16th December–the Questions

 

Specialist Questions set by

Church House Bollington

1. Geography

2. S is for Science

3. Arts & Entertainment

4. Oranges are not the only fruit

5. Vans 4 U

6. Actors in disguise (Picture Round)

7. History – Christmas Day

8. Sport

ROUND 1 - GEOGRAPHY

1. What is the only state of New England with no coastline? VERMONT

2. Which US state has an area in a different time zone to the rest of the state which is pejoratively referred to as the ‘Redneck Riviera’? FLORIDA

3. Natives of which British city, which during its 19^th century industrial heyday was known as ‘Copperopolis’, are sometimes referred to as ‘Jacks’? SWANSEA

4. Natives of which British city and ferry port are sometimes referred to as ‘Janners’? PLYMOUTH

5. Which city is served by Dum Dum airport? CALCUTTA / KOLKATA

6. Which semi-arid zone extends from Senegal to the Sudan? The SAHEL

7. Which West African country left the Commonwealth in 2013? The GAMBIA

8. What is the only Central American country without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea? EL SALVADOR

Supp.

a. What stretches for 137 miles from Warwick Bar in Birmingham to Brentford in Middlesex? GRAND UNION CANAL

b. Which country has the most lines of latitude passing through it? CANADA

ROUND 2 - S IS FOR SCIENCE

ALL ANSWERS BEGIN WITH S

1. What “s” is a huge stellar explosion from the death of a star? SUPERNOVA

2. What “s” is the type of plant capable of retaining water such as Aloe or Cactus? SUCCULENT

3. What “s” is a seed produced by mushrooms? SPORE

4. What “s” is the respiratory disease that became a pandemic in 2003? SARS

5. What “s” is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element, atomic number 38 named after a village in Scotland near which it was discovered in 1790 by William Cruickshank? STRONTIUM

6. Which American medical researcher and virologist discovered and developed the first successful polio vaccine? Jonas SALK

7. Appearing on the coat of arms of South Africa and Sudan, which terrestrial bird of prey of the Sagitariidae family is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Saharan region? SECRETARY BIRD

8. What is defined as the ratio of the length of the side of the triangle opposite the angle to that of the hypotenuse? SINE

Supp.

a. What “s” is the measurement for saltiness?” SALINITY

b. What “s” is a liquid that helps solubilize a solid or another liquid? SOLVENT

ROUND 3 - ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

1. Which actor played Lieutenant John Chard, commander in chief at Rorke’s Drift in the 1964 film Zulu? Stanley BAKER

2. Baker Street was a 1978 hit for which Scottish singer who died in 2011 aged 63. Gerry RAFFERTY

3. Who was the singer/songwriter wife of American lyricist Gerry Goffin with whom he wrote a number of hit songs of the early to mid 1960’s? Carole KING

4. Which actor’s roles have included aspiring comedian Rupert Pupkin in Martin Scorsese’s 1982 film The King of Comedy and deranged killer Max Cady in Scorsese’s 1991 remake of Cape Fear? Robert DE NIRO

5. Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and The Lady of the Lake were all written by which Scottish novelist, playwright and poet? Sir Walter SCOTT

6. James Thurber’s 1939 short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has recently been made into a film starring Ben Stiller in the title role but who portrayed Walter in the original 1947 version? Danny KAYE

7. Danny DeVito played Martini, Will Sampson played Chief Bromden and Louise Fletcher played Nurse Mildred Ratched in which multi Oscar winning film of Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel? ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

8. Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B. Goode were hit singles for which rock n roll star of the 50’s and 60’s? Chuck BERRY

Supp.

a. Berry Gordy was the founder of which legendary record label? MOTOWN

b. A Town Like Alice is a 1950 novel by which author? Nevil SHUTE

ROUND 4 – ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT

The answers all contain ITEMS OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES – where these are part of someone’s name, it could be first name, surname or nickname. Please give FULL ANSWERS, i.e. full names where the answer is a name, not just the fruit or veg in question.

1. Which famous basketball player who represented the Harlem Globetrotters for 22 years was known as the Clown Prince of basketball?

MEADOWLARK LEMON

2. Which German psychedelic rock band of the 1960s and 70s, whose albums include ‘Atem’ and ‘Phaedra’ were one of the founders of the krautrock movement? TANGERINE DREAM

3. Which character, voiced by Don Rickles, leads a mutiny in the first instalment of Toy Story? MR POTATO HEAD

4. Which 1880s American folk song gave its name to a 1946 western directed by John Ford? MY DARLING CLEMENTINE

5. “The curse has come upon me” cried which eponymous character in a Lord Tennyson poem? THE LADY OF SHALLOT

6. What is the name of the title character played by Johnny Depp in a 1993 film featuring Leonardo Di Caprio as his mentally retarded younger brother? GILBERT GRAPE

7. Which song was released by the Beatles as a double A-side with Penny Lane? STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

8. What precise colour was the boat in which the owl and the pussycat went to sea? PEA GREEN

Supp.

a. Who was the producer of the first 14 official James Bond films? ALBERT ‘CUBBY’ BROCCOLI

b. What name is given to a bed where, for a prank, the sheet has been folded in two to prevent anyone from being able to get in? APPLE PIE BED

ROUND 5 : VANS 4 U

The answers are all the name of a person – real or fictional – whose surname starts with Van.

1. What was the surname of the painter Rembrandt? VAN RIJN

2. Which former Belgian Prime Minister became President of the European Council in 2009? Herman VAN ROMPUY

3. Who was the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies in whose honour the island of Tasmania was originally named? Anthoonij VAN DIEMEN

4. Also famous for his reality TV tantrums, who was the male singer in the 1970s group Dollar? David VAN DAY

5. In 1958, who discovered the existence of a ‘belt’ between 1,000 and 60,000 km above the earth’s surface consisting of layers of plasma held in place by the planet's magnetic field? James VAN ALLEN

6. In 1998, who directed a remake of the Hitchcock classic Psycho?

Gus VAN SANT

7. The song Eye Level was the theme to which 1970s television series? VAN DER VALK

8. Featured in Allo Allo, who allegedly painted “The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies”? VAN KLOMP

Supp.

a. Who was the eighth President of the United States? Martin VAN BUREN

b. Which 17^th century painter has a beard and a shade of brown named after him? Anthony VAN DYCK

ROUND 6 – ACTORS IN DISGUISE (PICTURE ROUND)

Just name the actor.

1.

1. John TRAVOLTA (in Hairspray)

2.

2. Eddie MURPHY (in The Nutty Professor)

3.

3. Dan AYKROYD (in Trading Places)

4.

4. Johnny DEPP (in The Lone Ranger)

5.

5. Michael CAINE (in Dressed to Kill)

6.

6. Dustin HOFFMAN (in Little Big Man)

7.

7. Brad PITT (in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

8.

8. Robert DOWNEY Jnr (in Tropic Thunder)

SUPP. 1

a. John MALKOVICH (in In the Line of Fire)

SUPP. 2

b. Matt DAMON (in True Grit)

 

ROUND 7 – HISTORY (CHRISTMAS DAY)

All the following questions relate to events that happened on Christmas Day.

1. In 1818 the first known singing of a Christmas Carol took place in Austria. What was the carol? SILENT NIGHT

2. Where on Christmas Day 1941 did a British and Canadian garrison surrender to the Japanese? HONG KONG

3. To which actress did Paul McCartney get engaged on Christmas Day 1967? Jane ASHER

4. In 2013 Pope Francis delivered a Christmas speech which originated in Ancient Roman times. Its English translation is “To the city and the world”. What is it known as in Latin? URBI ET ORBI

5. Which ship ran aground and sank on the island of Hispaniola on Christmas Day 1492? SANTA MARIA

6. On Christmas Day 1908, who became the first black heavyweight boxing world champion? Jack JOHNSON

7. On Christmas Day 1868, which US President gave an unconditional pardon to all soldiers and supporters of the Confederate states from the Civil War? Andrew JACKSON

8. In 1223 the first ever nativity scene was arranged by which saint? St FRANCIS of ASSISI

Supp.

a. Who was the Emperor of Japan who died on Christmas Day 1926? YOSHIHITO

b. On Christmas Day of which year did Anders Celsius introduce the Centigrade temperature scale? 1741 (allow 5 year leeway ether way)

ROUND 8 - SPORT

1. Which English gymnast won 4 gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth games? Claudia FRAGAPANE

2. At the 2012 Ryder Cup who secured the half point against Tiger Woods that ensured Europe won the cup outright? Francesco MOLINARI

3. St James Park is the home of Newcastle United. Which football league team play their home games at a ground of the same name? EXETER CITY

4. The state of Florida currently has 3 teams in the NFL. Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and which other? JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

5. The SWALEC stadium is home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club. What was the stadium previously known as before its recent redevelopment?

SOPHIA GARDENS

6. Sportsman Gerry Lester Watson is better known by what nickname? BUBBA

7. Which team who share their nickname with an English Premiership football team are the current NBA Finals Champions? SAN ANTONIO SPURS

8. Only 4 drivers have won the F1 world championship 4 times. Three of them are Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. Name the fourth. Alain PROST

Supp.

a) Manchester City won the 2013/14 Premier League. Who finished second? LIVERPOOL

b) The Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winners of which sporting event? The SUPERBOWL

 

THE BRITISH FLAG

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

 

Vetted by The Weaver and The Church House Bollington

(If the answer is underlined then the full answer is required otherwise surnames are acceptable)

1. Who won this year’s “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here” ?

CARL FOGARTY

2. Name either of the two events added to the women’s pentathlon to create the heptathlon in the early 1980’s, first contested for at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles ?

JAVELIN or 800 METRES

3. Which US city’s name means “The Fields” ?

LAS VEGAS

4. In November this year Cheryl Fernandez-Versini became the first British female singer to have five solo UK number 1 singles with “I DON’T CARE”. Name either of the two British female singers who currently have four solo UK number 1 singles.

GERRY HALIWELL or RITA ORA

5. Whose ancestral home is Woburn Abbey ?

DUKE OF BEDFORD

6. By what term is seborrheic dermatitis better known?

DANDRUFF

7. Who guested with Dire Straits on the track “Money For Nothing” ?

STING (Gordon Sumner)

8. Which animal’s name means “old man of the woods”?

ORANGUTAN

9. As at 13th December 2014, which football team is currently bottom of the English football league i.e. bottom of Sky Bet League 2 ?

HARTLEPOOL UNITED

10. What is the name of the latest album released by Pink Floyd earlier this year ?

ENDLESS RIVER

11. English crime writer P.D. James died in November this year aged 94. What do either of her initials stand for ?

PHYLLIS or DOROTHY

12. Ajaccio is the capital of which Mediterranean island?

CORSICA

13. The fashion for wearing silicone gel wristbands started in 2004 with a yellow 'anti-cancer' band. Whose charity launched it?

LANCE ARMSTRONG (Livestrong)

14. The Ringgit is the unit of currency in which country ?

MALAYSIA

15. Fanny Price is the heroine in which Jane Austen novel?

MANSFIELD PARK

16. Maggie Tulliver is the heroine in which George Eliot novel ?

THE MILL ON THE FLOSS

17. The Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk, which is mainly devoted to classical music, was founded in 1948 by which composer ?

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

18. In 2004, the building of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) was completed. It is found near the summit of Mount Graham in the Pinaleno Mountains in which US State ?

ARIZONA

19. What name was shared by the wives of the English kings Henry II, Henry III and Edward I ?

ELEANOR
(Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Provence and Eleanor of Castile)

20. According to Greek Mythology Hermes wore TALARIA to aid him. What were they ?

WINGED SANDALS

21. Which element with atomic number 18 takes its name from the Greek for “lazy” or “inactive” ?

ARGON

22. Who has written a series of letters entitled “Dear Fatty” in the form of an autobiography ?

DAWN FRENCH

23. In what year did Channel 5 start broadcasting ?

1997 (allow +/- 1 year: accept 1996 to 1998)

(on Easter Sunday, March 30th 1997)

24. What is the name of the 7th Stars Wars film to be directed by J. J. Abrams and scheduled for release in December 2015, 38 years after the first Star Wars film (1977) ?

THE FORCE AWAKENS

25. Which Scottish novelist became Governor General of Canada in 1935 ?

JOHN BUCHAN (Baron Tweedsmuir)

26. Which mountaineer was the first person to reach the South Pole overland in 1958 since Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition of 1912 ?

SIR EDMUND HILARY

27. "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me" is a famous line from what 1964 film?

CARRY ON CLEO

28. In 1985 what famous discovery did Robert Ballard and his team make ?

THE WRECK OF RMS TITANIC

29. Former Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes now manages which Spanish football team ?

REAL SOCIEDAD

30 Which King of England was crowned on Christmas Day?

WILLIAM I (WILLIAM THE CONQUERER) (in 1066)

31. Name either of the two current UKIP MPs ?

DOUGLAS CARSWELL or MARK RECKLESS

32. Which Australian state capital stands on the River Torrens ?

ADELAIDE

33.

What is the name of the process by which food is moved through the human gut?

PERISTALSIS

34. In the 1994 film Speed, what is the minimum speed at which the bus must travel before the bomb on board is detonated?

50 MPH or 80 KM/HR

35. Which rockets share their name with the giant children of Uranus and Gaia in Greek mythology ?

TITAN

36. Which herb is mixed with crushed garlic, pine nuts and blended with olive oil and parmasan cheese to make pesto ?

BASIL

37. Whose 1929 autobiography is entitled “Goodbye to All That” ?

ROBERT GRAVES

38. Which British rock band was “Blowin’ Free” in 1972?

WISHBONE ASH

39. In a Modem Pentathlon, which event comes first ?

FENCING

40. Oscar Wilde defined which type of person as ‘Someone who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing’

A CYNIC

41. Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan are main characters in which musical of stage and screen?

CAROUSEL

42. Which 18th century Scottish philosopher is known as the father of modern economics?

ADAM SMITH

43. What type of food in Spain is MANCHEGO (man-chay-go) ?

CHEESE

44. In the world of sport, this date is January 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Southern Hemisphere, it is August 1st What is the significance of these dates ?

OFFICIAL BIRTH DATE OF RACEHORSES

45. The song Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo was first introduced in which 1950 animated film ?

CINDERELLA

46. Name either of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters ?

ANASTASIA or DRIZELLA

47. Who is missing Regan, Cordelia and ?

GONERIL (King Lear’s 3 daughters)

48. Who was the decibel named after?

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

49. In which country is the world’s longest canal to be found ?

CHINA (Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal at 1,115 miles)

50. What is a HOOKAH (please spell out) ?

ORIENTAL PIPE/TUBE FOR SMOKING MARIJUANA OR TOBACCO

51. What name was given to the Atlantic hurricane that had destructive impact in the Lesser Antilles, Bermuda and Great Britain in mid-October this year ?

GONZALO

52. Whose death did Robert O’Neill recently admit responsibility for ?

OSAMA BIN LADEN

53. Who won the 2014 Man Booker Prize with the book “The Narrow Road to the Deep North ?

RICHARD FLANAGAN

54. Which space shuttle was the very last space shuttle mission (135th) completed in July 2011 ?

ATLANTIS

55. What is the name of the 24th official Bond Film scheduled for release in October 2015 ?

SPECTRE

56. Who is the only driver to have been awarded the F1 Drivers Championship posthumously?

JOCHEN RINDT

57. Which US President famously raised taxes after saying “Read my lips : no new taxes”?

GEORGE BUSH (Senior) (turned 90 this year !)

58. In which desert would you find the Okavango river, the only permanent river found in this desert ?

KALAHARI

59. Who wrote “The Female Eunuch” in 1970 ?

GERMAINE GREER

60. Which playwright won a BAFTA for “Bar Mitzvah Boy”

JACK ROSENTHAL

61. Which ex Lord Major of London resigned from her chairmanship of an independent panel set up to investigate historical child sex abuse after days of criticism over links to former Home Secretary Lord Brittan ?

FIONA WOOLF

62. Quarter-back Peyton Manning is the NFL's all-time leader in career touchdown passes. Which team does he currently play for ?

DENVER BRONCOS

63. Who composed the classical piece of music “The Firebird” ?

IGOR STRAVINSKY

64. Which composer’s works include the opera “Boris Godunov” and the orchestral poem “A Night on the Bare Mountain” ?

MODEST MUSSORGSKY

65. Complete the set: Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor and ?

HUFFLEPUFF (4 houses in Harry Potter)

66. Complete the set of Green properties in the game of Monopoly: Oxford Street, Regent Street and ?

BOND STREET

67. English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly penned the words to which famous ballad in 1910 ?

DANNY BOY

68. Who was the last monarch of the House Of Stuart ?

QUEEN ANNE (reigned 1702 – 1714)

69. Which Danish astronomer wore a false nose after losing most of his own in a duel ?

TYCHO BRAHE

70. In computing there are 8 bits to a byte, but what term is used for 4 bits ?

NIBBLE / NYBBLE

71. Which Canadian city lies at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saint Charles rivers?

QUEBEC

72. What was the name of the 2008 TV programme that was a sequel to ‘Life on Mars’ starring John Simm as Detective Sam Tyler from the Greater Manchester Police ?

ASHES TO ASHES

73. Grant Martin and Captain Albert Berry, both claim to have achieved which aviation first in 1911 and 1912 respectively ?

FIRST PARACHUTE JUMP FROM A POWERED AIRPLANE

74. First performed in 1634 how often are the Oberammergau Passion Plays held ?

EVERY 10 YEARS (next one in 2020)

75. On which island is Pearl Harbour ?

OAHU

76. Who is the only actor to speak in the film “Silent Movie”, directed by Mel Brookes?

MARCEL MARCEAU

77. Who was in the news recently after he was allegedly abusive to a taxi driver saying “You’re a sweaty stupid little git”?

DAVID MELLOR

78. Which English county has borders with Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire?

DORSET

79. What was the real name of the Elephant Man ?

JOSEPH MERRICK

80. In Russian cookery what is a blini ?

A SMALL PANCAKE

81. “The King Of Barataria” is an alternative title to which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta ?

THE GONDOLIERS

82. Who recently stepped down as Chief Executive of Thomas Cook who described her management style as “Part Lion, part Panda !” ??

HARRIET GREEN

83. Which rebellion was defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor on 6th July 1685 ?

THE MONMOUTH REBELLION

84. What name is given to the junction of the A1 and A66 trunk roads near Richmond, North Yorkshire, described as "the modern gateway to Cumbria, the North East and Scotland" ?

SCOTCH CORNER

85. What was Bing Crosby’s first name ?

HARRY

86. What does the E stand for in E numbers, codes used for substances used as food additives ?

EUROPE (also accept European)

87. The KAKAPO, also known as the owl parrot is a near extinct bird living in which country ?

NEW ZEALAND

88. Ex SNP leader Alec Salmond has announced that he will be standing for a seat at Westminster at next May’s General Election. For which constituency will he be standing?

GORDON

89. Which anniversary did the Beano Comic celebrate in 2013 ?

75 YEARS

90. When George Formby sang the lines "It may be sticky, but I never complain; It's nice to have a nibble at it now and again", to what was he referring ?

LITTLE STICK OF BLACKPOOL ROCK

91. Who is currently the highest points scorer in International Rugby Union ?

DAN CARTER (New Zealand: 1457 points)

92. What is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure in degrees Fahrenheit ?

212°F

93. Which country’s highest mountain is the Grossglockner at 3798 m / 12,460 feet ?

AUSTRIA

94. Name the Christmas Song described as follows: “A period of time characterised by coldness, in a marvellous imaginary realm” ?

WINTER WONDERLAND

95. Name the Christmas Song described as follows: “A short slogan or easily remembered tune, with hollow metal objects shaped like an inverted cup” ?

JINGLE BELLS

96. How old was William Pitt the Younger when he became the youngest ever British Prime Minister on 19th December 1783 ?

24 (allow +/- 1 i.e. accept 23 to 25)

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS

1. Who holds the women’s heptathlon points world record achieved at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics ?

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE (USA – 7291 POINTS)

2. What are the metal discs in the rim of a tambourine called ?

JINGLES

3. What is the county town of Kent?

MAIDSTONE

4. Until 1968 which country was officially known as South West Africa?

NAMIBIA

5. Which creature appears on the logo of Alpha Romeo cars ?

SNAKE / SERPENT

6. Which clothing firm shares its name with a 1971 Academy Award winning film starring Gene Hackman?

FRENCH CONNECTION

7. Which school provided the UK with 19 Prime Ministers up to the year 2000 ?

ETON

8. In Formula One motor racing, what does the D stand for in the abbreviation DRS?

DRAG (Drag Reduction System)

9th December–The Questions

 

 

Specialist Questions

Set by

THE BATE TAVERNERS

Rounds are:

Arts and Entertainment

Geography

History

Science

Sport

Villains & Scoundrels

Months

The 1950’s “A Vintage Decade”

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

TV FICTIONAL ADDRESSES

1. Who lived at 203 Whitehaven Mansions in London?

- Hercule Poirot

1. What was the name of the fictional resort in which Maplin's holiday camp was situated in Hi-De-Hi?

- Crimpton on Sea

1. Which American TV show is set in Wisteria Lane in the city of Fairview?

- Desperate Housewives

1. What super hero lives at 29 Acacia Road?

- Bananaman

1. Who leaves his house at 52 Festive Road and visits a fancy-dress costume shop?

- Mr Benn

1. In which fictitious village is Heartbeat set?

- Aidensfield

1. Which sitcom character lived at 27 Sodbury Terrace?

- Frank Spencer

1. In the TV soap what is located at No. 46 Albert Square?

- Queen Victoria pub

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Whose 'postal address' was 10 Acre Field, Scatterbrook Farm?

- Worzel Gummidge

S2. Which TV family lived at 518 Crestview Drive Beverley Hills?

- Clampetts (accept Beverley Hillbillies)

GEOGRAPHY

TOURIST TRAPS

In this round you will be given the name of a tourist destination. All you have to do is give the location as indicated in the question.

Q1. The Commandery – City?

A. Worcester

Q2. Arundel Castle - County?

A. West Sussex

Q3. Sutton Hoo - County?

A. Suffolk

Q4. The Round Table of King Arthur - City?

A. Winchester

Q5. The Assembly Rooms (owned by the National Trust) - City?

A. Bath

Q6. Whipsnade Zoo - County?

A. Bedfordshire

Q7. The Eden Project - County?

A. Cornwall

Q8. The Royal Pavilion - Town?

A. Brighton

Supplementaries

SQ1. Avebury Stone Circle - County?

A. Wiltshire

SQ2. The Tate Northern - City?

A. Liverpool

WOMEN IN HISTORY

Q1. Which of the Mitford sisters was married to Oswald Moseley and was said to have known both Hitler and Churchill equally well?

A. Diana

Q2. Helen Duncan was arrested in 1944 by two Naval Officers in Portsmouth, because she appeared to be giving away naval secrets, but, what was the main charge against her?

A. Witchcraft – she was the last person to be charged under to Witchcraft Act of 1735.

Q3. Where was the English heroine Florence Nightingale born?

A. Florence in Italy

Q4. Who was the mother of Elizabeth I?

A. Anne Boleyn

Q5. Born in 1519, which Italian noblewoman became queen of France and mother of three sons who became kings of France?

A. Catherine de’ Medici

Q6. Born in Domrémy, who arrived at Chateau Chinon in 1429 to tell the court, “I am sent here by God, the King of Heaven”?

A. Joan of Arc

Q7. Who was the husband of firstly Anne Hyde and secondly Mary of Modena?

A. King James II

Q8. Which Scottish Saint and queen of Malcolm III was the mother of Edgar King of Scotland, Alexander I of Scotland, David I of Scotland and, amongst other children, Matilda queen of Henry I of England?

A. Saint Margaret of Scotland

Supplementaries

SQ1. How was Emma Hart more commonly known?

A. Lady Hamilton – Admiral Nelson’s floozy.

SQ2. In recent history, what is Philippa Langley’s claim to fame?

A. She was the main protagonist in the search for Richard III’s remains.

SCIENCE

Q1. How is the drug acetylsalicylic acid better known?

A. Aspirin

Q2. In microbiology what might be described as a long polymer made from repeating units called nucleotides in the form of a double helix?

A. DNA (or Deoxyribonucleic acid)

Q3. What is studied by a fromologist?

A. Cheese (fromology is also the collecting of cheese labels)

Q4. In which part of the body is the Pineal gland?

A. Brain

Q5. What is the more common name for the tree Buxus sempervirens?

A. The common or European Box

Q6. What is the common name for the Araucana Araucana tree?

A. Monkey Puzzle

Q7. Who was the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound in controlled level flight?

A. Charles (Chuck) Yeager

Q8. What is the name for the diamond shaped frame on the roof of some electric trains used to pick up electricity from overhead cables?

A. Pantograph

Supplementaries

SQ1. What is the main ingredient of Baking Powder?

A. Sodium Bicarbonate (Bi-Carbonate of Soda)

SQ2. What is the main chemical ingredient of Malt Vinegar?

A. Ascetic Acid

Sport

All the answers in this round are Sports People who appear to have “2 forenames”, eg Current Manager of Hull City would be Steve Bruce”. Forename and Surname required.

Q1. Football: Goalkeeper who holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets (173).

A1. David James

Q2. Athletics: Winner of 9 Gold and 1 Silver Olympic medals between 1984 and 1996.

A2. Carl Lewis

Q3. Rugby Union: Welsh fly half in the 1971 Grand Slam winning team

A3. Barry John

Q4. Cricket: South African fast bowler nicknamed “White Lightning”.

A4. Allan Donald

Q5. Boxing: World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949.

A5. Joe Louis

Q6. Darts: PDC World Champion in 2011 and 2012.

A6. Adrian Lewis

Q7. Horse Racing: Champion Trainer 10 times between 1976 and 1993

A7. (Sir) Henry Cecil

Q8. Golf: European captain at the infamous “Battle of Brookline” Ryder Cup

A8. Mark James (1999)

Supplementaries

S1. Tennis: Winner of 8 Grand Slam singles titles between 1933 and 1936

S1. Fred Perry

S2. Motor Racing: Formula 1 World Champion 1969, 1971 and 1973

S2. Jackie Stewart

Villains & Scoundrels

1. Ernest Saunders was involved in the fraudulent manipulation of the share price of which drinks company?

- Guinness

2. What treasure did Colonel Thomas Blood try to steal in 17^th Century?

- Crown Jewels

3. Who did Roderick Maclean attempt to kill at Windsor railway station in March 1882?

- Queen Victoria (afterwards she said it was "worth being shot at—to see how much one is loved".)

4. Which country did Pol Pot terrorise?

- Cambodia

5. Who in the ‘70s was accused of stealing a fur coat and passport from Miss World?

- George Best

6. German Armin Meiwes was sentenced to 8½ years in 2003 for what crime?

- Manslaughter (however he had eaten most of his voluntary victim)

7. Which artist did Henry VIII consider a villain for his flattering painting of Anne of Cleves?

- Hans Holbein

8. Which Arsenal boss got the boot after a ‘bung’?

- George Graham

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Which child murderer had her portrait painted in children’s handprints?

- Myra Hindley

S2. Who was allegedly poisoned by Agrippina in Rome, 54AD?

- Emperor Claudius

Months

All the questions and/or answers in this round are related to months of the year. Each month may occur on more than one occasion.

Q1. Which female singer released the Christmas single “December will be magic again” in 1980?

A1. Kate Bush

Q2. Which famous poem opens with the words “April is the cruellest month”?

A2. The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot

Q3. Which 1989 film is based on the autobiography of Vietnam war veteran Ron Kovic?

A3. Born on the Fourth of July

Q4. Which terrorist group was responsible for the murder of Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics?

A4. Black September Organisation

Q5. In which country did the February Revolution take place during the first part of the 20^th Century?

A5. Russia, 1917 (The October Revolution also took place in Russia later in the same year)

Q6. What is the first name of the American actress (surname Jones) who plays Betty Draper in the series Mad Men?

A6. January

Q7. The European Cockchafer beetle is also known by which other name?

A7. May Bug

Q8. June Carter was the wife of which iconic country singer?

A8. Johnny Cash

S1. “March of the Toreadors” is in Act 2 of which Opera?

S1. Carmen by Bizet

S2. Which band’s second album is entitled “October”?

S2. U2

The 1950’s “A Vintage Decade”

In this round all the questions are connected with the 50’s.

Q1. In the 1950’s, which was the highest building in the world?

A. The Empire State Building

Q2. In May 1953 which Bolton born centre-forward was voted footballer of the year and rated no. 1 in England?

A. Nat Lofthouse

Q3. In 1955 who made history with the first officially recognised 147 break in Snooker?

A. Joe Davis

Q4. In 1955 who had his first Grand Prix win driving a Mercedes?

A. Stirling Moss

Q5. Which boxer held the World Heavyweight Champion title from Sept 1952 to April 1956 and went untied and undefeated throughout his career?

A. Rocky Marciano

Q6. Which Pudsey born batsman was captain of England between 1952 and 1955 frequently opened the batting?

A. Len Hutton

Q7 Who was the British flat racing Champion Jockey 26 times, but only won the Derby for the first and only time in 1953?

A. (Sir) Gordon Richards

Q8 By 1955, which emerging singer was variously billed as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat", and "The Memphis Flash"

A. Elvis Presley

Supplementaries

SQ1. What name was given to the 1953 Cup Final when Blackpool beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3?

A. The Matthews Final

SQ2. What first beeped its way around the Earth until burning out in January 1958?

A. Sputnik 1

 

General Knowledge Questions

Set by the lamb Shanks

1 If you are sitting on a bidet (pronounced Bee-Day) what are you likely to be washing?

(Your bottom or genitals - accept any slang term)

2 Timbuktu is in which African nation?

(Mali)

3 How thick is a brick? – i.e. what is the width of a standard house brick, ignoring mortar joints?

(102.5 mm or 4 inches. Accept any metric dimension between 95 and 110mm. A standard brick is 215mm long, 102.5mm wide and 65 or 73mm high)

4 What international retailer was founded by Ingvar Kamprad at his birthplace of Elmtaryd, the family farm near the village of Agunnaryd, in 1943?

(IKEA)

5 PDF files are an open standard for electronic document exchange. What does the letter P stand for?

(Portable as in Portable Document Format)

6 Which football club were champions of the old first division in the 1936-1937 season, but were relegated to the second division in the following season?

(Manchester City Football Club)

7 What was found under the site of the Star Lane Stand in 1995 that prevented Macclesfield Town Football Club being promoted to the Football League when they won the Conference in the 1995-1996 season?

(An underground watercourse – accept bad, poor or flooded ground, stream or river etc.- The foundations of the stand had to be changed and the delay this caused meant the stand was not completed by the necessary deadline to allow promotion to take place.)

8 There is one British road sign that is octagonal in shape. What word is on this road sign?

(STOP)

9 How many monsters chase you round the maze in the classic Pac-Man arcade game?

(4)

10 Why is the element gold represented in the periodic table by the letters “Au” (upper case A, lower case u)?

(Au is an abbreviated version of “Aurum”, the latin name for gold)

11 What is the common name for the metal which used to be known as Quicksilver?

(Mercury)

12 Antony Colin Bruce Chapman was the founder of which sports and racing car company?

(Lotus)

13 On the 27th June 1882 Didsbury resident Daniel Adamson was elected chairman of the provisional committee for which canal?

(The Manchester Ship Canal)

14 The Thirlmere Aqueduct supplies water to which British city?

(Manchester - accept Salford also)

15 On the 20^th November 2000, Judith Keppel (great granddaughter of one of Edward VIIths mistresses) was the first person seen to do what in Britain?

(Win a million pounds on “Who wants to be a millionaire”)

16 In the Campari TV advertisement which actress replied "Nah, Luton Airport!" in a cockney accent when asked "Were you truly wafted here from paradise?"

(Lorraine Chase)

17 What is the current name of the capital city formerly known as Batavia?

(Jakarta)

18 In the EU, what happens at 1:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on the last Sunday in March?

(Clocks go forward one hour and Daylight Saving Time/British Summer Time begins)

19 What futuristic sports car was manufactured in a factory at Dunmurry on the outskirts of Belfast between January 1981 and December 1982?

(De Lorean)

20 In what building did former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher die?

(The Ritz Hotel in London)

21 Lutetium is a rare earth element, Atomic Number 71. How many protons are there in the nucleus of a lutetium atom?

(71 – the element was named after Lutetia, the roman name for Paris)

22 Which is the only motorway (i.e. a road numbered M something) in England that does not have a junction with another motorway?

(M2)

23 What character danced whilst Annette Mills played the piano on BBC TV’s children programmes between 1945 and 1955?

(Muffin the Mule)

24 What has a woman described by the medical term ‘Nulliparous’ not done?

(Given birth to a child)

25 Which Russian dissident won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975?

(Dr. Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov)

26 Which American film star played Frenchman Paul Labiche in the 1964 film “The Train”

(Burt Lancaster)

27 What was Mother Theresa of Calcutta’s ethnic origin?

(Albanian – she was a national of the Ottoman Empire when she was born and took Indian citizenship later in life)

28 Who became “Chief of the French State” on the 11^th July 1940

(Marshal Petain)

29 Apple pips contain what poisonous substance (in small quantities)

(Cyanide)

30 What does a durometer measure?

(The hardness of a material – usually rubber or plastic)

31 How many of America’s Great Lakes does the US state of Michigan have a coastline on?

(4 – Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior)

32 Which river flows through Buxton?

(River Wye)

33 What was the name of the first nuclear powered merchant (cargo) ship?

(NS Savannah – the earlier Russian icebreaker Lenin did not carry cargo)

34 What type of bridge (i.e. in structural form) is the Forth Rail Bridge?

(Cantilever)

35 What is the longest river wholly within Italy?

(River Po)

36 What river does the Ukrainian city of Kiev stand on?

(River Dnieper)

37 Who famously said first “Publish and be Damned”?

(Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington)

38 Which country did the Soviet Union invaded in1956?

(Hungary)

39 Who is holding a trumpet on the Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover?

(Ringo Starr)

40 Which ‘rock’ band released the album Little Deuce Coupe in October 1963?

(The Beach Boys)

41 How many test centuries did Sachin Tendulkar score?

(51)

42 Name either of the two countries that took part in the 2014 Davis cup final?

(France or Switzerland)

43 The standard rate of VAT in the United Kingdom is 20%. What is the reduced rate applicable to, for example, fuel used for domestic and residential use, smoking cessation products and sanitary protection products?

(5%)

44 Which tax was introduced in the reign of King William III in 1696?

(Window Tax – it was repealed in 1851)

45 What is the collective noun for a group of bears?

(Sloth or Sleuth)

46 What is the collective noun for a group of beavers?

(Colony or Family, but accept also Lodge which is given in some reference sources)

47 What longitudinal road marking means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it (unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road)?

(Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph or less)

48 The Macclesfield Canal has two sections – one at just over 500 feet and the other at 400 feet above sea level. The change in levels takes place at Bosley – how many locks are there in the Bosley flight?

(12)

49 What sort of maintenance did Robert M Pirsig associate with Zen?

(The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – accept motorcycle. His best selling philosophical book was called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)

50 What has happened at Worthy Farm, Pilton, almost every summer since 1970?

(The Glastonbury Festival)

51 When steel is galvanized it is dipped in a bath of molten what?

(Zinc)

52 Which serial killer lived at 23 Cranley Gardens, Muswell Hill when he was arrested?

(Dennis Nilsen)

53 What does panamax mean to a merchant seaman?

(Panamax identifies the maximum size of ocean going ship that can use the Panama Canal - i.e can fit in the locks and under the bridges as at 2014. The canal is currently being enlarged to take larger ‘post Panamax’ ships)

54 What was taking place when Driver Jack Mills was hit over the head on the 8 August 1963 at Sears Crossing, Ledburn near Leighton Buzzard in Buckinghamshire?

(The Great Train Robbery)

55 What are Pins, Firkins, Hogsheads, and Tuns?

(Barrels – they are the names for different sizes of barrels – a true ‘barrel’ contains 36 gallons.)

56 ‘Ich Dien’ is the traditional motto of which titled person?

(The Prince of Wales)

57 Name any one of the ‘injurious weed’ classified under the Weeds Act 1959

(Accept Ragwort, Thistle or Dock - the five injurious weeds are common ragwort - senecio jacobaea, spear thistle - cirsium vulgare, creeping or field thistle - cirsium arvense, broad-leaved dock - rumex obtusifolius and curled dock -rumex crispus).

58 Who was the second man in space?

(American astronaut Alan Shepherd)

59 The ‘Great Gathering’ in York of 3rd July to 17th July 2013 assembled Sir Nigel Gresley, Dwight D Eisenhower, Dominion of Canada, Union of South Africa, Bittern and what?

(Mallard – the six surviving A4 class steam locomotives were on display at the York railway museum)

60 ‘Triturus cristatus’ is the scientific name for what protected species of amphibian?

(Great Crested Newt)

61 What took place at Max Yasgur’s farm between 15th to 18th August 1969?

(Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, informally, Woodstock or the Woodstock Festival - accept any answer with the word Woodstock)

62 Who (in the words of his song) claimed “I could be the ticket man at Fulham Broadway Station?

(Ian Dury – accept Blockheads also)

63 Clough Williams-Ellis was the Architect behind which Welsh tourist attraction?

(Portmeirion)

64 Who shot Reeva Steenkamp on the 14th February 2013?

(Oscar Pistorius)

65 What is the common name (referencing its colour) for heavy fuel oil sold with rebated fuel duty?

(Red Diesel)

66 What is the name of the Restaurant at the End of the Universe in the Douglas Adams book of that name?

(Milliways)

67 Who lived at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester until their arrest and conviction?

(Fred and Rose West –accept either one, or both)

68 The former American light cruiser USS Phoenix has the dubious honour of being the only warship to be sunk by a nuclear submarine. What was she called when she was sunk?

(The General Belgrano)

69 Who, in the words of his song, claimed “Life's been good to me so far”?

(Joe Walsh)

70 What sauce, formerly made in a factory at Aston in Birmingham, is now made in Holland, but still shows a British landmark on the label?

(HP Sauce)

71 Who was assassinated by a Serbian called Gavrilo Princip?

(Archduke Franz Ferdinand, accept also his wife Sophie)

72 Who was the sixth man found guilty in the same trial as Greg Miskiw, Neville Thirlbeck, James Weatherup, Glen Mulcaire and Dan Evans?

(Andy Coulson)

73 Who played the title role in the 1961 film ‘El Cid’?

(Charlton Heston)

74 Her real name was Frances Gumm, but by what name did she rise to stardom?

(Judy Garland)

75 Who was the first person to resign his Peerage?

(Sir Anthony Wedgewood Benn, formerly 2^nd Viscount Stansgate, on the 1^st August 1963)

76 What is the name of the Isle of Man Parliament?

(The Tynwald)

77 What was (is) the main export of the Scottish island of Ailsa Craig?

(Granite – to make curling stones)

78 Which river joins Lake Huron to Lake Erie?

(St Clair River or Detroit River – accept either)

79 In what family of flowers are the Goldilocks?

(Buttercups)

80 The slow worm is what sort of reptile?

(A legless lizard – lizard is acceptable)

81 What is Japanese food dipped in batter and deep fried called?

(Tempura)

82 What type of fruit is a bullace?

A variety of plum

83 What is the name of the ‘final’ Hobbit film, to be released in the UK on the 12^th December?

(The Battle of the Five Armies)

84 Which Oscar winning actor provided the narration for the film ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas?’

(Anthony Hopkins)

85 Which international airline went bust in 1991?

(Pan Am)

86 What does the I in ZIP (as in zip code) stand for?

(Improvement – ZIP is Zone Improvement Plan)

87 What was the last of the mainline railway stations to be built in London?

(Marylebone – in 1899)

88 Which is the oldest of the current railway termini in London?

(London Bridge – opened in December 1836)

89 What National Trust property at Rothbury in Northumberland was built for, and owned by Sir William Armstrong, later 1st Lord Armstrong.?

(Cragside)

90 Who was the architect of St Alban’s church on Chester Road in Macclesfield?

(Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin)

91 Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium and Earl of Silverbridge is a fictional character created by which Victorian novelist?

(Anthony Trollope)

92 Which banking family owned Waddesdon Manor, the French Renaissance-style chateau built in the 1870s and bequeathed to the National Trust in 1957?

(Rothschild)

93 Who designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall?

(Edwin Lutyens)

94 In the eponymous Alexandre Dumas novel, who does Edmond Dantes, first mate of the cargo ship the Pharaon, become after he meets Abbe Faria in prison?

(The Count of Monte Cristo)

95 Whose supporters dug up the cricket pitch at Headingley during the third test between England and Australia in August 1975?

(George Davis’s – it was accompanied by the graffiti George Davis is Innocent in support of the campaign to free him after his wrongful conviction)

96 What does the letter J in RSJ mean when used by a steel stockholder, architect, engineer or builder?

(Joist as in Rolled Steel Joist)

Supplementaries

S1 Guadaloupe, Guyane, Martinique and Reunion are overseas departments of which European country?

(France)

S2 Who penned a poem that starts ‘I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree’?

(William Butler Yeats)

S3 What is the topping on a traditional Manchester Tart?

(desiccated coconut – note that Wikipedia, erroneously in my view, allows a maraschino cherry to be used as well)

S4 Where can Red Willow Brewery’s Tilting Ale be bought?

(On Virgin Trains Pendolino services)

S5 What is the highest point on the Isle of Man?

(Snaefell – at 620 metres)

S6 Kwame Nkrumah became the first prime minister of which former part of the British Empire on 6th March 1957?

(Gold Coast – accept also Ghana, which is how it is now known)

December 2nd–The Questions

 

 

All questions set by The Harrington Academicals

Vetted by Waters Green Phoenix and The Brewers

Specialist Questions

1 A Splash of Colour

2. Arts and Entertainment

3 Famous Belgians

4 Food and Drink

5. Geography

6 History

7Science

8 Sport

A Splash of Colour - all answers contain a colour

1 Defoliant used in Vietnam war

Agent Orange

2 Baseball team based in Boston

Boston Red Sox

3 fictional army of fierce, if buffoonish, music-hating creatures

Blue Meanies -from the Beatles Yellow Submarine

4 A type of LSD which reputedly gave the title to a Jimi Hendrix hit single

Purple Haze

5 The highest point in Cornwall

Brown Willy

6 The famous diamond in a Peter Sellars film

Pink Panther

7 British medium-range ballistic missile. The project was cancelled because it was too expensive

Blue Streak

8 Lead guitarist with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac who became a recluse after drug and mental health problems

Peter Green

S1

Dye synthesised by German chemist Adolf von Baeyer and is widely used in manufacturing denim jeans

Indigo

S2

6^th longest river in the world and title of a hit single

Yellow River

 

Arts and Entertainment - All the answers contain the word Night

1    The world's longest-running orchestral live music programme on radio, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra. Started in 1952 and still running(if that is quite the right word)

Friday night is music night

2 Van Gogh painting in the New York Museum of Modern Art, subject of a hit single

Starry Night

3 1934 film, directed by Frank Capra, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert that won all 5 major Oscars

It happened one night

4 Comedy band doing pop song parodies from early 60’s to late 90’s and probably beyond the grave

Barron Knights

5 Track from Moody Blues concept album, “Days of Future Passed”, released as a single several times

Nights in white satin

6 Criminal ex husband of Barbara Windsor

Ronnie Knight

7 Popular name for the Rembrandt painting “The Company of captain Frans Banning Cocq and lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch preparing to march out”

The Nightwatch

8 American TV series starring David Hasselhof which ran from 82 to 86 and which was revived in 2008

Knight Rider

S1 Bruce Springsteen song recorded by Patti Smith on the album Easter

Because the night

S2 song written by Tony Joe White in 1962 and popularized by R&B vocalist Brook Benton in 1970. Covered many times and ranked #498 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

Rainy night in Georgia

 

Famous Belgians

Identify the famous Belgians from the description

1 The surrealist artist, whose pictures include “The Son of Man”, which depicts a man in a bowler hat with an apple in front of his face

Rene Magritte

2 Possibly the greatest cyclist who ever lived – he won the Tour de France 5 times

Eddie Merckx

3 Tennis player who won 41 WTA singles titles, including Wimbledon in 2003

Kim Clijsters

4 Olympic Yachtsman who served as president of the IOC from 2001 to 2013, replacing the notoriously corrupt Juan Antonio Samaranch

Jacques Rogge

5 Author who claimed to have had sex with 10,000 women and still had time to write the Maigret novels

Georges Simenon

6 Baroque painter, born 1577 noted for his portrayal of well nourished ladies wearing not many clothes

Peter Paul Reubens

7 The actress who was born in Brussels in 1931, but spent much of her childhood in England and starred in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Audrey Hepburn

8 The fictional character who dies in “The Final Curtain”

Hercule Poirot

S1 Creator of Tintin

Herge (George Remi)

S2 The king who turned his "Congo Free State" into a massive labour camp, made a fortune for himself from the harvest of its wild rubber, and contributed in a large way to the death of perhaps 10 million innocent people

Leopold II

 

Food and Drink

1 How does the Norwegian Lobster, Nephrops Norvegicus usually appear on a British menu

Scampi

2 Which English cheese is the inventor’s name spelled backwards

Yarg

3 What is the primary use of a Spurtle

Stirring porridge

4 The mnemonic “Michael Jackson really makes small boys nervous.” Refers to what?

Names of Champagne bottles: Magnum, Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Methuselah, Salamanazar, Balthazar, Nebuchadnezzar.”

5 Which major brewery is located in Southwold

Adnams

6 What is a scotch Bonnet

A very hot chilli

Accept chilli

7 On an Indian menu, what is a Dhosa

A pancake (made with ground fermented lentils)

8 Name either of the restaurants or the chefs aiming for a Michelin star in the tv programme “Restaurant Wars”

Midland French – Simon Rogan or Manchester House – Aiden Byrne

S1 Picasso, Dali Warhol and Cocteau have provided the artwork for which product

Chateau Mouton Rothschild

S2 What is a carpet bag steak stuffed with

Oysters

S3 What meat is used to make the Italian antipasti Bresaola

Beef

 

Geography

1 Which European capital is named after the two towns on either side of its main river?

Budapest

2 What is the name of the dam on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border?

Kariba

3 What is the proper name for the Southern Lights?

Aurora Australis

4 In Geology, what is a drumlin?

A small hill (caused by glaciation)

5  What is the only mobile National Monument in the USA?

San Francisco Trams

6 In which US state is Fort Knox?

Kentucky

7 Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola are part of which island group?

Greater Antilles

Accept Antilles

8 In which country would you find the ancient settlement of Machu Pichu?

Peru

S1 In which county is Glastonbury?

Somerset

S2 Ulan Bator is the capital of which country?

Mongolia

History

Identify the following military leaders from their nicknames

1 Stonewall, American Civil War Confederate general,

Thomas Jackson

Accept Jackson

2 Hammer of the Scots, English King

Edward I

3 Old Blood and Guts, American 2nd World War General

George S Patton

4 Stormin Norman, US Gulf War General

Norman Schwarzkopf

5 Old Hickory, U.S. general and President

Andrew Jackson

6 Bomber, British WW2 Air Chief Marshall

Arthur Harris

7 Tin Legs, WWII RAF Ace

Sir Douglas Bader

8 The little corporal, 19th century French Field Marshall

Napoleon Bonaparte

S1 The Red Baron, 1st World War German fighter ace

Manfred von Richtofen

S2 The Desert Fox, German 2nd World War General

Irwin Rommel – in case anyone forgot from last week

S3 Shagger, the highest scoring Western Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe

Johnny Johnstone

 

Science

1 What are the molecules called which catalyse biochemical reactions?

Enzymes

2 Where in the body would you find an astrocyte?

The Brain

3 Name of layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth's surface

Troposphere

4 Who is known as the father of geometry?

Euclid

5 What kind of an animal is a taipan?

Snake

6 What does the S stand for in an SD card

Secure (digital)

7 Which chemical element is named after the moon?

Selenium

8 A floating body displaces its own weight of liquid. Whose principle is this?

Archimedes

S1 What is the sum of the internal angles of a hexagon?

720

S2 Four chemical elements are named after a Swedish village. What is its name?

Ytterby (they are, Ytterbium, Terbium, Yttrium and Erbium

 

Sport

1 Who qualified for the London ATP Tour Finals by winning the US Open

Marin Cilic

2 In what sport is Payton Manning an all time record holder

American football – record touchdown throws

3 Laura Massaro, who went to school in the north west is world champion in which sport

Squash

4 The Coronation cup is run at which horse racing track

Epsom

5 Which city will host the start of the 2015 Tour de France

Utrecht

6 The Monza racetrack is outside which city

Milan

7 The honours board at the Oval lists all batsmen who have made test centuries there. Name either the first or the last on the list

W G Grace or Joe Root

8 Dennis Kimetto recently broke which athletics world record

the men's marathon record with 2.02:57 in Berlin in September

S1 A Rabona by Eric Lamela has been viewed over 2.3 million times on youtube. What is a Rabona

a method of kicking the football whereby the kicking leg is wrapped around the back of the standing leg – no points for an amusing demonstration

S2 Which famous Belgian was regarded as the worst signing of David Moyes reign at Old Trafford – until he signed Mata

Marouane Fellaini

S3 The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players. In which sport was it initially used

Chess – now used in footballers, baseball, American football etc

 

General Knowledge

1

The 2012 documentary “Crossfire Hurricane is about which band

Rolling Stones

2

Who rode the horse Shadowfax

Gandalf

3

How many bones are there in the little toe

3

4

Which war is the background for the film “Jarhead”

Gulf war

5

In which island group is Richard Branson’s holiday retreat, Necker Island

British Virgin Islands

6

Which poet died fighting in the Greek war of independence

Lord Byron

7

At the time he was awarded his wings in 1943, which future US president was the youngest naval aviator

George Bush Senior

8

Charles Darwin noticed that each Galapagos island had a different sub species of which reptile

Giant tortoise

Accept tortoise

9

“I need art like I need God” was the title of an exhibition by which artist

Tracy Emin

10

The Oscar winning director James Cameron was married to an Oscar winning director. Who was she?

Kathryn Bigelow

11

In which country is the easternmost point of the Horn of Africa

Somalia

12

Which railway station has a plaque commemorating the writing of the Simon and Garfunkel song, “Homeward Bound”

Widnes

13

The title character of which novel was a foundling, taken in by Squire Allworthy

Tom Jones

14

In the Monty Python dead parrot sketch, what was the Norwegian Blue pining for

The fjords

15

Which country is bordered to the south by Italy and Slovenia

Austria

16

During which monarch’s reign was the first act of supremacy passed

Henry VIII

17

During which war was the term “Thin red line” reputedly coined

Crimean war

(Battle of Balaclava)

18

The figure in a toby jug traditionally holds a pot of beer in one hand, and what in the other

A pipe

19

Which monarch ordered the construction of Westminster Abbey

Henry III

20

Which country originated Manga comics

Japan

21

What is the largest native British butterfly

Swallowtail

22

The Lizzie Bennett Diaries are a sequel to which novel

Pride and Prejudice

23

What spice is represented on the flag of Grenada

Nutmeg

24

Who circumnavigated the world in Gypsy Moth IV

Francis Chichester

25

The Jam maker, Wilkin and sons are based in which Essex town

Tiptree

26

What do the French call the English Channel

La Manche

27

Who was the author of the Pallister novels, who is also credited with the introduction of the pillar box.

Anthony Trollope

28

Flora and Miles are children in which Henry James ghost story

The Turn of the Screw

29

Malorie Blackman succeeded Julia Donaldson in which role

Children’s Laureate

30

Who completed the first triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus

Julius Caesar

31

The most famous work by Thomas Malory concerns which king

Arthur

(le mort d’Arthur)

32

What word completes the phrase used by Private Eye to suggest drunkenness: Tired and..

Emotional

Originally referred to George Brown allegedly

33

Which country has the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy

Japan

34

What type of scissors make a zig zag cut

Pinking Shears

35

Who dies at the end of Moby Dick

Captain Ahab

36

Who wrote “The Hunt for Red October”

Tom Clancy

37

What type of seaweed did Richard Burton describe as Welshman’s caviar

Laverbread

38

What was the title of the open letter to the president by Emile Zola about the Dreyfus affair, printed on the first page of a Paris daily newspaper

J’Accuse

39

Near which city is the Schoenbrunn Palace

Vienna

40

Hamburg is on which river

Elbe

41

Madonna was directed by her then husband in “Swept Away”. Who was he

Guy Ritchie

42

Pupillage is the final stage of qualification for which specific profession

Bar (ie to become a Barrister)

43

Why has Paul Cummins been in the news recently

He is the artist responsible for the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London

44

Who is the subject of the 2014 film, “The Imitation Game”

Alan Turing

45

Which musician wrote the book “In his own Write”?

John Lennon

46

Powell and Pressburger were a renowned partnership in which industry

Film

47

How many opera did Beethoven and Brahms have published in total

1 – Fidelio by Beethoven

48

Billy Connelly defined an intellectual as someone who could listen to which piece of music without thinking of the Lone Ranger

William Tell Overture

49

The Lombard League was a 12^th century alliance to oppose what?

The Holy Roman Empire

50

What was the profession of Václav Havel before he became prime minister of Czechoslovakia

Playwright

51

What colour cape does Robin wear in the Batman cartoons and films

Yellow

52

A cellist with the Scottish Youth Orchestra later played bass on Pretty Flamingo with Manfred Mann. He was better known for playing with with Cream. Who was he

Jack Bruce

53

In which city did a Picasso museum reopen this year amid controversy over the €52m (£42.7m). cost and 3 year delay to the project

Paris

54

The Murder of Gonzago is a play within which Shakespreare play

Hamlet

55

The title character of which novel was murdered by Maxim de Winter

Rebecca

56

In the decoration KCMG, what does the G stand for

George – Knight Commander of the order of St Michael and St George

(Not Kindly call me God)

57

Formerly a holiday home of the Queen Mother, what is the most northerly castle on the British mainland

Castle of Mey

58

Which European capital city is situated on the Meseta Central plateau

Madrid

59

Michael Palin, David Bowie and Telly Savalas have all played which Biblical character

Pontius Pilate

60

Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, Cesar Romero have all played which villain

The Joker

61

For what crime was Silvio Berlusconi sentenced to prison in 2013

Tax fraud

62

At 1834 feet, which hill is the highest point in Cheshire?

Shining Tor

63

Who is the Culture Secretary, who recently fell out with his predecessor, Maria Miller

Sajid Javid

64

What was the name of the childhood home of James Bond

Skyfall

65

What is the more common name for calcium sulphate hemihydrate

Plaster of Paris

66

In 1802 William Wordsworth wrote “Earth has

not anything to show more fair” - more fair than

what?

The view (of London) from

Westminster Bridge

67

In which 2013 Academy award winning film does Anna make an epic journey in search of her estranged sister Elsa?

Frozen

68

Which parliamentary constituency is Boris

Johnson hoping to represent after the 2015

general election?

Uxbridge & South Ruislip

Accept Uxbridge

69

Which Australian state capital lies on the Swan

River?

Perth

70

Who plays House in the American hospital series of that name?

Hugh Laurie

71

Which politician was the recipient of the

contents of a bucket of water from a member of

pop band Chumbawamba at the 1998 Brit Awards?

John Prescott

72

When Grayson Perry wears a dress what is the name of his alter ego

Claire (Perry)

73

The opera Orpheus & Eurydice was produced at this year’s Buxton Festival. Who was the

composer?

Christoph Willibald Gluck

74

Harry Wheatcroft was a renowned breeder of

what?

Roses

75

The Panmunjom talks ended which war?

Korean

76

Who wrote “Short Ride in a Fast Machine”,

famously pulled from the Last Night of the Proms twice, after Diana's death and 9/11?

John Adams

77

Where are James the 'Old Pretender' and his

son 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' buried?

St Peter's,Rome

78

Who will Great Britain play in the first round of the Davis Cup in 2015

USA

79

Which piece of classical music is dedicated to “My friends pictured within”?

Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations

80

What is the name of Long John Silver’s parrot?

Captain Flint

81

What rank in the British Army is signified by a single crown?

Major

82

What is manufactured by the Haber process?

Ammonia

83

Which 1971 Stanley Kubrick film was based on a novel by Anthony Burgess?

A Clockwork Orange

84

In Arthurian legend the vacant seat at the Round Table, reserved by Merlin for the finder of the Holy Grail, is known by what name?

Siege Perilous or The Perilous Seat

85

In his long career John Wayne won only one Oscar. For which film?

Best actor in True Grit

86

Which philosopher considered the natural state of mankind to be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,

and short?”

Thomas Hobbes

87

What is the name of Kate Bush’s son who appeared on stage with her and has a song named for

him on her 2005 album Aerial?

Bertie Mackintosh Bush

Accept Bertie

88

Which Wagner opera features a Cornish knight and an Irish princess

Tristan und Isolde

89

What is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago?

Port of Spain

89

Name the group who topped the charts in 1996 with the singles "Breathe" and "Firestarter"?

The Prodigy

90

Who wrote "The Dance of the Knights" for a ballet that premiered in 1938, and which now provides the introduction to the BBC's The Apprentice?

Sergei Prokofiev.

91

On what island is the Malaysian capital, Jakarta sited

Java

92

What river flows from the sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea

Jordan

93

How many players are there in an ice hockey team

6

94

In the Shakespeare play, who was the husband of Desdemona

Othello

95

East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet is the first line of a poem by whom

Rudyard Kipling

96

The Plymouth Rock is a breed of what animal?

Chicken

S1

Crisis committees for the UK Government are often referred to by the acronym "Cobra". What does the B stand for?

Briefing - Cabinet Office Briefing Room A

S2

What name is given to the wealthier half of the South Korean capital Seoul, lying south of the River Han?

Gangnam

S3

The Catholic office known officially as the Promoter of the Faith was established in 1587 and abolished by Pope John Paul II in 1983. The holder's role was to argue against the canonization of new Catholic saints. What was the more common name of the post?

Devil's Advocate