Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 20th February 2025.

20th February, 2025.

You know, Brentwood Council’s a contradictory thing.

In a piece for the BBC news site, yesterday, the Council announced a planned pilot scheme: that will reduce black bin bag collections from once a week, to once a fortnight.

In an effort, we’re told, to “encourage recycling”.

Can I use the word “bollocks”, here?

Bollocks!

The Council had a recycling scheme: that saw residents putting recyclable waste into orange bags, then — in flats like those in Rollason Way — putting those bags into communal recycling bins.

In the parts of town where the scheme operated, recycling waste went into the orange bags, food waste goes into food waste caddies, garden waste into green bags, everything else went into black bin bags, collected — usually — once a week.

The orange bags were phased out, a couple of years ago: replaced by blue sacks for cardboard and paper waste, and white ones for plastics.

Which get left on the kerbside on the relevant day.

Except … ?

Except those sacks aren’t used here on Rollason Way, nor in council-run properties in Railway Square, nor in Drake House, on the other side of Brentwood High Street.

Nor outside the (privately owned and rented) flats in Saint James Road or Wharf Road, around the corner from me.

Nor, I suspect, in the council-run Four Oaks, where I used to live.

Nor, I suspect, in other flats: private, or socially housed.

Yes, they’re used in streets with houses: you’ll see them out on collection day

But they’re not used in communal housing.

I can remember getting the letter about the oranges bags being phased out: it told us we’d be contacted about the blue/white bags, and the various collection dates.

We’ve not heard a word, since.

And, given I live in a ground floor flat?

I can see that nobody — nobody — in Rollason Way is putting out those sacks.

If they were, I would notice: and, I suspect, be tripping over the things on collection day.

As would everyone else.

I have sent an email to Barry Aspinell, the councillor named in the article: and to the councillors for the Brentwood West ward.

But fully expect to hear nothing.

And fully expect to repeat to use the B word, again.

“Encouraging recycling”?

Bollocks.

This is a cost cutting exercise.

~≈🗑️≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum*, Olga† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with everyone scoring ten out of ten, and picking Arthur Fowler.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s five questions, shall we?

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

Q1)        According to the United Nations, 20th February is the World Day of what: Social Workers, Social Justice or Social Cohesion?

Q2)        20th February is the feast day of Saint Wulfric of Haselbury.   The village of Haselbury Plucknett, where he lived, is in which English county: Gloucestershire, Somerset or Devon?

Q3)        John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.   On 20th February of which year of the 1960s?

Q4)        20th February, 2010, saw extreme weather hit Madeira Island.   The Atlantic Island is part of which European country?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Author, Pierre Boulle, was born on 20th February, 1912.   His novel, Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï.   It was released as which Alec Guinness film?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Eastenders first aired on the 19th February.   Of which year of the 1980s?

A1)        1985.

Q2)        It usually airs on which British channel: BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5?

A2)        BBC 1.

Q3)        That opening episode started with three characters finding the body of Reg Cox.   Name one of the three characters.

A3)        Out of work, Arthur Fowler, Pub landlord, Den Watts or cabbie, Ali Osman.

Q4)        The show is set in a fictional area called Walford.   What’s Walford’s postcode: E10, E15 or E20?

A4)        E20.

Q5)        Walford is a fictional part of which British city?

A5)        London.

Q6)        The postcode was fictional when the show was created.   But is now assigned to what: Buckingham Palace, the 2012 Olympic Park or Heathrow Airport?

A6)        2012 Olympic Park.

Q7)        The show is set in which Walford square: Albert Square, Arnold Square or Arnos Square?

A7)        Albert Square.

Q8)        The Square has a pub.   Called what: the Queen Victoria, Rovers Return or Lassiter’s?

A8)        The Queen Victoria: also known as the Queen Victoria, or just ‘the Vic’.

Q9)        Anita Dobson performed a version of the show’s theme tune: called “Anyone Can Fall In Love”.   Anita also played which character in the early days of the show: Pauline Fowler, Angie Watts or Lou Beale?

A9)        Pub landlady, Angie Watts.   Pauline was played by former Are You Being Served? actress, Wendy Richard.   Pauline’s mother Lou was played by Anna Wing: whose eldest son, Mark Wing-Davey, was the original Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Q10)        Finally … ?   Adam Woodyatt plays the show’s longest serving character.   Who is that character: Ian Beale, Big Ron or Patrick Trueman?

A10)        Ian Beale.   (Ron Tarr — who played Big Ron — died in 1997.   Rudolf Walker — who plays Patrick Trueman — appears in the Dr Who story, The War Games.)

Here’s a thought …

“Our world is in profound danger. Mankind must establish a set of positive values with which to secure its own survival.”

Richard Matheson, February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013.

And a song sung by Poison Ivy …

The next ten question set is on 1st March: it’s about Ohio.


Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.



Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        They did know how to do a good tune, Olga.   “The Winner Takes It All” was a classic!

        As for dubbing … ?   I’d imagine hearing the real voices could be strange.   I know Leonard Nimoy’s version of Spock sounded odd in German: I can only imagine what Ethan Peck or Zachary Quinto’s version sounds like.   (Where’s Ethan Peck’s Spock in German?   Can I find him?   Can I find him, heck!)

‡        That was possibly the tour dates, Debbi: a band’s tour t-shirt usually has the dates on the back§.

        Off the hook?   There’s a very American phrase: with at least three different meanings: I’m not sure which one would apply to EastEnders.   But I’m very aware it, and Coronation Street, go for a socially realistic feel: covering issues, where possible.   Having a knife crime story-line would be a thing: but supporting — or opposing — the government wouldn’t necessarily get coverage.   (I’m not sure about the rules governing ITV coverage of politics in Coronation Street: but assume the various impartiality rules covering the BBC news could apply to EastEnders.)

        Oh, have a look at yesterday’s answer: the number of EastEnders actors who crop up in British SF shows would possibly surprise you.   (Anita Dobbs — Angie Watts — is Mrs Flood, in recent Dr Who episodes.   The late Anna Wing — Lou Beale — was the mother of Mark Wing-Davy: the original Zaphod Beeblebrox.   Michelle Collins — from the David Tennent episode, “42” — played Cindy Beale in EastEnders.   Tamsin Outhwaite — “Nightmare in Silver” — played Mel Owen.   I could go on … )

§        This one’s still hanging around, Debbi!