THE BIG QUESTIONS
I do love a stroll along the beach when the weather isn’t playing up. Where could I go for the longest stroll? – G.
The longest in Scotland, although there are no definitive records, is probably Balmedie beach, just north of Aberdeen, which stretches approximately 14 miles. The longest in the world, however, is more than 10 times longer. Brazil’s Praia do Cassino beach is 150 miles of glorious white sands.
The Tour de France should have been at the halfway point just now, but it has been postponed until late August. In the meantime, can you tell me who the oldest and youngest riders were? – A.
In the 1904 Tour, Frenchman Henri Paret was 50, but still managed to finish in 11th position. The youngest ever competitor, who lined up to start the 1906 tour at the tender age of 16 was his countryman, Edouard Chaumard. As far as winners go, the eldest was Firmin Lambot, who won the 1922 event aged 36. The youngest winner was Henri Cornet, who won the 1922 edition 15 days short of his 20th birthday. Defending champion, Egan Bernal, was 22 when he won last year.
Now that Match Of The Day is back on TV,
I’d like to know if its iconic theme tune was written for the show, or if it comes from somewhere else? – T.
Composer Barry Stoller wrote the tune specifically for the show in 1970. “Those fanfare harmonies give the music a gladiator feel,” he later said. “It’s akin to entering the ancient games arena in Rome with all its expectations.” Ironically, he later revealed he doesn’t even like football.