Canny lass

Answers to last week's quiz: 1. Ronnie Corbett 2. Oysters 3. Carbon 4. Greenland 5. Archers, outlaws 6. *HMS Coventry 7. Drosometer 8. ** Reliant 9. ***Shogun 10. China 11. Jim Kerr 12. Icelandic *Q6 HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield are both frigates, and both were launched at Swan Hunter, Wallsend in 1986 – HMS Sheffield, March, 26 and HMS Coventry, a few weeks later April 08. However, the launch of HMS Sheffield was no secret. It was launched by Mrs. Susan Stanley, wife of the then Armed Forces Minister while HMS Coventry slipped quietly into the River Tyne without ceremony. **Q8 I can’t find anybody called Li who is 102 years old Sophie Avouris, April 2020 Arthur Seidman Feb 2019 (no longer 102) Madeleine Turpan 102 Sept 2014 (no longer 102) *** Q9 Shogun was the word I was looking for, a loan from Japanese clothed in the English alphabet. but the Japanese 将軍 (shogun) is also acceptable, being the shortened form of 征夷大将軍 (seiitaishogun) meaning Commander in Chief (of the expeditionary force against the barbarians). Naturally, I can accept even 軍事指導者 also meaning ‘military leader. New quiz tomorrow - without Japanese!

I thought I had posted! I've made a note to say I have and another to remind me to post the answers on Thursday. Don't know what's gone wrong but here it is again: 1. Which comedian, as a schoolboy, had a trial for Heart of Midlothian FC but wasn’t tall enough? 2. What type of creatures are “Whitstable natives”? 3. Fullerenes, discovered in 1985, were a new form of which element? 4. Which island, situated in the Arctic Ocean, is the largest in the world? 5. Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough and William of Cloudesley were all famous what? 6. Which frigate was launched secretly in 1986 in Wallsend to replace a ship lost in the Falklands? 7. What instrument is used to measure dew? 8. Which car manufacturer had the Kitten, Rebel and Sabre models? 9. Which Japanese word translates as ‘leader of the army’? 10. Which country was the first to use paper banknotes? 11. Who is the lead singer with Simple Minds? 12. Identify the language used in the following sentence: Dómarinn hefur alltaf rétt fyrrir sér. I’ll bet you didn’t know …. The Russian postal service will not deliver letters containing chewing gum. Bonus question: How do they know what’s in the envelope?

A lovely idea! Great initiative on your part, Malcolm.

If you can find an ajudicator that has Donald Trump's acceptance then I have no objections. Nominations, on a postage stamp, in the official nominations box please.

... I didn't specify an "artificial" tree either!

Answers to last week's quiz: 1. Double Bass 2. Darjeeling 3. Bill Haley and his Comets 4. Silver 5. Swimming 6. Nectarine 7. 300 8. Blue 9. Exodus 10. Ash 11. Aardvark 12. Robert Peel Question 10: Come on you guys! You may still believe in Santa Clause but a plastic Christmas tree isn't a REAL tree!! New quiz tomorrow!

... well, I hope I got it right!

Happy Birthday Eggy and thanks for all the work you do on our fantastic photo gallery. It's very much appreciated by this ex-pat!

Ready, steady, GO! 1. Which is the largest instrument in the string section of an orchestra? 2. Which tea is known as ‘the champagne of teas’? 3. Who had a hit single in 1955 with Rock Around the cCock? 4. Which metal is the best conductor of heat and electricity? 5. In which sport would you use a trudgen? 6. John Rivers and Lord Napier are types of what? 7. In a game of tenpin bowling, if a person starts by throwing 12 consecutive strikes, what would their score be? 8. What colour is a giraffe’s tongue? 9. In which book of the Bible are the Ten Commandments set out for the first time? 10. What tree can be green, black, white or blue? 11. What is the first animal listed in an English dictionary? 12. Who was the first Conservative prime minister? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. King Zog of Albania smoked more than 100 cigarettes a day. Answers on Thursday next week, as usual.

Answers to last week's quiz: 1. Callaghan 2. Hertfordshire 3. Carbon 4. Frog 5. Marmalade sandwiches 6. Sweden 7. Yachting 8. Red 9. Statue of Zeus 10. Norwich City 11. Nancy Astor 12. In the ear New quiz tomorrow!

Still nothing showing on my laptop, where I am always logged in! However, It shows on both my tablet and my mobile, where I am never logged in.

Still hasn't shown up on my laptop! There's probably a logical explanation but it's beyond the limits of my digital competence.

This is strange! A couple of hours ago Bot News posted an article on the site about the effect of Covid restrictions on a local couple's wedding. I can see it on my mobile but not here.

Must just be me then!

I hope you found it, Andy - and if you didn't have a great day anyway!

Get your thinking caps on! 1. What was the surname of the character played by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry films? 2. In which English county is Welwyn Garden City? 3. What is the principal chemical found in diamonds? 4. What name is given to the indentation on a brick which holds the mortar? 5. What was the favourite food of Paddington Bear? 6. Which of these countries does NOT drive on the left: New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Cyprus? 7. In which sport would you compete for the America’s Cup? 8. What colour is the spot in the middle of the Japanese flag? 9. Which of the Seven Wonders of the World was created by the sculptor Phidias about 430BC? 10. Which football club is nicknamed The Canaries? 11. Who was the first British woman to take a seat in the House of Commons? 12. Where would you find cerumen in the human body? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. Bagpipes were played in Persia, Egypt and Greece long before the Scots adopted them from the Romans. Answers on Thursday, next week.

Answers to last week's quiz: 1. Vacuum cleaner 2. 33 - 1 3. Illie Nastase 4. Anti-freeze 5. 1988 6. Piccadily 7. Channel Islands 8. US Civil War 1861 - 1865 9. Honeysuckle or Woodbine 10. Dunstan 11. River Tay 12. Hydrophobia Re question 6: The Swedish Monopoly board doesn't have a Waterworks, or so I,ve been informed by one of the grandchildren. I did a quick google and apparently it was removed about 15 years ago when the board was revised. My own, English version of the game is well over 30 years old and next to the Waterworks in a CLOCKWISE direction is Piccadily. My apologies if the English version has also changed the placement of Piccadily. New quiz tomorrow.

This morning at breakfast I read an excellent article from our News bot here on site. I did this on my mobile phone. The article , Public health boss' plea as Covid-19 'spreading like wildfire' in Northumberland is well worth a read and still available on my phone. However, it doesn't appear here on my lap top when I log in. Is it just me or have we a problem? PS It should appear just before Eggy's last post on Humford

A couple of questions: Did you have a great grandmother called Catherine? Did your grandparents or great grandparents have any connections with Scotland? Do you recognise any of the following names: Annie, Patrick, Gilbert, Margaret?

Time to keep the grey cell in trim! 1. Which household appliance was patented by Cecil Booth in 1901? 2. In bookmaker’s slang what odds are denoted by ‘double carpet’ 3. Who did Bjorn Borg defeat in 1976 to win his first Wimbledon singles title? 4. What is the more common name of the chemical Ethylene Glycol? 5. In what year were dog licences abolished in Britain? 6. On a Monopoly board, which property clockwise is situated after the Water Works? 7. In which part of the British Isles would you find bailiwicks? 8. In which war was the battle of Gettysburg? 9. By what name is the plant Lonicera better known? 10. Which Archbishop of Canterbury seized the devil’s nose in a pair of red-hot tongs? 11. What is the longest river in Scotland? 12. What is the medical name for Rabies? I’ll bet you didn’t know …. In 1877 a wealthy widow promised Russian composer Tchaikovsky a generous annual allowance – on condition that they never met. Answers on Thursday, as usual!

Answers to last week's quiz: 1. Kenya 2. Mercury 3. Senate 4. Retsina 5. Kidney 6. Mark Spitz 7. The Kray twins 1952 8. Salmanazar 9. CATS 10. 121 11. An eyrie 12. Combustion New quiz tomorrow!

I know the feeling, Jammy! Last week I got the left and right of a photo mixed up. I think It's an 'age thing' - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

I think it might be the other way round, Jammy. Howard Terrace came first. Reedy's dad described the area in the 1950s -60s and said "Starting at what used to be Joe Jennings farm and shop including Mansion House now possibly 'Smiles' was Glassey Terrace. The first 7 houses were originally named Howard Terrace but the name was changed to Glassey Terrace as a result of misdirected mail as another Howard Terrace existed in Netherton". Howard Terrace must therefore have started at Mansion House and could only be extended towards the Bank Top. Looking at the present day Glassey Terrace it's possible to see where the extension started because of the differing roof- and upstairs window heights: I'm pretty certain I've seen Howard Terrace in an early census. I'll see if I can find it. There was a Howard terrace at Netherton Colliery. It was renamed Office Row but I don't know when.

These are two different Puddlers Row. The 'old' Puddlers Row is also shown on the 1859 map but unlike the 'new' Puddlers it is on the east side of the main road. The old Puddlers Row belonged not to Bedlington Station/Sleekburn, but to 'Village of Bank Top', according to census information, and was there before Glassey's arrival in 1867. It appears in the 1871 census as a row of 22 dwellings. Glassey left Bedlington in 1884 and the old Puddlers Row still appears on OS maps in 1898 but without a name. On the same map the new Puddlers Row appears running east-west along what later became Stead Lane. We can also see here that the west side of the road, north of the Bank Top Hotel, is still not developed. At some point between 1897 and 1922 we can see a devlopment on the west side of the road - the area now occupied by Glassey Terrace. This is called Front Row. New development on the east side of the road in the area of the old Puddlers Row, includes a 'Back Row' and what could be old Puddlers Row but with an extension. By 1947 Puddlers Row is no longer shown on the OS maps and Front Row is still called Front Row - not Glassey Terrace.