Mary Queen of Golf?
The vote by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers to admit women as members has reawakened speculation as to who was the first woman to play golf.
—According to legend, Mary Queen of Scots played the game at St Andrews and coined the phrase ‘caddy’ when referring to the cadet who was carrying her clubs. Yet the evidence seems to relate to a charge made by her opponents that she played golf within days of the death of her husband, Lord Darnley.
— A more realistic candidate appeared in the Caledonian Mercury, an Edinburgh newspaper, in 1738, which reported two women playing a game at Bruntsfield Links; a ‘charming Sally’ won.
Hitler’s referendums…
The author Ian McEwan said that the EU referendum reminded him of Nazi-era plebiscites. What referendums did Hitler hold and what were the results?
| On withdrawal from the League of Nations, 1933 |
95% yes |
| Merging the posts of Chancellor and President, 1934 |
88% yes |
| Reunification of Saar region with Germany, 1935 |
91% yes |
| Approval for military occupation of the Rhineland, 1936 |
99% yes |
| Approval for Anschluss between Germany and Austria, 1938 |
99% yes |
…and Scotland’s
Nicola Sturgeon is to seek a second referendum on Scottish independence.
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