The Daily Teaser — 9-4-2014

Oh … 

Dear … 

Buried in the middle of my memories of 1980s TV … ?   Is the two early morning series — Programmes?   Franchises? — that hit during the period: and that I’ve managed to record a documentary about.

The BBC’s own Breakfast Time and ITV’s TV-AM.

Totally revolutionary, at the time.

And very strange.

Especially when you remember that ITV’s offering, TV-AM, really only started grabbing audience share … 

When the Rat turned up … 

Yeah … 

The Rat … 

Ho-hum … !

~≈É≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: and scoring three out of five.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 9th April, 1860, saw Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville make one of the oldest sound recordings ever made: a version of an traditional French song.   Which French song: Au clair de la lune, Frere Jacques or Sur le Pont d’Avignon?

Q2) 9th April, 1585, saw Sir Walter Raleigh leave England: on a expedition to form an English colony.   On which North Carolinian island?

Q3) 9th April, 1984, saw dozens of flying pickets arrested: during which year long strike in the UK … ?

Q4) 9th April, 1991, saw which country declare itself independent from the (then) Soviet Union?

Q5) Finally … 9th April, 1961, saw the Pacific Electric Railway close operations.   In which US state did it operate?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 8th April, 1913, saw the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution passed: which allowed for the direct election of whom … ?

A1) US Senators.

Q2) 8th April, 1904, saw the writing of the first chapter of The Book Of The Law: by which (only slightly scary) British mystic … ?

A2) Aleister Crowley.   (He always said it was the demons.   I think it could well have been the half ton of Heroin he got through, each year … )

Q3) 8th April, 1093, saw Bishop Walkelin dedicate a new English cathedral.   In which English city … ?

A3) Winchester.

Q4) 8th April, 1994, saw Kurt Cobain’s body found, after his suicide.   In which year was Nirvana’s Best Of album, Nirvana, released in the UK?

A4) 2002.

Q5) Finally … 8th April, 1997, saw reporter, Martin Bell — the Man In The White Suit — announce he’d be standing in an election as an independent MP: in which then constituency … ?

A5) Tatton.

As it’s his birthday, I’ll let Tom Lehrer explain basic maths to you … 

And leave you with this thought …

“There is really only one method of re-educating people, namely the example that one lives oneself.”

Sir Victor Gollancz, 9 April 1893 – 8 February 1967.

Enjoy your day.

*        I think the post-mortem’s being done, today, Debbi: which will hopefully explain what happened.   I think the family will want — indeed, deserve — to know.