Things you’ve only just found out

[TheChosenTwo]

About 2 days ago I discovered that Skegness isn’t in Scotland 😳 How did I never know this before? Embarrassingly, I’m 38 😂

There's a street in Alnwick called Bondgate Within or Bond Street Within , IIRC . I think there are probably a few withins up in the NE

Knew that Portsmouth was an island. Just learned that Gibraltar isn't 😁

Yep, small population of 500k, was completely landlocked during covid and we were not allowed to leave. Vaccinations were compulsory and my son got his cheek tickled by the Sultan.

I disagree that it's pedantry. Yes, there is part of me that is annoyed at why someone would put deliberately false information into a song (and I am undergoing diagnosis for suspected autism, which may be relevant here, I really don't like lies disguised as artistic licence). But more fundamentally, it very much annoys me off that the song, as so many other works, considers 'Africa' to be a homogenous place, usually filled with poor people who need help. There are 54 countries in the continent, slightly fewer at the time the song was written, and a vast diversity of pretty much everything. 'There won't be snow in Africa', whether actual snow or 'Christmas spirit' is lumping the whole of Africa into the poor unfortunates, them-and-us category.

Gotcha!

Nope Nottinghamshire 🤣

Waiter in restaurant: right, I've got the shepherds pie, fish and chips and hamburger.

You: no, I ordered a beef burger

😜

Am I the only person who has never heard the phrase Hump Day??

I could do incognito searches on Google or InPrivate searches on MSEdge.

I kinda knew it but never really used it until recently.

WHAT???!!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!!!!!!

I still struggle with the fact that Laugharne is in West Wales, rather than Ireland.

Yeah, I’m sure there’s more examples from old towns and cities that used to have walls but I could only think of one at the time I wrote my post.

WHAT??!!

This has reminded me of the time an old boyfriend took me to his beach house in Norfolk. He mentioned something about going to see Pauline, so I assumed Pauline was a relative or friend in the local area.

It wasn't until we passed the sign that I realised he'd been saying "Sea Palling".

When you have cataract surgery they fish your lens out that hole (well they break it up and fish it out) fold a replacement lens up, pop it through the hole and it flicks back out into place like a mooncup.

It took me a long time to realise that you can actually crumble Oxo cubes in their wrapper and then open and pour. So much less mess. I blame Linda Bellingham myself.

Isn't Borneo in the Middle East?!

That the usual World maps we see have the Southern Hemisphere vastly truncated, I had no idea until recently.

I always think Dunkirk sounds like it should be in Scotland and Penge should be in Cornwall.

My version do this was learning how to do the symbol for degrees °°°

Actually, the lumping together of the whole of Africa is a fair point, and I agree that can stop people being educated about the huge diversity of nations across the continent.

But I feel I don't want to be too harsh on a song that was written quickly with a good intention, and had to convey a simple message. I'd be happy never to hear the song again, but that and Live Aid made a big impact at the time - certainly it was formative in my teenage years of making me more aware of the need for those of us in rich nations to give money and take action.

Boak! I could not be an eye surgeon

I never really thought of it but it makes sense. The pupil dilates or becomes a pinprick to let light in and acts as a pinhole camera for images to appear on the retina. So it must be a hole.

I thought a ‘tour’ of Afghanistan was exactly that.. a tour. Couldn’t understand why the army wanted to travel around these countries. Or when Ed Sheeran performed for soldiers on a tour of x country, I was just so confused at why any of them were there