Re: Two Articles about What Brits Know (or Don't)...

In article <qipfq3t672klmi90kflt2go962oqngspeq@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
fairportfan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (mike weber) wrote:

> Woolworths said staff who administer the website selling the beds 
> were
> not aware of the connection."

I do wonder whether the staff were being disingenuous and were pleading
ignorance when they knew full well the word - not exactly unknown over
here.


> Nearly quarter of Brits think Churchill a myth: poll
> 
> Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll 
> which
> shows nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth, while 
> the
> majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.
> 
> The survey found that 47 per cent thought the 12th Century English
> King Richard the Lionheart was a myth.
> 
> And 23 per cent thought World War II prime minister Winston 
> Churchill
> was made up.
> 

Hadn't seen this particular poll, but it's a recurring type of story.

Searched for the story and found something in the Daily Mail about it:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article
_id=512087&in_page_id=1770

What is interesting is the list of fictional characters they listed as
people believing as real.  These included King Arthur, Mona Lisa, Dick
Turpin and Lady Godiva.  It could be argued that the last two are real
historical characters, even if many of the stories associated with them
are fiction.  In addition, there apparently was a real person who sat
for the Mona Lisa picture.  As to King Arthur, there seems to be
suggestions that such a character may have existed, although his
exploits have been exaggerated.