THE BIG QUESTIONS
Why is the Dutch city called The Hague – we don’t say The Brechin, do we? – R
The Hague is the administrative and royal capital of the Netherlands and its seat of government.
Den Haag, as it is in Dutch, comes from the original name of Den Graven Hagg, which means “The Count’s hedge”.
Coincidentally, Brechin City FC is famous for the hedge which runs alongside their pitch.
It will soon be Christmas, so I’m thinking about what to buy my wife. She always jokingly asks for Chanel No. 5 perfume, but I tell her it’s too expensive – is it the world’s costliest? - M
No, as Chanel No. 5 can be bought for around £180 a bottle, while the most expensive is probably Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty, which sells for around £10,400.
The bottle is hand-crafted crystal and the neck is 24-carat gold on silver, embellished with a solitaire. It contains pricey ingredients such as Tahitian vanilla, lily of the valley, cardamom and rosa centafoli.
The scent is said to conjure up images of Aphrodite, goddess of love.
When was the first football match shown on television, and which teams took part? – C
The two sides were Arsenal – and Arsenal Reserves.
The specially arranged friendly took place in September, 1937, just a year after the BBC began broadcasting television
On April 9, 1938, the BBC televised the first international, a home International match between England and Scotland, from Wembley.
Scotland won 1-0.