The Daily Teaser — 1-8-2014: London Bridge Is Standing Up

Drat … !

That’s a blow.

You’ve probably worked out I’m job hunting at the moment.

And that I had an interview — or, at least, attended a screening one  — on Wednesday: for a local bookies.

It fell through.

Seemingly … ?

I didn’t get past the test on the company’s website.

Which surprised me.   The first half of the test were basic, timed, number recognition: something I’m usually ok at.   The second half consisted of a given series of statements that you had to grade from one to five: with one meaning ‘I strongly agree with this,’ five meaning ‘I strongly disagree with this’ and the numbers in-between being … well, shades of in-betweeness.

You know … I’ve a funny feeling I may well not have done well, there.

I don’t know.

Either way … ?

Either way, it’s a blow: one that’s given my confidence a kicking.

~≈Â≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

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

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?   Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 1st August saw the opening of the (then) version of London Bridge.   In which year of the 1830s?

Q2) Who was the reigning British king that attended the opening: William 3rd, William 4th or William 5th?

Q3) When built, the 19th Century Bridge’s predecessor had a chapel on it.   Who was that chapel dedicated to: Joan of Arc, Thomas a’Becket or Edward the Confessor?

Q4) The medieval bridge’s southern gate was used to display the severed heads of criminals, traitors and rebels: on pikes.   Which Scottish rebel’s head was first, in 1305?

Q5) The 19th Century bridge was replaced in 1967: replaced … and sold.   It’s now in Lake Havasu City.   In which US state is Lake Havasu City … ?

Q6) The modern day London bridge was hit in 1984.   By which Royal Navy vessel: the HMS Hermione, HMS Jupiter or HMS Andromeda … ?

Q7) According to an old — and possibly apocryphal — tradition, Freemen of the City of London can drive what across London Bridge?

Q8) If you’re on London Bridge, there are two nearby London Underground stations.   One is Monument.   What’s the other?

Q9) London Bridge is often mistaken for the bridge downstream from it.   What bridge is that … ?

Q10) Finally … The London Bridge Experience is at which end of the Bridge: northern or southern … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 31st July, 30 BC, saw the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian fight the Battle of Alexandria.   Who won that battle?

A1) Mark Antony.

Q2) What was Mark Antony’s name: in Latin … ?

A2) Marcus Antonius.

Q3) Mark Antony eventually went on to lose the Battle of Actium, to Octavian.   Was that a naval or land battle … ?

A3) Naval.

Q4) Which Egyptian queen was Mark Antony famously allied to … ?

A4) Cleopatra 7th.

Q5) That queen famously lost that battle: and committed suicide by apply a poisonous what to her breast … ?

A5) Poisonous snake sources vary as to whether it was an asp, or cobra.

Q6) As a result of winning the latter battle, Octavian became the first Roman Emperor: under what name do we (usually) know him … ?

A6) Augustus.   (His name as Princeps was ‘Imperator Cæsar Divi Filius Augustus’: roughly equivalent to The Commander who’s the Revered Son of The God  Cæsar … If I’ve got that right.)

Q7) More to the point, under what title did Octavian assume sole power: Consul, Magister or Princeps … ?

A7) Princeps.   (If I’ve understood things correctly, the term translates as ‘First Amongst Equals’, or ‘First Citizen’.)

Q8) Famously, Octavian had been adopted by whom … ?

A8) Julius Cæsar.

Q9) Name either of Shakespeare’s plays about this period of Roman history.

A9) Anthony and Cleopatra or Julius Cæsar.

Q10) Who played Mark Antony in the 2005 BBC series, ‘Rome’: Jude Law, James Purefoy or Ciarán Hinds … ?

A10) James Purefoy.

I’ll leave you with this song … 

And this piece of poetry …

“Unreal city,

Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,

A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,

I had not thought death had undone so many.”

From The Wasteland, by T. S. Elliot.

Enjoy the day … 

*        Enjoy the weekend, Debbi!   (Kind of a shame in one way: I’ve a couple of interesting themed question sets over the weekend.   We’ll have to see if I can persuade Mr S to have a try … !)