Interview: Working with The Who

Part 1 of 3 rock opera-related articles by Tim Bustin

Forty-four years ago, rock giants The Who released the first-ever rock opera (an album in which the music tells a story). This was 'Tommy', a story about a deaf, dumb and blind child who lives through vibrations and music, channelling his sensations through the medium of pinball (hence the classic “Pinball Wizard”), eventually overcoming his conditions and creating his own religion to attempt to teach others how to live his ways, before he is finally rejected by his followers (drawing parallels with other religious leaders). 

This complex, sometimes pretentious, yet undeniably addictive composition was adapted into a movie, filmed in Portsmouth and starring acting greats such as Oliver Reed, Ann-Margret, Jack Nicholson and Robert Powell, as well as musicians Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and Elton John, with Who singer and rock god Roger Daltrey as Tommy and the rest of the band making cameo appearances. Directed by Ken Russell, it’s a combination of eccentric, artsy suffering and brilliance, which won Ann-Margret a Golden Globe, an Academy Award nomination and Pete Townshend, Who guitarist and the creator and composer of Tommy, an Oscar nomination for his work in scoring and adapting the music.

PGS Nursery teacher Mrs. Sandy was fortunate enough to take part as an extra, during the filming in Portsmouth, and I was able to interview her about her experience on-set.

How did you get involved in it, back in 1974/75, do you remember?

I was at school with friends and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time when they were looking for young extras to be in Tommy.

Do you mind if I ask how young?

I was fourteen at the time (laughs). All very old memories. Fourteen at the time. And we then had to sign up and fill out some forms, get our parents to consent to because we were under age then. But, of course I said yes; we took two weeks off school and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we did some locations: we did South Parade Pier and it burned down, and we went up to the top of the hill, Fort Widley; they use that at the end of the scene for the big holiday camp.

Yes, with all the pinballs which are buoys coloured silver?

Yes. We went to Rowland’s Castle, and Roger Daltrey had a double for the flying scene because he was flying on a kite, so he had a double for that, who was a spitting image of him and he was really nice as well, met him too; Oliver Reed I met, spent ages talking to him - I’d just got into fencing and his next film was going to be The Three Musketeers, so it was a good linking up point.

Yes, well I was going to ask you which famous people you met on the set, because I know a lot of people were involved in Tommy - so have you got any good stories about it?

I was chaperone to Vicky Russell, director Ken Russell’s daughter, who was in the film; I think she was a couple of years younger than me and because we were young as well we just got all put together and in the end we travelled with her in the limo, went down to town, had lunch, so that she wasn’t by herself. Her mum was really nice as well, so, yes, had a really good time. And we met Keith Moon.

Oh yes, I’m a very big fan.

Yes, the best one!

He must’ve had a lot of stories

Well, I was only very young at the time… no, he was really nice.

So, moving away from celebrities to you, is there a scene in Tommy where we actually see you - do you ever look back and say oh look there’s me, right there?

Right at the end, yes. I have the whole screen to myself, for just a couple of seconds. It’s right near the end, where Keith Moon’s on his big organ up at Fort Widley

                                                                                                                                                   

Oh, when he’s driving the mini car with the organ attached to it?

Yes, just down there and I’m pushing someone in a wheelchair. That’s me, but I was in lots of other scenes, with lots of other people. You can’t always see yourself, but when we went to see it was like “Oh my god there’s me”.And then we went to a Who concert, and it was amazing.

Of course. It’s The Who. So, what’s you’re fondest memory of the whole experience, because, I you got to meet fabulous people, you got to be in a film, you got to see these amazing sets all around Portsmouth…?

It was just using Portsmouth as the backdrop and back then, it hasn’t really changed when you think about it. 

Except South Parade Pier; I was in it when it was burning

Oh, well that’s not really you’re fondest memory, is it?

No. This haze came over and there was a funny smell. "Why’s everybody running?" So we hid, my friends and I hid under the tables until the firemen came. Being young girls, we didn’t really know what to do, and then, because we were all dressed up as extras, our clothes got burned, and that was sort of scary, but then we had to go back to the Queen’s Hotel and there were really nice people in there; we were trying to work out if anyone was missing or not. Of course, it was quite a big event in Southsea at the time.

They used that in the final edit of the film, didn’t they - Roger Daltrey running next to the pier as it burned.

Maybe that was your craziest memory, or the bit you remember the most about filming

I think I remember them all, but South Parade Pier was…

The biggest?

Yeah. It was one of my biggest memories of the whole thing. And then, meeting Oliver Reed, he was just really nice and then Keith Moon was just crazy but being young at the time you don’t appreciate meeting these people until later on as you as you start to grow up. And you start getting into more and more different things, so, yes, I didn’t really appreciate it, and was one of the lucky ones to actually get involved

What did you think of the final film, when you saw it in the cinema for the first time? Obviously when you’re working on a film, you have no idea what the finished product is going to be like but when you went to the cinema were you surprised at what you saw?

We went to the cinema to see it, saw it for free, so we were lucky, we were invited to go and see it.

And yes because some scenes I wasn’t there for (because we were only allowed to have two weeks), we sort of had to pick which two weeks we wanted. But it was nice to see it as a whole even though I didn’t understand it at first because we were quite young.

It’s quite a complicated plot. Had you heard the album beforehand and tried to decipher the lyrics, because Tommy tends to be called either pretentious or brilliant.

I know, it’s like everything isn’t it? You have your fans and your critics and you just enjoy it. It was interesting to watch the scenes I was actually in from the other side because we were here, the cameras were here, and some scenes we thought we were doing a really good job and we’d do half a dozen to a dozen different takes and it was only putting a hand up but all the hands had to be in the right place - yes and I think looking at it, it was really interesting, It was hard work sometimes because you had to stand a long time with your hand like this or like this.

Well I suppose with a film like Tommy, especially as it’s quite an artsy film, was it ever confusing doing something in filming and you weren’t quite sure why you were doing it, but when you saw the film you thought, "Oh my God, that makes sense?"

It took a few times to watch it because the first time I watched it I wasn’t really concentrating. I was watching the scenes that had me, as you would, but the the more you watch it the more you get into it and it’s like most films, you have to watch films a few times, just to understand the story, and then you realise, and then there are other bits on there, hidden elements that can be drawn out, so yes it was good.

 

Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, with the rest of the Who (left to right: John Entwistle, Keith Moon,
Roger Daltrey (as Tommy) and Pete Townshend), at the Kings Theatre, Southsea.

Were you a fan of The Who’s music beforehand, and is that why you got involved, or did you get involved because you wanted to enjoy a different experience?

Back in those days it was the verge I think, because my mum was into Scott Walker, Mammas and Papas, those were the sorts of things I heard and then, I suppose, because that was our British music I’d listened to it, but because I was that age it wasn’t my type of music. My type of music went on to punk so… but it was a good basis.

Are you a fan of them now, because of that experience?

I just like some of their music and some of their songs, it’s like everything isn’t it? Some of it I really like, the songs from Tommy because I know them, so I go “Oh I know that one!” and sing along to it,  and then all the memories flood back.

I do like The Who’s music, but I’ve only been able to hear live albums, so it’s not quite the same, well it’s never going to be the same is it?

It’s like bands, you buy a CD or something and listen to it then you go and see the band live and it’s a whole different concept.

And The Who was also the best live band of all time, obviously?

Obviously, yes they were, yes they were really good live.

Yes, you said you saw them live. Was that in ’75 as well?

Yes it was at the Guildhall; we were invited to go along.

What did they play, do you remember? Was it a concert just for the extras of Tommy?

I think it was, just because they were wrapping up the film and everything and I think it was just a concert because it was The Who and to say thank you.

So did they play "Tommy"?

They played bits of it, some of their hits, I can’t remember; there are some things I can remember and some things I can’t.

I was just wondering because The Who were very famous after they made Tommy and for a good year or two touring just Tommy and they got sick of playing it.

Yes and they smashed up their instruments, like "I’ve had enough of this!"

Oh, they were doing that years beforehand. They used to go to opera houses and do that whole set and you’d get people who, you know, weren’t your average rock fan, were the kind of people who would normally watch opera, and you’d get these kind of people going to these rock concerts, which seems very odd.But I don’t know what are your views on it because it’s viewed as pretentious sometimes or ground-breaking and no-one can seem to make their mind up.

Well, it’s just good music and just to see a band live is just a bonus. Although music has come a long way since, I think Paul Weller, Oasis, for example, those sort of musicians, they always go back to The Who, don’t they?

Actually, Oasis’s drummer now drums for The Who: Zak Starkey, Ringo Starr’s son. So, finally, what was the best thing about your experience?

Everyone was just really nice; you just meet so many nice friendly people.

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Five Ideas To Fill Your Summer.

by Zoe Dukoff-Gordon

It's coming to the end of term and I'm sure most people have plans already. But what about those long empty days not yet filled? Here are a few ideas to keep your summer busy...

1. Baking

Learning to make a good homemade sponge cake can be hard and time consuming- trying to get the right texture, right flavour and remembering to put all the ingredients in! So you could put aside some time to learn how to create some homemade baking.

2. Reading

This may sound either obvious or dull but how about doing some research into something you find interesting? Maybe if you have put down Psychology for A level or have decided to pick up Drama again at GCSE, why not buy a book in either of these areas? Another positive of this activity is it is very versatile, you can read anywhere and everywhere.

3. Photography

If you are quite creative and are already visiting some interesting places over the summer, why not take up photography and start a portfolio? It is a great thing to put on your CV and good practice if you want to go into a design-based job area

4. Go for walks

Why not get some fresh air and go on a walk? Maybe offer to walk a neighbour's dog or go on a walk along the coast?

5. Visit Family

It may seem obvious but are there any cousins, siblings, grandparents that you haven't visited in a while? Why not try and organise a trip- maybe on your own, to see some family relatives?

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Online Shopping Obsession - The Ultimate Way to Procrastinate

by Hattie Gould and Annie Materna

Online shopping is the perfect way to deflect revision and carelessly splash out much needed money. Some may consider online shopping an addiction, whereas others may view the matter as a quick way to spend vast amounts of money, potentially bankrupting yourself for the month in one single night. So why do people have such an obsession with online shopping?!

Looking at this online shopping obsession from an economic view, there are many pro's and con's. The advantages of such spending is that online shopping is part of economic consumption and subsequently a crucial component of aggregate demand (a growth stimulant), thus helping to stimulate the economy. However, is online shopping alone going to cure Britain from this double dipped recession? We think not. Teenagers alone splashing out large amounts of money over the Internet is not going to transform the economy. However, having stated that online shopping is not by itself a large boost for the economy, it cannot be knocked because, at the moment, in Britain any type of spending is a gain for the economy and for George Osbourne himself.

On the other hand, could obsessive online shopping be damaging for the economy? Taking a fictional view and reviewing the role of Isla Fisher in Shopaholics, over-shopping could bring a person to breaking point, placing them with huge amounts of debt and leaving them homeless in extreme cases. Although, the role Isla Fisher plays is fictional, there is a concern that people are buying more than they can afford; online shopping is partially to blame for this. Shopping has never been easier or quicker, by the click of a button you can have the new Topshop collection delivered to your door the next day - AMAZING!

Well not for some. In conjunction with the growth of quick cash, businesses like Quick Quid and Kwikcash Payday Loans, shoppers have even more cash readily available to ensure that they have the latest collection of clothes. However is this healthy for economy? In most cases, the reason why consumers have to use these easy-cash methods is that they do not have enough money in the first place, thus indicating that they cannot afford to take out a loan with huge interest, adding to the cost of money they don't have in the first place. This then leads to consumers ending up with a large debt which is forever increasing, thus damaging long-term consumption for the economy and any chance of sustainable growth for the country.

So why do we do this? Nowadays, a laptop, computer or tablet is a household norm and they are also a major cause of spending so much money easily and carelessly. Not only do most shops have online websites, but they also have apps too, making it all the more easy to procrastinate and spend money. During exams, and also due to boredom, we are more likely to spend our money on items we may not necessarily need or even end up wanting! This leads to teens wasting their money with the click of a button; some websites and apps even save your card details in order to make the payment methods easier and quicker, which in the long term is not necessarily a good thing.

Most teens do not have the budget allowing them to buy luxury items which are most commonly and easily sold online, unless obviously they have their own jobs and therefore their own money to spend, or gain a chunky allowance from generous parents. However, whether we have the money to splash or not, online shopping and subsequently mass spending is not a healthy habit to get in to and will lead to endless shopping in order to procrastinate or to entertain due to boredom, and also debts in the long term.

So the next time you are bored or catch yourself procrastinating because you just need a whole new wardrobe... Stop! Do not get into the habit, and think of all the more efficient ways you could spend or save your money.

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Sh, Exams!

 by Annie Materna

Exams are very nearly over for everyone, including GCSE, AS, A level and most university students, relieving the stress, the nerves and the endless revision. But are exams really as important as we think?

From year 10 up until the last years of university, most teenagers are daunted by the thought of exams and revision. We put everything we can into months of preparation for our exams, learning and memorising a syllabus... But does this convey our true intelligence?

So what, we can regurgitate information from our syllabus into note form and then into our exam papers; this does not mean that this is information that will be useful later in life or actually makes us any more intelligent. For most people we will only remember some information by revising it constantly, yet after our exams we no longer need the information and so it is almost immediately forgotten, making it seem pointless. Therefore we do not gain intelligence through exams, we gain the ability to learn information and regurgitate it onto a page.

Exams are essentially a game that our generation must play if we want to be successful later in life; or at least that's how it seems. In Years 10 and 11, we are told GCSEs are the most important thing for us if we want to get to Sixth Form or college; in Years 12 and 13, we are told exams are the most important thing for us if we want to go to university; and at university, exams are the most important thing in order to get a job.

However there are many more important factors for most careers that do not involve exam results, such as being able to be social, patient and adaptive to the job. We are taught through education to learn information and later regurgitate this information, although the work place is much different, for example we may be given individual tasks to complete, without the information to help us. However we are not prepared by education for this working environment and we are no more intelligent because of it.

However, we must ask ourselves what we think intelligence is. It is said, specifically in Buddhist and Muslim cultures, that the older we are the wiser we are; this suggests that our intelligence and how wise we are comes from experience of life. This makes sense as our brains are only fully developed by the age of 20, which means during GCSE's, AS and A levels our brains are not actually fully developed.

 

Exams do not prove that one person is more intelligent than another, they prove that people can work hard and remember information, but we are led to think that the people that get all A*s as their results are more intelligent than those with average results; however, there are so many external factors that can affect results, such as the student themselves (who may be at a disadvantage due to learning difficulties or even the state or situation they are in on the day of the exam) or the exam marker, and this can lead to a person changing their entire life plan or career, but they may not be any less able for their planned route.

Intelligence is so much more than good exam results. Education teaches us to learn but we gain our intelligence throughout our lives. Exploration and self discovery will help lead us to our right path. From then on, we grow older and wiser.

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A Nice Cup Of Tea- George Orwell's 110th Birthday

by Daniel Rollins

Today, 25^th June 2013, is the 110^thbirthday of Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name, George Orwell. Unfortunately he is unable to celebrate this great occasion with us since he died of Tuberculosis in 1950.

Well known as a novelist George Orwell wrote some of the 20^thcentury’s most thought provoking books. From his great dystopian novel Nineteen Eight-Four and his sharp political allegory Animal Farm to his gritty non-fiction works such as Down and Out in Paris and London (documenting his experience of poverty in those two cities) and Homage to Catalonia(recording his experience as a mercenary in the Spanish civil war).

Although he is among my favourite authors I believe his greatest gift to the world is not his literary work but an article he wrote for the Evening Standard, published on 12^thJanuary 1946. This article titled “A Nice Cup of Tea” set forth his 11 “golden” rules of tea making (see it reproduced below). In it he makes many of his most controversial statements such as, “one should pour tea into the cup first” and “tea… should be drunk without sugar.”

Considering the polemic nature of these statements one may ask what qualifications this mere journalist has to justify these divisive remarks. In fact he may be one of the best qualified people to give judgment on the correct way to make tea to ever live as he was certainly one of the 20^thcentury’s most dedicated tea drinkers. The best example of his enthusiasm for good tea was while he was fighting on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War. During this time he had Fortnum and Mason’s tea brought all the way from London to Catalonia so he could experience the “stimulation” of a good strong cup of tea while recovering from injury.  

Therefore to celebrate his birthday I endeavored to make a cup of tea which obeyed as many of his rules as possible so I got out a teapot, found some loose tea and made a "Nice Cup of Tea"!

See some pictures of my attempt to produce the perfect cup of tea bellow along with his 1946 article. Although it uses quite a lot of tea and time it is well worth trying to emulate his recipe as it produces a fine cup of tea.

If you look up 'tea' in the first cookery book that comes to hand you will probably find that it is unmentioned; or at most you will find a few lines of sketchy instructions which give no ruling on several of the most important points.

This is curious, not only because tea is one of the main stays of civilisation in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes.

When I look through my own recipe for the perfect cup of tea, I find no fewer than eleven outstanding points. On perhaps two of them there would be pretty general agreement, but at least four others are acutely controversial. Here are my own eleven rules, every one of which I regard as golden:

• First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays — it is economical, and one can drink it without milk — but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone who has used that comforting phrase 'a nice cup of tea' invariably means Indian tea. 

• Secondly, tea should be made in small quantities — that is, in a teapot. Tea out of an urn
  
  is always tasteless, while army tea, made in a cauldron, tastes of grease and whitewash. The teapot should be made of china or earthenware. Silver or Britanniaware teapots produce inferior tea and enamel pots are worse; though curiously enough a pewter teapot (a rarity nowadays) is not so bad. 

• Thirdly, the pot should be warmed beforehand. This is better done by placing it on the hob than by the usual method of swilling it out with hot water. 

• Fourthly, the tea should be strong. For a pot holding a quart, if you are going to fill it nearly to the brim, six heaped teaspoons would be about right. In a time of rationing, this is not an idea that can be realised on every day of the week, but I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes — a fact which is recognised in the extra ration issued to old-age pensioners. 

• Fifthly, the tea should be put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to imprison the tea. In some countries teapots are fitted with little dangling baskets under the spout to catch the stray leaves, which are supposed to be harmful. Actually one can swallow tea-leaves in considerable quantities without ill effect, and if the tea is not loose in the pot it never infuses properly. 

• Sixthly, one should take the teapot to the kettle and not the other way about. The water should be actually boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on the flame while one pours. Some people add that one should only use water that has been freshly brought to the boil, but I have never noticed that it makes any difference.

• Seventhly, after making the tea, one should stir it, or better, give the pot a good shake, afterwards allowing the leaves to settle. 

• Eighthly, one should drink out of a good breakfast cup — that is, the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfast cup holds more, and with the other kind one's tea is always half cold before one has well started on it. 

• Ninthly, one should pour the cream off the milk before using it for tea. Milk that is too creamy always gives tea a sickly taste. 

• Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round. 

• Lastly, tea — unless one is drinking it in the Russian style — should be drunk without sugar. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tealover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water. Some people would answer that they don't like tea in itself, that they only drink it in order to be warmed and stimulated, and they need sugar to take the taste away. To those misguided people I would say: Try drinking tea without sugar for, say, a fortnight and it is very unlikely that you will ever want to ruin your tea by sweetening it again.

These are not the only controversial points to arise in connexion with tea drinking, but they are sufficient to show how subtilised the whole business has become. There is also the mysterious social etiquette surrounding the teapot (why is it considered vulgar to drink out of your saucer, for instance?) and much might be written about the subsidiary uses of tealeaves, such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of visitors, feeding rabbits, healing burns and sweeping the carpet. It is worth paying attention to such details as warming the pot and using water that is really boiling, so as to make quite sure of wringing out of one's ration the twenty good, strong cups of that two ounces, properly handled, ought to represent.

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Slice of Enlightenment II – Common Misconceptions

by Tom Harper

Following on from my previous venture into the unknown, quirky facts concerning the world in which we live, I have recently come to realise that not only are there still many interesting pieces of knowledge of which most are still ignorant, but also that most of the things mankind claim to proudly know as ‘truth’ are in fact poorly-placed misconceptions. Hence, being a strong aficionado of QI, it dawned upon me to put to rest a few of the more shocking factual blunders that continue to pollute our minds with inaccuracy today.

Napoleon
(Wikicommons)

History
·  In ancient Rome, the architectural feature known as the vomitorium was the entranceway through which crowds entered and exited a stadium, not a special room used for purging food during meals. Vomiting was not a regular part of Roman dining customs.

·  Napoleon Bonaparte was not short; rather he was slightly taller than the average Frenchman of his time. After his death in 1821, the French emperor’s height was recorded as 5 feet 2 inches in French feet, which is 5 feet 7 inches (1.69 m). Some believe that he was nicknamed le Petit Caporal (The Little Corporal) as a term of affection.

·  Albert Einstein did not fail mathematics in school, as is commonly believed. Upon being shown a column claiming this fact, Einstein said "I never failed in mathematics... Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus." Einstein did however fail his first entrance exam into Federal Polytechnic School in 1895, although at the time he was two years younger than his fellow students and did exceedingly well in mathematics and science on the exam.

Law and Crime

· It is rarely necessary to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person's report, in instances where there is evidence of violence or of an unusual absence. The UK government Web site says explicitly in large type "You don’t have to wait 24 hours before contacting the police".

·  Entrapment law in the United States does not require police officers to identify themselves as police in the case of a sting or other undercover work. The law is specifically concerned with enticing people to commit crimes they would not have considered in the normal course of events.

Food and Cooking

· Sushi does not "raw fish", and not all sushi includes raw fish. The name sushi means "sour rice", and refers to vinegared rice.

· The Twinkie does not have an infinite shelf life; its listed shelf life is approximately 25 days and generally remains on a store shelf for only 7 to 10 days.
 

Animals

· Bulls are not enraged by the color red, used in capes by professional matadors. Cattle are dichromats, so red does not stand out as a bright color. It is not the color of the cape, but the perceived threat by the matador that incites it to charge.

·  Bats are not blind. While many (most) bat species use echolocation as a primary sense, all bat species have eyes and are capable of sight. Furthermore, not all bats can echolocate and these bats have excellent night vision.

· A common misconception about chameleons and anoles is that the advantage of changing colour is camouflage. In reality, changing color helps to regulate temperature and is used as a form of communication.

Health and Body

·  Eating less than an hour before swimming does not increase the risk of experiencing muscle cramps or drowning. One study shows a correlation between alcohol consumption and drowning, but there is no evidence cited regarding stomach cramps or the consumption of food.

·  Humans have more than the commonly cited five senses. Although definitions vary, the actual number ranges from 9 to more than 20. In addition to sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing, which were the senses identified by Aristotle, humans can sense balance and acceleration (equilibrioception), pain (nociception), body and limb position (proprioception or kinesthetic sense), and relative temperature (thermoception). Other senses sometimes identified are the sense of time, itching, pressure, hunger, thirst, fullness of the stomach, need to urinate, need to defecate, and blood carbon dioxide levels.

N.W.Europe at night
(Wiki Commons)

Science and Space:

· A penny dropped from the Empire State Building will not kill a person or crack the sidewalk. The terminal velocity of a falling penny is about 30–50 miles per hour, and the penny will not exceed that speed regardless of the height from which it is dropped. At that speed, its energy is not enough to penetrate a human skull or crack concrete, as demonstrated on an episode of Mythbusters which noted that the Empire State Building is a particularly poor setting for this misconception, since its tapered shape would make it impossible to drop anything directly from the top to street level.

· It is commonly claimed that the Great Wall of China is the only human-made object visible from the Moon. This is false. None of the Apollo astronauts reported seeing any specific human-made object from the Moon, and even Earth-orbiting astronauts can barely see it. City lights, however, are easily visible on the night side of Earth from orbit.

Adam and  Eve
(Wiki Commons)

Religion:

·  The forbidden fruit mentioned in the Book of Genesis is commonly assumed to be an apple, and is widely depicted as such in Western art. However, the Bible does not identify what type of fruit it is. The original Hebrew texts mention only tree and fruit. Early Latin translations use the word mali, which can be taken to mean both "evil" and "apple".

· The Quran does not promise martyrs 72 virgins in heaven. It does mention virgin companions, houri, to all people—martyr or not—in heaven, but no number is specified.
 

Entertainment:

·  Frankestein was not the name of the monster in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley; rather, it was the surname of the monster's creator, Victor Frankenstein. The monster is instead called Frankenstein's monster. Additionally, Frankenstein was a medical student in the novel, not a doctor as frequently portrayed.

· "Edelweiss" is the national anthem of Austria, but is in fact an original composition created for the musical The Sound of Music. The actual Austrian national anthem is "Land der Berge, Land am Strone"

Technology:

·  George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter, though he reputedly discovered three hundred uses for peanuts and hundreds more for soybeans, pecans, and sweet potatoes.

·  Thomas Crapper did not invent the flush toilet; flushing toilets were first used in the Indus Valley Civilization, around the 26th century BCE. Crapper, however, did much to increase its popularity and came up with some related inventions, such as the ballcock mechanism used to fill toilet tanks. The derivation of the word 'crap' is unrelated to his name; this is mere coincidence.

And so there you have it; some of the facts you thought you knew are nothing but mere misconceptions. Hopefully by reading this you have come a step closer to making mankind’s claims of ‘truth’ slightly more valid and perhaps will think next time before believing everything you hear!

Incidentally, if you enjoyed this then I’d recommend watching some of the videos of mentalfloss to further expand you general knowledge:

Read Tom Harper's first 'Slice of Enlightenment' article here.

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What Is The Best Thing About The Summer?

by Kelvin Shiu and Henry Ling

Bench to the Sky
by Liz Sherwood

The summer can be a fruitful and relaxing season, but what do the teachers and pupils find most favourable about this time of year? Why is it that most people find the summer so favorable (or not so, as the case may be)? There are many people with the views of summer that you would expect, but there are also some very original perspectives here. 

Kalvin Cheung (Yr 10): Football in the sun

Mr. Doyle: Results day

Rob Holden (Yr 12): Ice-creams 

Anthony Muscat (Yr 10): Time to go on holiday

Mr. Crénel: The nice weather and time off to be with my family

James Duff (Yr 10): Barbeques

Mr. Disley: I Hate Summer!

Al Harding (Yr 11): The heat

Mr Price: Sunshine

Ed Harding (Yr 13): Holidays and the sun

Francesca Kooner-Evans (Yr 10): Sitting outside

Tim Bustin (Yr 12): No School!

Ben Row (Yr 11): The sun

Alex Beard (Yr 11): eating chilled ice-cream

Nicholas Ng (Yr 7): Ice-cream

Mr. Lemieux: Holidays and sun anywhere but Britain

Katherine Lemieux (Yr10): On the internet tumblring

Lucy Cole (Yr 13): Freedom!

Tom Ross (Yr 8): Seeing lots of different people

Dr. Galliver: The cricket season

Abby Moss (Yr 10): Holidays. The fact that it’s warm, going to the beach.

Tom Brett (Yr 12) & Harry Dry (Yr 12): Mr. Robbies parties (Cream Pull)

Madelaine Shand (Yr 13): Beach and the sun

Mr. Puchades: I don’t have to teach you lot

Harriet Hammans, Megan Dennis and Francesca Clayton (Yr 10): Eating, travelling and going to different countries.
Harrison Whitworth (Yr 11): No school

Mr. Kirby: The holidays and being free

Henry Ling (Yr 10): As the saffron sun rises (or doesn’t knowing Britain) over the horizon we are reminded of hope and freedom.

Kelvin Shiu (Yr 10): Extended summer homework from my beloved teachers and revision (it will also be nice to escape from the unexpected wrath of the precarious British weather, but mainly the homework).

The summer is the season which most people find pleasurable and we hope from this you can understand why.

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Festivals- Frightful or Delightful?

Hattie Gould and Annie Materna



delightful . . .
(source: phestival)



We all know that as summer is (slowly) coming back; so is the festival season. The panic of which festival to go to sets in and soon enough almost everyone has bought a ticket. Whether it be Reading, Bestival, Isle of White or V, people are beginning to experience that exciting festival 'buzz'. However, is the idea of a festival better than the reality?

Festivals are the ultimate way to fill your summer; what is better than seeing your favourite bands with your friends away from the imprisonment of your parents? Nothing. Meeting new friends, whacking out the wellies, getting a face paint, maybe even a suntan (hopefully no face paint sun tan lines) and going on rides, sounds great. You can not only do this for just one day but you can do it for three days… what an adventure! The adventure continues with festivals bringing unexpected joy, and never quite knowing what is coming round the corner, literally and metaphorically. It may be someone in fancy dress or it could even be you stumbling across a new up and coming band.

 . . . frightful
(source: Guardian)

Also if you’re lucky and the sun is shining you may even be able to spot the odd celebrity trekking around the fields in some rather skimpy clothing. To better this, if you get to the front of the crowd you may even be able to touch your favourite artist whilst they perform! What must not be forgotten is how delicious the food is: full English breakfast every day, an unlimited choice of lunch and dinner may it be a burger, Chinese or Indian. Although these foods are great, they hold nothing on the desserts: freshly cooked donuts, melted chocolate and strawberry’s or pancakes and waffles… perfect! It can be said that going to festival is like going to a three-day party, what a weekend that will be!

However, this view may not be held by every ex-festival goer.

 

Cold, wet and windy, loud, dirty and busy- what is so exciting about that? Understandably, seeing Eminem perform at Reading or Bastille at Bestival may well make it worthwhile, but two, three or even four nights of camping in the mud, drinking from 9 in the morning and queuing hours for what can only be described as a toilet does not sound like the most relaxing way to spend a weekend. Festivals can also be dangerous places to be: young, naive teens robbed of their purses, tents cut in to, drinks spiked, many unfortunate people slipping over and losing their wellies in the sloppy mud and the even more unfortunate act of your tent flying away...

However, despite the almost guaranteed rain and, consequently, the malicious mud fights, thousands of people continue to go, so if you have been roped in by your friends and are bravely taking the risk of going to a festival, beware of the risk of camping without a tent and walking around with one wellie on... Good luck! However, if you are an avid festival goer … Have fun!

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5 Reasons Why Dogs Are The Best House Pets

by Alex Quarrie-Jones

As I currently write my cat is slumped at the end of my bed, like a furry black ball, looking rather content and calm as he snoozes. Most people would then stroke the cat or comment on his adorableness but I look at him with contempt and irritancy; for at 4am this morning he decided to engage in one of his favourite pastimes of bringing live mice into my room and then proceeding to play what can only really be described as ‘SAW’ for mice. Once he was finished he leapt up onto my bed and has been there right up until now. This has put me in a very anti-cat mood (and since chickens don’t really bring anything pet-wise to the table) therefore I am going to explain why dogs are best.

1.    Before you’ve even got a dog there is so much choice to make; with a cat it’s pretty much gender (to be honest that becomes irrelevant later) and colour, but with dogs there are over 100 different ‘pure’ breeds’ and even more cross breeds (my dog is a ‘Sprollie’, which is a cross breed between a Springer Spaniel and a Collie). Also different breeds come with different traits and qualities, e.g. Springer Spaniels love to jump while Golden Retrievers are excellent at finding and bringing. From these your dog can develop a personality to a much greater extent than any other household pet.

2.    Dogs are more versatile pets; most household pets (hamsters, snakes, fish, etc) don’t care where they are because they already have their own miniature home, once a cat is in one place, it stays, it may travel really far but it will return to exactly the same place (case hand point with my cat currently on my bed where I will always find him). Dogs do well with change; they adapt quickly and learn their surroundings even quicker. They also make ‘friends’ much better then cats (unless the cats are possibly siblings) but on the whole, the introduction of any new animal to the house will inevitably irritate the cat.

3.    You can do more things with a dog; dogs are the optimum household pets as they provide the motivation to do stuff whether it just be throwing a ball or a 10k walk, a dog will always be interested. Dogs also act as a tool for social interaction; you can relate to other dog owners and understand their dog-related problems, and yes, you can do that with other household pets but it’s very rare that two cat owners will meet outside their homes, with their cats (and not at the vets either, that’s just cheating cat-lovers). 

 

4.    Dogs are much more affectionate and willing to interact; a common name for dogs’ is “Man’s Best Friend” and this is certainly true with all the dogs I know. Dogs have an unswerving loyalty and bond with their owner/s which is insurmountable in contending with other domestic pets. For example dogs will always bark (as my dog is also currently doing) but this is a protective statement to all who might ‘threaten’ the dog’s owner. Although a dog’s bark can be annoying, we must remember what that dog is trying to say through its bark.

5.    I know I said five but here are some trivial reasons; the ratio of a pet’s life to activity is highest for a dog, dogs respond when you call their names, therefore a dog’s name is more meaningful, you can house-train dogs while cats will continually bring mice into your room at bloody 4 in the morning! Dog’s food smells the least worst, dogs can be taught to do tricks, dogs eat any leftover food and finally, they’re better just because they are.   

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