In 1951 I was lucky enough to win one of the competitions on Telescope which was then hosted by Cliff Mitchelmore. The question is obviously engraved in my mind. "How many 9s are there between 9 and 100?" I still have the letter from the BBC inviting me and one member of my family for a visit to the studios and an appearance with Cliff Michelmore in the question slot, as well as part of the camera directions and lines of the participants picked up off the floor of the studio. I met Elizabeth Cruft, of Cruft’s Dog Show Fame, with her dogs. Hugh Gee who had a DIY piece, and Valerie Hobson the film star. There was also a lady talking about period costumes. The programme was of course live and there were three television cameras, two on the broadcasted piece and one ready for the next part of the show. Thick cables covered the floor. Although we were restricted to two people all four of my family went up and my parents and brother sat in the production suite. I seem to remember that I spent all my time on air looking at myself in the monitor so my head was down the majority of the broadcast. On the way home my father drove down the deserted A11 from London and as we neared home he actually did 60 miles an hour, the first time we’d travelled at that speed.

The answer is, as I wrote. "Of number nines there are quiet plenty. In fact I make the answer twenty."

Rodger Germany