1.

What is President George W Bush’s middle name?

2.

What was his predecessor William J Clinton’s middle name?

3.

'W' is the symbol for which chemical element?

4.

'K' is the chemical symbol for which chemical element?

5.

What is a 'D notice'?

6.

Which actor played 'Q' in many of the first Bond films?

7.

What was the original surname of black civil rights activist Malcolm X?

8.

Which US novelist’s works include V and Gravity’s Rainbow?

1.

Who played the title role in the 1970 film A Man Called Horse?

2.

Which film star’s second volume of autobiography was called Bring On The Empty Horses?

3.

Which TV cowboy had a horse called Trigger?

4.

Which film cowboy had a horse called Topper?

5.

Red Rum came second in two Grand Nationals.  Name either of the horses that beat him.

6.

Which two of the English Classics are for fillies only?

7.

What was the name of the Duke of Wellington’s horse?

8.

In Lord of the Rings what was the name of Gandalf’s horse?

1.

Who had the first ever UK No 1 single in November 1952?

2.

Who was the first Englishman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

3.

Who wrote the play The Second Mrs Tanqueray?

4.

Who wrote the play Edward the Second?

5.

Who was the Third Man who defected to the Soviet Union in 1963?

6.

Who directed the 1949 film The Third Man?

7.

What is the fourth book of the Old Testament?

8.

Who wrote the novel The Fourth Protocol?

1.

In which war was the term Fifth Columnist first used?

2.

Describe briefly the 5th Amendment of the American Constitution.

3.

Mohammed VI is currently monarch of which country?

4.

The 1958 film Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a biopic of which missionary?

5.

Who was the writer/director of the 1956 film The Seventh Seal?

6.

The wife of Henry VII was also the daughter of a king, the niece of a king, the sister of a king and the mother of a king.  Who was she?

7.

What is the nickname of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony?

8.

Which is the eighth planet from the sun?

1.

Since the Conquest two kings have directly succeeded their grandfathers.  Name either.

2.

Since the Conquest four monarchs have never married.  Name two of them.

3.

Who composed the opera The Queen of Spades in 1890?

4.

Who composed the opera King Priam in 1962?

5.

Where would you find the ocean liner Queen Mary?

6.

The liner Queen Elizabeth met a fiery end in which harbour in 1972?

7.

Who assassinated Martin Luther King in April 1968?

8.

Mervyn King will take up which important office later in the year?

1.

Who won a best actor Oscar in 1966 for his role in Cat Ballou?

2.

Who was the inventor of the road safety feature cat’s eyes?

3.

Which soccer team is nicknamed The Black Cats?

4.

Who was T S Eliot’s Mystery cat?

5.

"Cry ‘havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war" - a quote from which Shakespeare play?

6.

The cat will mew and dog will have his day - a quote from which Shakespeare play?

7.

How many hours does a dog watch last?

8.

What is the scientific name of the Dog Star?

1.

Who wrote the poetical work Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage?

2.

Who in 1855 wrote the poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came?

3.

In the nursery rhyme who killed Cock Robin, and how?

4.

In the nursery rhyme who pulled pussy out of the well?

5.

What was the name of Captain Pugwash’s cabin boy?

6.

Who is Harry Potter’s unpleasant Muggle cousin?

7.

Who was the epileptic brother of George VI about whom a drama documentary is being produced?

8.

Who composed Pavane for a Dead Infanta?

1.

Leith Hill is the highest point in which English county?

2.

Dunkery Beacon is the highest point in which English county?

3.

Which philosopher wrote: "No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary"?

4.

Who wrote the tract The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women?

5.

What was the former profession of the painter Henri Rousseau?

6.

What was the former profession of the painter Paul Gauguin?

7.

Three Europeans (so far) have won the European Footballer of the Year Award three times.  Name any one of them.

8.

Three winners (so far) of the Booker Prize for fiction have gone on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Name any one of them.

1.

Name any two of the novels comprising the Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell.

2.

Abdullah II is king of which country?

3.

With which country is Gertrude Bell most associated?

4.

Which bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus?

5.

What did the Michelson-Morley experiment disprove?

1.

What is President George W Bush’s middle name?

Walker

2.

What was his predecessor William J Clinton’s middle name?

Jefferson

3.

'W' is the symbol for which chemical element?

Tungsten

(or Wolfram)

4.

'K' is the chemical symbol for which chemical element?

Potassium

5.

What is a 'D notice'?

Government notice to editors banning publication of sensitive information in the public interest - often concerning security-related material

6.

Which actor played 'Q' in many of the first Bond films?

Desmond Llewellyn

7.

What was the original surname of black civil rights activist Malcolm X?

Little

8.

Which US novelist’s works include V and Gravity’s Rainbow?

Thomas Pynchon

1.

Who played the title role in the 1970 film A Man Called Horse?

Richard Harris

2.

Which film star’s second volume of autobiography was called Bring On The Empty Horses?

David Niven

3.

Which TV cowboy had a horse called Trigger?

Roy Rogers

4.

Which film cowboy had a horse called Topper?

Hopalong Cassidy

5.

Red Rum came second in two Grand Nationals.  Name either of the horses that beat him.

(one of)

L’Escargot (1975),

Rag Trade (1976)

6.

Which two of the English Classics are for fillies only?

The 1000 Guineas and

The Oaks

7.

What was the name of the Duke of Wellington’s horse?

Copenhagen

8.

In Lord of the Rings what was the name of Gandalf’s horse?

Shadowfax

1.

Who had the first ever UK No 1 single in November 1952?

Al Martino

2.

Who was the first Englishman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

Rudyard Kipling

(in 1907)

3.

Who wrote the play The Second Mrs Tanqueray?

Arthur Wing Pinero

4.

Who wrote the play Edward the Second?

Christopher Marlowe

5.

Who was the Third Man who defected to the Soviet Union in 1963?

Kim Philby

6.

Who directed the 1949 film The Third Man?

Carol Reed

7.

What is the fourth book of the Old Testament?

Numbers

8.

Who wrote the novel The Fourth Protocol?

Frederick Forsyth

1.

In which war was the term Fifth Columnist first used?

Spanish Civil War

2.

Describe briefly the 5th Amendment of the American Constitution.

The right to avoid self-incrimination by not answering questions

3.

Mohammed VI is currently monarch of which country?

Morocco

4.

The 1958 film Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a biopic of which missionary?

Gladys Aylward

5.

Who was the writer/director of the 1956 film The Seventh Seal?

Ingmar Bergman

6.

The wife of Henry VII was also the daughter of a king, the niece of a king, the sister of a king and the mother of a king.  Who was she?

Elizabeth of York (Edward IV, Richard III, Edward V and Henry VIII were the other kings)

7.

What is the nickname of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony?

Symphony of a Thousand

8.

Which is the eighth planet from the sun?

Neptune

1.

Since the Conquest two kings have directly succeeded their grandfathers.  Name either.

(one of)

Richard II,

George III

2.

Since the Conquest four monarchs have never married.  Name two of them.

(two of)

William II,

Edward V,

Edward VI,

Elizabeth I,

3.

Who composed the opera The Queen of Spades in 1890?

Pyotr Tchaichovsky

4.

Who composed the opera King Priam in 1962?

Michael Tippett

5.

Where would you find the ocean liner Queen Mary?

Long Beach, California

(where it is a tourist attraction)

6.

The liner Queen Elizabeth met a fiery end in which harbour in 1972?

Hong Kong harbour

7.

Who assassinated Martin Luther King in April 1968?

James Earl Ray

8.

Mervyn King will take up which important office later in the year?

Governor of the Bank of England

1.

Who won a best actor Oscar in 1966 for his role in Cat Ballou?

Lee Marvin

2.

Who was the inventor of the road safety feature cat’s eyes?

Percy Shaw

3.

Which soccer team is nicknamed The Black Cats?

Sunderland

4.

Who was T S Eliot’s Mystery cat?

McCavity

5.

"Cry ‘havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war" - a quote from which Shakespeare play?

Julius Caesar

6.

The cat will mew and dog will have his day - a quote from which Shakespeare play?

Hamlet

7.

How many hours does a dog watch last?

Two

8.

What is the scientific name of the Dog Star?

Sirius

1.

Who wrote the poetical work Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage?

Lord Byron

2.

Who in 1855 wrote the poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came?

Robert Browning

3.

In the nursery rhyme who killed Cock Robin, and how?

The Sparrow with a bow and arrow

4.

In the nursery rhyme who pulled pussy out of the well?

Little Tommy Stout

5.

What was the name of Captain Pugwash’s cabin boy?

Tom

(definitely not Roger - that’s an urban legend)

6.

Who is Harry Potter’s unpleasant Muggle cousin?

Dudley Dursley

7.

Who was the epileptic brother of George VI about whom a drama documentary is being produced?

Prince John

8.

Who composed Pavane for a Dead Infanta?

Maurice Ravel

1.

Leith Hill is the highest point in which English county?

Surrey

2.

Dunkery Beacon is the highest point in which English county?

Somerset

3.

Which philosopher wrote: "No more things should be presumed to exist than are absolutely necessary"?

William of Occam

4.

Who wrote the tract The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women?

John Knox

5.

What was the former profession of the painter Henri Rousseau?

Customs Officer

6.

What was the former profession of the painter Paul Gauguin?

Stockbroker/banker

(also accept labourer on the Panama canal)

7.

Three Europeans (so far) have won the European Footballer of the Year Award three times.  Name any one of them.

(one of)

Johann Cruyff (71/73/74),

Michel Platini (83/84/85),

Marco van Basten (88/89/91)

8.

Three winners (so far) of the Booker Prize for fiction have gone on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Name any one of them.

(one of)

William Golding,

Nadine Gordimer,

V S Naipaul

1.

Name any two of the novels comprising the Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell.

(two from)

Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, Clea

2.

Abdullah II is king of which country?

Jordan

3.

With which country is Gertrude Bell most associated?

Iraq

4.

Which bird has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus?

Manx Shearwater

5.

What did the Michelson-Morley experiment disprove?

The existence of ether