Introduction
This week's theme for our CST activities page is 'Money Makes The World Go Round' because 'Euro Day' was on 1st January 2024. Also, 'The Royal Mint' has announced the launch of their 2024 coin set.
CELEBRATING BRITISH EXCELLENCE
This year’s Annual Sets are a true celebration of British culture that honour Buckingham Palace, Sir Winston Churchill, the National Gallery, the RNLI, and Team GB and ParalympicsGB.
REPRESENTING A NEW REIGN ON COINS
His Majesty’s eight definitive coins, which include reverse designs inspired by his passion for conservation and the natural world, feature as part of the Annual Sets for the first time.
What do people think of the new designs? What are the animals and plants or flowers?
Our smallest denomination features an adorable little mammal, the hazel dormouse. Mostly found in southern England, in places such as Sussex, Devon and Kent, the hazel dormouse population in the UK has halved since 2007. However, more than 1,000 have been reintroduced in 13 different counties across the country in the hope that they can once again thrive in the wild.
The red squirrel’s beautiful orange-red fur makes it the perfect creature to feature on our new 2p coin. The red squirrel lives in woodland, with 75% of its UK population found in areas of Scotland. It can also be found in Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight, Brownsea Island, Anglesey, Cumbria, Kielder Forest and Formby.
Supporting more life than any other native tree species in the UK, the oak tree is a British wildlife hero. They host hundreds of insects, which are an important food source for birds, and provide acorns for mammals such as squirrels and badgers to feed on.
The capercaillie is a huge woodland grouse that can grow up to 87cm long and has an impressive wingspan of up to 125cm. They are found in Scottish native pinewood and feed on berries, shoots and stems. Despite their size, they are very shy and difficult to find. Unfortunately, the number of capercaillies has reduced dramatically in recent years and they are in danger of becoming extinct.
With their unmistakable colourful bills and distinctive black and white feathers, puffins are one of Britain’s most popular seabirds. Around 10% of the worldwide puffin population breeds along the UK coastline. Classed asa Red List species, puffins are endangered and at risk of extinction, so action is needed to protect their nesting sites and food supplies.
Leaping on to our new 50p coin is the Atlantic salmon. These large fish can be found in very clean rivers in Scotland and Wales along with those in North and South West England. Wild populations of Atlantic salmon are low due to factors like river pollution, habitat loss, river heating – due to a lack of tree cover and climate change – and overfishing.
There are more than 250 different species of bee living in the UK, including the bumblebee, honey bee and mining bee, and now they are creating a buzz on our new £1 coin. These busy insects play a very important role in pollinating many plants and fruiting trees, which not only provide food for humans but also homes for wildlife.
The largest of the UK’s definitive coins features flowers and plants that represent the four countries of the United Kingdom – a rose for England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland and a shamrock for Northern Ireland.
Reminiscence:
Ask members who remembers 'Decimal Day' in 1971? How difficult was it swapping over to the new prices on everything?
Who remembers the old cash register? Did anyone work in a shop and use one?
What about the old credit card swipe machine? Who remembers typing with carbon paper?
When is the last time you signed a cheque? Do people tend to pay for things with money still, or do they use their bank card to swipe or pay online?
Does anyone collect coins? Does anyone still have some pre-decimal coins or notes? What about stamp collecting (philately) or any other collecting hobbies?
How much pocket money did you used to get? What did you spend it on?
Here are the first bank notes featuring King Charles 111 issued by the Bank of England.
What do people think of the new polymer bank notes? Has anyone washed one yet and put it through the tumble dryer?
Look at the reverse of our current bank notes. Who do they feature and what were they famous for?
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 £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 features on the new £50 polymer note. 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.
What about previous withdrawn bank notes. Identify these famous people ...
Florence Nightingale, 12th May 1820 - 13th August 1910
Founder of modern nursing
Charles Darwin, 12th February 1809 - 19th April 1882
'Theory Of Evolution'
Charles Dickens, 7th February 1912 - 9th June 1870
Great novelist of the Victorian era - 'Great Expectations', 'Oliver Twist', 'A Tale Of Two Cities' etc
Edward Elgar, 2nd June 1857 - 23rd February 1934
English composer - 'The Planets Suite', 'Enigma Variations' etc
Christopher Wren, 20th October 1632 - 25th February 1723
Architect of 'St Paul's Cathedral'
William Shakespeare, 26th April 1564 - 23rd April 1616
'The Bard Of Avon'
Isaac Newton, 4th January 1643 - 31st March 1727
'Theory Of Gravity'
Duke Of Wellington, 1st May 1769 - 14th September 1852
Defeated Napoleon at the 'Battle Of Waterloo' in 1815
Elizabeth Fry, 21st May 1780 - 12th October 1845
Quaker prison reformer
Who do you think should feature on future bank notes?
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).
SINGALONG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVSlILP4fSk
The minute you walked in the joint I could see you were a man of distinction A real big spender Good lookin' so refined Say, wouldn't you like to know what's goin' on in my mind? So let me get right to the point I don't pop my cork for every man I see Hey big spender, Spend a little time with me
Wouldn't you like to have fun, fun, fun
How's about a few laughs, laughs
I could show you a good time
Let me show you a good time!
The minute you walked in the joint I could see you were a man of distinction A real big spender Good lookin' so refined Say, wouldn't you like to know what's goin' on in my mind? So let me get right to the point, I don't pop my cork for every guy I see Hey big spender Hey big spender Hey big spender Spend, a little time with me Yes
IDIOMS
Next, 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
Filthy - RICH
The penny - DROPPED
The love of money is the root of all - EVIL
Money makes the world go - ROUND
Find a penny pick it up, all day long you'll have - GOOD LUCK
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
Lyrics
I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad?
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
It's a rich man's world
A man like that is hard to find but I can't get him off my mind
Ain't it sad?
And if he happens to be free I bet he wouldn't fancy me
That's too bad
So I must leave, I'll have to go
To Las Vegas or Monaco
And win a fortune in a game, my life will never be the same
Money, money, money Must be funny In the rich man's world Money, money, money Always sunny In the rich man's world Aha All the things I could do If I had a little money It's a rich man's world
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
We continued with asking the following questions ...
ROUND 1. Old Money
 | What bird was on a 'Farthing' (a quarter of an old penny)? |
 | Which character featured on the front of the old 'Penny'? |
 | How many sides did an old 'Thrupenny bit' have? |
 | Which festive pudding was a 'Sixpence' traditionally baked into? |
 | What boy's name was given to a 'Shilling'? |
 | How many 'Pennies' were in a 'Shilling'? |
 | How many 'Shillings' were there in an old 'Pound'? |
SONG. 'Penny Lane', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU
What would you be doing if you were 'spending a penny'?
Lyrics
Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say, "Hello"
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a Mac in the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Wet beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back in
Penny Lane, there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
Penny Lane, is in my ears and in my eyes
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer, meanwhile back
Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play
She is anyway
Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then, the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies I sit and meanwhile back Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes There beneath the blue suburban skies Penny Lane
ROUND 2. New Money
 | Who is currently Chancellor Of The Exchequer? |
 | Who came before him? He is currently our Prime Minister (and richer than the King)? |
 | Where is 'The Royal Mint'?
(Bank notes are produced at 'De La Rue' in Basingstoke.)
|
 | How many sides does a 50p coin have? What particular occasion did this fake coin 'celebrate'? |
 | How much is £1 worth today, in terms of value, compared to 1971? What emblems can you see on this coin? |
 | In which year was the last ha'penny produced? |
 | In money terms, what does 'BOGOF' mean? |
 | Where would you find 'The Crown Jewels'? (The 'Cullinan' is the most expensive jewel, valued at £400m alone!) |
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'?
Lyrics
Tumble out of bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
And yawn and stretch and try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin'
Out on the streets, the traffic starts jumpin'
For folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
Workin' 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by
It's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it
9 to 5
For service and devotion
You would think that I
Would deserve a fat promotion
Want to move ahead
But the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is
Out to get me, hmmm
They let you dream
Just a watch 'em shatter
You're just a step on the boss man's ladder
But you got dreams he'll never take away
In the same boat with a lot of your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
And the tide's gonna turn
And it's all gonna roll you away
Workin' 9 to 5
What a way to make livin'
Barely gettin' by
It's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind
And you never get the credit
It's enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it
9 to 5
ROUND 3. TV
 | Name these two early presenters of 'Antiques Roadshow' (The show started in 1979.)? |
 | What about these more recent presenters? |
 | This 'Faberge Flower' is one of the most valuable items to feature on the show. How much was it worth in 2018? |
 | In the TV sitcom 'Steptoe And Son', what was the name of their horse? What was their trade? |
 | In the TV sitcom, where highly paid jobs were given up for 'The Good Life', what were the characters' names? |
 | Who starred in the TV sitcom 'The Rise And Fall Of Reginald Perrin'? What animal did he imagine when he thought of his mother-in-law? |
 | Who presented the TV quiz show 'Play Your Cards Right'? What pose did he used to do? |
 | Who originally presented the TV quiz show 'The Price Is Right'? |
 | Who originally presented 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' when it first broadcast in 1998 and who presents it now? |
 | Who presented 'Deal Or No Deal'? |
 | Who presents 'Tipping Point'? |
 | What are the 'Chasers' nicknames? |
 | Who is the Chairman Of The Boardroom in 'The Apprentice'? |
Video break ...
In The TV sitcom 'Only Fools And Horses', what was sold at auction to make Del Boy and Rodney millionaires?
Here is the classic clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiIIkQO95z4&t=11s
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.)
 | SONG. 'Three Coins In A Fountain', Frank Sinatra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo8qV1bPqVM Which fountain is old Blue Eyes singing about? |
 | 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 |
 | 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
|
 | 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
|
 | 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 |
 | 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 |
 | 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
|
 | 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 |
 | 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 |
ROUND 5. More Songs About Money
'Band On The Run', Wings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P_VfLun96o
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'?
'Money's Too Tight To Mention', Simply Red -
Who is the lead singer of 'Simply Red'?
'Money', Pink Floyd - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0kcet4aPpQ&list=PLi91b1ORYr4RVHcGEOFKhNBzB2rAvqQtr&index=28
Which best selling album is this track taken from?
'Can't Buy Me Love', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srwxJUXPHvE
Having said that .... Name these two actors from the 1990 movie 'Pretty Woman'?
'Money',The Flying Lizards - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-P2qL3qkzk
Thinking of the line 'The best things in life are free', ask members to think of some things that money can't buy ....
Having said that ... Nearest guess. How much is a 'Penny Black', released in 1840, worth these days (one in good condition)?
Talk about inflation!
Our final song and question is 'The Final Countdown', by Europe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw
Can members think of the currencies in these European countries before the Euro was introduced in 1999?
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Austria
- Ireland
- Greece
- Portugal
- Switzerland
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
What is this bicycle called?
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ ANSWERS
1. Wren
2. Britannia
3. Twelve
4. Christmas pudding
5. Bob
6. Twelve
Twenty
7. There were 20 shillings in an old pound
8. Having a wee
9. Jeremy Hunt
10. Rishi Sunak
11. Llantrisant
12. Seven
13. £12.47
14. 1984
15. Buy One Get One For Free
16. The Tower of London
17. £25
£5, £50 & £500
18. Arthur Negus & Hugh Scully
19. Fiona Bruce & Michael Aspel
20. £1m
21. 'Hercules' / Rag & Bone
22. Tom & Barbara Good (Richard Briers & Felicity Kendall) and Jerry & Margo Leadbetter (Paul Eddington & Penelope Keith)
23. Leonard Rossiter / Hippopotamus
24. Bruce Forsyth / 'The Thinker'
25. Lesley Crowther
26. Chris Tarrant / Jeremy Clarkson
27. Noel Edmonds
28. Ben Sheppard
29. 'The Beast' (Mark Labbett), 'Frosty Knickers' (Anne Hegerty), 'The Sinnerman' (Paul Sinha), 'The Vixen' (Jenny Ryan) & 'The Dark Destroyer' (Sean Wallace)
30. Lord Alan Sugar, pictured with Karren Brady and Claude Littner
31. A rare pocket watch ('The Harrison Lesser Watch'), which went on to sell at auction for £6.2m
32. Sting
33. Fontana De Trevi, Roma
34. Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell
35. Oliver Twist, Fagin & The Artful Dodger
36. Steve McQueen & Faye Dunaway
37. 'The Kit Kat Club', Berlin
37. "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"
38. Chaim Topol
39. 'The Great British Train Robbery'
(£2.6m was stolen, which equates to almost £50m in today's money!)
40. Eva Peron
41. Michael Parkinson, Kenny Lynch, Paul Mccartney, James Coburn, Clement Freud, Linda Mccartney, Christopher Lee, Denny Laine & John Conteh
£50
42. Mick Hucknall
43. 'Dark Side Of The Moon'
44. Julia Roberts & Richard Gere
45. *
46. A fine used example could fetch around £250 to £400. However, the first 'Penny Black' printed recently sold at Sotheby's for £6m!
47. - German Deutschemark (Germany)
- French franc (France)
- Italian lira (Italy)
- Spanish peseta (Spain)
- Dutch guilder (Netherlands)
- Belgian franc (Belgium)
- Austrian schilling (Austria)
- Irish pound or 'Punt' (Ireland)
- Greek Drachma (Greece)
- Portuguese escudo (Portugal)
- Switzerland was a trick question. They kept the Swiss franc
48. 'Penny Farthing'
