Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 31st October 2026.

31st October, 2026.

OK … it’s Saturday, and I’m up, early!

Yes: I officially have an eye test, today.

And, hopefully — given my optician’s prices — I have enough money, and discounts, to be able to afford the required new spectacles!

Here’s hoping!

~≈🤓≈~

There’s a small estate in Brentwood: called Sawyer’s Grove, near to where my sister, Ruth, lives, with her son, Jude.

It’s a nice place, from what I know: and a mixture of social housing, and private properties.

And … ?

It had a bomb scare, yesterday: apparently, a man and a woman were arrested after three “small homemade explosive devices” were found in their property.

Alongside a number of wraps of crack cocaine.

I’m tempted to ask what the world is coming to.

Or say that the world is getting worse, or that this never used to happen in my town.

But … ?

These days, I’m more likely to shrug my shoulders: and tell you it’s not surprising … 

~≈🫆≈~

Let’s move on.

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with Debbi scoring five out of five, and Mum 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)        Changeling was released across North America on 31st October, 2008.   Who played the main character, Christine Collins?

Q2)        More to the point, who directed Changeling?

Q3)        31st October is the feast day of Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg.   Regensburg is in which European country: France, Germany or Austria?

Q4)        Piper Perabo was born on 31st October, 1976.   She played Violet ‘Jersey’ Sanford in which film: The Adventure of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Coyote Ugly or Followers?

Q5)        Finally … ?   31st October is All Hallows’ Eve.   Otherwise known as what?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        Doctor Who story, The Deadly Assassin, started on 30th October.   Of which year of the 1970s?

A1)        1976.

Q2)        Who played the Doctor in The Deadly Assassin?

A2)        Tom Baker.

Q3)        It was the first Doctor Who story where the Doctor had no what: companion, hat or TARDIS?

A3)        Companion.

Q4)        The story’s main villain is an old enemy of the Doctor.   Which old enemy: the Master, the Daleks or the Cybermen?

A4)        The Master.   (The character was played by Peter Pratt.)

Q5)        Finally … ?   Controversially, the third episode of the story ended with the Doctor being drowned.   Which TV campaigner complained about this: Mary Whitehouse, the Moral Majority or Lord Longford?

A5)        Mary Whitehouse.

Here’s a thought …

“It’s nice travelling the world but coming back here and slowing things down, I’m at peace, I can just be Lizzy.”

UK Skelton Bobsleigh champion, Lizzy Yarnold, born 31st October, 1988.

And a Spandau Ballet song released on 31st October …

The next ten question sets are on 8th, 10th, 19th, 25th and 29th November: they’re about Monty Python’s Life of Brian, All Quiet on the Western Front, Quatermass and the Pit, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and the Grand Ole Opry.

Your comments, and today’s answers, will be published in tomorrow’s Teaser.

AI is used to suggest themes for some dates: but avoided when writing the questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!   (He had a hat, Mum: he didn’t have a companion for The Deadly Assassin.)

†        I think the 1990s was when Dr Who started getting big, Debbi: after the McGann movie was released.   Although I think it was aired earlier.   The Max Headroom Incident happened when a Chicago Station got interrupted: right in the middle of an episode of Horror of Fang Rock.

        I’ve just had a look at the Wikipedia entry on the show’s history in the States: apparently episodes were aired in the 1960s: but it really took off when the various PBS channels aired in the 1978.   Which sounds about right.   Frome the little I know, the English version of Are You Being Served did well in San Francisco at about the same time: Mr Humphries was popular with SF’s gay community.

        I’ll be honest, Debbi, a nasty thought about Sir Patrick’s death occurred to me.

        Going by Terry Pratchett’s biography, one of the first journalists to talk to Rob Wilkins, Sir Terry’s PA, asked “Was he [Terry] assisted?”

        He wasn’t, as it goes.

        But I read the bit of the statement released on Sir Patrick’s death, the bit that said he died after a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s and Dewy Body dementia, and ask the same question.  “Was he helped?”

        I don’t know.   But found this: https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/news/dignity-in-dying-statement-on-sir-patrick-stewart/.   And this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_End_of_Life_Option_Act

        Sir Patrick was a California resident …