Introduction
This week's CST session has 'Money Makes The World Go Round' as a theme because the 40th anniversary of 'Decimal Day' is fast approaching (14th February 2021) and the Royal Mint has just announced five new coins will be released this year.
There will be a new £5 coin to celebrate the Queen's 95th birthday in April. It will depict the royal cypher "EIIR", above the words "my heart and my devotion", which is a nod to part of her 1957 Christmas broadcast (the first to be televised).
The 2021 British coin collection will also mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of novelist Sir Walter Scott (who wrote 'Waverley', 'Rob Roy' and 'Ivanhoe'), and the 75th anniversary of the death of author HG Wells (who wrote 'The Time Machine' and 'War Of The Worlds').
The 50th anniversary of decimalisation, when Britain's modern coins came into force, will be featured on a new 50p coin and the 75th anniversary of the death of the inventor John Logie Baird, famous for his early prototypes of the television, will be commemorated on another new 50p coin.
Here are pictures of the collection:
Discussion points:
Ask members who remembers 'Decimal Day' in 1971? How difficult was it swapping over to the new prices on everything?
Does anyone collect coins? Does anyone still have some pre-decimal coins or notes?
Do people tend to pay for things with money still, or do they use their bank card to swipe or pay online? When is the last time anyone wrote a cheque?
What do people think of the new polymer bank notes? Has anyone washed one yet and put it through the tumble dryer?
The new £50 polymer bank note featuring Alun Turing is due to be brought into circulation later this year. There are already polymer notes for £5, featuring Sir Winston Churchill, for £10, featuring the author Jane Austen, and for £20, featuring the artist JMW Turner.
Here they are:
The £5 note features Winston Churchill, one of the greatest statesmen of all time, and the only Prime Minister to win the 'Nobel Prize for Literature'. The images on the back of the note show a view of Westminster, home of the UK government, and the Elizabeth Tower (containing the bell 'Big Ben') from London’s South Bank, looking across Westminster Bridge.
The £10 note features the distinguished author Jane Austen. Books by her included 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Mansfield Park', 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Emma'. When it was released in 2016, an artist produced a few notes with a microdrawing of an inscription by Jane Austen on it? The words were, "I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good." These five notes were said to be worth £50,000 each, if you were lucky enough to find one.
J.M.W. Turner features on the new £20 note. Turner is perhaps the single most influential British artist of all time. His self-portrait, painted in 1799 and currently on display in the Tate Britain, features on the new note, along with his painting of 'The Fighting Temeraire'; a tribute to the ship which played a distinguished role in Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The mathematician, computer scientist and 'Enigma Code' breaker Alan Turing will feature on the new £50 polymer note, which will be released later this year. He was chosen following a national poll and is recognised not only for his Second World War heroism, but also for the fact that he was a gay man living in a time of prejudice and discrimination, who was chemically castrated as an alternative to prison and died at the age of 41 after taking cyanide.
Finally, we asked if anyone regularly plays 'games' to win money, either 'Bingo', 'The National Lottery', 'The Pools' or 'Premium Bonds'.
We asked members whether anyone had ever had a lucky windfall from one of these, or something else, for example an inheritance?
We went around the room and asked members, if they had £50,000 to spend, what would they do with the money to treat themselves (paying bills was not allowed).
IDIOMS
We asked members to complete the following phrases:
Rich man, poor man, beggar man - THIEF
Money makes the world go - ROUND
Three coins in a - FOUNTAIN
Sound as a - POUND
Treasure - ISLAND
Long John - SILVER
Born with a silver spoon in his - MOUTH
Break the - BANK
Bring home the - BACON
Cash in your - CHIPS
Foot the - BILL
From rags to - RICHES
Sticky - FINGERS
Live hand to - MOUTH
Pay an arm and a - LEG
Penny - PINCHER
Pay a King's - RANSOM
Pick up the - TAB
Pour money down the - DRAIN
Put your money where your - MOUTH IS
Bet your bottom - DOLLAR
Money doesn't grow on - TREES
Strike it - LUCKY/RICH
Money - TALKS
Worth it's weight in - GOLD
On the - HOUSE
Pay - PEANUTS (get monkeys)
Feel like a million - DOLLARS
Bread and - BUTTER
Diamonds are a girl's - BEST FRIEND
Spend a - PENNY
Find a penny pick it up. All day long you'll have - GOOD LUCK
Filthy - RICH
The penny - DROPPED
The love of money is the root of all - EVIL
Money makes the world go - ROUND
This led us to our first song ...
SONG. 'Money, Money, Money, ABBA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0
Can members think of any slang names for money?
FILTHY LUCRE, DOUGH, DOSH, READIES, SPONDULICKS, WONGA, LOOT, LOLLY
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
We continued with asking the following questions ...
Round 1. Old Money
1. What bird was on a 'Farthing' (a quarter of a penny)?
2. Which character featured on the front of the old 'Penny'?
3. How many sides did an old 'Thrupenny bit' have?
4. Which festive pudding was a 'Sixpence' traditionally baked into?
5. What boy's name was given to a 'Shilling'?
6. How many 'Pennies' were in a 'Shilling'?
How many 'Shillings' were there in an old 'Pound'?
7. SONG. 'Penny Lane', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU
What would you be doing if you were 'spending a penny'?
ROUND 2. New Money
8. Who is currently Chancellor Of The Exchequer?
9. Where is 'The Royal Mint'?
(Bank notes are produced at 'De La Rue' in Basingstoke.)
10. How many sides does a 50p coin have?
11. How much is £1 worth today, in terms of value, compared to 1971?
12. In money terms, what does 'BOGOFF' mean?
13. Where would you find 'The Crown Jewels'?
(The 'Cullinan' is the most expensive jewel, valued at £400m alone!)
14. SONG. '9 To 5', Dolly Parton - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=nine+to+five+dolly+parton&&view=detail&mid=572EA2C69E679347C715572EA2C69E679347C715&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dnine%2Bto%2Bfive%2Bdolly%2Bparton%26FORM%3DHDRSC3
How much is the slang term 'A Pony'?
What about a 'Lady Godiva', 'A Bullseye' and 'A Monkey'?
ROUND 3. TV
15. Who originally presented 'The Antiques Roadshow', which started broadcast in 1979 and who presents it now?
16. Who originally presented the TV quiz show 'The Price Is Right'?
17. Who originally presented 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' when it first broadcast in 1998 and who presents it now?
18. Who presented 'Deal Or No Deal'?
19. Who presents 'Tipping Point'?
20. Who is the Chairman Of The Boardroom in 'The Apprentice'?
21. Who presented the TV quiz show 'Play Your Cards Right'?
22. What are the 'Chasers' nicknames?
23. In The TV sitcom 'Only Fools And Horses', what was sold at auction to make Del Boy and Rodney millionaires?
24. In the TV sitcom 'Steptoe And Son', what was the name of their horse?
25. In the TV sitcom, where highly paid jobs were given up for 'The Good Life', what were the characters names?
26. SONG. 'Money For Nothing', Dire Straits - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIDYl-bfvw0
Listen carefully, who is singing backing vocals on this track?
ROUND 4. Movies
(Ask members which songs they would like you to play.)
27. Who starred in the 1953 movie 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'?
The stand out song from this movie was 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend', sung by MM - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfsnebJd-BI
28. Who are these three characters, from the 1968 movie 'Oliver'?
The standout song from this film was 'Food Glorious Food' ("Please Sir, can I have some more?") - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly7PONiKGUs
29. Who starred in the 1968 movie 'The Thomas Crown Affair' (about a bank robbery)?
The hit song from this film was 'Windmills Of Your Mind', sung by Noel Harrison - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEhS9Y9HYjU
30. Where was the 1972 movie 'Cabaret', starring Liza Minnelli and Michael York, set?
The standout song from this film was 'Money Makes The World Go Round', sung by LM -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIAXG_QcQNU
31. In the 1969 movie 'The Italian Job', what was Michael Caine's catchphrase?
The standout song from this movie was 'Self Preservation Society' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgwa-Wc03RI
32. In the 1971 movie 'Fiddle On The Roof', who played the lead role of Tevye, and sang this song ...
'If I Were A Rich Man', Fiddler On The Roof - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc&t=167s
33. What was the 1988 movie 'Buster' about (an event which took place in 1963)?
The standout song from this movie was 'Two Hearts', by Phil Collins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SidxJz94Svs
34. In the 1996 movie 'Evita', who was the film about?
Although there is a song 'And The Money Kept Rilling In', the standout song was of course 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD_1Z8iUDho
EXTRA SONGS.
35. 'Band On The Run', Wings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyPc_5FPfX4
Who appeared on the album cover (download from the internet and pass the picture around)?
An alternative question is, how much do you have to pay to 'Get Out Of Jail' in a game of 'Monopoly'?
36. 'Money's Too Tight To Mention', Simply Red -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrUB0g8Vjgg
Who is the lead singer of 'Simply Red'?
37. 'Money', Pink Floyd - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0kcet4aPpQ&list=PLi91b1ORYr4RVHcGEOFKhNBzB2rAvqQtr&index=28
Which best selling album is this track taken from?
38. 'Can't But Me Love', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srwxJUXPHvE
39. 'Money',The Flying Lizards - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=The+Flying+Lizards+Money+(That%27s+What+I+Want)&ru=%2fvideos%2fsearch%3fq%3dflying%2blizards%2bmoney%26FORM%3dHDRSC3&view=detail&mid=D58ACBFC1EFB5638AD86D58ACBFC1EFB5638AD86&&FORM=VDRVSR
To finish, thinking of the line 'The best things in life are free', ask members to think of some things that money can't buy ....
DECIMALISATION 15th February 1971 was 'Decimalisation Day'. Common names for coins were: A quarter penny was a 'Farthing'. A half a penny was a 'Hay-p-ney'. A three pennies coin was a 'Thru-p-ney bit'. A six pennies coin was a 'Tanner'. A shilling was called a 'Bob'. A two shillings coin was a 'Florin'. A two shillings and six pennies coin was a 'Half crown'. A five shillings coin was a 'Crown'. A pound note was a 'Quid'. (Twenty shillings or 240 pennies) A twenty one shillings coin was a 'Sovereign' or ‘Guinea’ The decimal equivalents are...
PRACTICAL ACTIVITY Have a game of Bingo, and make sure to have some prizes on standby for 'A Line' and 'Full House'.
We remembered some of the Bingo nicknames for numbers:
Kelly's eye - ONE
Kock at the door - FOUR
Legs eleven - ELEVEN
Unlucky for some - THIRTEEN
Coming of age - EIGHTEEN
Key of the door - TWENTY ONE
Two little ducks - TWENTY TWO
Al the threes - THIRTY THREE
Life begins - FORTY
Deck of cards - FIFTY TWO
Heinz varieties - FIFTY SEVEN
Tickety boo - SIXTY TWO
Clickety click - SIXTY SIX
Trombones - SEVENTY SIX
Two fat ladies - EIGHTY EIGHT
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ ANSWERS
1. Wren
2. Britannia
3. Twelve
4. Christmas pudding
5. Bob
6. Twelve
Twenty
7. Having a wee
8. Rishi Sunak
9. Llantrisant
10. Seven
11. £12.47
12. Buy One Get One For Free
13. The Tower of London
14. £25
£5, £50 & £500
15. Arthur Negus / Fiona Bruce
16. Lesley Crowther
17. Chris Tarrant / Jeremy Clarkson
18. Noel Edmonds
19. Ben Sheppard
20. Lord Alan Sugar, pictured with Karren Brady and Claude Littner
21. Bruce Forsyth
22. 'The Beast' (Mark Labbett), 'Frosty Knickers' (Anne Hegerty), 'The Sinnerman' (Paul Sinha), 'The Vixen' (Jenny Ryan) & 'The Dark Destroyer' (Sean Wallace)
23. A rare pocket watch ('The Harrison Lesser Watch'), which went on to sell at auction for £6.2m
24. 'Hercules'
25. Tom & Barbara Good (Richard Briers & Felicity Kendall) and Jerry & Margo Leadbetter (Paul Eddington & Penelope Keith)
26. Sting
27. Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell
28. Oliver Twist, Fagin & The Artful Dodger