Brian Cobby - Telegraph Obituaries Brian Cobby Brian Cobby, who has died aged 83, broke a female monopoly that had lasted half a century when, in 1985, he became the first male voice of the speaking clock. Brian Cobby Photo: JOHN CONNOR PRESS ASSOCIATES 5:52PM GMT 18 Nov 2012 The service was launched in 1936, with Ethel Jane Cain the first incumbent. She was paid 10 guineas for her trouble, and could be heard by callers dialling 846 (or TIM) until 1963. Patricia Simmons then took over until 1985, when British Telecom replaced its outmoded analogue system with a modern digital one, which was relaunched as the speaking clock, “sponsored by Accurist”. That December BT launched a “Golden Voice” competition among its employees to find Pat Simmons’s successor; Cobby, an amateur actor who had previously done voice-over work, but who was then a switchboard operator at a telephone exchange in Withdean, Brighton, decided to enter.

There were more than 5,000 applicants, with Cobby the only man to be included in the final pool of 12 candidates. But when the winner was announced on December 21, it was his name that was selected. He then spent just one hour recording the components of the 8,640 daily announcements required for the role. As the voice of the nation’s timekeeping service, however, his warm yet authoritative tones were heard hundreds of millions of times. Brian Cobby was born on October 12 1929 in Brighton, and attended City of Oxford high school for boys before going on to do National Service with the British Forces Network radio station in Hamburg. His first credit came in 1960 with For Members Only, a short film for which he provided the voice-over. He then acted in The Pursuers, a television series about the adventures of a British detective, but his lilting tones won him most acclaim, and voice work rolled in, notably on commercials for soap flakes, painkillers and Stork margarine.

In 1965 he appeared as an actor in the popular drama Crane, and spent much of that year travelling back and forth between Morocco and Wembley to film a complicated combination of interior and exterior shots. He also claimed to have been involved in recording the celebrated countdown “5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Thunderbirds are go!!!”, though the creator of the futuristic puppet adventure, Gerry Anderson, reportedly insisted that Peter Dyneley, who provided the voice of Jeff Tracy throughout the series, was the source of the track. Other small roles and voice work followed, but by 1985 Cobby had abandoned his career in acting, which he had come to think of as an “expensive luxury”. After becoming the voice of the speaking clock, however, his performing career took off again: he guest-starred in episodes of Doctor Who, and appeared on screen alongside Madonna in the 1996 Academy Award-winning film Evita. Brian Cobby was a keen gardener and a puzzle enthusiast. He also claimed to enjoy an uninterrupted flow of fan mail from lonely “mature ladies” who would call the speaking clock for company on long winter nights. He is survived by his brother Clive.

Brian Cobby, born October 12 1929, died October 31 2012 Brian Cobby, first male voice of speaking clock dies at 83 | Daily Mail Online comments Actor Brian Cobby, who was immortalised as the voice of BT’s speaking clock, has died. Mr Cobby, 83, of Brighton, was the famous voice of the service for 22 years and died last week following a series of health problems. Clive Cobby, his brother said: 'He was a man of the world, who loved life and lived it to the full. 'He was larger than life. Scroll down for video Brian Cobby was the voice of the speaking clock for 22 years and was the first male to to do it. Brian's recording was replaced by that of Sara Mendes da Costa in 1997 'He never married and some people assumed he was alone, but he had a large family and was very popular. RELATED ARTICLES Share 'In every sense, he was an actor. He was very outgoing.' Mr Cobby had a very successful career prior to becoming the speaking clock from 1984 to 2007.

In the sixties, he was known as 'The Voice' and was one of the nation’s best known voiceover artists - launching a thousand soapflakes, prescribing every headache cure known to man and convincing the country they couldn’t tell the difference between Stork and butter. His recording of 'on the third stroke' was heard an estimated two billion times by users of the speaking clock He also appeared alongside Madonna in the film Evita. Consummate professional Brian took just one hour to record the 86 words that make up the speaking clock’s 8,640 daily announcements. Mr Cobby's voice was heard to say 'on the third stroke' an estimated two billion times and he was regularly stopped in the street and asked the time. Following a kidney transplant 15 years ago and a heart attack last year, his health had been deteriorating and he died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. His funeral will include a show reel of his most famous recordings. Thunderbirds Are Go: Millions fondly remember the dramatic '5.4.3.2.1.' opening sequence of the hit TV show.

Mr Cobby provided the voice VIDEO: Brian Cobby - Voice of the Speaking Clock on The One Show BT’s Speaking Clock is 80! - BT BT’s Speaking Clock is 80! The Speaking Clock celebrates its birthday on July 24. Print this story Britain’s famous Speaking Clock celebrates its 80th birthday on July 24, 2016 - and you can listen to its four voices by clicking on the video above. Now a national institution and part of Britain’s heritage, the Speaking Clock was the first of the pre-recorded information services in the UK, provided through telephones. Created for people who wanted to know the time and did not have a watch or clock to hand, the clock was initially only available in the London directory area, with the first British Speaking Clock introduced on July 24, 1936. The Speaking Clock was designed and constructed at the Post Office Engineering Research Station at Dollis Hill in North London. The time announcements were automatically co-ordinated on the hour with Greenwich meantime signals. In order to access the service, subscribers would dial the first three letters of the word ‘time’ as dials at the time included letters as well as numbers to aid automatic calls.

Dialling T. I. M. led to its common name 'TIM'. The service went national six years later. David Hay, head of BT Heritage, said: “The BT Speaking Clock is a national treasure. Even though we live in the digital age, more than 12 million calls are made each year to the BT Speaking Clock to get an accurate time check. “Eighty years ago BT's technology created the Speaking Clock which remains a much loved part of British life today. The Speaking Clock has reached octogenarian status and celebrating its birthday demonstrates BT's determination to preserve the heritage of the world's oldest communications company.” [Related story: Meet the Voices behind the Speaking Clock] Jane Cain was the first voice, winner of a Post Office ‘Golden Voice’ competition, and used from 1936 until 1963. Pat Simmons, a London telephone exchange supervisor, became the second voice from 1963 until 1985. The third voice belonged to Brian Cobby who became the first male voice at 11am on April 2, 1985.

An actor by profession before he joined BT as an assistant supervisor at a Brighton exchange, Brian was selected from 12 finalists in BT’s competition on December 5, 1984. Users who were around in the 1960s who listen hard enough might detect a familiarity – Brian was also the voice of “5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are go!” in the famous Gerry Anderson TV series. The fourth and current voice is Sara Mendes da Costa from Brighton & Hove. She became Speaking Clock voice at 8am on April 2, 2007. Sara won a BT competition during 2006 to find a new voice from the public, which had almost 18,500 entrants, simultaneously raising more than £200,000 for BBC Children in Need. Sara Mendes da Costa, said: “I am very proud to be the fourth permanent voice for the Speaking Clock and have been since April 2, 2007, nearly ten years ago.” Originally the accuracy of the BT Speaking Clock was one-tenth of a second, but it is now accurate to within 30 microseconds.

The Speaking Clock: Quick facts The BT Speaking Clock has been ticking 24-hours a day, seven days a week since 24 July 1936 – which is 80 years, more than 29,000 days, more than 700,000 hours or more than 42 million minutes, more than 2.5 billion seconds Big Ben checks its time with the Speaking Clock The Speaking Clock is accurate to within 30 microseconds In its first year the service registered nearly 13 million calls Initially only available in the London area and went nationwide in 1942 The Speaking Clock is also known as TIM and Timeline 10 Famous Disembodied Voices | Mental Floss 10 Famous Disembodied Voices Image credit: Like us on Facebook You know the voices, but who are the real people behind them? Meet 10 of the most famous disembodied voices ever recorded. 1. Amtrak's "Julie" Believe it or not, the famous Amtrak Julie, who debuted in 2001, is actually named Julie... Julie Stinneford of Boston, MA, that is, who won the role after an extensive audition process.

She's so lifelike, oftentimes riders say they didn't immediately realize Amtrak's Julie is a computer program. All those informal expressions, like when she says, "Great!" or "Got it!" -- those were recorded on purpose after Amtrak conducted a survey and learned that most people prefer their automated operators on the colloquial side (as opposed to live operators, who people seem to prefer on the formal side... go figure). In handling about a quarter of Amtrak's annual call volume Julie has saved railroad tens of millions. Julie has become such a hit that NPR once set her up on a computerized Valentines date with Tom, Mr. Customer Service for United Airlines. Sadly, the romantic conversation derailed when the real voices behind the computer personalities started arguing which was the best mode of transportation: plane or train. Here's an impromptu recording I made of Julie. While the voice-recognition is mostly there, she still had a hard time figuring out my juvenile sense of humor. 2. The London Underground's "Mind The Gap" Lady "Mind the gap" has become as iconic to London as double-decker buses or the London Bridge.

For those who aren't familiar with it, the gap is the space between the subway car and the platform. Emma Clarke, one of the more famous voices of the Tube, as it's sometimes called, recorded her first announcements for the Underground in 1999. Clarke, of Altrincham, Cheshire, was born in 1970 and is a married mother of two. Besides her freelance voiceover work, she's also an accomplished writer who has penned shows for the BBC. She's also a regular contributor to BBC's 5Live. Mind the Sack! It's widely believed that Clarke was terminated from a job at the London Underground in 2007 after posting spoof messages on her Web site. But that isn't what happened. Clarke was misquoted in the press as saying she never used the London Underground and hated tube trains; as a result a spokesman from LU told reporters that Ms. Clarke's contract was experiencing "severe delays." Cue global media frenzy. Today, Clarke's voice is still used on the London Underground and she continues to work as a freelance voiceover, writer and broadcaster. She has never been an employee of London Underground. Ever. And she does use and love tube trains.

Fact. You can hear some of the funnier spoofs she recorded here . We tracked her down recently and had her record a special "Mind the Gap" just for us! 3. Ms. "AT&T" The phrase "AT&T" has made Pat Fleet's voice one of the most famous and recognizable in the country. Since 1981, she's recorded tens of thousands of phone messages for various phone companies including AT&T, Verizon, and Bell Systems. Born Patricia Curry on September 11, 1943 in Dayton, Ohio, Fleet first recorded messages for the Bell System's Automated Coin Toll System. In the late "˜80s, customer surveys showed that of all AT&T's voices, Fleet's was the one people preferred most, so she landed the gig recording her most famous phrase, "AT&T," which is the company's signature sound. (You can hear it below.) Hold the phone! In her own house, Fleet's husband recorded the outgoing message on the family's answering machine, naturally. 4. Mr. "In a world where"¦" He had nicknames like V.O.G.

(Voice of God) and "Thunder Throat." He projected the image of a giant man, despite being only 5'8 Â½. His voice was one of the most recognizable and beloved movie trailer voices of all-time... the one everyone else still imitates... Don LaFontaine was born in Duluth, Minnesota on August 26, 1940. "The King of Voiceovers" was famous for trailers that began "In a world where"¦." So famous, he spoofed himself on a Geico commercial shortly before his death a couple years ago. He provided voiceovers for more than 5,000 movie and videogame trailers, commercials and promotions during his 33-year career. At his peak, he was doing as many as 60 promotions per week, and sometimes as many as 35 in a single day right out of his own home recording studio. Here's one of our favorites: 5. Ms. GPS Though first a singer, Karen Jacobsen is known best for giving driving directions. She is the voice of GPS. Born in Mackay, Australia, she now resides in New York.

When the Global Positioning System needed a voice in 2005, they decided the most desirable candidate would be an Australian now living in the Northeastern United States. Jacobsen won the audition and her voice guides drivers the world over. To create the computerized speech system, Jacobsen had to record 50 hours of script to get every possible combination of syllables. Then, the behind-the-scenes tech wizards cut it all up to work in their computer program. The Right Direction: Recently, she started To Zambia with Love , to help cildren living in poverty. 6. Mr. Moviephone Russ Leatherman was born in 1962 and helped to found Moviephone in 1989. A decade later, in 1999, Moviephone was purchased by AOL. Leatherman's voice has become famous and his reviews are featured weekly on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel as well as radio staions coast to coast. Being a pop icon always leads to parody; as the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery, and Russ Leatherman should surely be flattered.

His iconic "Hello and welcome to Moviephone!" has been parodied on shows such as Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, and who can forget the classic "Why don't you just tell me what movie you want to see?" from Seinfeld. In case you forgot what the original sounds like: 7. Mr. BT Speaking Clock Brian Cobby, who began his career as a telephone exchange worker, was selected from more than 5,000 British Telephone employees to be the voice of BT's famous speaking clock. He went on to beat out the other 11 finalist who were all female, to become the first and, to date, only male voice of the BT speaking clock. In case you're not familiar with the service, in the United Kingdom, the speaking clock can be reached by dialing 123 on a BT phone line. It's automated, of course, but back in the day there were actual people sitting in windowless rooms answering the phone and relaying the time. Cobby was born on October 12, 1929.

He was the voice of the clock for more than 22 years, before finally being replaced in 2007 by Sara Mendes da Costa. Here's a recording of Cobby's speaking clock: 8. Mr. "You've Got Mail!" During the reign of AOL, "You've Got Mail!" - the three words that revolutionized e-mail and even inspired a movie, was heard more than 27 million times a day (more than 18,000 times a minute). Though AOL eventually went on to get famous folk to record the catch-phrase, the original was voiced by Elwood Edwards, who also did AOL's "Welcome," "File's done," and "Goodbye." But how did he land the job in the first place? Well, in 1989, his wife was working in customer service for Quantum Computer Services. Quantum had an online service called Q-Link. One day, she overheard the company's CEO, Steve Case -- yes, the guy who went on to launch AOL -- telling someone how he wanted to incorporate a real person's voice into the service.

She barked, "Hey, you ought to try Elwood." It made sense, seeing as her husband had spent his long career in local radio and TV. So he spoke those original four phrases into a cassette tape and was soon on his way to becoming a disembodied voice legend. You've Got to be kidding: In an interview, his wife once remarked: "A few times, when he's been taking a nap, I've logged onto AOL - and he's woken himself up!" Here's the original, kicking it old-school, AOL 1.0: 9. Ms. BT Pat Whymark, the voice of BT Telephone services (as well as the NHS Swine Flu Hotline), began her career studying acting at Royal Welsh Collage of Music and Drama. In addition to providing voiceovers for numerous commercials, films, and BBC documentaries, Whymark helped to found the Eastern Angels Theatre Company where she composed music for several plays. Whymark now works solely as a voiceover artist for Voice-Prompt. 10. Ms. Voicemail On top of being a best selling-author, consultant, and media personality, Dr.

Joan Kenley is also known as the "voice of voicemail." She has recorded voicemail messages for Nortel, Pacific Bell, Verizon, and Sprint voicemail systems. She's a talk show host and a psychologist, and involved in all sorts of squishy New Age sounding things: She's a core member of The Millionth Circle, an international, grass-roots, volunteer movement comprised of women who believe that gathering in circles is a powerful way to create positive change in world consciousness. D'oh! yeah: she's also the "telephone lady" on a few episodes of The Simpsons. Speaking clock set for 75th birthday | Comms Dealer Speaking clock set for 75th birthday Speaking clock set for 75th birthday 20 July, 2011 - 13:01 Britain's famous Speaking Clock celebrates its 75th birthday on July 24, 2011. Now a national institution and part of Britain's heritage, the Speaking Clock was the first of the pre-recorded information services in the UK, provided through telephones.

Created for people who wanted to know the time and did not have a watch or clock to hand, the clock was initially only available in the London directory area, with the first British Speaking Clock introduced on July 24, 1936. The Speaking Clock was designed and constructed at the Post Office Engineering Research Station at Dollis Hill in North London. The time announcements were automatically co-ordinated on the hour with Greenwich meantime signals. In order to access the service, subscribers would dial the first three letters of the word âtime' as dials at the time included letters as well as numbers to aid automatic calls. Dialling T. I. M. led to its common name 'TIM'. The service went national six years later. Today, around 30 million calls every year are made to the service, now officially called "Timeline". People dial 123 in the UK to hear the modern service. The âvoice' of the BT Speaking Clock is as famous as the facility itself, with only four permanent voices ever used. Although there have been other voices used for charity events. They included Lenny Henry who recorded a special version in aid of Comic Relief for a two week period in March 2003.

Later on that same year, 12 year old Alicia Roland won the same opportunity, this time for Childline. Mae Whitman, the voice of Disney's Tinkerbell, also became the voice for the Speaking Clock in January 2009, coinciding with the Tinkerbell film released at the same time. Also in 2009 Comic Relief helped raise money with celebrity voices such as Gary Barlow, Cheryl Cole, Chris Moyles, Kimberley Walsh and Fearne Cotton. Jane Cain was the first voice, winner of a Post Office âGolden Voice' competition, and used from 1936 until 1963. Pat Simmons, a London telephone exchange supervisor, became the second voice from 1963 until 1985. The third voice belonged to Brian Cobby who became the first male voice at 11am on April 2, 1985. An actor by profession before he joined BT as an assistant supervisor at a Brighton exchange, Brian was selected from 12 finalists in BT's competition on December 5, 1984.

Users who were around in the 1960s who listen hard enough might detect a familiarity - Brian was also the voice of "5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are go!" in the famous Gerry Anderson TV series. The fourth and current voice is Sara Mendes da Costa from Brighton & Hove. She became Speaking Clock voice at 8am on April 2, 2007. Sara won a BT competition during 2006 to find a new voice from the public, which had almost 18,500 entrants, simultaneously raising more than Â£200,000 for BBC Children in Need. Originally the accuracy of the BT Speaking Clock was one-tenth of a second, but it is now accurate to within five thousandths of a second. David Hay, head of BT Heritage, said: "75 years ago BT's technology created the speaking clock which remains a much loved part of British life today. Celebrating its diamond jubilee demonstrates BT's determination to preserve the heritage of the world's oldest communications company." Did you know?

Macclesfield Pub Quiz League: 12th February–the questions Macclesfield Pub Quiz League SET BY THE LAMB SHANKS Vetted by the Plough Horntails and Ox-Fford ART AND LITERATURE 1 Which poet versified about a “dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smokestack” in the poem Cargoes? (John Masefield) 2 Which modern Poet Laureate was commemorated with a memorial stone in Westminster Abbey in December 2011? (Ted Hughes) 3 Octarine (the colour of magic) is the eighth colour of the spectrum on which world? (The Discworld – as written about by Terry Pratchett) 4 Who (or what) complained “Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to take you to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction, 'cause I don't”? (Marvin, the paranoid android, in Douglas Adam’s Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) 5 What musical instrument of the woodwind family is an aerophone , or reedless wind instrument producing its sound from the flow of air across an opening?

(Flute, or piccolo) 6 Who sculpted the version of the Three Graces statue commissioned by John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford that is now on display alternately in the National Gallery of Scotland and the Victoria and Albert Museum? (Antonio Canova) 7 Kubla Khan and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are two of the main works of which poet? (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) 8 Pablo Picasso created which painting in response to the bombing of a Basque town by warplanes from Germany and Italy in 1937. What is the name of the painting? (Guernica) 9 Who are the Samuel Becket characters Vladimir and Estragon waiting for? (Godot – in the play waiting for Godot) 10 The ‘trio’ to March No. 1 in D of the Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches is better known as the music to which song? (Land of Hope and Glory) ‘ELF N’SAFETY (Most questions are taken from the health and safety test labourers on a construction site have to pass.

They are mostly Health and Safety related, but the odd one does mention “Elf” as well) 1 Fire extinguishers can contain one of four substances – water, powder, foam and what? (Carbon dioxide – CO2 – accept also Halon or wet chemicals) 2 Which part of your body is most likely to be injured if you lift heavy loads? (Your back) 3 Name one of the two animals that carry Weil’s Disease, also known as Leptospirosis, in their urine? (Rats or Cows) 4 The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act is the primary piece of legislation regulating workplace health, safety and welfare within the United Kingdom. In which decade was it passed into law? (1970s - 1974 ) 5 What is sort of creature is Dobbie in the Harry Potter books and films? (A House Elf – full name required) 6 If someone is injured at work who should record it in the accident book? (The injured person or someone acting for them) 7 Which colour identifies the ‘live’ wire in a modern (new) 240 volt electricity supply?

(Brown) 8 Which 1960s car (sister to the Wolseley Hornet) was also a ‘mini with a boot’? (Riley Elf - full make and model required) 9 How are legionella bacteria passed on to humans? (Through fine water droplets such as sprays or mists) 10 What is the early sign of noise damaging your hearing? (Temporary deafness) GEOGRAPHY 1 What is the name of the village near Dorchester, built at the instigation of Prince Charles as a response against “modernist” architectural design? (Poundbury) 2 Which member of the Commonwealth is formed of ten Provinces and three Territories? (Canada) 3 In which range of Irish mountains does the River Liffey rise? (Wicklow Mountains) 4 What is the capital of Burkina Faso? (Ouagadougou) 5 In which English county is most of the Forest of Dean? (Gloucestershire) 6 What colour is a Geography pie in Trivial Pursuits? (Blue) 7 Cape York is the northernmost point of which Commonwealth country?

(Australia) 8 Which African country was called Nyasaland until 1964? (Malawi) 9 What country is Budejowice in (pronounced boo day yo vit ze)? (The Czech Republic – it is also known as Budweis) 10 The River Hafren flows out of Wales near Crew Green in Shropshire. What is it called in English? (River Severn) HISTORY 1 What did Enola Gay do on the 6th August 1945? (Dropped the first atomic bomb – Enola Gay was the name painted on the nose of the B29 Superfortress bomber plane that carried the bomb) 2 Which century saw Macclesfield get it’s royal charter? (13th Century – in 1261) 3 What, according to the chronology published by Bishop James Ussher, began at nightfall preceding Sunday, October 23, 4004 BC? (The creation of the earth) 4 What was Lieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, doing on the 25th of October 1854?

(Leading the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava) 5 For how many years did Macclesfield Borough Council exist as a local government district? (35 years - 1 April 1974 to 31 March 2009 – accept 2 years either way) 6 What was seen from the earth in April 1910 and February 1986 (and should next be visible in July 2061) (Halley’s Comet) 7 What did BOAC and BEA become when they merged in 1974? (British Airways) 8 In what year was the M25 motorway completed? (1986 -allow 2 years either way) 9 In December 1926, the United Alkali Company and British Dyestuffs Corporation merged with two other companies. What was the name of the merged company? (ICI or Imperial Chemical Industries) 10 In what year did the Battle of the Boyne take place?

(1690) (A tasty round in honour of the sausages served by Marshall at the Lamb) 1 Which European country is the traditional home of Chorizo? (Spain) 2 Who advertised Cookstown Sausages on TV in the 1960s & 70s with the punch line “the best family sausages”? (George Best – full name needed) 3 What is a Gloucester Old Spot? (A pig - reputedly their meat is the best for making sausages) 4 Which traditional children’s seaside entertainment usually features a policeman, a string of sausages and a crocodile in a red and white striped tent? (A Punch and J udy show) 5 What is the German for sausage? (Wurst – with the ’w’ pronounced ‘v’) 6 ‘Pigs in blankets’ are a traditional accompaniment to roast turkey at Christmas. What are they? (Small sausages - usually chipolatas -wrapped in bacon). 7 What specific type of sausage is usually contained within a ‘proper’ hot dog (not just a ‘hot dog sausage)?

(Frankfurter, also accept Wiener) 8 Princess Anne’s first father-in-law was a sales director at which famous sausage making company? (Walls) 9 Which toothy TV presenter can claim broadcasting a clip of a dog that barked or growled ‘sausages’ on one of her shows? (Esther Rantzen) 10 What is the brand of sausages produced by the pig farming TV presenter friend of Jamie Oliver, who also used to be a PhD student of Entomology? (Jimmy’s Farm) 1 What would be removed from your body if you underwent a nephrectomy? (A Kidney) 2 What is the name of the law that states ‘To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’? (Newton’s third law of motion – accept Newton’s Law) 3 What is the name for a line on a weather map connecting lines of equal atmospheric pressure? (Isobar) 4 The discoveries of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium are all credited to which scientist? (Sir Humphry Davy) 5 Daubenton’s and Soprano Pipistrelle are types of what mammal?

(Bats) 6 Quercus Robur is the Latin name for which unrivalled king of the forest in Britain, synonymous with strength, size and longevity? (the English Oak tree) 7 What medical treatment was discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, who acted upon his observation that milkmaids who caught the cowpox virus did not catch smallpox? (The process of vaccination) 8 Which malleable metal alloy traditionally consists of 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and sometimes, less commonly today, lead (Pewter) 9 Dry air, at ground level, is approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Which inert gas is most of the remaining 1%? (Argon 10 What human characteristic is Craig Venter acknowledged to have been the first person to map (or sequence) (The human genome) 1 Give the name of either of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Mascots?

('Wenlock' - named after Much Wenlock or ‘Mandeville’ – named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital) 2 Which US city is represented in baseball by the Indians, in American football by the Browns, and in basketball by the Cavaliers? (Cleveland) 3 Football – at which stadium will the 2013 UEFA Champions’ League Final be played (Wembley Stadium) 4 Football - w hich nation won the African Cup of Nations this last weekend? (Nigeria – beat Burkina Faso 1 - 0) 5 Who has held the Men’s Triple Jump World Record since 1995? (Jonathan Edwards - 18.29m) 6 At which course will the 2013 Open Golf Championships be held? (Muirfield) 7 Which American writer said ‘golf is a good walk spoiled’? (Mark Twain) 8 Who has owned (or part owned) the racehorses Queensland Star, Rock of Gibraltar and What a Friend? (Sir Alex Ferguson) 9 Punter, tight end and strong safety are players positions in which sport?

(American Football) 10 Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko Football Club (nicknamed The Fabulous Porcupines!) have won their country’s league championship 21 times. Which West African country is this? (Ghana) HOW MUCH? (All costs valid on 7th February 2013) 1 How much is a first class stamp for a standard size letter up to 100g in weight? (60p) 2 How much is a pint of semi-skimmed milk delivered to your doorstep by Smiths Dairies of Macclesfield (62p - accept 58p to 66p – some companies charge 72pm) 3 How much is a copy of the Macclesfield Express? (65p) 4 How much (in pence) is a Euro worth? (85p) (accept 80p to 90 p) 5 How much is a litre of unleaded at the Esso on Churchill Way Macclesfield?

(135.9p) (accept 132.9p to 138.9p) 6 How much is the national minimum wage per hour for an adult over 21? (£6.19) 7 How much is a prescription (if you pay for it)? (£7.65) 8 How much is a replacement 32 page passport for an adult (through the standard service)? (£72.50) 9 How much is a colour television licence? (£145.50) 10 How much is the basic personal tax allowance for the 2012-2013 tax year (£8105) Set by the Plough Horntails, vetted by the Ox-Fford 1. In which county is the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst? A. Berkshire 2. Which organization won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize? A. The European Union (for having, over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe) 3.

Name the ex-construction worker, whose video-taped beating by Los Angeles police and their initial subsequent acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles Riots? A. Rodney King 4. Who began his speech, "Where is Dave?" at the 2012 UK Conservative Party Conference? A. Boris Johnson 5. British actor Brian Cobby (1929-2012) provided the first male voice for what British announcements? A. Speaking Clock 6. Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and who else formed the 1960s pop group “The Monkees”? A. Peter Tork 7. In which nation's London embassy has Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought diplomatic asylum since June 2012? A. Ecuador 8. Who played the part of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony? A. Kenneth Branagh 9. In 2012 British MP Nadine Dorries controversially appeared on what reality TV show? A. I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here 10.

What event caused Twitter's servers to crash on 25 June 2009? A. Michael Jackson's death 11. What word for 'the end of the world' referred originally to a revelation? A. Apocalypse (from Greek apo, 'un', and kaluptein, 'to cover' - the book of Revelation in the Vulgate [4th century Latin/Roman Catholic Bible] is also known as the Apocalypse) 12. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was founded in 1991 as a 'successor entity' to what? A. The USSR (or Soviet Union - the CIS remains at 2013 a relatively loose membership organization for Russia and several ex-Soviet bloc nations - it seeks to coordinate members activities/rules, etc., in areas of trade, law, finance, security, etc) 13. What was the original name of UK-founded communications technology company O2? A. Cellnet (accept BT Cellnet) 14. Which film is credited with originating the obsession / jealousy term 'bunny boiler'? A.

Fatal Attraction (1987, in which the spurned Glenn Close character Alexandra 'Alex' Forrest breaks into her former lover's house and boils the family’s pet rabbit). 15. Who was the last English Tudor monarch? A. Elizabeth I (1533-1603, reigned 1558-1603) 16. Who was the first winner of the TV “talent” show the X Factor in 2004? A. Steve Brookstein 17. What is the more common name for Nitrous Oxide? A. Laughing Gas 18. Ian Botham played for three County cricket teams during his career. Somerset was one of them; name either of the other two. A. Durham or Worcestershire 19. What football club did Gordon Banks play for when he won his 1966 World Cup medal? A. Leicester City 20. The last Briton to win the women’s singles at Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in 1977. Who did she beat? A. Betty Stove 21.

The last Briton to win the Women’s singles at the French Open was Sue Barker. In what year did she win? A. 1976 (accept 1975-1977) 22. Which 1935 film based on a novel of 1859 has the last line “It’s a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It’s a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.” A. A Tale of Two Cities 23. Which 1991 film has the last line “I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye.” A. The Silence of the Lambs 24. Give a year in the life of John Wesley. A. 1703-1791 25. Give a year in the life of Daniel Defoe. A. 1659-1731 26. The Niagara Falls are situated on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into which other Lake? A. Lake Ontario 27. Above which Canadian city are The Plains of Abraham? A. Quebec City 28.

Which British City has a railway station named after a series of novels by Sir Walter Scott? A. Edinburgh (Waverley Station) 29. In which British city is there an underground rail system nicknamed 'The Clockwork Orange'? A. Glasgow 30. Which river runs through Lisbon? A. Tagus (accept Tajo or Tejo – transliterated from the Portuguese) 31. Which river runs through Buenos Aires? A. River Plate (Rio de la Plata) 32. What was the name of Captain Cook’s ship on his 1768 voyage to the Pacific Ocean and Australia? A. HMS Endeavour 33. Which Yorkshire city is known as “Woolopolis" - a reference to the Victorian era wool making industry in the city, in the style of Manchester's "Cottonopolis? A. Bradford 34. In which modern country are the ruins of the ancient city of Troy? A. Turkey 35. According to Greek mythology who commanded the Greek army in the Trojan War? A. Agamemnon 36. In which film did Meryl Streep win her first Acting Oscar? A. Kramer vs.

Kramer (1979) 37. In which film did Emma Thompson win her only Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role? A. Howard’s End (1992) 38. What was the name of the female British biophysicist whose work on X-ray diffraction images assisted in the discovery of the helical structure of DNA. A. Rosalind Franklin 39. Who, in 1865, was the first Englishwoman to qualify as a medical doctor? A. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson 40. What is the first name of the detective Maigret? A. Jules 41. Which element gets its chemical symbol from its original Greek name hydrargyrum? A. Mercury (Hg) 42. Who is credited with the quote “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”? A. US President Harry S Truman 43. What is the name of the cartoonist who created Andy Capp? Reg Smythe. 44. What is the fruit of the Blackthorn called? A. The Sloe 45. In Greek mythology Pygmalion was the king of which country? A.

Cyprus 46. 'At the Castle Gate', from Jean Sibelius's incidental music work Pelléas et Mélisande, is the theme music for which long running BBC TV programme? A. The Sky at Night. 47. In Spain and Portugal, what is the title given to daughters of the sovereign? A. Infanta. 48. In the nursery rhyme, what was the only tune that Tom the piper’s son could play? A. Over the hills and far away. 49. Alef, Bet, Gimel are the first three letters of which alphabet? A. Hebrew 50. Which BBC Director General was appointed and resigned in 2012? A. George Entwistle. 51. In which US state was 'Custer's Last Stand' at the Battle of the Little Bighorn? Montana 52. For his appearance in which film did Sean Connery win his only Oscar for Best Supporting Actor? A. The Untouchables (appearing as Jim Malone) 53 What was the name of the line of fortifications built by France along its eastern frontier between 1929 and 1934?

Maginot Line 54. Who wrote the Billy Bunter stories? A. Frank Richards. 55. Which English dramatist was murdered by his lover Kenneth Halliwell in 1967? A. Joe Orton. 56. Who is the youngest singer to have a number one hit in the UK charts? A. Jimmy Osmond (aged 9 years and 8 months in 1972 with Long Haired Lover From Liverpool) 57. Who wrote the novel “Cold Comfort Farm”? A. Stella Gibbons. 58. Who was the architect of Coventry Cathedral? A. Basil Spence 59. Which by surface area is the largest lake in Wales? A. Lake Bala (Llyn Tegid) 60. When BBC Radio 1 started on Saturday, 30 September 1967 Tony Blackburn was the first disc jockey. But which former Crackerjack presenter was the second disc jockey to broadcast on the new station, hosting Junior Choice? A. Leslie Crowther 61. BBC Radio 2 was also launched on 30 September 1967 as a successor to The Light Programme.

But what was the name of the predecessor to The Light Programme? BBC Forces Programme. (Accept also ‘General Forces Programme’ or just ‘Forces Programme’ 62. Who was nicknamed “The Little Corporal”? Napoleon Bonaparte N.B. He was also known as ‘Corporal Violet` 63. Who was known as “The Sailor King”? William IV (1765 - 1837) 64. In which capital city would you find the district of “Foggy Bottom”? Washington DC (The location of the Watergate Building, US Department of State, Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts amongst others.) 65. What was the name given by Benjamin Russell to the action taken by the Governor of Massachusetts in 1812 in order to maintain political control for his party. Gerrymander (The Governor’s name was Elbridge Gerry. Russell used the term “gerrymander” when it was observed that one district subject to voting boundary changes looked like a salamander.) 66. In folklore, what did Finn mac Cool supposedly build?

NOTE TO QUESTION MASTER: If asked, the name is spelt in several different ways: Fionn mac Cumhail, Finn McCool or Finn MacCooill A. The Giant’s Causeway (in Antrim, Northern Ireland) 67. In which country is the newspaper La Stampa published? A. Italy 68. “All the news that’s fit to print” is the slogan of which newspaper? A. New York Times 69. What was the name of the German battleship scuttled in the River Plate in 1939? A. Graf Spee. 70. There are four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta dating from 1215 in existence. Two are currently housed in the British Library, give the location of either of the other two copies? A. Lincoln Cathedral (accept Lincoln Castle where it is often on display) or Salisbury Cathedral (the best remaining copy) 71. What legislation was introduced as a complement to Magna Carta to provide rights and protection for the Common Man, and provided the statute longest in force in English history? A.

The Charter of the Forest (In force from 1217 to 1971. Final clauses replaced in 1971 by Wild Creatures and Forest Laws Act 1971 .) 72. Name the poet who was the first to be buried in the location now termed “Poet’s Corner” in Westminster Abbey? Geoffrey Chaucer (in 1556) 73. What is the Metropolitan Police Operation Weeting designed to investigate? It is the Police investigation into phone hacking by the News of the World. 74. Eugene Andrew Cernan is currently the last ever man to do what? A. Walk on the Moon (during the Apollo 17 mission) 75. What’s the scientific name for the ‘winter vomiting bug’ that affected more than 100,000 people in the UK over the Christmas 2012 period? Norovirus 76. What is the condition hyperemesis gravidarum better known as? Acute morning sickness (accept morning sickness) 77.

What was the name of the hospital in London where the Duchess of Cambridge spent time recovering from ‘acute morning sickness’ and whose staff were subject to a tragic “prank call” from Australian Radio DJs? King Edward VII Hospital 78. The BBC program ‘Sherlock’ was voted top TV show 2012 in a Radio Times poll. What’s the name of the actor that plays the title role? Benedict Cumberbach 79. What’s the name of the person who plays Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne in the BBC TV series ‘Call The Midwife’? Miranda Hart 80. Attempts to obtain water samples from Lake Ellsworth were abandoned on December 25th 2012. On which continent is Lake Ellsworth situated? Antarctica (Lake Ellsworth is a sub glacial lake located under approximately 2 miles of ice) 81. Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner is currently President of which country? Argentina (renowned for harping on about the Falkland Islands) 82. Goodluck Jonathan (full name Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan) is currently the President of which country?

Nigeria 83. What’s the name of the current Secretary of State for Defence as at January 21st 2013? Philip Hammond 84. What’s the name of the current (as at January 21st 2013)UK government Minister of State for Universities and Science David Willetts 85. The first London Underground line (The Metropolitan) recently celebrated its 150th year since opening. Name one of the 7 stations that were on this line on that opening date in 1863. Paddington; Edgware Road; Baker Street; Portland Road; Gower Street; King’s Cross; Farringdon Street. 86. The Victoria Line on the London Underground was ‘officially’ opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. Name either of the terminus stations on this line. Walthamstow Central; Brixton 87. What is buckram used for? It is stiffened cloth (cotton or linen) that is used in book-binding. (Also sometimes for stiffening clothes,) 88. At one time based in Didsbury, in which field of endeavour was the Shirley Institute involved?

Textiles research. (Originally just cotton as the British Cotton Industry Research Association, but now also includes wool, rayon and man-made fibres) 89. Which fictional ship’s captain’s last words were “Floreat Etona”? A. Captain Hook 90. Monte Cervino is the Italian name for which mountain? A. Matterhorn 91. Which stately home is the seat of the Dukes of Bedford? Woburn Abbey 92. Which stately home is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough? Blenheim Palace. 93. Two sports are to be added to the 2016 Olympic Games. Name one of them. Rugby Sevens or Golf. 94. In which year were the first Winter Olympic games held? A. 1924 in Chamonix, France 95. The city of Sheffield is at the confluence of 5 rivers. Name one of them. A. Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley, Porter or Don. Which Australian novelist published 16 books before winning the Booker Prize in 1982 with "Schindler's Ark"? Thomas Keneally 97.

Who is the Manager as of 22nd Feb 2013 of Swansea City football team? Michael Laudrup 98. Name a member of the group “One Direction” other than Harry Styles? A. Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, or Louis Tomlinson 99. Later set to music by Edward Elgar, who wrote the original poem “The Dream of Gerontius”? A. Cardinal Newman. 100. Who is the current as of 22nd Feb 2013 Manager of the England Women’s Football team? Hope Powell At the third stroke...BT’s Speaking Clock will be 80 years old - BT News BT News At the third stroke...BT’s Speaking Clock will be 80 years old Press Release • Jul 21, 2016 10:00 BST Speaking Clock celebrates its 80th birthday on July 24, 2016 Audio and images can be found here Britain’s famous Speaking Clock celebrates its 80th birthday on July 24, 2016.

Now a national institution and part of Britain’s heritage, the Speaking Clock was the first of the pre-recorded information services in the UK, provided through telephones. Created for people who wanted to know the time and did not have a watch or clock to hand, the clock was initially only available in the London directory area, with the first British Speaking Clock introduced on July 24, 1936. The Speaking Clock was designed and constructed at the Post Office Engineering Research Station at Dollis Hill in North London. The time announcements were automatically co-ordinated on the hour with Greenwich meantime signals. In order to access the service, subscribers would dial the first three letters of the word ‘time’ as dials at the time included letters as well as numbers to aid automatic calls. Dialling T. I. M. led to its common name 'TIM'. The service went national six years later. David Hay, head of BT Heritage, said: “The BT Speaking Clock is a national treasure. Even though we live in the digital age, more than 12 million calls are made each year to the BT Speaking Clock to get an accurate time check.

“Eighty years ago BT's technology created the Speaking Clock which remains a much loved part of British life today. The Speaking Clock has reached octogenarian status and celebrating its birthday demonstrates BT's determination to preserve the heritage of the world's oldest communications company.” Jane Cain was the first voice, winner of a Post Office ‘Golden Voice’ competition, and used from 1936 until 1963. Pat Simmons, a London telephone exchange supervisor, became the second voice from 1963 until 1985. The third voice belonged to Brian Cobby who became the first male voice at 11am on April 2, 1985. An actor by profession before he joined BT as an assistant supervisor at a Brighton exchange, Brian was selected from 12 finalists in BT’s competition on December 5, 1984. Users who were around in the 1960s who listen hard enough might detect a familiarity – Brian was also the voice of “5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are go!” in the famous Gerry Anderson TV series. The fourth and current voice is Sara Mendes da Costa from Brighton & Hove.

She became Speaking Clock voice at 8am on April 2, 2007. Sara won a BT competition during 2006 to find a new voice from the public, which had almost 18,500 entrants, simultaneously raising more than £200,000 for BBC Children in Need. Sara Mendes da Costa, said: “I am very proud to be the fourth permanent voice for the Speaking Clock and have been since April 2, 2007, nearly ten years ago.” Originally the accuracy of the BT Speaking Clock was one-tenth of a second, but it is now accurate to within 30 microseconds.

Permanent voices First voice Jane Cain 1936 – 1963 Second voicePat Simmons1963 – 1985 Fourth voiceSara Mendes da Costa2007 – to present Quick facts The BT Speaking Clock has been ticking 24-hours a day, seven days a week since 24 July 1936 – which is 80 years, more than 29,000 days, more than 700,000 hours or more than 42 million minutes, more than 2.5 billion seconds Big Ben checks its time with the Speaking Clock The Speaking Clock is accurate to within 30 microseconds In its first year the service registered nearly 13 million calls Initially only available in the London area and went nationwide in 1942 The Speaking Clock is also known as TIM and Timeline Temporary voices There have been a number of temporary Speaking Clock voices, recorded for charity: Lenny Henry: March 10 to March 23, 2003 (Sport Relief) Alicia Roland (12-year-old schoolgirl): October 13 to October 23, 2003 (Childline) Mae Whitman: October

 26, 2008 until February 9, 2009 (to promote Disney’s Tinker Bell) Kimberley Walsh, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles and Fearne Cotton: February 3 to March 23, 2009 (Sport Relief) David Walliams, Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles, Kimberley Walsh and Fearne Cotton: March 7 to April 9, 2012 (Sport Relief) Clare Balding: February 12 to March 15, 2013 (Comic Relief) Davina McCall: January 27 to March 23, 2014 (Sport Relief) Sir Ian McKellen: February 24 to March 13, 2015 (Comic Relief) Jo Brand: January 20 to March 20, 2016 (Sport Relief) BT’s heritage BT is the world's oldest and most established communications company.

Our roots extend back to the UK's Electric Telegraph Company, incorporated in 1846 as the world's first national telecommunications provider. This summer we celebrate our 170th anniversary. Few companies in the world have a heritage as rich as BT . BT’s Archives have been recognised by UNESCO and Arts Council England as having unique significance to the UK’s cultural heritage. BT has always acknowledged that we have a duty of care to safeguard this unique legacy on behalf of the nation. BT is the only UK plc to give a firm and clear heritage commitment with a published Heritage Policy About BT BT’s purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services. BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Global Services, Business and Public Sector, Consumer, EE, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach.

For the year ended 31 March 2016, BT Group’s reported revenue was £19,042m with reported profit before taxation of £3,029m. British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit At the third stroke...we will wish you a happy 80th birthday | News | Surrey and Hants News Surrey and Hants News > Happy birthday to the Speaking Clock. The national institution turns 80 on July 24. The Speaking Clock was the first of the pre-recorded information services in the UK, provided through telephones. Created for people who wanted to know the time and did not have a watch or clock to hand, the clock was initially only available in the London directory area, with the first British Speaking Clock introduced on July 24, 1936, using the voice of Jane Cain between then and 1963. The Speaking Clock was designed and constructed at the Post Office Engineering Research Station at Dollis Hill in North London.

The time announcements were automatically co-ordinated on the hour with Greenwich meantime signals. In order to access the service, subscribers would dial the first three letters of the word ‘time’ as dials at the time included letters as well as numbers to aid automatic calls. Dialling T. I. M. led to its common name ’TIM’. The service went national six years later. David Hay, head of BT Heritage, said: “The BT Speaking Clock is a national treasure. Even though we live in the digital age, more than 12 million calls are made each year to the BT Speaking Clock to get an accurate time check. “Eighty years ago BT’s technology created the Speaking Clock which remains a much loved part of British life today. The Speaking Clock has reached octogenarian status and celebrating its birthday demonstrates BT’s determination to preserve the heritage of the world’s oldest communications company.” Jane Cain, the first voice, won of a Post Office ‘Golden Voice’ competition, and her voice was used from 1936 until 1963. Pat Simmons, a London telephone exchange supervisor, became the second voice from 1963 until 1985.

The third voice belonged to Brian Cobby who became the first male voice at 11am on April 2, 1985. An actor by profession before he joined BT as an assistant supervisor at a Brighton exchange, Brian was selected from 12 finalists in BT’s competition on December 5, 1984. Users who were around in the 1960s who listen hard enough might detect a familiarity – Brian was also the voice of “5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are go!” in the famous Gerry Anderson TV series. The fourth and current voice is Sara Mendes da Costa from Brighton & Hove. She became Speaking Clock voice at 8am on April 2, 2007. Sara won a BT competition during 2006 to find a new voice from the public, which had almost 18,500 entrants, simultaneously raising more than £200,000 for BBC Children in Need.

Sara Mendes da Costa, said: “I am very proud to be the fourth permanent voice for the Speaking Clock and have been since April 2, 2007, nearly ten years ago.” Originally the accuracy of the BT Speaking Clock was one-tenth of a second, but it is now accurate to within 30 microseconds. Time for facts * The BT Speaking Clock has been ticking 24-hours a day, seven days a week since 24 July 1936 – which is 80 years, more than 29,000 days, more than 700,000 hours or more than 42 million minutes, more than 2.5 billion seconds; * Big Ben checks its time with the Speaking Clock; * The Speaking Clock is accurate to within 30 microseconds; * In its first year the service registered nearly 13 million calls; * Initially only available in the London area and went nationwide in 1942; * The Speaking Clock is also known as TIM and Timeline. * The Speaking Clock can be reached by dialling 123 on a BT phone line; the number may vary on other networks.

Question: British actor Brian Cobby (1929-2012) provided the first male voice for what British announcements?
Answer: Speaking Clock