Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 11-8-2020: Enid

11th August, 2020.

Yes: today’s the day when I’ll be doing a lot of filming.

Those Teaser video’s don’t make themselves.

Frankly, though?

I’ll be doing that, after I’ve had a walk around the block.

Which does two things.

Gets me some exercise.

And gets me away from the noise of the washing machine.

As much as I like clean t-shirts?

The noise from my washing machine is … 

Loud … 

~≈Ç≈~

You’ve possibly worked I’m a Terry Pratchett fan: and have been, since the mid-1980s, when I first came across his work.

I’ve been floating around the ’Net, whilst writing this: and came across this piece from the well known The Wertzone blog.

It seems the BBC America crew producing The Watch series have been making more changes — unwarranted changes — than I thought.

Most fans will be able to about the major Watch characters.

Including the fact that Captain Carrot was adopted by dwarves, and that Cheery is a female dwarf fighting hard to get recognised as a woman.

To quote The Wertzone?

“Cheery had also been changed from a young dwarfish woman anxious to prove her worth in her patriarchal society whilst also retaining her femininity to a young, non-binary human raised by dwarfs, borrowing Carrot’s background and story for no immediately obvious reason.”

Frankly?

The BBC America series is sounding more and more like an utter travesty … 

I’m urging anyone I know to go nowhere near the damn thing.

~≈Ç≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Trevor*, Olga†and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with Trevor and Olga scoring five out of five, and Debbi on four..

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

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

Q1) 11th August saw the birth of Enid Blyton.   In which year?

Q2) Her first  was a book of poetry called Child Whispers.   It was published in which year of the 1920s?

Q3) Which of her characters has a blue hat and a best friend called Big Ears?

Q4) Julian, Dick Anne, George and Timmy the Dog are better known how?

Q5) Finally … ?   1946 saw Enid start writing about which fictional school?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 10th August is the feast day of Saint Lawrence of Rome.   He’s the patron saint of whom: librarians, plumbers or fishermen?

A1) Librarians.

Q2) 10th August is also one of the feast days of Saint Blane.   Blane was from which country of the UK … ?

A2) Scotland.

Q3) British forces started to expelled Arcadians peoples from what’s now Nova Scotia, to what’s now the North East US: on 10th August, 1755.   The Acadians spoke a dialect of which language?

A3) French.   (From what I’m told?   Acadian French is very different to standard French.   I get the impression they’re as far apart as UK and US English.)

Q4) 10th August, 2003, saw a heatwave hit the UK.   The most recent heatwave in Europe was in which year: 2017, 2018 or 2019?

A4) 2019: in July.

Q5) Finally … ?   10th August, 1909, saw the birth of guitar maker, Leo Fender.   What was the name of the first electric guitar in 1950?

A5) The Fender Esquire.   (The original Esquire didn’t last for long, because of issues with the neck.   They had no truss rod: no reinforcement, in other words.   The two pickup Fender Telecaster — originally marketed as the Broadcaster, and based on the Esquire — was released later that year: it remedied the truss rod issue.)

Here’s a thought …

“If you can’t look after something in your care, you have no right to keep it.”

Enid Blyton.

And a video …

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

As a final thought … ?

I’ve not focused on it: but am very aware that — especially in more recent years — her work’s fallen out of favour: as many feel her work is a little right of centre for their liking.

I don’t know, one way or the other.

But felt I should mention it.

Have a good day.

*        Shirley Temple, Trevor?   I’m getting all sorts of mental images!

I have to say, that’s a gorgeous looking church: some of those churches are quite something to see.   I used to live in Kelvedon: the one nearest where I lived was quite something.   Saint Nicolas’, I think it was … 

†        Funny old thing, Olga^, you mentioning Saint Lawrence’s Day.   If I’ve understood it correctly, there’s an old Scottish tradition: not of celebrating your birthday, but you name day.   In other words, the feast day of the saint you share you name with.   I don’t know how many Saint Olgas, Saint Trevors or Saint Debbis there are … but there’s two apostles, and eight saints, called Paul.   Ho hum!

Marc sent me the .pdf version, last night: the book at bedtime’s on my phone, for the moment!

As for antique Strats?   I think we’d see more of them on antique shows because Fender made more of them, than they did the Telecaster.   A Broadcaster might get a better price than either.   The original Esquire … ?   From what I can see, they only made a thousand or so.

‡        Yeah, the Strat was released in ’54, Debbi: it’s not the one I had in mind, though!   It was the Esquire I was after.   Pointless trivia for you, though, the first electric guitar got released in ’32!   It’s a weird looking thing!

Actually, it’s called Scotland Yard because the original building’s exit was on Great Scotland Street in London.   It’s moved twice, since then!   The current building is New New Scotland Yard.   And dates back to the 1930s …

^        Bit of a story for you, Olga: when my Mum’s old boss retired, the company bought him a genuine ’54 Gibson Les Paul.   It must have cost a fortune!   And you can’t get the mahogany, anymore!