Interesting Facts

'Practice makes perfect' is the phrase we are most likely to continue using as we grow older. (The expression topped a poll put together by the NSPCC, of words of wisdom Britons picked up in childhood and continue to use well into their older years.  The top 10 sayings were:- Practice makes perfect. Treat others how you'd like to be treated. If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again. Manners cost nothing. You can't judge a book by its cover. Good things come to those who wait. Two wrongs don't make a right. It's not the winning, it's the taking part that counts. Never say never. There's no time like the present. Two old wive's tales didn't make it into the top ten, but they are still in use today:- "Eat your crusts, they'll make your hair curly." (26%) "Eating carrots will help you see in the dark." (30%)

Britons are increasingly seeking out elocution lessons in order to "get ahead". (Seemingly job seekers in the UK and even professionals like doctors and lawyers who want to climb the career ladder, worry their accents are holding them back.  Even parents worry that their children will miss out on places at elite schools unless they speak “posh.” Some tutors are charging up to 80 quid an hour for their services! I'm in the wrong job.)

According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics) Britons in their late 60s are happier and more carefree than any other age group, including young people. (Incidence of anxiety and depression in the UK drops by almost a third between the early 50s and late 60s.  It must be the 1960s that did it.)

According to a report called The Great British Bedtime Report, people in the UK aren't getting enough sleep. (Yes, the report commissioned by the Sleep Council to mark National Bed Month, a third of the population of the UK (33%) now get by on 5 to 6 hours’ sleep a night, compared to 27% in 2010, and the majority of people (70%) sleep for 7 hours or less, with the average Briton going to bed at 11:15 pm and getting 6 hours and 35 minutes sleep per night. Research suggests 7 and a half hours is the optimum level for good health. Almost half of Britons say that stress or worry keeps them awake at night, but unsurprisingly high earners (£65-£75,000) get the best sleep of all. Now, I'm not particularly stressed or worried, but I am posting this at 5:30 in the morning.)

According to official statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK, Britons spent an average of £539m online each week in September 2011. (This is out of a total sales figure of £5.61bn, which means that £1 in every £10 is spent on goods bought online for the first time. We're S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G shopping.)

According to a poll by Travelodge, over 27% of British adults feel forced to lie when asked about their weekend activities. (A poll of 5,000 adults found that the pressure to maintain the illusion of an active social life led to more than 27 per cent of adults being "economical with the truth". They have even coined a word for this, "Weekendvy". The top five most popular activities Britons will pretend they did over the weekend, when they didn't are:- * Painted the town red on Saturday night with their partner or friend * Visited friends * Went to a dinner party * Went out for a romantic meal * Took a short break – when really they just described a previous experience where they took a UK short break and made it sound like they went at the weekend. By the way: I spent the weekend in the garden, planting potatoes. Honest!)

A study into tipping etiquette by TripAdvisor revealed that three-quarters of Britons don't research tipping customs before holidaying abroad. (As a result, 15% said they had been confronted by staff for not leaving a tip and 6% said their holiday had been ruined because of this type of experience. Leave a tip, then you won't get into trouble, I can't imagine anyone complaining because you've left a tip.)

In the UK, Britons buy about one million pumpkins for Halloween, 99% of which are used for lanterns rather than for eating. (I'm certain they make soup too.)

Britons take home 430,000 gallons (1.95m litres) of shampoo from hotels every year, a survey has found. (Seemingly this amount of shampoo would fill more than 14,000 bathtubs.)