General Knowledge Quiz

[DaleCooper]

Franz Joseph

 

[Calthrop]

@Peterthegreat says, King Boris; @DaleCooper, Franz Joseph. Neither, alas. (Taking it that Boris of Bulgaria is meant -- he was a great railway enthusiast, was he not? -- so he must have been a good guy .)

I've perhaps been a bit unkind -- our anti-hero is not a very well-known historical figure: just, he anyway used to have a certain amount of fame in stamp-collecting circles, because of his postmark-related craziness. (Hint -- this stuff happened when postage stamps were a very new invention.)

 

[DaleCooper]

@Peterthegreat says, King Boris; @DaleCooper, Franz Joseph. Neither, alas. (Taking it that Boris of Bulgaria is meant -- he was a great railway enthusiast, was he not? -- so he must have been a good guy .)

I've perhaps been a bit unkind -- our anti-hero is not a very well-known historical figure: just, he anyway used to have a certain amount of fame in stamp-collecting circles, because of his postmark-related craziness. (Hint -- this stuff happened when postage stamps were a very new invention.)

About time for another clue.

 

[Calthrop]

About time for another clue.

Yes, sorry -- I've been meaning to give one.

Narrowing things down: the gent was doing his thing near the end of the time when Italy was a bunch of assorted different polities of one kind and another; he was a "big wheel" in one of those, in fact the biggest in that particular one.

 

[DaleCooper]

Yes, sorry -- I've been meaning to give one.

Narrowing things down: the gent was doing his thing near the end of the time when Italy was a bunch of assorted different polities of one kind and another; he was a "big wheel" in one of those, in fact the biggest in that particular one.

Victor Emmanuel

 

[randyrippley]

Garibaldi?

 

[Calthrop]

Nope -- neither of them -- Garibaldi is generally reckoned a "goodie" in that milieu. Our guy was definitely a "baddie" (as well as a narcissist).

 

[randyrippley]

Nope -- Garibaldi is generally reckoned a "goodie" in that milieu. Our guy was definitely a "baddie" (as well as a narcissist).

Sounds like Machiavelli, but he was too early to issue stamps


Was it one of the Popes?

 

[Calthrop]

Not a Pope -- he was Catholic, but a layman.

His harsh repression of a breakaway attempt by part of his territory -- including heavy naval bombardment of a city therein, with much loss of life, for many hours after the insurgents had surrendered -- caused his unfortunate subjects to nickname him "Bomba". (OK by me personally, should folks wish to Google !)

 

[MotCO]

Bomba Gascoigne?

 

[Calthrop]

If only ...

Will likely be out and about, away from computer, until latish evening today (Sun.); subjects to terrorise -- you know how it is ...
Plan to revisit in the evening.

 

[Calthrop]

"End of the road", it would seem. Our man is King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (!810 -- 1859; his reign was from 1830 until his death). By most accounts, not a nice chap; "died in his bed" -- but, some think, death hastened by an assassination attempt three years earlier.

Did no other poster on this thread, maybe, collect stamps as a kid? I did so -- reading-matter then on the subject, told of Ferdinand "Bomba" and his "thing" about postmarks; impressed me as so wonderfully daft, that it's stuck in my mind ever since. The business happened in the very early days of postage stamps (originated in Britain by Rowland Hill in 1840) -- unfamiliarity then, of the whole thing, perhaps prompts a little bit of understanding vis-a-vis the king's reaction.

Let's reckon that it's open floor.

 

[DaleCooper]

Next question:

Many bricks made by the London Brick Company were marked "PHORPRES". What was the significance of that legend?

 

[Ashley Hill]

They contained Phosphorus?

 

[randyrippley]

the moulds were made by someone who couldn't spell "four"

 

[Spamcan81]

Next question:

Many bricks made by the London Brick Company were marked "PHORPRES". What was the significance of that legend?

The clay was pressed four times before the bricks were fired.

 

[DaleCooper]

They contained Phosphorus?

No

the moulds were made by someone who couldn't spell "four"

So close but...

The clay was pressed four times before the bricks were fired.

That's it, your turn...

 

[Spamcan81]

No

So close but...

That's it, your turn...

Had a school visit to the brickworks back in the 60s. I knew the info would come in useful one day.

 

[Spamcan81]

Where would you find a Zarbi?

 

[randyrippley]

Where would you find a Zarbi?

Fighting the Menoptera on Dr Who

 

[Spamcan81]

Fighting the Menoptera on Dr Who

That didn’t take long.
The Tardis is yours.

 

[randyrippley]

OK, staying with the Dr Who universe.......
How many K9 robot dogs were there, and who were the female characters associated with each?

 

[444045]

If memory serves me right, there were 2 K9 robot dogs,

Romana & Leela were the female characters both with Tom Baker as the Doctor.

 

[randyrippley]

If memory serves me right, there were 2 K9 robot dogs,

Romana & Leela were the female characters both with Tom Baker as the Doctor.

Remember there were other TV series within the Dr Who Universe.
There were more dogs, and there were more than two of the "mistresses"

 

[Ashley Hill]

Sarah Jane Smith. K9 also appeared in some David Tennant episodes but I can’t think which of his three assistants was with him at the time.

 

[randyrippley]

Sarah Jane Smith

that's the third mistress
so how many dogs?

==edit==
clue - the answer isn't three

 

[randyrippley]

Sarah Jane Smith. K9 also appeared in some David Tennant episodes but I can’t think which of his three assistants was with him at the time.

Sarah Jane for those

But how many dogs?

 

[DaleCooper]

But how many dogs?

Three

 

[randyrippley]

Three

No! More than that

 

[DaleCooper]

No! More than that

Four