The fad for novelty bets was born when a Mr David Threfall predicted at 1000/1 that a man would walk on the moon by January 1, 1970.
David was over the moon with his £10,000 pay out – until he died crashing the sports car he’d bought with the winnings.
William Hill now take a bet a month that David shouldn’t have been paid at all: they’re giving odds at 500/1 that the moon landings were a Cold War hoax.