They have recently announced that the BT Tower is to become a hotel, but how much do you know about this iconic London landmark? As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.
1. What was the Tower’s original name?
Telecom Tower
WRONG Before the break up of communication services, the Post Office ruled supreme.
Post Office Tower
CORRECT Before the break up of communication services, the Post Office ruled supreme.
GPO Tower
WRONG Before the break up of communication services, the Post Office ruled supreme.
2. What electromagnetic wave did it transmit?
Radio waves
WRONG If wind deviated the Tower by more than a third of a degree the microwaves that it fired over miles would miss their targets.
Microwaves
CORRECT If wind deviated the Tower by more than a third of a degree the microwaves that it fired over miles would miss their targets.
Gamma waves
WRONG If wind deviated the Tower by more than a third of a degree the microwaves that it fired over miles would miss their targets.
3. What did the first member of the public to visit, do at the Tower?
He fell to his death
CORRECT Frank Goldsmith escaped from nearby UCH where he was a patient, evaded detection climbed 440ft to the aerial platform and fell to his death.
He topped out the structure
WRONG Frank Goldsmith escaped from nearby UCH where he was a patient, evaded detection climbed 440ft to the aerial platform and fell to his death.
He protested against Harold Wilson’s Government
WRONG Frank Goldsmith escaped from nearby UCH where he was a patient, evaded detection climbed 440ft to the aerial platform and fell to his death.
4. In the event of a fire, what is the drill?
Use the lift
CORRECT The Tower is the only London structure that is, in the event of a fire, evacuated via the lifts, which required Parliamentary legislation.
Use the stairs
WRONG The Tower is the only London structure that is, in the event of a fire, evacuated via the lifts, which required Parliamentary legislation.
Wait for a helicopter
WRONG The Tower is the only London structure that is, in the event of a fire, evacuated via the lifts, which required Parliamentary legislation.
5. How long does it take by lift to reach to top?
20 seconds
CORRECT The Tower’s lifts can go from ground level to the viewing platform in 20 seconds, moving at 23ft per second, they’re among the fastest in Europe.
30 seconds
WRONG The Tower’s lifts can go from ground level to the viewing platform in 20 seconds, moving at 23ft per second, they’re among the fastest in Europe.
40 seconds
WRONG The Tower’s lifts can go from ground level to the viewing platform in 20 seconds, moving at 23ft per second, they’re among the fastest in Europe.
6. How far does the Tower sway in very high winds?
15 inches
WRONG Its cylindrical shape is said to withstand wind from nuclear bombs. The BT Tower only sways 10 inches during storms with winds of 95mph.
10 inches
CORRECT Its cylindrical shape is said to withstand wind from nuclear bombs. The BT Tower only sways 10 inches during storms with winds of 95mph.
20 inches
WRONG Its cylindrical shape is said to withstand wind from nuclear bombs. The BT Tower only sways 10 inches during storms with winds of 95mph.
7. How many LEDs does the revolving display contain?
201,600
WRONG The original lighting system only consisted of 7 different colour schemes and was replaced by a 360-degree coloured lighting display in October 2009. This LED-based display is the largest of its kind in the world as it consists of 529,750 LEDs, arranged in 177 vertical strips, and covers an area of 3,000 square feet. The screen covers both the 36th and 37th floors of the building at a height of 548 feet.
469,375
WRONG The original lighting system only consisted of 7 different colour schemes and was replaced by a 360-degree coloured lighting display in October 2009. This LED-based display is the largest of its kind in the world as it consists of 529,750 LEDs, arranged in 177 vertical strips, and covers an area of 3,000 square feet. The screen covers both the 36th and 37th floors of the building at a height of 548 feet.
529,750
CORRECT The original lighting system only consisted of 7 different colour schemes and was replaced by a 360-degree coloured lighting display in October 2009. This LED-based display is the largest of its kind in the world as it consists of 529,750 LEDs, arranged in 177 vertical strips, and covers an area of 3,000 square feet. The screen covers both the 36th and 37th floors of the building at a height of 548 feet.
8. Who opened the revolving restaurant?
Harold Wilson and Fanny Cradock
WRONG The Tower was officially opened to the public by Postmaster General Benn and holiday camp owner Butlin on 19th May 1966 after HM Queen Elizabeth visited it on 17th May 1966.
Reginald Maudling and Marguerite Patten
WRONG The Tower was officially opened to the public by Postmaster General Benn and holiday camp owner Butlin on 19th May 1966 after HM Queen Elizabeth visited it on 17th May 1966.
Billy Butlin and Anthony Wedgwood Benn
CORRECT The Tower was officially opened to the public by Postmaster General Benn and holiday camp owner Butlin on 19th May 1966 after HM Queen Elizabeth visited it on 17th May 1966.
9. What was the Tower originally to be called?
The Fitzrovia Mast
WRONG Occupying the site of the Museum Telephone Exchange the Tower was first planned in 1956 to be named after the original building.
The Museum Radio Tower
CORRECT Occupying the site of the Museum Telephone Exchange the Tower was first planned in 1956 to be named after the original building.
The London Tower
WRONG Occupying the site of the Museum Telephone Exchange the Tower was first planned in 1956 to be named after the original building.
10. What event precipitated a view that the unfinished Tower should be formally opened by the Queen?
The first Premium Bonds
CORRECT In July 1964 the PR opportunity of opening a part-finished Tower to coincide with the first Premium Bonds was rejected as it ‘would have no meaning whatsoever’.
The advent of colour television
WRONG In July 1964 the PR opportunity of opening a part-finished Tower to coincide with the first Premium Bonds was rejected as it ‘would have no meaning whatsoever’.
A general election
WRONG In July 1964 the PR opportunity of opening a part-finished Tower to coincide with the first Premium Bonds was rejected as it ‘would have no meaning whatsoever’.
This month’s quiz is about the lexicon of London cabbies, before starting you must promise not to look for the answers elsewhere on CabbieBlog. As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.
1. Blue Book Runs?
Time expected to complete a journey
WRONG Alas, no sexual connotations. All new entrants to the knowledge are given the blue book (usually it has a pink cover). A list of 320 routes (known as runs) that broadly cover the routes within the six-mile radius from Charing Cross. These are the framework that all other knowledge is added to. The first route in the blue book is Manor House Station to Gibson Square, a route that will always remain engraved on cabbies’ memories.
A framework of routes
CORRECT Alas, no sexual connotations. All new entrants to the knowledge are given the blue book (usually it has a pink cover). A list of 320 routes (known as runs) that broadly cover the routes within the six-mile radius from Charing Cross. These are the framework that all other knowledge is added to. The first route in the blue book is Manor House Station to Gibson Square, a route that will always remain engraved on cabbies’ memories.
List of misdemeanours by cabbies taking the wrong route
WRONG Alas, no sexual connotations. All new entrants to the knowledge are given the blue book (usually it has a pink cover). A list of 320 routes (known as runs) that broadly cover the routes within the six-mile radius from Charing Cross. These are the framework that all other knowledge is added to. The first route in the blue book is Manor House Station to Gibson Square, a route that will always remain engraved on cabbies’ memories.
2. The Dirty Dozen?
Twelve girlie clubs
WRONG Twelve roads through Soho that once, before Crossrail, got you from Regent Street to Charing Cross Road without having to sit behind several thousand double-decker buses on Oxford Street.
Twelve roads through Soho
CORRECT Twelve roads through Soho that once, before Crossrail, got you from Regent Street to Charing Cross Road without having to sit behind several thousand double-decker buses on Oxford Street.
Twelve hookey hotels
WRONG Twelve roads through Soho that once, before Crossrail, got you from Regent Street to Charing Cross Road without having to sit behind several thousand double-decker buses on Oxford Street.
3. Down the Wasp?
Four streets in Chelsea
CORRECT Route through Chelsea: Walpole Street, Anderson Street, Sloane Avenue and Pelham Street.
Punter refusing to pay
WRONG Route through Chelsea: Walpole Street, Anderson Street, Sloane Avenue and Pelham Street.
Being stung by regulator fine
WRONG Route through Chelsea: Walpole Street, Anderson Street, Sloane Avenue and Pelham Street.
4. Droshky?
Yiddish name for a cab
CORRECT This isn’t some obscure Russian poet but the Jewish name for their cab. The word derives from two- or four-wheeled public carriages used in Russia and means literally droga, pole of a wagon.
Cash paid for the fare
WRONG This isn’t some obscure Russian poet but the Jewish name for their cab. The word derives from two- or four-wheeled public carriages used in Russia and means literally droga, pole of a wagon.
Fare paid without a tip
WRONG This isn’t some obscure Russian poet but the Jewish name for their cab. The word derives from two- or four-wheeled public carriages used in Russia and means literally droga, pole of a wagon.
5. A Churchill?
A meal
CORRECT Churchill gave cabbies the right to refuse a fare while eating.
A Hotel in Portman Square
WRONG Churchill gave cabbies the right to refuse a fare while eating.
A doorman with an attitude
WRONG Churchill gave cabbies the right to refuse a fare while eating.
6. Bilker?
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
WRONG Not a member of Acker’s jazz group of the Sixties, but someone who tries (and sometimes succeeds) in avoiding paying the fare for a journey.
A runner
CORRECT Not a member of Acker’s jazz group of the Sixties, but someone who tries (and sometimes succeeds) in avoiding paying the fare for a journey.
A cabbie who refuses a job
WRONG Not a member of Acker’s jazz group of the Sixties, but someone who tries (and sometimes succeeds) in avoiding paying the fare for a journey.
7. Brushing?
A meticulously clean cab
WRONG When the driver on point refuses a fare and the punter has to go to the next cab in line. If you are that second driver you know either: (a) the job’s worth £3; (b) the punter’s drunk; (c) the punter looks like he hasn’t washed for a week and doesn’t have the proverbial pot to p**s in.
Punter refusing to pay
WRONG When the driver on point refuses a fare and the punter has to go to the next cab in line. If you are that second driver you know either: (a) the job’s worth £3; (b) the punter’s drunk; (c) the punter looks like he hasn’t washed for a week and doesn’t have the proverbial pot to p**s in.
Refusing a fare on the rank
CORRECT When the driver on point refuses a fare and the punter has to go to the next cab in line. If you are that second driver you know either: (a) the job’s worth £3; (b) the punter’s drunk; (c) the punter looks like he hasn’t washed for a week and doesn’t have the proverbial pot to p**s in.
8. Iron Lung?
Inside a claustrophobic old cab
WRONG A bloody useful toilet in Horseferry Road SW1 (it looks like the old Parisian ones of the Sixties).
A smokey cab shelter
WRONG A bloody useful toilet in Horseferry Road SW1 (it looks like the old Parisian ones of the Sixties).
Toilet on Horseferry Road
CORRECT A bloody useful toilet in Horseferry Road SW1 (it looks like the old Parisian ones of the Sixties).
9. A Legal?
A written warning from the regulator
WRONG The fare on the meter without a tip. You wouldn’t do that to a poor hard-working honest bloke, would you?
Fare paid without a tip
CORRECT The fare on the meter without a tip. You wouldn’t do that to a poor hard-working honest bloke, would you?
A cab passed fit for use
WRONG The fare on the meter without a tip. You wouldn’t do that to a poor hard-working honest bloke, would you?
10. Putting on foul?
Joining a full rank
CORRECT Nothing to do with dressing up like a chicken, but joining a taxi rank that’s already full.
Ranking outside Parliament
WRONG Nothing to do with dressing up like a chicken, but joining a taxi rank that’s already full.
Bad-mouthing fellow cabbie
WRONG Nothing to do with dressing up like a chicken, but joining a taxi rank that’s already full.
No street has been as central to British music as Tin Pan Alley, but how much do you know about this iconic London thoroughfare? As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.
1. What is Tin Pan Alley’s official name?
Holland Avenue
WRONG Denmark Street was developed in the late 17th century and named after Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Princess Anne, who would reign as Queen of England from 1702-1707.
Denmark Street
CORRECT Denmark Street was developed in the late 17th century and named after Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Princess Anne, who would reign as Queen of England from 1702-1707.
Sweden Alley
WRONG Denmark Street was developed in the late 17th century and named after Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Princess Anne, who would reign as Queen of England from 1702-1707.
2. Do you know the length of this street?
354 yards
WRONG This powerhouse of modern music is only 354 feet long, making it one of the shortest streets in London.
354 feet
CORRECT This powerhouse of modern music is only 354 feet long, making it one of the shortest streets in London.
3,540 meters
WRONG This powerhouse of modern music is only 354 feet long, making it one of the shortest streets in London.
3. In what area is Tin Pan Alley located?
St Giles
CORRECT Separated by Charing Cross Road from the eastern fringe of Soho, Denmark Street’s location places it near what was the ‘rookery’ of St Giles, a warren of tenements notorious for wretched poverty and every kind of vice, commemorated in William Hogarth’s series of coruscating engravings, Beer Street and Gin Lane.
Soho
WRONG Separated by Charing Cross Road from the eastern fringe of Soho, Denmark Street’s location places it near what was the ‘rookery’ of St Giles, a warren of tenements notorious for wretched poverty and every kind of vice, commemorated in William Hogarth’s series of coruscating engravings, Beer Street and Gin Lane.
Bloomsbury
WRONG Separated by Charing Cross Road from the eastern fringe of Soho, Denmark Street’s location places it near what was the ‘rookery’ of St Giles, a warren of tenements notorious for wretched poverty and every kind of vice, commemorated in William Hogarth’s series of coruscating engravings, Beer Street and Gin Lane.
4. What famous coffee bar, a favourite haunt of musicians, was located on this street?
Gioconda Coffee Bar
CORRECT The Gioconda Coffee Bar at No 9 was a favourite meeting place for young musicians.
2i’s Coffee Bar
WRONG The Gioconda Coffee Bar at No 9 was a favourite meeting place for young musicians.
Bar Italia
WRONG The Gioconda Coffee Bar at No 9 was a favourite meeting place for young musicians.
5. Which fictional private detective had his offices above the famous 12 Bar Club in Tin Pan Alley?
Cormoran Strike
CORRECT The TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike crime novel is filmed outside number 6 instead of number 26.
Cordelia Gray
WRONG The TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike crime novel is filmed outside number 6 instead of number 26.
Sherlock Holmes
WRONG The TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike crime novel is filmed outside number 6 instead of number 26.
6. Architecturally why is this street unique in London?
It has retained more of its original front doors than any other street
WRONG Of the original 20 houses, completed by 1691, eight remain, apparently making it the only street in London to retain 17th-century facades on both sides.
The only street to retain 17th-century facades on both sides of the street
CORRECT Of the original 20 houses, completed by 1691, eight remain, apparently making it the only street in London to retain 17th-century facades on both sides.
The street has the largest basements in London
WRONG Of the original 20 houses, completed by 1691, eight remain, apparently making it the only street in London to retain 17th-century facades on both sides.
7. What stood on the site before the road was developed?
The slums of the rookery
WRONG Tin Pan Alley was laid out in the 1700s as a residential street for the parish of St Giles that once housed a leper hospital.
Virgin hunting land
WRONG Tin Pan Alley was laid out in the 1700s as a residential street for the parish of St Giles that once housed a leper hospital.
A leper hospital
CORRECT Tin Pan Alley was laid out in the 1700s as a residential street for the parish of St Giles that once housed a leper hospital.
8. From where did the street gain its nickname?
New Orleans
WRONG It helped that Denmark Street was a shortcut between the theatre districts of Soho and Covent Garden. The term originated in London in the 1920s, and was taken from 5th and 6th Avenue in Manhattan-New York City – a derogatory ‘slang’ term deriving from around 1910 – that was used to describe the sound from the old cheap upright pianos that could be heard drifting from the open windows of these Manhattan ‘music factories’ – where the sound was liked to a load of old tin pans being banged together.
Newark
WRONG It helped that Denmark Street was a shortcut between the theatre districts of Soho and Covent Garden. The term originated in London in the 1920s, and was taken from 5th and 6th Avenue in Manhattan-New York City – a derogatory ‘slang’ term deriving from around 1910 – that was used to describe the sound from the old cheap upright pianos that could be heard drifting from the open windows of these Manhattan ‘music factories’ – where the sound was liked to a load of old tin pans being banged together.
New York
CORRECT It helped that Denmark Street was a shortcut between the theatre districts of Soho and Covent Garden. The term originated in London in the 1920s, and was taken from 5th and 6th Avenue in Manhattan-New York City – a derogatory ‘slang’ term deriving from around 1910 – that was used to describe the sound from the old cheap upright pianos that could be heard drifting from the open windows of these Manhattan ‘music factories’ – where the sound was liked to a load of old tin pans being banged together.
9. What music innovation was Cerberus?
An early record sales chart compilation program
WRONG Cerberus was a pioneering internet-streaming music site that was located at No 21 Denmark Street in 1994, years ahead of its time.
Internet music streaming site
CORRECT Cerberus was a pioneering internet-streaming music site that was located at No 21 Denmark Street in 1994, years ahead of its time.
A synthesiser
WRONG Cerberus was a pioneering internet-streaming music site that was located at No 21 Denmark Street in 1994, years ahead of its time.
10. What newspapers originated in Tin Pan Alley?
New Musical Express
CORRECT Incredibly two music newspapers originated from Tin Pan Alley. In 1926 Melody Maker was founded and run from 8 Denmark Street, and in 1952 New Musical Express set up business and operated from 5 Denmark Street.
Melody Maker
CORRECT Incredibly two music newspapers originated from Tin Pan Alley. In 1926 Melody Maker was founded and run from 8 Denmark Street, and in 1952 New Musical Express set up business and operated from 5 Denmark Street.
Rolling Stone
WRONG Incredibly two music newspapers originated from Tin Pan Alley. In 1926 Melody Maker was founded and run from 8 Denmark Street, and in 1952 New Musical Express set up business and operated from 5 Denmark Street.
Here on CabbieBlog, we’ve done many Christmas quizzes, so for a complete change, this month’s quiz title is Hiding In Plain Sight. As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.
1. Which famous scientist has a very large memorial at a major road junction?
John Logie Baird
WRONG The stainless steel box-shaped structure, located on the Elephant and Castle gyratory system, designed by modern movement architect Rodney Gordon in 1959, commemorates Michael Faraday’s importance as a scientist and was placed there because Faraday’s birthplace is nearby in Newington Butts.
Michael Faraday
CORRECT The stainless steel box-shaped structure, located on the Elephant and Castle gyratory system, designed by modern movement architect Rodney Gordon in 1959, commemorates Michael Faraday’s importance as a scientist and was placed there because Faraday’s birthplace is nearby in Newington Butts.
Tim Berners-Lee
WRONG The stainless steel box-shaped structure, located on the Elephant and Castle gyratory system, designed by modern movement architect Rodney Gordon in 1959, commemorates Michael Faraday’s importance as a scientist and was placed there because Faraday’s birthplace is nearby in Newington Butts.
2. Near which park would you find a ‘secret’ command and control centre with a 20ft thick concrete roof?
Regent’s Park
WRONG Described by Sir Winston Churchill as a ‘vast monstrosity which weighs upon the Horse Guards Parade’, the Admiralty Citadel is now covered by Boston Ivy in an apparent attempt to soften the harsh appearance of this vast concrete edifice.
St James’s Park
CORRECT Described by Sir Winston Churchill as a ‘vast monstrosity which weighs upon the Horse Guards Parade’, the Admiralty Citadel is now covered by Boston Ivy in an apparent attempt to soften the harsh appearance of this vast concrete edifice.
Hyde Park
WRONG Described by Sir Winston Churchill as a ‘vast monstrosity which weighs upon the Horse Guards Parade’, the Admiralty Citadel is now covered by Boston Ivy in an apparent attempt to soften the harsh appearance of this vast concrete edifice.
3. Once used as the Port of London Authority’s headquarters, but where is this huge building?
Trinity Square
CORRECT Now a Four Seasons Hotel, 10 Trinity Square was the Port of London Authority, more than 1,200 people each day came to pay port dues for all the boats that were arriving in London. Such was the importance of this building that, in 1946, the General Assembly of the United Nations held its inaugural reception here.
St. Katherine’s Dock
WRONG Now a Four Seasons Hotel, 10 Trinity Square was the Port of London Authority, more than 1,200 people each day came to pay port dues for all the boats that were arriving in London. Such was the importance of this building that, in 1946, the General Assembly of the United Nations held its inaugural reception here.
East Smithfield
WRONG Now a Four Seasons Hotel, 10 Trinity Square was the Port of London Authority, more than 1,200 people each day came to pay port dues for all the boats that were arriving in London. Such was the importance of this building that, in 1946, the General Assembly of the United Nations held its inaugural reception here.
4. Where is the 287-foot-tall Queen’s Tower?
South Kensington
CORRECT Clad in Portland stone and topped by a copper-covered dome, Queen’s Tower in South Kensington is all that remains of the Imperial Institute which was 700 feet long, built to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. She wasn’t amused as it spoiled her view.
Hyde Park
WRONG Clad in Portland stone and topped by a copper-covered dome, Queen’s Tower in South Kensington is all that remains of the Imperial Institute which was 700 feet long, built to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. She wasn’t amused as it spoiled her view.
St. James’s Park
WRONG Clad in Portland stone and topped by a copper-covered dome, Queen’s Tower in South Kensington is all that remains of the Imperial Institute which was 700 feet long, built to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. She wasn’t amused as it spoiled her view.
5. Situated here since the 14th century, Custom House once had a riverfront of nearly 500ft. Which road does it stand on?
Lower Thames Street
CORRECT Formerly used for the collection of customs duties, today the Custom House is used by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and stands on 20 Lower Thames Street should you feel obliged to visit.
Lower Ground
WRONG Formerly used for the collection of customs duties, today the Custom House is used by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and stands on 20 Lower Thames Street should you feel obliged to visit.
Victoria Embankment
WRONG Formerly used for the collection of customs duties, today the Custom House is used by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and stands on 20 Lower Thames Street should you feel obliged to visit.
6. What ‘top secret’ tower was visible across most of London?
The Shard
WRONG Londoners were not expected to notice the 621ft high BT Tower, for many years it did not appear on any map as its location was protected by the Official Secrets Act, and even the taking and storing photographs of the building was forbidden.
BT Tower
CORRECT Londoners were not expected to notice the 621ft high BT Tower, for many years it did not appear on any map as its location was protected by the Official Secrets Act, and even the taking and storing photographs of the building was forbidden.
Canary Wharf
WRONG Londoners were not expected to notice the 621ft high BT Tower, for many years it did not appear on any map as its location was protected by the Official Secrets Act, and even the taking and storing photographs of the building was forbidden.
7. Which building advertises Baron Justus von Liebig’s invention?
Michelin House
WRONG The Oxo Company wanted to advertise their product to Londoners but local authorities were adverse to outside advertising, so Albert Moore, the company’s architect when adding a tower atop their cold store produced a 10ft tall artwork created by piercing holes through the wall, one an X shape and two on either side forming circles. The local authority accepted this as building decoration rather than advertising, giving us the Oxo tower we know today.
Royal Daulton, Southbank House
WRONG The Oxo Company wanted to advertise their product to Londoners but local authorities were adverse to outside advertising, so Albert Moore, the company’s architect when adding a tower atop their cold store produced a 10ft tall artwork created by piercing holes through the wall, one an X shape and two on either side forming circles. The local authority accepted this as building decoration rather than advertising, giving us the Oxo tower we know today.
OXO Tower
CORRECT The Oxo Company wanted to advertise their product to Londoners but local authorities were adverse to outside advertising, so Albert Moore, the company’s architect when adding a tower atop their cold store produced a 10ft tall artwork created by piercing holes through the wall, one an X shape and two on either side forming circles. The local authority accepted this as building decoration rather than advertising, giving us the Oxo tower we know today.
8. The Dazzle camouflage was applied to which London structure?
Battersea Power Station
WRONG Before it was moved to Chatham to make way for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, Dazzle camouflage was applied to the HMS President as part of the World War I centenary art commissions. Intended to optically distort the view of a ship at sea and make the vessel harder to locate and attack, the 2014 painting of the ship in this style was by the artist Tobia Rehberger.
Tower Bridge
WRONG Before it was moved to Chatham to make way for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, Dazzle camouflage was applied to the HMS President as part of the World War I centenary art commissions. Intended to optically distort the view of a ship at sea and make the vessel harder to locate and attack, the 2014 painting of the ship in this style was by the artist Tobia Rehberger.
HMS President
CORRECT Before it was moved to Chatham to make way for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, Dazzle camouflage was applied to the HMS President as part of the World War I centenary art commissions. Intended to optically distort the view of a ship at sea and make the vessel harder to locate and attack, the 2014 painting of the ship in this style was by the artist Tobia Rehberger.
9. What important function did the social housing flats in Pear Tree House at Upper Norwood have?
Nuclear shelter
CORRECT Built during the Cold War, the 18-room nuclear bunker with its bomb-proof double doors and flats above was completed in 1966 and the bunker went into care and maintenance when civil defence was stood down two years later.
Water pumping station
WRONG Built during the Cold War, the 18-room nuclear bunker with its bomb-proof double doors and flats above was completed in 1966 and the bunker went into care and maintenance when civil defence was stood down two years later.
Early warning station
WRONG Built during the Cold War, the 18-room nuclear bunker with its bomb-proof double doors and flats above was completed in 1966 and the bunker went into care and maintenance when civil defence was stood down two years later.
10. What do Sid James and Laurence Oliver have in common?
They spied for Britain in Elstree Studios
WRONG Sid James, Laurence Olivier, Stanley Kubrick, the Duke of Edinburgh, Stephen Fry and Kate Moss have all used a black cab as personal transport to remain anonymous.
Driving a black cab protected their anonymity
CORRECT Sid James, Laurence Olivier, Stanley Kubrick, the Duke of Edinburgh, Stephen Fry and Kate Moss have all used a black cab as personal transport to remain anonymous.
They acted secret signals during filming
WRONG Sid James, Laurence Olivier, Stanley Kubrick, the Duke of Edinburgh, Stephen Fry and Kate Moss have all used a black cab as personal transport to remain anonymous.
In November 1623, 400 years ago, Shakespeare’s First Folio was posthumously printed in London, try this month’s quiz on the Bard’s playhouse. As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.
1. What year did the original Globe Theatre open?
1589
WRONG The Globe was built in 1599 on Maiden Lane (now known as Park Street) in Southwark on the Southside of the Thames.
1599
CORRECT The Globe was built in 1599 on Maiden Lane (now known as Park Street) in Southwark on the Southside of the Thames.
1579
WRONG The Globe was built in 1599 on Maiden Lane (now known as Park Street) in Southwark on the Southside of the Thames.
2. What type of performance did a red flag flown outside signify?
Comedy
WRONG Depending on the genre of play being performed, colour-coded flags were used outside the theatre to let spectators know what type of play they would be seeing. A red flag was flown for a history play, white for a comedy play and black for a tragedy play.
History
CORRECT Depending on the genre of play being performed, colour-coded flags were used outside the theatre to let spectators know what type of play they would be seeing. A red flag was flown for a history play, white for a comedy play and black for a tragedy play.
Tragedy
WRONG Depending on the genre of play being performed, colour-coded flags were used outside the theatre to let spectators know what type of play they would be seeing. A red flag was flown for a history play, white for a comedy play and black for a tragedy play.
3. What was the first play performed at the original Globe Theatre?
Julius Caesar
CORRECT It is thought that the first Shakespeare play performed at the original Globe was Julius Caesar, in 1599. The modern Shakespeare’s Globe opened to the public in 1997, with a production of Henry V.
Henry V
WRONG It is thought that the first Shakespeare play performed at the original Globe was Julius Caesar, in 1599. The modern Shakespeare’s Globe opened to the public in 1997, with a production of Henry V.
Romeo and Juliet
WRONG It is thought that the first Shakespeare play performed at the original Globe was Julius Caesar, in 1599. The modern Shakespeare’s Globe opened to the public in 1997, with a production of Henry V.
4. Where was the wood sourced to build the original Globe Theatre?
An old theatre
CORRECT The timber used to build the Globe Theatre was reused wood from ‘The Theatre’, an earlier theatre owned by the father of one of the Globe’s funders. It was dismantled taken across the Thames and reconstructed in a couple of days.
Queen Elizabeth’s Oak Forest
WRONG The timber used to build the Globe Theatre was reused wood from ‘The Theatre’, an earlier theatre owned by the father of one of the Globe’s funders. It was dismantled taken across the Thames and reconstructed in a couple of days.
Donated from patrons
WRONG The timber used to build the Globe Theatre was reused wood from ‘The Theatre’, an earlier theatre owned by the father of one of the Globe’s funders. It was dismantled taken across the Thames and reconstructed in a couple of days.
5. How many people could fit into the original Globe Theatre?
3,000
CORRECT The Globe was an open-air amphitheatre shaped like a doughnut and had a seating capacity of up to 3,000 spectators.
2,000
WRONG The Globe was an open-air amphitheatre shaped like a doughnut and had a seating capacity of up to 3,000 spectators.
1,000
WRONG The Globe was an open-air amphitheatre shaped like a doughnut and had a seating capacity of up to 3,000 spectators.
6. What was the name given to members of the audience standing in front of the stage?
Peasants
WRONG The cheapest price to watch a performance at the Globewas only 1 penny (about the price of a loaf of bread), which bought you a place amongst the ‘groundlings’ standing in the ‘yard’ around the stage. (There were 240 pennies in £1.) For another penny, you could have a bench seat in the lower galleries which surrounded the yard. Or for a penny or so more, you could sit more comfortably on a cushion.
Groundlings
CORRECT The cheapest price to watch a performance at the Globewas only 1 penny (about the price of a loaf of bread), which bought you a place amongst the ‘groundlings’ standing in the ‘yard’ around the stage. (There were 240 pennies in £1.) For another penny, you could have a bench seat in the lower galleries which surrounded the yard. Or for a penny or so more, you could sit more comfortably on a cushion.
Patrons
WRONG The cheapest price to watch a performance at the Globewas only 1 penny (about the price of a loaf of bread), which bought you a place amongst the ‘groundlings’ standing in the ‘yard’ around the stage. (There were 240 pennies in £1.) For another penny, you could have a bench seat in the lower galleries which surrounded the yard. Or for a penny or so more, you could sit more comfortably on a cushion.
7. What time did most plays at the original Globe Theatre begin?
17.00
WRONG The sun was the only source of light, so plays were performed in the daytime instead of at night as they are now. No candles were used for lighting because the Globe was built using very flammable materials like wood and plaster, which meant it was vulnerable to fire. All performances had to end before nightfall so that playgoers could return safely home.
19.00
WRONG The sun was the only source of light, so plays were performed in the daytime instead of at night as they are now. No candles were used for lighting because the Globe was built using very flammable materials like wood and plaster, which meant it was vulnerable to fire. All performances had to end before nightfall so that playgoers could return safely home.
15.00
CORRECT The sun was the only source of light, so plays were performed in the daytime instead of at night as they are now. No candles were used for lighting because the Globe was built using very flammable materials like wood and plaster, which meant it was vulnerable to fire. All performances had to end before nightfall so that playgoers could return safely home.
8. What is the nickname given to the original Globe Theatre?
The Rose
WRONG The theatre’s owner, Burbage named it The Globe after the figure of Hercules carrying the globe on his back – for in like manner, the actors carried the Globe’s framework on their backs across the Thames.
The Curtain
WRONG The theatre’s owner, Burbage named it The Globe after the figure of Hercules carrying the globe on his back – for in like manner, the actors carried the Globe’s framework on their backs across the Thames.
The Globe
CORRECT The theatre’s owner, Burbage named it The Globe after the figure of Hercules carrying the globe on his back – for in like manner, the actors carried the Globe’s framework on their backs across the Thames.
9. How was the commencement of a performance announced?
A trumpet
CORRECT To announce to the audience that the play was about to begin, a trumpet would be blown to signal to people it was time to take their final places.
A town crier
WRONG To announce to the audience that the play was about to begin, a trumpet would be blown to signal to people it was time to take their final places.
A musical performance
WRONG To announce to the audience that the play was about to begin, a trumpet would be blown to signal to people it was time to take their final places.
10. What happened to the original Globe Theatre?
Flood
WRONG The Globe Theatre burnt down in 1613 after a special effect on stage went wrong. A cannon used for a performance of Henry VIII set light to the thatched roof and the fire quickly spread. Supposedly it took less than two hours to burn down completely. Luckily, according to one of the few surviving documents of the event, nobody was hurt in the fire except for a man whose burning trousers had to be put out with a bottle of beer! Following the fire, the Globe Theatre was rebuilt in the same spot in 1614
.
Fire
CORRECT The Globe Theatre burnt down in 1613 after a special effect on stage went wrong. A cannon used for a performance of Henry VIII set light to the thatched roof and the fire quickly spread. Supposedly it took less than two hours to burn down completely. Luckily, according to one of the few surviving documents of the event, nobody was hurt in the fire except for a man whose burning trousers had to be put out with a bottle of beer! Following the fire, the Globe Theatre was rebuilt in the same spot in 1614
.
Riot
WRONG The Globe Theatre burnt down in 1613 after a special effect on stage went wrong. A cannon used for a performance of Henry VIII set light to the thatched roof and the fire quickly spread. Supposedly it took less than two hours to burn down completely. Luckily, according to one of the few surviving documents of the event, nobody was hurt in the fire except for a man whose burning trousers had to be put out with a bottle of beer! Following the fire, the Globe Theatre was rebuilt in the same spot in 1614
.
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