ROUND 1

1.

Which of his brothers did Napoleon make King of Spain?

2.

What is an eyas?

3.

Who succeeded John Major as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1990?

4.

Which Irish city has been voted European City of Culture in 2005?

5.

In ten pin bowling, what term is used to describe the knocking down of all ten pins with two balls in a single frame?

6.

Cape Matapan is the southern mainland tip of which country?

7.

Whose pseudonym was ‘Acton Bell’?

8.

The town of Enniskillen lies between the upper and lower sections of which Irish Lough?

ROUND 2

1.

What is the Christian name of John F Kennedy’s only daughter?

2.

What was the surname of the three brothers who played football for Southampton between 1988 and 1989?

3.

The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham was loosely based on the life of which artist?

4.

Which Latin phrase translates into English as 'Through my fault'?

5.

Who wrote the Billy Bunter books?

6.

Which poet and novelist wrote a series of Barrack Room Ballads in the late 19th century?

7.

Mount Aconcagua, at 22,841 feet, is the highest mountain in the western hemisphere.  What country is it in?

8.

In 1947, who flew the Bell X-1 at the speed of sound in level flight?

ROUND 3

1.

In which country does the Atacama desert mainly lie?

2.

Where, on the night of November 12th 1940, was the Italian fleet attacked by a squadron of Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers?

3.

Which author wrote Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles?

4.

Which actor played Pinkie in the 1947 film Brighton Rock?

5.

What is the last letter at the bottom right of a typewriter keyboard?

6.

Who, in 1967, was the first person to receive a heart transplant?

7.

Who designed the sea-planes that won the Schneider Trophy races, and which eventually evolved into the Spitfire?

8.

What device allows a car’s wheels to turn at different speeds when cornering?

ROUND 4

1.

In children’s literature, who is Captain Pugwash’s archenemy?

2.

Who was Britain’s first Liberal Prime Minister?

3.

Babushka is the Russian name for what item of clothing?

4.

Which English artist was the subject of Jack Hazan’s semi-documentary film A Bigger Splash?

5.

In what year were driving penalty points introduced in the UK?

6.

Where is the country seat of the Duke of Norfolk?

7.

How many bells are sounded at the end of a watch at sea?

8.

In World War II what did the acronym PLUTO stand for?

ROUND 5

1.

In what year was the £1 coin introduced?

2.

Which US artiste sang the theme tune to TV’s Rawhide series?

3.

In which country was the astronomer Copernicus born in 1473?

4.

Who was the third famous singer killed in the plane crash involving Buddy Holly and Richie Valens?

5.

Who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Front in 1974?

6.

What was the next country, after Poland, to be invaded by Germany in 1940?

7.

Who wrote the opera Girl of the Golden West?

8.

Who played Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine?

ROUND 6

1.

Whom did Fidel Castro replace as Cuban leader in 1959?

2.

What is the name of the stone building in the centre of the great Mosque at Mecca?

3.

What is Lord Carrington’s first name?

4.

Which city is served by Malpensa Airport?

5.

Who said: “Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat”?

6.

Who won the FA Cup in 1939, thus holding it until 1946?

7.

By what name is Middlesex Street in London better known?

8.

Who had a number one hit in 1986 with West End Girls?

ROUND 7

1.

A janissary was an elite soldier in which country’s army?

2.

What instrument did musician Artie Shaw play?

3.

Sooty, roseate and sandwich are types of which bird?

4.

With which artistic movement was Edward Burne-Jones associated?

5.

What is the name of the Vietnamese New Year festival made famous by an action in the Vietnam War?

6.

Which motorway runs between Coventry and Leicester?

7.

Which football team plays at The McCain Stadium?

8.

In the 1980’s Maureen Lipmann presented shows performing famous monologues as a tribute to whom?

1.

From which Indian Ocean island was the population evacuated to allow the US to use it as an air force base?

2.

Which tunnel under the River Thames did Marc and I K Brunel build between 1825 and 1843?

3.

What was Capability Brown’s real Christian name?

4.

Who shot and killed Jessie James?

5.

In which city would you be if you landed at Ruzyne Airport?

6.

Who wrote the bestsellers Stalingrad and Berlin?

7.

Whose memoirs were titled A Royal Duty?

8.

There are two steeplechase courses at Aintree, the Grand National course and which other?

1.

In the computing abbreviation ISP, for what does the letter 'P' stand?

2.

Who designed the aviary at London Zoo, opened in 1965?

3.

Which was the second team ever to win the European Cup?

4.

In which city is Barlinnie Prison?

5.

Whose right to the British throne did the Duke of Monmouth challenge?

6.

Who said, on reaching his 100th birthday in 2003: “I’m so old, they’ve cancelled my blood group”?

7.

What breed of parrot is featured in the famous Monty Python sketch?

8.

Which book, first published in 1653, has the alternative title, The Contemplative Man's Recreation?

ROUND 1

1.

Which of his brothers did Napoleon make King of Spain?

Joseph

2.

What is an eyas?

A young or unfledged hawk

3.

Who succeeded John Major as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1990?

Norman Lamont

4.

Which Irish city has been voted European City of Culture in 2005?

Cork

5.

In ten pin bowling, what term is used to describe the knocking down of all ten pins with two balls in a single frame?

A spare

6.

Cape Matapan is the southern mainland tip of which country?

Greece

7.

Whose pseudonym was ‘Acton Bell’?

Anne Bronte

8.

The town of Enniskillen lies between the upper and lower sections of which Irish Lough?

Lough Eme

ROUND 2

1.

What is the Christian name of John F Kennedy’s only daughter?

Caroline

2.

What was the surname of the three brothers who played football for Southampton between 1988 and 1989?

Wallace

3.

The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham was loosely based on the life of which artist?

Paul Gauguin

4.

Which Latin phrase translates into English as 'Through my fault'?

Mea Culpa

5.

Who wrote the Billy Bunter books?

Frank Richards

6.

Which poet and novelist wrote a series of Barrack Room Ballads in the late 19th century?

Rudyard Kipling

7.

Mount Aconcagua, at 22,841 feet, is the highest mountain in the western hemisphere.  What country is it in?

Argentina

8.

In 1947, who flew the Bell X-1 at the speed of sound in level flight?

Chuck Yeager

ROUND 3

1.

In which country does the Atacama desert mainly lie?

Chile

2.

Where, on the night of November 12th 1940, was the Italian fleet attacked by a squadron of Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers?

Taranto

3.

Which author wrote Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles?

Ray Bradbury

4.

Which actor played Pinkie in the 1947 film Brighton Rock?

Richard Attenborough

5.

What is the last letter at the bottom right of a typewriter keyboard?

M

6.

Who, in 1967, was the first person to receive a heart transplant?

Louis Washkansky

7.

Who designed the sea-planes that won the Schneider Trophy races, and which eventually evolved into the Spitfire?

R J Mitchell

8.

What device allows a car’s wheels to turn at different speeds when cornering?

Differential

ROUND 4

1.

In children’s literature, who is Captain Pugwash’s archenemy?

Cut-throat Jake

2.

Who was Britain’s first Liberal Prime Minister?

Viscount Palmerston

3.

Babushka is the Russian name for what item of clothing?

A triangular headscarf

4.

Which English artist was the subject of Jack Hazan’s semi-documentary film A Bigger Splash?

David Hockney

5.

In what year were driving penalty points introduced in the UK?

1981

6.

Where is the country seat of the Duke of Norfolk?

Arundel Castle

7.

How many bells are sounded at the end of a watch at sea?

Eight

8.

In World War II what did the acronym PLUTO stand for?

Pipe Line Under The Ocean

ROUND 5

1

In what year was the £1 coin introduced?

1983

2.

Which US artiste sang the theme tune to TV’s Rawhide series?

Frankie Laine

3.

In which country was the astronomer Copernicus born in 1473?

Poland

4.

Who was the third famous singer killed in the plane crash involving Buddy Holly and Richie Valens?

The Big Bopper

5.

Who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Front in 1974?

Patty Hearst

6.

What was the next country, after Poland, to be invaded by Germany in 1940?

Denmark

7.

Who wrote the opera Girl of the Golden West?

Puccini

8.

Who played Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine?

Kathy Staff

ROUND 6

1

Whom did Fidel Castro replace as Cuban leader in 1959?

Batista

2.

What is the name of the stone building in the centre of the great Mosque at Mecca?

Kaaba

3.

What is Lord Carrington’s first name?

Peter

4.

Which city is served by Malpensa Airport?

Milan

5.

Who said: “Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat”?

Hermann Goering

6.

Who won the FA Cup in 1939, thus holding it until 1946?

Portsmouth

7.

By what name is Middlesex Street in London better known?

Petticoat Lane

8.

Who had a number one hit in 1986 with West End Girls?

The Pet Shop Boys

ROUND 7

1.

A janissary was an elite soldier in which country’s army?

Turkey

2.

What instrument did musician Artie Shaw play?

Clarinet

3.

Sooty, roseate and sandwich are types of which bird?

Tern

4.

With which artistic movement was Edward Burne-Jones associated?

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

5.

What is the name of the Vietnamese New Year festival made famous by an action in the Vietnam War?

Tet

6.

Which motorway runs between Coventry and Leicester?

M69

7.

Which football team plays at The McCain Stadium?

Scarborough

8.

In the 1980’s Maureen Lipmann presented shows performing famous monologues as a tribute to whom?

Joyce Grenfell

1.

From which Indian Ocean island was the population evacuated to allow the US to use it as an air force base?

Diego Garcia

2.

Which tunnel under the River Thames did Marc and I K Brunel build between 1825 and 1843?

Rotherhithe

3.

What was Capability Brown’s real Christian name?

Lancelot

4.

Who shot and killed Jessie James?

Robert Ford

5.

In which city would you be if you landed at Ruzyne Airport?

Prague

6.

Who wrote the bestsellers Stalingrad and Berlin?

Antony Beevor

7.

Whose memoirs were titled A Royal Duty?

Paul Burrell

8.

There are two steeplechase courses at Aintree, the Grand National course and which other?

The Mildmay course

1.

In the computing abbreviation ISP, for what does the letter 'P' stand?

Provider

(Internet Service Provider)

2.

Who designed the aviary at London Zoo, opened in 1965?

Antony Armstrong Jones

(Lord Snowdon)

3.

Which was the second team ever to win the European Cup?

Benfica

4.

In which city is Barlinnie Prison?

Glasgow

5.

Whose right to the British throne did the Duke of Monmouth challenge?

James II

6.

Who said, on reaching his 100th birthday in 2003: “I’m so old, they’ve cancelled my blood group”?

Bob Hope

7.

What breed of parrot is featured in the famous Monty Python sketch?

Norwegian Blue

8.

Which book, first published in 1653, has the alternative title, The Contemplative Man's Recreation?

The Compleat Angler

Go back to Spare questions without answers