The_Rev Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes aren't actually legal tender, even in Scotland & Northern Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 In the last 20 years, the number of buildings in Shanghai over 100m high has gone from 4 to over 4,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted September 9, 2012 Moderator Share Posted September 9, 2012 One of those flew over my house yesterday and I presume it did the same today (Though I didn't see it today). An absolutely magnificent sight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted September 9, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 9, 2012 The Gloster Meteor actually flew during the war.It entered service in 1944. It was only used against the doodlebugs as the British did not want to risk it over enemy teritory. So, that means that aviation went from bi-planes to jets in only 7 years. Very impressive. You are quite right, but the Meteor's war service was somewhat limited. Likewise, there were Hurricanes around in 1938, and the Gladiators saw action in 1940-41 (Norway and Malta) - and there were prototype jets around in Britain and Germany in the late 30s - but I deliberately chose a year either side to make the point that they were the established main fighters at that stage. Then again... The B-52 Stratofortress: First flight 15 April 1952, still in service! And staying in service until an estimated 2040, at least. An astonishing piece of equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 One of those flew over my house yesterday and I presume it did the same today (Though I didn't see it today). An absolutely magnificent sight Saw a thing comparing the Meteor with the Me262. The 262 performed better than the Meteor because it had a linear arrangement of compressors in its engines. Frank Whittle was well aware of the fact that a linear arrangement would be better, and in fact jet engines to this day use a linear arrangement. The problem was that materials to handle the stresses required for this were not yet properly developed: The 262's engines had to be replaced after something ridiculous like 24 hours of flying time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted September 9, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 9, 2012 German WW2 tech was way ahead of it's time pretty much across the board, even if, like in the case of Me262, their reach outstretched their grasp (a number of Germany's flagship tanks during period, particularly the Tiger tanks, were incredible feats of engineering but the weight so much and tolerances so small they ended up being, particularly the Tiger 2, fairly unreliable. Meanwhile the Russians bang out T-34s that the German's took the piss out of for being ugly and apparently poorly made, driven straight out of the factory to battle, but turn out to be one of the most successful tanks ever). The Germans actually invented the assault rifle, the Sturmgewehr 44 (which looks rather like the AK47 (and 74), testament to it's influence), but again despite being an incredible and lasting example of design was a pig to manufacture and maintain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Was listening to R4 the other day and a bird expert was on talking about waxwings: he said that their diet of berries (often fermented) meant that their livers were of a size and so developed as to be able to satisfactorily deal with the equivalent of 2 pints of 4% strength beer per hour without the waxwing getting too intoxicated. Apologies to resident VT Oddies if that's a croc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 10, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 10, 2012 Of players still active, no-one has scored more goals against Liverpool FC than Jamie Carragher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted September 17, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 17, 2012 There is only one football club in the top four English leagues (Premier Championship and Leagues 1&2) that contains none of the letters of the word 'mackerel' in its name . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 There is only one football club in the top four English leagues (Premier Championship and Leagues 1&2) that contains none of the letters of the word 'mackerel' in its name . Is it Man City? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 17, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 17, 2012 Anyone who's ever played the Soccer Saturday drinking game will know the answer to that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AValon Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Today I counted and identified five different types of butterfly in my garden, in ten minutes. Yesterday, there were only four? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 There is only one football club in the top four English leagues (Premier Championship and Leagues 1&2) that contains none of the letters of the word 'mackerel' in its name . Swindon Town Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troglodyte Posted September 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 18, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted September 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 18, 2012 In last week's pub quiz, we got the question "Which English league club plays at The County Ground". Me and the other footybloke™ umm-ed and aah-ed, until my missus (who knows nothing about football, HATES it in fact) suggested "Swindon Town". Correct. She's been insufferable ever since. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ads Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I had a chap at work ask me the pub question they got stumped on; Name the five English players who've played for Real Madrid. I started off with the first one who played there, the one they couldn't get, just to be smug. (I only know it due to having a Tesco carrier bag wearer for a best mate). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 18, 2012 I can name the 4 that I asume they could also get. But not the 5th. Damn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Alimantado Posted September 18, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted September 18, 2012 A quick web search suggests 11 English players have played for Real Madrid: England (11): Beckham, Cunningham, Johnson, Lindsey, Linney, McManaman, Owen, Stampher, Vickerstaff, Wallace and Woodgate. Apart from the obvious 5 I'm stumped on the rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I got the obvious five (Laurie Cunningham, Steve McMananman, David Beckham, Michael Owen & Jonathan Woodgate. I presume all of the others are from the early days of Real Madrid as a club? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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