TV series 'Brush Strokes' advertises Flash on TV ? Karl Howman
    125 Who was in charge of the mini marathons in the original 'It's a knockout' gameshows ? Eddie Waring
    126 Who played Citizen Smith in the series 'Citizen Smith' ? Robert Lindsay
    127 In the cartoon 'Cow & chicken' what is the name of the cow ? Cow
    128 What is the real name of the 'Lone Ranger' theme ? William Tell Overture
    129 Lenny Henry played the character Gareth Blackstock in which TV series ? Chef
    130 Who is the latest hostess on 'Jim Davidson's Generation game' ? Lea Kristenson
    131 What is the name of the village church in 'Emmerdale' ? St Mary's
    132 In which series did scientist Dr Sam Beckett appear ? Quantum Leap
    133 Which actor played Mr Pastry ? Richard Hearne
    134 Who starred opposite Bruce Willis in the TV series 'Moonlighting' ? Cybille Shepherd
    135 Who sang the title song for 'One foot in the grave' ? Eric Idle
    136 Which insurance company's adverts said they wouldn't make a drama out of a crisis ? Commercial Union
    137 In 'Scooby Doo', there are two male lead characters, one is Shaggy, name the other one ? Fred
    138 Who was the original presenter on the Krypton Factor ? Gordon Burns
    139 Who insisted on no penguins in the John Smith bitter ads ? Jack Dee
    140 Which actress left 'Eastenders' to star in the hairdressing sitcom 'Split enz ? Anita Dobson
    141 Which US cop did William Shatner play on TV ? T J Hooker
    142 In The Muppets, what were the names of the 2 old men who sat in the box and heckled? Statler and Waldorf
    143 Which TV personality, who had a major role in 'Heartbeat' played football for Leicester City and Notts County ? Bill Maynard
    144 Who was the sixth TV Doctor Who ? Colin Baker
    145 Which ex 'Coronation Street' star now appears in 'Holby City' ? Angela Griffin
    146 Which one of the A Team was a Pilot ? "Howling Mad" Murdoch
    147 Which actor's big break was playing Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back Kotter ? John Travolta
    148 Name one of the three characters in the He-man series who knew that Prince Adam was a super hero ? Man-at-arms, Orko or the Sorceress
    149 Which soap's first death was May Hardman on December 31st, 1960? Coronation Street
    150 Who made their screen debut in 'Puss In Boots' ? Tom and Jerry
    151 Which show tests contestants on what things cost in the shops ? The Price is Right
    152 Specifically, what was Trevor Jordache buried under in 'Brookside'? The patio
    153 In 'The Darling Buds of May' who did Charley work for ? The Inland Revenue
    154 What is the final round of 'Countdown' called ? The conundrum
    155 In which sci-fi series did Joanna Lumley and David McCallum star ? Sapphire and Steel
    156 In which TV series did Janet Jackson have a starring role? Fame
    157 In the TV ads, what is Homepride's head chef called ? Fred
    158 In which American TV series did David Duchovny play a transvestite agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency ? Twin Peaks
    159 Who lived at 1164 Morning Glory Circle ? Darren, Samantha, Tabitha & Adam Stevens (Bewitched)
    160 Which 'Changing Rooms' presenter was named 'Rear of the year' in 1998 ? Carol Smillie
    161 What drink does Bob the cardboard cut out man advertise on TV ? John Smith's Bitter
    162 Jerzy Balowsk was the landlord in which crazy TV sit-com? The Young Ones
    163 Which character does Jackie Entwistle play in 'Coronation Street' ? Janice Battersby
    164 What is the name of Rosie and Jims boat in the children's TV show? The Ragdoll
    165 Which actress played TV's Wonder Woman ? Linda Carter
    166 Who played Frank Drebin in the TV comedy series 'Police Squad' ? Leslie Neilson
    167 Angus Deayton hosts which comedy news quiz ? Have I got news for you
    168 How old was/is Joe 90 ? Nine
    169 Who is the surgical registrar in 'Holby City' ? Alex Adams
    170 'University Challenge' was originally shown on ITV but which channel is it now on ? BBC2
    171 What is the name of Janine's dog in 'Eastenders' ? Terrance
    172 Peter Noone, of Herman's Hermits fame, played whose son in 'Coronation Street' ? Len Fairclough's(Stanley)
    173 What was Geena Gregory's job when she started in 'Coronation Street' ? Barmaid
    174 Who sleeps in a shed with Annie and Clarabelle ? Thomas the Tank-engine
    175 Who hosts the ITV1 daytime programme 'Lunchtime live' ? Jenny Powell
    176 What did Granny Smith become after a chance walk in the park one day ? Supergran
    177 On which channel can you see the latest soap 'Night and day' ? ITV1
    178 Dicky-mint, Mick the Marmaliser and Nigel Ponsonby Smallpiece were all members of which small but select group ? The Diddymen
    179 Caron Keating and Matthew Wright host which celebrity magazine show ? 'Rich and Famous'
    180 In which postal district is "Eastenders" ? E20
    181 In which year was the Shake 'n' Vac dance advert first shown on TV ? 1985
    182 Who presents the ITV1 quiz show 'Shafted' ? Robert Kilroy Silk
    183 Who are Paul and Barry Elliot better known as ? The Chuckle Brothers
    184 Which actor played the lighthouse keeper in 'Fraggle Rock Clue : he also appeared in 'Porridge' ? Fulton Mackay
    185 Anneka Svenska, who plays Steve Owen's girlfriend in 'Eastenders' presented Channel 5's 'Outhere' under what name ? Eden
    186 Which rodent crime fighter wears an eye-patch ? Dangermouse
    187 What was the name of Jed Clampett's daughter in 'The Beverley Hillbillies' ? Elly May
    188 What is the christian name of Lisa's new baby in 'Eastenders' ? Louise (Fowler)
    189 What colour was the train in 'The Magic Roundabout' ? Red
    190 Who hosts the fairly new Channel 5 programme 'Hot property' ? Alice Beer
    191 Which chef fronts the Sainsbury adverts on TV ? Jamie Oliver
    192 Which painting was pursued by Herr Flick in 'Allo, Allo' ? The fallen Madonna with the big boobies
    193 'Stop the pigeon' was a spin off from which cartoon series ? Wacky Races
    194 Who is the presenter of 'You only live once' on BBC1 Nick Hancock
    195 In the 'Batman, series, which character did Eartha Kitt play ? Catwoman
    196 What was the name of Roland Rat's gerbil friend ? Kevin
    197 In 'The Royle Family' what is the name of Jim Royles local ? The Feathers
    198 Which dog food was said to prolong active life in th TV adverts ? Pal
    199 Who was transformed into ace detective 'Hong Kong Phooey' ? Henry the janitor
    200 Kaye Adams presented which TV quiz show? The People Versus

    Please note that some of these questions need updating for current usage - have fun!

    Dingbats


    eeeeeeeeeec
    Tennessee

    LOV
    Endless Love

    acriml
    Criminal

    i4i
    Eye for an eye

    Pot O O O O O O O O
    Potatoes

    I'M you (punctuation)
    I'm bigger than you

    LANG4UAGE
    Foreign language

    a chance n
    An outside chance

    weLIEight
    Lie in wait

    running home
    Running away from home

    XQQME
    Excuse me

    To rn
    Torn in half

    OdOoOmO
    Dominoes

    HARM good
    More harm than good

    R.P.I.
    A grave error

    dashotrk
    Shot in the dark

    agebeauty
    Age before beauty

    cyclecyclecycle
    Tricycle

    legal legal (plural)
    Paralegals

    mstickud
    Stick in the mud

    Left out Field
    Out in left field

    AALLLL
    All in all

    poFISHnd
    Big fish in a little pond

    uPLATm
    Platinum

    bad bad
    Too Bad

    Y Y guy guy
    Wise guys

    Math The
    The aftermath

    go it it it it
    Go for it

    insult + injury
    Adding insult to injury

    Either weigh or whey
    One way or another

    yaplayrd
    Play in the yard

    O_er_t_o_
    Painless operation

    roforkad
    Fork in the road

    hcidl
    Mixed up child

    cirKEEPcle
    Keep in shape

    cHIMp
    Making a monkey out of him

    hea dac he
    Splitting headache

    hahandnd
    Hand in hand

    noon good
    Good afternoon

    SGEG
    Scrambled Eggs

    death life
    Life after death

    DAYdayOUT
    Day in day out

    comp144etence
    Gross incompetence

    dumpdowndump
    Down in the dumps

    1 knows
    Won by a nose

    age minus story
    Ageless story

    podpodpod
    Tripod

    thinkuact
    Think before you act

    cancan
    Toucan

    doo M.D.
    Dr Doolittle

    japmadean
    Made in Japan

    lo ose
    Broken loose

    JJJJOOOOHHHHNNNNSSSS
    Long Johns

    fa th
    Blind faith

    he art
    Broken heart

    pPPod
    Two peas in a pod

    (ice)^3
    Ice cube

    pa per
    Paper cut

    merepeat
    Repeat after me

    OturnedUT
    Turned inside out

    amUous
    Ambiguous

    tentgoodions
    Good intentions

    VAD ERS
    Space Invaders

    abcdefghijkmnopqrstuvwxyz
    Noel

    i right i
    Right between the eyes

    gener ation
    Generation gap

    PUNISHMENT
    Capital punishment

    o2ne
    Two in one

    ba nana
    Banana Split

    calmstorm
    Calm before the storm

    _it
    Blanket

    siinformationde
    Inside information

    £0 all all all all
    Free for all

    timertimer
    Two timer

    wheather
    A bad spell of weather

    notic
    Short notice

    thingthing
    One thing after another

    canmadeada
    Made in Canada

    BIRD
    Big Bird

    Sh ort
    Short cut

    *impression* impression impression
    First impression

    lunluckyove
    Unlucky in love

    rood
    Back door

    bicycle bicycle bicycle bicycle bicycle bicycle
    Bicycle chain

    BET_TER
    Better half

    World_________________________World
    Worlds apart

    wagon wagon wagon wagon wagon wagon
    Wagon train

    goodevil
    Good against evil

    mindbemind
    Be in two minds

    7948safety6325
    Safety in numbers

    POST POST *POST*
    Last post

    city city city city city city city ..... infinity
    Eternal City

    *aid* aid aid
    First Aid

    glazing glazing
    Double glazing

    friendjustfriend
    Just between friends

    sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion sion
    Tension

    TAHC
    Backchat

    gniklawtohappiness
    Walking back to happiness

    casa _ a
    Casablanca

    _dea
    No idea

    Mother's Day

    10 THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS TIME LAST WEEK

    1. The Himalayas cover one-tenth of the Earth's surface.
    More details
    2. Pandas are the only bears not to hibernate - their bamboo diet isn't sufficiently fattening.
    More details
    3. Lord Levy, recruited by Tony Blair to raise money for the Labour party, made his own fortune managing Alvin Stardust, among others.
    More details
    4. In a fight between a polar bear and a lion, the polar bear would win.
    More details
    5. Aston Barrett, the bassist in Bob Marley's band, has 52 children.
    More details
    6. Tests conducted on a rare Chinese frog with no external eardrums have shown it uses ultrasound to communicate.
    7. The 18th Century horse Eclipse, the ancestor of an estimated 80% of modern thoroughbreds, had only averagely long legs.
    More details
    8. Nearly a third of people aged 25 to 34 in the UK have a tattoo, a survey has found.
    9. More of those with tattoos (17%) work in media and marketing than do in the Armed forces (9%).
    10. Shortly after the InterCity 125 was introduced, the UK had the highest proportion of trains running at more than 100mph of any country.
    More details

    [Sources, where stories are not linked - 3: Guardian, 17 March. 6: Yahoo News, 15 March. 8 and 9: Discovery Real Time, 16 March ]

    Rocket Science Quiz


    How many moons does Mars have ?
    Two

    What planet is also called 'The Evening Star' ?
    Venus

    Which was the first manned mission to land on the moon ?
    Apollo 11

    What was the world's first manned space station called ?
    Salyut-1

    What piece of sporting equipment was smuggled onto Apollo 14 ?
    Golf Club

    Who was the first human in space ?
    Yuri Gagarin

    What tragedy happened to Apollo 1 ?
    A fire

    Who was the first American in Space ?
    Alan B. Shepard Jr

    What NASA space program preceded Apollo ?
    Mercury

    During the NASA Apollo missions, how many men stepped on the moon ?
    12

    How many Apollo missions landed on the moon ?
    6

    What was the name of the first spacecraft to land on the moon ?
    Eagle

    What was the name of the booster rocket that launched Apollo missions ?
    Saturn 5

    What was Apollo 8's primary mission ?
    Orbit the moon

    What factor is the Moon's gravity different to Earth's ?
    1/6th

    To which planet does the moon 'Deimos' belong ?
    Mars

    Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the Solar System. On what planet is it ?
    Mars

    What planet has moons called 'Pan', 'Atlas' and 'Pandora' ?
    Saturn

    How many Moons does the planet Uranus have ?
    21


    What is the closest planet to the Sun ?
    Mercury

    What unmanned probe contains a copper recorded disc for aliens to find ?
    Voyager 1

    Where did NASA's Viking Lander touch down on, in 1976 ?
    Mars

    What was the world's first artificial satellite called ?
    Sputnik 1

    What animal did the satellite Sputnik 2 carry ?
    A dog

    Which human first 'walked' in Space ?
    Alexei Leonov

    How long was the Soviet space station 'Mir' in earth orbit for ?
    15 years

    What year saw the first launch of the Space Shuttle ?
    1981

    What was the name of the Space Shuttle that exploded in 1986 ?
    Challenger

    How was the Hubble Space telescope deployed ?
    By Space Shuttle

    When is Halley's Comet next due to be seen ?
    2061

    How far is the Sun from the Earth ?
    93 million miles

    Approximately how long does light from the Sun take to reach Earth ?
    8 minutes

    Which is the largest planet in the Solar System ?
    Jupiter

    Which is the smallest planet in the Solar System ?
    Pluto

    Who described 'canals' on Mars in the book 'Mars as the Abode of Life' ?
    Pervival Lowell

    Which Space Agency operates the Ariane Programme?
    European Space Agency

    Who discovered Uranus ?
    Sir William Herschel

    Which scientist proposed the 'Laws of Gravitation' ?
    Newton

    Which is a Chinese launch vehicle name ?
    Long March

    What was the famous astronomer Hubble's first name ?
    Edwin

    Who first suggested that the planets orbit the Sun ?
    Copernicus

    What year did Clyde Tombaugh discover Pluto ?
    1930

    What was Fred Whipple's model of cometary structure dubbed ?
    Dirty Snowball

    What was Fred Hoyle's preferred model of the Universe called ?
    Steady State

    What does the SETI group look for ?
    Alien life

    Where is the world's largest radio telescope ?
    Arecibo, Puerto Rico

    What type of star is Sirius-B ?
    white dwarf

    What is another name for our closest galaxy, Andromeda ?
    M-31

    What is found between Mars and Jupiter ?
    Asteroid Belt

    What are the two Mars Rover mission vehicles called ?
    Spirit / Opportunity

    Which star is the closest to our own Sun ?
    Proxima Centauri

    What has the Cassini-Huygens mission gone to study ?
    Saturn's Rings

    What year was NASA created ?
    1958

    What was the first NASA program to put a man in space ?
    Mercury

    Today's The Day - 18th March


    18th March 2006

    Religious Events today...
    Feast day of St Cyril of Jerusalem,
    St Alexander of Jerusalem,
    St Christian,
    St Edward the Martyr,
    St Finan of Aberdeen,
    St Anselm of Lucca,
    St Frigidian,
    and St Salvator of Horta.


    History Test for March 18th
    Who resigned as German chancellor today in 1890? -Otto von Bismarck
    Film actor Robert Donat was born today in 1905. He won an Oscar for his role as a schoolmaster in which film? -`Goodbye Mr. Chips'
    Today in 1834, six farm labourers were sentenced to be transported to a penal colony for forming a union. By what name are they known? -`The Tolpuddle Martyrs'
    Name the Irish-born clergyman and author of 'Tristram Shandy', who died today in 1768. -Laurence Sterne
    Irish snooker player Alex Higgins was born today in 1949. What is his nickname? -`Hurricane'


    QUOTE
    "It is very unreasonable for people to be depressed by unfavourable reviews: they should say to themselves `Do I write better than Wordsworth and Shelley and Keats? Am I worse treated than they were?’" - A. E. Housman, British poet writing to a friend today, 1924.


    QUOTE
    "It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence." - Mahatma Gandhi goes to jail for sedition, 1922.


    Events today...
    978AD Edward, King of England, was murdered at Corfe Castle, allegedly on the orders of his step-mother, Aelfryth, who wanted the crown for her son, Ethelred the Unready.
    1455 Death of Fra Angelico, Italian monk and painter.
    1584 Death of Ivan IV, `the Terrible'.
    1662 The first public bus service began operating, in Paris.
    1745 Death of Robert Walpole, first prime minister of Britain.
    1768 Laurence Sterne, the creator of Tristram Shandy and his uncle Toby - two of the most amiable and comical eccentrics in English letters - died of pleurisy. Sterne became famous overnight with The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman - a massive satirical digression into the nature of the novel and just about every other aspect of 18th-century life. The work also reflected Sterne's upbringing in Ireland and his career in the church. Sterne's book had a strong influence on other writers: his Walter Shandy, Uncle Toby and Parson Yorick were characters of extraordinary realism. Towards the end of his life Sterne travelled to Europe, primarily for health reasons, and subsequently produced the delightful A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy.
    1793 A French revolutionary army was defeated by Austrian forces at the battle of Neerwinden.
    1834 Six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, Dorset, were sentenced to transportation to Australia for forming a trade union.
    1848 The people of Milan revolted as social unrest spread through the European mainland.
    1850 The American Express Company was set up in Buffalo, New York.
    1871 Republican Parisians, fearing a return of the monarchy, staged an uprising in the French capital.
    1890 Otto von Bismarck, the mighty German chancellor who has governed Prussia and later Germany with a policy of "blood and iron" since 1862, was dismissed from his post by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Despite his ability to build a huge empire, the strong-willed Kaiser wanted none of the old politician's advice. Even Bismarck's pioneering social welfare legislation, which in 1889 provided Germans with insurance against illness, accident, and old age, could not deflect the enmity of the socialists whom the 31-year-old Kaiser was trying to befriend.
    1891 The London-Paris telephone link came into operation.
    1922 Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi was jailed for six years for sedition.
    1931 The American company Schick Inc. started manufacturing electric razors.
    1949 The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was born.
    1950 British athlete Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile.
    1965 Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov became the first man to walk in space as he danced and somersaulted in orbit hundreds of miles above the earth, secured only by a slender lifeline. As co-pilot of the Soviet Union's Voskhod II craft, 31-year-old Colonel Leonov left the craft to take the first hand-held film images of the earth during his 15-minute adventure, spinning gracefully above the earth in a bright orange space suit.
    1978 An army judge in Lahore condemned Pakistan's former prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, to death after finding him guilty of ordering the murder of a political opponent in 1974. Despite the military court's ostensible respect for the forms of law, the decision was part of a brutal power struggle.
    1978 Red Brigade terrorists confirmed they were the kidnappers of former prime minister Aldo Moro, releasing a photograph of the Christian Democrat politician in captivity. Police were unable to trace the hide-out where Moro was being held by at least six armed men who pulled him from his car in the centre of Rome. The far-left terrorists issued a communiqué accusing Moro of a number of "crimes against the people", for which they said he would be put on trial for his life. The Christian Democrat party, for which Moro headed five coalition governments, was refusing to make any deals with the kidnappers.
    1988 Death of Percy Thrower, English gardener and broadcaster.
    2003 Yasser Arafat signed a bill creating the position of Palestinian prime minister, after parliament rejected changes to powers.
    2003 Germany's constitutional court rejected a government request to outlaw the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party.
    2003 Tony Blair won support for UK military action against Iraq despite a big rebellion by Labour MPs.
    2003 Firefighters' union leaders called off a 24-hour strike planned for later in the week after a tweaked offer from employers.
    2003 Sir David Attenborough won two prizes at the WH Smith Book Awards, while other winners included Jamie Oliver and Ben Elton.
    2003 Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler suffered a broken collar bone and ribs in a motorbike crash.
    2003 An expert told the Millionaire trial that 36 out of 192 coughs came from the man accused of helping an army major cheat his way to the top prize.
    2003 Deportivo beat an inexperienced Man Utd team 2-0.
    2005 Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were cleared of doping offences by an independent tribunal.
    2005 A soldier who saved 30 members of his unit in Iraq was awarded the first Victoria Cross for more than 20 years.
    2005 Pop Idol creator Simon Fuller sold his 19 Entertainment company to a US entrepreneur.

    BIRTHDAYS (for 18 March 2006)
    Stephane Mallarme, 164 (born 18 March 1842)
    French symbolist poet.
    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, 162 (born 18 March 1844)
    Russian composer.
    Rudolf Diesel, 148 (born 18 March 1858)
    German engineer and pioneer of the modern car engine.
    Neville Chamberlain, 137 (born 18 March 1869)
    British prime minister from 1937 until 1940.
    Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria, 117 (born 18 March 1889)
    Russian secret police supremo from 1938 and one of the most feared men in the Soviet Union until his execution in 1953.
    Wilfred Owen, 113 (born 18 March 1893)
    English World War I poet.
    John Updike, 74 (born 18 March 1932)
    American novelist.
    Poppin' Fresh (The Pillsbury Dough Boy)., 45 (born 18 March 1961)

    17.3.06

    Quiztime St Patrick's Day Quiz Special


    1. What is the Gaelic word for Ireland?
    Eire
    2. According to the song 'Wild Rover', what had he spent all his money on?
    Whisky & Beer
    3. Horse Racing - The five Irish Classics all take place at which racecourse?
    The Currah
    4. What is the name of the stone columns that according to legend are the remains of a bridge that connected Antrim to Scotland?
    Giant's Causeway
    5. Which city is home to Beamish Stout?
    Cork
    6. What was the name of the electrifying Irish Dance Show, starring Michael Flatley, which became the sequel to the original 'Riverdance' spectacular?
    Lord of the Dance
    7. 'Mother redcaps' is Dublin's largest what?
    Market
    8. Which is Ireland's chief river?
    Shannon
    9. If you bought the RTE Guide in Ireland, what information would you get?
    TV Listings
    10. Name either / or both of Eire's main political parties?
    Fianna Fail / Fine Gael
    11. Name three counties of the Republic of Ireland that begin with the letter K?
    Kerry, Kildare & Kilkenny
    12. What was Eire's currency before the Euro?
    Punt - divided into pence
    13. Which mountains stretch from Carlingford Lough to Dundrum Bay (and they sweep down to the sea!)
    Mountains of Mourne
    14. What is Belfast's University called?
    Queen's
    15. Which Irish county is also the name of a five line poem?
    Limerick
    16. Which singer owns the Viking House Hotel in County Donegal and often sings to his guests as part of their package?
    Daniel O'Donnell
    17. What are the highest uplands in Ireland?
    Macgillicuddy's Reeks
    18. On which river does Belfast stand?
    Lagan
    19. In 1996, who became the first Irish Swimmer to win an Olympic Gold Medal?
    Michelle Smith - at Atlanta
    20. At which castle can you find the Blarney Stone?
    Blarney Castle

    21. Which ex- Man Utd and Northern Ireland football star has an autobiography called ' The Good, the Bad and the Bubbly'?
    George Best
    22. Which TV celebrity is married to Helen, has presented Blankety Blank & Aunties Bloomers and has the most listened to programme on Radio 2?
    Terry Wogan
    23. "Wishing wells, wedding bells, a snowfake or two, all kinds of everything remind me of you" are a few lines of a song by which singer, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland in 1970?
    Dana
    24. What kind of instrument is the 'Celtic Minstrel' James Galway, generally associated with?
    Flute
    25. Which Irishman was given a heroes welcome, in August 1990, as he arrived back in Dublin after spending four and a half years as a hostage in Beirut?
    Brian Keenan
    26. Which river runs through the city of Dublin?
    River Liffey
    27. Which Irish TV celebrity and radio presenter has a daughter who presented the children's TV programme Blue Peter?
    Gloria Hunniford / Caron Keating's mother
    28. Which Irish Author wrote 'The Dubliners', 'Ulysses' and 'The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man'?
    James Joyce
    29. Which Irish singer, who married Leslie Crowther's daughter, sang with the group Thin Lizzy and had a chart hit with the theme music to Top of the Pops?
    Phil Lynott
    30. Which suited Irish comedian had a stool with a ledge for his whisky, had a stumped little finger and smoked and laughed at his jokes as his trademark?
    Dave Allen
    31. Which Irish group, named after a flavour of Jam, have albums called 'No Need to argue' and 'To the Faithful Departed'?
    The Cranberries
    32. The tiny one-street Irish parish of Avocea is the background area for which popular Tv romance?
    Ballykissangel
    33. The Gaelic name of which Irish pop group means 'Kiss my Arse' in English?
    The Pogues (-Poques-)
    34. What do Irish designers Paul Costello, Louise Kennedy, Quin & Donnelly all specialise in producing?
    Women's Clothes
    35. Which TV comedy series is the story of the antics of three wayward Irish priests from the Craggy Island parish?
    Father Ted
    36. Which Irish group had an album dedicated to Edward Bunting and called 'The Celtic Harp'?
    The Chieftans
    37. Which successful 'low budget' film was based upon a group of teenagers trying to hit the 'big time' in the soul music business?
    The Commitments
    38. By what name was the Irish Milk Marketing Board once known?
    Kerrygold
    39. Which boss produced the ill-fated silver-winged cars, which he named after himself and were manufactured in Northern Ireland?
    John DeLorean
    40. What name is given to a little Irish gnome dressed in green clothes?
    A Leprechaun (Good Luck and Bless you ALL!)

    TIEBREAKER - In which year did Brian Boru become the King of Ireland?

    976 AD

    A to Z of Saints - Reference

    A
    Accountants- St. Matthew
    Actors- St. Genesius
    Adopted Children- St. Thomas More
    Adopted Children- St. William
    Advocates- St. Ives
    African Americans- St. Martin de Porres
    Aids- St. Roque
    Alpinists- St. Bernard
    Altar Servers- St. John Berchman
    America- Miraculous
    Ammunition Workers- St. Barbara
    Amputees- St. Anthony
    Animal Welfare Soc St- St. Francis of Assisi
    Animals- St. Francis of Assisi
    Apostleship of Prayer- St. Francis Xavier
    Apothecaries- St. Raphael
    Apple Orchards- St. Charles Borromeo
    Archaeologists- St. Helen
    Archers- St. Sebastian
    Architects- St. Barbara
    Arrowsmiths- St. Sebastian
    Art Dealers- St. John the Evangelist
    Arthritis- St. James
    Artillery- St. Barbara
    Artists- St. Catherine
    Artists- St. Luke
    Asia Minor- St. John the Evangelist
    Astronomers- St. Dominic
    Athletes- St. Sebastian
    Australia- St. Francis Xavier
    Austria- St. Stephen
    Authors- St. Francis de Sales
    Authors- St. Paul
    Automobiles- St. Christopher
    Aviators- Our Lady of Loretto
    Aviators- St. Theresa
    B
    Bachelors- St. Christopher
    Bakers- St. Elizabeth
    Bakers- St. Nicholas
    Bankers- St. Matthew
    Barbers- Sts. Cosmas & Damian
    Barren Women- St. Anthony
    Battle- St. Michael
    Belgium- St. Joseph
    Birds- St. Francis of Assisi
    Blacksmiths- St. James
    Blindness- St. Lawrence
    Blindness- St. Lucy
    Blindness- St. Raphael
    Bookbinders- St. Sebastian
    Bookkeepers- St. Matthew
    Booksellers- St. John the Evangelist
    Borneo- St. Francis Xavier
    Boy Scouts- St. George
    Brass Workers- St. Barbara
    Brazil- Miraculous
    Brewers- St. Nicholas
    Bricklayers- St. Stephen
    Brides- St. Dorothy
    Brides- St. Nicholas
    Bridge Builders- St. Peter
    Builders- St. Barbara
    Bus Drivers- St. Christopher
    Butchers- St. Anthony
    Butchers- St. Luke
    Butchers- St. Peter
    C
    Cabinet Makers- St. Anne
    Canada- St. Anne
    Canada- St. Joseph
    Cancer Patients- St. Peregrine
    Canonists- St. Robert
    Carpenters- St. Joseph
    Casket Makers- St. Stephen
    Catechist- St. Charles Borromeo
    Catholic Action- St. Francis of Assisi
    Catholic Education- St. John Neumann
    Catholic Univ.- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Cattle Diseases- St. Sebastian
    Cavalry- St. George
    Cemetery Workers St- St. Anthony
    Ceylon- St. Lawrence
    Charitable Societies- St. Vincent de Paul
    Charity- St. Vincent de Paul
    Chemical Ind. - Sts. Cosmas & Damian
    Children- St. Nicholas
    Children, Unruly- St. Sebastian
    Chile- St. James
    China- St. Francis Xavier
    Chivalry- St. George
    Choir Members- St. Dominic
    Civil Servants- St. Thomas More
    Clear Weather- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Clergy- St. Charles Borromeo
    Clock Makers- St. Peter
    Colic- St. Charles Borromeo
    Comedians- St. Genesius
    Composers- St. Cecile
    Compositors- St. John the Evangelist
    Confectioners- St. Joseph
    Confessors- St. Francis de Sales
    Confessors- St. John Vianney
    Congo- St. Francis de Sales
    Converts- St. Jason
    Cooks- St. Lawrence
    Coopers- St. Nicholas
    Counsel- Holy Spirit
    Countesses- St. Elizabeth
    Court Workers- St. Thomas More
    Cutters- St. Lucy
    D
    Dancers- St. Genesius
    Dancing Teachers- St. Genesius
    Deaf- St. Francis de Sales
    Desperation- St. Jude
    Desperation- St. Rita
    Difficult Century- St. Maximilian Kolbe
    Difficult Marriages- St. Thomas More
    Doctors- St. Luke
    Dog Bite- St. Hubert
    Dog Fanciers- St. Roque
    Domestic Animals- St. Anthony
    Dominican Order- St. Dominic
    Doubt- St. Joseph
    Druggists- Sts. Cosmas & Damian
    Druggists- St. Raphael
    Dying- St. Joseph
    E
    Emigrants- St. Francis Xavier
    Enemies of Religion- St. Sebastian
    Engineers- St. Joseph
    England- St George
    Engravers- St. John the Evangelist
    Enlightenment- Our Lady of Good Counsel
    Epilepsy- St. Genesius
    Equador- Scapular
    Expectant Mothers- St. Gerard
    Expectant Mothers- St. Raymond
    Eye Diseases- St.Raphael & St. Lucy
    Eyes- St. Lucy
    F
    Faith in Blessed Sacrament- St Anthony
    Falsely Accused- St. Elisabeth
    Families St- St.Joseph
    Families of Addicts- St Maximilian Kolbe
    Family Harmony- St. Dymphna
    Farmers- St. George
    Fear of the Lord- Holy Spirit
    Fever- St. Peter
    Fire- St. Francis of Assisi
    Fire- St. Lawrence
    Firefighters- St. Florian
    Fireworks- St. Barbara
    Fishermen- St. Andrew
    Fishermen- St. Peter
    Florists- St. Dorothy
    Flyers- Our Lady of Loretto
    Foot Trouble- St. Peter
    Fortifications- St. Barbara
    Fortitude- Holy Spirit
    Founders- St. Barbara
    France- St. Joan of Arc
    Frenzy- St. Peter
    Funeral Directors- St. Sebastian
    G
    Gardeners- St. Dorothy
    Gardeners- St. Sebastian
    Germany- St. Michael
    Glass Industry- St. Luke
    Glaziers- St. Mark
    Goldsmiths- St. Luke
    Gout- St. Andrew
    Grandmothers- St. Anne
    Grave Diggers- St. Anthony
    Greece- St. Nicholas
    Grocers- St. Michael
    Gunners- St. Barbara
    H
    Hairstylists- St. Martin de Porres
    Happy Death- St. Joseph
    Happy Meetings- St. Raphael
    Hardware- St. Sebastian
    Hazards of Traveling- St. Christopher
    Headaches- St. Dennis
    Healing of Wounds- St. Rita
    Hesitation- St. Joseph
    Home Builders- Our Lady of Loretto
    Homeless- St. Benedict
    Hopeless Cases- St. Jude
    Horseriders- St. Anne
    Hospital Administrators- St. Francis Xavier
    Hospital Workers- St. Vincent de Paul
    Hospitals- St. Camillus
    Housekeepers- St. Anne
    Housewives- St. Anne
    Hungary- Miraculous
    Hunters- St. Hubert
    I
    Immigrants- St. Francis Xavier
    Impenitence- St. Barbara
    Impossible Situations- St. Jude
    Insanity- St. Dymphna
    Invalids- St. Roque
    Ireland- St. Patrick
    Iron Workers- St. Sebastian
    J
    Jewelers- St. Luke
    Journalists- St. Francis de Sales
    Judges- St. Ives
    K
    Knowledge Holy- Holy Spirit
    L
    Laborers- St. James
    Lace Makers- Our Lady of Loretto
    Latin America St- St. Rose of Lima
    Lawyers- St. Genesius
    Lawyers- St. Ives
    Lawyers- St. Thomas More
    Lead Workers- St. Sebastian
    Leather Workers- St. Catherine
    Lepers- St. Vincent de Paul
    Lightning- St. Barbara
    Lithographers- St. John the Evangelist
    Loneliness- St. Rita
    Long Life- St. Peter
    Long Life- St. Kevin
    Lost Articles- St. Anthony
    Lovers- St. Raphael
    Lumbago- St. Lawrence
    M
    Machinists- St. Hubert
    Mariners- Star of the Sea
    Mariners- St. Brendan
    Mariners- St. Michael
    Married Couples- St. Joseph
    Masons- St. Peter
    Mass Servers- St. John Berchman
    Mathematicians- St. Hubert
    Medical Records Librarian- St. Raymond
    Medical Technicians- St. Albert
    Medical Technologists- St. Albert
    Mental Illness- St. Dymphna
    Merchants- St. Francis of Assisi
    Miners- St. Barbara
    Missioners- St. Francis Xavier
    Missions, Domestic- St. Francis Xavier
    Missions, Domestic- St. Theresa
    Missions, Foreign- St. Francis Xavier
    Monastics- St. Benedict
    Monks- St. Benedict
    Montebanks- St. Genesius
    Mothers- St. Anne
    Mothers- St. Gerard
    Motorcyclists- Miraculous
    Motorists- St. Christopher
    Mountain- St. Bernard
    Musicians- St. Cecile
    Musicians- St. Gregory
    N
    N.C.C.W- Our Lady of Good Counsel
    Navigators- Star of the Sea
    Navigators- St. Brendan
    NeedleWorkers- St. Francis of Assisi
    Nerves- St. Dymphna
    Net Makers- St. Peter
    Never Failing Hope- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
    New Zealand- St. Francis Xavier
    Notaries- St. Ives
    Notaries- St. Luke
    Notaries- St. Mark
    Nurses- St. Camillus
    Nurses- St. Raphael
    Nursing Services- St. Elizabeth
    O
    Obstetricians- St. Raymond
    Organ Makers- St. Genesius
    Orphans- St. Louise
    P
    Painters- St. Luke
    Paper Makers- St. John the Evangelist
    Paratroopers- St. Michael
    Parish Priests- St. John Vianney
    Pawn Brokers- St. Nicholas
    Peasants- St. Lucy
    Peddlers- St. Lucy
    Pencil Makers- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Peril at sea- St. Michael
    Peru- St. Joseph
    Pharmacists- Sts. Cosmas & Damian
    Philippines- St. Rose of Lima
    Philosophers- St. Catherine
    Physicians- Sts. Cosmas & Damian
    Physicians- St. Luke
    Piety- Holy Spirit
    Pilgrims- St. James
    Pioneers- St. Joseph
    Plague- St. Roque
    Plague Patients- St. Sebastian
    Poisoning- St. Benedict
    Police Officers- St. Michael
    Poor- St. Anthony
    Poor- St. Lawrence
    Poor- St. Martin de Porres
    Porters- St. Christopher
    Portugal- Miraculous
    Potters- St. Sebastian
    Pregnant Women- St. Gerard
    Press- St. Francis de Sales
    Press- St. Paul
    Priests- St. John Vianney
    Prisoners- St. Vincent de Paul
    Prophecy- St. Daniel
    Public Relations (Hospitals)- St. Paul
    Publishers- St. John the Evangelist
    Publishers- St. Paul
    R
    Racquet Makers- St. Sebastian
    Radiologists- St. Michael
    Rape Victims- St. Dymphna
    Rheumatism- St. James
    Runaways- St. Dymphna
    Russia- St. Andrew
    Russia- St. Nicholas
    S
    Saddlers- St. Lucy
    Safe Journey- St. Raphael
    Sailors- Star of the Sea
    Sailors- St. Brendan
    Sailors- St. Michael
    Salespeople- St. Lucy
    Scholars- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Schools- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Scientists- St. Albert
    Scotland- St. Andrew
    Scribes- St. Catherine
    Sculptors- St. Luke
    Seafarers- St. Brendan
    Seafarers- St. Michael
    Secretaries- St. Catherine
    Secretaries- St. Genesius
    Secular Priests- St. John Vianney
    Seminarians- St. Charles Borromeo
    Servicewomen- St. Joan of Arc
    Sheep Raisers- St. Raphael
    Ship Builders- St. Peter
    Sicily- St. Nicholas
    Sick- St. Camillus
    Sick Poor St- St. Martin de Porres
    Sickness- St. Camillus
    Singers- St. Gregory
    Single Women- St. Andrew
    Skiers- St. Bernard
    Skin Diseases- St. Peregrine
    Snake Bite- St. Patrick
    Soldiers- St. George
    Soldiers- St. Joan of Arc
    Solitary Death- St. Francis of Assisi
    South America- St. Rose of Lima
    Speleologists- St. Benedict
    Spiritual Directors- St. Charles Borromeo
    Spiritual Help- St. Vincent de Paul
    Stained Glass Workers- St. Mark
    Stationers- St. Peter
    Stenographers- St. Catherine
    Stepparents- St. Thomas More
    Stockbrokers- St. Matthew
    Stomach Trouble- St. Charles Borromeo
    Stomach Trouble- St. Timothy
    Stone Masons- St. Barbara
    Stone Masons- St. Sebastian
    Stone Workers- St. Stephen
    Storms- St. Barbara
    Student/Schools- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Sudden Death- St. Barbara
    Surgeons- Sts. Cosmas & Damian
    Surgeons- St. Luke
    Swans- St. Sebastian
    Switzerland- St. Nicholas
    T
    Tanners- St. James
    Tax Collectors- St. Matthew
    Teachers- St. Francis de Sales
    Temptation- St. Michael
    Tertiaries- St. Elizabeth
    Theologians- St. Thomas Aquinas
    Throat- St. Cecile
    Tongue- St. Catherine
    Toothache- St. Patrick
    Travel- St. Christopher
    Travel- St. Paul
    Travelers- St. Christopher
    Truck Drivers- St. Christopher
    Tuberculosis- St. Theresa
    Tumors- St. Rita
    U
    Ulcers- St. Charles Borromeo
    Understanding- Holy Spirit
    United States- Miraculous
    Universal Church- St. Joseph
    V
    Vanity- St. Rose of Lima
    Veterinarians- St. James
    Virgins- Miraculous
    Virgins- St. Joan of Arc
    Vocalists- St. Cecile
    W
    Wales- St. David
    Warehouses- St. Barbara
    Widowers- St. Thomas More
    Widows- St. Louise
    Widows St- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
    Winemakers St- St. Francis Xavier
    Wisdom- Holy Spirit
    Wolves- St. Peter
    Women In Labor- St. Anne
    Workers- St. Joseph
    Writers- St. Francis de Sales
    Writers- St. Paul
    Z
    Yachtsmen- Star of the Sea
    Yachtsmen- St. Brendan
    Youth- St. John Berchman

    Today's The Day - 17th March


    17th March 2006
    National Day of Ireland.


    Religious Events today...
    Feast day of St Patrick,
    St Withburga,
    St Gertrude of Nivelles,
    St Joseph of Arimathea,
    St Paul of Cyprus,
    and the Martyrs of the Serapaeum.


    History Test for March 17th
    Born today in 1939, which yachtsman became the first to sail solo non-stop around the world? -Robin Knox-Johnson
    American actor Patrick Duffy was born today in 1949. In which TV series did he star as an amnesiac with webbed hands and feet? -`The Man From Atlantis'
    What was the name of the oil tanker which ran aground oft the coast of Brittany today in 1978, causing major pollution? -The Amoco Cadiz
    Which veteran American actress won an Oscar for playing an elderly stowaway in `Airport' and died today in 1993? -Helen Hayes
    `Pretend' and `Smile' were fifties hits for which singer, born today in 1919? -Nat `King' Cole


    Events today...
    180AD Death of Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor.
    1337 Edward, the Black Prince, was made first Duke of Cornwall by his father, King Edward III of England, giving him a 130,000-acre estate and a source of income.
    1782 Death of Daniel Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician and physicist.
    1845 Briton Stephen Perry patented the rubber band.
    1848 Violence broke out in Berlin against the conservatism of Prussian ruler Frederick William IV.
    1853 Death of Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who coined the term Doppler effect to explain the apparent change in the frequency of a wave when the source is moving relative to the observer.
    1886 Vincent van Gogh, the young Dutch painter who was studying at the art academy in Antwerp, went to Paris to further his training under the supervision of his brother, Theo. The truth is that his family were exasperated by this 33-year-old who has been unable to support himself and showed signs of mental instability. He was sacked from his job at a gallery and abandoned another at a bookshop, failed to make headway with theological studies and was no success as a lay missionary working under the direction of his father, a clergyman. But Van Gogh's early paintings of peasant subjects, such as The Potato Eaters, showed great promise.
    1897 English-born New Zealand boxer Bob Fitzsimmons won the heavyweight title from US champion Jim Corbett.
    1899 The first-ever radio distress call was sent, summoning assistance to a merchant ship aground on the Goodwin Sands, off the Kent coast.
    1912 Death of Lawrence Oates, English Antarctic explorer. The member of Scott's expedition who walked into a blizzard, saying "I am just going outside and may be some time".
    1921 English doctor Marie Stopes opened The Mothers' Clinic in London, to advise women on birth-control.
    1958 Death of Sir George Wilkins, Australian polar explorer.
    1959 The US submarine Skate surfaced at the North Pole after completing a historic under-ice voyage to reach its destination.
    1968 Violent demonstrations against American involvement in the Vietnam War took place outside the US embassy in London.
    1969 A 70-year-old grandmother took office as Israel's first woman prime minister. Golda Meir outflanked ultra-orthodox Jews opposed to seeing women in power when she took over the leadership of the Labour Party, following the death of Levi Eshkol. Born in the Ukraine, as a young woman she spent many years as a school teacher in the United States before moving to what was then Palestine in 1921. She held important posts in the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organisation. After independence in 1948 she was Israel's ambassador to Moscow and held two ministerial posts. Defending Israel's borders against surprise Arab attack would be a major concern of the new prime minister. Meir chose General Moshe Dayan, the hero of the Six-Day War, as her defence minister.
    1978 The oil tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground on the coast of Brittany, spilling over 220,000 tons of crude oil and causing extensive pollution.
    1983 British premier Margaret Thatcher was the target of a letter-bomb campaign by the IRA.
    1986 Death of John Glubb (Glubb Pasha), English soldier, founder of the Arab Legion.
    1990 French president François Mitterand opened the new Bastille opera house in Paris.
    1991 Soviet voters went to the polls to decide whether or not their vast country was to remain a single unit. President Mikhail Gorbachev had been passionately campaigning for a "yes" vote in the nation-wide referendum, while his rival Boris Yeltsin had been urging a "no". Six breakaway republic’s refused to participate because they were convinced the draft of the new Union Treaty being proposed by Gorbachev would undermine their freedom. Three announced they would run their own referendum.
    1998 In the budget, the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, announced an increase of 1p on a pint of beer, 4p on wine, the cost of spirits were frozen, 20p on cigarettes, and 4.4 -5.4p on petrol. Mortgage tax remained unchanged, and there would be a £50 reduction on road tax for "small" cars.
    1999 It was announced that the Monopolies and Mergers Commission turned down the bid by BSkyB to buy Manchester United.
    1999 Rod Hull (of Emu fame) died when he fell off the roof adjusting his television aerial during the Match between Manchester United and Inter Milan.
    2003 President Bush addressed the US after efforts to secure UN backing for a war with Iraq failed and inspectors were ordered to leave.
    2003 Health officials struggled to contain the spread of a "mystery illness" reported across continents.
    2003 Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook resigned from Tony Blair's cabinet as the build-up to war with Iraq intensified.
    2003 Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged MPs to back going to war with Iraq if it becomes necessary as a last option.
    2003 A court heard how the man accused of helping an Army major cheat on a TV quiz show admitted being responsible for a number of coughs.
    2003 The South American Football Federation backs Brazil as its candidate for the 2014 World Cup.
    2003 England fast bowler Darren Gough agreed a new contract to stay at Headingley despite his injury worries.
    2004 A suspected bomb destroyed a hotel in the centre of the Iraqi capital, killing 28.
    2004 Haiti's interim president swore in the country's new cabinet, which politicians criticised as exclusive.
    2004 In the budget, Gordon Brown announced extra help for pensioners and schools but thousands of civil servants faced the axe.
    2004 Snooker player Jimmy White was arrested after white powder was found in his Lancashire hotel room.
    2004 Child pornography charges were dropped against singer R Kelly in Florida, but he still faced others in Illinois.
    2004 The Kinks singer Ray Davies used a walking stick to receive his CBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
    2004 Two goals from Michael Owen help Liverpool to a vital 3-0 victory over Portsmouth.
    2004 Chelsea rejected Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld's claims that he was approached to take over at Stamford Bridge.
    2004 Azertyuiop won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham after favourite Moscow Flyer fell.
    2004 David Beckham's free-kick was not enough as Real Madrid suffered a shock defeat to Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey final.
    2005 The family of Belfast murder victim Robert McCartney said they were encouraged after meeting President Bush.
    2005 British police foiled an attempt to steal £220m from the London offices of the Japanese bank Sumitomo.

    BIRTHDAYS (for 17 March 2006)
    Edmund Kean, 219 (born 17 March 1787)
    British actor.
    Gottlieb Daimler, 172 (born 17 March 1834)
    pioneer German car maker and engineer.
    Shemp Howard, 111 (born 17 March 1895)
    comic actor.
    Bobby Jones, 104 (born 17 March 1902)
    American golfer and first amateur to win the British Open championship held at Lytham St Annes (1926).
    Nat `King' Cole, 89 (born 17 March 1917)
    American popular singer and pianist.
    Rudolf Nureyev, 68 (born 17 March 1938)
    Russian ballet dancer, considered one of the greatest of dancers.
    Patric Duffy, 57 (born 17 March 1949)
    Actor best-known as the Man from Atlantis
    Kurt Russell, 55 (born 17 March 1951)
    Actor
    Lesley Anne Down, 52 (born 17 March 1954)
    Actress
    Rob Lowe, 42 (born 17 March 1964)
    Actor
    Stephen Gately, 30 (born 17 March 1976)
    ex-Boyzone

    16.3.06

    Quiztime Picture Quiz CD Launched

    At last! Over 300 Picture Quizzes on one CD
    All Quizzes are in PDF format
    All Quizzes are in 20 Pictures per Quiz format
    Just 'open' each file and 'print'


    The Disc Contents -
    1960's Picture Quiz.pdf
    2006 Grand Prix PicQuiz.pdf
    A Host Of Female Stars.pdf
    A Host Of Male Stars.pdf
    A to Z of Actors 1.pdf
    A to Z of Actors 2.pdf
    Action Movie Posters 1.pdf
    Action Movie Posters 2.pdf
    Airline Logos Quiz.pdf
    Album Covers.pdf
    An Actors Life 1.pdf
    An Actors Life 2.pdf
    An Actors Life 3.pdf
    An Actors Life 4.pdf
    An Actors Life 5.pdf
    An Actors Life 6.pdf
    Anyone For Tennis Picture Quiz.pdf
    Art or Crap Quiz.pdf
    Bank Logos.pdf
    Blue Peter Picture Quiz.pdf
    Bond Girls.pdf
    Bond Movie Posters Quiz.pdf
    Bonnie Scotland Picquiz.pdf
    Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms.pdf
    Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_2.pdf
    Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_3.pdf
    Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_4.pdf
    Britains_Best_20_Sitcoms_5.pdf
    British Born Actors and Actresses 1.pdf
    British Born Actors and Actresses 2.pdf
    Car Makes and Models Quiz 1.pdf
    Car Makes and Models Quiz 2.pdf
    Car Manufacturers.pdf
    Caricature Entertainment Quiz 1.pdf
    Cartoon Characters.pdf
    Cartoon Characters Picture Quiz.pdf
    Celbrity Cyborgs PicQuiz.pdf
    Celebrity Beauties 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Celebrity Beauties 2 PicQuiz.pdf
    Celebrity Couples PicQuiz.pdf
    Celebrity Impersonators PicQuiz.pdf
    Celebrity Mugshots.pdf
    Celebrity Pets PicQuiz.pdf
    Childrens TV PicQuiz.pdf
    Childrens TV Quiz.pdf
    Classic Photos PicQuiz.pdf
    Clowning Around PicQuiz.pdf
    Come on you reds.pdf
    Comedians Picture Quiz.pdf
    Comedy Stars PicQuiz 1.pdf
    Comedy Stars PicQuiz 2.pdf
    Coronation_Street_PicQuiz 1.pdf
    Coronation_Street_PicQuiz 2.pdf
    Crisp Flavours PicQuiz.pdf
    Daytime TV Picture Quiz.pdf
    Disney Characters PicQuiz.pdf
    Disney Films Quiz.pdf
    DJ Heaven.pdf
    English Landmarks.pdf
    Evil Twins PicQuiz.pdf
    F1Drivers MotorRacing 2004.pdf
    Famous Athletes PicQuiz.pdf
    Famous Cats PicQuiz.pdf
    Famous Dogs PicQuiz.pdf
    Famous Paintings.pdf
    Famous Scots Picquiz.pdf
    Famous Sketches PicQuiz.pdf
    Fantasy Movie Posters.pdf
    Female Stars.pdf
    Film Stars.pdf
    Films_Quiz.pdf
    Films_Quiz_2.pdf
    Flying Objects.pdf
    Football Caricatures PicQuiz.pdf
    Football_Museum_PicQuiz.pdf
    Footballers PicQuiz.pdf
    Footy Emblems Quiz.pdf
    Formula One Racing PicQuiz.pdf
    Formula One Quiz.pdf
    Get Your Kit Off.pdf
    Girls On Top - Of The Pops.pdf
    Glam Rock Pop PicQuiz.pdf
    Glamrus PicQuiz.pdf
    Glory Glory ManUtd.pdf
    Gone But Not Forgotten PicQuiz.pdf
    Gone In 2005 Pt1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Gone In 2005 Pt2 PicQuiz.pdf
    Gone In 2006 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Halloween Picture Quiz.pdf
    Help The Aged PicQuiz.pdf
    Heroes And Villains PicQuiz.pdf
    Horror Actors.pdf
    Icons Of England PicQuiz.pdf
    Ilove70s_Picquiz.pdf
    Irish_Music_Quiz.pdf
    Irish_Sports_Quiz.pdf
    I-Spy PicQuiz.pdf
    Jackpot PicQuiz 310705.pdf
    Keep It In The Family.pdf
    Manchester Music PicQuiz.pdf
    Mens Tennis 2005 PicQuiz.pdf
    Mens Tennis PicQuiz.pdf
    Movie Monsters PicQuiz.pdf
    Movie Posters 2004.pdf
    Muppet Show Quiz.pdf
    Musical Pictures 1.pdf
    Musical Pictures 2.pdf
    Musical Pictures 3.pdf
    Musical Talents PicQuiz.pdf
    Mystery Objects Picture Quiz.pdf
    Name The Logo Picture Quiz.pdf
    Name the Personality 1.pdf
    Name the Personality 3.pdf
    Name the Personality 4.pdf
    New Balls Please.pdf
    Newspapers Quiz.pdf
    NW Presenters PicQuiz.pdf
    Olympic Mascots PicQuiz.pdf
    Paparazzi Snaps PicQuiz.pdf
    Past and Present Pop Picture Quiz.pdf
    PicQuiz 201105.pdf
    Political Scandal PicQuiz.pdf
    Pop Caricatures PicQuiz.pdf
    Pop Trans-Mutations PicQuiz.pdf
    Pops The Question 1.pdf
    Pops The Question 2.pdf
    Pops The Question 3.pdf
    Pops The Question 4.pdf
    Posers XXX Picture Quiz.pdf
    Pub Signs PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiz In Need Picture Quiz.pdf

    Quizerama Series Picture Quizzes 1 to 114

    Quiztime 2012 Olympics Quiz.pdf
    Quiztime Birdwatch 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Birdwatch 2 PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime ChefsnCooks PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Dr Who PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Garden Wildlife 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Kids TV PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Logos Quiz 1.pdf
    Quiztime Logos Quiz 2.pdf
    Quiztime NewYear FunQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Open Golf PicQuiz 2005.pdf
    Quiztime Santas Quiz 1.pdf
    Quiztime Santas Quiz 2.pdf
    Quiztime Santas Quiz 3.pdf
    Quiztime Shapeshifters PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztime Telly Addicts PicQuiz 1.pdf
    Quiztime Telly Addicts PicQuiz 2.pdf
    Quiztime TV Presenters PicQuiz 1.pdf
    Quiztime TV Presenters PicQuiz 2.pdf
    Quiztime TV Shows PicQuiz.pdf
    Quiztimes Snookered.pdf
    Racially Abused PicQuiz.pdf
    Radio Stations.pdf
    ScrumDown.pdf
    Seventies PicQuiz.pdf
    Seventies Pop 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Simpsons Guest List PicQuiz.pdf
    Simpsons PicQuiz.pdf
    Sitcoms PicQuiz.pdf
    Snack Time Picture Quiz.pdf
    Snooker Stars PicQuiz.pdf
    Soap Awards 2005.pdf
    Soap Stars.pdf
    Soccer Stars PicQuiz 1.pdf
    Sporting Legends PicQuiz.pdf
    Sporting Venues.pdf
    Sports Bag PicQuiz.pdf
    Sports Personalities 1.pdf
    Sports Personalities 2.pdf
    Sports Stars.pdf
    Spot The Dog Picture Quiz.pdf
    Stars Bad Day 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Stars Bad Day 2 PicQuiz.pdf
    Stars In Their Hats.pdf
    Stars Of The Sixties.pdf
    Supermarionation PicQuiz.pdf
    Swingin Chicks of 60s part 1.pdf
    Swingin Chicks of 60s part 2.pdf
    Taffy Or Not PicQuiz.pdf
    Telly Addicts Quiz 1.pdf
    Telly Addicts Quiz 2.pdf
    Test Match Special.pdf
    The Eighties.pdf
    The Models PicQuiz.pdf
    Trains and Railways.pdf
    TV Ads PicQuiz.pdf
    TV Cooks.pdf
    TV Crimebusters.pdf
    TV Drama PicQuiz.pdf
    TV Shows Quiz.pdf
    Ugly Footballers PicQuiz.pdf
    US State Flags Quiz.pdf
    When They Were Young PicQuiz.pdf
    Where In The World 1.pdf
    Where In The World 2.pdf
    Who Are They 1 PicQuiz.pdf
    Who Are They 2 PicQuiz.pdf
    Wimbledon PicQuiz 2005.pdf
    Wimbledon Tennis PicQuiz 1.pdf
    Wimbledon Tennis PicQuiz 2.pdf
    Women Of Tennis PicQuiz.pdf
    World Athletics.pdf
    World Champions PicQuiz.pdf
    World Cup 2006 Team Strips.pdf
    World Flags Quiz1.pdf
    World Flags Quiz2.pdf
    World Flags Quiz3.pdf
    World Landmarks.pdf
    World Leaders 1.pdf
    World Leaders 2.pdf
    World Of Sport PicQuiz.pdf
    Year Of The Dog Picture Quiz.pdf
    Zombie Celebrities PicQuiz.pdf

    Plus
    30 PicsQuiz A.pdf
    30 PicsQuiz B.pdf
    30 PicsQuiz C.pdf
    30 PicsQuiz D.pdf


    This Compilation of Quiztime UK Quiz Files is being made available to raise funds for
    The Rosemere Cancer Foundation



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    Greek and Roman Gods Quiz


    Who was the King of the Gods ?
    Jupiter / Zeus

    Who was a winged horse of the Greek Gods ?
    Pegasus

    The Parthenon was dedicated to Pallas .... who ?
    Athena

    Where did the Argonauts get their name from ?
    Their ship

    Which King was stabbed in his bath when he returned from the Trojan war ?
    Agamemnon

    Who was the God of the Underworld ?
    Pluto

    Who was the God of wine ?
    Dionysus

    Who was a one-eyed giant ?
    Cyclope

    Who was helped by Adriadne's thread ?
    Theseus

    Which young prince found the golden fleece ?
    Jason

    Which part of Achilles body was vulnerable ?
    Heel

    The Greek Gods lived on which mountain ?
    Olympus

    Which mythical creature was half man and half horse ?
    Centaur

    Who was the God's messenger ?
    Hermes

    Who was the Goddess of love and beauty ?
    Aphrodite

    Who was Cupid's mother ?
    Venus

    Who carried the world on his shoulders ?
    Atlas

    How many ships did Helen of Troy's face launch ?
    A thousand

    Who turned Ulysses and his companions into pigs ?
    Circe

    Who was the ferryman who rowed the dead over the River Styx ?
    Charon

    Who was the God of the seas ?
    Neptune

    Who was King Agamemnon's wife ?
    Clytemnestra

    Who was Achilles' mother ?
    Thetis

    Who was Apollo's twin sister ?
    Artemis

    Who was the Goddess of the earth (home) ?
    Hestia

    Who was Jason's wife ?
    Medea

    Who was the son of Zeus and Danae ?
    Perseus

    Who killed the Medusa ?
    Perseus

    What did the Medusa's stare turn you into ?
    Stone

    What effect did Hades' helmet have on Perseus ?
    Invisibility

    Who did Perseus marry ?
    Andromeda

    What animal was the symbol of Athena ?
    Owl

    What type of creature was Medusa ?
    Gorgon

    What mortal did Athena have a weaving contest with ?
    Arachne

    What creature sprang from drops of Medusa's blood ?
    Pegasus

    Where did Zeus imprison the Titans ?
    Tartarus

    Which goddess was born fully formed from Zeus' head ?
    Athena

    Which creature does NOT have multiple heads ?
    Echidna

    Which goddess was kidnapped by Hades ?
    Persephone

    Who guarded the entrance to the Underworld ?
    Cerberus

    Who was the daughter of King Minos who helped Theseus ?
    Ariadne

    Which Cyclopes who imprisoned Odysseus in a cave ?
    Polyphemus

    Who stole fire from the gods ?
    Prometheus

    Which creature had the head of a lion and a goat ?
    Chimaera

    Whose punishment was to endlessly roll a large stone up a hill ?
    Sisyphus

    Who, in the Illiad, slew the Chimera ?
    Bellerophon

    Who was the Greek god of prophesy, music and healing ?
    Apollo

    King Midas was cursed so that everything he touched turned to ... ?
    Gold

    Which god or goddess was responsible for agriculture ?
    Demeter

    Who was Daedalus' son ?
    Icarus

    Where was the Labyrinth containing the Minotaur ?
    Crete

    How many 'Labours' did Hercules complete ?
    12

    What was Hercules' last 'Labour' ?
    Capture Cerberus

    Who was married to Odysseus ?
    Penelope

    The Countries of the Commonwealth Games

    How many countries are competing at the Commonwealth Games - 71 is the official answer, but is it the right one?
    There are only 53 sovereign countries in the
    Commonwealth of Nations, and at the Athens Olympics, the Commonwealth bloc produced just 56 squads.
    So why the disparity?
    The answer is in the constitution of the Commonwealth Games Federation. To compete at the Games a "nation" must be a Commonwealth country, colony, dependent or associated territory of a Commonwealth country.
    That's why Gibralter, St Helena, Falkland Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Norfolk Island will all be marching in tonight's opening ceremony. Which, for the first time, will have countries marching in continental groupings not alphabetical order.
    All of the squads in Melbourne ``have experienced direct or indirect British rule, or have been linked administratively to another Commonwealth country'' except for Mozambique. The former Portuguese colony was accepted into the Commonwealth in 1995 in recognition of its resistance, at great economic cost, to the minority white rule in Rhodesia and South Africa.
    But it seems every microdot on the Commonwealth landscape has now been exhausted. In Melbourne, for the first time, there will be no debutant nation. While 72 teams competed in Manchester, there's one less in Melbourne thanks to
    Zimbabwe leaving the fold. It's likely to shrink further with Norfolk Island expecting to compete at the Games for the last time.
    There are also seven countries that have a foot in each camp. They compete at the French equivalent, the
    Francophone Games, which were last held in Niamey, Niger in December. Step forward Canada, Seychelles, Mauritius, St Lucia, Cameroon, Vanuatu and Dominica.


    2006 Commonwealth Games
    Anguilla
    Antigua and Barbuda
    Australia
    Bahamas
    Bangladesh
    Barbados
    Belize
    Bermuda
    Botswana
    British Virgin Islands
    Brunei Darussalam
    Cameroon
    Canada
    Cayman Islands
    Cook Islands
    Cyprus
    Dominica
    England
    Falkland Islands
    Fiji
    The Gambia
    Ghana
    Gibraltar
    Grenada
    Guernsey
    Guyana
    India
    Isle of Man
    Jamaica
    Jersey
    Kenya
    Kiribati
    Lesotho
    Malawi
    Malaysia
    Maldives
    Malta
    Mauritius
    Montserrat
    Mozambique
    Namibia
    Nauru
    New Zealand
    Nigeria
    Niue
    Norfolk Island
    Northern Ireland
    Pakistan
    Papua New Guinea
    Saint Helena
    Saint Kitts and Nevis
    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    Samoa
    Scotland
    Seychelles
    Sierra Leone
    Singapore
    Solomon Islands
    South Africa
    Sri Lanka
    Swaziland
    United Republic of Tanzania
    Tonga
    Trinidad and Tobago
    Turks and Caicos Islands
    Tuvalu
    Uganda
    Vanuatu
    Wales
    Zambia

    KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE MEDALS TABLE - HERE
    Commonwealth Games Blog

    Today's The Day - 16th March

    BIRTHDAYS (for 16 March 2006)
    James Madison, 255 (born 16 March 1751)
    fourth president of America, who was first elected in 1809 and retired at the end of his second term, in 1817.
    Matthew Flinders, 232 (born 16 March 1774)
    English explorer after whom the Flinders River and Flinders mountain range in Australia are named.
    Georg Simon Ohm, 219 (born 16 March 1787)
    German physicist who in 1827 discovered the basic law of electric current, later known as Ohm's law.
    Leo McKern, 86 (born 16 March 1920)
    Australian-born actor of stage, film and television, noted for character roles.
    Jerry Lewis, 80 (born 16 March 1926)
    American film star famous for his zany roles and partnership with singer-actor Dean Martin.
    Bernardo Bertolucci, 66 (born 16 March 1940)
    Italian film director whose films include The Last Emperor and Last Tango in Paris.
    Graham Cole, 54 (born 16 March 1952)
    PC Stamp in `The Bill'
    Jimmy Nail, 52 (born 16 March 1954)
    Actor, director and pop star
    Jerome Flynn, 43 (born 16 March 1963)
    Pop star, and actor best-known as Sergeant Garvey from Soldier Soldier



    Religious Events today...
    Feast day of St Finan Lobur,
    St Abraham Kidunaia,
    St Julian of Antioch,
    St Eusetbia of Hamage,
    St Finian Lobhair,
    St Heribert of Cologne,
    and St Gregory Makar.

    History Test for March 16th
    Who delivered Britain's Spring Budget today in 1993? -Norman Lamont
    `Rumpole of the Bailey' star, Leo McKern, was born today in 1920. What is Rumpole's first name? -Horace
    Born today in 1926, which American comedian teamed up with Dean Martin for a successful series of films? -Jerry Lewis
    Born today in 1789, which German physicist has a unit of electrical resistance named after him? -George Ohm
    Today in 1973, the new London Bridge was opened. The old one had been sold to America and rebuilt in which state? -Arizona

    Events today...
    37AD Death of Tiberius Claudius Nero, Roman emperor.
    1660 The Long Parliament of England was dissolved, after sitting for 20 years.
    1802 The US Military Academy was established at West Point, New York State.
    1815 William of Orange was made king of the United Netherlands.
    1872 The Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1-0 in the first English FA Cup Final, at Kennington Oval.
    1898 Death of Aubrey Beardsley, English illustrator.
    1912 Lawrence Oates left his tent and disappeared into the Antarctic blizzard, saying "I'm just going outside and may be some time".
    1915 The Jockey club decided that war was no reason to stop horse racing.
    1926 Man's dream of journeying to the stars took a leap forward as the American physicist Robert Goddard successfully launched the first rocket fuelled by petrol and liquid oxygen.
    1930 Death of Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbanejo, Spanish politician and dictator.
    1935 Adolf Hitler renounced the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and introduced conscription.
    1937 Death of Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain, British politician who negotiated the Locarno Pact.
    1963 Death of William Henry Beveridge, English economist who wrote the report on which the British Welfare state was founded.
    1971 The Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA, was set up.
    1973 Queen Elizabeth II opened the new London Bridge.
    1998 David Maguire resigned as the Town Crier of Chester due to unsatisfactory funding from local fundings.
    1998 Francis Lee resigned as Chairman of Manchester City Football Club. He was replaced by David Bernstien. Lee retained his 11% share holding in the Club, and John Wardle of J.D.Sports remained the largest share holder.
    1999 100 people were hurt when a train derailed in Chicago.
    1999 All 20 members of the European Commission resigned amid allegationsof fraud and corruption.
    2003 The party of the assassinated Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic chose a close ally as his successor.
    2003 An American peace activist was run over and killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza.
    2003 The opposition Centre Party narrowly won the Finnish general election.
    2003 Voters in Liechtenstein made Prince Hans-Adam an absolute ruler after a bitter campaign in which he threatened to leave.
    2003 Tony Blair told the international community it must decide "overnight" on having a second resolution on Iraq.
    2003 Gareth Gates' charity remake of Spirit In The Sky headed the singles chart in its first week of release.
    2003 Alan Shearer put an end to speculation about his return to international football.
    2004 Spanish police identified six Moroccans they believed to have carried out the Madrid bombings.
    2004 Venezuela and Jamaica both refused to recognise the new government in Haiti and offered refuge to its ousted leader.
    2004 A man who advised on how to protect children from paedophiles, was jailed for seven years for abusing young girls.
    2004 Dido, Muse and the Pixies joined The Strokes as headline acts at the V Festival in Essex and Staffordshire.
    2004 Bruce Forsyth, Johnny Vaughan and Denise Van Outen were hired to revive Saturday nights on BBC One.
    2004 Hardy Eustace beats Rooster Booster to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
    2005 President Bush nominated US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to head the World Bank.
    2005 The commanding officer of Britain's Special Boat Service died after a training accident in Norway.
    2005 Singer Billy Joel checked into a rehabilitation centre for alcohol abuse.
    2005 An Alan Shearer brace helped Newcastle reach the last eight of Uefa Cup after beating Olympiakos.

    15.3.06

    Health and Food Scares - Quiz


    In August 2001, who withdrew a denim range that caused skin irritation ?
    Levi Straus

    In the BSE scare, who fed his daughter a beefburger for the media ?
    John Gummer

    Who headed the public enquiry into BSE in Britain ?
    Lord Philips

    What is the acronym for the human form of BSE (Mad Cow Disease) ?
    CJD

    When UK beef was made BSE free, which country still refused to import it ?
    France

    What does the B in BSE stand for ?
    Bovine

    How many alcohol units are in 1 pint of beer (3.5 per cent ABV) ?
    2

    What year was BSE (Mad Cow Disease) first identified ?
    1986

    What year was 'a probable link' made between BSE and vCJD ?
    1996

    Which condition have some people linked to the MMR vaccine ?
    Autism

    Which minister was forced to resign over a food scare involving eggs ?
    Edwina Curry

    Which bacteria were reportedly in 'most British eggs' in 1988 ?
    Salmonella

    What is the full medical name for Deep Vein Thrombosis (aka economy class syndrome) ?
    Thrombophlebitis

    14 What do some airlines suggest to guard against Deep Vein Thrombosis ?
    Elastic support socks

    The group that warned about Scottish farmed salmon were from which University ?
    Indiana

    What year did UK government establish the 'Food Standards Agency' ?
    2000

    What bacteria was said to cause illness from soft cheeses in 1989 ?
    Listeria

    Once infected, what is the typical incubation period of Salmonella ?
    12-72 hours

    Once infected, what is the typical incubation period of E Coli ?
    1 day-2 weeks

    Once infected, what is the typical incubation period of Listeria ?
    up to 10 weeks

    What did the white powder in post 9-11 USA mail attacks contain ?
    Anthrax

    What does the fashionable 'Atkins' diet prevent you from eating ?
    Carbohydrates

    In the acronym MRSA (as in MRSA 'superbug') what does the 'R' stand for ?
    Resistant

    What type of treatment is MRSA resistant to ?
    Antibiotics

    Statistically, what is the commonest human disease ?
    The common cold

    What defoliant, used in the Vietnam war, is a subject of health concerns ?
    Agent Orange

    What part of the body does the recent SARS virus attack ?
    Respiratory System

    In Jan 2004, which disease did the W.H.O. say would have a bigger impact that SARS ?
    Bird Flu

    How is the SARS virus spread ?
    Respiratory droplets

    What nationality is the GM crop developer Monsanto ?
    American

    Which of the following is NOT a SARS symptom ?
    Low body core temp.

    Which UK supermarket was the FIRST to ban GM foods from it's own brand food ?
    Iceland

    When did UK supermarket Iceland ban GM products from it's own brand range ?
    May 1998

    In June 1998 what potential contaminant caused some fizzy drinks to be withdrawn ?
    Benzene

    What animal was threatened with culling because they were believed to spread TB ?
    Badgers

    Which of these is NOT considered a possible risk from using HRT ?
    Liver failure

    In the therapy HRT, what does the R stand for ?
    Replacement

    What main disease is HRT designed to prevent ?
    Osteoporosis

    Which main group of people is HRT aimed at ?
    Menopausal women

    In 1998, which drink was tested for a bacterium that causes Crohn's Disease?
    Milk

    In October 2003 what 'health scare' did Tony Blair have ?
    Irregular Heartbeat

    When was the National Health Service formed ?
    1948

    What organisation advises the NHS about the best available treatments ?
    NICE

    In the UK, which disease accounts for more deaths than any other ?
    Heart Disease

    What year was the first death due to AIDS reported in the UK ?
    1981

    In which year did the W.H.O. announce that the Smallpox virus was eradicated ?
    1980

    Who is credited with creating the first Smallpox vaccine ?
    Jenner

    Who is credited with discovering antibiotics ?
    Fleming

    What does the pasteurisation process eliminate in dairy and other foods ?
    bacteria

    What year was Penicillin discovered ?
    1929

    What temperature does the 'flash' method of pasteurisation heat milk to ?
    71 Celcius

    What other name is the disease Rubella known as ?
    German Measles

    What bodily organ does Angina effect ?
    Heart

    What important substance does a healthy gall bladder produce ?
    Bile

    Footie Factfile


    IN 1952 Aston Villa full back Peter Aldiss scored his first goal for the club on his 262nd appearance, a statistic which is remarkable enough on its own. The fact that the goal he scored was a header from 35 yards out very possibly the longest headed goal of all time, gave him even more cause to celebrate.

    In 1998 France won the World Cup for the first time ever, despite being the nation that conceived the tournament way back in 1930.

    Italy have won the world Cup on three occasions (1934, 1938, and 1982), making them the most successful European team in the competition alongside Germany. They were also losing finalists in 1970 and 1994.

    PELE BECAME the youngest ever World Cup winner in 1958 when, at the age of just 17, he scored two goals to help Brazil beat holts Sweden in the Final.

    Mexico have twice hosted the World Cup in -1970 and 1986 -and on both occasions reached the quarterfinals. The 1986 side was desperately unlucky, only losing in a shoot-out to penalty kings West Germany.

    One of England's most famous and illustrious clubs. Aston Villa have won the League Championship no fewer than seven times, the last being in 1981.

    With A POPULATION of just 22,000, San Marino is the smallest member of UEFA. The tiny country become a member in 1988 and entered the 1992 European Championships.

    In 1998, Arsenal, managed by French manager Arsene Wenger, became the second club ever to win a second League and Cup 'double', having pipped Manchester United to the post in the Carding Premiership and beaten Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup Final

    THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL PITCH in the world was built in, and named after, the Houston Astrodome in Texas in the 1960s-hence the name astroturf.

    ENGLAND, along with Scotland, are the oldest international team. The two participated in the first ever-official international match in London back in 1872, which finished 0-0. England have since played more international matches than any other team, and scored more goals.

    A survey in 1996 by Total Football magazine discovered that the four clubs with the loudest-singing fans in the Premiership were Leeds United, Newcastle United, West Ham and Arsenal. Poor old Wimbledon wire the quietest.

    Chilavert was in tears in France 98 after Paraguay became the first country ever to be knocked out of the World Cup by a 'golden goal'. With just minutes left of extra time in their second round match against France, the hosts' Laurent Blanc prevented a penalty shoot out by scoring a dramatic late winner.

    The oldest international in British football was Billy Meredith, who played for Wales against England in 1920 at the ripe age of 45.

    SOUTH KOREA have qualified for more World Cups, five, than any other Asian country.


    SWEDEN MADE one of the best international debuts ever when they beat neighbours Norway 11-3 on 7th December 1908.

    Brazil is the only country to have appeared in every World Cup finals tournament, a total of 16. They have also scored more goals in the World Cup final stages than any other nation-171 in total-and most of them were corkers, too.

    THE FIRST man to be transferred for a four-figure fee in England was Alf Common who went form Sunderland to Middlesbrough for a cool 1,000 pounds on 19th February 1905.

    After starting out as a lowly church team, Everton soon emerged as one of the mightiest forces in British football and their roll of honour is impressive to say the least. In fact, no other club in England has spent as many seasons in the top flight

    Leeds Were The lest team to win the old First Division, before it became the Premiership, after catching and overtaking Manchester United in 1991/92.

    THE YELLOW AND RED CARD system was invented by English referee Ken Aston who thought of the idea while waiting at a set of traffic lights. They were first used in the Mexico World Cup of 1970 when the hosts played USSR in the opening game…five yellows were shown but no reds.
    The Most successful team in the history of English football, Liverpool have won 18 league titles (more than any other club),five FA Cups, and have appeared in Europe on more occasions than any other English club... winning the European Cup four times

    THE MOST FAMOUS dog in football was Pickles, the collie who discovered the stolen Jules Rimet World Cup trophy in his front garden in Norwood, South London on Sunday, 20th March 1966 and became a national hero. Alas he was strangled by his lead running after a cat in the same year.

    RUSSIA MADE an appalling hash of their first international fixtures back in 1912/13, losing their first five on the trot, scoring just two goals and conceding 43.

    Manchester United – the biggest club in Britain and winners of 11league titles and a record nine FA cups- were originally known as Newton Heath, a team formed by employees of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1878.

    ENGLAND'S SHORTEST match took place in Buenos Aires against Argentina on 17th May 1953. The match was abandoned after 23 minutes with the score at 0-0 when a monsoon struck and torrential rain made the pitch unplayable.

    Middlesbrough are the only club in football history to reach three major Wembley finals in two years ... andthey lost them all. In 1997 they lost the Coca Cola Cup Final to Leicester City after a replay and the FA Cup final to Chelsea the following year.

    IN 1930 URUGUAY become the first winners of the World Cup. Paying on home soil, the team- inspired by captain Nasazzi and striker Cea-beat neighbours and bitter rivals Argentina 4-2 to lift the trophy.

    Newcastle United began life as Stanley in 1881, before becoming Newcastle West End a year later. After a poor run West End went out of existence, and the club became Newcastle United in 1892.

    IN DECEMBER 1962 Santos of Brazil were playing a friendly match against Sheffield Wednesday when they were found to be playing with 12 men!

    SINCE the early days, Argentina's fiercest rivals have been Uruguay and the match between the two countries is the 'most played international fixture'. The neighbouring nations have played each other no less than 184 times since 1901 (England and Scotland, by comparison, have only played 108 tines since 1872).

    BELGIUM'S finest World cup hour came in 1986 when they reached the semi-final, only to be knocked out 2-0 by Argentina, inspired by two-goal Diego Maradona, this time using the feet of God. More recently they failed to set the world alight at France' 98, failing to reach the second round after negative draws with Holland (0-0) Mexico (2-2) and disastrously South Korea (1-1).

    Sunderland Were the first club to win the league Championship three times, lifting the title in 1892, 1893 and 1895.Their points total of 48 in 1893 is a record for the nineteenth century.

    The Indomitable Lions, as Cameroon are known, have qualified for four World Cup Finals tournaments-in 1982,1990,1994, and 1998 - which is more than any other African nation apart from Morocco (who have also qualified for four)

    In 1961 Tottenham Hotspur became the first club this century to win the league and Cup double. Their fdiumph was founded on an explosive start to the season, the side notching up 11straight wins from the opening day to set a record for the top flight

    THE FIRST man to be transferred for a four-figure fee in England was Alf Common who went form Sunderland to Middlesbrough for a cool 1,000 pounds on 19th February 1905.

    'One Word' Films Quiz


    Kate Winslet on a sinking ship
    TITANIC
    Mel Gibson in a kilt
    BRAVEHEART
    The immortal Christopher Lambert
    HIGHLANDER
    Tippi Hedren as kleptomaniac who marries her boss
    MARNIE
    Shark attacks
    JAWS
    Nicolas Cage as a one handed Italian baker
    MOONSTRUCK
    Big nose can get the girl.....if he's Steve Martin
    ROXANNE
    Play it Sam - you played it for her, you can play it for me
    CASABLANCA
    Dickens! a musical wins Best Picture Oscar
    OLIVER
    No pardon for this Clint Eastwood western
    UNFORGIVEN
    James Stewart and no bunny?
    HARVEY
    The one with the shower scene
    PSYCHO
    The story of a drug deal from three points of view
    GO
    Shirley Eaton gets a paint job
    GOLDFINGER
    The Beatles need assistance
    HELP
    Catherine Zeta Jones planning millennium heist with Sean Connery
    ENTRAPMENT
    Elizabeth Taylor as Egyptian queen
    CLEOPATRA
    Patrick Swayze in the afterlife
    GHOST
    Woody Allen's homage to his home city
    MANHATTAN
    Stallone's first bash at pugilism
    ROCKY

    North-West Soccer Quiz


    1. In which decade did Bolton Wanderers first win the FA Cup?
    a) 1920's b) 1930's or c) 1940's
    Answer a) 1920's
    2. Comedian Stan Boardman was once on the books of which North West Club?
    a) Everton b) Liverpool or c) Tranmere Rovers
    Answer b) Liverpool
    3. With which North West club did Neville Southall make his league debut?
    a) Oldham Athletic b) Wigan Athletic or c) Bury
    Answer c) Bury
    4. Crystal Palace were beaten 1-0 in the replayed 1990 FA Cup Final by which North West team?
    a) Liverpool b) Manchester United or c) Blackburn Rovers
    Answer b) Manchester United
    5. Which North West club was Bob Latchford with when he was First Division leading scorer in 1977-78?
    a) Burnley b) Blackpool or c) Everton
    Answer c) Everton
    6. Which North West team were beaten 3-2 by Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final?
    a) Manchester Utd b) Bolton Wanderers or c) Blackburn Rovers
    Answer a) Manchester United
    7. Which North West legendary player began his international carear by scoring 2,3,2,2,3?
    a) Tom Finney b) Dixie Dean or c) Stanley Mathews
    Answer b) Dixie Dean
    8. Steve McManaman first came on as a substitute for England in November 1994 against which country?
    a) Nigeria b) Morocco or c) Tunisia
    Answer a) Nigeria
    9. Which North West team were beaten 3-1 by Newcastle United in the 1955 FA Cup Final?
    a) Bolton Wanderers b) Blackburn Rovers or c) Manchester City
    Answer c) Manchester City
    10. Which North West team did Alan Ball leave to join Everton in 1966?
    a) Bolton Wanderers b) Blackpool or c) Burnley
    Answer b) Blackpool
    11. At which North West club did Eric Cantona's brother, Joel, make his English league debut?
    a) Oldham Athletic b) Stockport County or c) Bury
    Answer b) Stockport County
    12. Comedian Eddie Large was once a trainee at which North West club?
    a) Manchester City b) Bolton Wanderers or c) Blackburn Rovers
    Answer a) Manchester City
    13. Which legendary North West player played left wing, right wing and centre forward and hit thirty goals?
    a) Stanley Mathews b) Dixie Dean or c) Tom Finney
    Answer c) Tom Finney
    14. Which Club were called the Manchester United of Non-league football?
    a) Hyde United b) Altrincham or c) Leigh RMI
    Answer b) Altrincham
    15. In which decade did Blackpool first win the FA Cup?
    a) 1930's b) 1940's or c) 1950's
    Answer c) 1950's
    16. The French player Prunier played twice in 1995-96 season for which North West Side?
    a) Manchester United b) Manchester City or c) Bolton Wanderers
    Answer a) Manchester United
    17. Which North West team were the first to win the FA Cup for three years in succession?
    a) Preston North End b) Manchester United or c) Blackburn Rovers
    Answer c) Blackburn Rovers
    18. Which North West club was Frank Worthington with when he was First Division leading scorer in 1978-79?
    a) Blackburn Rovers b) Bolton Wanderers or c) Burnley
    Answer b) Bolton Wanderers
    19. Which North West side were beaten 3-2 by West Ham United in the 1964 FA Cup Final?
    a) Blackburn Rovers b) Manchester City or c) Preston North End
    Answer c) Preston North End
    20. Jimmy Armfield holds the league appearance record for which North West club?
    a) Blackpool b) Wigan Athletic or Stockport County
    Answer a) Blackpool

    Quitime UK Ref-NWSQ0604

    Golden Greats of the Commonwealth Games


    1 KIP KEINO: Prolific acquirer of world records and pioneer of Kenya's great running tradition. Won Commonwealth titles at one mile and three miles in 1966 and at 1500 metres in 1970 when he also took bronze at 5,000m. A former policeman he also coached Kenya's athletics teams and ran an orphanage.

    2 IAN THORPE: Arguably the world's greatest swimmer, Thorpe announced his talent with four gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games at the age of 15. Struck another six golds in Manchester in 2002.

    3 MERLENE OTTEY: If longevity is the sign of greatness then Ottey was the greatest. Oldest Olympic athletics medallist when she anchored Jamaica's 4x100m relay team to silver in Sydney in 2000 at the age of 40 years and 143 days. Won three Commonwealth golds and a silver including in 1990 the spri