In our March 2021 group email, we pose the Art Quiz question:
Where in Britain can you find Kathleen Scott’s 8ft. high statue of another Englishman celebrated for his fortitude in adversity: Edward John Smith, Captain of the Titanic?
a) Liverpool b) Leicester
(c) Lowestoft d) Lichfield
Answer: d) Lichfield. Captain Smith had no connection with Lichfield; he was born in Stoke on Trent. There are conflicting claims about why his statue is where it is. Some suggest that Stoke did not want the statue in the first place, because the Council was embarrassed to be associated with the loss of the Titanic; others argue that Lichfield was chosen because it is halfway on the main route between London and Liverpool, the port at which the Titanic was registered. Neither claim seems persuasive.