Rail compensation to be paid in vouchers

Compensation for people affected by the building of the High Speed 2 railway line from London to Birmingham are to be paid in railway vouchers rather than cash. Moreover, the total compensation will be issued in one voucher for which change will not be given. For instance, someone compensated £100,000 because they cannot sell their home could use the voucher to enjoy a £66.20 cheap day return from London to Manchester but would have to forego the £99,933.80 change. This is in line with existing railway compensation policy.

Masterchef Facts

Masterchef HQ is actually John and Gregg's house.

Gregg's now famous line "Cooking doesn't get tougher than this!" was originally uttered by Gregg in response to a joint of beef that John had cooked for lunch that day.

Gregg receives no payment for his role in Masterchef. He is, however, allowed to finish off all the puddings at the end of each episode.

Gregg does all the washing up after each episode. John lets him know if he's missed anything.

John and Gregg are meticulous in being fair: each of them gets a vote to decide the fate of each contestant. If there is a tie, however, John gets the casting vote.

Gregg's the bakers is owned by Gregg Wallace.

New trains to use electronic livery

The new trains being planned as part of the Intercity Express Programme to replace existing Intercity 125 (HST, Class 43) and 225 (Class 91) fleets on the British rail network will be fitted with an electronic skin instead of conventional paint or transfers. The system, similar to the electronic paper used on Amazon's Kindle or electronic billboards, is being implemented in order to make large financial savings on the East Coast Main Line route. It will remove the necessity for the train operating companies (TOCs) to partially re-paint the fleet each time an operator goes bust and is replaced. Instead, the train driver will be able to start the train in the morning, check the day's roster to see what company he or she is working for that morning, and change the logo and livery accordingly. It can even be changed mid-journey: a new system of signals is being piloted at York station to update drivers if the franchise has been transferred since they left London or Edinburgh.

Cycling safety

Unlike those of children, the adult cranium is largely immune to the kinds of accident suffered by cyclists. This is why it is a common sight for parents to make their children wear cycle helmets while they do not do so.

Research has also shown that children do not really mind their parents being killed, so any danger that does exist is not really an issue.

My my

At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender.

Pus

Pus is squared.

Octopi

Octopi=25.12

The origins of pole dancing

Pole dancing originated in Poland.

The Behemoth

The behe moth was in fact the biggest moth that has ever existed. It had a wingspan of 2 feet and was white in colour making it resemble a small gull. The name comes from the exclamation of disbelief: "Be he moth?", i.e. "Is that really a moth?" because of its large size and resemblance to a bird.

It died out in the early 20th century after being hunted for meat by poachers during the Great Depression. It was served poached, as opposed to the even larger and also extinct Behebutterfly which was fried in butter (the term butterfly is a corruption of butterfry).

The British Library and St Pancras Station

The architect of the new British Library on Euston Road intentionally made it look rubbish in order to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the neighbouring St Pancras Station. This strategy paid off with the recent efforts to restore and re-use the magnficent station and hotel. It is now planned to knock down and replace the British Library building.