ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE
APRIL 28, 1952
THE average Briton has a sweeter tooth than his American cousin. A productivity team representing the British cake and biscuit industries, say this is because the Americans have not adopted the British custom of taking a break in the morning for coffee and another in the afternoon for tea.
APRIL 28, 1992
The House of Commons took a giant leap for sex equality yesterday when it elected Betty Boothroyd (pictured) as Speaker — the first woman to hold the office in its 700-year history. A salvo of cheers greeted the result, and the Labour MP — who was once part of the Tiller Girls dancing troupe — said: ‘I was very touched and surprised. I’ve never heard applause in the Commons before.’
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
LAUREN LAVERNE, 42. The presenter from Sunderland, has appeared on radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and now hosts radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. She used to dream of being a guest when it was fronted by Kirsty Young, and thought: ‘I’m just going to do eight Funk Bangers. And me and Kirsty’ll just dance all the way through.’ PENELOPE CRUZ, 46. The Madrid-born actress was the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar (for vicky Cristina Barcelona). Married to actor Javier Bardem, Cruz trained as a ballet dancer and said all of her toes ‘are twisted’ as a result: ‘I would peel my toenails off because they were completely black from the pain.’
BORN ON THIS DAY
L’WREN SCOTT (1964-2014). The 6ft 4in American model and fashion designer (born Laura Bambrough) was the long-term partner of Mick Jagger. She was 6ft tall by the age of 12, but said: ‘Weirdly, my nickname was Lady. I didn’t get Stretch, or Stilts, or Spider Legs — I got Lady.’ Aged 49, Scott took her own life. SIR TERRY PRATCHETT (1948-2015). The fantasy novelist from Buckinghamshire was 13 when his first story was published in the school magazine. When it was reproduced commercially the following year he used the £14 fee to buy his first typewriter. Good thing, too, as it led to him selling 80 million books in 37 languages, including the mega- successful Discworld series. Terry had little patience for critics of his genre, saying: ‘Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.’
ON APRIL 28
IN 1969, the soap Waggoners’ Walk began on radio 2. It would run until 1980.
IN 2011, the then Shadow Chancellor ed Balls mistakenly tweeted his own name. The post has been retweeted 99,000 times and ed Balls Day is now celebrated annually.
WORD WIZARDRY
GUESS THE DEFINITION: Bombazine (c. 1545)
A) A yellowish, golden colour. B) Fabric of silk and wool. C) Whalebone hoops worn under dresses.
Answer below.
PHRASE EXPLAINED Walls have ears:
A warning that someone might overhear a conversation. Coined in the 1600s, it refers to the story of Dionysius who imprisoned enemies in a cave in Syracuse where acoustics enabled him to eavesdrop.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Familiarity breeds contempt — and children.
Mark Twain, American writer (1835-1910)
JOKE OF THE DAY
What do you call an arrogant criminal going down the stairs?
A condescending con descending. Word wizardry answer: B