12th February–the questions

 

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS

SET BY THE LAMB SHANKS

Vetted by the Plough Horntails and Ox-Fford

 

ART AND LITERATURE

1 Which poet versified about a “dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smokestack” in the poem Cargoes?

(John Masefield)

2 Which modern Poet Laureate was commemorated with a memorial stone in Westminster Abbey in December 2011?

(Ted Hughes)

3 Octarine (the colour of magic) is the eighth colour of the spectrum on which world?

(The Discworld – as written about by Terry Pratchett)

4 Who (or what) complained “Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to take you to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction, 'cause I don't”?

(Marvin, the paranoid android, in Douglas Adam’s Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)

5 What musical instrument of the woodwind family is an aerophone, or reedless wind instrument producing its sound from the flow of air across an opening?

(Flute, or piccolo)

6 Who sculpted the version of the Three Graces statue commissioned by John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford that is now on display alternately in the National Gallery of Scotland and the Victoria and Albert Museum?

(Antonio Canova)

7 Kubla Khan and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are two of the main works of which poet?

(Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

8 Pablo Picasso created which painting in response to the bombing of a Basque town by warplanes from Germany and Italy in 1937. What is the name of the painting?

(Guernica)

9 Who are the Samuel Becket characters Vladimir and Estragon waiting for?

(Godot – in the play waiting for Godot)

10 The ‘trio’ to March No. 1 in D of the Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches is better known as the music to which song?

(Land of Hope and Glory)

 

‘ELF N’SAFETY

(Most questions are taken from the health and safety test labourers on a construction site have to pass. They are mostly Health and Safety related, but the odd one does mention “Elf” as well)

1 Fire extinguishers can contain one of four substances – water, powder, foam and what?

(Carbon dioxide – CO2 – accept also Halon or wet chemicals)

2 Which part of your body is most likely to be injured if you lift heavy loads?

(Your back)

3 Name one of the two animals that carry Weil’s Disease, also known as Leptospirosis, in their urine?

(Rats or Cows)

4 The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act is the primary piece of legislation regulating workplace health, safety and welfare within the United Kingdom. In which decade was it passed into law?

(1970s - 1974 )

5 What is sort of creature is Dobbie in the Harry Potter books and films?

(A House Elf – full name required)

6 If someone is injured at work who should record it in the accident book?

(The injured person or someone acting for

them)

7 Which colour identifies the ‘live’ wire in a modern (new) 240 volt electricity supply?

(Brown)

8 Which 1960s car (sister to the Wolseley Hornet) was also a ‘mini with a boot’?

(Riley Elf - full make and model required)

9 How are legionella bacteria passed on to humans?

(Through fine water droplets such as sprays or mists)

10 What is the early sign of noise damaging your hearing?

(Temporary deafness)

 

GEOGRAPHY

1 What is the name of the village near Dorchester, built at the instigation of Prince Charles as a response against “modernist” architectural design?

(Poundbury)

2 Which member of the Commonwealth is formed of ten Provinces and three Territories?

(Canada)

3 In which range of Irish mountains does the River Liffey rise?

(Wicklow Mountains)

4 What is the capital of Burkina Faso?

(Ouagadougou)

5 In which English county is most of the Forest of Dean?

(Gloucestershire)

6 What colour is a Geography pie in Trivial Pursuits?

(Blue)

7 Cape York is the northernmost point of which Commonwealth country?

(Australia)

8 Which African country was called Nyasaland until 1964?

(Malawi)

9 What country is Budejowice in (pronounced boo day yo vit ze)?

(The Czech Republic – it is also known as Budweis)

10 The River Hafren flows out of Wales near Crew Green in Shropshire. What is it called in English?

(River Severn)

HISTORY

1 What did Enola Gay do on the 6^th August 1945?

(Dropped the first atomic bomb – Enola Gay was the name painted on the nose of the B29 Superfortress bomber plane that carried the bomb)

2 Which century saw Macclesfield get it’s royal charter?

(13^th Century – in 1261)

3 What, according to the chronology published by Bishop James Ussher, began at nightfall preceding Sunday, October 23, 4004 BC?

(The creation of the earth)

4 What was Lieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, doing on the 25^th of October 1854?

(Leading the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava)

5 For how many years did Macclesfield Borough Council exist as a local government district?

(35 years - 1 April 1974 to 31 March 2009 – accept 2 years either way)

6 What was seen from the earth in April 1910 and February 1986 (and should next be visible in July 2061)

(Halley’s Comet)

7 What did BOAC and BEA become when they merged in 1974?

(British Airways)

8 In what year was the M25 motorway completed?

(1986 -allow 2 years either way)

9 In December 1926, the United Alkali Company and British Dyestuffs Corporation merged with two other companies. What was the name of the merged company?

(ICI or Imperial Chemical Industries)

10 In what year did the Battle of the Boyne take place?

(1690)

 

SAUSAGES

(A tasty round in honour of the sausages served by Marshall at the Lamb)

1 Which European country is the traditional home of Chorizo?

(Spain)

2 Who advertised Cookstown Sausages on TV in the 1960s & 70s with the punch line “the best family sausages”?

(George Best – full name needed)

3 What is a Gloucester Old Spot?

(A pig - reputedly their meat is the best for making sausages)

4 Which traditional children’s seaside entertainment usually features a policeman, a string of sausages and a crocodile in a red and white striped tent?

(A Punch and Judy show)

5 What is the German for sausage?

(Wurst – with the ’w’ pronounced ‘v’)

6 ‘Pigs in blankets’ are a traditional accompaniment to roast turkey at Christmas. What are they?

(Small sausages - usually chipolatas -wrapped in bacon).

7 What specific type of sausage is usually contained within a ‘proper’ hot dog (not just a ‘hot dog sausage)?

(Frankfurter, also accept Wiener)

8 Princess Anne’s first father-in-law was a sales director at which famous sausage making company?

(Walls)

9 Which toothy TV presenter can claim broadcasting a clip of a dog that barked or growled ‘sausages’ on one of her shows?

(Esther Rantzen)

10 What is the brand of sausages produced by the pig farming TV presenter friend of Jamie Oliver, who also used to be a PhD student of Entomology?

(Jimmy’s Farm)

 

SCIENCE AND NATURE

1 What would be removed from your body if you underwent a nephrectomy?

(A Kidney)

2 What is the name of the law that states ‘To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’?

(Newton’s third law of motion – accept Newton’s Law)

3 What is the name for a line on a weather map connecting lines of equal atmospheric pressure?

(Isobar)

4 The discoveries of sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium are all credited to which scientist?

(Sir Humphry Davy)

5 Daubenton’s and Soprano Pipistrelle are types of what mammal?

(Bats)

6 Quercus Robur is the Latin name for which unrivalled king of the forest in Britain, synonymous with strength, size and longevity?

(the English Oak tree)

7 What medical treatment was discovered by Edward Jenner in 1796, who acted upon his observation that milkmaids who caught the cowpox virus did not catch smallpox?

(The process of vaccination)

8 Which malleable metal alloy traditionally consists of 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and sometimes, less commonly today, lead

(Pewter)

9 Dry air, at ground level, is approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Which inert gas is most of the remaining 1%?

(Argon

10 What human characteristic is Craig Venter acknowledged to have been the first person to map (or sequence)

(The human genome)

 

SPORT

1 Give the name of either of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Mascots?

('Wenlock' - named after Much Wenlock or ‘Mandeville’ – named after Stoke Mandeville Hospital)

2 Which US city is represented in baseball by the Indians, in American football by the Browns, and in basketball by the Cavaliers?

(Cleveland)

3 Football – at which stadium will the 2013 UEFA Champions’ League Final be played (Wembley Stadium)

4 Football - which nation won the African Cup of Nations this last weekend?

(Nigeria – beat Burkina Faso 1 - 0)

5 Who has held the Men’s Triple Jump World Record since 1995?

(Jonathan Edwards - 18.29m)

6 At which course will the 2013 Open Golf Championships be held?

(Muirfield)

7 Which American writer said ‘golf is a good walk spoiled’?

(Mark Twain)

8 Who has owned (or part owned) the racehorses Queensland Star, Rock of Gibraltar and What a Friend?

(Sir Alex Ferguson)

9 Punter, tight end and strong safety are players positions in which sport?

(American Football)

10 Kumasi Ashanti Kotoko Football Club (nicknamed The Fabulous Porcupines!) have won their country’s league championship 21 times. Which West African country is this?

(Ghana)

 

HOW MUCH?

(All costs valid on 7^th February 2013)

1 How much is a first class stamp for a standard size letter up to 100g in weight?

(60p)

2 How much is a pint of semi-skimmed milk delivered to your doorstep by Smiths Dairies of Macclesfield

(62p - accept 58p to 66p – some companies charge 72pm)

3 How much is a copy of the Macclesfield Express?

(65p)

4 How much (in pence) is a Euro worth?

(85p) (accept 80p to 90p)

5 How much is a litre of unleaded at the Esso on Churchill Way Macclesfield?

(135.9p) (accept 132.9p to 138.9p)

6 How much is the national minimum wage per hour for an adult over 21?

(£6.19)

7 How much is a prescription (if you pay for it)?

(£7.65)

8 How much is a replacement 32 page passport for an adult (through the standard service)?

(£72.50)

9 How much is a colour television licence?

(£145.50)

10 How much is the basic personal tax allowance for the 2012-2013 tax year

(£8105)

 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Set by the Plough Horntails, vetted by the Ox-Fford

1. In which county is the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst?

A. Berkshire

2. Which organization won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize?

A. The European Union

(for having, over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe)

3. Name the ex-construction worker, whose video-taped beating by Los Angeles police and their initial subsequent acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles Riots?

A. Rodney King

4. Who began his speech, "Where is Dave?" at the 2012 UK Conservative Party Conference?

A. Boris Johnson

5. British actor Brian Cobby (1929-2012) provided the first male voice for what British announcements?

A. Speaking Clock

6. Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and who else formed the 1960s pop group “The Monkees”?

A. Peter Tork

7. In which nation's London embassy has Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought diplomatic asylum since June 2012?

A. Ecuador

8. Who played the part of Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony?

A. Kenneth Branagh

9. In 2012 British MP Nadine Dorries controversially appeared on what reality TV show?

A. I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here

10. What event caused Twitter's servers to crash on 25 June 2009?

A. Michael Jackson's death

11. What word for 'the end of the world' referred originally to a revelation?

A. Apocalypse (from Greek apo, 'un', and kaluptein, 'to cover' - the book of Revelation in the Vulgate [4th century Latin/Roman Catholic Bible] is also known as the Apocalypse)

12. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was founded in 1991 as a 'successor entity' to what?

A. The USSR (or Soviet Union - the CIS remains at 2013 a relatively loose membership organization for Russia and several ex-Soviet bloc nations - it seeks to coordinate members activities/rules, etc., in areas of trade, law, finance, security, etc)

13. What was the original name of UK-founded communications technology company O2?

A. Cellnet (accept BT Cellnet)

14. Which film is credited with originating the obsession / jealousy term 'bunny boiler'?

A. Fatal Attraction (1987, in which the spurned Glenn Close character Alexandra 'Alex' Forrest breaks into her former lover's house and boils the family’s pet rabbit).

15. Who was the last English Tudor monarch?

A. Elizabeth I (1533-1603, reigned 1558-1603)

16. Who was the first winner of the TV “talent” show the X Factor in 2004?

A. Steve Brookstein

17. What is the more common name for Nitrous Oxide?

A. Laughing Gas

18. Ian Botham played for three County cricket teams during his career. Somerset was one of them; name either of the other two.

A. Durham or Worcestershire

19. What football club did Gordon Banks play for when he won his 1966 World Cup medal?

A. Leicester City

20. The last Briton to win the women’s singles at Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in 1977. Who did she beat?

A. Betty Stove

21. The last Briton to win the Women’s singles at the French Open was Sue Barker. In what year did she win?
A. 1976 (accept 1975-1977)

22. Which 1935 film based on a novel of 1859 has the last line “It’s a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It’s a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.”
A. A Tale of Two Cities

23. Which 1991 film has the last line “I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye.”
A. The Silence of the Lambs

24. Give a year in the life of John Wesley.
A. 1703-1791

25. Give a year in the life of Daniel Defoe.
A. 1659-1731

26. The Niagara Falls are situated on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into which other Lake?
A. Lake Ontario

27. Above which Canadian city are The Plains of Abraham?
A. Quebec City

28. Which British City has a railway station named after a series of novels by Sir Walter Scott?
A. Edinburgh (Waverley Station)

29. In which British city is there an underground rail system nicknamed 'The Clockwork Orange'?
A. Glasgow

30. Which river runs through Lisbon?
A. Tagus (accept Tajo or Tejo – transliterated from the Portuguese)

31. Which river runs through Buenos Aires?
A. River Plate (Rio de la Plata)

32. What was the name of Captain Cook’s ship on his 1768 voyage to the Pacific Ocean and Australia?
A. HMS Endeavour

33. Which Yorkshire city is known as “Woolopolis" - a reference to the Victorian era wool making industry in the city, in the style of Manchester's "Cottonopolis?
A. Bradford

34. In which modern country are the ruins of the ancient city of Troy?
A. Turkey

35. According to Greek mythology who commanded the Greek army in the Trojan War?
A. Agamemnon

36. In which film did Meryl Streep win her first Acting Oscar?
A. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

37. In which film did Emma Thompson win her only Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role?
A. Howard’s End (1992)

38. What was the name of the female British biophysicist whose work on X-ray diffraction images assisted in the discovery of the helical structure of DNA.
A. Rosalind Franklin

39. Who, in 1865, was the first Englishwoman to qualify as a medical doctor?
A. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

40. What is the first name of the detective Maigret?

A. Jules

41. Which element gets its chemical symbol from its original Greek name hydrargyrum?

A. Mercury (Hg)

42. Who is credited with the quote “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”?

A. US President Harry S Truman

43. What is the name of the cartoonist who created Andy Capp?

Reg Smythe.

44. What is the fruit of the Blackthorn called?

A. The Sloe

45. In Greek mythology Pygmalion was the king of which country?

A. Cyprus

46. 'At the Castle Gate', from Jean Sibelius's incidental music work Pelléas et Mélisande, is the theme music for which long running BBC TV programme?

A. The Sky at Night.

47. In Spain and Portugal, what is the title given to daughters of the sovereign?

A. Infanta.

48. In the nursery rhyme, what was the only tune that Tom the piper’s son could play?

A. Over the hills and far away.

49. Alef, Bet, Gimel are the first three letters of which alphabet?

A. Hebrew

50. Which BBC Director General was appointed and resigned in 2012?

A. George Entwistle.

51. In which US state was 'Custer's Last Stand' at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?

Montana

52. For his appearance in which film did Sean Connery win his only Oscar for Best Supporting Actor?

A. The Untouchables (appearing as Jim Malone)

53 What was the name of the line of fortifications built by France along its eastern frontier between 1929 and 1934?

Maginot Line

54. Who wrote the Billy Bunter stories?

A. Frank Richards.

55. Which English dramatist was murdered by his lover Kenneth Halliwell in 1967?

A. Joe Orton.

56. Who is the youngest singer to have a number one hit in the UK charts?

A. Jimmy Osmond (aged 9 years and 8 months in 1972 with Long Haired Lover From Liverpool)

57. Who wrote the novel “Cold Comfort Farm”?

A. Stella Gibbons.

58. Who was the architect of Coventry Cathedral?

A. Basil Spence

59. Which by surface area is the largest lake in Wales?

A. Lake Bala (Llyn Tegid)

60. When BBC Radio 1 started on Saturday, 30 September 1967 Tony Blackburn was the first disc jockey. But which former Crackerjack presenter was the second disc jockey to broadcast on the new station, hosting Junior Choice?

A. Leslie Crowther

61. BBC Radio 2 was also launched on 30 September 1967 as a successor to The Light Programme. But what was the name of the predecessor to The Light Programme?

BBC Forces Programme. (Accept also ‘General Forces Programme’ or just ‘Forces Programme’

62. Who was nicknamed “The Little Corporal”?

Napoleon Bonaparte N.B. He was also known as ‘Corporal Violet`

63. Who was known as “The Sailor King”?

William IV (1765 - 1837)

64. In which capital city would you find the district of “Foggy Bottom”?

Washington DC
(The location of the Watergate Building, US Department of State, Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts amongst others.)

65. What was the name given by Benjamin Russell to the action taken by the Governor of Massachusetts in 1812 in order to maintain political control for his party.

Gerrymander (The Governor’s name was Elbridge Gerry. Russell used the term “gerrymander” when it was observed that one district subject to voting boundary changes looked like a salamander.)

66. In folklore, what did Finn mac Cool supposedly build?
NOTE TO QUESTION MASTER: If asked, the name is spelt in several different ways: Fionn mac Cumhail, Finn McCool or Finn MacCooill

A. The Giant’s Causeway
(in Antrim, Northern Ireland)

67. In which country is the newspaper La Stampa published?

A. Italy

68. “All the news that’s fit to print” is the slogan of which newspaper?
A. New York Times

69. What was the name of the German battleship scuttled in the River Plate in 1939?
A. Graf Spee.

70. There are four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta dating from 1215 in existence. Two are currently housed in the British Library, give the location of either of the other two copies?

A. Lincoln Cathedral (accept Lincoln Castle where it is often on display) or Salisbury Cathedral (the best remaining copy)

71. What legislation was introduced as a complement to Magna Carta to provide rights and protection for the Common Man, and provided the statute longest in force in English history?

A. The Charter of the Forest
(In force from 1217 to 1971. Final clauses replaced in 1971 by Wild Creatures and Forest Laws Act 1971.)

72. Name the poet who was the first to be buried in the location now termed “Poet’s Corner” in Westminster Abbey?

Geoffrey Chaucer (in 1556)

73. What is the Metropolitan Police Operation Weeting designed to investigate?

It is the Police investigation into phone hacking by the News of the World.

74. Eugene Andrew Cernan is currently the last ever man to do what?

A. Walk on the Moon (during the Apollo 17 mission)

75. What’s the scientific name for the ‘winter vomiting bug’ that affected more than 100,000 people in the UK over the Christmas 2012 period?

Norovirus

76. What is the condition hyperemesis gravidarum better known as?

Acute morning sickness (accept morning sickness)

77. What was the name of the hospital in London where the Duchess of Cambridge spent time recovering from ‘acute morning sickness’ and whose staff were subject to a tragic “prank call” from Australian Radio DJs?

King Edward VII Hospital

78. The BBC program ‘Sherlock’ was voted top TV show 2012 in a Radio Times poll. What’s the name of the actor that plays the title role?

Benedict Cumberbach

79. What’s the name of the person who plays Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne in the BBC TV series ‘Call The Midwife’?

Miranda Hart

80. Attempts to obtain water samples from Lake Ellsworth were abandoned on December 25th 2012. On which continent is Lake Ellsworth situated?

Antarctica (Lake Ellsworth is a sub glacial lake located under approximately 2 miles of ice)

81. Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner is currently President of which country?

Argentina (renowned for harping on about the Falkland Islands)

82. Goodluck Jonathan (full name Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan) is currently the President of which country?

Nigeria

83. What’s the name of the current Secretary of State for Defence as at January 21st 2013?

Philip Hammond

84. What’s the name of the current (as at January 21^st 2013)UK government Minister of State for Universities and Science

David Willetts

85. The first London Underground line (The Metropolitan) recently celebrated its 150^th year since opening. Name one of the 7 stations that were on this line on that opening date in 1863.

Paddington; Edgware Road; Baker Street; Portland Road; Gower Street; King’s Cross; Farringdon Street.

86. The Victoria Line on the London Underground was ‘officially’ opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. Name either of the terminus stations on this line.

Walthamstow Central; Brixton

87. What is buckram used for?

It is stiffened cloth (cotton or linen) that is used in book-binding. (Also sometimes for stiffening clothes,)

88. At one time based in Didsbury, in which field of endeavour was the Shirley Institute involved?

Textiles research. (Originally just cotton as the British Cotton Industry Research Association, but now also includes wool, rayon and man-made fibres)

89. Which fictional ship’s captain’s last words were “Floreat Etona”?

A. Captain Hook

90. Monte Cervino is the Italian name for which mountain?

A. Matterhorn

91. Which stately home is the seat of the Dukes of Bedford?

Woburn Abbey

92. Which stately home is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough?

Blenheim Palace.

93. Two sports are to be added to the 2016 Olympic Games. Name one of them.

Rugby Sevens or Golf.

94. In which year were the first Winter Olympic games held?

A. 1924 in Chamonix, France

95. The city of Sheffield is at the confluence of 5 rivers. Name one of them.

A. Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley, Porter or Don.

1. Which Australian novelist published 16 books before winning the Booker Prize in 1982 with "Schindler's Ark"?

Thomas Keneally

Supplementaries

97. Who is the Manager as of 22^nd Feb 2013 of Swansea City football team?

Michael Laudrup

98. Name a member of the group “One Direction” other than Harry Styles?

A. Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, or Louis Tomlinson

99. Later set to music by Edward Elgar, who wrote the original poem “The Dream of Gerontius”?

A. Cardinal Newman.

100. Who is the current as of 22^nd Feb 2013 Manager of the England Women’s Football team?

Hope Powell