The real-life Robin Hood
QUESTION
Robin Hood actor Errol Flynn was in awe of his archery double Howard Hill. What is known of him?
I WAS impressed as a lad with Errol Flynn’s archery skills in 1938’ s The Adventures Of Robin Hood. He was taught by Howard Hill, nicknamed the world’s greatest archer: he won 196 consecutive archery tournaments.
Hill had been a Southern League semipro baseball player, but when he married Elizabeth ‘Libba’ Hodges in 1922, she encouraged him to make a career out of his archery skills.
Errol and Howard were long- time friends, and the actor pulled some strings at Warner Brothers to get Hill the job as his archery double and teacher.
Howard went on to star in hunting films, such as Tembo, where he pursued leopards, lion and the elephant of the title, released by RKO in 1952.
He produced 23 short films for Warner Brothers and wrote several authoritative books on archery and big-game hunting, including Wild Adventure and Hunting The Hard Way.
Howard was renowned for his archery tricks. His most famous was the re-enactment of the William Tell crossbow stunt of splitting an apple balanced on his son’s head — only using a longbow from 40ft away and a foolhardy volunteer.
The film The Adventures Of Robin Hood has a famous scene in which Errol splits an embedded arrow in half with a direct hit. This trick was achieved with an invisible zip wire and the help of a sharp blade as the arrow’s tip. Howard did the shot successfully without these aids, but the director wanted a more precise split.
After his film career ended, Howard retired to a mansion in Vincent, California. He was honoured with the Alabama sports hall of fame award in 1971 and the Bowhunters hall of fame award in 1975, the year he died. Elizabeth, always at his side, died the following year.
I like to think I had his spirit with me when I scored two distant bullseyes with my first go at archery in Burnham Beeches on the film Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves.
My young nephew Adam could have done with some of Howard’s magic when he nearly hit his instructor at Center Parcs with his first ever attempt.
Danny Darcy, Reading, Berks.
QUESTION Which bacteria are the key offenders in causing smelly feet?
THE Dutch have a word for foot odour,
tenenkaas, which means ‘toe cheese’. It is accurate because one of the main offenders is the bacterium Brevibacterium epidermidis, which is similar to one used in cheese-making.
Bacteria thrive in the moist crevices of the feet, where they feed on proteins in dead skin; a major by-product is a cheesy smelling gas called methanethiol.
A close relative of this bacteria, B lineus, makes methanethiol from the proteins in milk. This is exploited by the manufacturers of brie and camembert, who add this bacteria during cheese-making.
Propioni bacteria is another smelly feet offender. These populate sebaceous glands, which excrete the oils that keep your skin moist. They can get infected, causing acne.
This bacterium secretes propionic acid, which is similar to acetic acid (vinegar) and might account for foot odours identified as being vinegar-like.
Isovaleric acid (3-methylbutanoic acid) is another source of foot odour and is a result of a bacteria that is also present in several strong cheeses.
Dr Ian Smith, Cambridge.
QUESTION How has Botswana managed to be economically stable and successful?
THE earlier answer described how mineral wealth and good governance, particularly by Seretse Khama, the country’s first president, made Botswana one of Africa’s success stories.
The photo of Khama, his English wife Ruth and two of their children, Ian and Jacqueline, brought back many happy memories. I worked in Botswana for two years from 1976, and my duties took me all over Botswana.
I would go to the State House to check the stand-by generator. One day I heard a female English voice, bidding me: ‘Good morning.’ She introduced herself as Lady Khama. We had a long conversation until one of her twin sons, TK or Tony, came for her.
I came to know the twins and their brother, Ian, who has followed in his father’s footsteps to become the country’s president. I remember my time in Botswana with great affection.
Philip Roe, Stamford Bridge, E. Yorks.
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