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