Barometer
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…
How much of a litre of fuel is now tax?
Common knowledge Tensions in the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Jamaica led some to speculate that…
Which countries have ditched daylight savings time?
Time for a change A bill before the US Senate would abolish daylight saving time. Some countries which have previously…
Who coined the name ‘Londongrad’?
Thamesky Prospekt Who first coined the place name ‘Londongrad’? The name was used in a BBC sitcom called Comrade Dad,…
Which European countries are most reliant on Russian gas?
High commodity Nickel trading was suspended this week after prices rose to over $100,000 per tonne – double its previous…
What does it mean to go ‘full tonto’?
The wild one Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that Vladimir Putin had gone ‘full tonto’. The word tonto is used…
Did Storm Eunice really break records?
Blow by blow Did Storm Eunice really set a new record for wind speed in England? A 122 mph gust…
How do Russian and Ukrainian military forces measure up?
Facing the music Police in New Zealand played Barry Manilow records to truck drivers in an attempt to persuade them…
Are the Winter Olympics suffering the effects of climate change?
No snow The pistes are covered with artificial snow and the hillsides are bare. Are the Winter Olympics a victim…
How many people still send letters?
Borderland Few countries can have passed through as many kingdoms and empires as Ukraine — the ‘borderlands’. These are just…
Who survived the sinking of the Titanic?
Prime numbers As of 29 January Boris Johnson will have been Prime Minister for two years and 190 days. Currently…
Are tsunamis becoming more deadly?
Stumped again Were England always so hopeless playing Australia at cricket? Since the first match in 1877 there have been…
When did the anti-vaxx movement begin?
No vax There is nothing new about the anti-vax crowds supporting Novak Djokovic. Organised protest in Britain began with the…
Barometer
Waiting for the gong Tony Blair was knighted, 14 years after leaving Downing Street. How long have other ex-PMs had…
Did the psychics’ predictions for 2021 come true?
Centenaries 2022 will see the 100th anniversary of: the BBC; Reader’s Digest; Ulysses by James Joyce; insulin treatment for diabetes;…
What effect did a year of lockdowns have on gun crime?
Thirsty work Sixty-one pub-goers on a night out in the Tan Hill Inn, 1,500 feet up in the Pennines in…
Has Peppa Pig changed political sides?
Red Peppa? In a rambling speech to the CBI, Boris Johnson praised Peppa Pig. Has she changed political sides? Peppa…
Does Leeds need trains – or trams?
Shell out Royal Dutch Shell announced that it is to move its HQ to London and become a fully British…
Is there any evidence climate change is making hurricanes worse?
Horror shows Eight people were killed when fans of rapper Travis Scott rushed the stage at a concert in Houston,…
Are there more over-seventies or twenty-somethings behind the wheel?
Another minute Addressing COP26 in Glasgow, the Prime Minister claimed it was ‘one minute to midnight’ in the fight against…
What’s more expensive – petrol or fizzy drinks?
Filming fatalities The actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot a cinematographer on set when mistakenly given a gun loaded with real…
What are the Queen’s favourite tipples?
Drinks at the palace The Queen was reported to have given up regular drinking. What do we know about her…
