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Areas of Birmingham (ish) Quiz

Talking of Xmas Quiz came across on from the Birmingham Post of 1964 that concerns Birmingham and it’s architecture.

1 Birmingham architect and namesake of famous family of Birmingham He was responsible (amongst other things) for the design of a well-loved watering-place and a house containing many drawing-rooms. Who was he and what are the buildings referred to ?

2 The architect Philip Hardwick built two great clasical “bookends”. One is in Birmingham and where was the other, and what were the books contained between them ?

3 For about 80 years a mermaid has floated in Birmingham, until a few months ago when she took her last dive. Who was she ?

4 Who said, “Architecture is for people not architects.” And was he right ?

5 By what crazy association of ideas can you connect Birmingham Town Hall and Venice ?

6 What were the surnames of these men and what connection with Birmingham have they in common ?
Lister, Sir Harry, Lionel, Heneage.

7 The classical architect Charles Barry and the Gothic architect AW Pugin collaborated in designing the Houses of Parliament. But they had a dummy run on a similar but much smaller architectural collaboration in Birmingham.
What was it?

8. New street is the second name which the station has borne. What was it first called, and when was the name changed?

9 What obscure architect built a church in Bridgnorth, afterwards became a famous engineer and built a celebrated and beautiful iron bridge over his own canal in Smethwick?
 
5 could be misleading. I went straight for Birmingham / Venice canal comparison, but it says Town Hall.

Had a look at the answer and I think it would take some working out !
 
#8 “Birmingham New Street” opened for passenger use in 1851, official opening was in 1854.

Became simply “New Street” in 1884 (?).

Viv.
 
5 By what crazy association of ideas can you connect Birmingham Town Hall and Venice ?

I looked at the answer and I think you would really need to make some crazy associations. I don't think I would have worked out the answer, and I think it is a bit unfair without more info added to the clue.

Someone connected with our Town Hall, something else associated with that person, and then a nickname.
 
#2 Curzon Street Station and Euston Station arch (demolished). The books between them - railway tracks/sleepers perhaps ?

Viv.
 
#5 - was the crazy association with Venice creating a network of canals around the Town Hall ? Seem to remember seeing a postcard of the area transformed into canalways. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
#2 Curzon Street Station and Euston Station arch (demolished). The books between them - railway tracks/sleepers perhaps ?

Viv.
Click to expand...
Checked the answer to No2 and I would say correct as near as we could expect to get.
"The iconic office block at Curzon Street, and the Doris propylaeum at Euston: the "books" between them consisted of the London and Birmingham Railway."
 
Vivienne14 said:
#5 - was the crazy association with Venice creating a network of canals around the Town Hall ? Seem to remember seeing a postcard of the area transformed into canalways. Viv.
Click to expand...
I think you would first have to get the the name of a man who had quite a bit to do with the original Town Hall.
 
5 By what crazy association of ideas can you connect Birmingham Town Hall and Venice ?
Dickens read at The Town Hall and wrote Pictures of Italy. But clearly there's something missing.
 
9 What obscure architect built a church in Bridgnorth, afterwards became a famous engineer and built a celebrated and beautiful iron bridge over his own canal in Smethwick? Has to be Thomas Telford.
 
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