Trivia Investigation Team

[CitroJim]

Jim/Matt FYI

This seems like a decent bargain price of a bundle including Tootles!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285979826018 ... R-z25OCmZA

Ideal for Autumn

[NewcastleFalcon]

A follow on bit of trivia from the naming of vehicles and the journey into Tootles the Taxi...those Ladybird books across a huge range of subjects are an absolute joy. I slapped an example on the Vintage Audio thread, and there are countless others. The artists themselves with a bit of name checking warrant a little more of a delve, and on this site here "Ladybird fly away home" is a wealth of detail and stories.

I picked this one up and its well worth a browse

Ladybird and the M.O.D. the Plot Thickens
https://ladybirdflyawayhome.com/ladybir ... -thickens/

It concerns this book

Neil

[bobins]

^^^^^^^
What an utterly brilliant story

[mickthemaverick]

Agreed bobins, a fascinating read, well found Neil!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

I mentioned the Ladybird book Artists,

Of all the places in all the world where are the Ladybird Artists being featured in an exhibition of the collection of Helen Day "curator" of the Ladybird fly away website, and the author of the piece about Ladybird and the MOD

Here (10th May to 8th September 2024)

Spoiler: show

St Albans!
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/what ... rd-artists

Neil

[MattBLancs]

I really must try to get some some of those books for Autumn I absolutely love them and I know she will too...

So, have they been updated to include Eric the EV?

That's when Grandads get creative, you reach the last page of the book then you start making them up yourself
Little rhymes not beyond creation, or sub-contracting, and even pictures too, really quite easy to turn a photo into a colour drawing/ colour cartoon with any sort of image editor again not beyond creation or sub-contracting. Print them out fold them up inside the book and you have nice little bespoke annex to add to the delight!

I'm Strawberry the small car,....
I'm Bluebell the blue car....
I'm Polly the people carrier....

Very roughly...something like this

Tootles the Taxi homage!

Neil

I'm strawberry the small red car...
I'm bright and I'm red..
And not yet travelled that far,
Three bolt wheels, and not a lot else,
Col' Chapman's "add lightness" in a jolly french form,
Jim's tender care, plus joy rides, will soon be the norm!


First pretty terrible attempt!

[CitroJim]

That is absolutely great Matt Not terrible at all Love it!

No we need additional verses

[mickthemaverick]

A red AX is what I am
Although my food's not strawberry jam,
It's petrol that I need in my tank
Cos the smell of diesel's really rank!

When I was brought to my new home
I thought the boss was a jolly green gnome
But into my seat he duly climbed
And with the key I soon was primed.

He pressed my clutch and tickled my throttle
And then I knew he had the bottle
To drive me round the roads of Paggers
Ignoring all the finger waggers.

So off we went on my first run out
To try and make young Bluebell pout
But on a day of driving rain
It seemed our efforts were all in vain.

For when we returned to my new stable
Upon the door was a nice new label
"Welcome Home you strawberry fiend"
Was the greeting on which Bluebell leaned!!

[CitroJim]

That's absolutely awesome Mick Really enjoying this and will be preserving it in a form to be enjoyed - most likely nicely printed, framed and joining a poem written by Sian when she was little and a diagram of a laser printer converted to a cheese sandwich toaster drawn by Robyn when she first learned how a laser printer worked - she immediately saw the potential for the fuser to toast bread and the toner cartridge to hold grated cheese!

[NewcastleFalcon]

A small trivia diversion

Doesn't normally catch my eye but the bottom section of the index page on the FCF each day has this

Birthdays
Congratulations to: larsito (80), petey573 (60), craigh (60), talbotsteve (52), craigC5 (52), mardybum (40), 2004C2 (36)

Now which of those names caught my eye (apologies to the others) larsito of course

Unfortunately Larsito was one who came to the well of the FCF but went away thirsty with an unanswered question on a C4 Heater, and only ever posted one post back in March 2019.

One thing which caught my curiosity from Larsito's details was the location being Leksand in Sweden. How much did I know about Leksand ablolutely nothing, so a small google to find a bit out. Do the same if you want to, for now I left quite satisfied that the name appears on this particular product....and I do like the name.

roughly translated a Knacker Bread!

Leksands website English or Swedish options https://www.leksands.com/crispbreads/



Neil

[myglaren]

When my wife first came to Sweden she was most amused and called knäkebröd 'knackerbread'.

There was also a brand of toilet paper called Cräp that she delighted in calling 'crap'.

And of course, 'good' being bra delighted her, especially Bra Stormarknad (Good Supermarket). Not a shop selling only bra's.

Just a few of many.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Respectfully not trivia of course, and not in depth investigation, unless of anyone wants to pick up the ball and run with it in a moment of inspiration, but an add on to the story of Millfield Airfield and its role in training at a rapid rate young pilots from the UK and abroad during the 1940's. Quite a horrendous toll of training accidents. There is a memorial close to the former RAF Milfield, now partly used for the Borders Gliding Club, and adjacent to the archaelogical site of Maelmin, the home of the Anglo Saxon kings of Northumbria, after moving from Ad Geffrin.

In Pictures

Commemorative Window Kirknewton Church	Commemorative Plaque at Maelmin Next to former RAF Milfield
Y Look-Yan 14th January 1944	Information board about Flying Officer Look-Yan

Ulric Leslie Look-Yan was born in 1922. in Port of Spain. Trinidad. British West Indies. RECORD OF SERVICE of Ulric Leslie Look-Yan. (136422) Commenced training as a Pilot, under the Trinidad Air Training Scheme. 28.03.42. No 1 E.F.T.S. (Elementary Flying Training School ) Trinidad. 28.07.42. Enlisted in Canada as No 605481 L.A.C. (Leading Aircraftman).under the B.C.A.T.P.(British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) the renamed Empire Air Training Scheme, following the Ottawa agreement of 06 June 1942. A.C.R.C.(Aircrew Reception Centre) Monkton. Nova Scotia. Canada. No 41 S.F.T.S.(Service Flying Training School) Weyburn. Saskatchewan. Canada. 03. 12. 42. Discharged on appointment to commission Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 04. 12. 42. Commissioned as Pilot Officer, on probation General Duties Branch Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 27. 01. 43. No 7 Personnel Receiving Centre.(Supernumerary Officer pending posting) 11. 05. 43. No 5 (P) A.F.U.* (Pilot Advanced Flying Unit) Royal Air Force Ternhill. Shropshire. Miles Masters 29. 06. 43. No2 G.P.E.U. * (Glider Pilot Exercise Unit) Royal Air Force Netheravon and Royal Air Force Shrewton. Wiltshire. Flying, Qualified Army Glider Pilots on cross country flying and air experience flights, the glider pilots were on holding postings, until required for glider operations, and were keeping their hand in flying Tiger Moths. 30. 11. 43. No 59 O.T.U. Royal Air Force Milfield. 14. 01. 44. Killed in flying accident. Remarks: This Officer made his first solo flight on 05.06.42. in the same month he had his first experience of cross country and night flying. In Nov 1942 he completed the course of training and on the 30 Nov 42 was awarded the Royal Air Force Pilots Badge. He was then strongly recommended for a commission, having done very well and having shown himself to be very keen, cheerful and sound throughout the whole period of initial training. In all he has done 475 hours 55 minutes flying hours.

Info from http://www.milfield.org.uk/

Milfield was a training airfield for pilots in the Second World War, that from 04 AUG 42 - 26 JAN 44, more than 1200 pilots trained to the requirements of front line fighter squadrons. During three and a half years of operations at Milfield 51 pilots were killed or died as a result of injuries received in flying accidents - an average of one per month - with between 10-15 accidents per month. The pilots commemorated at St Gregory's Kirknewton include those from Canada and New Zealand.

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

There is a website recording West Indian Volunteers who served in the Royal Air Force, and the entry for Ulric Leslie Look-Yan is here, with an earlier image, better quality than my photo off the information board. Also includes a little more detail.

https://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/?p=117

This link also has a little more information about the accident on 14th January 1944 in the vicinity of Rosenden Farm near Wooler.

https://northeastatwar.co.uk/2019/02/02 ... 6-roseden/

Neil