new year is begun

i: i have a day to myself in my own quiet flat -- first since c.10 dec!!
ii: the sunshine is flooding in onto my desk and the last living woolworths bonsai tree, perfect light and feel for all of below
iii: i have a bit of space and time to plan the coming year which will be EXCELLENT
iv: today i need to:
(a) ketchup on wiki-illiam googlin
(b) ketchup on end-o-year pop (other ppl's)
(c) get somewhere with STATE OF ROCK (ie listen to required listening)
(d) make at least a start on two or three smaller RFN posts (the pervasive shibboleth; avantgarde politics; pres.bush vs. capt.scott)
(e) begin at least plan for springclean of BRANE as well as flat
(f) begin post-xmas diet hurrah

wiki-illiam 1-4 ketchup

Q1: DURING THE YEAR 1908:

( all answered! click thru to anton's thorough backstories )

Q2: Who began what by:

( theme is opening lines of books, though not yet clear if there's a further unifying element, five still incomplete despite kat knowing two of them )

Q3:
( theme is telegrams, seven still incomplete )

Q4:
( Theme is Scottish Islands, five still incomplete )