I've been tagged by psychostace, so I suppose I'd better get on

[wellinghall]

1. My best bowling figures are 3 for 8.

2. I took Tripos papers in three different languages - two modern and one mediaeval.

EDIT: Okay, hands up if you spotted the deliberate error? Who invented copy-and-paste, that's what I want to know. So ...

2a. I got Johnny Ball's autograph.

3. Until 21, I (and my parents) were pretty hard up. Then I went into what (by my standards) was a well-paying job.

4. I'd like to learn Old English.

5. At the age of 36, I grew an inch in six months.

6. I was the only one in my O level class to pass French.

7. We've got eight different English-language first edition Silmarillions.

8. At school, I played cricket with someone who later became an international fast bowler.

9. I have been a passenger on the world's shortest scheduled flight.

10. I've just come off a 40-minute phone call with head office and the auditors. (Can you tell I was having difficulty thinking of a decent no 10?)

Comments

[tovaglia.livejournal.com]

How did you manage to grow an inch at the age of 36?

[emperor]

2) is that unusual amongst MML students? [which 3?]
4) I knew a bit of OE at one point, but I've doubtless forgotten it all now :/
9) I just watched a youtube video of that - cool! The shortest I've been on is Glasgow International to (and later from) Stornoway.

[emperor]

Viagra.

[emperor]

[Sorry]

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Sideways? ;-)

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'd like to do 4 too.

[tree_and_leaf]

I'm curious to know who the fast bowler was, but feel free not to answer if you think this would invade/ compromise your privacy.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I don't mind at all, and I don't think he would. Tim Munton. (Also Andrew Massey, who played a couple of games for Leicetershire Second XI).

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Bah, who needs Viagra? ;-)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Oh, more than an inch sideways! 13 stone 20 years ago, 11 stone when I went in, 9 stone when I came out, 14 stone now.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

It is truly bizarre. It happened after my op* (intussusception, causing a necrotised and perforated bowel, followed by laprotomy and small bowel resection).

I guess that I hadn't been digesting my food properly for years before that, but I really don't know.

*Other bizarre effects include susceptibility to extremes of temperature, night sweats, and car sickness; all of which started within a day or two of the op.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

And inability to drink more than a pint without getting drunk.

[greenwoodside.livejournal.com]

Here'a another person who'd like to do 4.

[greenwoodside.livejournal.com]

"Here's another" I mean.

[ajat.livejournal.com]

9

Which flight ? *Very curious*

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Westry to Papa Westray, in the Orkney Islands. Scheduled to take two minutes.

[asklepia.livejournal.com]

Now that's what I call a real puddle jump!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Yep! The first time we went on it, I timed it, and it was about two and a half minutes. The second time, I didn't, but it seemed pretty close to two minutes.

It probably depends a lot on the wind, and maybe also on the number of passengers / amount of cargo on board.

[asklepia.livejournal.com]

Is the passage between the islands unsuitable for a ferry?

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

4) I "knew" quite a bit of Latin and German once but not now...methinks my school would have been better off teaching us one language thoroughly rather than getting us through 3rd year exams at which point I promptly forgot it all (and apparently I am not the only one). My French is still there a bit, but that's cos I started it in primary school.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

What was that the other day you were saying about being *really busy* at work...evidence suggests otherwise ;)

(just kidding, suspect it was afternoon tea-time)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

There is a ferry as well (taking a longer route). However, Orkney has gone down the route of using air travel to the outer islands, while Shetland uses more ferries.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

No 10 on my list might have had something to do with it ...