Interesting Facts About London

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. London was the first city to reach a population of a million. In what year did the census record a population of over a million? 1811 1901 1957 1753

2. A superstition orginated in the London docks in 1917. A pin-cushion is carried by sailors as a charm against what? Disease Getting lost Drowning Sea monsters

3. A bit of London slang for you. What is 'jacks'? Twenty pounds Five pounds Five hundred pounds Thirty pounds

4. Who said 'when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford'. Winston Churchill Oscar Wilde Dr. Samuel Johnson Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

5. Where do the Wombles live? Wimbledon Common Womble Common Clapham Common Regent's Park

6. How did the Strand come by its unique name? It was originally on the bank, or strand, of the Thames The first building built on the street was Strand House Strand used to be slang for a newspaper It used to be Street Rand. This was shortened to St. Rand and then, Strand.

7. Which of the following recipes were not pioneered in London? Sandwiches Salisbury Steak Buck's Fizz Pancakes

8. On 23 October, 1843 in what bizarre (and rather windy) place did 14 people eat a dinner? On the banks of the Thames at low tide In a hot air balloon hovering over the Thames On the top of Nelson's Column Atop Tower Bridge

9. The landmark commonly known as Big Ben is one of the most enduring tourist attractions in London, and certainly one of my favourites. What was its distinctive chime derived from? Elgar's 'Land of Hope and Glory' Handel's 'I Know That My Redeemer Liveth' from Messiah A phrase from Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture Nowhere. It was composed especially for Big Ben.

10. The London Underground Train system was the first Underground system in the world. It now boasts twelve underground lines which cover the whole of the city. But in what year did the first line open? 1863 1842 1912 1903