Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 24-11-2020: Black Beauty

24th November, 2020.

It’s got to be said: I think I have an issue … 

You’ll remember, of course, that I’m due to start a European Computer Driving License course.

And, to that end … ?

Managed to borrow a laptop from my landlord’s Digital Futures team.

I got a call from them, last night: they check up on a regular basis, it seems.

The one thing I managed to clear up?   Was that I’d not be able to install an extension I’d need: one that would let me use the course’s online software.

I don’t know if there’s any alternatives, there.

~≈Ç≈~

How am I feeling about that … ?

Well … I’d love to say I’m annoyed.

I’m not.

I can understand why my landlord’s don’t allow someone who’ve they loaned a laptop to, to install stuff on it.

It’s a basic security measure: they’d rather not have something nasty installed along side any apparently safe software.

So I can understand it.

I’m disappointed, though, however much I can appreciate it.

We’ll have to see what happens, when my (potential) tutor contacts me.

~≈Ç≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

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

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

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

Q1)        24th November, 1877, saw the original publication of Black Beauty.   Who wrote Black Beauty?

Q2)        Black Beauty is a what: elephant, hedgehog or horse?

Q3)        The first film version of Black Beauty was released in which year: 1917, 1921 or 1946?

Q4)        Which former Goon published a version of Black Beauty in 1993?

Q5)        Finally … ?   Black Beauty led to the banning of what was called the bearing rein.   The bearing rein caused problems with an animal’s what: spine, eyes or ears?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1)        Dr Who debuted on British TV screens. On the 23rd November of which year?

A1)        1963.

Q2)        On what’s now which TV channel?

A2)        BBC1.   (It was then called the BBC Television Service.)

Q3)        The final episode of the show’s original run was in which year of the 1980s?

A3)        1989.   (With the broadcast of episode three of Sylvester McCoy last story, Survival.   He’s in The Hobbit, you know … )

Q4)        The Doctor is currently played by actress, Jodie Whittaker.   Who — in the charity special, The Curse of Fatal Death — is the only other woman to play the Doctor?

A4)        Joanna Lumley.   (I don’t, personally think of The Curse of Fatal Death to be ‘official’.   However, it’s treated as such by Dr Who Monthly, was the first Dr Who script written by Stephen Moffat, and the last appearance of Dalek voice, Roy Skelton.)

Q5)        Finally … ?   The show’s theme was written Ron Grainer, and arranged by Delia who?

A5)        Delia Derbyshire, of the Radiophonic Workshop.   (If it’s any help? It’s in E minor.)

Here’s a thought …

“The first place that I can well remember, was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end.”

The opening lines of Black Beauty.

And a theme tune: from the TV version of the story, popular when I was young …

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

Feel free to share today’s video Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        I’ve done five, Olga, going by the YouTube playlist: that’s about twenty-five to thirty questions.   It’s probably not as many as the Mastermind Dr Who special.   If I recall the interview he gave about it, correctly?   John Humphrys said it was the only episode that made him nervous … 

At ANY rate … ?   I’ve stored all the questions I have done.   The sixtieth anniversary’s in a few years time: having them stored means I can checked what I’ve already written!

I suspect I’m going to need a third, and larger, monitor.   Just for the quiz question spreadsheet.   Being able to see two days worth of questions would be nice.   (That spreadsheet used to fit on a floppy disk!)

†        I’ll be honest, Trevor, I haven’t even got it out of the box, as yet.   It’s causing issues, already … !

Actually … ?   I was thinking about Marc Brunel, Isambard’s father: but double checking the Wikipedia entry, I think he designed a different tunnel.

‡        Hello, Mum!   (Umm … it was 1963, Mum: the day after Kennedy was shot!   According to a bit of fan gossip, the show’s start was delayed by five minutes, because the news was extended.)

^        Morning, Edith!   How IS the day going … ?   (How IS the research going?)

ª        It always amazes me what Ron and Delia managed to do, there, Debbi.   It’s one of the bits of electronic music.   And if I recall the story doing the fan circuit?   The first time Delia played her arrangement to Ron, he turned around and said “Bloody hell!   It didn’t sound like that when I wrote it!”

(Oh, sorry about the score, Debbi: but, technically, BBC One HD is a separate, extra channel, rather than the main one.)