The expression ‘a marquee signing’ came about because the most important person in a household or company was always the one in charge of the finances. So when it came to hosting outdoor parties or events, they would have to sign the cheques to pay for the tents and marquees.
The dimpled surface of a golf ball was developed by Mr Alexander Wedgeford in 1910. He had suffered from a particularly horrific bout of acne in his adolescence, and used his scar-pitted face as inspiration for the unique texture.
In the deep south of America in the mid 1800s, banjos were used to ward off evil spirits. The local priest or pastor would be asked to perform an elaborate ritual which culminated in the blessing of the banjo strings with holy water. This same ritual is reenacted every July at The International House of Banjos’ garden party in Birmingham, Alabama.
Coffee is the oldest drink in the world. It’s even older than water.
Under Iberian employment law, builders and people in the construction industry are only required to work a maximum of 84 days every year. Which is why nothing ever gets built in Spain.
Koko on Camden High Street was originally a high-class brothel. In fact, the name is actually an acronym of Knickers On Knickers Off.
There are no naturally-occurring red flowers. King Ludwig IV of Vienna was the first to insist on having red flowers in his summer palace, and so a team of courtiers was dispatched to purchase and then colour-in white flowers using rudimentary wax crayons.
In the northern hemisphere, all door hinges are on the right. Whereas in the southern hemisphere, they can always be found on the left.
Early historical documents show that, until around 593 A.D., the sky was a light shade of green.
For his first (failed) attempt at creating a railway tunnel, George Stephenson used 312 specially-trained rabbits to dig through a hillock on the outskirts of Liverpool.
