Interesting Facts

According to a survey commissioned by Nationwide Credit Cards, the 1970s was the most tasteless decade when it comes to home decor in the UK. #TBT to when avocado bathrooms were in. Seriously, who thought that was a good look?! pic.twitter.com/liz1dJVtK8 — WICKES (@Wickes) January 29, 2015 (Lava lamps, orange and purple decor, tartan upholstery, shagpile rugs, avocado bathrooms and woodchip wallpaper all contributed to make the 70s so unstylish, but the 1980s, with its textured ceilings, frills and flounces, and Laura Ashley prints came second at 16 per cent. I wonder what they will say about the 2010s?)

According to a report from Oxfam, 62 people are now as rich as 50% of the rest of the world. (The richest 62 people in the world now own as much as the poorest half of the world's population. They would fit on a bus. Last year it was 80, and in 2010 it was 388. So, someone, somewhere is making a killing.)

It looks as if black tea is no longer our cup of tea in the UK.  According to consumer analysts Mintel, retail sales of all brands of tea have sunk from 97 million kilos in 2010 to an estimated 76 million this year. (Sales of ordinary tea bags feel 13%, whilst sales of green tea were up 50%. Seemingly people are moving towards healthier alternatives such as fruit and herbal teas.  They estimate that sales will fall to 69 million kilos by 2020. I drink herbal tea, and green tea, but I still need my mug of good old Tetley to kickstart the day.) Source: Mintel

According to research carried out by the High Pay Centre, among FTSE 100 companies, the average pay of a chief executive is almost £5 million. (They found that average executive pay in the UK jumped to £4.964 million in 2014, compared with £4.129 million in 2010.  The figure was 183 times the earnings of average full-time workers, up from 160 times in 2010. The top 10 highest-paid chief executives (CEOs) were paid over £156 million between them in 2014, prompting fresh calls for action to curb executive pay. We have a minimum wage, maybe it's time to have a maximum wage too.)

7.5 million UK citizens who are eligible to vote are not yet registered for this year's (2015) General Election. (Changes to the voting system mean that many people are no longer on the electoral roll. This means that when they troll up to the polling station on May 7th, they will be turned away. They have till midnight tonight to get their skates on. It has to be said though; in the last General Election in 2010, out of 47 million voters, only 29.6 million bothered. Democracy in action? More like "Democracy inaction".)

According to the Kennel Club, in the UK more than 10,000 dogs a year are poisoned after eating everyday items such as onions, grapes, paracetamol and chocolate. (Between 2010 and 2014 56,000 dogs were treated for poisoning. Painkillers were the most common cause of poisoning, followed by rat and mouse bait, and chocolate. Chewing gum, laundry detergent, sultanas, grapes and raisins along with onions, garlic and leeks all cause health problems that can be fatal to our 4-legged friends.)

Pet crocodiles in the UK have to be micro chipped. (Yes, people do keep crocodiles as pets. In fact in 2010 there were 72 licensed crocodiles and alligators kept as domestic pets, but no one knows how many are being kept unlicensed. I wonder what they do when it's time to go walkies.)

There are more women only golf clubs in the UK than there are men only golf clubs. (That said the Open 2013, which starts today, is being held at a men only golf club.  Muirfield golf club only allows women as "visitors" and even then they must be accompanied by a man. The 2010 equality act allows for single sex private clubs, but the Open is the only major golfing event that uses men only clubs. So, no birdies at the Open this year.)

Between 2010 and 2012, the Metropolitan Police made over 110,000 calls to the Speaking Clock. (This might sound funny, but it cost more than £35,000! So, if you want to know the time, please don't ask a policeman.  It costs too much!)

In the UK, white Christmases were more frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries (During the 20th Century, there were only 4 White Christmases in the UK, and so far this century, we've had two - 2010 and 2009. Yes, in spite of all those snow covered cards featuring snowmen and robins, and films where everyone rushes out to find it's snowing, we don't get much snow in England.  The sad truth is the most likely weather event on Christmas Day in the UK is rain.)

More than 209,000 young people were detained by police in England and Wales in 2010. (2,117 of those arrested were under the age of 11.  T he police have even arrested some children for throwing sticks at a horse chestnut tree (we do that to get the conkers, and yes, I have done it - even as an adult), but b elieve it or not, t he number of children actually arrested has fallen in recent years .  I have the sneaking suspicion that children are easy targets, whilst hardened criminals may be dangerous. I know who I'd rather go after.)

According to the Department for Education in the UK, during 2010/11  5,080 children were permanently excluded from state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and all special schools in 2010/11. ( Th e permanent exclusion rate for boys was approximately 3 times higher than that for girls. The fixed period exclusion rate for boys was almost 3 times higher than that for girls. In addition  there were 271,980 fixed period exclusions from state-funded secondary schools, 37,790 fixed period exclusions from state-funded primary schools and 14,340 fixed period exclusions from special schools. I have nothing funny to say about this.  I've got my serious head on.) Source

According to figures released by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents; more people were killed on UK roads in 2011 than at any time since 2003. (Statistics revealed almost 2,000 people died in traffic accidents – 3% up on 2010. The number of deaths and serious injuries reported to the police hit 25,023, a 2% increase on the previous year and the first increase in those killed or seriously injured since 1994. Now I wonder what's changed recently that might cause these increases. Anyone here been using their mobile phone recently?) Source

If you're an armchair explorer you can now explore the waterways, trails and villages along the Rio Negro in Brazil. (The pictures were taken in 2010 using camera-mounted three wheeled bicycles and have now been woven into Google Maps.)

In 2011 43,069 cosmetic operations took place in Britain. (A 6% increase on 2010 figures of 38,274. I cannot even imagine going under the knife willingly, never mind actually paying for the privilege for cosmetic surgery with all the risks that carries.  How could anyone trust a medical professional who is willing to slice people open to give them bigger boobs?)

According to the Institute of Medicine, by the year 2010, 1 in 5 children in the US will be obese. (You can imagine the odd kid out at school - everyone will be shouting "Hey skinny!