Trivia

 Trivia

Linen iron: On most steam-irons (interestingly in South India they are often called Iron Boxes) there is a dial with which you set the temperature. Nylon, Wool, Cotton etc. Most of the time Linen is also one of the settings, and it is always the setting with the highest temperature. I had wondered for many years why Linen should find a place there because it was (and is) never a commonly used fabric. Then one day it struck me that the setting was not for a fabric but for a type of items , bed-linen: bedcovers , bed-sheets , pillow covers etc. Since traditionally these items are made from thicker material they require a higher temperature setting. Big revelation that !!

Victoria in Mumbai: In the 70 s there was a movie called Victoria Number 302. It was a mystery story set in Bombay around a horse-drawn carriage. I also knew that horse drawn carriages in Bombay were known as Victoria. These are 4 wheeled carriages usually pulled by a single horse but sometimes 2 horses are also used. They were a common sight in Bombay till the 70 s. But why these carriages were called Victoria in Bombay no one seemed to know. Then some years ago I went to London. The Central bus-station in London is called Victoria Coach Station, and before it became a bus-station it was a place where the horse carriages in London were to be found. Hence the name for carriages in Bombay came to be Victoria

Why Six plates (or Glasses or Cups) in a set ? Not so long ago, crockery (and cutlery) was sold only in sets, and specifically in sets of six. No one seemed to know why this was so. Why not 4 or 8? Does anyone have an answer ?