ON THIS DAY
MARCH 4, 1938 WAR on flats was declared by some MPs when the Housing Bill was considered in the Commons. Sir Percy Harris (Lib, SW Bethnal Green) said many people preferred their dirty old houses, with back-yards where they could keep rabbits and poultry. Mr F A Macquisten (Con, Argyllshire) said flats were all very well for pigeons, but they were never meant for humans. MARCH 4, 1988 EDDIE ‘the Eagle’ Edwards landed home to a hero’s welcome. Up to 10,000 people lined the streets of Cheltenham to greet the 24- year- old ski jumping Olympic loser whose competitive spirit made the bespectacled plasterer a winner with millions [at the Calgary Winter Games].
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
SIR Kenny Dalglish, 70. The Glasgow-born footballer-turned-manager, nicknamed ‘King Kenny’, is Scotland’s most capped international, with 102 appearances. He was Liverpool manager at the time of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and attended the funerals of many of the 96 victims. He received a knighthood partly in honour of his work with victims’ families. SHAKIN’ STEvENS, 73. The singer-songwriter was born Michael Barratt, the youngest of 13 children, in Cardiff. He was desperate for a festive No. 1 so held back Merry Christmas Everyone for a year to avoid clashing with Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? He once put Richard Madeley in a headlock on air after objecting to the Tv presenter referring to him as a ‘throwback’.
BORN ON THIS DAY
JOAN GREENWOOD (19211987). The London-born, Rada-trained actress starred in the Oscar-winning Tom Jones, 1952’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Ealing comedies. Fans loved her for her ‘blend of the aristocratic and the sultry’ and for her ‘husky purr’ — a voice described as ‘like gargling with champagne’. BOBBy WOMACK (1944-2014). THE U.S. singer- songwriter had hits including Across 110th Street, and his song It’s All Over Now gave the Rolling Stones their first No. 1. His marriage to ‘King of Soul’ Sam Cooke’s widow broke up due to his affair with her teenage daughter, Linda — who went on to marry Womack’s brother.
ON MARCH 4. . .
IN 1933, Franklin D Roosevelt made his first presidential inauguration address. He said: ‘Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ IN 1951, music request programme Housewives’ Choice started as part of the BBC’s new post-war schedule. It was intended for women left at home while their men were at work and ran until 1967.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: orrery (c1710) A) Pen or enclosure for pigs B) Religious figure at prayer C) Clockwork mechanism Answer below.
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Lead with one’s chin — to lay oneself open to a dangerous counter-attack. From when a boxer ‘leads with the chin’, dropping his guard as he moves forward.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Many’s the long night I’ve dreamed of cheese — toasted, mostly. Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist (1850-1894)
JOKE OF THE DAY
I USE a crow to wake me up in the morning... There’s caws for alarm. Guess The Definition answer: C