Hello again and welcome to the official spring edition of your bimonthly helping of anguish and irritation. As I sit here typing, the sun is shining and it is quite mild but then I’ve been drinking an excellent mild on and off in my local for several months now (non-sequitur of the month). In the absence of complaints about last time’s 5BY4, I thought I would do a second selection. Having already pulled out more examples from my vinyl collection than I could use in one issue, I thought it would be a waste of effort not to use some more and so I present 5BY4 My Vinyl 2:
1. Ralph McTell A. Heartbeats (1984)
2. Bob Dylan B. Welcome to the Cruise
3. Judy Tzuke C. The Rochdale Cowboy Rides Again
4. Steeleye Span D. Parallel Lines (1978)
5. Jethro Tull E. Wild Flowers (1967)
6. Tom Paxton F. Bringin’ It All Back Home (1965)
7. Blondie G. You Well Meaning Brought Me Here (1971)
8. Barbara Dickson H. Parcel of Rogues (1973)
9. Judy Collins I. Songs From the Wood
10. Mike Harding J. Peace Will Come (1972)
I think I shall leave this topic now and move onto something else for the next time I do 5BY4. Hmm! I’ve got quite a lot of CDs…
Now let’s have some more Cryptic Stations. I had a couple of spares from when I inflicted the first batch on you in December so had a close look (tiny print) at my 2022 (post Elizabeth Line) tube map and managed to scrape together enough to make up another ten. It looks like this will be the last of these (don’t all cry at once!). There are lots more stations but not many that suggested silly descriptions to me (or maybe I’m getting less silly as I get older – seems unlikely!)
1. I met my come-uppance!
2. Beehive hair style?
3. Especially shallow for moggies
4. Big posh home
5. Entrance in the trees
6. Down by the river
7. Mad?
8. They’ve gone a funny colour!
9. Senior cleric’s picnic spot?
10. The route to Kingsholm?
A word of warning. Although all of these stations are on the map which is titled ‘Tube Map’ and bears the banner ‘London Underground’, two of these are not Underground stations. Can you spot them? If I remember, I shall include the extra information with the solution next time. In the meantime, award yourself a pat on the back (don’t strain anything) if you spot them.
Right! Its General Trivia time. Quite often a thought comes into my head and occasionally it is sensible; on some of those occasions you get regaled with questions on a single topic (or linked ones). At other times I go back to the old out of print Chambers Dates. Guess where these ones come from:
1. André Previn was born on 6 April 1929; in what city?
2. ‘John Palmer’ was hanged in York (and was subsequently buried there) for murdering a game ‘keeper’ (presumably of game) in Epping. What was the real name of this anonymised felon?
3. On 9 April 1983, Jenny Pitman became the first female racehorse trainer to have a Grand National winner. What was the name of her winning Horse?
4. 18 April 1903 saw the FA Cup won with the greatest ever margin with a score of 6–0. Who were the winning and losing teams? (I’m told that Manchester City did the same to Watford a bit more recently, in 2019.)
5. The first ever televised snooker break of 147 points occurred on 23 April 1983 during a World Championship match at the Crucible, Sheffield. Who won this distinction?
6. The German airship Hindenburg was destroyed by fire (with 35 fatalities) while attempting to dock on 6 May 1937. Where did this tragedy occur?
7. HMS Victory, Nelson’s flag ship was launched on 7 May 1765. Where was it built?
8. The first flight of Britain’s first jet powered bomber took place on 15 May 1949. What model of plane was it?
9. Blackwall Tunnel under the Thames in east London was opened on 22 May of what year? And in what year was the second bore opened, allowing separation of the north and south traffic streams?
10. ‘Captain’ William Kidd, the Scottish privateer, was hanged for piracy in London on 23 May 1701. What was the name of the location of this event?
As I type this (on 5 March), it seems a bit early to wish you a Happy Easter, but due to publishing lead times it may well be passed by the time you read this so I shall just say that I hope you have/had a good Easter holiday.
Andy Pirson
The answers
As usual, here are the solutions to the puzzles set in the February/March column.
5BY4 (MY Vinyl):
1. Alison Moyet – Raindancing (1987)
2. The Watersons – For Pence & Spicy Ale (1975)
3. Pete Atkin – A King at Nightfall (1975)
4. Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971)
5. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977)
6. Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band – Gorilla (1967)
7. John Denver – Poems, Prayers & Promises (1971)
8. Gordon Lightfoot – If You Could Read My Mind (1970)
9. Robin & Barry Dransfield – The Rout of the Blues (1970)
10. Renaissance – A Song for All Seasons (1978)
BAZY Celebrities:
1. GF: American female tennis player [Gigi Fernandez]
2. NM: Eldest ‘bright young things’ sister [Nancy Mitford]
3. SR: Jazz saxophonist [Sonny Rollins]
4. CB: Celebrity snapper [Cecil Beaton]
5. IH: Composer daughter of Gustav [Imogen Holst]
6. GF: Archbishop of Canterbury [Geoffrey Fisher]
7. BA: Comedy partner of Lou [Bud Abbott]
8. JI: Learned the Truth at Seventeen [Janis Ian]
9. ON: Brazilian architect [Oscar Niemeyer]
10. ML: Beach Boy [Mike Love]
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:
1. HMS Thunderer, the last battleship to be built on the River Thames, was launched at Silvertown on 1 February in 1911.
2. On 7 February 1974, the British colony of the Windward Islands that became an independent Commonwealth country was Grenada.
3. The daughter of actress Maureen O’Sullivan, born on 9 February 1945 and who subsequently also became a famous actress, was Mia Farrow.
4. Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days Queen, was executed for high treason on 12 February 1554.
5. On 19 February 1878, Thomas Edison was granted US patent No. 200251 for the phonograph.
6. Charlie Chaplin was knighted by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March 1975.
7. On 7 February, the Victoria Line of the London Underground was opened to regular passenger traffic in 1969.
8. The composer Sir William Walton died (at the age of 80) on 8 March 1983 at his home on Ischia.
9. On 20 March 1980, the ship Mi Amigo ran aground and sank, thus terminating the broadcasting of Radio Caroline (after sixteen years of operation).
10. Mark Brunel’s Thames Tunnel, between Wapping and Rotherhithe, was formally opened on 25 March in 1843.