27th January–The Questions

 

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS SET BY THE WHARF

HISTORY

CHILD’S PLAY

GEOGRAPHY

SPORT

FROM THE COMICS

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

LEADING LADIES

SCIENCE

1. What quality can be measured in phons and sones?

A: LOUDNESS

2. With which part of the body is phrenology primarily concerned?

A: The SKULL

3. To what type of creature does vermicular refer?

A: WORMS

4. What is the name of the only crustaceans adapted to living on land as opposed to water?

A: WOODLICE

5. What is the name of the Main arteries taking blood to the brain?

A: The CAROTID ARTERIES

6. Which metallic element is represented by the symbol Sb

A: ANTIMONY

7. What is the name of NASA’s most famous space telescope?

A: The HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

8. Which is the softest allotrope of Carbon?

A: GRAPHITE

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Olympus Mons is a large volcanic mountain on which planet?

A: MARS

S2. The Greek word omphalos denotes which part of the body?

A: The NAVEL

LEADING LADIES

All the answers are females.

1. What is the first name of Dr Zhivago’s great love in Boris Pasternak’s novel of 1957?

A: LARA

2. Which singer’s fourth album is called ‘RED’?

A: TAYLOR SWIFT

3. In Daphne Du Mauriere’s novel who was Rebecca’s housekeeper?

A: MRS DANVERS

4. Which New Zealand born singer released albums called ‘Pure‘, ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Treasure’?

A: HAYLEY WESTERNRA

5. Who was married to actor Sean Pen from 1985 until 1989?

A: MADONNA

6. Which female M.P. took part in the T.V. programme ‘Splash’?

A: PENNY MORDANT

7. Which of the Mitford sisters has the middle name Valkyrie?

A: UNITY

8. Who was the first female trainer of a Grand National winner?

A: JENNY PITMAN

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Which M.P. and ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me out of Here’ contestant described David Cameron and George Osborne as two arrogant posh boys who don’t know the price of milk

A; NADINE DORRIES

S2. Name the partner of French President Francois Hollande who supplanted his previous partner Segolene Royal.

A: VALERIE TRIERWEILER

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

1. The actor Vic Morrow died in an on-set accident filming which 1983 film directed by John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller?

A: The TWILIGHT ZONE: The MOVIE.

2. Who is Vic Morrow’s actress daughter, who has starred in films including The Hitcher, Short Cuts and eXistenZ?

A: JENNIFER JASON LEIGH.

3. Which author, better known for his plays, wrote novels including ‘Watt’, ‘Molloy’ and ‘Malone Dies’?

A: SAMUEL BECKETT.

4. Carlos Acosta is a famous name in which field of the Arts?

A: BALLET. (He’s a ballet dancer)

5. Who played Coco Chanel in the film “Coco before Chanel”?

A: AUDREY TAUTOU.

6. Which British band’s last album, released in 2014, was entitled 48.13, and was named after its total running time?

A: KASABIAN.

7. Which 20^th Century author and philosopher said, ‘Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe to football’?

A: ALBERT CAMUS.

8. Which post-impressionist painter lived with Vincent Van Gogh in ‘The Yellow House’ in Arles in late 1888, until a series of arguments between the pair led to Van Gogh cutting off his own earlobe?

A: PAUL GAUGIN.

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Which Irish poet won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995?

A: SEAMUS HEANEY.

S2. Which star of ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ and ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ is a former US marine radio operator?

A; GENE HACKMAN

FROM THE COMICS

1. Willie Garvin is the faithful side kick of which Comic strip heroine?

A: MODESTY BLAISE

2. What is Superman’s home planet?

A; KRYPTON

3. What is the name of the scientist who turns into the incredible hulk when stressed?

A: (ROBERT) BRUCE BANNER.

4. What was the name of the Domestic Animal which, along with Desperate Dan, was one of the longest running comic strips in the Dandy during its 75 year run?

A; CORKY THE CAT.

5. In which British comic did the Character Billy Wizz first appear in the early 60s?

A: The BEANO

6. What comic book heroine is also known as Diane Prince?

A: WONDER WOMAN

7. Which sea Captain first appeared in the ninth adventures of Tintin becoming more prominent in subsequent episodes?

A: CAPTAIN HADDOCK

8. Which h character in the Asterix cartoons is responsible for delivering the menhirs?

A: OBELISX

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. What is Spider Man’s real name?

A: PETER PARKER

S1. What was the name of the only girl In the Beano’s Bash Street kids?

A: TOOTS

SPORT

1. Which member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team also played first-class cricket for Essex?

A: GEOFF HURST.

2. Which Manchester boxer is the current British and European Heavyweight Champion?

A: TYSON FURY.

3. Which British sportswoman won an Olympic silver medal in the quadruple sculls at the 2004 Olympics, then a cycling gold medal at the 2008 Olympics?

A: REBECCA ROMERO.

4. Who is the only British driver to win the Formula 1 World Motor Racing Championship three times?

A: JACKIE STEWART.

5. Which country did violinist Vanessa-Mae represent in alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics?

A: THAILAND.

6. In November, 2014, Cheshire Phoenix signed the world’s tallest basketball player, Paul Sturgess, but how tall is he?

A: 7ft 8ins (leeway – an inch either side)

7. Which cyclist who died in Macclesfield in 1992 and is buried in Chelford won two Olympic silver medals and the British championship in 1974 at the age of 54?

A: REG HARRIS.

8. Apart from being professional footballers, what specifically do

Otman Bakkal, Branislav Ivanovic and Giorgio Chiellini have in common?

A: THEY WERE ALL BITTEN BY LUIS SUAREZ DURING A MATCH.

SUPPLEMENTARIES

1. Which footballer scored in the 1974 World Cup Final and 1982 World Cup Final?

A: PAUL BREITNER.

2. Which former England Rugby Union international is married to Zara Phillips?

A: MIKE TINDALL.

GEOGRAPHY

1. What is the highest mountain in South America?

A; MOUNT ANCONCAGUA.

2. Where, Precisely, have the world’s highest wind speeds been recorded?

A: THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT WASHINGTON,NEW HAMPSHIRE, U.S.A.

3. What is the state capital of North Dakota?

A: BISMARCK.

4. Name New Zealand’s highest mountain.

A; MOUNT COOK.

5. What is the capital of Ecuador?

A; QUITO.

6. What is the capital of Australia’s northern territory?

A: DARWIN.

7. In which Country is the source of the Amazon?

A; PERU.

8. In which country is the Rebiana Sand sea?

A: LIBYA.

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1 What is the connection between the Gulf of Campeche in Mexico and the extinction of the Dinosaurs

A: IT IS THE SITE OF A HUGE IMPACT CRATER CAUSED BY A MASSIVE METEOR 60 MILLION YEARS AGO, REPUTED TO BE RELATED TO THE DEMISE OF THE DINOSAURS.

S2 Name the southern most active volcano.

A. MOUNT EREBUS.

CHILD’S PLAY

All the questions relate to Children’s literature

1. What was the question to which the elephant child in Kipling’s ‘Just So Stories’ wanted the answer

A; WHAT DOES THE CROCODILE HAVE FOR DINNER?

2. According to Hans Christian Anderson in ‘The Little Mermaid‘, what is the lifespan of a mermaid?

A; 300 YEARS.

3. What is the promise that Mary Poppins make to children who beg her to stay for ever?

A; I’LL STAY TILL THE WIND CHANGES.

4. In which English county has Alan Garner set his novel ’The Weirdstone of Brisingamen’?

A. CHESHIRE

5. Who was the pirate captain who went to his death murmuring ‘Floreat Etona’?

A; CAPTAIN HOOK OF PETER PAN FAME.

6. How did the Phoenix arrive in W. Nesbitt’s ‘The Phoenix and the Carpet’?

A: IT CAME AS AN EGG WRAPPED IN A CARPET.

7. Where is the original home of ‘the Borrowers’as described by Mary Norton?

A; UNDER THE KITCHEN FLOOR IN A LARGE COUNTRY HOUSE.

8. In the terms used by author Kathleen Hale, Who is ‘Orlando’?

A The MARMALADE CAT.

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Name the heroine in Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials

A: LYRA BELAQUA.

S2. Name the Times reading Womble

A; UNCLE BULGARIA.

 

HISTORY

1. Who was the final wife of Henry the Eighth?

A; CATHERINE PARR.

2. In which Paris train station did the German command formally surrender the city to the Allies in August 1944?

A: GARE MONTPARNASSE.

3. By what name was Louis XV’s mistress, born Jeanne Bacu in 1743, better known?

A: MADAME DU BARRY.

4. Which cleric originally built Hampton Court

A: CARDINAL WOLSEY.

5. In which American state did the Battle of the Little Bighorn take place in 1876?

A; MONTANA.

6. In which year did the Berlin wall begin to be dismantled?

A: 1989

7. What was William Huskinsson, M.P. for Liverpool, who died in 1830, most famous for?

A; HE AS THE FIRST PERSON TO DIE DUE TO A RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT ECCLES IN 1830.

8. Who was in charge of the British defenders at the siege of Mafeking during the second Boer war?

A: ROERT BADEN-POWELL.

SUPPLEMENTARIES

S1. Which Venetian wrote an account in 1300 of his travels in Asia and his time with Kublai Khan

A; MARCO POLO.

S2. Who became Roman Emperor following the murder of his nephew Caligula in 41 A.D.

A: CLAUDIUS.

General knowledge questions

Harrington B

 

1. In Dad’s Army, what is the Christian name of Captain Mainwaring?

GEORGE

1. Who created the character George Smiley?

JOHN LE CARRÉ

1. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress whilst in jail. Which jail?

BEDFORD

1. Which spice gives goulash its distinct flavour?

PAPRIKA

1. If two people are ‘osculating’, what are they doing?

KISSING

1. As of 11^th January, who is currently the Chief Executive of Tesco?

DAVE LEWIS

1. What was Elvis Presley’s first UK hit single, reaching No 6 in 1956?

HEARTBREAK HOTEL

1. What is the title of the Queen’s representative in each county?

LORD LIEUTENANT

1. Spiderman’s alter ego, Peter Parker, worked for which newspaper?

THE DAILY BUGLE

1. What nationality was Gustav Holst?

BRITISH

1. Who succeeded Elizabeth I to the English throne?

JAMES I

1. What is the science of sound called?

ACOUSTICS

1. What is the triangular-sailed Arabic boat known as?

A DHOW

1. How many Enigma Variations were composed by Elgar?

FOURTEEN (no leeway)

1. Who was the last liberal Prime Minister of Britain?

ASQUITH

1. The national anthem of which major European country has no words?

SPAIN

1. What was the name of the original dog on the HMV record label?

NIPPER

1. What is the official name for the Old Bailey?

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT

1. Brass is made up of zinc and which other element?

COPPER

1. Where, specifically, would you find a funambulist in action?

ON A TIGHTROPE

1. What unit for measuring liquid is equal to one quarter of an Imperial pint?

A GILL

1. Which strait connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea?

THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

1. What is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury?

LAMBETH PALACE

1. What is the fourth book of the Old Testament?

NUMBERS

1. Which plant is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry?

THE LOGANBERRY or TAYBERRY

1. Who, earlier this month, beat Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor to become PDC World Darts Champion?

GARY ANDERSON

1. Mincing Lane in London is the traditional home of which trade?

TEA

1. How is the medical condition ‘tinea pedis’ more commonly known?

ATHLETE’S FOOT

1. In the Roman Catholic church, who is the patron saint of lost causes?

ST JUDE

1. In which county did the Great Train Robbery take place?

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

1. The Gulf of Riga is an inlet of which sea?

THE BALTIC

1. Who wrote the book ‘Moll Flanders’?

DANIEL DEFOE

1. Which civilisation arrived in Italy around 1000BC?

THE ETRUSCAN

1. Where did William Wallace defeat the English in 1297?

STIRLING

1. The Society of Friends is better known by what name?

QUAKERS

1. Which range of hills runs along the English/Scottish border?

THE CHEVIOTS

1. A wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family. By what other name is it known?

A GLUTTON

1. In which decade was the Battle of Culloden?

1740s

1. Who was the first king of the House of Lancaster?

HENRY IV

1. Who painted the ‘Laughing Cavalier’?

FRANS HALS

1. Who sang the theme to the James Bond film ‘Goldeneye’?

TINA TURNER

1. In what year was the death penalty for murder abolished in mainland UK?

1965 (it stood until 1973 in Northern Ireland)

1. How is the plant Nepeta (pronounced ne-peter) better known?

CATMINT (accept CATNIP)

1. What is the capital of Madeira?

FUNCHAL

1. Who produced a series of paintings called ‘The Card Players’ in the early 1890s?

PAUL CEZANNE

1. What was Operation Dynamo in World War 2?

THE EVACUATION OF DUNKIRK

1. On which river does Florence stand?

THE ARNO

1. What was the Rolling Stones first No 1 hit?

IT’S ALL OVER NOW

1. Which was the only event of the 2012 Olympics shown live by the BBC in 3D?

MEN’S 100m FINAL

1. In which year was VAT introduced into Britain?

1973

1. Which English king was known as ‘Old Rowley’?

CHARLES II

1. Which celebrity collaborated with Range Rover on the interior design of the Evoque?

VICTORIA BECKHAM

1. Which rock & roll star was killed in a car crash near Chippenham in 1960?

EDDIE COCHRAN

1. Which movement, begun in 1836, demanded the vote for all adult males?

THE CHARTIST MOVEMENT

1. Who composed the Brandenburg Concertos?

JS BACH

1. On which date is St George’s Day?

APRIL 23^RD

1. What is the state capital of Nevada?

CARSON CITY

1. A horse’s height is measured in hands. How long is a hand?

4 INCHES

1. What is used to celebrate a 20^th wedding anniversary?

CHINA

1. The Atacama Desert is primarily in which country?

CHILE

1. What word describes a set of delaying tactics in Parliament?

FILIBUSTERING

1. Which city hosted the 1952 Olympics?

HELSINKI

1. Which public school did Sir Winston Churchill attend?

HARROW

1. Arundel Castle is the home of which Duke?

THE DUKE OF NORFOLK

1. How many bonus points are there in Scrabble for using all seven tiles in one go?

50

1. Which composer was known as the ‘Red Priest’?

ANTONIO VIVALDI

1. Who wrote the Adam Dalgleish detective novels?

PD JAMES

1. Which university is situated at Uxbridge in Middlesex?

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY

1. On what date is Trafalgar Day?

OCTOBER 21^ST

1. Who created the fictional private detective Sam Spade?

DASHIELL HAMMETT

1. Which comedian, who died in 2005, was born David Tynan O’Mahony?

DAVE ALLEN

1. Who described assassination as ‘the extreme form of censorship’?

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

1. Whose death led to Harold Wilson becoming leader of the Labour party?

HUGH GAITSKELL

1. Who was Manchester United’s manager when they were last relegated?

TOMMY DOCHERTY

1. What colour is the outer ring of an archery target?

WHITE

1. In which war did the Battle of Inkerman take place?

THE CRIMEAN WAR

1. What is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London?

MANSION HOUSE

1. What is the largest city in South America?

SAO PAULO

1. In economics, what word describes the opposite of free trade?

PROTECTIONISM

1. Which comedian, actor and director was born Melvin James Kaminsky?

MEL BROOKS

1. Who has replaced Alastair Cook as Captain of England’s One-Day Cricket team?

EION MORGAN

1. Passing away in May 2014, who was the only Formula 1driver to become World Champion driving a car he had manufactured?

SIR JACK BRABHAM

1. Name the lead singer and guitarist with rock band Muse.

MATT BELLAMY

1. What is the name given to objects carved by sailors from whalebone?

SCRIMSHAW

1. In which year was the Penny Post introduced?

1840 (accept 1838-1842)

1. Which drummer turned guitarist sings with American band Foo Fighters?

DAVE GROHL (originally drummer with Nirvana)

1. Passing away in January 2014, which footballer was top goalscorer in the 1966 World Cup?

EUSEBIO

1. Give a year in the life of painter Thomas Gainsborough.

1727 to 1788

1. Which is Australia’s smallest state?

TASMANIA

1. What form of entertainment takes its name from the Roman arena used for chariot racing?

CIRCUS

1. In which decade did sliced bread first appear in the UK?

1930s

1. Who is the only person to have captained an England cricket team while playing Third Division football?

IAN BOTHAM

1. In the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins, who played Mr Banks?

DAVID TOMLINSON

1. Which spirit is used to create port from red wine?

BRANDY

1. 8 minutes and 47.8 seconds is the fastest ever winning time for what race?

THE GRAND NATIONAL (by Mr Frisk in 1990)

1. In the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dick van Dyke played inventor Caractacus Potts. Who played Grandpa Potts?

LIONEL JEFFRIES

SUPPLEMENTARIES

Passing away in November 2014, who directed Oscar-winning film The Graduate?

MIKE NICHOLS

In its heyday, what cargo did the Cutty Sark carry?

TEA

The sequel to Gone with the Wind has what title?

SCARLET

Who instigated the Popish Plot?

TITUS OATES

What is the capital of Morocco?

RABAT

In what year did John Major become Prime Minister?

1990

20th January–Cup/Plate Quarter Finals

 

1. Who composed the Goldberg Variations?

J.S. Bach

2. In which town was William the Conqueror born?

Falaise in Normandy

3. JCB is the name of the famous earth-moving machines; what does the B stand for?

Joseph Cyril Bamford, the company's founder (1916-2001)

4. In which year did Albert Einstein publish his General Theory of Relativity?

1916

5. How are the elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine known collectively?

Halogens

6. The chief naval battle of the First World War. In Germany it is known as the Skagerrak. How is it known in Britain?

The Battle of Jutland

7. Which stretch of water connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean?

Strait of Gibraltar

8. Whose engravings inspired Stravinsky's opera The Rakes's Progress?

Hogarth's

9. What does it mean if a racehorse is described as a maiden?

It has never won a race

10. Beata Beatrix is an idealized portrait of the artist's late wife Elizabeth Siddal. Which member of the Pre-Raphaelites painted it?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

11. In which country did the samba originate?

Brazil

12. What part of the body interests a rhinologist?

Nose

13. Which picturesque village on Dartmoor, in Devon, is renowned for its annual fair?

Widdecombe

14. Taking its name from the Latin for apple, which crystalline acid is found in unripe apples and other fruits?

Malic acid

15. In which British city is the Mary Rose to be found?

Portsmouth

16. Brimstone is a form of which element?

Sulphur

17. For whom was Etruria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent built? (now a hotel)

Josiah Wedgwood

18. In Scottish cuisine what is a bannock

A griddle cake of oatmeal or other meal

19. If a person is suffering from aphonia, what are they unable to do?

Speak

20. Macclesfield Town FC play home matches at the Moss Rose Stadium, but who plays their home matches at the J. Davidson Stadium on Moss Lane?

Altrincham

21. Worcester pearmain is a variety of which fruit?

Apple

22. Who composed the music to the Ode to Joy which is used for the European anthem?

Ludwig van Beethoven

23. Who was the father of Richard II?

Edward Prince of Wales-The Black Prince

24. What is the capacity of a 'barrel' as commonly referenced for crude oil production?

35 UK gallons or 42 US gallons, or 159 litres

25. Who was the English Nurse executed by the Germans in Brussels in 1915?

Edith Cavell

26. Name one of the Noble gases?

helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, or radon

27. : Which English palace was built by Cardinal Wolsey and later enlarged by Henry VIII and altered by Sir Christopher Wren?

Hampton Court Palace

28. To which island group do the islands of Rhodes and Kos belong?

Dodecanese

29. What is the occupation of Escamillo in the opera Carmen?

Bullfighter

30. What is the term for two under par in golf?

Eagle

31. What do the letters “ap” on an etching or print stand for?

Artist's proof

32. Who wrote the music for West Side Story?

Leonard Bernstein

33. A haematologist is a doctor who specializes in diseases of?

Blood

34. In which British city are Cavern Walks, Strawberry Field and Penny Lane?

Liverpool

35. If a dog is canine, what is a pig?

Porcine

36. In which port is the SS Great Britain moored?

Bristol

37. The name of which semi-precious mineral is derived from the French words for blue/yellow?

Bluejohn

38. Which family currently own Capesthorne Hall?

The Bromley Davenports

39. Barnacle, Greylag, Brent and Canada are types of which bird?

Goose

40. In golf what is meant by the Nineteenth hole?

Clubhouse or bar

41. On wine labels what is the meaning of the word recolté?

Vintage or crop

42. Early Champagne, Timperley Early and Victoria are varieties of which desert plant?

Rhubarb

43. Who composed the opera The Queen of Spades??

Tchaikovsky

44. Who was described as "the wisest fool in Christendom"?

James VI & I

45. Joseph Grimaldi (1779-1837) was called “The Father of …” what?

Clowns

46. What icon of 20th century design was the Chapman Root Glass Company of Indiana responsible for introducing in 1915?

The Coca-Cola bottle

47. Which acid is commonly present in a lead-acid car battery?

Sulphuric acid

48. What is the name of the ninth century Bishop of Winchester who's feast day is held in England on the 15th of July?

St Swithin

49. Two Commonwealth countries are islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Name either of the two?

Cyprus, Malta

50. In which Shakespeare play does the eponymous character smother his wife?

Othello

51. Which football club plays its home fixtures at Anfield?

Liverpool

52. The Golden Bear in Berlin, the Golden Shell in San Sebastian and the Golden Lion in Venice are major awards given in which area of the arts?

Film

53. Who wrote the song made famous by Elvis Presley, Blue Suede Shoes?

Carl Perkins

54. Which acid with the formula HCOOH occurs naturally in ants?

Formic acid

55. In which European capital city is Oscar Wilde buried?

Paris

56. The Terra Nova ship carried whose Antarctic expedition in 1910?

Robert Falcon Scott

57. Poultney Bridge is in which city?

Bath

58. In the well-known equation, E=mc2, what does c represent?

The velocity of light.

59. Which Prime Minister lived at New Hawarden Castle in Flintshire?

William Ewart Gladstone

60. Sinophobia is the fear of which race or nation?

China

61. The football stadium known as The Den in South Bermondsey is the home to which team?

Millwall

62. In the news recently because of the ravages of time the DUKW was an amphibious transport vehicle first used in WW2. Who manufactured it?

GMC (General Motors Corporation)

63. PZKW was the abbreviation for what kind of German military vehicle?

Tank (Panzerkampfwagen - armoured fighting vehicle)

64. The music of Alexander Borodin was used as inspiration for which Hollywood musical?

Kismet

65. Who was the eldest child of Queen Victoria?

Princess Victoria

66. What is denoted by the following prefixes? First, Middle, Morning, Forenoon, Afternoon, First Dog, Last Dog.

Watches at sea.

67. In 1915, Hugo Junkers constructed the first what?

Fighter Plane

68. What is being described by the phrase, “induction, compression, ignition, expansion, exhaust”?

The action of an internal combustion engine.

69. Who began writing his diary on New year's day 1660?

Samuel Pepys

70. What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?

Riyadh

71. Who won an Oscar for his song I Just Called To Say I Love You?

Stevie Wonder

72. Flushing Meadow, Roland Garros and Melbourne Park are all Grand Slam venues in which sport?

Tennis

73. In which British city can you find Knott Mill, The Printworks and Canal Street.

Manchester

74. Whose backing group originally the Tennessee Two became the Tennessee Three?

Johnny Cash

75. What name is commonly given to the red transparent variety of the mineral corundum?

Ruby

76. If you sailed due east from Newcastle upon Tyne, which would be the first country you would reach?

Denmark

77. What is the chief investigating branch of the US Department of justice called?

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

78. Where can you walk the Golden Mile?

Blackpool

79. Plumbum is the Latin name for which element?

Lead

80. Which Prime Minister lived at Hughenden Manor, near High Wycombe

Benjamin Disraeli

81. What does the girl's name Verity mean?

Truth

82. The US Marine Corps memorial at Arlington Ridge Depicts what event?

Raising the flag on Iwo Jima

83. What is the name of the French satirical magazine whose offices were attacked recently?

Charlie Hebdo

84. Which convicted rapist footballer did Oldham FC not sign up recently?

Ched Evans

85. Who was the composer of the symphony “From the New World”?

Antonin Dvořák

86. Who was the first Queen of Great Britain and Ireland?

Queen Anne

87. Who was Lady Creighton-Ward?

Lady Penelope from TV's 'Thunderbirds'.

88. In 1915, the remains of composer Rouget de Lisle were brought to Le Invalides in Paris. What was his most famous composition?

La Marseillaise

89. Whose law can be expressed as V = IxR?

Ohm's law

90. The Isle of Man was, until 1266 a dependency of which country?

Norway

91. Lusaka is the capital city of which African country

Zambia

92. On which musical instrument would a paradiddle be played?

Drum

93. In which athletic event would you use the Fosbury Flop?

High jump

94. In which classic 1960 film does Marion Crane steal $40,000 from her boss and unwisely make her escape via the Bates Motel?

Psycho

95. What Instrument was played by jazz musician Stan Getz?

Saxophone

96. What letter links an SI unit of temperature and the chemical symbol for potassium?

K (Kelvin)

97. What is Kentish Rag?

Limestone

98. What does the term guerrilla warfare mean literally?

Little war

99. Where in Britain is the Land of Green Ginger?

It is a street in Hull

100. Bauxite is the main ore of which metal?

Aluminium

101. Which Prime Minister lived at The Hirsel near Coldstream?

Alec Douglas Home

102. Worn on the head, what is a chaplet?

Ornamental wreath of flowers or beads

103. What flavour is the Mexican Liqueur Kahlua?

Coffee flavoured

104. Tia Maria is another coffee flavoured liqueur. What does Tia mean in Spanish?

Aunt

105. Made in 1940, which was Charlie Chaplin’s first true talking picture?

The Great Dictator

106. “Nessun Dorma” is an aria from an opera by which composer?

Giacomo Puccini

107. Who met Henry VIII at “The Field of the Cloth of Gold”?

François (Francis) Ist of France

108. Who was the first Englishman to be killed in a plane crash?

Charles Stewart Rolls (of Rolls Royce fame)

109. The 1915 hit song “Keep the Home Fires Burning” was written by which Welshman?

Ivor Novello

110. Whose law can be expressed as PxV = k?

Boyle's law

111. From where did the first regular British television broadcasts start transmission in London in 1936?

Alexandra Palace

112. What is the name of the range of hills in South Dakota in which the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is situated?

Black Hills

113. In the 1961 film, which guns did Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and Anthony Quayle set out to demolish?

The Guns of Navarone

114. Luffing, tacking and gybing are all terms used in which sport?

Sailing/yachting

115. Where in London does the Lutine Bell hang?

: Lloyds of London

116. What musical form might be described as Delta, or Chicago?

Blues

117. In 1781 astronomer William Herschel discovered the seventh major planet from the Sun. What was it?

Uranus

118. Rioja is a wine produced in which country?

Spain

119. Which part of speech modifies or describes a verb?

Adverb

120. In which British city is Tombland

It is by Norwich Cathedral

Sup 1: In which town in Normandy is the major tourist attraction a 23 foot long embroidery that dates from the eleventh century?

Bayeux

Sup 2: How many heads had the mythical dog Cerberus?

Three

Sup 3: Who in 1940 were referred to by Churchill as "the few"?

The pilots/airmen in the Battle of Britain

Sup 4: hat term is used in law to refer to a wall which separates two adjoining properties and which belongs to the owners equally?

Party Wall (not common wall)

Sup 5: What word describes the result of multiplying two or more numbers together?

Product

Sup 6: Epistaxis is the medical name for which common condition or complaint?

Nosebleed

Tie Breaker

To the nearest second what was the record shortest time for the amputation of a leg by a Naval Surgeon in Nelson’s time.

1 minute 40 seconds

January 13th–The Questions

 

Questions supplied by the Knot Arf.

Thanks to the Robin Hood and the Cock for vetting: almost all of your suggestions have been adopted!

Specialist questions: Geography, Sport, History, Neologisms, Arts and Ents, Science, What’s in a Name, and Which Decade

GEOGRAPHY

1. Q. Off the coast of which Asian country would you find the Bismarck Archipelago?

A. Papua New Guinea. (Largest is New Britain)

2 Q. Augusta is famous for its golf course but Augusta is also a US state capital. Which one?

A. Maine

3 Q. The Longships are a group of rocks about a mile from a more famous landmark. What is the more famous landmark?

A. Lands End

4 Q. Barranquilla and Cartagena are the chief ports of which country?

A. Colombia

5 Q. You will have heard of Demerara sugar. Which country includes the Demerara River ? (where the sugar is grown)

A. Guyana

6 Q. The first garden city in England is called what?

A. Letchworth

7 Q. What is the capital of Macedonia?

A. Skopje

8 Q. Hadrian’s Wall runs from Maryport on the West coast. Where does it finish on the East coast?

A. Wallsend

Supps

9 Q. Which US state is home to Mount Rushmore (presidential heads)?

A. South Dakota

10 Physically, which is the largest Canadian province?

B. Quebec

SPORT

1. Who was the only footballer to be nominated for BBC Sports personality award in 2014?

GARETH BALE

2. One of the nominees in SPOTY was two people. Why?

DISABLED (SIGHT-IMPAIRED) ATHLETE AND HER GUIDE (The skier Kelly Gallagher and Charlotte Evans

3. Golf rules: what is the maximum time allowed to look for a lost ball?

5 MINUTES

4. More Golf rules: what is the maximum number of clubs allowed in a player’s bag?

14

5. In the classic version of Monopoly, what square is diagonally opposite ‘Go’?

FREE PARKING

6. In scrabble the first word placed on the board scores double. If the first word played is QUIZ, what score is achieved?

44 (Q and Z are 10 points each, U and I 1 point each, all doubled)

7. The leading international run-scorer (all forms of cricket included) is Sachin Tendulkar of India. He batted 782 times. How many runs did he score?

34,357 (allow 33-36,000)

8. The leading international wicket taker in all forms of cricket is Muttiah Miuralitharan of Sri Lanka. He played in 495 matches. How many wickets did he take?

1,347 (allow 1250 to 1450)

Supplementaries

1. Which horse won the 2014 Grand National?

PINEAU DE RE

2. Which jockey won the 2014 Epsom Derby?

JOSEPH O’BRIEN

HISTORY

1. In which year did Ireland gain independence, or Dominion Status?

1922

2. Who made the Winds of Change speech?

Harold Macmillan

3. In what year was the Good Friday Agreement, aka the Belfast Agreement, signed and ratified by referendums in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland?

1998

4. Who was the only US president to be elected neither as President nor Vice-President?

Gerald Ford

5. Who was the first woman to be appointed US Secretary of State? Madeleine Albright

6. Which Conservative Prime Minister was Foreign Secretary in both the Macmillan and Heath administrations?

Lord Home, though also accept Sir Alec Douglas Home

7. The Dayton Agreement of 1995 ended what war?

Bosnian

8. In what year did Labour win its first overall majority of seats in Parliament?

1945

Supplementaries

1. This year's World Cup was the first for which former Yugoslav nation?

Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2. What was the name of the Swedish Prime Minister who was assassinated while on his way to the cinema in 1986?

Olof Palme

NEOLOGISMS

Lexicographers record hundreds of new English words every year based on their apparent significance. This round tests your knowledge of some of the most popular words defined recently by Oxford Dictionaries.

Note: None of the answers is ‘Selfie’

1) Oxford Dictionaries’ US winner of Word of the Year 2005, which word defines a new form of downloadable audio programming?

podcast

2) Author of science fiction classic Neuromancer, William Gibson invented which popular word that describes a notional environment in which computers communicate?

cyberspace

3) Popularised in English through its use in sport crowds in 2010, which Word of the Year nominee is thought to originate in Zulu?

vuvuzela

4) 2005 UK winner of Word of the Year, which Japanese word translates literally as ‘number single status’?

Sudoku

5) Popularised in the 1999 musical revue Fosse, which dance move was defined as a way to indicate excitement or triumph after a wave of splayed-fingered image macros appeared around the internet in the late 2000s?

jazz hands

6) Praised by Oxford Dictionaries for its “sophisticated language manipulation”, which American sitcom popularised the word “regift” after a character presents Jerry with a label maker originally received as a gift from Elaine?

Seinfeld

7) Recently made 2014’s Word of the Year, what is the verb meaning of the word, “vape”?

to inhale or exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette (must specify electronic, or e-cigarette)

8) Frequently used ironically, which three-word phrase added to the OED in 2014 denotes a cause of frustration arising as a result of perceived privilege? A: First World problem

Supplementary questions

1) What word is defined as “the malicious practice of manipulating a website user’s activity by concealing hyperlinks beneath legitimate clickable content”?

clickjacking

2) What adjective describes something that is “suitable or sufficiently interesting as a topic” for an informal article published online?

bloggable

3) The name of a 2010 documentary feature film, what word is defined: “lure (someone) into a relationship by adopting a fictional online persona”?

catfish

Arts and Entertainment

1.- What was the first name of the composer Bartok ?

Bela

2- What was the first name of the composer Birtwistle ?

Harrison.

3- In which city is the Herbert Art Gallery ?

Coventry.

4- In which city is Kettles Yard Art Gallery ?

Cambridge.

5- Picasso, Braque and Miro, among others, designed labels for which product?

Wine (Chateau Mouton Rothschild)

6- Which sculptor designed the Arcelor Mittal Orbit in the Olympic Park ?

Anish Kapoor

7- Which Radio 4 programme was hosted by Humphrey Lyttleton for 36 years ?

I'm sorry I haven't a clue.

8. Vittore Carpaccio (1455-1525 ) was an Italian painter known for his use of red. An hors d'oeurve was named after him. What is it made of ?

Thin slices of raw beef ( or fish )

Supplementary

1. In the Sitcom ‘The Office’, what was the name of the fictional Slough-based paper merchant?

Wernham Hogg

2. In the League of Gentlemen, the action was set in the village of Royston Vasey. Which comedian provided the inspiration for this village name?

Chubby Brown - RV is his birth name

SCIENCE ETC

1. Which Scotsman is credited with inventing the vacuum flask?

James Dewar

2. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, but surface temperatures can be as low as Minus 150C. Why?

Virtually no atmosphere, so nothing to retain heat on side not facing the sun.

3. In terms of diameter, how many times larger than the moon is the Sun?

400 (allow 300-500)

4. Douglas Engelbart, who died recently, is credited with the invention of which computer device?

Mouse

5. What is the only metal that is anti-bacterial?

Copper

6. What is the only element that cannot be solidified?

Helium

7. Gregor Mendel was a key figure in the development of what branch of science?

Genetics

8. Give a year in the life of Copernicus

1473-1543

Supplementaries

1. Give a year in the life of Isaac Newton

1643-1727

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Note to QM: in view of the mental gymnastics required, please allow an extra 5 seconds per question. Explain this at the start of the round.

Each question will contain clues to the names of two famous people. By taking the surname of the first person and the forename of the second person can you make the name of another famous person? Example: The lead singer with Culture Club and the actor who played Indiana Jones gives George Harrison (Boy GEORGE and HARRISON Ford )

1. Male star of the film “ Rebel Without a Cause “ and the actor who plays Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit films.

DEAN MARTIN ( James Dean and Martin Freeman )

2. WW2 diarist who died in a concentration camp aged 15 and the excitable Italian judge on Strictly Come Dancing.

FRANK BRUNO ( Ann Frank and Bruno Tonioli )

3. Record goalscorer for the England national football team and the owner of the Fat Duck restaurant in Bray.

CHARLTON HESTON ( Bobby Charlton and Heston Blumenthal )

4. One half of Wham and the famous American abstract expressionist painter who died in 1956.

MICHAEL JACKSON ( George Michael and Jackson Pollock )

5. Comedian with the catchphrase “ shut that door “ and actor who plays Billy Mitchell in Eastenders.

GRAYSON PERRY ( Larry Grayson and Perry Fenwick )

6. Satirical stand-up comedian who co-wrote Blackadder and the author of East of Eden.

ELTON JOHN ( Ben Elton and John Steinbeck )

7. Actor who played Anthony in The Royle Family and the first man to be seen on Channel 4.

LITTLE RICHARD ( Ralf Little and Richard Whiteley )

8. Female singer/songwriter who sang the UK’s 1977 entry and who died in October 2014 and the lead singer of Duran Duran.

PAUL SIMON ( Lynsey de Paul and Simon le Bon )

SUP 1. Singer/songwriter whose albums include New Morning and Blood on the Tracks and the American inventor who died in 1931 and had over 1000 patents issued in his name.

DYLAN THOMAS ( Bob Dylan and Thomas Edison )

SUP 2. Lead singer with Blondie and the American author of In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffanys

HARRY TRUMAN ( Debbie Harry and Truman Capote )

NAME THE DECADE

1. Tutenkhamen’s tomb is discovered ; Lady Chatterley’s Lover is published ; Lenin dies.

1920’s

2. Malta becomes independent from Britain ; The film “ West Side Story “ is released ; Yasser Arafat becomes Leader of the P.L.O.

1960’s

3. Bonnie and Clyde are killed ; Empire State Building is officially opened ; Brave New World is published.

1930’s

4. Bill Haley dies ; Hurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica ; the film “ E.T. “ is released.

1980’s

5. President McKinley is assassinated ; The Hound of the Baskervilles is published ; 500 die in the San Francisco earthquake.

1900’s

6. Charlie Parker dies ; C.N.D . is formed ; Hawaii becomes the 50th state.

1950’s

7. Lawrence of Arabia dies ; The film “ Zorba the Greek “ is released ; Britain abolishes the death penalty.

1960’s

8. The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered ; Al Capone dies ; The film “ The Third Man “ is released.

1940’s

SUP 1: Premiere of The Planets Suite by Holst ; Charlie Chaplin makes his film debut ; The novel “ Sons and Lovers “ is published.

1910’s

SUP 2: John Wayne dies ; The liner Queen Elizabeth is destroyed by fire ; The film “ A Clockwork Orange “ is released.

1970’s

 

General Knowledge Quiz Questions

set by the Knot Arf

.

1. Hunting, Dress, Old and Prince Charles Edward are all types of what ?

Tartans

2. Who wrote “ Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man “ ?

James Joyce

3. What is the last word in the New Testament ?

Amen

4. In Rudyard Kipling’s “ Jungle Book “, what was the name of the panther ?

Bagheera

5. In 1979, in the space of 40 days, which British athlete set new world records for the 800 metres, 1500 metres and the mile ?

Seb Coe

6. Who created the Mister Men ? (

Roger Hargreaves

7. The river Volga flows into which sea ?  Caspian

8. What nationality was Che Guevera ?

Argentinian

9. Which author created Inspector Maigret ?

Georges Simenon

10. Complete the saying : “ The road to Hell is…….”

Paved with good intentions

11. In London, how is the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter better known ?

Westminster Abbey

12. In which battle of the Crimean War did the Charge of the Light Brigade take place ?

Balaclava

13. In Jane Austen’s novel “ Emma “, what is Emma’s surname ?

Woodhouse

14. In the Beatrix Potter stories, what kind of animal is Mr. Tod ? 

Fox

15. The Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles recorded many of their hits, is in which district of London?

St John’s Wood

16. In Arthurian legend, who was the child of a nun and a demon ?

Merlin

17. Blood Sports was the long awaited album released by which Britpop group in 2013?

Suede

18. Baroness Stowell holds which parliamentary position?

Leader of the House of Lords

1. Which Australian Prime Minister, recently deceased, was dismissed by the Governor General, Sir Hugh Kerr, in 1975, and changed the Australian national anthem from 'God Save the Queen' to 'Advance Australia Fair'?
2. Gough Whitlam

1. Which Verdi opera includes the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves?

Nabucco

1. The 2014 Booker Prize winning novel is called the Long Road to the Hard North. What notorious 20^th century project is its centrepiece?

Building of the Burma Railway)

1. Who is the new leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party?

Nicola Sturgeon

1. Complete the quote, attributed to Lloyd George when talking about rival politician John Simons. ‘When they circumcised him….

They threw away the wrong bit

1. Warren Clarke, recently deceased, was best known for his role as Andy Dalziel in Dalziel and Pascoe. Who wrote the Dalziel and Pascoe novels?

Reginald Hill

1. Which second generation Polish detective, based in Nottingham, recently returned for his last case in John Harvey's latest novel, 'Darkness, Darkness'?

Charlie Resnick

1. Which vegetable has varieties called Polestar and Scarlet Emperor ?

Runner bean

1. The first successful moving picture featuring sound , “ The Jazz Singer “, was released in which year ?

1927 – accept 1925 to 1929

1. How many planets in our solar system have only one moon ?

One – Earth

1. Which planet in our solar system was discovered in 1846 ? Neptune )

 

1. The river Danube flows into which sea ?

Black Sea

1. Which Poet Laureate wrote “ I must go down to the sea again, the lonely sea and the sky “ ?

John Masefield

1. What is the maximum number of dots used to form a single letter or number in the Braille alphabet ?

6

1. In September 1997 over 32 million people in Britain watched which event on television ?

Princess Diana’s funeral 

1. Which former England football manager died in April 1999 ?

Sir Alf Ramsey 

1. In Only Fools and Horses, what’s the name of Del Boy’s local pub ?

The Nag’s Head

1. To the nearest million, how many miles is the Earth from the Sun ?

93 million

1. In London, where do Whitehall, the Strand and the Mall meet ?

Trafalgar Square

1. In London, where do Regent St., Shaftesbury Ave. and Haymarket meet?

Piccadilly Circus

1. In mythology, who was the wife of King Meneleas ?

Helen of Troy

1. In “ The Royle Family “, what’s the name of Jim Royle’s local pub ?

The Feathers

1. Who was Charles Darwin’s famous industrialist grandfather ?

Josiah Wedgwood

1. Which model was married to both Eric Clapton and George Harrison – but not at the same time!

Patti Boyd

1. On the 10th of January each year, where is Margaret Thatcher Day celebrated ?

Falkland

1. What’s the name of the skull cap worn by Jewish men ?

Yarmulka or Kippah

1. In which Midlands city will you find the Broadmarsh shopping centre ?

Nottingham

1. What is the term used for a person who sells ribbon, buttons, tape etc?

Haberdasher

47. In mining, what is the name for a horizontal shaft from the surface to reach a mineral seam?

Adit

48. There are 5 islands that make up the Balearic Islands. Three of them are: Majorca; Minorca and Ibiza. Name one of the other two.

Cabrera or Formentera

1. A type of unaccompanied, close-harmony singing of sentimental ballads traditionally with 4 male voices revived in the US during the 19th century. What is its common name?

Barber shop singing

50. Who composed the piano piece ‘4 minutes 33 seconds’ in which the performer does not play a note?

John Cage

51. Which sporting event has taken place at Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Riverside?

US Grand Prix

52. In which film did Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier co-star?

Prince and the Showgirl)

53. Who was British Prime Minister immediately before Margaret Thatcher?

James Callaghan

54. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is supposed to be built on the site of what event?

The crucifixion of Jesus

55. These mountains run along the north coast of Spain. What is their name?

Cantabrian mountains

56. An Englishman called Percy Shaw invented a road safety device in 1934. What is the name of the invention?

Cat’s-eyes

57. This wood preservative is derived from coal tar. What is it?

Creosote

58. Sabena Airways went bust in the early 2000’s, but in which country were they based?

Belgium

59. The Crimea was in the news a lot in 2014. What is its capital?

Simferopol)

60. The Crusades occurred between 1096 and 1291. How many Crusades were there?

Eight (accept Nine - Children’s Crusade could count)

61. The French rivers Garonne and Dordogne merge to form a navigable estuary. What is it called?

Gironde

62. In London, this bell sounds once when a ship is missing and twice for good news. What is its name?

The Lutine Bell

63. The ‘magi’ are best known as the wise men who visited the infant Christ. It is also the word used as the name of priests in a religion. What is the name of the religion?

Zoroastrian religion – also accept Zarathustrianism, Magianism or Mazdaism

64. Sam Nujoma was a left-wing politician who led a group seeking freedom for his country. What is the name of the country, which gained independence in 1990?

Namibia

65. Which festival in the Muslim calendar marks the end of Ramadan ?

Eid-ul-Fitr, accept Eid

66. Which country has the largest Spanish speaking population in the world ?

Mexico

67. Which book of the Bible tells the story of Noah’s ark ?

Genesis

68. In which year did the Aberfan disaster take place ?

1966 – no leeway

69. Which game are you playing if you are squidging and squopping ?

Tiddleywinks

70. In Roman numerals, which letter represents 500 ?

D

71. The Ebola virus gets its name from a river in which country ?

Democratic Republic of Congo

72. Which famous film is set on the fictional island of Amity ?

Jaws

73. Who composed the music commonly known as The Bridal Chorus or Here Comes the Bride ?

Wagner

74. Which popular dance craze of the 1960’s originated in the Peppermint Lounge nightclub in New York?

The Twist

75. In which cabaret club in Paris did the Can-Can originate ?

Moulin Rouge

76. Which writer created the character Hannibal Lector ?

Thomas Harris

77. Which of Australia’s state capitals has the shortest name ?

Perth

78. What’s the common name of the wild hyacinth ?

Bluebell

79. Which Disney film is based on the Hans Christian Andersen story “ The Snow Queen “?

Frozen

80. In which TV drama series did a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a house ?

Being Human

81. Magician Steven Frayne is better known by what name ? (

Dynamo

82. Which American state lies between California and Washington ?

Oregon

83. Which orchestral conductor had the nickname “Flash Harry “?

Sir Malcolm Sergeant

84. Which jazz bandleader’s signature tune was “One O’Clock Jump “

Count Basie

85. Which Radio 4 magazine programme was hosted by Ned Sherrin for 21 years ?

Loose Ends

86. Lamp, Ivory and Bone are prefixes applied to which artists colour ?

Black

87. Cadmium, Sap and Chrome are prefixes applied to which artists colour ?

Green

88. Who is the patron saint of France ?

St Denis

89. In which country is the Gibson Desert ?

Australia

90. On which river does Berlin stand ?

Spree.

91. Which German line lay opposite the Maginot line ?

The Siegfried line.

92. Lurcher dogs originated from which country ?

Ireland

93. Sleat is known as the " garden" of which Scottish Island ?

Skye.

94. According to the 2015 edition of Jim Murrays Whisky Bible, where does the worlds best whisky come from ?

Japan - Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013

95. Chateau Musar, a spicy, aromatic red wine comes from which country ?

Lebanon.

96. What is the modern name for the seaport on the Adriatic coast, formerly known as Ragusa?

Dubrovnik

SUPPLEMENTARIES

1. Which country is known as Bharat in its own language?

India

2. In a right-angled triangle, dividing the length of the side adjacent to an angle by the length of the hypotenuse gives which trigonometric function?

A: The cosine of an angle

3 In which town in England is there a museum dedicated to the history and manufacture of pencils?

A: Keswick

4 In which Derbyshire town is the National Tramways Museum? A: Crich

5 In the 1976 film Robin and Marian, Sean Connery played Robin Hood. Which actress played Maid Marian?

A: Audrey Hepburn

Jan 6th–THE QUESTIONS

SPECIALIST QUESTIONS

Set by the Park Taverners

History – Anniversaries in 2015

Missing Vowels

Sport – appropriate nicknames

12th Night

Science

Geography

Hey Diddle Diddle

Arts and Entertainment – another picture round

 

 

History - Anniversaries in 2015

1Who was released from Drakenstein Correctional Centre (formerly Victor Verstere Prison) 25 years ago on 11th February 1990?

Nelson Mandela (He was only on Robben Island for the first 18 years).

2Which British Prime Minister died 50 years ago on 24th January 1965?

Winston Churchill.

3Which US President died 150 years ago on 15th April 1865?

Abraham Lincoln.

4Which one day battle took place in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands 200 years ago?

Waterloo.

5Name the deadly hurricane which struck the Gulf Coast of the USA, causing vast damage to New Orleans 10 years ago?

Katrina.

6Which international organisation, with its HQ in Manhatten, was established 70 years ago?

United Nations.

7.What started 75 years ago on 10th July 1940 and finished on 31st October of the same year?

The Battle of Britain.

8Who made history when becoming the leader of a major UK political party 40 years ago?

Margaret Thatcher (1st woman).

S1Why has the 3rd October been a national holiday in Germany for 15 years since 1990?

It is to celebrate German re-unification.

S2What was signed 800 years ago at Runneymeade?

The Magna Carta.

MISSING VOWELS

1.SKTHFMLY

Ask The Family

2. NTTWNT

In It To Win It

3.THCB

The Cube

4. THCS

The Chase

5. DLRNDL

Deal Or No Deal

6. SCRNTST

Screen Test

7. TTLWPT

Total Wipeout

8. RNRND

Runaround

S1. WNLSRDRW

Win Lose or Draw

S2. NVRSTYCHLLNG

University Challenge

Non-visual Supplementaries

S3Who presented 3-2-1?

Ted Rogers

S4In which English city was 'Sale of the Century' recorded?

Norwich

 

Sport

Appropriate Nicknames. From the information given we need the nickname that is more or less relevant to the team or individual.

1. San Francisco American Football team?
49ers (from the 1849 gold rush).

2. Detroit Basketball Team?
Pistons (from the motor trade).

3. Australian National Rugby League team?
Kangaroos.

4. Kent one day County Cricket team?
Spitfires.

5. Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar?
The Little Master (from his lack of height & obvious talent).

6. Buffalo American Football team?
Bills.

7. Infamous former Buffalo Bills running back OJ Simpson?
Juice (from his initials).

8. Everton Football Club?
The Toffees (from Everton Mints).

S1. Rugby winger Jason Robinson?
Billy Whizz.

S2. Boxer Jake La Motta?
Raging Bull.

S3. American Golfer Craig Stadler?
The Walrus (from his general appearance).

 

12 Days of Christmas

1. Who was the male lead and eldest child in the TV series the Partridge Family?
David Cassidy.

2. What is the largest turtle?
Leatherback Sea Turtle.

3. Who starred as Popeye Doyle in the French Connection?
Gene Hackman.

4. The international calling code, +49, is for which country?
Germany

5. In the Lord of the Rings which Race were given 9 rings?
Men

6. Complete the line 'Goosey goosey gander, whither shall I wander? Upstairs and downstairs…'
And in my lady's chamber.

7. With which sport would you associate the Sydney Swans?
Australian Rules Football.

8. Which band sang the song 'Maid of Orleans'?
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)

S1. Louise, Flick, Ruth, Dee Dee and Andi were five of the original six members of Pan's People who debuted on Top of the Pops in 1971. Who is missing?
Babs

S2. In which district of London is Lords Cricket Ground?
St John's Wood.

S3. Who composed the Shepherd's Pipe Carol?
John Rutter.

S4. What is the alternate name for a kettle drum?
Timpani.

 

Science

1. Which letter is used in maths to represent the square root of minus one?
i

2. What is the name of the NASA space craft which had a successful unmanned test flight round the world a few times on December 5th 2014?
Orion

3. Lipitor, Mevacor & Crestor are examples of which class of drug?
Statins

4. Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin are examples of which vitamin?
Vitamin B (They are B1, B2 & B3)

5. Whose thought experiment is used to illustrate one of theories of quantum mechanics and involves feline participation or not?
Erwin Schrödinger (‘s cat)

6. During which phenomenon would you see Baily’s Beads?
During a solar eclipse (they are “beads” of sunlight seen around the moon during an eclipse.)

7. What is the more common name for the pale blue pungent gas triatomic oxygen?
Ozone

8. Which American psychologist in 1943 developed the theory of psychological health, known as the “hierarchy of needs”?
Abraham Maslow

S1. Which general purpose computer programming language takes its name from a British TV sketch show of the 1960s and 70s?
Python (From Monty Python’s Flying Circus)

S2. The German physicist Johann Witter discovered the existence of which kind of radiation, between infrared and X rays on the electromagnetic spectrum?
Ultra violet light

S3. In astrophysics, what in theory takes up nearly 85% of the mass of the universe, but is not visible?
Dark matter

 

GEOGRAPHY

1What is the capital of Syria?

Damascus

2The Old Man of Hoy is an example of which geological landform?A sea Stack

3Pedology is the study of what?

Soil

4Which country has borders with Belgium, France and Germany?Luxembourg

5Which country has borders with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia?Thailand

6What is the more common name for the Intertropical Convergence Zone, known to sailors for the lack of wind?Doldrums

7Which English county has 2 separate, unconnected coastlines?Devon

8If you were swimming at Latitude 0 Degrees North Longitude 180 degrees West, in which ocean would you be?

Pacific

S1What is the capital of Quatar?

Doha

S2What is latitude 66°32'N otherwise known as?

The Arctic circle

 

 

Hey Diddle Diddle

…………All the following questions relate to popular children’s nursery rhymes

1Who had yellow hair and wore silver buckles on his knee?

(Bonny) Bobby Shafto

2If Polly put the kettle on who took it off again?

Sukey

3How much was owed to “The Bells of St Martin’s”

Five farthings

4Who pulled Pussy out the well?

Little Tommy Stout

5What did Solomon Grundy do on a Wednesday?

Married

6Who found Lucy Lockett’s lost pocket?

Kitty Fisher

7Who married The Owl and The Pussycat

The Turkey (who lives on the hill)

8Who offered to dig Cock Robin’s grave

The Owl (with his little trowel)

S1Who ate the malt that lay in The House that Jack Built?

The rat

S2What did The Crooked Man find against a crooked stile?

A Crooked Sixpence

1

Are You Being Served

Bless This House

3

Butterflies

4

Citizen Smith

5

George and Mildred (accept Man About The House)

6

Love Thy Neighbour

7

Just Good Friends

8

(Whatever Happened To) The Likely Lads (accept The Likely Lads)

S1

Open All Hours

S2

The Good Life

 

 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Set by the Pack Horse Bowling club

 

1/ Which small market town in Powys draws an estimated 80,000 people to its annual book festival?

Ans. Hay on Wye

2/ Boxing promoter Frank Maloney underwent a sex change operation last year. What is “her” new first name?

Ans. Kellie

3/ On the 10^th of December last year, Western Scotland was hit by a weather system known as a rapid cyclogenesis, which more colloquial expression was it called ?

Ans. A weather bomb.

4/ In November 1914, eleven players of which Scottish football club, feeling that it was wrong to be playing professional football whilst the country was at war, enlisted together in the army?

Ans. Hearts

5/ In the early years of which sport were father and son Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, famous?

Ans. Golf.

6/ Which theoretical physicist won the Nobel Prize in 1918 for formulating quantum theory?

Ans. Max Planck

7/ The scaphoid bone is the largest bone in which specific part of the human body?

Ans. The Wrist.

8/ Mottram Hall Hotel has recently changed hands. Who are the new owners?

Ans. Q Hotels

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9/ What is the name of the film, whose release on Christmas Day, was initially cancelled by Sony following threats by hackers?

Ans. The Interview.

10/ The Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building on Liverpool’s waterfront are now known by what collective name?

Ans. The Three Graces

11/ Four U.S. Civil War generals later became president of the country. Who was the first?

Ans. Ulysses Grant (1869-77)

12/ In the BBC’s 2014 Sports Personality of the Year Poll, which female finished highest?

Ans. Joe Pavey. (third)

13/ Magnetite, hematite, limonite and siderite are ores of which metal?

Ans. Iron

14/ In a flower, what are the individual leaves called that are closed over the bud before it blooms?

Ans. Sepals.

15/ Which supermarket’s website in December had a page entitled Heston’s magical Christmas?

Ans. Waitrose

16/ Which veteran British writer, mainly, but not exclusively, of science fiction,

wrote the book Frankenstein Unbound, which was made into a film in 1990?

Ans. Brian Aldiss.

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17/ Yerevan is the capital of which country?

Ans. Armenia.

18/ Which ancient edifice in the British Isles needed, it has been estimated, 30million man-hours of work to build?

Ans. Stonehenge (standing stone circle)

19/ Who has been voted African Footballer of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2013?

Ans. YaYa Toure

20/ Which Italian physicist developed the Voltaic Pile, the forerunner of the electric battery?

Ans. Alessandro Volta.

21/ A common winter visitor, now stripping our holly trees of berries, To which family of birds do Redwings belong?

Ans. Thrush (Turdidae family is acceptable)

22/ According to its adverts, Stella Artois contains only 4 ingredients, Water, Hops and Malted Barley are 3. What is the fourth?

Ans. Maize (Sweetcorn)

23/ Which famous American play first performed in 1955 features the feuding Pollitt family from Mississippi?

Ans. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

24/ What is the name of the leader of the apes in the 2 latest Planet of the Apes films made in 2011 & 2014?

Ans. Caesar.

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25/ When King Charles 1^st raised his standard at Nottingham castle it marked the beginning of what?

Ans. The English Civil War

26/ Which major sporting event in England and Wales starts on 18^th September this year?

Ans. The Rugby World Cup.

27/ Which alkane, chemical formula CH4, occurs naturally in oil wells, marshes and the emissions from cows?

Ans. Methane.

28/ Poisonus to livestock, colloquially known as a Cadle-dock or stinking nanny, what is the correct name for this large, yellow flowered, common roadside and pasture weed?

Ans. Ragwort (common)

29/ Bill de Blasio holds which public office in America?

Ans. Mayor of New York.

30/ Which famous Spanish artist painted The Persistence of Memory?

Ans. Salvador Dali.

31/ Last year rock keyboard player Rick Wakeman did a tour to mark the 40th anniversary of his concept album based on a Jules Verne story. What was the book/album called?

Ans. Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

32/ Lytham St Annes lies on the estuary of which river?

Ans. The Ribble.

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33/ On a standard dart board, what is the lowest number that cannot be scored with a single dart?

Ans 23

34/ Which major spiral galaxy is the closest to the Milky Way and might collide with it in about three billion years?

Ans. Andromeda

35/ Red and Grey are two species of which edible fish.

Ans. Mullet

36/ Which fashion designer created the H-line and the A-line in the 1950’s?

Ans. Christian Dior.

37/ In which of the arts was Jacob Epstine a leading figure?

Ans. Sculpture.

38/ Which 1993 film is based on case of the Guildford Four?

Ans/ In The Name Of The Father.

39/ In which sea is the Dogger Bank?

Ans. The North Sea

40/ Why were the contents of Samuel Pepys diaries not revealed until; 150 years after his death?

Ans. They were written in shorthand/code which needed to be deciphered.

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41/ Who in 1881 discovered a vaccine for Anthrax?

Ans. Louis Pasteur

42/ The Cougar , Catamount or Mountain Lion is another name for which animal?

Ans. The Puma (do not accept Ocelot)

43/ Who said “The Ballot is stronger than the bullet”?

Ans. Abraham Lincoln

44/ Which R D Blackmore classic romance is sub-titled A Romance of Exmoor?

Ans. Lorna Doone.

45/ Which actor played lead roles in the Spielberg movies “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”?

Ans. Richard Dreyfuss.

46/ Which English navigator gave his name to an island north-east of Tasmania, a mountain range in southern Australia and a river in Queensland?

Ans. Matthew Flinders.

47/ Where is the Yas Marina Motor Racing Circuit?

Ans. Abu Dhabi (accept United Arab Emirates, UAE)

48/ Which English ruler established the Royal Ascot race meeting in 1711?

Ans. Queen Anne

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49/ The Great Indian, the Javan and the Sumartran are among the remaining species of which creature?

Ans. Rhinoceros.

50/ “A scoop of boy trout’s” is an example of which figure of speech?

Ans. A Spoonerism

51/ In a Shakespeare sonnet which line precedes, “Thou art more lovely and more temperate”?

Ans. Shall I compare thee to a summers day?

52/ Dale Arden is the female companion of which comic strip character?

Ans. Flash Gordon.

53/ What is the name of the narrow band of very fast wind occurring in the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere, one band occurring in each hemisphere?

Ans. The jet stream.

54/ What was adopted in the United States of America on 14^th June 1777, and is celebrated every year on that day?

Ans. The flag of the United States, 14^th June is Flag Day.

55/ In Swansea in 1968 Sir Garfield Sobers was the first cricketer to hit six sixes off six balls, who was the unfortunate bowler?

Ans. Malcolm Nash.

56/ What was the name of Britain’s first Nuclear power station when it began operating in 1956?

Ans. Calder Hall (do not accept Sellafield, as it is a different site across the river Calder)

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57/ What is the name of the first female Church of England Bishop?

Ans. The Right Reverend Libby Lane. (do not accept the Bishop of Stockport)

58/ Good Vibrations, published in 1990, is the autobiography of which percussion player, who suffered total loss of hearing in her early teens?

Ans. Evelyn Glennie.

59/ Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs and Paul “Gigsy” McGuigan were two of the original members of which band?

Ans. Oasis

60/ The Court of Lions is in which Moorish palace situated above Granada in Southern Spain?

Ans. The Alhambra Palace

61/ The 1555 publication “Centuries” is the work of which French Apothecary?

Ans. Nostradamus. (accept Michel de Nostredame)

62/ Who was the last European golfer to win the US open?

Ans. Justin Rose in 2013

63/ With which planet did the comet Shoemaker-Levy collide in 1994?

Ans. Jupiter

64/ Where on the body is your Popliteal Fossa?

Ans. Knee (the hollow at the back)

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65/ What term is given to the technique where paint is mixed and bound with egg yolk?

Ans. Tempera

66/ Christopher Biggins played which role in the 1976 award winning BBC dramatisation of I Claudius?

Ans. Nero.

67/ The Grand Coulee Dam stands on which North American river?

Ans. The Columbia river.

68/ What was the Sheet Metal Donkey or the Tin Donkey which, in 1915, was the very first of its kind?

Ans. An all metal aeroplane. ( The Junkers J1)

69/ Only 2 English Classic horse races are restricted to fillies only, name either?

Ans. The Oaks or The One Thousand Guineas.

70/ In the 1850’s and 1860’s, of what did Ferdinand de Lesseps mastermind the construction?

Ans. The Suez Canal.

71/ What colour head does a male Mallard have?

Ans. Green

72/ Alleys and Aggies are types of what?

Ans. Marbles.

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73/ Whose latest (and probably last) album released in 2014 is entitled The Endless River?

Ans. Pink Floyd.

74/ What is the alternative name for The Sea of Galilee in northern Israel?

Ans. Lake Tiberius.

75/ What is the name of the gymnasium and garden, with covered walks, where Aristotle taught?

Ans. The Lyceum.

76/ Name the Bath rugby player who recently switched codes joining them from South Sydney RL?

Ans. Sam Burgess.

77. Who in 1784 gave his name to a fragmentation shell?

Ans. Henry Shrapnel.

78/ Which former woodland region in central England is the setting for Shakespeare’s As You Like It?

Ans. The Forest of Arden.

79/ Which female forename name means “little she bear”?

Ans. Ursula.

80/ The Knight of the Red Rose is the English title of which Richard Strauss opera?

Ans. Der Rosenkavalier.

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81/ Mandalay is a city in which country?

Ans. Myanmar (accept Burma)

82/ Gladwyn Jebb is the only Briton to have held which diplomatic office?

Ans. UN Secretary General. (1945 to 46)

83/ In December, who became the first Premier League managerial “casualty” of the season?

Ans. Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace) Alan Irvine (West Brom) was second.

84/ Of what is dendrology the science?

Ans. Trees

85/ Old Man’s Beard and Traveler’s Joy are names for a variety of which flower?

Ans. Clematis.

86/ The Notting Hill Carnival takes place on the last weekend of which month?

Ans. August.

87/ Name the creator of Marvel Comics, who has had a cameo role in almost all the recent film adaptations of the comic’s superheros?

Ans. Stan Lee.

88/ What is the name of Coldplay’s most recent album?

Ans. Ghost Stories

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89/ Name the American lawyer who resigned from FIFA’s ethics committee in December, unhappy with the way his report into alleged corruption had been handled?

Ans. Michael Garcia.

90/ Where would you find Valles Marineris, a great chasm some 4,000km long?

Ans. Mars.

91/ Causing blisters if touched in sunlight, what is the name of this large hollow stemmed plant, with white umbel flowers, commonly found in roadside verges?

Ans. Hogweed (giant)

92/ According to the Chinese zodiac, as from 15th February 2015 it will be the year of which animal?

Ans. Sheep (accept goat or ram)

93/ Artist Grayson Perry has a transvestite alter ego, what is “her” first name?

Ans. Claire

94/ In which year was the cinematic Space Odyssey set?

0Ans. 2001

95/ What do Laplanders call themselves?

Ans. Sami.

96/ Who was on the English throne when Macclesfield was granted its royal charter?

Ans. Henry III (1216 to 1272, Macclesfield’s charter 1261)

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Sup1/ What is the largest island in Canada

Ans. Baffin Island.

Sup2/ Which English artist was famous for her humorous paintings of large naked ladies?

Ans. Beryl Cook

Sup3/ Which division of the High Court deals with wills, trusts and [property?

Ans The Chancery division.

Sup4/ What is measured using a Wheatstone bridge?

Ans. Electrical Resistance.

Sup5/ Which major European port is situated near the mouth of the river Rhine?

Ans. Rotterdam

Sup6/ What is added to the Greek wine Retsina to give it its unique flavour?

Ans/ Pine resin

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