THE BIG QUESTIONS
Which mountain did Sheila Hancock climb in a film she made a few years back? – S
The movie was called Edie, and Sheila played the title character, a women who, after her husband dies, decides to fulfil a lifelong ambition to climb Suilven.
The mountain, at 2,398ft, is quite a challenge for anyone, and Sheila was 83 at the time of filming. But she did climb it, though she later admitted: “Honest to God, I don’t know how!”
Are there any towers which lean more than the famous Leaning Tower Of Pisa? – K
Built in the 12th Century, Pisa’s Leaning Tower is the freestanding bell tower of Pisa Cathedral.
It began to lean during construction due to soft ground, and the tower is now 183ft 3in from the ground on the low side and 185ft 11in on the high side, leaning approximately four degrees.
The tower with the worst lean is the bell tower on a church in Suurhusen, in Germany. Just 84ft 3in tall, it has an alarming tilt of 5.1 degrees, 8ft 1in out of kilter.
Even the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, tilts very, very slightly.
Did the little boy who played the neighbour’s son in ’70s sitcom George & Mildred have a career in acting? – A
Nicholas Bond-owen played Tristram in all five series of the sitcom starring Yootha Joyce.
Born in 1968, he appeared in TV series such as The Coral Island and Oliver Twist, and in films including Lassiter, and a variety of TV ads until giving up acting in the late ’80s.
We believe he then moved into publishing.