Think-a-link! Is it in?

Newsletter 30 -

Forgive me chaplain for I have linked...

When recounting a story, setting the scene is vital. So, forgive me for going over the top here but it's a belter.

So there I am, sitting in Uppingham's magnificent school chapel that would put Hogwarts to shame. I have just given a 10 minute presentation to the 800 kiddywinks about linking in all its glory and what to expect in the day's subsequent workshops following a muffled version of Hark The Herald. The chaplain then thanks me and says to all and sundry - 'Let's all be upstanding to say the Lord's Prayer, providing we can remember it, of course!' (looking over at me with a mini-smile) I, feeling all smart and witty, proceeded to lean over to the boys next to me saying - 'I've got a link for it!'. This made them giggle but it also prompted a reaction from the reverend MC who peered over his glasses in my direction. I thought...'Gosh, I know I have a booming voice but I only said it under my breath to the boys. How did he hear me?'. Then it dawned on me. My microphone was still on. To quote a Springfield resident.....doh!

Opening a humorous greeting card looking for the punchline when there isn't one is highly embarrassing. The tactic is to giggle a little bit just before opening it in case the whole joke is on the front and you're being horribly dim. If the punchline is inside then turn that giggle into a guffaw. If it's not then keep that little giggle going and flick back to the front saying to the person who gave it to you.....'Good one'. They may say to you...'Oh, I thought you'd really like that one and was expecting you to holler like a good'un.'....to which you want to say...'I'm sure I would do if I got it but I'm being thick.'...but you have to say...'Hmm, it's not bad.' I did it last week in a shop and felt a complete plum, even though I was on my own!

Getting out of a piping hot shower hurts a tad at the best of times. But when it's chilly bananas like it is now, it really isn't nice. HG Wells' motor where you could fast forward 30 seconds would come in very handy in this situation.

I'm done.

Update

I revisited a splendid school called 'Hallgrove' last week to spend another day with the winks, finishing off with a University Challenge quiz between the four houses to see if the 60 links I gave them in the morning had worked. We had a blast with two semi-finals, a 3rd/4th place play-off and a final which went to a tie-break. A top idea by the head, Alastair Graham, which I will do elsewhere, once I've found a website that sells these buzzers! He even did the admin of playing the music at the start of each contest and got the players to wave when they were introduced.......'A starter for 10, no conferring, what king....etc'......'Smithers, Falcon (House) - Edward I'....'Correct!'....'Your three bonus questions are on Inventions'...etc. In the four matches, they got 54 out of the 60 questions right. Great, great fun.

Your chance to get involved

The site is a meeting-place for linkers & learners alike. So if you have a link for a fact no matter how 'oh, perleeze!' it may be then chuck it my way and let's see if the public give it a squeeze and a hug or brush it under the rug. In the words of Reverend Spooner, if it's a tib-rickler then it could well end up in print, one day! Also, you can request anything to be linked, absolutely anything. Bung the request my way and let's see what my fellow linkers and I come up with.

Feedback

I would love to get your thoughts and observations on the site, good or bad. This has been a passion of mine since 1995 and it's finally come to fruition which is hugely exciting. However, it's all new territory for me. So any guidance or tips on what does and doesn't work will be warmly received - please let me know at andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk

Competition

Congratulations to Rebecca Fells for getting the 4 answers correct thereby increasing her personal coffers count by £100.

The answers were....

1. Purge 2. Boston 3. Campanology 4. Afghanistan

Here is the next competition....

www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/competitions/competitions/competition-31-december-10-open

Email the answers to andy.salmon@thinkalink.co.uk and you will be entered into the draw for 100 smackeroonies

......and finally

Please let me know if you would prefer me not to contact you in this way and I will take you off my newsletter circulation list. If that is the case, please accept my apologies.

It would be churlish not to finish the year off with a couple of links that should make Santa's belly wobble like a bowlful of jelly....

Current Cabinet members which of course could change:

Liam Fox/Defence Secretary.....A fox burrows under defence to nab the chickens.

Phil Hammond/Transport.....Ham and cheese is a typical filling for a British Rail sandwich.

Caroline Spelman/Dept of Environment, Food & Rural Affair (DEFRA)....It's shortened to DEFRA as it's a pain to spell, man.

Benjamin Disraeli became the first Jewish Prime Minister in 1868.....1 of the 8 letters in benJamin is J for Jew and 6 of the 8 letters of Disraeli spell Israel.

Marie Curie discovered Radioactivity....Freddie Marie Curie sang 'Radio Ga Ga'. (not sorry)

Westminster Abbey was reconstructed by Henry the Third.....Waht a building!

In 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain took Britain into World War II (WWII)......Dial three 9s as I've got my bum stuck in the chamberpot whilst having a Wi Wi (WWII)

Do make sure you ship in a rip-roaring Christmas and a linking good New Year.

All the very best.

Sir Linkalot

P.S To view previous newsletters, go to

www.thinkalink.co.uk/content/news-events

Think-a-link - is it in?

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