Barometer
Who was the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace?
Fit for a king King Charles III, it has been reported, is reluctant to move into Buckingham Palace. Who was…
Who had the most highly attended state funeral?
The namesakes Some of history’s other Charles IIIs: – Charles III, King of Naples (1382-86): forced Pope Urban VI into…
Did Elizabeth II have anything in common with Elizabeth I?
Sovereign’s states When she died, Elizabeth II was Queen of 14 nations other than the UK: Antigua and Barbuda; Australia;…
How much can Boris Johnson earn on the speaker circuit?
In they come, out they go Liz Truss is the 15th prime minister to have served under Queen Elizabeth II,…
What did Nasa achieve last time it visited the Moon?
Of mice and Moon What did Nasa achieve last time it visited the Moon? Apollo 17, in December 1972, involved…
What’s Helsinki’s nightlife like?
Finnish lines Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she had taken a test for illegal drugs after being filmed at…
Do Brits take as many holidays as Boris?
Testing, testing When were A levels first sat? They can be traced back to the Oxford Local, an external examination…
What are the rules around ex-presidents’ paperwork?
Tracing paper FBI agents raided Donald Trump’s estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in search of papers he is accused of removing…
When did ‘best before’ dates begin?
An idea past its sell-by date Waitrose has announced the removal of ‘best before’ dates from many food products. –…
Which country has hosted Eurovision the most?
The longest heatwave How did the recent heatwave compare with that of 1976? That year, the temperature peaked at 35.9˚C…
Just how hot has it got in the UK?
Hot topic Last week’s Barometer detailed past UK temperature records. Those were broken by this week’s heatwave. On Monday a…
What’s the hottest it’s ever been in the UK?
Hot hot hot The Met Office said temperatures may hit 40˚C on Sunday, which would be the highest ever recorded…
How has the Wimbledon prize money changed over time?
Blooming huge Botanists discovered the largest species of giant water lily at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with leaves more…
Who’s still buying Russia’s fossil fuels?
Striking differences This summer’s strikes are unlikely to erupt as badly as the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 in the…
Barometer | 18 June 2022
He really is appalled Prince Charles was reported to have described the government’s plan to send asylum-seekers for processing in…
How much do the royals like curry?
Curry in favour The BBC apologised after one of its guests for the Jubilee coverage, Len Goodman, revealed that his…
Which monarchs have had the longest reigns?
Long to reign over us The Queen is the world’s current longest-serving monarch, but two in history have had longer…
How profitable are Britain’s biggest oil companies?
A slip of the tongue George W. Bush condemned a political system where one man could wage a ‘brutal and…
When did footballers’ wives become ‘WAGs’?
Wagtime Footballers’ wives Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney are locked in a libel trial dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’. The term WAGs,…
How hard is it to see an NHS dentist?
Biergate Sir Keir Starmer was facing the scandal of ‘beergate’. Biergate is a lane in the Lincolnshire village of Grainthorpe.…
Who’s heard of Lorraine Kelly?
The right to buy The Prime Minister floated the idea of granting housing association tenants a blanket right to buy.…
How controversial was Basic Instinct?
Stone me Boris Johnson threatened to unleash the ‘terrors of the Earth’ on an unidentified Tory MP who claimed that…
Which countries have the most expensive train tickets?
Park the issue Gladstone Park in Brent may be renamed as a result of the former PM’s connections with slavery.…
How much did Emily Maitlis cost licence fee payers?
Off duty How many non-doms are there in the UK? – In the year ending 2020, 75,700 people filled in…
Which foods are seeing the biggest price rises?
Palm substitutes Palm Sunday was so-called because of the palm fronds thrown before Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem. But…
