Here are the answers to this month’s five quiz questions. If in doubt, all should be able to be easily verified online.
Geography
There is a very small (180 square miles) landlocked sovereign country between France and Spain with a population of approximately 75,000. What is the name of this country? Andorra
What is the world’s largest coral reef system? Great Barrier Reef
What is the only US state that borders just one other? Maine
What does the Beaufort scale measure? Wind Strength
On which continent is the volcano Mt Erebus? Antarctica
Answers were correct when questions were compiled in late 2023.
Each month we’re posing five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. As before, they’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers – so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as having a bit of fun.
Geography
There is a very small (180 square miles) landlocked sovereign country between France and Spain with a population of approximately 75,000. What is the name of this country?
What is the world’s largest coral reef system?
What is the only US state that borders just one other?
Yes, Port Lockroy, which is on Goudier Island off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, has a small post office which handles 70,000 pieces of mail every year – despite being inhabited only during the Antarctic summer season.
The bay in which Goudier Island sits is a regular stop off for cruise ships, consequently the Post Office is visited by 18,000 people a year. As well as being a post office, Port Lockroy has a small (tourist) shop, and a small museum; the workers (usually just 4 or 5 during the Antarctic summer) also double as scientists, observing and recording the gentoo penguin population for the British Antarctic Survey.
The post office and museum are maintained and operated by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT), a charity committed to conserving historic buildings on the Antarctic Peninsula. The funds raised from the sale of souvenirs and postage fees go directly to supporting the conservation of UKAHT’s six historical sites in the area.
The 2022-2023 team made this short video during their stay …
It’s a bit of a cheat but you don’t have to go all the way to Antarctica to send a postcard from there! Earlier this autumn UKAHT were selling postcards that would be sent from Antarctica when this season’s team arrived (and had dug the base out from under last winter’s snow). Each postcard cost £20, could be personalised with your message, and sent to anyone anywhere in the world.
So of course I had to do this. I love esoteric things like this. My card arrived about a week ago – much sooner than expected given it’s somewhat byzantine journey (see this blog post). The postcards, like all the base’s supplies from stock for the shop to food, are shipped from the UK to Port Lockroy – in this case in the team’s luggage rather than on a supply ship.
Once stamped and franked the cards are bagged and surrendered to the next (suitable) visiting ship to travel to Stanley in the Falkland Islands (a trip of at least 5 days). From there they take the twice weekly flight to RAF Brize Norton in UK, where they are consigned to Royal Mail for transit to their destination (which could be anywhere in the world).
Here’s my card, front and back …
If you want a postal curiosity, keep an eye out next August/September as UKAHT may again be selling postcards like this to raise funds. You’ll be supporting British heritage in Antarctica, and valuable wildlife and climate research, but also contributing to a handful of young people getting the opportunity of life-changing experience. I shall certainly do this again if the opportunity arises.
Again this year we’re beginning each month with five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. They’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers, so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as have a bit of fun.
June Quiz Questions: World Geography
Until 1930, what was the Turkish city of Istanbul called?
What country has the most islands in the world?
What is the largest desert in the world?
What country is located between France and Spain?
What is the smallest country in the world by area?
Last week London blogger Diamond Geezer posted a list of 100 Things I have Done in London. Given that he spends his life out and about in London it is naturally an eclectic and interesting list.
Despite being essentially a Londoner, I can’t compete with DG. However I thought it would be interesting to see what I have done within the bounds of Greater London. And there are some unusual things.
First of all I share just these five things with DG (I’m surprised it is quite so few):
Voted for an MP who actually won
Done jury service
Been underground to watch Mail Rail while it was actually operational – and in my case long before it was branded Mail Rail
Bought my first top shelf magazine
Endured a pandemic
Then I can add:
Been through the red channel at Heathrow
Had lunch with a Herald, and paid the bill
Had tea tête-à-tête with an Earl
Been in A&E at Barts Hospital
Had lunch at the Mermaid Theatre (aged 11) – and was served a whole trout as a starter
Been aboard RRS Discovery (which carried Scott & Shackleton on their first journey to the Antarctic) and the Cutty Sark
Travelled from Charing Cross to Greenwich and back by boat
Travelled down the Thames (and back) from Tower Pier by paddle steamer
Seen Shakespeare performed at the Globe Theatre
Caught the last train home
Caught the first train in from home
Been to the old Billingsgate Market before dawn
Been to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party
Been to exhibition openings/private views at V&A and the V&A Museum of Childhood
Been to an exhibition opening at the Wallace Collection with Simon Russell Beale
Sung in a choir in St Pauls Cathedral
Been to a play reading at the College of Arms
Run conferences at the Wallace Collection and Naval & Military Club (the In & Out)
Been on a tour of the Houses of Parliament
Dined at five London clubs: Garrick, In & Out, Reform, Oxford & Cambridge, Travellers
Had Sunday Lunch at the Ritz
Eaten prunes & custard in a Lyons Corner House (aged about 4)
Been part of a group who formed a literary society, which is now a registered charity
Been to the Chelsea Flower Show (twice; first aged 8)
Rescued several cats
Caught a train to or from every major London rail terminus (of all the London termini I think I’m probably missing only Blackfriars and Cannon Street)
Been “back stage” at Wallace Collection, V&A Museum of Childhood, College of Arms
Been shown round the research labs at the Royal Institution by the then Director, Prof. Sir George (later Lord) Porter
Had sex in a Bayswater hotel
Been to a Christmas Lecture at the Royal Institution
Travelled the old North London Line to/from Broad Street
Had (and used) a BL Readers Ticket, when they were hard to get and gave admission to the iconic BM Reading Room
Drunk a pint in the Pavilion at Lord’s
Been to a Test Match at Lord’s – several times including the one when Bob Taylor was allowed out of retirement to keep wicket as 12th man against New Zealand on 25 July 1986
Played cricket against the Bank of England
Written computer code for Lloyds Register of Shipping, OCL and Thompson Travel
Met Ian Rankin, having arranged for him to speak at a conference
Got married
Been the guide on a coach tour of London
Been in the audience at a conference to hear Prince Charles speak
And I’ve no doubt N will be along and remind me of curiosities I’ve forgotten.
This year we’re beginning each month with five pub quiz style questions, with a different subject each month. They’re not difficult, but it is unlikely everyone will know all the answers, so hopefully you’ll learn something new, as well as have a bit of fun.
September Quiz Questions: World Geography
What’s the smallest country in the world?
Where is the lowest point on the Earth’s surface?
Three world cities have longer metro systems than London. Name one of them.
In an incredible feat of computing, the AI system Deep Mind has worked out the structure 200 million proteins in all the species whose genome has been sequenced.
Who first thought up the concept of zero? It seems the origins are somewhat elusive, but it looks like it may be in Sumatra. [£££]
Apparently the US regulators are imminently to certify the first small nuclear reactors. Now if they’ll just use the molten salt reactors then it will solve the problem of further high risk waste.
In more watery news a rare coloured sea slug has been found in UK waters for the first time.
The other side of the world, an incredible new jellyfish has been found off the coast of Papua New Guinea
Back on dry land, a group of scientists is planning to resurrect the extinct Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine). Hmmm … good luck with that one!
There are times when I struggle to believe what scientists and medics can achieve, and this is one of them … they’ve managed to change blood type of donor kidney – if this stands up then it will be a major breakthrough in transplant surgery.
There’s an outbreak of the previously unknown “tomato flu” in India. Except that it isn’t; it’s actually viral hand, foot & mouth disease which not uncommon amongst children across the globe. (Hand, foot & moth disease is NOT related to foot & mouth in cattle etc.)
Sexuality
Something else what always amazes me is the breadth of Benjamin Franklin’s interests. For instance, who know he extolled the benefits of banging MILFs?
One far-sighted mother (in Australia) got help to give her autistic sone some confidence – she booked him a session with a sex worker! Now tell me again why sex work shouldn’t be legal.
Environment
Hedges. Britain excels at them, with a greater length of hedge than roads. And farmers are coming to realise they provide vital habitat and corridors for wildlife. [LONG READ]
Only 350 years after it sank in the Bahamas, the wreck of the cargo of treasure aboaud the Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas is being discovered and recovered.
Bills of Mortality, basically early equivalents of death certificates, often in church registers, are an invaluable resource. A London Inheritance blog takes a look at what they can tell is abut early modern life in London. [LONG READ]
Guédelon Castle
They said it is impossible to rebuild Notre Dame, using medieval carpentry and building skills … but France’s medieval carpenters are doing it!
A review of a book on origins of the more curious and interesting of London’s pub names.
Food, Drink
It seems there are some (natural) products which are able to interfere with your body’s ability to use the nutrients you consume – known as antinutrients.
