Really TRUE odd factoids

[Blue Hills]

I have not had my breakfast yet.
Not sure I can eat it now

well that'll teach you to get up so late - some of us have been hard at work in the pits of human knowledge and experience for hours.

 

[classic33]

The island nation Kiribati rings in the new year first. Kiribati, also known as Christmas Island, is located in the Central Pacific.

...while American Samoa is one of the last places to ring in the new year. American Samoa is actually the second to last place to celebrate the new year behind Baker and Howland Island, which are both uninhabited. Some tourists take advantage of the time difference by flying from Samoa to American Samoa to celebrate twice!

 

[classic33]

New Year’s Day in Ireland is also known as “La na gCeapairi”, Day of the Buttered Bread (or Sandwich, depending on the Gaelic translation you use.)

Tradition says buttered bread placed outside the front door symbolizes an absence of hunger in the household, and presumably for the year to come.

 

[PeteXXX]

Sandwich is a town in Kent. Nearby is the village of Ham.
The road sign that mentions both places is oft replaced due to ne'erdowells and footpads stealing it.

 

[Chris S]

The island nation Kiribati rings in the new year first. Kiribati, also known as Christmas Island, is located in the Central Pacific.

...while American Samoa is one of the last places to ring in the new year. American Samoa is actually the second to last place to celebrate the new year behind Baker and Howland Island, which are both uninhabited. Some tourists take advantage of the time difference by flying from Samoa to American Samoa to celebrate twice!

Then they're very sad.

 

[Blue Hills]

Then they're very sad.

agree - and what's the betting that this "achievement" has really taken of since the dawning of the age of facefark?

 

[Blue Hills]

Jill Craigie was in later life perhaps best known as the wife of Labour politico Michael Foot, but was a talented documentary film maker (one of her postwar docs is shown by Talking Pictures now and again) - she preferred to be less well known as the writer of that very successful Norman Wisdom film Trouble in Store.
She wrote the first draft of the screenplay but when she found out that it was going to star Norman Wisdom she insisted that her name be taken off the credits.

 

[Chris S]

The actress Susie Riddell has played both Kate Aldridge and Tracy Horrobin in the Archers.

 

[Beebo]

Stolen from a game show answer.

Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Steve Redgrave and Mo Farah all share the same birthday.

 

[classic33]

The UK's inaugural mobile phone call was made from London's St Katharine Docks on 1 January 1985, via the Vodafone network, by comedian Ernest Wise.

He was dressed in a Victorian outfit, and was post a letter at the same time. Believed to be demonstrating the difference in speed of the two methods of communication, old and new.

 

[Dave7]

When Gerry and The Pacemakers were formed they originally called themselves Gerry Marsden and The Mars Bars.
The Mars chocolate company took action and the name was changed.

 

[classic33]

On the Three Words App
Maybe.Another.Day is a hospital in New York!

 

[Blue Hills]

Might not mean much to most folks, but I seem to recall that there's a fan of the stories on here - @glasgowcyclist ?

The Italian Don Camillo stories about the comic battles between a local communist and the parish priest, which also became a series of films, were the product of MI6/the British secret services.

Versions of the tale vary slightly between them initiating the series to facilitating them.

The writer definitely had a background that would have made him amenable to co-operating.

Italy in the 50s was particularly murky as western intelligence agencies worked to keep the Communist Party out of power in the new world order post WW2.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The UK's inaugural mobile phone call was made from London's St Katharine Docks on 1 January 1985, via the Vodafone network, by comedian Ernest Wise.

Apparently not according to this, https://londonist.com/2014/12/how-e...rks the 30th,network, by comedian Ernest Wise. I only looked it up as I was surprised there was even a Vodafone network in 1985 I thought the only network available then was Cellnet, but I am wrong, I also didn't know, or had forgotten Vodafone came out of Racal

 

[Blue Hills]

Apparently not according to this, https://londonist.com/2014/12/how-ernie-wise-almost-made-the-uks-first-mobile-phone-call#:~:text=This week marks the 30th,network, by comedian Ernest Wise. I only looked it up as I was surprised there was even a Vodafone network in 1985 I thought the only network available then was Cellnet, but I am wrong, I also didn't know, or had forgotten Vodafone came out of Racal

yes it did come out of Racal. I well remember being on a press bus for something to do with Racal, when one of the Racal bods came to our table to show us some big brick thing to play with. This would have been round about the time of the launch - am not claiming to have made the first call I stress.
(better stop or you'll get me onto Zonephone (remember that?) which I also used, and Rabbit etc etc