Silly game- anyone up for it?

BTW, I don't think it's a silly game. I'm just no good at it.

Homer's Iliad MiceElf, and that was from memory and without even checking, though I have checked on previous ones that I thought might be a certain book.

"The steamer from Barcelona to Majorca landed Mr Parker Pyne at Palma in the early hours of the morning - and straightaway he met with disillusionment."

Why is it that every thread eventually founders? No, don't anwer that, it will only be the bell for another round.

Can't do yours, Thatbags, but with the help of Google I have detected that the party was for Gulzari Lal, a former Prime minister of India. Do I get any points for that?

Googling successfully is an intellectual exercise. It might be cheating, but just how many people have every word of every book they have ever read in their memory? Maybe (just maybe) Googling the whole quotation is a bit much, but following clues must be OK?

Yes! It's the Pope translation from an edition published in 1872 which was my grandfather's. Much thumbed - but not looked at by me for a long time.

I remember reading a story by Agatha Christie called Parker Pyne Investigates many years ago, but I can't remember anything at all about it apart from the title.

And here's one for Bags to calm her down

"1774 January 1. Larks congregate. Sunday 2 Thermom abroad 25 1/2"

The party wasn't for Gulzari Lal. It was for "a very insignificant guest indeed", elegran, but you do get points for that .

Ah! I was making a deduction from insufficientl evidence, Thatbags The only thing I could find on Google was everyone at the party was useful to GL, so I assumed the party was for him.

I don't know, mice, but Selborne comes to mind.

On a similar theme, here's an easy one: "When on board H.M.S. 'Beagle' as naturalist, I was much struck with certain facts in the distribution of the organic beings inhabiting South America, and in the geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent."

Love that sentence! Especially 'organic beings'.

Good thinking, elegran. That's why you got points. Have I to give the book title now?

Yes it's Gilbert White.

The Voyage of the Beagle. Darwin.

Here's one that many on here will have read - many moons ago

"it is a truism that dealing with small children is not just a matter if deciding what is the best thing to do, and then doing it"

It's in the pleasure of finding the answer, not in how the answer is found surely. It's all good stuff to become informed and educated. Some of the books on this thread haven't even been on my horizon, but I don't mind, because it's fun and interesting - and get's me shooting off to google or jotting down info. for future reference.

Darwin, yes, but The Origin of Species.

Guessing agin because I didn't read any books on raising kids: Spock or Whitehorn

Yes, quite, ffin. Well said. I'm adding to my reading list too.

No! Not Spock, or Whitehorn or even Dr Jolly or Penelope Leech

Of course. The Voyage of the Beagle was the TV series. Our very great friend played Covington in that and drove us all cemented learning to play Lilibulero on a violin. He got to travel to some wonderful places though.

Demented. Not cemented!

I was accepted as a part-time under-gardener at Selborne many years ago. There's a book to be written about the sensitivity and infighting of gardeners there.

I sometimes think I'm being driven cemented, mice

I ised to love singing Lilibulero at primary school.

used

Sorry everyone!

Well I cannot tell a lie I had to Google the chldren one and found ehat looks like a fascinating book "Four years old in an urban community " by John and Elizabeth Newsome (?)
Can I ask where the inspiration came from?

"I must frankly own, that if I had known, beforehand, that this book would have cost me the labour which it has, I should never have been courageous enough to commence it."

Apologies to thatbags if the post of 11.28.45 was a title - I took it as an observation and am now not so sure - not ignoring you!

It's on one of my shelves! Along with its sequel Seven years old in the home environment. Dated now but with brilliant insights. And I've also got Toys and Playthings - a fascinating guide to the nursery cupboard. Published in 1979. Still relevant. It needs to be the inspiration for a new accessible study looking at what children play with now, and how it differs from thirty odd years ago.

Sounds fascinating, given that most of our DC were tinies 30-ish years ago I imagine it would bring back many memories.

MicElf, I loved those John and Elizabeth Newsome books. I think I got them from the library. Certainly haven't got them now. When were they published?
I'm enjoying this thread, I 've known a few and almost known several.
How about a easy one?
" In early May, the summer came, at last, to Scotland."