Things you didn't know about... Middlesbrough

Captain Cook and the sea creature
James Cook, the famous adventurer, was a native of Middlesbrough. In 1773 (or 1777) the King (or Queen) of Tonga gave to (or received from) Captain Cook a giant turtle (or tortoise)—accounts differ. Amazingly it lived until 1966.

Middlesbrough has its own takeaway dish
Recipe for "the Parmo": Coat an escalope of chicken with egg wash, then breadcrumbs. Deep fry. Slather with bechamel sauce and Cheddar (originally it was parmesan, hence the name) then bake in a pizza oven or grill. Enjoy! Variants include chicken hickory, chicken hotshot, chicken italia and chicken kiev. The dish is said to have originated in Australia.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was made in Middlesbrough
You can tell this because there's a small impress on it stating "Made in Middlesbrough". The design was loosely based on the Tyne Bridge.

Middlesbrough was built from scratch by Quakers
In 1801 Middlesbrough consisted of four houses containing 25 souls. Quaker Joseph Pease and others saw its potential as a port, built it up and extended the Stockton and Darlington Railway to the new town.

The Transporter Bridge has not been moved to America
This rare type of bridge, which carries a transport "gondola" slung from a 100 ft bridge span, is an iconic landmark of Middlesbrough, but many falsely believe that it has been dismantled and re-erected in America. This belief is linked to an episode of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, the 1980s ITV comedy-drama.

The Green Howards are a Middlesbrough regiment
Their most famous warrior? Comic magician Paul Daniels.

Middlesbrough pioneered CCTV loudspeakers
This anti-crime innovation allows the CCTV operator to harangue wrongdoers in real-time if they are seen to be behaving in an anti-social or criminal manner. Its efficacy has yet to be fully evaluated.

A soldier from Middlesbrough won a unique VC
CSM Stanley Hollis won the Victoria Cross for a series of courageous exploits during the D-Day landings. It was the only VC awarded in the campaign.

A bombing miracle happened in Middlesbrough
As a centre of steel production, the town was a major target in World War II, second on the German target list only to London. On one occasion, a lone German bomber returning home jettisoned a single bomb over the Transporter Bridge. The bomb fell straight through the latticework of the bridge and exploded harmlessly on the water.