Sing A Song Of Britain Trivia Quiz

Liverpool, in North-West England, is one of the largest cities in the country, and grew to major prominence in the eighteen century on the back of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Although no longer a major industrial centre, it remains a popular tourist destination, especially through its place as the origin of the Beatles in the 1960s.

The picture shows the three early twentieth-century buildings located along the Liverpool waterfront that are known as the "Three Graces". From left to right, they are the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building.

The frankly bizarre song "Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool" was a surprise hit in the UK charts in December 1972, and sold over 1,000,000 copies in that country alone. Jimmy Osmond, the youngest member of the American Osmonds pop group, was a mere 9 years 8 months when the song became a hit, making him the youngest individual at that time to have an individual UK number one hit single.

"I Belong to Glasgow" was written in 1920 by the music hall entertainer Will Fyffe (1885-1947). The song is sung by a happily drunk Scotsman, and contains the chorus:

"I belong to Glasgow,
Dear old Glasgow town,
But there's something the matter with Glasgow,
For it's going round and round.
I'm only a common old working lad,
As anyone can see,
But when I get a couple o' drinks on a Saturday,
Glasgow belongs to me!"

As a matter of fact, Fyffe wasn't born in Glasgow at all, but 70 miles away in Dundee.

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and became famous and wealthy during the nineteenth century as a centre of the shipbuilding and marine engineering industries. The picture shows the famous Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which opening in 1901.

Scarborough is a popular seaside resort in the county of North Yorkshire. It is usually cited as England's first seaside resort, a claim dating from as far back as the 1620s, when natural spring water bubbling up from the base of the cliffs were claimed to have medicinal powers. Visitors came to the town to drink the waters and cure their aches and pains, and so began the town's successful history. The picture shows the Victorian Grand Hotel, which opened in 1867 and at that time was said to be the largest brick structure in Europe.

The song "Scarborough Fair" is a traditional English ballad whose history is obscure. It contains the repeated refrain "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme", and was famously recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in the 1960s.

The landscape feature known as the "White Cliffs of Dover" consists of a roughly eight-mile stetch of white chalk sea-cliffs near to the Kent town of Dover. They rise to around 350 feet in height, and on a clear day can be seen from the coast of France, some 20 miles away across the English Channel.

The song "White Cliffs of Dover" was composed in 1941 by Walter Kent (music) and Nat Burton (lyrics). It was made famous by the popular wartime singer Vera Lynn (1917-2020), who first recorded it in 1942. The nostalgic lyrics look forward to a time after the war when the country will be at peace again, and contains the repeated refrain:

"There'll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see."

The North Wales city of Bangor is located near the Menai Suspension Bridge which links the Welsh mainland with Isle of Anglesey. It traces its origins back to a sixth-century monastery on the site now occupied by Bangor Cathedral. The picture features the main building of Bangor University, founded in 1884 as the University College of North Wales.

The song "Day Trip to Bangor" (subtitled "Didn't we have a lovely time") was recorded in 1979 by the folk group Fiddler's Dram, and was a surprise hit in the UK singles chart, reaching the number three spot in early 1980. It was the band's only hit. The catchy refrain goes:

"Didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor?
A beautiful day, we had lunch on the way and all for under a pound you know.
But on the way back I cuddled with Jack and we opened a bottle of cider,
Singing a few of our favourite songs as the wheels went around."

The city of Durham is located in the north of England on the River Wear, and is dominated by its magnificent and historic cathedral (seen in this picture), much of which dates back to the twelfth century. It is also home to Durham University, which opened in 1833 and is England's third-oldest university (after Oxford and Cambridge, which are very much older).

The song "Durham Town" (subtitled "The leavin'") was written by the English folk singer Roger Whittaker (1936-2023) and released by him as a single in 1969. It is a poignant song about separation (from both parents and home) and contains the chorus:

"I've got to leave old Durham town
I've got to leave old Durham town
I've got to leave old Durham town
And the leaving's gonna get me down."

The Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebrides island group off the west coast of Scotland. It is popular as a place for walking, especially along the rugged Cuillin mountain ridge, several of whose peaks are Munros, being over 3000 feet high. It is also home to the Talisker Distillery, which produces some of the most distinctively peaty whiskies in the country. The picture shows the rocky outcrops in the region known as the Quiraing.

The ballad known today as "The Skye Boat Song" is a nineteenth-century adaptation of an earlier song. It tells the largely fictional tale of the flight to safety of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. It contains the poignant chorus:

"Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye."

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom, and as such has a long and distinguished history that is impossible to summarise in just a few paragraphs. Situated on the River Thames, the main settlement was founded by the Romans around 50 AD. The picture shows the famous Tower Bridge, a bascule and suspension bridge that opened to traffic in 1894.

The song "Streets of London" was written in 1967 by the English folk singer Ralph McTell (born 1944). It first appeared in his 1969 album "Spiral Staircase", although the first version to be released as a single was by Roger Whittaker in 1971. That version's success encouraged McTell to release his own in 1974, which was equally successful. The song features the refrain:

"So, how can you tell me you're lonely,
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you through the streets of London,
Show you something to make you change your mind."

Swansea can be found on the south coast of Wales and is its second-largest city (after Cardiff). During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was a major centre for copper-smelting. The picture shows the area around the quay, now a popular centre for sailing.

The song "The Lass of Swansea Town" is a traditional folk song whose origins are now lost. It tells of a young maiden who waits loyally for her boyfriend who has been away at sea for the past eight years. When at last he returns, she fails to recognise him until he reveals the scar of an old wound. Reunited, they marry and (one assumes) live happily ever after.

The Lancashire town of Blackpool is one of the UK's most famous seaside resorts. Among its many famous attractions is the 518-feet high Blackpool Tower, built in 1894 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower. It is also known for its "Illuminations", a display of lights that takes place between August and November every year, and the Pleasure Beach, an amusement park that contains several historic rollercoasters. The old photograph shows Blackpool in 1898, during its Victorian heyday.

The song "With My Little Stick Of Blackpool Rock" was written in 1937 by Harry Gifford and Fred Cliffe for the entertainer George Formby (1904-61). Formby's characteristic cheeky delivery made the most of tongue-in-cheek lyrics such as:
"With my little stick of Blackpool Rock,
Along the promenade I stroll.
It may be sticky, but I never complain,
It's nice to have a nibble at it now and again."