A Conversation for Ask h2g2

"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17621

Pastey

You should put in an offer for it! smiley - biggrin


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17622

Bluebottle

I think they want more than the handful of shrapnel smiley - 2cents I can afford - plus I don't think it'll fit in the loft.smiley - winkeye

<BB<


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17623

Icy North

Chuck the job and sail the world in it smiley - smiley


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17624

Bluebottle

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

<BB<


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17625

Icy North

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

Post 17626

Baron Grim

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

Post 17627

Bluebottle

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?

<BB<


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17628

Icy North

Depends what kind of knot - see A43825827


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17629

Baron Grim

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

Post 17630

Baron Grim

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

Post 17631

Lusus

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

Post 17632

Baron Grim

Climax, Texas nice, but they missed Ding Dong, Tool, Noodle, and Kickapoo, Texas.


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17633

Icy North

I paid my licence fee for that! smiley - biggrin


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17634

Bluebottle

And the obvious Penistone...

<BB<


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17635

ITIWBS

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

Post 17636

Cheerful Dragon

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

Post 17637

Pastey

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

Post 17638

Cheerful Dragon

I've always liked the name Old Sodbury, which I believe is in Gloucestershire.


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17639

Bluebottle

Not to mention Sandy Balls in the New Forest. Whenever the Sandy Balls advert is on it makes me laugh.

<BB<


"What news story has caught your attention today?" thread

Post 17640

Pink Paisley

Having grown up mostly using Yorkshire pronunciation, Clitterhouse Road in Hendon always makes me smile.

PP.



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