"The Broons" - Scotland's Favourite Family Quiz

Answer: eleven

Ten of "The Broons" live at the flat in Glebe Street, but Granpaw Broon has his own house nearby. Those living at Glebe Street are Paw, Maw, Joe, Hen, Daphne, Maggie, Horace, the twins, and the bairn. 'Broon' is the Scottish colloquial name for Brown, but they are never referred to as "The Browns".

The location of Glebe Street wasn't revealed until the 1990s, when it was identified in various sketches as being in the fictional town of Auchenshoogle.

Answer: Hen Broon

Hen Broon, unlike his athletic brother Joe, is tall and lanky. He's not very stylish, and often wears a rather old fashioned double breasted suit. Hen and Joe get on well, and often go out together. 'Hen' is short for Henry, just as 'Joe' is short for Joseph, but he is rarely called anything other than 'Hen' in the books or comic strips.

There was a sketch where Hen had been painting the surgery ceiling for the local doctor, and left his overalls behind. The doctor, a lady called Dr. Love, called round with them, and said "Hello, I'm Doctor Love. Is Henry in".

Answer: It's never revealed

She's always referred to simply as 'the bairn', and like all "The Broons" characters, never grows up. Sometimes she can be quite mature in the way she speaks, and will often reprimand other family members if she feels indignant.

Answer: Granpaw Broon

Granpaw Broon has his own house, which isn't far from Glebe Street as he often walks round to visit them. Granpaw Broon didn't appear in the earliest years of "The Broons", but he was certainly there in 1939, when he spent a day at the seaside with the family, (Sunday Post, 7th May 1939).

Answer: Maggie Broon

There are three daughters in "The Broons" family, namely Maggie, Daphne, and the bairn. Maggie is stylish and beautiful, and often seen going out with good looking, well off men. She and her sister Daphne get on well most of the time, and often go out together. In a poll, carried out in 2005, Maggie Broon was voted 'No. 1 sexiest Scot'.

Answer: Maggie

Maw Broon's name is rarely mentioned, but in an early edition of "The Broons", she is called Maggie by her brother who asks her to lend him his taxi fare. She is also named as Maggie in 'Maw Broon's Cookbook', which was published in 2007.

Answer: Both are boys

Apart from the bairn, the twins are the youngest members of the family. They are invariably cheerful, and have identical features and clothes. They are rarely seen apart, and are often up to mischief or even fighting. Their names aren't given, though some Internet sources claim that one of them is called Eck, but the wording of these claims is almost identical and no episode reference is ever given. Scotland's national newspaper, The Scotsman, in a 70th anniversary tribute to "The Broons" dated 30th December 2005, referred to them as "the never-named twins".

Answer: Horace Broon

Horace is the nerd of the family, ever studious and often trying to concentrate on his homework amid the family chaos around him. The 2006 edition of the Broons Annual, has a sketch in which Horace is mistaken for Harry Potter.

Answer: Joe Broon

Joe is "The Broons" pin-up man, stylish, muscular and handsome. He's had a succession of beautiful girlfriends, but never become serious with any. He gets on well with his brother Hen, and they're often out together.

Answer: Daphne Broon

Daphne is overweight, and somewhat lacking in fashion sense. She often tries to diet, but to no effect as she enjoys her food too much. She has a strange taste in hats, and often buys unusual creations, much to the amusement of other family members. Despite their considerable difference in both physical appearance and dress style, the two older sisters get on well and frequently go out together, occasionally getting their respective dates mixed up.

In one amusing episode both Daphne and Hen have blind dates, only to find they are dating each other!

Answer: Granpaw Broon

Paw Broon and his father, Granpaw Broon, have similar build, features, and style of dress. The main difference is Granpaw Broon has a full beard, but Paw Broon only has a moustache. In one rare sketch, Granpaw Broon shaves off his beard and dyes his hair.

He and Paw Broon then fool the family into believing that Granpaw is Paw's long lost twin brother. Only the bairn is able to recognise this new uncle is really her beloved Granpaw! Paw Broon's character is said to based on the editor of the publishing company where "The Broons" creator, Robert Duncan Low, was employed.

Answer: Oor Wullie

"The Broons" and Oor Wullie are both Sunday Post cartoon strips, and both are set in Scotland. The characters live in the same area, and occasionally feature in one another's comic strip adventures. In one sketch, Wullie calls Paw Broon 'uncle', so they may be related. The Oor Wullie and "The Broons" annuals are published in alternative years.

Answer: Robert Duncan Low

Robert Duncan Low headed the children's publications department of publisher D.C. Thomson, and was the driver behind various long running comics including the classics Dandy and Beano. His mother's maiden name was Brown, and it may be that he based some of "The Broons" characters on her and other members of his own family. His parents bore a strong resemblance to Maw and Paw Broon, and his sister had the good looks of the beautiful Maggie Broon.
Note: information obtained from http://www.thatsbraw.co.uk, where you can find more information about R.D. Low and his comic creations.

Answer: D.D. Watkins

Dudley Dexter Watkins, was born in 1907, and died in 1969. He became one of the best known comic strip illustrators of all time, working on "The Broons", Oor Wullie, Beano, Dandy, and many other comic strip classics. For years after his death, his works of Oor Wullie and "The Broons", continued to be republished.

There is an excellent article on the works of D.D. Watkins, complete with illustrations, at http://www.thatsbraw.co.uk. E.H. Shepard, by the way, was the illustrator of the Winnie the Pooh books, written by A.A. Milne.

Answer: Sunday Post

"The Broons" first appeared in a comic supplement of the weekly newspaper, Sunday Post, in March 1936. The family were a regular feature, and celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2006. To mark their 70th anniversary a documentary, narrated by Ewan MacGregor, was broadcast on New Years Eve, 2005.