The Daily: February 4
MI5's panic when Agatha Christie revealed Bletchley Park
Agatha Christie's 1941 novel, 'N or M?' got officials worried in MI5, when they discovered that she had named one of her characters 'Major Bletchley.'
The link to the secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, was feared to have been revealed, with Christie's novels selling in the tens of thousands.
The character, an old Indian major, revealed that he knew information about the war, that the government was keeping quiet. This panicked MI5 further, as they believed that it was based on Bletchley Park's knowledge of Germany's secret war plans.
However, when Christie was asked about the character's name, she replied, 'Bletchley? My dear, I was stuck there on my way by train from Oxford to London and took revenge by giving the name to one of my least lovable characters.'
The story is available to read in a new book, 'The Codebreakers of Station X.'
Lightning strike photo wins photographer award, on day of funeral
Danny Beath, a Shropshire photographer, won a bittersweet award last week. With his photograph of a striking red poppy field, juxtaposed by a stormy grey sky and a single lightning bolt, he won the Travel Photo of the Year.
However, the results, which were announced last Friday, coincided with the day of his funeral. It is thought that the 52 year old died from a heart-attack.
Despite entering the competition seven times before, Beath failed to reach the finals every time. In addition to this award, he had also been named as the winner of the Sunday Times annual landscape photography competition, and has won Shropshire Photographic Society's Photographer of the Year nine times.
Your very own British island
Flat Holm Island, which sits five miles from the coast in the Bristol Channel, has been put up for sale, after Cardiff Council have decided they can longer afford to keep the Island running as a tourist attraction.
The island's local, The Gull and Leek, may only have a flock of sheep as its regulars, but with a Grade II listed Lighthouse, sharp cliffs and two helipads, the island has rich scenery.
The new owner of the Flat Holm will be following in the footsteps of Vikings, monks, Victorians and World War II soldiers, all of whom have resided on the island.
Roaming otter has a £10,000 meal
A couple had a nasty surprise when they returned from their holiday in New Zealand. Checking on their £10,000 collection of fish in their outdoor pond, Linda and Alan Brown discovered that their fish had been devastated by a roaming otter.
The 6,000 galleon pond contained a collection of koi carp, mirror carp, ghost carp and goldfish, with some of the larger carp thought to worth around £10,000.
As otters only eater the livers and kidneys of fish, the villain was immediately identified as an otter, due to the carcasses scattered around the pond. Left with just thirty fish, the couple has now removed their pond, which had become a local attraction, to prevent a repeat of the incident.
The recipe for the perfect house
They made sound like simple house preferences, but a study has discovered that off-road parking, an en-suite bathroom and a spare room are the recipe for the perfect house.
The study by Banner Homes looked into the formula for the ideal home, considering aspects such as location, neighbors and even home comforts. The perfect location should be two miles from a supermarket, ten miles from the coast and a short walk to the local pub.
The interior should have at least two televisions, and a comfortable settee, and whilst privacy is incredibly important, neighbors should be no more than a few yards from the property.
Agatha Christie's 1941 novel, 'N or M?' got officials worried in MI5, when they discovered that she had named one of her characters 'Major Bletchley.'
The link to the secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, was feared to have been revealed, with Christie's novels selling in the tens of thousands.
The character, an old Indian major, revealed that he knew information about the war, that the government was keeping quiet. This panicked MI5 further, as they believed that it was based on Bletchley Park's knowledge of Germany's secret war plans.
However, when Christie was asked about the character's name, she replied, 'Bletchley? My dear, I was stuck there on my way by train from Oxford to London and took revenge by giving the name to one of my least lovable characters.'
The story is available to read in a new book, 'The Codebreakers of Station X.'
Lightning strike photo wins photographer award, on day of funeral
Danny Beath, a Shropshire photographer, won a bittersweet award last week. With his photograph of a striking red poppy field, juxtaposed by a stormy grey sky and a single lightning bolt, he won the Travel Photo of the Year.
However, the results, which were announced last Friday, coincided with the day of his funeral. It is thought that the 52 year old died from a heart-attack.
Despite entering the competition seven times before, Beath failed to reach the finals every time. In addition to this award, he had also been named as the winner of the Sunday Times annual landscape photography competition, and has won Shropshire Photographic Society's Photographer of the Year nine times.
Your very own British island
Flat Holm Island, which sits five miles from the coast in the Bristol Channel, has been put up for sale, after Cardiff Council have decided they can longer afford to keep the Island running as a tourist attraction.
The island's local, The Gull and Leek, may only have a flock of sheep as its regulars, but with a Grade II listed Lighthouse, sharp cliffs and two helipads, the island has rich scenery.
The new owner of the Flat Holm will be following in the footsteps of Vikings, monks, Victorians and World War II soldiers, all of whom have resided on the island.
Roaming otter has a £10,000 meal
A couple had a nasty surprise when they returned from their holiday in New Zealand. Checking on their £10,000 collection of fish in their outdoor pond, Linda and Alan Brown discovered that their fish had been devastated by a roaming otter.
The 6,000 galleon pond contained a collection of koi carp, mirror carp, ghost carp and goldfish, with some of the larger carp thought to worth around £10,000.
As otters only eater the livers and kidneys of fish, the villain was immediately identified as an otter, due to the carcasses scattered around the pond. Left with just thirty fish, the couple has now removed their pond, which had become a local attraction, to prevent a repeat of the incident.
The recipe for the perfect house
They made sound like simple house preferences, but a study has discovered that off-road parking, an en-suite bathroom and a spare room are the recipe for the perfect house.
The study by Banner Homes looked into the formula for the ideal home, considering aspects such as location, neighbors and even home comforts. The perfect location should be two miles from a supermarket, ten miles from the coast and a short walk to the local pub.
The interior should have at least two televisions, and a comfortable settee, and whilst privacy is incredibly important, neighbors should be no more than a few yards from the property.