On this Day in History

• The Greeks entered Troy in a Trojan Horse without which we would never have got to see Brad in a leather skirt
• The Easter Uprising began in Ireland
• IBM introduced its first PC
• Anthony Trollope, Shirley Maclaine, Barbra Streisand and Paula Yates were born
• Daniel Defoe, Wallis Simpson and Estee Lauder died
• One woman bought enough terracotta plant pots to destabilise the earth's tilt and her poor car's ageing suspension system, olive and bay trees, a deliciously-scented stephanotis and her own body weight in oriental, tiger and arum lillies, canadian poppy seeds and night-scented stocks

"Cherrypie, Happy Birthday. I thought I'd come over and clean those windows seeing as you said your last chap hasn't been back. I wore the water-proof leather apron and I've got my chamois tucked away real safe. It's sure good of you to hold the ladder steady and fill the bath with soapy water to save me bringing a bucket. You want me to call at the hardware store and bring a hammer and some twine. Sure thing, Cherry. xx"