Fascinating Facts and Trivia

(07-11-2018 01:34 )Foggy Mainwaring Wrote:  Thees a bit mixed up there Kelly.
The Lancaster was designed by A V Roe, hence the company name AVRO, Roe also led the design team on the Vulcan.

Reginald Mitchell designed the Spitfire.
He couldn't have been in the film as he died in 1937.

Barnes-Wallis who designed the bouncing bomb as per the Dambusters, also designed the geodetic airframe structure, as most famously used in twin engined Wellington bomber, but that plane was not used in the Dambuster raids.

By the way, a lot of people often think the Lanc was the RAF's first four engined bomber, but it was actually the Short Stirling, which wasn't really powerful enough to perform the sort of duties the Lanc performed.

Well.... slap me senseless & ride me sideways!!!

I couldn't have gotten that more wrong if I'd tried harder, could i???
(back to bed to give my brain a much needed rest me thinks)

Is it possible to slap somebody silly and ride them sideways?

Short fact - the singer Don Spencer, most well known for singing the theme song to puppet series Fireball XL5 was also a presenter on children's television's long-running pre-school series Play School.

(07-11-2018 00:56 )kelly1066 Wrote:  That reminds me of one famous scene in the classic Dambusters movie, where Mitchell is trying to get a loan of A Lancaster bomber to test out his bouncing bombs. The guy asks him why on earth the RAF would lend him one right in the middle of a war where they are needed so badly...

He replies "You could try telling them that I designed the Lancaster for them?"
(or words to that effect)

This is the actual exchange:

Official, Ministry of Aircraft Production: "You say you need a Wellington Bomber for test drops. They're worth their weight in gold. Do you really think the authorities will lend you one? What possible argument could I put forward to get you a Wellington?"

Barnes Wallis replies "Well, if you told them I designed it, do you think that might help?"

(07-11-2018 11:57 )GreenMachine Wrote:  Is it possible to slap somebody silly and ride them sideways?

Short fact - the singer Don Spencer, most well known for singing the theme song to puppet series Fireball XL5 was also a presenter on children's television's long-running pre-school series Play School.

Re Fireball XL5, it is really quite a nice simple romantic song.
Loved XL5, as a kid, still love the replays.
And believe it or not I still sing the song to Mrs F, 'cos she is my Venus of the skies.

Just waiting for someone to mention sick bucket

(07-11-2018 14:09 )elgar1uk Wrote:  

(07-11-2018 00:56 )kelly1066 Wrote:  That reminds me of one famous scene in the classic Dambusters movie, where Mitchell is trying to get a loan of A Lancaster bomber to test out his bouncing bombs. The guy asks him why on earth the RAF would lend him one right in the middle of a war where they are needed so badly...

He replies "You could try telling them that I designed the Lancaster for them?"
(or words to that effect)

This is the actual exchange:

Official, Ministry of Aircraft Production: "You say you need a Wellington Bomber for test drops. They're worth their weight in gold. Do you really think the authorities will lend you one? What possible argument could I put forward to get you a Wellington?"

Barnes Wallis replies "Well, if you told them I designed it, do you think that might help?"

Cheers for that Elgar.
Being a long while since I last saw the film.

Did you know that Commander Ken H Wallis was the man who actually flew his own invention, an autogyro called Little Nellie in the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice'. Most of the effects worked(Air to Air missiles and simulated machine guns) but he took others off the aircraft later and adapted it to perform at airshows-showing how versatile it was by flying with his hands off the controls.

Alan Ball a member of the 1966 England World Cup winning team, once had trials with both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers, who both didn't think he was worth it before signing for Blackpool as an apprentice in late 1961.

One that slipped through the fingers as you could say.

There Are 177,147 Ways To Tie A Tie, according to research done by Mikael Vejdemo-Johansson, a mathematician in Stockholm.

I've tried a couple of ways, but then give it neck, as I got all tied up in knots.

I can add one more to that list I have just mentioned, it's called the Trump knot;
you put said tie round his neck and then pull it as tight as you can and strangle the bastard.

The Bass Red Triangle is the oldest registered trade mark in the UK; first registered in 1875, but it was used well before then.

The original intention is believed to have been so that Bass brewery workers would recognize Bass pubs, and spend their wages in said pubs, as opposed to competing brewers; as most of the poor sods couldn't read.

When I was a postie, one dinner time going back to the delivery office in Horseley Fields, a chap a bit worse for wear stopped me and asked;
"Can you tell me where the nearest boozer is lad?",

Liking a pint meself, I calmly said;

"You're looking at 'im"

and calmly went on my way.

In 1966 the England football team visited Pinewood Studios, the set of James Bond and met Sean Connery. They also watched some filming.