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31 December, 2022

Dear Reader,

Today we thought we’d share 23 things we’ve learnt in 2023. There will be no issue tomorrow, but we are back on Tuesday.

All good wishes,

Jon Connell
Editor-in-chief

Anya Taylor-Joy in Peaky Blinders

British television is the envy of the world.  Of the top 100 TV shows voted for by users of the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), 26 were first shown on British screens. The main streaming sites – Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Disney – accounted for just 12 in total, while the rest premiered on American and international broadcasters. Top shows include Peaky Blinders, Downton Abbey and David Attenborough’s nature documentaries – three of which are in the top 10. (The Times)

Money changes men and women in different ways. A study of Swedish jackpot lottery winners found that after a win, men are more likely to get married and women are more likely to get divorced.

American presidents have a soft spot for the James Bond books. John F Kennedy named From Russia With Love as one of his favourite novels. George W Bush and Donald Trump have both “invoked 007 with enthusiasm”. Perhaps the most effusive was Ronald Reagan, who said: “James Bond is a man of honour. Maybe it sounds old-fashioned, but I believe he’s a symbol of real value to the Free World.” (Bloomberg)

“In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol. It was the worst 20 minutes of my life.”

George Best

Foreign languages have some bizarre expressions. In Swedish, a common phrase meaning “don’t worry about it” translates to “there is no cow on the ice”. If somebody sneezes in Mongolia, locals say “bless you, and may your moustache grow like brushwood”. In Polish, you might say “not my circus, not my monkeys” (essentially: “not my problem”). And whereas in English we might end a story saying “and they lived happily ever after”, in Norway they go for: “and if they’re not dead, they’re still alive”. (Big Think)

Prince Charles (centre) at his mother’s coronation. Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty

Only four people attended both the King’s coronation and his mother’s in 1953: Charles himself, Lady Glenconner, Andrew Parker Bowles and the Earl of Airlie. The latter, a 97-year-old Scottish peer, also went to George VI’s coronation in 1937. (The Oldie)

The humble watercress is the most “nutrient-dense” superfood, according to US boffins. Its many benefits include preventing tissue damage related to the development of some cancers, reducing inflammation in general and supporting eye health. It’s rich in vitamins K (good for bones) and A (good for everything), and contains so much vitamin C that just 100g of the leafy green would be enough to cover our entire daily requirement. (Country & Town House)

“Democracy is the process by which people choose who to blame.”

Bertrand Russell

The ancient Persians had an excellent way of making laws. According to Herodotus, they would deliberate on important matters while drunk, and then reconsider on the following day when sober. Only if the same result was achieved on both occasions would the decision stand.

ChatGPT is causing amusement across the Channel. When a Frenchman says “GPT” it sounds like “J’ai pété”, or “I have farted”. (The Times)

Paris Hilton has a special anti-paparazzi scarf that obscures flash photography to ruin unwanted snaps. The firm behind the £150 garment, ISHU, says its “highly reflective material” makes the flash extra bright, effectively turning the wearer invisible.

Colour is draining away from our lives. A Science Museum study of 7,000 everyday objects in its collection found that in 1800, just 15% were black, grey or white, compared to almost half today. In 1952, three out of four cars sold were red, green or blue, whereas today the same proportion are either black, white or grey. (Substack)

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Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Aramco made a $161bn profit last year, the highest ever by a publicly listed company. That works out at about $5,000 every second. (Bloomberg)

Straw dangling from the Millennium Bridge in October. Dan Kitwood/Getty

If you’re carrying out works on a river bridge in London, you have to warn boats by hanging a bale of straw over the side. The 900-year-old City Bridge Foundation, the charity responsible for looking after London’s river crossings, says the longstanding practice is demanded by Port of London Thames Byelaws. Clause 36.2 requires that during maintenance work, the person responsible must suspend “by day a bundle of straw large enough to be conspicuous and by night a white light”. (Sky News)

Talk of the decline of the British pub is much exaggerated. Yes, some 6,600 pubs – around 14% of the total – have shut down in England and Wales over the past decade. But a third of establishments that close down subsequently reopen, meaning only around 400 pubs per year “disappear for good”. And those that remain are doing just fine: revenues were 5.5% higher in February this year than they were in 2019, before the pandemic. (FT)

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The King has a very set morning routine. He wakes before 7am, and reads the papers with a cup of tea and the Today programme. The 75-year-old then does a headstand in his boxer shorts, to help his spine – though he sometimes saves this for later – before dressing. After dousing himself in aftershave (Dior’s Eau Sauvage) and having breakfast (seasonal fruits and yoghurt), he starts on his paperwork at 8am. (The Times)

Finding love online: Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail (1998)

The majority of American couples now meet online. Romance boffins at Stanford found that 53% of heterosexual pairings met virtually, considerably more than “in a bar or restaurant” (23%) and “through friends” (15%).

“The best way to get most husbands to do something is to suggest that perhaps they’re too old to do it.”

Anne Bancroft

Around 85% of the world’s population has never been on an aeroplane. (Substack)

Working from home appears to be driving a boom in mid-week golf. The number of people playing on Wednesdays rose nearly 150% between 2019 and 2022, while numbers on Saturdays declined. Particularly popular is the Wednesday 4pm tee-off – that’s up more than 275%. (FT)

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Being born in a rich neighbourhood adds 12 years to your life, on average. Research published in March found that children in Hampstead, north London (pictured) can expect to live to 88, while those born in Glasgow make it to 76 on average. Some 15 of the top 20 constituencies with the highest life expectancies are in London and the South East, while 17 of the worst are in Scotland, with Glasgow’s seven seats filling the seven bottom spots. (The Times)

When the automobile was invented, it was hailed as an environmental triumph. The streets of London and New York had become “engulfed” in manure from horses pulling carriages. Officials worried that unless something changed, the cities would “soon be completely covered in excrement”. Cars resolved what was “fast becoming a public health nightmare”. (Substack)

“Fundamentalists lack that most civilising of human virtues: doubt.”

Sunday Times columnist Matthew Syed

Peter Gabriel was once arrested on suspicion of terrorism. It happened in 1977, when his band – dressed in military fatigues and hoodies – parked up outside a bank in Switzerland to make a phone call. Passers-by thought they were the Baader-Meinhof gang and called the police, who arrived armed with machine guns. They discovered “the tour manager’s briefcase, which was full of cash”, says Gabriel. “Then they found a drawing of how to get into the gig, which they thought was how to get into the bank.” Only after several hours of questioning – and an impromptu performance to prove their musical credentials – was the band released. (Uncut magazine)

Wilatlak Villette/Getty

Oysters used to be everyday fare. The glistening bivalves were once so abundant, particularly in America, that they “fed rich and poor” alike. When an Englishman named Charles MacKay visited the US in 1857, he observed that “the only class difference in America” was between people who drank champagne with their oysters and those who washed them down with beer. (VinePair)

London has the worst traffic of any city centre in the world. Data from the GPS maker TomTom reveals that it took an average of 36 minutes and 20 seconds to travel 10km in the capital last year. In second place is the chaotic Indian metropolis Bangalore, where you typically cover the same distance in a mere 29 mins and 10 seconds – though TomTom doesn’t specify whether you get there in one piece.

France has more McDonald’s outlets than any other European country. (The Daily Telegraph)

“Whatever you do, always give 100%. Unless you’re donating blood.”

Bill Murray

That’s it. You’re done.

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