ROUND 1 - Hidden theme - 'Stop ringing Dave'

1.

The Twits, The Witches, The Enormous Crocodile and Matilda are all works of children’s fiction by which author?

2.

Which former Labour government minister died in 2006 at the age of 62, as a result of a cerebral haemorrhage which occurred during a holiday in Florida?

3.

Who was hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping, in 1701 after being convicted of murder and five counts of piracy?

4.

Which surname links an Oscar-winning actress, an Olympic sprint champion and an American rhythm-and-blues singer born in 1942?

5.

In the Oscar nominated film The Queen, which role is played by Mark Bazeley?

6.

Which actress, who died in October 2006, played Lucille Hewitt in the TV soap Coronation Street between 1960 and 1974?

7.

Which prominent figure of the British theatre has been married to both the actress Leslie Caron and the opera singer Maria Ewing?

8.

Which Scottish clan, originated in Lochaber, were given land in Badenoch by Robert the Bruce as a reward for their help in defeating the Cummings?

ROUND 2 - Hidden theme

1.

Edward the Black Prince and John II of France were the rival commanders of the forces in which significant battle of 1356, which was one of England's major successes in the Hundred Years’ War?

2.

Which American composer, who died in 1992, was most widely known for his 1952 composition 4’33’ whose three movements are performed without playing a single note?

3.

Which surname connects a former British sportsman, who received a knighthood in 2000, becoming the first from his sport to receive that honour; a popular Welsh entertainer who died in 1984; and an American novelist whose most famous work was published in 1826 and adapted into several cinematic versions of which the most recent was directed by Michael Mann?

4.

Which syndicated American cartoon strip was written and drawn by the cartoonist Chester Gould between 1931 and 1977 and featured the villain Flattop Jones?

5.

Fringillidae is the Latin name for which family of passerine birds, found chiefly in the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Southern Africa?

6.

Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid were characters created by which author?

7.

Clare Curtis-Thomas, who had the highest expenses of any MP in 2003, represents which North-Western constituency in Parliament?

8.

Which historical figure is depicted on the obverse side of a United States 25 cent coin?

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme - 'Tales of the Riverbank'

1.

Who was the British Chief of the Imperial General Staff in World War II?

2.

What is the oldest regular regiment in continuous service in the British Army?

3.

What material was used in the later 19th century for making golf balls and insulating underwater electric cables, and is now used mainly in surgical implements?

4.

What Latin phrase, still in use, is usually translated as 'seize the day'?

5.

Which successful solo singer, born in 1945, helped to found the Ray Davies Quartet (later The Kinks), from which he was rapidly dropped because the drummer’s mother complained about his voice? (first and last names required)

6.

Which English musician, born 1933, has had pieces dedicated to him by, among others: Malcolm Arnold, Richard Rodney Bennett, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett and William Walton?

7.

First name Walter; born 1951 in New Jersey; played with Canned Heat and John Mayall (among others); currently heads a band called the Radicals; latest CD is called Full Circle.  What is his last name?

8.

Three original members of Procul Harum - the lead singer, the lyricist, and the organist - went to court in December 2006 to dispute the authorship of A Whiter Shade of Pale.  Name any two of them.

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme - 'Thirty - no Forty - Years of Hurt'

1.

This actor played a variety of exuberant, malevolent and silly characters during the 1950s and 60s.  His films include Those Magnificient Men in their Flying Machines and I’m alright Jack.  Name him.

2.

Name the actor who started his career in Neighbours and subsequently went into film.  His films include Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and LA Confidential, and The Time Machine.

3.

This horse won 17 of his 18 races earning £0.25m in prize money from 1970 to 1972 including the 2000 Guineas – and it twice won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.  Name the horse.

4.

Two English actors formed this pop duo in the 1990s after appearing together in a TV Series about life in the army. What was the name of the pop duo?

5.

Name the film director whose first film was Roger & Me.

6.

Leonardo Di Caprio played this man in a biopic released in 2004.  Name the character.

7.

This pop duo had a No 1 hit in 1973 with Welcome Home.  Name them.

8.

This actor and comedian provides voices on the Simpsons for Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Julius Hibbert, Dr. Marvin Monroe, Lenny Leonard, Principal Seymour Skinner and others.  Name him.

ROUND 5 - 'Gems'

Either in the questions or the answers

1.

Who, in the 1950s, played policewoman Ruby Gates in a series of films, which she later is reported to have regretted?

2.

What was Ruby Bridges, as a 6 year old child in the USA in 1960, the first person to do?

3.

What gemstone’s name comes from the Greek for ‘not drunk’?

4.

Sapphire comes from the Greek word describing one of its properties.  What does the Greek word mean?

5.

Emerald, morganite and heliodore are all variants of a gemstone that shares its name with a female first name featured in a comic.  What is it?

6.

Which gemstone shares its name with a male first name used by a, now, very rich comedian?

7.

What is the title of the third novel in the trilogy known as His Dark Materials?

8.

What was William McGonagall’s middle name?

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme - 'Artists – but not quite of the first rank'

1.

Which painter and writer believed that he was personally instructed and encouraged by Archangels to create his artistic works, which he claimed were actively read and enjoyed by those same Archangels?

2.

Name the English master of Art Nouveau illustration renowned for his dark and perverse images and grotesque erotica.

3.

He wrote a political satire on Russia, where a devil appears in Moscow, accompanied by a naked woman and a large black cat.  Completed in 1938, it wasn’t published in Russia until 1966.  Name him.

4.

Between 1349 and 1351, he wrote a book containing a number of different stories, sometimes seen as an Italian Canterbury Tales.  Name him.

5.

Which Frenchman is considered to be the co-founder of Cubism?

6.

Which Dutch artist was famous for his fantasy paintings, including the Garden of Earthly Delights?

7.

Born in London, in 1904, he was well respected as a portrait and fashion photographer, as well as a set designer and stylist.  Name him.

8.

Born in Hamburg in 1904, this photographer worked for Picture Post in the UK as well as developing a large amount of work featuring nudes often set in beachscapes.  Name him.

ROUND 7 - Unthemed

1.

Which newspaper strip cartoon character was created by Jim Davis?

2.

Which well known cartoon animal was created in 1919 by the Pat Sullivan studio, New York?

3.

Of what was John Hancock the first signatory?

4.

Judge John Bradshaw was the first signatory to which famous 17th century document?

5.

What is the name of the huge particle accelerator currently being built at CERN?

6.

What is the name of the £7 billion fusion reactor to be built in France? (acronym only required)

7.

In music if you play the notes D, F, A and C together, what chord are you playing?

8.

In music what time signature has three beats in a bar, each beat consisting of three quavers?

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

In chess, give the name to the opening where the black king’s pawn moves one space, in reply to a two-square move by white’s king’s pawn.

2.

This is a euphemism used in Private Eye for illicit sex, usually when carrying out a supposedly official duty.  Normally of the form “discussing ...”.  What is it?

3.

In logic and computing, name the system of formal notation without brackets or special punctuation frequently used to represent the order in which arithmetical operations were performed in many computers and calculators.

4.

Historically this refers to the NE Coast of S America adjacent to the Caribbean Sea, especially between Panama and the Orinoco River.  What is it?

5.

This domestic cat has a double coat, unique to this breed, with the undercoat being soft and downy, and longer guard hairs giving the coat a shimmering appearance.  What is it?

6.

This domestic dog, bred for hunting, has a large silky red coat and a long feathered tail.

7.

This name is given to a frame of cane used for resting the limbs in bed, and also a name given to an artificial sexual partner.  What is it?

8.

This term means a stalemate or impasse.  Now considered a movie cliché due to its use in Spaghetti Westerns and B-Movies.  What is it?

1.

In which Jane Austen novel do Fanny Price and her cousin Edmund Bertram appear?

2.

In which Jane Austen novel do the characters Catherine and James Morland appear?

3.

Who was the lead vocalist with the 70s rock band Family?

4.

Who was the lead singer with the rock band Yes?

5.

Name the film (each of which contains a number):

……… Victor Mature then Raquel Welch.

6.

………Glenn Close spotted!

7.

……….Frank Zappa turns director.

8.

……….Sellers Cribbins, in the nick.

9.

……….Martin, Chase and Short in Landis comedy.

10.

……….Redford in CIA power games.

11.

……….Cowardice in the Sudan.

12.

……….Alan Alda directs himself in middle age, middle class America.

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme - 'Stop ringing Dave'

1.

The Twits, The Witches, The Enormous Crocodile and Matilda are all works of children’s fiction by which author?

Roald Dahl

2.

Which former Labour government minister died in 2006 at the age of 62, as a result of a cerebral haemorrhage which occurred during a holiday in Florida?

Tony Banks

3.

Who was hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping, in 1701 after being convicted of murder and five counts of piracy?

Captain Kidd

4.

Which surname links an Oscar-winning actress, an Olympic sprint champion and an American rhythm-and-blues singer born in 1942?

Crawford

(Joan, Haseley and Randy)

5.

In the Oscar nominated film The Queen, which role is played by Mark Bazeley?

Alistair Campbell

6.

Which actress, who died in October 2006, played Lucille Hewitt in the TV soap Coronation Street between 1960 and 1974?

Jennifer Moss

7.

Which prominent figure of the British theatre has been married to both the actress Leslie Caron and the opera singer Maria Ewing?

Sir Peter Hall

8.

Which Scottish clan, originated in Lochaber, were given land in Badenoch by Robert the Bruce as a reward for their help in defeating the Cummings?

MacPherson

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a well-known model...

Can someone tell Sophie, Tyra, Jodie, Cindy, Naomi, Kate, Jerry and Elle to stop leaving messages on Dave’s phone – he’s now a married man?

ROUND 2 - Hidden theme

1.

Edward the Black Prince and John II of France were the rival commanders of the forces in which significant battle of 1356, which was one of England's major successes in the Hundred Years’ War?

Poitiers

2.

Which American composer, who died in 1992, was most widely known for his 1952 composition 4’33’ whose three movements are performed without playing a single note?

John Cage

3.

Which surname connects a former British sportsman, who received a knighthood in 2000, becoming the first from his sport to receive that honour; a popular Welsh entertainer who died in 1984; and an American novelist whose most famous work was published in 1826 and adapted into several cinematic versions of which the most recent was directed by Michael Mann?

Cooper

(Henry, Tommy, James Fennimore)

4.

Which syndicated American cartoon strip was written and drawn by the cartoonist Chester Gould between 1931 and 1977 and featured the villain Flattop Jones?

Dick Tracey

5.

Fringillidae is the Latin name for which family of passerine birds, found chiefly in the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Southern Africa?

Finch

6.

Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid were characters created by which author?

Charles Kingsley

7.

Clare Curtis-Thomas, who had the highest expenses of any MP in 2003, represents which North-Western constituency in Parliament?

Crosby

8.

Which historical figure is depicted on the obverse side of a United States 25 cent coin?

George Washington

Theme: Each answer contains the name of an actor who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme - 'Tales of the Riverbank'

1.

Who was the British Chief of the Imperial General Staff in World War II?

General (later Field Marshal) Allenbrooke

2.

What is the oldest regular regiment in continuous service in the British Army?

Coldstream Guards

3.

What material was used in the later 19th century for making golf balls and insulating underwater electric cables, and is now used mainly in surgical implements?

Gutta Percha

4.

What Latin phrase, still in use, is usually translated as 'seize the day'?

Carpe Diem

5.

Which successful solo singer, born in 1945, helped to found the Ray Davies Quartet (later The Kinks), from which he was rapidly dropped because the drummer’s mother complained about his voice? (first and last names required)

Rod Stewart

6.

Which English musician, born 1933, has had pieces dedicated to him by, among others: Malcolm Arnold, Richard Rodney Bennett, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett and William Walton?

Julian Bream

7.

First name Walter; born 1951 in New Jersey; played with Canned Heat and John Mayall (among others); currently heads a band called the Radicals; latest CD is called Full Circle.  What is his last name?

Trout

8.

Three original members of Procul Harum - the lead singer, the lyricist, and the organist - went to court in December 2006 to dispute the authorship of A Whiter Shade of Pale.  Name any two of them.

(one from)

Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher

Theme: Each answer contains the name of something that might be found at a riverbank or in a river

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme - 'Thirty - no Forty - Years of Hurt'

1.

This actor played a variety of exuberant, malevolent and silly characters during the 1950s and 60s.  His films include Those Magnificient Men in their Flying Machines and I’m alright Jack.  Name him.

Terry Thomas

2.

Name the actor who started his career in Neighbours and subsequently went into film.  His films include Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and LA Confidential, and The Time Machine.

Guy Pearce

3.

This horse won 17 of his 18 races earning £0.25m in prize money from 1970 to 1972 including the 2000 Guineas – and it twice won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.  Name the horse.

Brigadier Gerard

4.

Two English actors formed this pop duo in the 1990s after appearing together in a TV Series about life in the army. What was the name of the pop duo?

Robson & Jerome

5.

Name the film director whose first film was Roger & Me.

Michael Moore

6.

Leonardo Di Caprio played this man in a biopic released in 2004.  Name the character.

Howard Hughes

7.

This pop duo had a No 1 hit in 1973 with Welcome Home.  Name them.

Peters & Lee

8.

This actor and comedian provides voices on the Simpsons for Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Julius Hibbert, Dr. Marvin Monroe, Lenny Leonard, Principal Seymour Skinner and others.  Name him.

Harry Shearer

Theme: Each answer contains the surname of a footballer who has captained England in the last 40 years

(no extra mark for question 6 - Francis Lee never captained England)

ROUND 5 - 'Gems'

Either in the questions or the answers

1

Who, in the 1950s, played policewoman Ruby Gates in a series of films, which she later is reported to have regretted?

Joyce Grenfell

(in the St Trinian’s series of films)

2.

What was Ruby Bridges, as a 6 year old child in the USA in 1960, the first person to do?

She was the first African American child to desegregate an elementary school in the USA

(accept any answer referring to integration in schools)

3.

What gemstone’s name comes from the Greek for ‘not drunk’?

Amethyst

4.

Sapphire comes from the Greek word describing one of its properties.  What does the Greek word mean?

Blue

5.

Emerald, morganite and heliodore are all variants of a gemstone that shares its name with a female first name featured in a comic.  What is it?

Beryl

6.

Which gemstone shares its name with a male first name used by a, now, very rich comedian?

Jasper

7.

What is the title of the third novel in the trilogy known as His Dark Materials?

The Amber Spyglass

(by Phillip Pullman)

8.

What was William McGonagall’s middle name?

Topaz

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme - 'Artists – but not quite of the first rank'

1

Which painter and writer believed that he was personally instructed and encouraged by Archangels to create his artistic works, which he claimed were actively read and enjoyed by those same Archangels?

William Blake

2.

Name the English master of Art Nouveau illustration renowned for his dark and perverse images and grotesque erotica.

Aubrey Beardsley

3.

He wrote a political satire on Russia, where a devil appears in Moscow, accompanied by a naked woman and a large black cat.  Completed in 1938, it wasn’t published in Russia until 1966.  Name him.

Mikhail Bulgakov

(The Master and Margarita)

4.

Between 1349 and 1351, he wrote a book containing a number of different stories, sometimes seen as an Italian Canterbury Tales.  Name him.

Giovanni Boccaccio

(The Decameron)

5.

Which Frenchman is considered to be the co-founder of Cubism?

Georges Braque

6.

Which Dutch artist was famous for his fantasy paintings, including the Garden of Earthly Delights?

Hieronymous Bosch

7.

Born in London, in 1904, he was well respected as a portrait and fashion photographer, as well as a set designer and stylist.  Name him.

Cecil Beaton

8.

Born in Hamburg in 1904, this photographer worked for Picture Post in the UK as well as developing a large amount of work featuring nudes often set in beachscapes.  Name him.

Bill Brandt

Theme: Each answer is the name of an artist whose surname starts with the letter ‘B’ (hence 'not quite of the first rank')

ROUND 7 - Unthemed

1.

Which newspaper strip cartoon character was created by Jim Davis?

Garfield

2.

Which well known cartoon animal was created in 1919 by the Pat Sullivan studio, New York?

Felix the Cat

3.

Of what was John Hancock the first signatory?

The US Declaration of Independence

4.

Judge John Bradshaw was the first signatory to which famous 17th century document?

Death Warrant of Charles I

5.

What is the name of the huge particle accelerator currently being built at CERN?

Large Hadron Collider

6.

What is the name of the £7 billion fusion reactor to be built in France? (acronym only required)

ITER

(International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)

7.

In music if you play the notes D, F, A and C together, what chord are you playing?

D minor 7

8.

In music what time signature has three beats in a bar, each beat consisting of three quavers?

9/8

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

In chess, give the name to the opening where the black king’s pawn moves one space, in reply to a two-square move by white’s king’s pawn.

French Defence

2.

This is a euphemism used in Private Eye for illicit sex, usually when carrying out a supposedly official duty.  Normally of the form “discussing ...”.  What is it?

Ugandan affairs, or relations

(accept anything else close to this that features the word Ugandan)

3.

In logic and computing, name the system of formal notation without brackets or special punctuation frequently used to represent the order in which arithmetical operations were performed in many computers and calculators.

Polish Notation

(also accept Reverse Polish Notation)

4.

Historically this refers to the NE Coast of S America adjacent to the Caribbean Sea, especially between Panama and the Orinoco River.  What is it?

Spanish Main

5.

This domestic cat has a double coat, unique to this breed, with the undercoat being soft and downy, and longer guard hairs giving the coat a shimmering appearance.  What is it?

Russian Blue

6.

This domestic dog, bred for hunting, has a large silky red coat and a long feathered tail.

Irish Setter

7.

This name is given to a frame of cane used for resting the limbs in bed, and also a name given to an artificial sexual partner.  What is it?

Dutch Wife

8.

This term means a stalemate or impasse.  Now considered a movie cliché due to its use in Spaghetti Westerns and B-Movies.  What is it?

Mexican Standoff

Theme: Each answer contains a word describing a country (e.g. British)

1.

In which Jane Austen novel do Fanny Price and her cousin Edmund Bertram appear?

Mansfield Park

2.

In which Jane Austen novel do the characters Catherine and James Morland appear?

Northanger Abbey

3.

Who was the lead vocalist with the 70s rock band Family?

Roger Chapman

4.

Who was the lead singer with the rock band Yes?

Jon Anderson

5.

Name the film (each of which contains a number):

……… Victor Mature then Raquel Welch.

One Million Years BC

6.

………Glenn Close spotted!

One Hundred and one Dalmatians

7.

……….Frank Zappa turns director.

Two Hundred Motels

8.

……….Sellers Cribbins, in the nick.

Two-way Stretch

9.

……….Martin, Chase and Short in Landis comedy.

Three Amigos

10.

……….Redford in CIA power games.

The Three Days of the Condor

11.

……….Cowardice in the Sudan.

The Four Feathers

12.

……….Alan Alda directs himself in middle age, middle class America.

Four Seasons

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