A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Easter Fun And Frolics

Recalling the other day my odd-one-out quiz from November 2009, I'm inspired to set another one — all in the spirit of holiday fun! I do hope you will participate. All you have to do is read these twenty-one facts about my life and decide which three (and only three) are false. The other eighteen are absolutely true, I assure you. It's easy! Isn't it?

1. I once had lunch with Cilla Black.

The Georgian State Dance Company
2. I have seen Bob Dylan more than thirty times.

3. I once danced with the Georgian State Dance Company on the stage of Northampton's Derngate Theatre to the great embarrassment of my children, who almost crawled under their seats.

4. Once when out walking the Cornish coastal path, I passed Jenny Agutter coming in the opposite direction.

5. I once stood within six feet of Lauren Bacall.

6. I have a phobic fear of beetroot — I can barely look at the stuff, let alone touch or eat it.

7. Jason Donovan once posed for a photograph in front of my wife — but she was so nervous she couldn't get the camera to work.

The flimsiest of nightclothes
8. I once woke up on a street bench in Frankfurt under the disapproving gaze of German bankers on their way to work.

9. On another occasion, I woke up in a hotel bed in Pau and found two strangers lying next to me in the flimsiest of nightclothes — a German banker and his wife, as it happens.

10. In a fit of sexual jealousy I once smashed the window of a Parisian chambre de bonne with my bare fists.

11. Once upon a time my hair extended down beyond my shoulders, and I was so thin I could almost touch my backbone with my stomach.

12. I once drank wine with George Melly, Maureen Lipman and Anne Diamond in the same room.

13. I was once asked by Kenneth Williams why I wore a beard (I had a beard in my twenties) as it made me look so much older. He then confided that he fancied a good-looking Gibraltarian colleague of mine (clean-shaven, of course).

14. My middle name is Archibald.

A glass of urine
15. I once drank a pint of urine in the mistaken belief that it was water.

16. My birth name is Roberta, but I renamed myself Robert after a sex change operation in 1982.

17. In a posh restaurant in Rome I once stubbed out a cigarette in a bowl of freshly prepared tagliatelle alla panna to an audience of utterly bemused and rightly insulted Italian waiters.

18. In one of Manchester's top Chinese restaurants I once bit into a dim sum rather too eagerly. Its contents arced gracefully over the table, and came to rest all over the shirt and tie of my sales director host sitting opposite.

An American alligator
19. My wife's first cousin is the famous comedian and TV personality Rowland Rivron.

20. My sister-in-law's ex-boyfriend built Paul McCartney's house in Kent.

21. My wife was once nearly eaten by an alligator in Florida's Everglades National Park.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

22 comments:

Rachel Fox said...

15, 16 and 21?

The Solitary Walker said...

I'm afraid not, Rachel – can't give any clues as it may help any future punters. (Getting my own back here!)

Danish dog said...

I'd guess #14-16.

Ruth said...

10, 15, 16.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I guess 6,16 and 21 Robert - and I know you fairly well. Know some of the others are true but as you have been around a bit then really anything could have happened.

The Solitary Walker said...

Mmm ... I think your knowledge of me may be rather less than perfect, Pat! No one has given the correct answer yet, incidentally ...

George said...

I'm going with 15, 16, and 17.

Goat said...

3, 16 and 17. And I do hope that Jenny Agutter one is true - and that she was wearing that school uniform from 'Walkabout'...

Friko said...

9, (German bankers would never share a bed in flimsy nightclothes - they'd be wearing flannels), 17 (you don't smoke), and 15. (water would have been colourless and you'd have known after the first sip anyway).

The Solitary Walker said...

Seems the prize is still up for grabs! Hehe, perhaps this is harder for you than I thought ;-)

Perhaps the Germans had no choice but to share the bed, Friko? And perhaps I used to smoke or the cigarette was not mine? And perhaps I gulped the liquid down in the dark, half-asleep and dying of thirst? Ah, so many questions ...

The Solitary Walker said...

PS Friko, I adore it that you didn't include no.16 like everyone else! That is too wonderful! Not saying yet whether it's right or wrong, mind you ...

Susan Scheid said...

9, 15, 16. Very funny list, whatever the results!

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks for taking part, Susan! Though incorrect, I'm afraid. Yours, Robert (or is it Roberta?)

Anonymous said...

The ones I would like to be true are beetroot, Archibald and urine,

Andy

The Solitary Walker said...

Ok, Danish Dog has two right, and everyone else has one right, except for Friko who has none correct!

And Andy — you have me confused! If you had put those suggestions as clear negatives, then you would have had two right also!

Now, it must be possible to do a kind of Sudoko thing on this and find the correct answer???

The Solitary Walker said...

Or do I mean Sudoku?

The Solitary Walker said...

PS Talking of which, my son asked me the other day if I was off walking on the "Kimono" again soon..!

Anonymous said...

swap beetroot for alligator? My brain is now working better than yesterday evening - but I still think it best for us to construct your reality : )

Andy

The Solitary Walker said...

"swap beetroot for alligator" ... Now, to find all those words together in one sentence must be a first!

I'd stick with the beetroot, Andy, and leave the alligator well alone ...

And yes, I think if let others construct my reality they may make a much better job of it than I do myself ...

Anonymous said...

there's that restaurant near the albergue in Zamora ...

Laura said...

14, 16, 17

The Solitary Walker said...

It was 6, 14 and 16, Laura, so you were almost right. See 14th April post above for further elucidation!