Notes and Queries - Literary and Historical Questions Seeking Short Answers

[Ryujin]

I remember bribing prefects with candy to get out of detention as they had access to the paperwork.

Growth spurt age 14 or so and hit current height age 15 or so and they left me alone after that.

In Canadian public schools (the government ones, not what we would call private schools), we had prefects. Americans would likely call them "hall monitors." I was one for a couple of years. No power to speak of. More of a "watch and report" sort of position. Yeah, we were pretty much despised, but then again I was already bullied anyway, so no difference to me except that someone in administration might actually do something if I was assaulted.

 

[Mezuka]

Enjoyed her books. Old school charm. Might have a physical copy of one book stored away.

 

[Cadence]

Question 1 about "chief god of Pop" looks answered. Thanks!

"chief god of Pop" was likely the head prefect at Eton.

 

[Cadence]

Question 2 - Did British banks really keep track of all the five pound notes by serial number that came through?

This one is a Josephine Tey novel written in 1929.

"Over their dinner Grant decided that in the morning Williams should visit the banks in the area indicated by the letter's postmark, and with that as a basis, track down the history of the bank-notes [5 at 5 pounds each]. It shouldn't be difficult; banks were always accommodating."

I mean, I assume she didn't just make that up, but wow! All notes? When did they stop?

 

[Davies]

I think they still do. There are a few websites where you can, for your own amusement, enter the serial number of a note and find out where it has been. I don't know whether bank branches will help you with this anymore; it doesn't seem very likely.

 

[Zardnaar]

Question 2 - Did British banks really keep track of all the five pound notes by serial number that came through?

This one is a Josephine Tey novel written in 1929.

"Over their dinner Grant decided that in the morning Williams should visit the banks in the area indicated by the letter's postmark, and with that as a basis, track down the history of the bank-notes [5 at 5 pounds each]. It shouldn't be difficult; banks were always accommodating."

I mean, I assume she didn't just make that up, but wow! All notes? When did they stop?

5 pounds was a bit of money back then. Think my mother's first job paid 3 pounds a week. Grandad's house was 500 iirc.

 

[Cadence]

5 pounds was a bit of money back then. Think my mother's first job paid 3 pounds a week. Grandad's house was 500 iirc.

Looks like a 1929 pound is about $83.72 US today

 

[Zardnaar]

Looks like a 1929 pound is about $83.72 US today

That would make a 5 pound note $400 or so.

And a lot of things don't convert well using currency converters.

Makes grandma's house about 40k. You could buy a house for that price into the 90'd and 90's.