January 8, 2021
ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE JANUARY 8, 1982
THE Ford Cortina, Britain’s most popular car, which is to be replaced by a new Sierra model this year, is to live on in name at least. Ford plans to put a boot on the hatch-back Escort and call it Cortina.
Opposition from dealers and customers to axing the Cortina persuaded Ford to keep the name. It was introduced in 1962, and was Britain’s best-selling car from 1967 to 1981 — except in 1976, when it was overtaken by the Escort.
JANUARY 8, 1990
THE Leaning Tower of Pisa has been closed to the public after being branded unsafe. Guides at Italy’s £1 million-a-year tourist earner told visitors yesterday that it might be their last chance to climb the tower ‘before it falls’. [It would not reopen until 2001, following £200 million of repairs.]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY, 84, right. The singer from Cardiff’s Tiger Bay is best known for the theme songs for three James Bond films. Dame Shirley, who grew up in poverty, said that during the first lockdown she spent her time walking around her swimming pool in Monaco 12 times a day: ‘It’s quite big, so it was great exercise.’ TOMASz SCHAFERNAKER, 42. The Polish-born BBC meteorologist was voted the nation’s favourite weather presenter in a recent poll. He was the first presenter to abandon Radio 4’s shipping forecast mid-broadcast in its 91 years when he left it to be sick. And a video of him sticking a finger up at cheeky newsreader Simon McCoy has been viewed online millions of times.
BORN ON THIS DAY
WILLIAM HARTNELL (1908-1975). The actor from London played the title role in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant, and was the first Doctor Who. Hartnell said that he found the Daleks ‘difficult to play to, because you’re not looking into human eyes.’ RON MOODY (1924-2015). The star from Tottenham, born Ronald Moodnick, made his name as Fagin in Oliver! on stage and in the 1968 film. Moody said his biggest regret was turning down a chance to play the third incarnation of the Time Lord in Doctor Who (after William Hartnell, above, and Patrick Troughton). Moody did not marry until he was 61, though he and his wife went on to have six children.
ON JANUARY 8 . . .
IN 1697, 20-year-old Scots student Thomas Aikenead became the last person to be executed for blasphemy in Britain. IN 1941, Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement, died, aged 83.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Phlebotomy (c late 14th century) A) Medical blood-letting. B) Divination by tossed pebbles. C) The smothering of people in order to sell their bodies for dissection. Answer below. PHRASE EXPLAINED Smoke and mirrors: Meaning to conceal a truth in a situation. Smoke can obscure one’s real intentions and mirrors can distort to give a false representation.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
God made the country, and man made the town. William Cowper, English poet (1731-1800)
JOKE OF THE DAY
WHAT’S pink, wobbly and flies? A jellycopter. Guess The Definition answer: A.