Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 16-3-2022: The FA Cup

16th March, 2022.

Right … 

I was due a phone call, yesterday: from a representative of the Job Centre, to “discuss my health journey on Universal Credit.”

Job Centre: or Department of Work and Pensions.   I’m not sure which runs the body that’s supposed to call.

Notice I say due.

The call never happened.

Oh, at least, I didn’t get the call while I was in: I did a little shopping, yesterday, and half expected it to come then.

I got home, and was in for the rest of the day.

So the Service Centre’s representative had a long time to make contact.

Just like my Work Coach, my Job Centre case worker: who phoned exactly when she was due to.

The rep?   Didn’t call while I was in.

It was frustrating enough that I phoned the DWP’s enquiry line*, to see what was happening.

At roughly 16:30.

What the Enquiries chap did?

Firstly, was to check my details and ask the inevitable security questions.

Secondly, was confirm my my landline.

Which I repeated a couple of times, so he could be sure of the number.

He was then able to tell me that they’d apparently called: and left a message on my answer phone service.

I’ve got issues, here.

Granted, I may have missed the call, when I went shopping: or they may have phoned when I was on the phone with my work coach or the Enquiries line.   The Enquiries chap also told me they could have dialled the wrong number.

It didn’t occur to me to ask Enquiries when they phoned: which could’ve been useful to know.

But … ?

He told me they left a message.

One problem with that?   I have a pay-as-you-go landline: I only pay for the calls I make, and nothing else.

I don’t pay for the answerphone service: as I can’t afford it.

So?   The Service Department may have left a message: but it’s not one I’m going to receive, or be able to access.

Another?   They didn’t leave a parallel message on my online, Job Centre, journal: which is how they let me know they’d be calling†.

That is sometimes the best way for the Job Centre to contact me.

My only course of action?

Was to do what I did.

Tell the Enquiries people I couldn’t and didn’t get the message, make sure they know what my landline number is, and make sure this was logged on the system, and — ha! — flagged up for the Service Centre.

And repeat all this to my Work Coach: so she could do the same, if possible.

And — ye gods! — make sure this was logged in my online, DWP/Job Centre journal.

I guess it’s now wait and see.

~≈☎️≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

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


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

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

Q1)        16th March saw Wanderers play the Royal Engineers, in16 the first FA Cup Final.     Who won: Wanderers or the Engineers?

Q2)        What was the score: 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1?

Q3)        They played at the Oval.   The Oval is usually home to which sport: Rugby Union, Aussie Rules Football or Cricket?

Q4)        That first final was played in which year: 1871, 1872 or 1873?

Q5)        Finally … ?   The Final was a game of what: football, cricket or rounders?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 15th March, 1943, saw Nazi Germany capture Kharkov: from its Soviet captors. Kharkov is now better known how?

A1) Kharkiv. (Mr Putin talks of de-Nazification. He’s late.)

Q2) More to the point? Kharkov is in which Eastern European country?

A2) Ukraine.

Q3) Cricket’s first Test match started: on 15th March, 1877. Between England and who: Australia, India or the West Indies?

A3) Australia. (The match that was the origins of the Ashes was in 1882)

Q4) 15th March was — according to the Ancient Romans — the Ides of March. Which Ancient Roman general was assassinated on the Ides of March, 44BC: Octavianus, Claudius or Julius Caesar?

A4) Julius Caesar.

Q5) Finally … ? 15th March, 2016, saw the death of producer, and voice actress, Sylvia Anderson. She voiced which character in Thunderbirds: Tin-Tin, Grandma or Lady Penelope?

A5) Lady Penelope.

Here’s a thought … 

“The rules of the competition stipulated that each team should consist of eleven players, and that each match should last 90 minutes (at this time, the Laws of the Game did not specify these matters).”

From the Wikipedia entry on the game.

And a clue …

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

The quizmaster’s decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        That number’s 0800 328 5644, if you ever need it: like all 0800 numbers in the UK, it’s free from a landline.

†        The original alert told me to expect the call, yesterday.   But didn’t say when, yesterday.   That would’ve helped.

‡        I’m hoping so, Olga: I’ve a lot to fill in, though, before I get to the enrolment.   I’ve a form for help with council tax to do, as well.   AND I have to sort this blessed call out!

        I got most of the shopping: but forgot the onions!   And peas!   Argh!

        Oh, made sure Jordi brings you back a novelty Tube map tea towel!   It’s possibly not a good time to mention Mornington Crescent!

^        Hello, Mum!

ª        That it is, Debbi.   The chap that wrote it, Karel Čapek, was a bit left wing.   Some of his other works  seem to have a similar thing: oppressed workers having revolutions.