ODDMENTS
*** A
Ajax ..... trade mark of the FIRST flush lavatory
Alfriston Clergy House ..... Sussex - the FIRST property acquired by the National Trust in 1896. In 2007 the National Trust celebrated the centenary of the Parliamentary Act which gave it legal status. The organisation was conceived by the Victorian philanthropist Octavia Hill in the 1880s as a land company ' for the protection of the public interests in the open spaces of the country'
Ampex Corporation ..... in 1956 in California, they produced the FIRST videotape recorder
Andrex ..... created by Ronnie Kent in 1936 it was the FIRST crépe loo paper to be put on a roll and the FIRST to be advertised on television when the Andrex puppy appeared on our screens in 1972
Annapurna 1 ..... the FIRST peak over 8000 feet to be climbed
Arktika ..... an atomic icebreaker which became the FIRST ship to reach the North Pole - 1977
Asparagus ..... the FIRST frozen food available in Britain in 1937
*** B
Barclays Bank ..... the FIRST UK bank to issue a debit card in 1987
Baron ..... rank in the peerage of the UK above a baronet and below a viscount. The FIRST English barony by patent was created in 1387 but barons by 'writ' existed earlier
Belgian Automobile Club ..... published the FIRST road map in 1901
Belgica - The ..... in 1897 it was the FIRST vessel to over-winter in Antarctica
Bessemer Process ..... the FIRST cheap method of making steel was invented by Henry Bessemer in England in 1856
Blackpool Electric Tramway Co - The ….. Britain's FIRST electric tram service - 1885
Boat Race ..... annual UK rowing race between the crews of Oxford and Cambridge Universities which was FIRST held in 1829
Bordeaux Quay ..... Britain's FIRST eco-restaurant has solar panels on the roof, loos flushed with rainwater and used cooking oil converted to biodiesel
Brillo ..... the FIRST steel-wool cleaning pad which was patented in 1913 by a kitchenware salesman called Brady and his brother-in-law Ludwig
Britannia Bridge ..... linking mainland Wales with the Isle of Anglesey it was the world's FIRST tubular bridge and was completed in 1850. It was designed by Robert Stephenson son of the locomotive engineer George Stephenson
Brooklyn Bridge ..... U.S.A ..... in 1883 it was the world's FIRST steel wire suspension bridge. It was designed by John Roebling before his death and completed by his wife Emily and their son
Brougham ..... the FIRST four-wheeled carriage drawn by only one horse and invented by the 1st Lord Brougham
BT Openworld ..... launched a new subscription service claimed to be the FIRST classical music subscription service in Europe when subscribers can "stream" classical music over their PC and download 10 tracks each month
Bubbles ..... 1886 ..... painting by John Everett Millais (1829 - 1896) which was the FIRST piece of serious art to be licensed for a commercial advertisement - Pears soap
*** C
Cadbury’s Milk Tray ..... FIRST launched in 1905
Cat Protection Society ….. U.K ..... set up in 1927 and in 1935 opened the FIRST cat adoption centre. In 1940 they raised money to help relieve the suffering of cats during the London Blitz
Census - the FIRST US census was in 1790 and the FIRST in Britain was in 1801
Challenger ..... British naval vessel of the FIRST round-the-world oceanographic expedition of the 19th century
Chanel No.5 ..... the FIRST totally synthetic mass-market fragrance
Christmas .....1840 ..... the FIRST Christmas trees were introduced to the UK from Germany.....1843 – the FIRST Christmas cards were sent by Sir Henry Cole.....1868 – colour was FIRST introduced to Christmas cards
Comet - The ..... the FIRST paddle steamer in Britain when it carried passengers up the Clyde in 1812
Co-operative Society - The ..... the FIRST British grocery retailer to use degradable carrier bags. They were made from oil-based polymers which contained a special additive that allowed the plastic to degrade within a specified timescale. In 2006 they became the FIRST retail group in Britain to switch all its outlets to "green" energy when the company announced that energy to its 3000 shops and headquarters complex in Manchester would now be sourced only from renewable energy. The "green" electricity is produced from renewable sources such as wind and water as opposed to "brown" energy from non-renewable sources and work was completed on cladding the tower of the 400 foot Manchester CIS building in solar panels, the largest project of its kind in Europe
Coppertone ..... in 1980 they created the FIRST UVA/UBB sunscreen
Cragside ..... FIRST house in the UK to be lit by electric. It belonged to William Armstrong, an English engineer
Craven A ..... FIRST brand of cigarettes to be sold in a cellophane wrapped jacket - 1931
Crimean War - The ..... the FIRST war to be fully reported and the FIRST to have a photographer assigned to it
Cultural Phenomenon of Elvis Presley : The Making of a Folk Hero ..... FIRST accredited university level course on Elvis Presley, which was offered by the University of Tennessee in 1979 and taught by English professor Patsy Guy Hammontree
Cyclotron ..... the FIRST circular accelerator was built in the early 1930s. An accelerator is a device to bring charged particles up to high speeds and energies at which they can be of use in industry, medicine and pure physics
*** D
Daily Courant - The ..... in March 1702 it was the FIRST daily newspaper in England
Daily Planet - The ..... brothel in Melbourne, Australia, the FIRST publicly-listed brothel on the country's stock market (May 2003). On its initial public offering it raised £ 1.4 million
Daimler..... FIRST petrol-driven car
Diamond Match Company..... U.S.A ..... in 1896 it produced the FIRST book matches which were patented by Joshua Pusey in 1892
Dinosaurs ..... Gideon Mantell and William Buckland FIRST discovered and described the iguanodon and the megalosauras ..... Richard Owen supervised the construction of life-size dinosaur statues of concrete, stone and iron as part of the world's FIRST theme park at Crystal Palace
Dodd's Socialist Holiday Camp ..... U.K ..... Norfolk - 1906 - FIRST permanent family holiday camp
Done Bookmakers ..... U.K ..... the FIRST in Britain to run ladies-only gambling nights which began in August 2002 and would continue if successful - Manchester
Double-decker buses ..... the FIRST motorised double-decker bus ran from Kennington to Victoria in 1899 and the FIRST mass-produced example, the B-type, was on the road in 1910. The colour red was chosen as it was claimed to be more visible
Dreamieland - The Adventures of ....... Europe's FIRST fully interactive 'dark ride' in a shopping centre when it opened at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2002. It was the brainchild of Miranda Rijks who developed the Dreamieland concept
Duchess - The ..... U.S.A ..... the FIRST electric shaver designed specifically for women - 1940 - Remington
*** E
Edgehill - Battle of ..... FIRST battle of the English Civil War which took place in 1642 on a ridge in South Warwickshire between Royalists and Parliamentarians
Endeavour HMS Bark ..... FIRST ship to determine longitude accurately at sea
Electrolux ..... company that launched the FIRST fully automatic washing machine in 1951
Emirates ….. Dubai-based airline which was the FIRST commercial airline to allow passengers to use their mobile phones in flight - 2008
Extreme Ironing World Championships ..... the FIRST ones were held in Munich in 2002 when eighty competitors from ten countries tackled the toughest of fabrics in a variety of styles. Pre-heated irons were handed out at every stage and marks were awarded for calmness in the face of danger, speed, how extreme the day was and the quality of the ironing. The British team of three led by Phil Shaw were the winners
EyeToy:Kinetic ..... due for release in 2005 it is the world's FIRST fitness game. Made in collaboration with Nike and played on PlayStation2 it uses a camera to relay a picture of you on your television screen and then takes you through a workout in activities ranging from boxing to modern dance
*** F
Finders Services ..... the U.K's FIRST charge card in 1951
Frei Sonnenland ….. Motzener See, Germany - 1920 - FIRST official nudist camp
*** G
George 1V Farthing ..... the FIRST coin to feature a right-facing Brittania
*** H
HMS Driver ..... the FIRST steamship to circumnavigate the globe
HMS Hermes ..... the FIRST purpose-designed aircraft carrier completed in 1913
HMS Scylla ..... in March 2004 it became Europe's FIRST artificial diving reef when it was sunk on Plymouth Sound
HMS Weare ..... Britain's FIRST prison ship for 200 years was berthed at Portland in Dorset
Holidays ….. FIRST airborne package tour was in 1932 when the Polytechnic Touring Association of London took parties to Lucerne by Imperial Airways Heracles from Croydon. Seven days in a chalet cost £12.14s
Huntley - The ..... American civil war submarine, the world's FIRST killer sub and the FIRST in naval history to sink a warship
*** I
ICI ….. the FIRST British company to make a billion pound project
Ic-Xhie ….. Europe's FIRST test-tube foal who was born as part of a programme to create stronger and faster horses for show jumping and eventing teams - 2001
International Red Cross ..... the FIRST organization to win the Nobel Peace Prize twice
Irtyu ..... the FIRST Egyptian antiquity of note acquired by the British Museum in the 1750s. The mummy was bequeathed to the museum by Col William Lethieullier in 1756 after he returned from Egypt
*** J
Jones Sewing Machine ….. the FIRST machine was manufactured in 1859 in Audenshaw, Manchester, by steam engine manufacturer, William Jones. He made improvements to the design of the expensive American imports and went on to mass produce his machines
Jumbo ..... the FIRST African elephant to come to Britain was born in December 1860 and in June 1865 was bought by the London Zoo
*** K
Kapitan Sviridor ..... the FIRST Russian cargo vessel to bring exported goods into the port of Churchill in Canada - October 2007
Kenwood Chef ..... the world's FIRST food processor was launched in 1950
Knapely Women's Institute ….. in Yorkshire, produced the FIRST ever Women's Institute nude collector - Calendar Girls is the film of their story
*** L
Lacerta ….. company run by Dr Glyn Heath, a former zoologist who now specialises in prosthetics and orthotics at Salford University School of Health Care Professions. The company provides a service tailor made for animals that have mobility problems and is the FIRST of its kind in the world
Liberty Party - The ..... formed in 1839 it was the FIRST anti-slavery party in America
LLoyds TSB ..... U.K ..... the FIRST bank in Britain to offer services in Polish when its St Mary's Gate, Manchester branch opened a banking "superstore" with Polish speaking staff and translated leaflets and account information - January 2007
Lollipop men and women ..... the FIRST Lollipop lady appeared in Bath in 1937 and in 1953 the School Crossing Patrol Act gave them a formal status
London Electric Cab Co - The ….. Britain's FIRST motor cab company
London & North Eastern Railway - The ….. in May 1935 the company introduced the FIRST cinema coach in the British Isles , a converted passenger brake van. The cinema equipment was supplied by Pathe Equipment Ltd
*** M
Magic Studio ..… Merseyside, England ..… the FIRST Magic Studio of its kind in Britain
Magical Journey ….. Europe's FIRST animatronic themed ride
MAGNA ..... the U.K's FIRST Science Adventure Centre - based at Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The name is Latin for "great things"
Melrose's Century Tea Bags ….. FIRST British product to be bar coded - 1978
Menai Bridge ..... also links mainland Wales with the Isle of Anglesey ( see Britannia Bridge) it was the FIRST major iron suspension bridge in the world. Designed by Thomas Telford it was completed in 1826 after seven years labour
Midland Bank ….. launched the FIRST ever personal loan in Britain in 1958. Interest rate at the time was 5%. In 1998 it was between 12.9% and 16.9%
Midnight Mystique ..... the world's FIRST commercially available black hyacinth (2005) which originated in the Netherlands sixteen years ago after experts crossbred a white and blue plant. Now on sale it was cultivated by Thompson and Morgan (Young Plants). The word hyacinth comes from the Greek mythical figure Hyakinthos, a young man loved by the sun god Apollo
Mini Convertible ..... in 2005 it became the FIRST car ever to be banned from being used in a driving test since the tests began 70 years ago after examiners complained of poor all-round visibility from their position in the passenger seat
Mishka ..... the 1980 Olympic mascot and the FIRST teddy-bear to go into space
Morphy Richards ..... produced Britain's FIRST popular automatic toaster in 1948
*** N
Nautilus ..... American submarine which was the FIRST ship to reach the North Pole in 1958
Nescafé ..... producer of HalfCaff, the U.K's FIRST half-caffeine drink. Available in both Nescafe Original and Gold Blend formats it has been designed specifically for people who want to cut their caffeine intake but still enjoy the feeling they get from a tasty coffee experience - 2005
NS Savannah ..... the FIRST atomic-powered cargo ship in the world
Nubrella ….. the world's FIRST hands-free umbrella designed by Alan Kaufman who spent six years developing it
*** O
Orby ..... bred by Richard Croker, in 1907 it was the FIRST Irish horse to win the Derby
*** P
Panacea ..... bar in Manchester, England, which will be the FIRST venue in the country to use hi-tech iris scanners to decide who gets in - 2005
Papermaking Machine ..... the FIRST machine was installed at Frogmore, Hertfordshire in 1803. It was 27 foot long and 48 inches wide and produced about 600 pounds of paper in 24 hours. It was known as the Fourdrinier after the two brothers who played a large part in its development
Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir ….. the 37th bridge across the Seine in France in 304 metres long and 12 metres wide. It has a unique and complex design with the elegant central sweeping curve alone crossing a 190 metre stretch without support. It is the FIRST footbridge to be named after a famous woman
Peachtree ….. FIRST of a new breed of golf courses tailored to American golfers' desires to hit targets rather than play the bump-and-run game favoured in the British Isles. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr
Pepsi-Cola ( Nencn-Kona) ..... FIRST U.S consumer product to go on sale in the U.S.S.R
Pet ..... the FIRST self-contained home computer and was manufactured by Commodore Pillar Boxes
Petrochina ..... Chinese oil and gas giant which became the world's FIRST trillion dollar company
Phoenix - The ..... in 1809 it was the FIRST steamer to make a regular sea voyage when it steamed from Hoboken, New Jersey to Philadelphia
Pianoforte ..... FIRST keyboard instrument that could play both softly and loudly
Pillar Boxes ..... the novelist Anthony Trollope invented the pillar box in 1852 when he came up with the idea of a cast-iron, thief proof receptacle in which the public could place letters. The FIRST six were installed on trial in St Helier, Jersey and the FIRST in England was in Carlisle. originally they were square but in 1859 the round version was tried out an became more prevalent. At first they were painted green but in 1874 red became the standard colour and it took ten years to repaint them all
Plimsolls ..... the FIRST lightweight canvas shoes to be introduced in the UK for playing croquet and tennis. The Americans preferred to call them "sneakers"
Prestel ..... the world's FIRST viewdata system was announced by the Post Office in 1975. It used the telephone lines to link a computer data bank with the television screen
Provident Clothing Group ..... introduced the FIRST credit voucher in the UK in 1880
Public Libraries ….. the FIRST Public Libraries Act received the Royal Assent in 1850
*** Q
QE2 ..... the FIRST British liner to offer en-suite facilities in every cabin and the FIRST to site restaurants high up to give panoramic ocean views
Quaker Oats ….. it's logo of a smiling Quaker man in 1877 became the FIRST trademark to be registered for a breakfast cereal at the U.S Patent office
Queercard ….. the FIRST credit card in the UK geared specifically towards the homosexual and lesbian community. It was launched in October 2001 and was a joint venture between Accucard and Queercompany. com
*** R
Roller Skates ..... known as 'volitos' they were FIRST demonstrated in 1823 in Windmill Street, Soho, London
Roomba ..... the FIRST robot ever made to live in the home. Its only function was vacuum-cleaning and it can navigate a room, clean up and then shut itself down with a beep when finished
Royal Academy - The (R.A) ..... the FIRST British institution to stage a major Chinese Art Exhibition ( 1935)
RSPCA ..... the world's FIRST animal organisation
*** S
Sainsbury's Stores ..... in April 2002 it launched the FIRST official Coronation Street kitchen towel after teaming up with Granada TV in Manchester and in June 2002 they introduced the biggest vending machine in the country, the FIRST of its kind in the UK, when the huge machine was switched on outside their store in Hazel Grove, Stockport
Selfridge's ..... U.K ..... in 2006 it opened the FIRST psychic concession in a leading British department store. A £40.00 half-hour session could get one a tarot reading, palmistry and crystal work. It was first launched as an experiment but later became a permanent fixture
Silverjet ..... the world's FIRST carbon-neutral airline travels between London and New York at a cost of £799 return
Silver Link ….. Britain's FIRST stream-lined train, named for King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935. It cost £7000 and had an average speed of 70 mph
Sunrise Mobility ….. made the world's FIRST portable Powerchair
Symbolics.com ..... in 1985 it was the FIRST registered domain name on the internet
*** T
Thanksgiving ….. in October 1621 the FIRST Thanksgiving dinner was celebrated in Massachusetts by the pilgrims who sailed to America on the Mayflower. The menu consisted of wild turkey, venison, fish, cornmeal bread, nuts and succotash ( a native American cooked dish of corn and beans)
The Naked Maja ..... painting by Goya said to contain the FIRST depiction in Western art of female pubic hair
Tom Thumb ..... the FIRST railway locomotive built in America
Tower Building - The ..... New York's FIRST skyscraper - 1889
Trilobite - The ..... made by Electrolux it was the world's FIRST robotic vacuum cleaner and went on sale in May 2003 with a price tag of around £1000. It uses sound waves, similar to the navigation signals that bats rely on, to detect obstacles, then calculates a new route around rooms
Triton ..... nuclear submarine which completed the FIRST submerged circumnavigation of the world
Trueform Group ..... a British firm which created the world's FIRST energy efficient bus shelter. Powered by roof-top solar panels it provides up-to-date travel information, toilets, cash points, Internet access and vending machines
Trusted Tradesmen Register ..... launched in 2002 it was the U.K's FIRST insurance-approved list which allowed users to search by post code and profession for workmen who have met a strict set of criteria. The register was launched by British Gas and listed more than 60,000 reputable firms. It was accessible via the British Gas website house.co.uk
*** U
UVX Ultraviolet Vacuum ..... the world's FIRST vacuum cleaner to use UV rays to get rid of hidden germs and bacteria in carpets. Manufactured by Halo Technologies it uses the same kind of UV light used in water treatment facilities to purify drinking water and by hospitals to sterilise operating rooms and medical instruments - 2007
*** V
VPud Snack ..... the world's FIRST black pudding for vegetarians has been developed by The Real Lancashire Black Pudding Co of Bacup, Lancashire, owned by Andrew Holt
VShop ….. FIRST ever internet-to-high street retail initiative in the UK and was launched by Virgin Entertainment Group. It combined old economy shop-based retailing with the opportunity for purchasing and browsing offered by the new internet economy
VW Campervan….. the world’s FIRST people carrier
*** W
Walkers ..... the FIRST company in Britain to measure the carbon footprints of one of their products
Weddings….. FIRST couple in Britain to marry aboard a submarine are believed to be Chief Petty Officer Chris Tandy and schoolteacher Eva Driver, both from Saltash in Cornwall – March 2002 ***** Burford - Ian and Alex - Cannell ..... FIRST gay couple to register their relationship in London, when they went through a ‘marriage’ ceremony in August 2001. The Mayor of London attended at the Visitor's Centre of the Greater London Authority as did Linda Wilkinson and Carol Budd who also signed the register to register their relationship ***** Barclay - Robert ..... born 1648 died 1690 ..... Scottish Quaker whose wedding to a fellow Quaker in Aberdeen in 1670 was the FIRST Quaker wedding in Scotland ..... on June 1st 1978 Debra & Elmer Flint from Illinois, became the FIRST couple to be married inside the house in which Elvis Presley was born on Old Saltillo Road in East Tupelo, Mississippi ..... Ekaterina Dmitriev and Yuri Malenchenko were the FIRST to have a space wedding when they married at Johnson Space Centre in Houston with the Russian cosmonaut 240 miles away in space with the American astronaut Edward Lu ( who acted as best man)
Winton ..... the FIRST automobile to cross America from coast to coast when it left San Francisco in May 1903 and arrived in New York on July 26th
*** Y
YMCA ….. the FIRST YMCA hostel Hazlewood, opened in 1873 on the Isle of Wight. At first they were holiday homes for young men but by the turn of the century the first long-stay hostels for working men appeared. George Williams was one of the main founders of the YMCA movement. Soon after he had moved to London in 1841 he began to hold prayer meetings with a few colleagues and by June 1843 the meetings had turned into a regular gathering. The following year the first meeting of a new society " to influence young men to spread the redeemer's kingdom amongst those by whom they are surrounded" took place and the association was born