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I reckon the majority vote has it!!

Thank you all for your feedback. This certainly gives me food for further thought. Main as central and e for European it could well be.

Off to SGH tomorrow. Will catch up again on Friday.

Best wishes.

P

All the best for tomorrow pipesmoker ;)

Pipessmmoker, hope all goes well with your hospital visit.
Best wishes
Chris

You're ALL so clever this week...and I must say I've found it easier than last..! BUT why haven't ANY of you puzzled over 20a..?I'm sure I'm jinxed by 'bottom left' clues..! Same thing happened last week.(Venetian gondola..remember..!?)Glad you've all been gardening, t'weatherman says summer's coming next week..! Can't wait.! By the way 'Pipes', did you get your brownie points from Mrs P? (& what's S.G.H? I'm a Newcomer remember) BEST wishes to you all.:>

It's ME again..! It's TRUE, as soon as I ask for help the brain kicks into gear.! NOW I 'get' the 'rail' bit on 20a..! Why was I thinking of Dr Beeching and B.R (or good old G.W.R in my case..sigh..!) Nite nite..x

Off topic a bit, but one of the Eggheads questions asked "In which liquid was Lord Nelson's body preserved after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805?"
It gives the options Brine, Brandy and Vinegar, and the answer Brandy

Now I've researched this a bit online, after it came up in a pub quiz. Opinions are divided about 50:50 between brandy and rum. I'm quite sure that it would have been rum, because the brandy was carried for the officers, the rum for the other ranks. He may have been put into a brandy barrel, but I'm dead sure that the officers wouldn't have refilled it with their brandy! What is everyone else's opinion?

Re-Nelson's 'preservative' Chris, I always understood it to be brandy..I see what you mean about the plentiful supply of rum though.!

Good morning all,
Raymond, the SGH is the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow where pipesmoker is spending a few days. He will be fine, as he is permitted to pop outside the ward for a quick "pipesmoke" when necessary!

ChrisE I found this interesting article which explains why it was more likely to have been brandy.

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/86/8644sci1a.html
Have a good day all.
J

Thanks jazzgirl. I hadn't realised that preserving in rum was a common practice. It looks certain that brandy was used for Nelson.

However the good doctor's premise may well have been incorrect. The brandy for the officers would probably have been "ready to drink", whereas the rum carried on board ship was "overproof" and diluted with water before being issued, hence actually stronger in alcoholic content.