ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Who was the general secretary of the CND between 1980 and 1985?

2.

Which former pilot, who became active in charity, married Sue Ryder in Bombay in 1959?

3.

Which actress links the TV programmes Coronation Street, Where The Heart Is and Rose and Maloney?

4.

Hold Me Close and Gonna Make You a Star were UK number one singles for which singer?

5.

Which song, taken from a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical opens with the lines “When I take you out, tonight, with me, Honey, here's the way it's goin' to be”?

6.

Which author was born at the British Embassy in France in 1874 and qualified as a doctor before enjoying his first major success with second book Liza of Lambeth?

7.

Who was the commanding British General for the losing English forces at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781?

8.

Which Cambridge college, with the motto 'God Preserve Me From Calumny’ was founded in 1596, was named after its founder, and has amongst its alumni Oliver Cromwell, Dr David Owen and Carol Vorderman?

ROUND 2 - 'Lady Presidents'

Identify the women - each shares a surname with a 20th century US President

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

ROUND 3 - Quotations

1.

Who said “Fashion fades only style remains the same"?

2.

Who said “For me music and life are all about style"?

3.

Who said “Jazz is like a banana. It has to be consumed on the spot"?

4.

Who said “A lifetime of listening to disco music is a high price to pay for one's sexual preference”?

5.

Who said “It takes a long time to grow young"?

6.

Who said “You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you're down there"?

7.

Who said “Without music, life would be a mistake"?

8.

Who said “There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats"?

ROUND 4

1.

What is the name of the extinct volcano which overlooks the city of Edinburgh?

2.

Who had top ten hits in 1970 with Give Me Just A Little More Time and You've Got Me Dangling On A String?

3.

Which band had a hit with Too Shy in 1983?

4.

In which city are the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund?

5.

Who was the Greek Goddess of Victory?

6.

What is headed by Commissioner Shaw Clifton?

7.

Who invented the pie chart?

8.

Who invented the cat flap?

ROUND 5 - European Cities

The answer to each question contains the name of a major European City (either on its own or as part of a two word answer)

1.

What was the name of the song that  reached No 2 in the charts in 1981 by a British band whose name can be translated from the Latin as 'the voice from beyond'?

2.

Which 1979 album by a British band has its album sleeve showing the bass player smashing up his guitar - it was judged by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest album of the 1980s?

3.

Give the name of a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage exhibits loyalty to the hostage-taker, in spite of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed.

4.

Give the collective name of four treaties, the first of which was adopted in 1864 after the Battle of Solferino.

5.

Give the name of Ian McEwan’s Booker Prize winning 1998 novel.

6.

Give the name of the award-winning play by Michael Frayn which features a meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg.

7.

Give the name of the 2005 Steven Spielberg film that won him his sixth Best Director Oscar nomination.

8.

Give the name of Wim Wenders’ 1984 Palme D’Or winning film which featured a Ry Cooder score.

ROUND 6 - Sibling Rivalry

Each Question related to a pair of siblings - full names of both are required

1.

Poet and Diarist Sister

2.

Composer Brothers

3.

Acting Brothers

4.

Actress & Politician

5.

Acting Brothers

6.

Acting Brother & Sister

7.

Acting Brother & Sister

8.

Psychiatrist Brothers - but this time we want the names of the actors

ROUND 7 - Biography Theme

These are short biographies of people who passed on in 2006; in each case, identify the person concerned from the brief description of their life

1.

Born in Dunfermline, she trained as a ballerina and rose to international fame in the 1948 film The Red Shoes. She married the journalist and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy in 1950.

2.

American TV actor famous for playing the assistant Chester Goode in Gunsmoke; the eponymous law enforcer in McCloud; and the harassed driver in Steven Spielberg’s Duel.

3.

American politician who served as Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan between 1981 and 1987 and was responsible for the Strategic Defense Initiative programme popularly known as Star Wars.

4.

Born in Canada, a leading 20th century economist who followed Keynesian theory and produced the works American Capitalism, The Affluent Society and The New Industrial State.

5.

Born in Manchester, he was a milkman in Collyhurst, before finding fame in the 1960s as the lead vocalist of a five-piece band who had hits such as I’m Telling You Now, You Were Made For Me and I Understand.

6.

Son of a Cambridge pathologist, he joined the band  The Tea Set in 1965, eventually coining the name by which they became well known. He was replaced in the group by his old schoolfriend Dave Gilmour, because of his erratic behaviour, allegedly a result of sizeable drug use.

7.

This cricketer was the first player to take 300 test wickets.

8.

Nicknamed ‘The Beckham of the Baize’, this Leeds-based snooker player turned professional in 1995. He won the Wembley Masters 3 times and was a World Championship semi-finalist in 2003. A flamboyant character, he hit the headlines by revealing that a romantic encounter with his partner during the interval, helped him win his first Masters title.

1.

What is the home City of Coca Cola?

2.

What is the original home city of Boeing?

3.

Who is the richest male TV actor?

4.

Who is the richest female TV actor?

5.

Within 5 Million, how many web sites are on the World Wide Web?

6.

What is the name of the Head of MI5?

7.

Who designed the ‘I love NY’ slogan and logo?

8.

Who designed the map of the London Underground?

1.

Who is the longest serving member of the Privy Council?

2.

What was Fanny Craddocks real first name?

3.

What is the collective name for the 9 handmaidens of Odin?

4.

Who, upon splitting with her partner said: “At least I can wear high heels now”?

5.

What, in media terms, to the relief of thousands, and to the annoyance of thousands of others, didn’t happen between 7.02 and 7.15 on Tuesday 7th November?

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Who was the general secretary of the CND between 1980 and 1985?

Bruce Kent

2.

Which former pilot, who became active in charity, married Sue Ryder in Bombay in 1959?

Leonard Cheshire

3.

Which actress links the TV programmes Coronation Street, Where The Heart Is and Rose and Maloney?

Sarah Lancashire

4.

Hold Me Close and Gonna Make You a Star were UK number one singles for which singer?

David Essex

5.

Which song, taken from a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical opens with the lines “When I take you out, tonight, with me, Honey, here's the way it's goin' to be”?

The Surrey with the Fringe on Top

6.

Which author was born at the British Embassy in France in 1874 and qualified as a doctor before enjoying his first major success with second book Liza of Lambeth?

W Somerset Maughan

7.

Who was the commanding British General for the losing English forces at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781?

General Cornwallis

8.

Which Cambridge college, with the motto 'God Preserve Me From Calumny’ was founded in 1596, was named after its founder, and has amongst its alumni Oliver Cromwell, Dr David Owen and Carol Vorderman?

Sidney Sussex

ROUND 2 - 'Lady Presidents'

Identify the women - each shares a surname with a 20th century US President

1.

Amy Johnson

(Aviator)

(Lyndon 1963-69)

2.

Christine Truman

(Tennis Player)

(Harry 1945-53)

3.

Jacqueline Wilson

(Children’s author)

(Woodrow 1913-1921)

4.

Tonya Harding

(Ice Skater)

(Warren 1921-23)

5.

Rita Coolidge

(Singer)

(Calvin 1923-29)

6.

Rosemary Ford

(Generation Game host)

(Gerald 1974-77)

7.

Sarah Kennedy

(Radio Presenter)

(John 1961-63)

8.

Linda Carter

(Wonderwoman Actress)

(Jimmy 1977-81)

ROUND 3 - Quotations

1.

Who said “Fashion fades only style remains the same"?

Coco Chanel

2.

Who said “For me music and life are all about style"?

Miles Davis

3.

Who said “Jazz is like a banana. It has to be consumed on the spot"?

Jean Paul Sartre

4.

Who said “A lifetime of listening to disco music is a high price to pay for one's sexual preference”?

Quentin Crisp

5.

Who said “It takes a long time to grow young"?

Pablo Picasso

6.

Who said “You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you're down there"?

George Burns

7.

Who said “Without music, life would be a mistake"?

Friedrich Nietzsche

8.

Who said “There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats"?

Albert Schweitzer

ROUND 4

1.

What is the name of the extinct volcano which overlooks the city of Edinburgh?

Arthur`s Seat

2.

Who had top ten hits in 1970 with Give Me Just A Little More Time and You've Got Me Dangling On A String?

Chairmen of the Board

3.

Which band had a hit with Too Shy in 1983?

Kajagoogoo

4.

In which city are the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund?

Washington

5.

Who was the Greek Goddess of Victory?

Nike

6.

What is headed by Commissioner Shaw Clifton?

The Salvation Army

7.

Who invented the pie chart?

Florence Nightingale

8.

Who invented the cat flap?

Isaac Newton

ROUND 5 - European Cities

The answer to each question contains the name of a major European City (either on its own or as part of a two word answer)

1

What was the name of the song that  reached No 2 in the charts in 1981 by a British band whose name can be translated from the Latin as 'the voice from beyond'?

Vienna

(by Ultravox)

2.

Which 1979 album by a British band has its album sleeve showing the bass player smashing up his guitar - it was judged by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest album of the 1980s?

London Calling

(by the Clash)

3.

Give the name of a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage exhibits loyalty to the hostage-taker, in spite of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed.

Stockholm Syndrome

4.

Give the collective name of four treaties, the first of which was adopted in 1864 after the Battle of Solferino.

Geneva Convention

5.

Give the name of Ian McEwan’s Booker Prize winning 1998 novel.

Amsterdam

6.

Give the name of the award-winning play by Michael Frayn which features a meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg.

Copenhagen

7.

Give the name of the 2005 Steven Spielberg film that won him his sixth Best Director Oscar nomination.

Munich

8.

Give the name of Wim Wenders’ 1984 Palme D’Or winning film which featured a Ry Cooder score.

Paris, Texas

ROUND 6 - Sibling Rivalry

Each Question related to a pair of siblings - full names of both are required

1

Poet and Diarist Sister

William & Dorothy Wordsworth

2.

Composer Brothers

George & Ira Gershwin

3.

Acting Brothers

Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez

4.

Actress & Politician

Jenny Hanley and Jeremy Hanley

5.

Acting Brothers

River & Joaquim Phoenix

6.

Acting Brother & Sister

Shirley Maclaine & Warren Beatty

7.

Acting Brother & Sister

Jane & Peter Fonda

8.

Psychiatrist Brothers - but this time we want the names of the actors

Kelsey Grammer & David Hyde-Pierce

(Frasier & Niles Crane)

ROUND 7 - Biography Theme

These are short biographies of people who passed on in 2006; in each case, identify the person concerned from the brief description of their life

1.

Born in Dunfermline, she trained as a ballerina and rose to international fame in the 1948 film The Red Shoes. She married the journalist and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy in 1950.

Moira Shearer

2.

American TV actor famous for playing the assistant Chester Goode in Gunsmoke; the eponymous law enforcer in McCloud; and the harassed driver in Steven Spielberg’s Duel.

Dennis Weaver

3.

American politician who served as Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan between 1981 and 1987 and was responsible for the Strategic Defense Initiative programme popularly known as Star Wars.

Caspar Weinberger

4.

Born in Canada, a leading 20th century economist who followed Keynesian theory and produced the works American Capitalism, The Affluent Society and The New Industrial State.

J K Galbraith

5.

Born in Manchester, he was a milkman in Collyhurst, before finding fame in the 1960s as the lead vocalist of a five-piece band who had hits such as I’m Telling You Now, You Were Made For Me and I Understand.

Freddie Garrity

6.

Son of a Cambridge pathologist, he joined the band  The Tea Set in 1965, eventually coining the name by which they became well known. He was replaced in the group by his old schoolfriend Dave Gilmour, because of his erratic behaviour, allegedly a result of sizeable drug use.

Syd Barrett

7.

This cricketer was the first player to take 300 test wickets.

Fred Trueman

8.

Nicknamed ‘The Beckham of the Baize’, this Leeds-based snooker player turned professional in 1995. He won the Wembley Masters 3 times and was a World Championship semi-finalist in 2003. A flamboyant character, he hit the headlines by revealing that a romantic encounter with his partner during the interval, helped him win his first Masters title.

Paul Hunter

1.

What is the home City of Coca Cola?

Atlanta

(Georgia)

2.

What is the original home city of Boeing?

Seattle

(Washington State)

3.

Who is the richest male TV actor?

Jerry Seinfeld

4.

Who is the richest female TV actor?

Jennifer Aniston

5.

Within 5 Million, how many web sites are on the World Wide Web?

101,435,253

(as of 1/11/6)

6.

What is the name of the Head of MI5?

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller

7.

Who designed the ‘I love NY’ slogan and logo?

Milton Glaser

8.

Who designed the map of the London Underground?

Harry Beck

1.

Who is the longest serving member of the Privy Council?

The Duke of Edinburgh

(appointed in 1951)

2.

What was Fanny Craddocks real first name?

Phyllis

3.

What is the collective name for the 9 handmaidens of Odin?

The Valkyries

4.

Who, upon splitting with her partner said: “At least I can wear high heels now”?

Nicole Kidman

5.

What, in media terms, to the relief of thousands, and to the annoyance of thousands of others, didn’t happen between 7.02 and 7.15 on Tuesday 7th November?

The long expected consummation of the relationship between Ruth Archer and Sam the cow man in the 15000th episode of the Archers did not happen

(“I do love you and I know you love me,” she cried, “but I cannot be with you. I mean it.  I’m sorry.  I cannot go through with this.”)

Go back to Spare questions without answers