Thursday, 26 December 2024

It's Quiz Time - Number 1

A Personal Note from fbb: One of the dubious privileges of old age is to say farewell to good friends who have died. On the morning of Christmas Eve John Simpson moved from life to eternity. 

I have known John for sixty years. 

His working life was all about public transport in Sheffield, Birmingham, back to Sheffield and back to Birmingham again. 

Whilst his death was not unexpected - he had recently been moved to a Hospice - relief for the family is always tinged with deep sadness. My prayers are for his wife, two sons, their wives and the two grand children.

Cheerio, John, I'll miss you.

Any weakness in blogging may be exacerbated by the news.

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A Puzzle Picture

The sign is used in Italy, and, slighty modified, elsewhere in Europe,

It simply warns the motorist of FOG.

The designers of the UK's equivalent road signs gave up on fog and made it easy for all Ebglih speakers to inderstand.
But less easy for visitors from overseas!

In 1934 the Ministry of Transport (or whatever it was called then) legislated for a standard set of road signs for the whole of the UK, replacing a hotch potch mixed bag of all sorts.
The school sign was particularly weird and was replaced, possibly in the early 1950s.
A few blogs back, fbb referred to several series of game cards which challenged the player to "find the fault". These date from the 1930s and it is therefore not surprising that they include the challenge of the "new" road signs.

Here are a few for our post festive digestionally difficult readers to try.

It was in 1963 that the Warboys Committee report was published presaging the introduction of "continental" styled signs. So our younger readers may find this little post-festive teaser more tricky than old codgers like fbb.

In Each case there is a mistake on the pictures, for example, in one fbb uploaded in an earlier blog ...
... where the trolley poles are pointing in the worng direction! Easy eh?

Now try there|:-
 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 

 bonus 
fbb reckoned this one was very difficult - but maybe he got it wrong. Your blogging bloke does not have any official aswers, but do yours match his - especially for this one?

Answers will appear later in the week.

Invited Guests on Christmas Day
It was a joy for the fbbs to welcome four of their fellowhsip members to join them for Christmas lunch.
And the  chef was always hard at work!
And church was packed yesterday at 1030! Praise the Lord for a real CHRISTmas.
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"NOT the Advent Calendar", but ...

     The      
  CHRIST -mas 
  Criss-muss  
   Confusion  
 Critique  26 

... On The Feast Of Stephen ...
The evidence for Good King Wenceslas is tenuous in the extreme. Whether he actually took flesh, wine and pine logs to a poor man, by the forest fence near St Agnes Fountain, is even more tenuous. Yet we sing the Crissmuss Carol lustily. It has absolutely no connection with
 CHRISTmas. apart from the supposed events happening on Boxing Day, a k a St Stephen's Day.

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

There is a passing mention of "Christian" in the last verse, as well as a child's snigger for "sod".

In his master's step he trod
Where the snow lay dented
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

What the first CHRISTmas started meant much much more that just taking warmth and food to the poor, although such care is a consequence of the truth of the season.

Once in Royal David's City was written as a childrens' carol, but a slight rejig of at least one verse challenges Adults as well as the young ones.


The message of CHRISTmas continued just a week after the miraculous birth.

As we shall see. 

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  Next  Quiz blog : Friday 27th Dec 

4 comments:

  1. John Simpson was for many years membership secretary of the Omnibus Society and treasurer of its Midland Branch. I took over as treasurer when it became apparent that he shouldn’t continue. He remained as involved in branch activities as he could as his health deteriorated.

    I know from my own family that people with dementia gradually slip away, but the final parting still comes as a shock. My sympathies go to all involved.

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  2. Does someone run out with the signs when it is foggy? Or are they left out all year so you know that of you can't see them it must be foggy. Or dark.

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    Replies
    1. Perhaps they should follow what the railways used to do, and have someone standing by the sign putting warning detonators onto the road ... or perhaps not.

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  3. Well, "ice" and (sometimes) "flood" signs are permanent!

    I wasn't sure about that last picture: I first thought of the lack of Stop lines on the transverse route, but now realise it's because red should be at the top, not the bottom.

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