Firm sense of humour!
QUESTION What’s the most inappropriate shop name?
My vote goes to Selfridges because it does not sell fridges.
S. Fletcher, Hindley, Lancs. SAMUEL ‘l’ JACKSON is a driving instructor from Southport ( the ‘l’ stands for learner driver). there was an amusing episode of BBc1’s the Graham norton Show when his Hollywood actor namesake called him up for a chat.
according to Mr Jackson the driving instructor: ‘He didn’t seem upset about me using the name and he was a nice guy.’
Jem Marr, Liverpool. My Favourites are Godloves Solicitors in leeds and Wright Hassall Solicitors in leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
other candidates include the london opticians Spex In the city and fish-and-chip shops Frying nemo in yorkshire and a Salt and Battery in new york.
there’s also Pane In the Glass, the name of several double-glazing firms, Facial attraction, a beauty salon in Pontypool, and the athlete’s Foot, a shoe shop in nowra, australia.
Mrs E. Bourne, Crawley, W. Sussex. As you drive from Shrewsbury over the Welsh mountains towards Bala, you will pass through knockin — where the local store is called the knockin Shop.
Ian Green, Malvern, Worcs. These shop names are, perhaps, a little too appropriate: Spruce Springclean, a carpet cleaners in cornwall; Surelock Homes, a locksmiths in Portsmouth; chip shops a Fish called Rhondda in Pentre and Battersea cod’s Home in london; Jean claude van Man, a Merseyside removal company; Sellfridges, a white goods outlet in Stoke newington, north london; Bonnie tiler, a tiling and plumbing firm in Gateshead; and Jason Donervan, a kebab van in Bristol.
Peter Smith, Durham.
QUESTION A plaque on the Swan & Royal Hotel, Clitheroe, says the development of Frank Whittle’s jet engine was taken up by Rolls-Royce from Rover in 1942. What were the reasons for this?
AT THE outset of World War II, Rover’s car-making was suspended and diverted towards the war effort. Its chief engineer, Maurice Wilks, was asked to prepare Frank Whittle’s jet engine, Project Supercharger, for quantity production.
Before this, Whittle’s company Power Jets ltd had been working with industrial turbine specialists British thomson-Houston, but he was frustrated with the slow progress.
operations began at Helen Street, coventry, but the Blitz forced the company to relocate to Waterloo Mill, an old textile mill in clitheroe, lancashire.
the job in hand proved a difficult one. unbeknown to Whittle, the Ministry of aircraft Production had tasked Wilks to make ‘any changes to the design that would facilitate the manufacturing process’. this would bring Rover into conflict with Whittle.
the Rover team began work on Whittle’s W.2 design, but quickly discovered that it was prone to surging and misfire and was also underpowered.
Rover received permission from the Ministry to design a new engine with a different layout, the B26. this project was so secret that Whittle wasn’t informed about it.
B26 ran for the first time in november 1942 and showed a great improvement in thrust and reliability.
When Whittle found out about it, he was incandescent with rage that his designs had been meddled with.
the Ministry tactfully reallocated jet engine development work to Rolls-Royce in 1942.
this solution was a clever compromise that saw Rover hand over its gas turbine work to Rolls-Royce, receiving in return a substantial tank engine contract. Interestingly, Whittle and Wilks were keen fencers and fought a number of bouts. Wilks proved superior and always beat Whittle, which, according to Rover boss ‘Spen’ king, resulted in a further deterioration in relations.
Simon Barnes, Birmingham.
QUESTION Is it true that a baby can hold its breath underwater for longer than an adult? If so, how?
BABIES and some young children can survive for long periods underwater, but the process is not universal, and, crucially, takes place only in very cold water.
the dive reflex in aquatic mammals such as seals, otters and dolphins exists in a weaker form in humans.
It is triggered by cold water contacting the face. Receptors in the nasal cavity and areas of the face supplied by the trigeminal nerve relay information to the vagus nerve in the brain.
this triggers an immediate response called bradycardia, which is a slowing of the heart rate, lowering the requirement for bloodstream oxygen.
the response initiates peripheral vasoconstriction of blood vessels, which removes blood from the limbs and all organs except the heart and brain, protecting them from damage for potentially long periods of submersion.
the response is particularly strong in newborns. the foetal diving reflex is thought to conserve oxygen during the passage down the birth canal. the surge of hormones experienced after birth reverses the process over time.
the gag reflex also means that a baby will instinctively hold its breath and avoid inhaling water in response to the sensation of feeling water on its face, nose, throat and voice box. this is why water births are possible.
there have been some remarkable cases of babies and children surviving for long periods underwater in very cold conditions. In 2013, a baby girl survived being trapped underwater for four minutes when her mother’s car crashed into a ditch. Mary Usbourne, Halifax, W. Yorks.
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