Olde London Town Trivia Quiz

Answer: Westminster Bridge

The Houses of Parliament are flanked by two road and foot bridges across the River Thames. Lambeth Bridge is painted red, the colour of the benches in the House of Lords at the south of the building. Westminster Bridge is painted green, the colour of the benches in the House of Commons at the north of the building. Designed by architect Thomas Page and made entirely of stone, the 1862 bridge improved congestion both north and south of the river due to the increase in traffic heading towards the south coast. Nowadays, it is an ideal location for tourists to take a photograph of Big Ben and the London Eye. Tower Bridge was built in 1886-1894, Waterloo Bridge in 1945 and London Bridge in 1971.

Answer: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Theatre Royal was built in 1663 at the request of King Charles II, and it was here that he first met Nell Gwynn during her stage debut. After being rebuilt in 1674 by Sir Christopher Wren, Theatre Royal remained open until a larger theatre was built on the same site in 1794.

This burnt down in 1809. The current theatre has been standing since 1812 and seats 2196 people over four levels. Even after two fires, reports of ghosts roaming the corridors, and even a bombing raid during World War II, none of this could stop the old lady from opening her doors to thespians and theatre-goers throughout the years.

Inside her doors have been plays and musicals enjoyed by many including "Oklahoma!", "Miss Saigon", and more recently, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

The Garrick Theatre opened in 1889, the London Palladium in 1910, and the Dominion Theatre in 1929.

Answer: Fortnum and Mason

Fortnum and Mason was brought to us in 1707 under the collaboration of William Fortnum and Hugh Mason. The department store was initially established to sell general groceries, but the quality of produce increased due to the opening of the international trade routes. Soldiers and sailors proved to be one of their best clients, and this was vital as they helped the safe passage of goods to war torn areas. Preserves, jams and spices were sent to officers fighting the Napoleonic wars, beef tea was sent to the hospitals served by Florence Nightingale during the Crimean war, and canned goods sent to the officers fighting World War One and Two.

The class system normally seen inside the great houses at home also existed on the front line. While soldiers ate the standard bully beef, officers were given hampers containing quail's eggs, salmon and gentleman's relish, all served with silver-plated cutlery, of course! Harrods opened in 1834, Liberty in 1875, and Selfridges in 1909.

Answer: Baker Street

Baker Street station which opened in 1863 was the first underground railway station in the world. It belonged to the Metropolitan Railway which ran between the Middlesex suburbs and the financial district in the City of London, its steam trains the new mode of transport replacing horsepower.

The ten platform station has three passenger exits up to street level; Chiltern Street, Marylebone Road and Baker Street itself, home to Sherlock Holmes, the literary character devised by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The station was frequently used by singer/songwriter, Gerry Rafferty, whose 1978 song "Baker Street" became a hit worldwide. Oxford Circus opened in 1900, Charing Cross in 1906 and Covent Garden in 1907.

Answer: Royal Observatory Greenwich

King Charles II reigned England between 1660 and 1685. He founded the observatory in 1675 and commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to design the original building, Flamsteed House. It is home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian line, the centre point of longitude and latitude used for measuring exact location in time and space. Because several thousand men had already died at sea, there was a need to find a method of safely navigating the globe while out of sight of land. Scientists, mathematicians and astronomers worked hard over the years until a breakthrough came from a Yorkshire clockmaker called John Harrison who discovered the basis of longitude. £15 million pounds has recently been spent on redeveloping the site to include a new planetarium, galleries and education centre. Buckingham Palace opened in 1703, Highgate Cemetery in 1839 and the Royal Albert Hall in 1871.

Answer: Eros

Designed by sculptor Alfred Gilbert, the statue was erected in 1892 as a memorial for London philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury who often gave money to charity. The correct name for the statue is the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain and is often mistaken for Eros, the Greek God of Love.

In fact, the statue depicts Anteros who was the God of Selfless Love and brother to Eros. The nude statue offended some Victorian people when it was first erected as it went against their prudish sensibilities. They tried to rename it "The Angel of Christian Charity", but the name Eros has always stuck in people's minds. Nelson's Column opened in 1843, Albert Memorial in 1872, and Cleopatra's Needle in 1878.

Answer: Thames Barrier

London is built on low laying land which has always been prone to flooding. When storms and exceptional high tides from the North Sea affect the eastern coast of England, water can surge along into the Thames estuary. As the river narrows inland, the water level increases as it is forced into a confined space, causing major flooding and disruption.

The Thames Barrier was opened in 1982. The ten steel gates weighing 3,300 tonnes each can be raised before tidal surges reach the city, and each gate can stand 50ft above the river bed when closed.

The O2, London Eye and Millennium Bridge were all opened in 2000.

Answer: One Canada Square

The Docklands in the east end of London began to deteriorate towards the latter part of the 20th century. Construction started at Canary Wharf at the end of the 1980s to provide buildings for a new financial district in London. Completed in 1991, One Canada Square was one such building, becoming for a time the tallest building in London.

The skyscraper has 50 floors and stands 240m tall including its pyramid shaped roof. Tenants have included Citibank, Novartis and Coutts. The Gherkin was built in 2003, Heron Tower in 2011 and The Shard in 2012.

Answer: Brown's

Brown's is a luxury hotel which stands in the heart of the Mayfair district of London. Built in 1837, the hotel was the brainchild of husband and wife, James and Sarah Brown. Sarah was the maid to Lady Byron, once wife to the famous poet, Lord Byron.

Many notable guests have stayed within its interior including Alexander Graham Bell who made the first ever telephone call from the hotel. The hotel today has 117 rooms and provides a 24 hour service including valet parking. The world renowned Brown's tea room serves quality refreshments that include bite sized sandwiches, scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream.

The Savoy opened in 1889, the Ritz in 1906 and the May Fair in 1927.

Answer: Beefeaters

Beefeater is the common name for Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London. They were formed by King Henry VII when he took up residence at the Tower in 1485. With their smart navy and red uniforms from a bygone era, Beefeaters parade the grounds and are nowadays a major tourist attraction. One Beefeater in particular is responsible for feeding fresh meat to the ravens every day. Folklore says that if the ravens ever left the Tower, the monarchy and country would fall. Chelsea pensioners and the Queen's Guard date back to the 17th century. Pearly Kings and Queens appeared more recently during the 19th century.