English Heritage reveals tourists' most embarrassing questions

London, Aug 11 : Tourists visiting Britain's historic sites often end up asking many embarrassing questions from the guide, and topping the list of such queries is regarding one of Britain's most sombre monarchs, according to English Heritage.

A tourist to Queen Victoria's summer palace Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, admitted they had come to catch a glimpse of rock'n'roll couple Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne.

They had come to the house, where the monarch died in 1901, thinking it was the home of the Black Sabbath frontman and his wife.

They flummoxed guides by inquiring: "Is this where Sharon and Ozzie actually live?"

The question tops the list of gaffes made by visitors to England's historic sites, but it wasn't the only embarrassing faux pas.

A young visitor to Osborne House wanted to know whether her nine children all 'have the same dad', English Heritage said.

A visitor to Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire, asked a guide whether they were looking around Dracula's castle.

Another tour guide was left scratching his head when a group of children asked to see the monkeys at Cleeve Abbey in Somerset. The group had been told that it had been the home of monks for 350 years.

English Heritage released the quirky questions in a bid to coax shy tourists to ask guides if they have a query about the building they have come to see.

"We've all had the experience of wanting to ask a question and regretting not doing so when the moment has passed," the Telegraph quoted Tina Corrim Head of Education at English Heritage, as saying.

"When it comes to topics such as history, people can often be embarrassed to voice their queries, but the only way to learn is to ask.

"Learning about history should be fun as well as educational. It is important that children and parents ask us their questions about the properties. You might find out something amazing," she added.

List Of Questions:

"Is this where Sharon and Ozzie actually live?" - a visitor to Osborne House, Isle of Wight

"What time do you switch the mist off?" - a visitor to Dover Castle and the Secret Wartime Tunnels, in Kent

"Where are the monkeys?" - a group of children at Cleeve Abbey in Somerset

"Why did they build so many ruined castles and abbeys in England?" - a tourist at Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire

"Is it a bouncy castle?" - a little girl at Clifford's Tower, York

"Can you tell me where I can see the Hobbits?" - a visitor to Kenwood House, Hampstead

"Did they all have the same dad?" - a visitor to Osborne House, Isle of White, who learned of Queen Victoria's nine children

"How many bricks are there?" - a visitor to Witley Court and Gardens, Worcestershire

"Does my ferret need to be on a lead in this area?" - a visitor to Kenwood House, Hampstead

"How long does life membership last?" - a visitor to Osborne House, Isle of White

"Did Lady Rachel ever de-bone her fish before eating it?" - a visitor to Witley Court and Gardens, Worcestershire

"Are the tunnels underground?" - a visitor to Dover Castle and Secret Wartime Tunnels, Kent

"Is that a manmade jetty?" - a visitor to Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland, pointing at a 300 million-year-old rock formation

"Is this Dracula's Castle?" - a visitor to Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire.

ANI