Hard Facts Community

10 Felpersham; Kingsbridge; Christminster; Barchester? Made-up towns/cities in literature. Anthony Trollope invented Barchester, and I think Christminster was invented by Thomas Hardy in Jude the Obscure ; a deeply depressing book which I didn't read very much of. I don't know the other 2 places. 15...

3 pics of a record-breaking lady; the first pic shows her on the morning she became a record breaker in 1980. She's 92 now and still alive! Who is she?

Wd Patience, it's always a relief when important legal things are sorted out. I received my letter from the DWP today to confirm that my Winter Fuel Payment for 2022 will be £500. They take pains to inform me that the £500 includes extra money - a Pensioner Cost Of Living Payment - that I shall rece...

1 In 1841 which instrument debuted at an exhibition in Brussels? Saxophone 7 Jane Couch is a pioneer of which sport? Jane Couch, aka The Fleetwood Assassin, was a pioneer in women's boxing. She was featured in an exhibition about outstanding local women called 'This Lass Can!' at Fleetwood Museum wh...

I suppose you did learn some German while you were there? Can you still speak any? I was 8 when we moved to Dusseldorf and 11 when we came back to the UK. In effect we were living on a British housing estate, and in the NAAFI (the Forces' shop) the staff spoke English. Mum liked the quality of the ...

And here is one of Merry's favourite caption pics........at least she said it was one of her favourites.................

Penny Mordaunt has formally tossed her hat into the ring, while Mr Sunak quietly is amassing support before declaring himself; he is said to have 82 backers so far.

I sent off my passport renewal form etc today via the Post Office checking service (cost £101), and when I get the new one and have sorted out what I know of my 2023 diary I shall book a week or maybe 10 days in Iceland; I'll see how I feel nearer the time. I haven't been there for a proper holiday ...

And now - a Labour MP Resigns!! Chris Matheson, Labour MP for the City of Chester, has resigned following the upholding of two complaints of serious sexual misconduct made by one of his staffers. Mr Matheson continues to deny the veracity of the allegations but the Parliamentary Commissioner for Sta...

Asy, just to add to the info about fracking. There was exploratory drilling at a site not far from Blackpool, and the locals didn't like it because whenever Cuadrilla (the operators of the site) tried to do some test fracking there were small earthquakes in the area. IIRC none of these earthquakes w...

We lived in West Germany for 3 years (July 1959 to July 1962), first for 3 months in Dusseldorf not far from the airport and then the rest of the time in a small Army housing estate just east of a big Royal Engineering depot that was known colloquially as 17 Vehicle; that was on the western edge of ...

Don't worry WR, he's not likely to be running for the leadership of the Conservative Party....................... :) I forgot to mention that any MP wanting to be on the first ballot for the vacancy needs at least 100 nominations which effectively limits it to a maximum of 3 candidates. I noticed al...

What a fighter! But impotent as she was all trussed up...............cue groans...................

The Little Master had his claws clipped today; some of them had grown quite thick so I was pleased I took him to visit his Physician. The extra rations are doing their work - he has put on 200 gm in 4 months and is now 6.44 kg. I'll do the same for the Lady Mina in around 2 weeks. Master Midge didn'...

I am not sure that there is anybody left on the Government side of the House with any credibility as a potential leader of the Conservative party and hence Prime Minister. Last time round it was Anybody But Rishi and that is what they landed themselves with; getting rid of Ms Truss won't get rid of ...

Merry says that I have the ability to make people want to feed me............

As a postscript to last night's utter fiasco in the House of Commons, I read that the Chief Whip, Wendy Morton, had words with Ms Truss in the Chamber and then headed for the exit with Ms Truss scurrying along behind her presumably to have some more words together; that was the distraction which pre...

I visited Innsbruck in 1976 for the Winter Olympics; they had the games because Denver, to whom the Games had been awarded, dropped out. I had a pleasant 2 weeks there, with a side trip by train to visit my friends in Zurich for a weekend. On the last day of competition I went to the ski jump at Ber...

During the early evening we were told this vote on fracking was a vote of confidence in the Government. Around 10 minutes before the vote was due to take place there were noises to the effect that this wasn't a vote of confidence after all, thus pulling the rug from under the feet of the Chief Whip ...

Suella Braverman has been replaced by sacked-as-Transport-minister Grant Shapps. The TV commentator said this must have been the last thing Mr Shapps expected when he got up this morning.