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The Grampound Times
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Edition 51

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Well here we go folks,  BETTY has been at it again   -   producing yet another collection of weird and often amusing facts  -  don’t ask me where she gets them from but I do like to read them, this time under the title…..

And there’s more……..

1. Roller skates made their first recorded appearance in 1760 at a party in Carlisle House, London.

2. In 1901 James Gibb launched his new invention of the game he called Ping Pong, now dignified by the name of  Table Tennis.

3. In 1667 the impoverished and blind John Milton sold the copyright of “Paradise Lost” for £10.

4. The lawnmower was invented by Edwin Budding of Stroud in 1830.

5. Doughnuts were first made in Holland as long ago as the 16th century.

6. The assassination of Spencer Percival, the British Prime Minister, was in 1912 when shot by John Bellingham, a disgruntled voter.   (now there’s an idea! – Editor)

7. Sweet Peas were first grown in this country in 1699 when a Sicilian monk sent a few seeds to England.

8. The first frozen food to appear in the U.K market was that of Smedleys asparagus in 1937.

9. There is now a mobile blood bank for dogs set up by Pet Bloodbank UK.   It will be touring Vet schools and appealing for blood donations.

10. Henry Jones invented self-raising flour in 1845.

BETTY MURDOCH