Puzzlebrains

There didn't seem to be anywhere for people to flag up what we've been enjoying watching on TV, so I've created the place for it.

One thing I've been enjoying over the past few weeks is Michael Portillo's Great British Train Journeys (BBC2, 6.30 pm). He takes a journey on the railways, and using his Bradshaw's Guide book he makes various stops along the route to look at different aspects of Britain, seeing how much has changed and what's still the same. I was very interested with week 2, when he came down to Dorset.

This is the final week, and he's doing a journey through Ireland; on Friday he's crossing the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

ive enjoyed the previous two series

the bridge one will bring memories back
ill watch it after on bbc's iplayer

it did however remind me of one last series
http://youtu.be/JTRhvj9QlCM?t=8m22s pictures of my home town Dewsbury

I really enjoyed Birdsong - which rather surprised me because I don't normally like programmes which are based on books I have read. It was very sad though.

I've been enjoying the Michael Portillo series too. Not sure if I'm sorry or relieved I'll miss the final one on Friday!

I suppose I could watch it afterwards on iplayer. If I can bear to. (this being about my colour when I did it!)

LAT wrote:I If I can bear to. (this being about my colour when I did it!)

don't be daft you did great crossing it

Bounce... Bounce... Bounce....



Great fun had by all - a wonderful weekend of memories.

[What does Bunny keep saying that is so bad she's being edited left, right, and centre? ]

Don't worry, it was me who edited myself MBH. I'm not being bad, just for once.

The Royal institution Christmas Lectures are being shown on BBC4 this week. This year's theme is 'The Modern Alchemist' and it's about the elements.
Some of the audience have cards which they can hold up, forming an interactive Periodic Table: when they revealed it, rather than just put it all up at once, the cast of 'Loserville' sang it into existence element by element - though they did sing a different coda, so that the sixteen elements discovered after the song was written could be displayed.

I enjoyed that tonight. It's great watching people blowing things up...

Michael Portillo's on his travels again. This week he's travelling from High Wycombe to Aberystwyth.
Today (Tuesday) he was in an area which for me was very familiar; he started from Birmingham (where I've been a fair few times) and then went northwards through Staffordshire - stopping off at Tamworth.

Next week, he's going from Portsmouth to Grimsby via London.

And today he was down here in Devon doing the wonderful trip to Dartmouth along the coast and then beside the river. He's such a good presenter - much better than politician

Last week at the Cricket Club I was working behind the bar and a regular said, "I saw a program on TV and thought of you and your puzzles....." - he then pointed me towards the Britain's Brightest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain's_Brightest

He particularly was interestedin a multi-part puzzle where they have to get out of a locked room. VERY much in our style and the puzzler beat the university smart-alec in the episode I saw (heat 3).

That's the only one I've seen so far (heat 4 was this weekend). There is one section where a couple of mathematical 'tricks' are taught and then used as a round. The week I saw was a quick way to multiply big numbers by 5 (which I'd already worked out for myself) and a way to square 2-digit numbers that end in 1 [21, 31, 41, etc]. I'm pleased to say that in the round I was as quick as the winner of the round Unfortunatly I'd probably have been bombed out in round 1 (guessing people's ages) so that's irrelevent.

Anyone else looked at this?

Yeah, I've been looking out from anyone who might have been on here!!!

I saw the one you describe MBH, but found the programme a bit irritating as a whole. How is guessing ages any indication of brightness? I'd love to play the locked room game though. Maybe that's an idea for a future meet. Lock teams in identical caravans and see who gets out f irst!

I've got to admit that the general subject title of 'History' doesn't do anything for me - but I found this documentary totally by accident and was caught by the title.... then sat through a most fascinating hour of practical puzzle solving and astronomy and mechanical engineering that I think would appeal to a few of you.

It is on Iplayer until Tuesday 19th Feb and I'll also include the Wiki link for the item in question. It even LOOKS like a puzzle that Scurra could have come up with - LOL.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _Computer/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

I'd never heard of this before (so sorry if it's common knowledge out there), but what a story. It did raise one laugh about the way mathmaticians minds work - but I'll let you spot that yourself

...

giraffe wrote:Maybe that's an idea for a future meet. Lock teams in identical caravans and see who gets out f irst!

Can't believe I forgot to comment on this...... The answer is.........

The tin dog with the laser beam - he's a Role Play Gamer and always looks for the non-rule way out

K9 wrote:We are sitting in a car.

[With apologies to those that haven't watched the relevant episode of Dr Who]

its a caravan and my size 9's come with a steel covering.... so yep i might be the first out

Locked in a caravan with me? Bet Scurra'd find an escape route pretty quickly... I'd have driven him half demented because I wouldn't be able to sit still...