@Moonie posted:

Did you know that 11 out of 12 astronauts that walked on the moon were Boy Scouts?

My grandad was awarded the Medal of Merit for over 30yrs service to the Boy Scouts - it was presented to him by Lord Barnard on behalf of the Chief Scout Lord Somers, looks exactly like this

@Moonie posted:

Did you know that 11 out of 12 astronauts that walked on the moon were Boy Scouts?

Wow

@Saint posted:

My grandad was awarded the Medal of Merit for over 30yrs service to the Boy Scouts - it was presented to him by Lord Barnard on behalf of the Chief Scout Lord Somers, looks exactly like this

Awwww

May Day- People would leave a paper basket or cone containing spring flowers and sweets on each other's doorsteps, usually anonymously. This tradition was popular through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with children or sweethearts. The custom was to knock on the door, yell “May basket!” and then run.

@slimfern posted:

May Day- People would leave a paper basket or cone containing spring flowers and sweets on each other's doorsteps, usually anonymously. This tradition was popular through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with children or sweethearts. The custom was to knock on the door, yell “May basket!” and then run.

I think that was a lovely idea …

The phrase ''Mad as a Hatter'' is fairly easy to associate with the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll’s book 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.'
But the character himself is quite dark. Back in Victorian times, men were actually suffering from mental health problems caused by exposure to mercury, which was used to make felt hats more flexible.

The term "diehard" dates back to the 1700s. But it wasn't quite used to describe a huge fan of something. Instead, it was attributed to those who struggled the longest when hanged!

@slimfern posted:

The term "diehard" dates back to the 1700s. But it wasn't quite used to describe a huge fan of something. Instead, it was attributed to those who struggled the longest when hanged!

Wow

@slimfern posted:

The phrase ''Mad as a Hatter'' is fairly easy to associate with the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll’s book 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.'
But the character himself is quite dark. Back in Victorian times, men were actually suffering from mental health problems caused by exposure to mercury, which was used to make felt hats more flexible.

Yes , I had heard that Slim .

The "nuts" origins.

In poker the best possible hand. I heard a US commentator claim it referred to the wagon wheels of cowboys in the wild west

@velvet donkey posted:

The "nuts" origins.

In poker the best possible hand. I heard a US commentator claim it referred to the wagon wheels of cowboys in the wild west

Public transport is free in Luxemburg

@Saint posted:

Public transport is free in Luxemburg

Fair enuff.

But we cannae exactly get out the country   

@velvet donkey posted:

Fair enuff.

But we cannae exactly get out the country   

Spot on Velvet

@Saint posted:

Public transport is free in Luxemburg

Luxembourg is the wealthiest country in the European Union, per capita, and its citizens enjoy a high standard of living. Luxembourg is a major center for large private banking, and its finance sector is the biggest contributor to its economy. Luxembourg's tax-haven status stems from its business-friendly policies, which allow international corporations to exploit tax loopholes. A wealthy corporation or individual can take heart with investing in the tax haven of Luxembourg, as it is one of the leading financial institutions in Europe.

Switzerland.

They've got a wrap sheet. Or is it rap.

I know they're not EU.

Everybody talks about the tyrants.

That's where they bank.

Okay, they invented watches....not enuff.

That's what I think about them.

Neutral so you think. Sit on the fence. Jackie Stewart, I'm dissappointed.

Don't talk about Scotland. Jim Clark's statue is in Kilmany Fife. You'd never find it.

Everybody references Jim Clark Duns.

He was born in Fife. Not the borders.

And he wasn't a tax exile.

@slimfern posted:

Did you know
that Cymru has four "Thankful Villages?" Llanfihangel y Creuddyn (Ceredigion), Colwinston/Tregolwyn (Glamorgan), Herbrandston (Pembrokeshire) and Tavernspite (also Pembrokeshire) are the four holding this unique distinction.

A "Thankful Village" is termed as such because it did not lose a single person during the First World War. Whether the village had men fighting in the war or not, it means that no one from the village perished in the war between 1914-1918.

Tavernspite is the only village to have the even more unique distinction of being a "Doubly Thankful" village - which means no one from the village died during the Second World War, as well!

That’s really interesting Slim .

@slimfern posted:

Did you know
that Cymru has four "Thankful Villages?" Llanfihangel y Creuddyn (Ceredigion), Colwinston/Tregolwyn (Glamorgan), Herbrandston (Pembrokeshire) and Tavernspite (also Pembrokeshire) are the four holding this unique distinction.

A "Thankful Village" is termed as such because it did not lose a single person during the First World War. Whether the village had men fighting in the war or not, it means that no one from the village perished in the war between 1914-1918.

Tavernspite is the only village to have the even more unique distinction of being a "Doubly Thankful" village - which means no one from the village died during the Second World War, as well!

There are a number of Thankful Villages in England which are listed in this wiki article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...s#In_popular_culture
One of them is Upper Slaughter in Gloucestershire. The "Slaughter" is from the Old English word "slohtre" meaning "wet land". The village has been used as one of the locations for the BBC series "Father Brown".

@El Loro posted:

There are a number of Thankful Villages in England which are listed in this wiki article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...s#In_popular_culture
One of them is Upper Slaughter in Gloucestershire. The "Slaughter" is from the Old English word "slohtre" meaning "wet land". The village has been used as one of the locations for the BBC series "Father Brown".

I’ve been there …it’s a lovely village

@El Loro posted:

There are a number of Thankful Villages in England which are listed in this wiki article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...s#In_popular_culture
One of them is Upper Slaughter in Gloucestershire. The "Slaughter" is from the Old English word "slohtre" meaning "wet land". The village has been used as one of the locations for the BBC series "Father Brown".

I'd never heard of a Thankful Village until today El

@Baz posted:

I’ve been there …it’s a lovely village

I've been there too, Baz

@slimfern posted:

I'd never heard of a Thankful Village until today El

I had heard of "Thankful Villages" before, Slim, probably reading about Upper Slaughter

@slimfern posted:

A Jewish family Karnofsky, who immigrated from Lithuania to the United States, took pity on a homeless black 7-year-old boy and brought him to their home.

There he stayed and spent the night in this Jewish family home, where for the first time in his life he was treated with kindness and tenderness.

When he went to bed, Mrs Karnovski sang him Russian lullabies, which he sang with her.

Later he learned to sing and play several Russian and Jewish songs.

Over time, this boy became the adopted son of this family.

Mr. Karnofsky gave him money to buy his first musical instrument, as was the custom in Jewish families.

Later, when he became a professional musician and composer, he used these Jewish melodies in compositions such as St. James's Hospital and Go Down Moses.

The little boy grew up and wrote a book about this Jewish family, who adopted him in 1907. And proudly spoke Yiddish fluently.

In memory of this family and until the end of his life, he wore the Star of David and said that in this family he learned "to live a real life and determination."

This little boy's name was Louis Armstrong.This little boy was called Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Louis Armstrong proudly spoke fluent Yiddish and “Satchmo” is Yiddish for “big cheeks, a nickname some say was given to him by Mrs. Karnofsky!

Wow ….thats really interesting Slim.

@slimfern posted:

Good grief

Tomorrow Island (Russia) and Yesterday Isle (USA) are just three miles apart but there's a 21-hour time difference between them. This is because they sit on the two sides of the International Date Line which passes through the Pacific Ocean and marks the boundary between one calendar day and the next.

@slimfern posted:

Tomorrow Island (Russia) and Yesterday Isle (USA) are just three miles apart but there's a 21-hour time difference between them. This is because they sit on the two sides of the International Date Line which passes through the Pacific Ocean and marks the boundary between one calendar day and the next.

Tomorrow Island is also called Big Diomede and Yesterday Isle Little Diomede,
In winter, the two islands are usually connected by an ice bridge making it theoretically possible to walk between the two islands but that's forbidden.

@El Loro posted:

Tomorrow Island is also called Big Diomede and Yesterday Isle Little Diomede,
In winter, the two islands are usually connected by an ice bridge making it theoretically possible to walk between the two islands but that's forbidden.

Wow! I didn't know that El ...crazy fact

That's El Gran Senor     

I'd like to him run at Royal Ascot         

@slimfern posted:

Tomorrow Island (Russia) and Yesterday Isle (USA) are just three miles apart but there's a 21-hour time difference between them. This is because they sit on the two sides of the International Date Line which passes through the Pacific Ocean and marks the boundary between one calendar day and the next.

Wow ……that’s interesting El .I think I saw something about that many years ago on an old  Michael Palin travel programme ….maybe Around the World in 80 days or something …but I might be misremembering.

This is Game of Thrones now