Betty and the Real World

Midsummer Star:

The doctor lays a trap for Celine to meet Nicky and his wife when he takes her to the musical Cats (as if that wasn't a mean enough thing to do). I found a 'What Cat are you?' quiz on the inter-web-nets so you too can see if you're a Munkustrap or a Grizabella or an Old Deutoronomy. I was Bombalurina. (My finest hour.)

At one point, Oliver asks Celine if she knows what chorea is and, with no medical training, she answers that she thinks it used to be called St. Vitus' Dance:

In the late Middle Ages, people in Germany and countries such as Latvia celebrated the feast of Vitus by dancing before his statue. This dancing became popular and the name "Saint Vitus Dance" was given to the neurological disorder chorea. It also led to Vitus being considered the patron saint of dancers and of entertainers in general. Vitus is considered the patron saint of actors, comedians, dancers, and epileptics.

When Celine visits Holland she is given a primer on their dike system and the differences between the sleeper, dreamer and watcher dikes:
The Netherlands (1953, January 31)
Hurricane-force winds and high tides helped the North Sea flow over Holland’s dikes in 100 different places, submerging more than 4 million acres underwater. One-sixth of the country was covered in water, drowning 2,000 people and another 300 in Britain. 300,000 other residents were affected through injuries of property damage. Holland lost 9.4% of its cropland and 3.4% of pasture. In addition, 35,000 cattle, 100,000 poultry, and 25,000 pigs died. Damages totaled $300 million. The Netherlands, following this disaster, started a $650 million program to build new dikes on a 25 mile line in the southwest. They were designed to have three separate lines of defense: “watchers,” the large, strong outer seawall; “sleepers,” another wall built more inland; and “dreamers,” smaller barriers around individual farms.

Celine at one point babbles that the Pilgrim Fathers left from Leiden. First, why would she call them 'Pilgrim Fathers'? Is this an important national story for Brits? What did she think of these original germinators of paunchy and slick American millionaires? Anyway, Leiden is home to a monument which depicts a 1574 Leiden Thanksgiving service. According to the museum, that service inspired the Pilgrim Thanksgiving festival at Plymouth in 1621.

Pineapple Girl:

Tickets are bought to a concert featuring Shostakovich--here's a selection.

He achieved fame in the Soviet Union under the patronage of Leon Trotsky's chief of staff Mikhail Tukhachevsky, but later had a complex and difficult relationship with the Stalinist bureaucracy. His music was officially denounced twice, in 1936 and 1948, and was periodically banned.
Generally speaking, my rule of thumb is: Banned by Stalinists? Sign me up!

There is a visit to Heiligeree, where the bells are made.But Heiligeree, according to the Infallible Wiki, has a great claim to fame:
The village is known for having been the site of the first battle of the Dutch rebels against the Spanish. The army led by Louis and Adolph of Nassau defeated the Spanish, but politically it was no success. Adolf even died during the fight.

But the bells are funner, I suppose.