No escape for Harry Houdini
QUESTION Is it true that escapologist Harry Houdini was once late for a performance due to being locked in his dressing room toilet?
IN the 2015 BBC documentary Glasgow Big Night Out, it was claimed that when Houdini was performing at the Glasgow Empire Theatre, the great escapologist was locked by accident in the toilet and had to be rescued.
The programme told the history of Glasgow’s rich entertainment i ndustry with a f ocus on i ts notoriously tough audiences – Des O’Connor fainted with fear on stage at The Empire.
Houdini, who had a famously large ego, played there in 1900 and the story was probably circulated to burst his bubble.
In fact, such tall tales followed him around, with the story changing from him being accidentally locked in a closet to a phone booth, toilet or car.
The Canadian magician Dai Vernon told the story of how members of the Society of American Magicians tricked Houdini into going into a closet at the New York Hippodrome and t hen locking him inside. ‘We pulled this trick on him because he was such a terrible egotist,’ he claimed.
Vernon’s main claim to fame is he confounded Houdini with a card trick – a story that needs greater scrutiny.
Martin Rees, Swansea.
QUESTION In World War II, did the Germans fit a Daimler-Benz engine to a captured Spitfire? How did it perform?
SPITFIRE VB EN830 NX-X fell into German hands on November 18, 1942. Bernard Scheidhauer, a 19- year- old pilot i n the Free French Air Force, attached to 131 County of Kent Sqn RAF, was returning from a sortie when he took damage to his fuel tank.
He became disoriented and instead of landing at his target destination on the Isle of Wight, he ended up in a turnip field near Dielament Manor, Trinity, in German-occupied Jersey.
When locals informed him of his mistake, he asked them for fuel so he could burn his aircraft. There was none, so he smashed the instruments and distributed his equipment to onlookers before being taken into custody.
The aircraft, complete with its Merlin engine, was transported to
Rechlin, Germany, where it was designated CJ-ZY and painted yellow and green.
It was sent to Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart, where Daimler-Benz operated a flight testing division. While there, its 12-volt electrical system was replaced with the Luftwaffe’s 24- volt version. The Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 was removed in favour of a Daimler-Benz DB 605A.
Willi Ellenrieder was the first test pilot to fly the MesserSpit. When asked how it handled, he reported: ‘Well, this Spitfire was a dream, a pilot’s aircraft. It was my real baby. I had never before flown an aircraft like this.
‘We were accustomed to the Bf 109’s ill manners: bad visibility before take-off because the nose pointed skyward, the frightening take- off with the tendency to swing, the unwieldy handling during the final approach and the bumpy landings.
‘To my surprise, all this had gone as soon as I did my first flight in that Spitfire. First, visibility was far better and when I pushed the throttle forward, suddenly I was in the air! No swerving during the ground roll. The plane had a fantastic rate of climb, about 70ft per second, and behaved extremely well during all manoeuvres. The landing was no different: final approach, touch the runway and there you were.’
It was also reported that the MesserSpit had a flight ceiling of 41,666ft – which was 5,000ft better than the Spitfire VB and 3,200ft better than the Bf 109G.
Despite its success, the MesserSpit didn’t go into production, because of the cost. The aircraft remained at Echterdingen and was popular with test pilots. On August 14, 1944, a formation of US bombers attacked Echterdingen, wrecking the MesserSpit.
Scheidhauer was sent to Stalag Luft III. He was ultimately murdered by the Gestapo for his part in the Great Escape.
George Wallace, Nottinghamshire.
QUESTION Does the Blue Peter garden still exist?
THE original Blue Peter garden has been dug up and moved to a site near BBC Salford, where it is open to the public.
The children’s TV show launched in 1958, and in 1974, a plot between the buildings of BBC TV Centre in Wood Lane became the first Blue Peter garden. It was the brainchild of long-time editor Biddy Baxter, who realised many of the show’s viewers would be the first generation of children to grow up without a garden. This was a way to introduce them to the outdoor world. It was designed by Gardeners’ World host Percy Thrower and unveiled by presenters Peter Purves, John Noakes and Lesley Judd on May 21, 1974.
The BBC announced in July 2009 it would be moving to Salford. Its West London site was turned into a complex of flats, offices, a cinema and hotel. The original garden is now just a lawn.
The new garden, next to the MediaCityUK tram stop, was opened by Princess Anne on February 23, 2012.
Like the original, it features a sunken garden, ornamental fishpond, show dog Petra’s statue and time capsules.
There are also hand, foot and paw prints of the presenters and animals who appeared on the show in 1978.
Blue Peter fans considering a trip to see it should note the garden is just 40ft by 20ft. One disgruntled visitor described it as ‘barely a postage stamp’.
Elaine Morris, Manchester.
QUESTION What’s the best way to swat a fly?
FURTHER to t he previous answers, wait for the fly to land and then approach it slowly with a handkerchief in your hand. Very slowly close in on the fly until you are just an inch away and suddenly cover it with the cloth.
Dispose of the fly via an open door or window and watch it depart none the worse for the experience. This method works because flies rarely react to slow movements. They are programmed to react to quick movements and easily avoid swatting.
Andrew Claiden,
Hampshire.