Your Queries

In London they love their stocks and shares, but can you discover who was the first person, group or company that offered the public shares in their business? – M.

That was The Dutch East India Company, in 1602.

It became the first multinational corporation and the first megacorporation.

Between 1602 and 1796 it traded 2.5 million tons of cargo with Asia on 4,785 ships and sent a million Europeans to work in Asia. I have a recording of Ye Banks And Braes by Eileen Cameron on a double CD of Scottish favourites. Has she recorded anything else on CD? – G.

I believe you already own The Very Best Of Scotland, but Eileen does appear on another CD.

She recorded Songs Of The Borders with Joe Campbell.

Released in 1969, it’s on the London International label.

I’ve been watching re-runs of London’s Burning recently and would like to know what actor Andrew Kazamia is up to now. I don’t recall seeing him in any other TV shows. –B.

Andrew played fire chief Nick Georgiadis in 96 episodes of London’s Burning, from 1991-98.

Since then, he has concentrated on writing and directing.

His 2007 movie, Trust Me won the Best Of The Fest award at the Breckenridge Festival of Film.

There is a reporter on ITV news called Martha Fairley. Now, I seem to recall a rather excellent science correspondent called Peter Fairley. They must be related, surely? – M.

The aren’t related, I’m afraid, as Martha’s surname is actually Fairlie.

Peter Fairley became synonymous with ITN’s extensive live coverage of the Apollo moon landing missions in the ’60s and ’70s.