I’d Like To Know

QI recently heard about a creature called a fossa, which I know is a feline-type animal, but can you tell me more about it? Miss C.F., Grangemouth.

AExclusive to Madagascar, the fossa is related to the mongoose. This carnivore rules the roost on the island – being the biggest mammal, it’s at the top of the food chain. With a lifespan of around 15 years, this solitary creature is adept both on the ground and among the forest branches. While the fossa is likened to a cat and has semi-retractable claws, its snout is shaped more like a dog’s, and its head resembles that of a mongoose. With a muscular body, the fossa can grow to around six feet long from nose to tail.

QThe bowler hat favoured by Charlie Chaplin seems to have been worn on both sides of the Atlantic, but I wonder when and where it was first made? Mrs L.D., Tewkesbury.

AThe first bowler hat was sold in 1849. It was produced by brothers Thomas and William Bowler on behalf of London hatters Lock & Co at the request of a customer. Apparently, the durability of the bowler – also known as a “Coke” hat after the person who commissioned it – was tested thoroughly when the customer stamped upon it before parting with his money.

The hard felt hat design proved popular among working classes, before becoming almost a trademark of gentlemen who worked in the city (along with a brolly, of course). Famous people who wore the bowler aside from Charlie Chaplin were Laurel and Hardy, as well as Butch Cassidy and Billy the Kid! The wearing of bowler hats fell into decline in the 1970s.

QWhat is the world’s oldest currency that’s still in use? Mr I.G., Arbroath.

AThis is the pound sterling, which can be dated back to Anglo-saxon times. Did you know that since the 1600s it’s also been customary for each monarch to face a different way from their predecessor? Queen Elizabeth II faces right on currency. Her father faced left.