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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:26:18:16:50 by St Marlowe.

No. 4 H.E. Bates local author (Darling Buds of May) wrote about V1s for the Air Ministry. Also wrote under nom de plume Flying Officer X.

Do I get a prize?

8 - Greyfriars Bobby, the dog who sat by his master's grave - the memorial is outside Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh.

Photo Gallery

jazzman & Smurf - both correct.

2: Would the village be Ashby St Ledgers?

Ignore the above, years all wrong. I was thinking Robert Devawotsits, Earl of Essex plotting against Liz the 1st and Catesby and the gunpowder plot trying to blow up her successor, but Essex was already dead so no connection.

However...
Maria Stuarda is about Mary Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart) and she had her head lopped off at Fotheringay.

Mr G sharp as ever sir.

No.5: The Soviet Union "reverse-engineered" the Rolls Royce Nene jet engine to construct their own variant that would power the MIG-15. Amazingly, the Labour government of the time gave the USSR permission to build a licence to build the RR unit (for which RR never received any royalties).

No.1: Is the 23ft disc a reference to a boxing ring?

Sarge - yes its the RR Nene engine. incidentally i read somewhere that it was the yanks who gave it to the USSR !!




no its not a boxing ring.

would the naked general be from round Macedonia way, or a bit further east?

Chris - no one said he was naked - and its much closer to home than that.

Q3 - To get out of the Army

Malcolm Arnold son of Northampton shoemaker got discharged after shooting himself in the foot.

David L

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

- Live wrong and preposterously

Well done St M. Composer - Malcom Arnold -In the second world war. Originally a conshy he did join up when his brother was kiled in the RAF. he was in an army band ( theres a surprise ) and was to be transferred to active service . So he shot himself in the foot.

Is the General's statue in Exeter?
Im thinking of Redvers Buller - he commanded in the Boer war and that was the last time British troops fought in red - I think they were supposed to have converted to khaki before they left but it was overlooked.

And is the Roman light a referecne to the Roman lighthouse in Dover Castle, Kent?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:16:10:21:28 by Wee Jim.

Jim - not Sir Redvers Buller - nothing to do with the change from scarlet to khaki either.

The Roman light - It is indeed the Pharos - or Roman lighthouse over at Dover castle. hence over the white walls or Cliffs

It was a bit of a tenous connection - I was going on the idea all the locations might be in the British Isles.........

Is No.9 anything to do with Freeborn John?

Sarge er NO .

Q 7. re the general - a small correction - its not a statue but a memorial - there used to be a statue on it but it fell into disrepair.

come on you lot - answers go up tonight !!"!

ok answers in full

1. Big Ben - 23 ft clock face - the chimes are based on four notes from Handels messiah - and under it is a goal cell for the use of the sargeant at arms - apparently the last person detained in it was CHARLES BRADLAUGH - hence the Norfampton connection.

2. correctly answered by Chris G Fotheringay where Mary stuart was tried and executed - Donezzeti wrote the opera Maria Stuarda .

3. the composer Malcom Arnold was the son of a Northampton shoe maker a pacifist he shot himself in the foot when hewas about to be transfererd to an active unit in 1943.
Well done St M.

4. H E Bates born in Rushden - wrote stories for the Air ministry during WWII - Jazzman got it spot on.

5. the Rolls Royce Nene engine was reverse engineered by the Soviets and put in the MIG 15. Well done Sarge.


6. " Stuff " is the plain cloth gown worn by ordinary barristers as opposed to silk by QCs - so the answer is a courtroom.

7. Despite valient efforts by Little Jim - the answer is Camarthen where there is memorial to Sir Thomas Picton who famously forgot/ lost his luggage and went into battle at Waterloo in civies.


8. Edinburgh - a memorial to Grey Friars bobby - a dog . well done Smurf.


9. the insciption is on the Nye Bevan memorial stones just outside Tredegar S Wales.

10. Dover Castle - the roman Pharos or Light house. Well done Little Jim.

So all in all a very good effort from the faithful - next weeks questions will go up on Saturday.

Pete.

@#$%& @#$%& @#$%& Picton was one of my thoughts as I knew he had no uniform but coudnt think of the connection. Had you said he was killed in civvies......
Great questions and I love the frustration!

Jim - its always difficult to get the balance between too easy ( to google ) and too obscure - but i really did think that you asa quondam wargamer would get that one. r

I think you are getting the balance just right and Im still kicking myself!