Let me put that date in my diary ...

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Bohemian Rhapsody

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The 1975 Queen hit Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the most famously ambiguous and debated songs in music history. Freddie Mercury himself famously refused to explain its meaning, often saying it was "just about relationships" with "a bit of nonsense in the middle," and that listeners should interpret it for themselves. Despite this, many interpretations have emerged over the years, with the most widely accepted revolving around Freddie Mercury's personal struggles, identity, and coming to terms with his sexuality. In terms of composition, the song can be broken into five sections: an intro; a ballad; an opera a hard rock section followed by an outtro in the same style as the intro. If you are interested in music, may I suggest watching this video which goes into the technical details of the song. Intro "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?": This sets the stage for a journey of self-discovery and confusion. It suggests a feeling of being caught b...
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What do a bob, crown and guinea have in common?

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After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the British pound was divided into 20 shillings or 240 pennies. Until decimalization in 1971, money was divided into pounds (£) shillings (s) and pennies [or pence] (d). The symbols s (for shilling) and d (for pence) derive from the Latin solidus and denarius which were the names of coins used in the Roman and Byzantine empires. The £ sign developed from the latin word libra, which refers to weighing scales. The shilling was subdivided into 12 pennies. The penny was, in turn, subdivided into two halfpennies or four farthings (quarter pennies). It was based on the troy system of weighing precious metals where the penny was literally one pennyweight (1,89 grams) of silver. A pound sterling thus weighed 240 pennyweights, or a pound (453 grams) of sterling silver. There were also commonly used terms to describe particular denominations, for example: Two farthings were one halfpenny (or hay-pence). Two halfpence was one penny 3 pence was called thruppence...
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Now is the winter of our discontent

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“Now is the winter of our discontent” is the opening line of William Shakespeare's play Richard III. It's one of Shakespeare's most famous lines. Certainly one of the most famous reniditions is by Lord (Baron) Laurence Olivier from the movie of the same name. Note that the above excerpt was done in a single shot so he must have really learned his lines. Here is the text with a translation into modern English on the right.
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