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The All New All New Groundspeak UK Pub Quiz


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Posted (edited)

A hovercraft -- IIRC, the one that Sir Christopher Cockerell used to demonstrate the concept to the World at large.

 

Edited to add: when will I ever learn to answer first and edit to add any interesting facts!

Edited by Pajaholic
Posted

DING!

 

is a YouTube of one in action. These craft are also known as "Wing in Ground Effect" (or WIG) craft and are legally classed as boats/ships even though they fly.

 

Over to Simply Paul.

Posted

Thanks. My brother's a big fan of ground-effect craft. There is a reason they never caught on though; inefficient.

 

Sticking with unlikely transport, what method of postal delivery was unsuccessfully trialed in the Outer Hebrides in 1934?

Posted

I cannot decide if they tried a small bottle thrown into the sea, utilising the sea currents or taping the mail to the backs of geocachers and hiding caches near peoples homes then let nature take its course...

 

But in reality i think it was rockets too.

Posted

How about putting a letter in a small wooden boat, chucking it into the sea and hoping someone, somewhere will find it..... or is that way too far fetched? :ph34r::lol:

 

Hey John - have you been reading the news from the Hampshire coast? :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r:

Posted

Much as I've enjoyed the wrong answers, this one was the first correct one:

Do I recall seeing some archive footage of a rocket?
Read more. Over to you Patrician.

 

Ta!

 

What connects Ohio, Malta and Ledbury? The answer should, perhaps, be on a pedestal.

Posted

Didn't HMS Ledbury help a tanker called Ohio into Malta in the 2nd world war? (Vague memories from History at school)

 

Not sure what Pedastal has to do with it though?

Posted

Didn't HMS Ledbury help a tanker called Ohio into Malta in the 2nd world war? (Vague memories from History at school)

 

Not sure what Pedastal has to do with it though?

 

DING!

 

Malta saved!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pedestal

 

"The attempt to run some fifty ships past bombers, E-boats, minefields, and submarines has gone down in military history as one of the most important British strategic victories of the Second World War. However, it was at a cost of more than 400 lives, with only five of the original 14 merchant ships reaching the Grand Harbour."

 

I recently found the book "Destroyer Captain" by Roger Hill, the captain of Ledbury in a charity shop. Ohios's bows were badly damaged and the ship would not steer, Ledbury and another ship went alongside and between them got her and her vital fuel into Malta. Roger Hill died in New Zealand aged 91. His ashes were scattered over Grand Harbour in 2002.

Posted

On another forum, someone posted a link that told you what was the number one single on the day you were born. However, I was born before the start of the UK charts, which was in November 1952. From that thread I found that the first UK number one ever was Al Martino with "Here in my Heart". I'm hoping it was still number one that Christmas and hence was the first UK Christmas number one.

Posted

On another forum, someone posted a link that told you what was the number one single on the day you were born. However, I was born before the start of the UK charts, which was in November 1952. From that thread I found that the first UK number one ever was Al Martino with "Here in my Heart". I'm hoping it was still number one that Christmas and hence was the first UK Christmas number one.

 

DING!

Posted

Thanks. Having listened to that song, I must say that it's not my favourite Christmas number one!

 

Continuing; who in the following year (1953) had the most UK number one singles and also the most successful single of the year with a song that Elvis Presley later covered?

Posted (edited)

Perhaps a clue is in order: This artist is probably one of the better-known singers of the 1950s and one who contributed to the soundtrack of the odd spaghetti western or two.

 

About all I can think of is Bill Haley or Perry Como (neither of who seem to fit your clue, so having guessed I will now Google!).

 

Edit to say - I see I'm wrong.....

Edited by The Patrician
Posted

Close enough for a DING!

 

Frankie Laine had three singles that reached number one in 1953: "I Believe", "Hey Joe", and "Answer Me". "I Believe" was the most successful single that year, spending at least 16 weeks (some references say 18) at number one, and was later covered by Elvis.

Posted

Spaghetti westerns?

Oops! I have an unfortunate habit of referring to all westerns of that era as "spaghetti westerns" no matter who directed them or where they were filmed -- particularly if Clint Eastwood starred (which he did as Rowdy Yates in Rawhide, for which Frankie Laine sung the title song). Other Frankie Laine songs include Jezebel, Wanted Man, High Noon, and Cool Water, which seem appropriate for that genre. According to Wikipedia, "He sang well-known theme songs for many movie Western soundtracks, including 3:10 To Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Blazing Saddles, ..."

 

It was only a clue, but probably would have been better if I'd omitted the word "spaghetti"!

Posted

Which reputable British news and current affairs programme broadcast a now famous fictitious (April Fool's Joke) story about the Swiss Spaghetti Tree Harvest in 1957?

Posted (edited)

With 21st December rapidy approaching a timely question. :laughing:

 

Who in the 1980s (and again in the 1990s) had a minor hit with "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)".

Edited by MTH

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