Danskcolin: Friday December 12th 2025 "Ancient Egypt '100 feet bigger than previously thought'

Yes, Friends, do you remember? Back in 2017 experts revealed that Ancient Egypt indeed contained about 100 feet more space than had previously been thought - who would have believed it! The report was on the cover of both Newsweek and Onion News, back in the day, so 'fish' those old, yellowing, decomposing periodicals out of the kitchen waste and give them a second look - and do it now, before those all those teabag stains make them unreadable (!)

Just saying!!!

And do you remember, also, those insightful comments on the story from the local Onion News' "vox-pop" panel of ordinary East Hampshire men-and-women-in-the-street, which certainly gave the discovery a new perspective, which was nice!

Insightful or what !!!! And who says, now, that East Hampshire folk are just a bunch of country bumpkins!!! Makes you re-think some of those tired old stereotypes, doesn't it!!!

And here in leafy Liphook, Hampshire, the memory of that report brings a faint trace of a smile to the lips of me and my wife Lois as we get ready for the big event of our week - the Christmas lunch organised by Lois's fellow church-members just 24 miles south of here, at a critically acclaimed pub in lovely Emsworth, Hampshire.

(above) our approximate route this morning from our home in Liphook,

24 miles south to Emsworth, and (below) Lois attacking her prawn cocktail starter

(left) and (right) Yours Truly taking my obligatory selfie over my soup [not shown!]

Lois and I are remembering that "Pyramid Void" story this morning, in anticipation of discussing it with

Grahame, one of Lois's fellow church-members, and a noted archaeologist, who's just returned from 3 weeks in Egypt.

Unfortunately Grahame's report on the trip is dominated by his troubles about getting to Heathrow Airport, his bus breaking down on the M25 and having to wait on the hard shoulder in the rain for a replacement bus: things always seem to go wrong with Grahame's travel arrangements, other church members tell us! But what madness!!!

Poor Grahame !!!!!

Luckily, on the other hand, Grahame has thought to bring along the brochure for the trip which was organised by himself and other leading members of his Roman Archaeology Association, and he lets Lois have a "shufti" at it, which is nice !!!

(top left) church-member Grahame attacking his starter soup, and (top right)

Lois examining Grahame's trip brochure, and (below) the itinerary

Grahame also regales us with some of the meals he had in Egypt. He actually arrived back in the UK, but was puzzlingly a "no-show" at the church's Sunday Morning Meeting last Sunday. He explains that he came home with a nasty bout of what he calls "Pharaoh's Revenge", and not the computer game (!), I'm talking about the unpleasant tummy upset!

Whilst away in the Middle East, Grahame has clearly avoided breaking any more teeth this time, however, by steering clear of anything harder than a slice of the Cairo branch of Greggs's coffee-and-walnut cake (!), He's still smarting from the BBC's refusal to pay for his recent dental work, even though they paid for the same 'job' when it came to TV archaeologist Professor Alice Robert's lovely set of "gnashers", a personal slight by the Corporation, which is obviously still "eating away at him" - no pun intended !!!!!

(left) flashback to August when noted archaeologist Grahame takes us and a group of church-members around Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) and (right) rival archaeologist TV's Prof Alice Roberts

- see her lovely smile-to-camera, as she digs up a Roman villa at Kettering

What madness!!!

Lois and I very much enjoy the 'do' today, but, as the pub fills up, it becomes increasingly noisy with all the chat going on. And we find it increasingly difficult to hear what people are saying to us, and getting them to hear what we're saying. So by the time we get home to Liphook, Lois and I are completely "talked out" and longing to just get into bed for a nice quiet nap (!).

What a crazy world we live in !!!!!

[That's enough madness! - Ed]

flashback to August: Grahame checks over an old Roman

town wall during our group's trip to Silchester - poor Grahame !!!!!

Lois thinks it's a pity that Grahame hasn't got a wife to help him get through the multiple obstacles that seem to dog him, allowing him to forget about the distant past, and to "navigate" the vagaries of the modern world.

another picture from August: Lois gazes through

a gap in Silchester's old Roman town wall,

while Grahame mops his brow behind her

We've only known Grahame since we first moved to Liphook in January, so we don't know his back story. Maybe he's been married at some time in the past, but we don't know - he never talks of a wife, or wives, so who knows!

Human beings are generally fairly monogamous, however, as we find out tonight from this week's edition of the TV comedy news quiz "Have I Got News For You", presented this week by actor Martin Clunes, TV's "Doc Martin".

A recent survey put human beings as in the Top Ten of Monogamy, as regards the animal kingdom, Clunes reveals, with people coming in at a respectable Number 7 in the table. But we could have come higher, points out team captain Ian Hislop:

Poor Boris !!!!!

Which animal is Number One, when it comes to faithfulness? Yes, you've guessed it - it's the California deermouse: want to see a picture?

And, on the other hand, which type of humans are most likely to be unfaithful?

The panel suggests plumbers and milkmen, but the correct answer is actually postmen, and the opportunities for "chat up lines" soon become obvious when the panel has had time to think of them.