Quintessentially English Trivia Quiz

Answer: No, neither dish did

Fried fish in batter originated with Jews in Spain well before the 16th century. Cooking was not allowed on the Jewish Sabbath (sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday). So Jewish families would prepare food on Friday afternoon to cover the following 24 hours. One such dish was a white fish, usually cod or haddock, fried in a thin batter of flour which preserved the fish so it was eaten cold the next day. The Spanish Inquisition outlawed Judaism, sending Spanish Jews to Portugal, but then in 1496, the Portuguese King Manuel I married Isabella of Spain and insisted on the expulsion of all Jews from Portugal. Most fled to England, specifically, London where Jewish immigrants sold the fried fish in streets from trays hung around the neck. With the advent of large-scale trawl fishing in the North Sea and the subsequent crisscrossing of the country with railway transport, fried fish became both common and cheap.

The history of fried potatoes is more obscure. Belgium claimed the invention of fried potatoes. According to local folklore, in 1680, the winter was so cold that the River Meuse froze, denying residents their main source of fish. Families resorted to cutting potatoes in the shape of fish and frying them in oil to provide makeshift sustenance. Charles Dickens mentions in "A Tale of Two Cities" (1859) "husky chips of potato fried with some reluctant drops of oil," which meant that chips had reached England by the mid-19th century.

There is no doubt, though, that the union of fried potatoes (later called chips after their shape to provide the quintessential English meal of fish and chips) occurred in England. There were competing claims for the first fish and chip shop: A Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin opened a fish and chip shop in 1860 in London. In Manchester, a fish and chip stand opened by John Lees was very successful by 1863. By the late 1920s, there were 35,000 fish and chip shops in the United Kingdom. They stayed open during World War I as neither component was rationed. To boost morale the same practice was observed during World War II.

Answer: Prince George

Before Prince William married Kate Middleton, the succession to the Queen was straightforward: Prince Charles, as the eldest son (and child) of the Queen and Prince Phillip was the heir apparent followed by his elder son, William, as the second-in-line and Prince Harry as third-in-line. When Prince William married Kate Middleton to become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and had a child in 2013, George Alexander Louis became third-in-line. However, unlike previous generations, when their next child was born, Princess Charlotte in 2015, she became fourth-in-line.

This was due to the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which altered the laws of succession to the British throne which ended (among other items) the primacy of male children over females in the succession to the Crown. When Prince Louis was born, the Cambridge's third child, he became the fifth-in-line.

When Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022, Prince Charles became King Charles III, The Duke of Cambridge became the Prince of Wales and the heir apparent and his elder son Prince George became the second-in-line.

Answer: False

Lord's Cricket Ground, more commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket ground in St John's Wood, London, just down from the Abbey Road Studios. The ground is named after its founder, Thomas Lord (not a noble as commonly thought). The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) own the ground and it is the home ground of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the European Cricket Council (ECC) and, until August 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC). Lord's is known as the "Home of Cricket" and it has the world's oldest sporting museum within its grounds.

However, it is not the original site. Lord's today is the third of three grounds that Lord established between 1787 and 1814. And while it is the home of cricket, the first test match was not played there. This honour went to the Melbourne Cricket Ground where two bitter rivals, England and Australia, fought the first test match, Australia winning by 45 runs. The first test match played in England was between the same two teams but at The Oval in 1880.

Answer: The marking or the nicking of the swan's bill

It is a royal prerogative that the British monarch owns all the unmarked mute swans on open water. However, the monarch could grant ownership to landowners whose property adjoined waterways. The ceremony over time became limited to two livery companies of the City of London, only, which continue to exercise these rights. Therefore the Crown, the Vintners' Company and the Dyers' Company share ownership of swans. The event contemporaneously only covers the stretch of the Thames from Sunbury-on-Thames to Abingdon-on-Thames. The event takes place for five days every July. This ceremony is over 900 years old.

Representatives from the three organisations use special boats called skiffs to travel up the river, identifying, tagging and checking the health of swans before they are released. The swans are tagged by attaching a ring to one of the legs of the swan. Originally, swans' bills would be nicked using a metal tool. The nicking of the bill was referred to as "upping".

Answer: They shared a name

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in abject poverty in south London in 1889. His story was the ultimate rags-to-riches story. He was a comic actor, filmmaker, and noted composer. He rose to fame in the silent film era and his on-screen persona, the Tramp, enabled him to become one of the film industry's most important figures. His career lasted more than 75 years.

By contrast, Diana Frances Spencer was born into British nobility in Park House, Sandringham. As a child, she would play with both Princes Andrew and Edward when the Royal Family holidayed at the Sandringham estate and grew up close to the family. She became Lady Diana after her father became Earl Spencer in 1975. She married Charles, the Prince of Wales in 1981 and had two sons, William and Henry, but the couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris in 1997. Her activism, coupled with her glamour, made her one of the most popular and endearing of all English people.

Answer: Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame published "The Wind In The Willows" in 1908. The novel was based on bedtime stories he told his son Alistair when he was a child. With such characters as Mole, Ratty, (a water vole), and Badger, the book could be nothing but English; the irony was that Mr Grahame was born in Edinburgh.

Beatrix Potter was another English author that used typically English animals in her children's stories (eg Mrs. Tiggy-winkle the Hedgehog) in her delightful stories based on Peter Rabbit. She first published in 1902.

A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh stories are based on the stories he told his son Christopher. "The House on Pooh Corner" (1928) featured characters based upon his son (Christopher Robyn) and his toys - Winnie the Pooh was Christopher's teddy bear.

Roald Dahl was a Welsh writer who wrote a plethora of children's stories, none more famous than "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (1964).

Answer: 1959

While the American automobile of the 50s was the 'rise and rise of the tail fin', Great Britain was still a place of austerity in the post-WWII 50s, and when the Suez Crisis occurred in 1956 limiting oil supply, large car sales in Britain plummeted. Imported bubble car sales went through the roof.

Leonard Lord, head of the British Motor Corporation, wanted a British 'proper miniature car'. His brief was bold - the car should be able to be shipped in a box that measured 10×4×4 feet (3.0×1.2×1.2 m); the passenger shell must occupy 6 feet (1.8 m) of the 10-foot (3.0 m) length; and an existing engine must be used. Cars this small were unknown in Britain yet all specifications were achieved except one - the width of the new car was 1,410 mm (56 in). To achieve this brief, radical changes to any conventional design were necessary: The engine was transverse-mounted, meaning the radiator was side mounted as well; the gearbox was in the sump; it was front-wheel drive, rare in the 50s; to enable 'single-skinned' doors, sliding windows were used, welds were external in places, ten-inch wheels were used (necessitating an external contract with Dunlop to produce the small tyres) and the suspension consisted of rubber cones, not springs.

The car was a massive hit. It became a symbol of the swinging 60s in London. Each of the Beatles owned one as did Peter Sellers, Britt Ekland, Steve McQueen even Enzo Ferrari owned one. It was voted the world's most influential car after the Model -T Ford, in 2005.

Answer: Mary Quant

Short skirts existed for many years before they became the mainstream fashion in the 60s. They were generally not called miniskirts until they became a fashion trend during this decade. They became an item associated with Carnaby Street, England (itself a symbol of the Swingin' 60s) and London in particular.

This may have been because the English fashion designer was credited with the "60s-version" though French designer Andre Courreges was also credited in Europe. Both of these designers showed new designs with mid-thigh hemlines in 1964.

By the time miniskirts became the fashion items many English young ladies were wearing in 1967, the hemlines were even higher.

Answer: Kew

Kew Gardens were created in 1759, and are located south of the river in West London. The gardens cover 300 acres, housing more than 50,000 different plant species including one of the largest herbariums in the world. Highlights include the Rhododendron Dell, Bamboo Garden and the Waterlily House. The Royal Botanic Gardens were granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2003.

A visit to Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford Upon Avon is absolutely charming. This garden is the opposite of the formality of Kew Gardens which are formal and carefully landscaped. This is the picture-perfect cottage garden, (replete with thatched-roofed Tudor cottage) meant for carefree strolling through hundreds of flowers, and a total splash of colour.

Answer: Faded, bell-bottom jeans

While punk rock evolved from the US garage rock and the name 'punk' had been bandied around for years, it was Malcolm McLaren, who owned an 'alternative fashion' store in London and also managed the Sex Pistols, that was the driving force of punk rock (which will always be associated with England).

On 4 June 1976, the Sex Pistols played one of its first gigs in Manchester. This was one of the most influential rock gigs of all time. Among the audience were locals who had formed the Buzzcocks (after seeing the Sex Pistols in February), and other audience members who went on to form Joy Division, The Fall, and The Smiths. At the same time, Bernard Rhodes, an acquaintance of McLaren, pushed a band called London SS, who later, with Joe Strummer, became The Clash. These were the initial bands that sparked the punk scene around the world. The Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks and The Clash were the first bands to be labelled with the punk rock moniker.

The accompanying "fashion", based on McLaren's fashion shop, created a subculture that was breath-taking in its divergence from what was considered establishment. McLaren's partner credits Johnny Rotten as the first British punk to rip his shirt, and Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols bassist) as the first punk to use safety pins as fashion statements. The subculture died as quickly as it began in the late 70s and punk rock gave way to post-punk and new wave music which was considered more acceptable by the English establishment.

Answer: Coronation Street

"Coronation Street", when it commenced in 1960, depicted a gritty, down-to-earth, working-class scenario, mixed with light-heartedness of script and strong characters particularly many of the female roles (such as Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden, Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker). It was set in the fictional cobbled streets of terraced houses of Weatherfield (based on Salford in Lancashire). Its initial success was its ability to portray 'everyday' English characters that were seen as realistic and an accurate portrayal of the English life of the period.

On its 50th anniversary, "Guinness World Records" recognised the series as the world's longest-running television soap opera.

Answer: The Toast Rack

London was not known for its skyscrapers in the 20th century. In 1964 the 581 foot BT Tower was built (ostensibly for practical reasons as a communications tower) and then nothing. However, during the 21st century, there was a huge boom in skyscraper development in London. Tall buildings such as The Shard, The Gherkin (30 St. Mary Axe), The Cheese Grater (Leadenhall Building), The Scalpel (Lime St), The Mummy (Shepherd's Bush) and the Walkie-Talkie (Fenchurch Street) were all given such names because, well, they look like their namesakes. One cannot say the English have built boring rectangular skyscrapers. Each has been both praised and loathed by international critics.

The Toast Rack (yes, it looks like one) is in Manchester.

Answer: Archie Leach

"A Fish Called Wanda" was a typically English movie that made fun of itself by contrasting two bumbling English characters played by John Cleese and Michael Palin against two cocky Americans played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline. Cleese played an upper-class barrister Archie Leach (the real name of another English gentleman called Cary Grant) who fell for the wrong girl (Curtis) and wrecked his entire life in the process. The movie was co-written by Cleese whose other major claim to fame was as a writer/actor in the Monty Python troupe (another famous British Institution).

Hugh Grant was another famous English actor who made two memorable movies playing stumbling British men, Charles in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994) and as William Thacker in "Notting Hill" (1999). Curiously (or maybe for better contrast), he played opposite an American in each movie (Andie McDowell and Julia Roberts respectively). Both movies were the highest-grossing British movies of all time in the UK soon after they were released.

Answer: Blackpool

The English seaside town is rooted in health, not leisure. In the mid-19th century, the health benefits of bathing in seawater were highly publicised and with the advent of travel options through the burgeoning rail industry, access to seaside towns became easier. This created a secondary industry of spas and mineral baths. Later amusement arcades, cinemas and theatres became commonplace, especially along promenades and what became known as pleasure piers. By the turn of the century, England had nearly 100 such towns.

Blackpool on the west coast of England in Lancashire was particularly successful. Nearby cotton mills around Manchester would shut down once a year in summer for essential maintenance. With a rotating roster of closures, a steady stream of mill workers, a considerable proportion of the Lancashire population, would flock to Blackpool. As such, it was one of the more successful seaside towns and could afford to build and create two unique attractions:

In 1879, an attraction called "Artificial Sunshine" was opened. It consisted of eight carbon arc lamps that lit up the central section of the Promenade. (This preceded Thomas Edison's electric light bulb patent by a whole year). Over time this event has turned into a light show along the entire six-mile (10 km) length of the promenade. The light show started in September and ran for 66 days each year. Post-COVID epidemic, the season was extended to 100+ days.

In 1894 an observation tower was built on the promenade. It was based on the Eiffel Tower in Paris and at 518 ft 9 in (158.1 m) is about half its height. However, when it opened, the tower was the tallest man-made structure in the British Empire. If you paid sixpence (five cents), you could admire the view from the observation deck.

Answer: English ownership or control of tea plantations in British India in the 1850s

Tea first came to England in the early 1600s when Dutch traders brought it into Europe in large numbers. It was served in British taverns by 1650 but it was expensive and considered unaffordable by most patrons. Samuel Pepys described it in his diary in 1660 where he described it as a "China drink".

Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of Portugal's King John IV, popularised tea in Britain. She became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland when she married King Charles II in 1662. When she arrived from Portugal to marry the king, she asked for a cup of tea but none was available. At the wedding, Portugal provided as a gift, one of many, a chest of tea (already the favourite drink of the Portuguese Court). Catherine popularised the drink among British nobility, and it subsequently spread to the wealthier members of English society.

The demand for tea outstripped supply. In 1664 the East India Company began to import tea to Britain but the tax on same was high, limiting its use to wealthy patrons. It began to be smuggled into Britain to meet demand and that became the major import method. In 1783, British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger cut the tea tax from 119% to 12.5% as an election promise. When he became Prime Minister in 1783 he followed through. With such a low rate of tax, tea consumption of increased exponentially and revenue increased to a higher level than before the tax was reduced.

Drinking tea became an integral part of English culture. Later milk was added to reduce the often harsh bitter flavour, but a theory persisted that it was added to reduce the temperature to avoid bone china tea cups, the most commonly used receptacle at the time, from cracking.

Tea production was introduced to India by the English in the 1850s to obviate the Chinese production monopoly. The first area to be planted was in the mountains surrounding Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills. Soon afterwards, came the development of tea cultivation on the Assam plains where a wild species of tea was found and cultivated. This variety, Camellia sinensis assamica, was closely related to the Chinese variety, but it had larger leaves than its Chinese counterpart and grew best on the plains, whereas the Chinese Camellia grew better at altitude.

In 1908, the teabag was invented, further reducing the time to brew. A 2018 survey of Britons found that an 'overwhelming majority' of Brits believe the milk should go in tea last.