Odd factoids

[classic33]

The Mersey Tunnels Police, formed in 1936, is a small, specialised, non-Home Office police force that provides policing services for the Mersey Tunnels in Merseyside, England. The force comprises fifty one officers.

They answer only to the Mersey Travel Executive, unlike every other police force in the UK.

 

[Drago]

Port of Dover Police, BTP, Civil Nuclear Constabulary...?

 

[Dave7]

The Mersey Tunnels Police, formed in 1936, is a small, specialised, non-Home Office police force that provides policing services for the Mersey Tunnels in Merseyside, England. The force comprises fifty one officers.

They answer only to the Mersey Travel Executive, unlike every other police force in the UK.

For a short while they had 102 officers.
When they filled in the 'unwanted' tunnel only 51 were retained. The other 51 opened a factory making shell suits and baseball hats with the peaks at the back.

 

[david k]

When digging out for the Mersey tunnel they didn't know where to put all the excavated soil

Until someone had the clever idea of digging a hole a short distance from the tunnel to put it all in

 

[Dave7]

The river Thames was never intended to go through London. It was also never meant to be called Thames.
When Julias Caesar authorised it to be dug he intended it to start where it actually does start but to head west and finish at Cornwall.
Sadly the Irish builder, Paddy O'thamus didnt speak very good Latin and misunderstood the instructions so dug in the wrong direction.
It was originally called O'thamus' river folly but was eventually shortened to the river Thames.

 

[classic33]

Patio doors were invented and named after Irish builder Paddy O'Doores.

The name came about after someone, who went on to copy them, asking who's they were mis-heard the reply as Patio Doors. This led to a court battle over who actually came up with the idea.

 

[gaijintendo]

Patio doors were invented and named after Irish builder Paddy O'Doores.

The name came about after someone, who went on to copy them, asking who's they were mis-heard the reply as Patio Doors. This led to a court battle over who actually came up with the idea.

The court battle turned out to be an open and shut case.

 

[Threevok]

Western actor Lee van Cleef came up with his name, after finding the keys for a Ford Transit

 

[betty swollocks]

My father's grandfather made Scott of the Antarctic's underpants.

I assume he's still wearing them.

 

[Drago]

The Antactic was for thousands of year believed to be a roasting hot Hell, a kind of anti-Arctic. Over the years the lazy English tongue abbreviated this to Antarctic.

 

[bruce1530]

Arctic Roll was invented approximately 7 miles from the North Pole, in 1937.

However, its inventor did not apply for Protected Geographical Status (as applied to Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, Champagne, Scotch Whisky and Parma Ham), so rival producers were able to produce similar items elsewhere.

Today, the majority of so-called “Arctic” rolls are actually produced in Wolverhampton. The original Arctic Roll factory near the North Pole is a derelict igloo.

 

[Threevok]

The fact that Polar bears don't eat penguins, has less to do with geographic restrictions and more to do with the fact they can't get the wrappers off.

 

[Drago]

Polar bears are in fact run of the mill grizzlies, dyed white by the Greenland authorities in a bit to boost tourism.

 

[classic33]

The fact that Polar bears don't eat penguins, has less to do with geographic restrictions and more to do with the fact they can't get the wrappers off.

There was me thinking it was the chocolate used they weren't keen on.

 

[classic33]

A polar bear can sniff out a seal on the ice 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, and can smell a seal's breathing hole in the ice more than half a mile away,