A Conversation for Ask h2g2
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Bluebottle Posted Nov 21, 2016
I think they want more than the handful of shrapnel I can afford - plus I don't think it'll fit in the loft.
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"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Bluebottle Posted Nov 21, 2016
It is open at the front and back, has no sealed doors and only moves by pulling on a chain from Cowes to East Cowes. It'd probably drift along in nice weather but I wouldn't want to be on it during rough weather. There's a picture here: A71438862
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"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Icy North Posted Nov 21, 2016
Yes, it's like the Sandbanks ferry. I wonder why that one's a ferry, but yours is a 'floating bridge'?
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Baron Grim Posted Nov 21, 2016
Yeah... a floating bridge is typically (at least partially) built on pontoons and is otherwise static, connected to land at each end.
Where I live, near Galveston Island, Texas we have the "Galveston causeway". Technically it's only partially a causeway as a causeway is defined as a raised roadway or embankment over shallow water or wetlands. Ours extends out from the mainland as a causeway, but then becomes a proper bridge as it passes over a deep channel known as the Intracoastal Waterway. This section is quite tall to allow large barges to pass under.
In it's early days, I suspect it was strictly a causeway. Then when the channel was dredged they replaced part of it with a bascule drawbridge. That "causeway" is still in use as a rail bridge, but the bascule bridge has recently been replaced with a vertical lift bridge.
But everyone just calls them both "The Galveston Causeway".
Maybe there was once a proper floating bridge at that location and the name just stuck after it was replaced with a cable ferry.
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Bluebottle Posted Nov 21, 2016
It's at the mouth of the River Medina – they wouldn't have a pontoon bridge across as then no boats would be able to sail down to Newport. Before the first bridge they just had rowboats to take people from one side to the other, but it has been called 'The Floating Bridge' even though it is a chain ferry since 1859, as to why, I guess it is one of those unexplained mysteries, just like how did the chain, which is attached to shore at both ends, get a knot in it?
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"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Icy North Posted Nov 21, 2016
Depends what kind of knot - see A43825827
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Baron Grim Posted Nov 21, 2016
http://youtu.be/GSTqdb_gC_g
( If you want to learn how to do it http://youtu.be/pywSVBKktCU )
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Baron Grim Posted Nov 23, 2016
Yet again I'm shocked by news from the UK. Last week was the massive invasion of your internet privacy, the "Snooper Law", that passed with little resistance and now it's censorship of what British adults can view on the internet.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/23/censor-non-conventional-sex-acts-online-internet-pornography
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Lusus Posted Nov 23, 2016
Also in the news...This map shows the rudest place names in the world http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/38078622/this-map-shows-the-rudest-place-names-in-the-world
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Baron Grim Posted Nov 23, 2016
Climax, Texas nice, but they missed Ding Dong, Tool, Noodle, and Kickapoo, Texas.
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Bluebottle Posted Nov 24, 2016
And the obvious Penistone...
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"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
ITIWBS Posted Nov 24, 2016
There's a road in California's central valley called "Brown Material Road".
The map makers, asking around locally to find what the road was called found that the locals just called it "The Old Dîrt Road" and felt they had to pretty it up.
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Cheerful Dragon Posted Nov 24, 2016
I'm not sure that Brown Material Road is an improvement over Old Dirt Road. Dirt isn't the first thing I thought of.
Not strictly a rude name, but there's a road not far from where I live called Pratts Lane. A famous (or infamous) resident is Freddie Starr. Seems appropriate.
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Pastey Posted Nov 24, 2016
My Grandmother's maiden name was Pratt.
There's the obvious Twatt on Orkney, just down the road from my in-laws.
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Cheerful Dragon Posted Nov 24, 2016
I've always liked the name Old Sodbury, which I believe is in Gloucestershire.
"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Bluebottle Posted Nov 24, 2016
Not to mention Sandy Balls in the New Forest. Whenever the Sandy Balls advert is on it makes me laugh.
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"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
Pink Paisley Posted Nov 24, 2016
Having grown up mostly using Yorkshire pronunciation, Clitterhouse Road in Hendon always makes me smile.
PP.
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"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread
- 17621: Pastey (Nov 19, 2016)
- 17622: Bluebottle (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17623: Icy North (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17624: Bluebottle (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17625: Icy North (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17626: Baron Grim (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17627: Bluebottle (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17628: Icy North (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17629: Baron Grim (Nov 21, 2016)
- 17630: Baron Grim (Nov 23, 2016)
- 17631: Lusus (Nov 23, 2016)
- 17632: Baron Grim (Nov 23, 2016)
- 17633: Icy North (Nov 23, 2016)
- 17634: Bluebottle (Nov 24, 2016)
- 17635: ITIWBS (Nov 24, 2016)
- 17636: Cheerful Dragon (Nov 24, 2016)
- 17637: Pastey (Nov 24, 2016)
- 17638: Cheerful Dragon (Nov 24, 2016)
- 17639: Bluebottle (Nov 24, 2016)
- 17640: Pink Paisley (Nov 24, 2016)
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