ON THIS DAY

FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE APRIL 1, 1949

MEMBERS of the catering executive of British Railways were quizzed about the loss of five million teacups and saucers a year by theft and breakages. The chairman, Lord Inman, declared: ‘Unfortunately, many apparently respectable people steal railway cups. We are, therefore, introducing papiermache cups and have ordered 500,000.’

APRIL 1, 1965

THE BBC hoaxed thousands of viewers last night — two hours before April Fool’s Day — by persuading them to smell their TV sets. A professor on BBC2’ s science programme Horizon told viewers to sniff the screen as he fed coffee beans and later an onion into equipment.