U.K. Shipping Forecast Areas Part I Quiz

Answer: Lundy

There's a slight variant of the spelling in Norse being spelled 'lunde'. In 1924 the island was bought by an Englishman, Martin Coles Harman and he subsequently named himself king. His fiefdom was equipped with its own coinage but it was never recognized as a sovereignty. A generation later his son lost the island in a wager of cards.

Answer: Thames

This area gains its name from the estuary of the Thames River emptying into the North Sea. The Principality of Sealand is an interesting bit of international politics. Originally built for guarding the sea the Maunsell Sea Forts were abandoned shortly after the Second World War. In 1967 a British man Paddy Roy Bates occupied one of the towers and declared sovereignty. By 1975, Roy introduced a constitution, followed by a flag, a national anthem, a currency and passports to further his legitimacy as a rightful nation. Now forty years later the legacy continues under his son Michael Bates.

Answer: Wight

The Isle of Wight is wrongfully understood at times from gaining its name from the prominent chalk located there. The truth is it comes from the first known people to inhabit there clear back to 1900 B.C. or one hundred years if you prefer to the birth of Abraham. They called it "Wiht" and it's easy to see how it progressed to its modern form.

Answer: Dover

If the name itself isn't a coincidence then how about the fact that Dover, Delaware is inside the county of Kent just like its the original one in England. These guys weren't all that original.

Answer: Plymouth

In 1620 the Pilgrims arrived in New England and named their new home Plymouth. In the United States between the years 1928-2001 an automobile line was manufactured under the name Plymouth with its hood ornament a medallion showing the Mayflower. The company has gone defunct now and has been absorbed by its parent company Chrysler.

Answer: Fisher

This UK shipping forecast area location derives its name from Fisher Bank which is a sand bank off the coast of Denmark.

Answer: Utsire

This name comes from the Norwegian what it exactly means no one remembers but the best guess- at least by those who know Norwegian is 'Strong Stream'. It's located is in the North Sea so it's no surprise that the weather conditions are extremely harsh. Despite that fact it is a rich birding site and it is known to house over three hundred species of bird life upon it.

Answer: FitzRoy

Robert FitzRoy was a man who got a lot out of living and perhaps that's why he decided to end by cutting his wrists. He was a man of distinction, first he piloted the HMS Beagle, the same that was to carry Charles Darwin on that note worthy voyage. Then later he became the governor of New Zealand and he did so well he was recalled back to England.

There he created this chart of areas forever known as the Shipping Forecast. At that time there were only thirteen zones but through some further adjustments it has grown to thirty-one.

It's interesting to note that out of all thirty-one areas only one is named after a person- FitzRoy.

Answer: Portland

Yet again another zone named for an island, Portland has had a hard rap. There's always a certain bleakness if your home is given a prison, a maximum security one at that. But here's the truth of it while Portland does have a prison it's not an island! It is connected by a small strip of land to the mainland.

Answer: BBC Radio 4

Radio 4 was selected for rather practical reasons as it broadcasts both on the FM frequency and long-wave. The long-wave channel allows ships at sea to clearly pick up the signal and clearly make out the broadcast.