Beside the Seaside Trivia Quiz

Answer: Roy Plomley

The show was devised by Roy Plomley and first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. A special guest (castaway) would imagine being stranded on a desert island and they would choose eight of their favourite songs beforehand as well as a book and luxury item to take with them. During the show, they would describe their imaginary life on the island and the presenter would play their choice of songs.

Answer: Torquay

British actor John Cleese starred as Basil Fawlty, the manic hotel owner of Fawlty Towers. The programme was based on the real life Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, where John Cleese stayed with his fellow "Monty Python" co-stars when they were in the area filming. Each episode title was a partial anagram of Fawlty Towers.

Some of the titles included "Warty Towels", "Watery Fowls" and "Fatty Owls".

Answer: Butlins

Billy Butlin travelled around England during his youth, helping to entertain the people visiting his grandmother's mobile fair. By the time he reached adulthood, he owned his own equipment and set up a funfair at Skegness in Lincolnshire. Added to that, he built accommodation and the first "Butlins" holiday camp was opened in 1936.

He recruited people, known as Redcoats, to entertain people by organising sporting events, ballroom dancing competitions and live shows during the evening.

Answer: Southeast

The song was written by Walter Kent and Nat Burton in 1941 and made famous by British singer, Vera Lynn. The song entertained British troops during the war but its popularity did not wane during peacetime. It featured in the 2009 compilation album "We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn".

She was 92 years old when the album reached number one in the British charts. The white cliffs of Dover are made from chalk and follow the coastline in south east England. It is one of the first sights people see of England when they travel in from central and northern Europe.

Answer: Graham Greene

"Brighton Rock" was a 1938 novel written by English novelist, Graham Greene. Other books written by the same author included "The Quiet American" and "Our Man in Havana". Richard Attenborough was cast as Pinkie in the 1944 West End play and reprised his role in the 1947 film.

The story told of a group of gangsters led by a teenage sociopath called Pinkie Brown. His life spiraled out of control when a waitress inadvertently became his alibi after he murdered another hoodlum.

Answer: Big Dipper

W.G. Bean was the founder of Blackpool Pleasure Beach and he hired roller coaster designer, John A. Miller, to come up with something bigger and better than ever seen before. Made of wood, the Big Dipper opened to the public on 23rd August 1923 to rave reviews. None of the old roller coaster ride exists today. The ride had been redesigned over the years and the last piece of the original was ravaged by fire in 1953.

Answer: La Mer

Not only do British people love to find entertainment along their own coastline, but they visit other countries as well. "Mr Bean's Holiday" was a 2007 film sequel starring Rowan Atkinson. Travelling through France, Mr Bean encountered many people and had various mishaps along the way.

These included eating a whole langoustine including the shell, busking for money at a shopping market, and making friends with a beautiful young woman called Sabine. The end of the journey saw Bean and the full cast lip syncing to the 1946 Charles Trenet song, "La Mer" (Beyond the Sea).

Answer: Hastings

The earliest pier built in the UK was Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight which opened in 1814. A ferry would sail from mainland England to the island pier, where people would disembark and complete the rest of the journey to their holiday destination by train. Later piers would include theatres, Punch & Judy shows, slot machines, brass band and refreshment areas.

The earlier pleasure piers were made from wood which made them a fire hazard especially as they were lit with gas lamps. Later constructions were made of iron. Sadly, Hastings pier was demolished by fire in 2010.

Answer: Maplins

"Hi-de-Hi!" was a set at a fictional holiday camp called Maplins near Crimpton-on-Sea. The series ran for eight years and was actually filmed at the real life Warner's Holiday Camp in Harwich, Essex. The real star of the show was the character Gladys; a cleaner who wanted to become a "yellow coat" entertainer. Hi-de-hi campers!

Answer: Tiddely-om-pom-pom!

This song has entertained British crowds at music halls along the coast since 1907. It was written by John A. Glover-Kind and made famous by Mark Sheridan, one of the most popular entertainers of the early twentieth century. The song lyrics describe the building excitement of leaving the inner cities for an annual holiday to the seaside.