ROUND 1

1.

Which actor played the lead in the film The Da Vinci Code?

2.

Which actor played the lead in the film Sexy Beast?

3.

Which word is derived from the Greek method of excluding citizens after a majority verdict in the assembly led to the chosen man’s name being written on a piece of pottery?

4.

Which word is derived from the position of Greek philosophers who suspended judgement on everything and had no doctrine?  

5.

Who is missing from this sequence: Nelson Rockefeller, Walter Mondale, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney?

6.

Who is missing from this sequence: Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower?

7.

Which alleged spy for the Germans was executed by firing squad this day in 1917?

8.

Which Nazi war criminal poisoned himself this day in 1946 a few hours before he was scheduled to be hanged?

ROUND 2

1.

Which publishing company was formed in 1973 by Carmen Callil and Rosie Boycott to publish books by women authors?

2.

Which company publishes the Harry Potter books?      

3.

Which 1932 Cole Porter song begins with the words: “Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom / When the jungle shadows fall / Like the tick tick tick of the stately clock / As it stands against the wall”?

4.

Which 1957 Gershwin song begins with the words: “The way you tip your hat / The way you sip your tea”?

5.

What is the title of the next James Bond film, due for release at the end of this month?

6.

Which film was released at the start of this month, 27 years after a celebrated TV series, both being based on a 1945 novel of the same name?

7.

Which Mancunian sporting institution celebrated its 80th anniversary this year?

8.

An exhibition of the life and work of which pre-Raphaelite artist is currently running at the Manchester Art Gallery?

ROUND 3

1.

Which National Trust owned land is the most southerly point of mainland Britain?           

2.

In which county are the National Trust properties: South Foreland Lighthouse, the Royal Military Canal and Scotney Castle?

3.

Which small international airport in the north of England was formerly known as Squires Gate airport?

4.

Which small international airport in the south of England was formerly known as Hurn Airport?

5.

The abrasive carborundum is a compound of which two elements?

6.

The alloy soft solder is composed of which two metals?

7.

Which two surnames, identical but for the initial letter, link a prominent TV presenter who has worked for the BBC since 1977 and an international cricketer who shot to fame in 2001 when he scored 281 against the might of the Australian attack?

8.

Which two surnames, identical but for the initial letter, link a former presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme and a prominent BBC journalist born in 1944?     

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

What forename was given to Frank Zappa’s eldest daughter, born in 1967?      

2.

In 1987, which newspaper lost a high profile libel action brought by Jeffrey Archer, leading to an award of £500,000 in damages, over allegations of Archer's involvement with Monica Coghlan?

3.

Which cocktail is made up of 2 parts gin, 1 part lemon juice, a drizzle of sugar syrup and carbonated water?

4.

Which black ex footballer, born in 1959, played for Manchester City and is Oldham’s all-time leading goalscorer?

5.

Which composer, born 1900 and died 1990, was widely known as 'the dean of American composers'?

6.

In which suburb of Los Angeles did riots erupt on August 11 1965?

7.

Which group of fictional characters were headed by Sam Wiggins and first appeared in a novel of 1886?   

8.

In which Lancashire town have Fisherman’s Friends been produced since 1865?

ROUND 5

1.

Which three consecutive dictionary entries mean:

a) the US and Canadian name for a loudhailer,

b) gold or silver in mass,

c) cheerful and optimistic?

2.

Which three consecutive dictionary entries mean:

a) a person who has an uncontrollable urge to drink alcohol,

b) a rod for measuring depth of liquid in a container,

c) a device for directing motor car headlights upwards or downwards?

3.

In English history who was known as 'Tumbledown Dick'?

4.

In English history which monarch was known as 'Lackland'?

5.

What does the P stand for in the name of the writer PD James?

6.

What does the F stand for in the name of the writer F Scott Fitzgerald?

7.

Who is the only Irishman to have been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year?           

8.

Who in 1962 became the first woman to be voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year?  

ROUND 6

1.

Which 40 year old became the oldest ever winner of football’s World Cup in 1982?

2.

In 1982 which British player became the youngest ever player in the World Cup (final stages)?

3.

In which city are the headquarters of the Yorkshire Building Society, the UK’s third largest?

4.

In which Staffordshire town are the headquarters of the Britannia Building Society, the UK’s second largest?

5.

Which opera by Benjamin Britten is set during the French Revolutionary Wars in 1797 and features Captain Vere?

6.

Which Verdi opera is set in the 16th century in Mantua, Italy, and features Gilda, the daughter of the eponymous character?

7.

In which city was the 1973 film Don’t Look Now set?

8.

The 1971 film The French Connection was set in two cities; New York was one, what was the other?

ROUND 7

1.

Which year saw the publication of Catcher in the Rye, Winston Churchill leading the Tories into a general election, An American in Paris winning Best Picture Oscar and Tottenham Hotspur winning the Charity Shield?

2.

Which year saw the publication of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, a Roosevelt starting a term of office as US president, Grand Hotel winning best picture Oscar and Everton winning the Charity Shield?

3.

Which branch of geometry deals with the properties of a figure that remains unchanged even when the figure is bent or stretched etc?

4.

Which branch of mathematics is most explicitly concerned with the limit of a sequence or function?

5.

Which Dickens’ novel features the villain Daniel Quilp?

6.

Which Dickens’ novel features the detective Inspector Bucket?

7.

Who did Ted Danson play in Cheers? (forename and surname)

8.

In which city was Frasier set?   

ROUND 8

1.

What links Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Kate Eddowes and Mary Kelly?

2.

Who, having given evidence three years earlier at a murder trial, was executed at Pentonville on July 15 1953 for the murder of his wife?

3.

Which 1981 crime novel, written by Martin Cruz Smith and set in the Soviet Union, was made into a 1983 film starring William Hurt and Lee Marvin?

4.

Which 1984 novel, written by Milan Kundera and set mainly in Czechoslovakia in the wake of the Prague Spring and the subsequent invasion by the USSR, was made into a 1988 film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Juliette Binoche?

5.

Which freshwater fish is the principal ingredient of quenelles de brochet?

6.

Which freshwater fish is usually the main ingredient of Gefilte fish?

7.

Which cricketer appeared in a record 153 consecutive test matches for his country between 1979 and 1994?

8.

Which test bowler twice took over 40 English wickets in test series of 1981 and 1989?

Spares

1.

What is the largest island in the Philippines?

2.

Which countries comprise the G7?

3.

In the equation E=mc2  what does the symbol c denote?

4.

Who was the last British king to be crowned in Scotland?

5.

Who is the current manager of Bradford City FC?   

6.

Which band has Jack White formed as a side project to the White Stripes?

ROUND 1

1.

Which actor played the lead in the film The Da Vinci Code?

Tom Hanks

2.

Which actor played the lead in the film Sexy Beast?

Ray Winstone

3.

Which word is derived from the Greek method of excluding citizens after a majority verdict in the assembly led to the chosen man’s name being written on a piece of pottery?

ostracise

4.

Which word is derived from the position of Greek philosophers who suspended judgement on everything and had no doctrine?  

sceptical

5.

Who is missing from this sequence: Nelson Rockefeller, Walter Mondale, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney?

George H W Bush

(they are successive Vice Presidents of the USA)

6.

Who is missing from this sequence: Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower?

Herbert Hoover

(they are successive US Presidents)

7.

Which alleged spy for the Germans was executed by firing squad this day in 1917?

Mata Hari

8.

Which Nazi war criminal poisoned himself this day in 1946 a few hours before he was scheduled to be hanged?

Hermann Goering

ROUND 2

1.

Which publishing company was formed in 1973 by Carmen Callil and Rosie Boycott to publish books by women authors?

Virago

2.

Which company publishes the Harry Potter books?      

Bloomsbury

3.

Which 1932 Cole Porter song begins with the words: “Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom / When the jungle shadows fall / Like the tick tick tick of the stately clock / As it stands against the wall”?

Night and Day

4.

Which 1957 Gershwin song begins with the words: “The way you tip your hat / The way you sip your tea”?

They Can’t Take That Away From Me

5.

What is the title of the next James Bond film, due for release at the end of this month?

Quantum of Solace

6.

Which film was released at the start of this month, 27 years after a celebrated TV series, both being based on a 1945 novel of the same name?

Brideshead Revisited

7.

Which Mancunian sporting institution celebrated its 80th anniversary this year?

Belle Vue Speedway

8.

An exhibition of the life and work of which pre-Raphaelite artist is currently running at the Manchester Art Gallery?

Holman Hunt

ROUND 3

1.

Which National Trust owned land is the most southerly point of mainland Britain?           

Lizard Point

(in Cornwall)

2.

In which county are the National Trust properties: South Foreland Lighthouse, the Royal Military Canal and Scotney Castle?

Kent

3.

Which small international airport in the north of England was formerly known as Squires Gate airport?

Blackpool

4.

Which small international airport in the south of England was formerly known as Hurn Airport?

Bournemouth

5.

The abrasive carborundum is a compound of which two elements?

carbon and silicon

6.

The alloy soft solder is composed of which two metals?

tin and lead

7.

Which two surnames, identical but for the initial letter, link a prominent TV presenter who has worked for the BBC since 1977 and an international cricketer who shot to fame in 2001 when he scored 281 against the might of the Australian attack?

Paxman and Laxman

8.

Which two surnames, identical but for the initial letter, link a former presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme and a prominent BBC journalist born in 1944?     

Timpson and Simpson

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

What forename was given to Frank Zappa’s eldest daughter, born in 1967?      

Moon

(she was also given the middle name 'Unit')

2.

In 1987, which newspaper lost a high profile libel action brought by Jeffrey Archer, leading to an award of £500,000 in damages, over allegations of Archer's involvement with Monica Coghlan?

Daily Star

3.

Which cocktail is made up of 2 parts gin, 1 part lemon juice, a drizzle of sugar syrup and carbonated water?

Tom Collins

4.

Which black ex footballer, born in 1959, played for Manchester City and is Oldham’s all-time leading goalscorer?

Roger Palmer

5.

Which composer, born 1900 and died 1990, was widely known as 'the dean of American composers'?

Aaron Copland

6.

In which suburb of Los Angeles did riots erupt on August 11 1965?

Watts

7.

Which group of fictional characters were headed by Sam Wiggins and first appeared in a novel of 1886?   

Baker Street Irregulars

8.

In which Lancashire town have Fisherman’s Friends been produced since 1865?

Fleetwood

ROUND 5

1

Which three consecutive dictionary entries mean:

a) the US and Canadian name for a loudhailer,

b) gold or silver in mass,

c) cheerful and optimistic?

bullhorn;

bullion;

bullish

2.

Which three consecutive dictionary entries mean:

a) a person who has an uncontrollable urge to drink alcohol,

b) a rod for measuring depth of liquid in a container,

c) a device for directing motor car headlights upwards or downwards?

dipsomaniac;

dipstick;

dipswitch

3.

In English history who was known as 'Tumbledown Dick'?

Richard Cromwell

4.

In English history which monarch was known as 'Lackland'?

King John

5.

What does the P stand for in the name of the writer PD James?

Phyllis

6.

What does the F stand for in the name of the writer F Scott Fitzgerald?

Francis

7.

Who is the only Irishman to have been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year?           

Barry McGuigan

(1985)

8.

Who in 1962 became the first woman to be voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year?  

Anita Lonsborough

ROUND 6

1

Which 40 year old became the oldest ever winner of football’s World Cup in 1982?

Dino Zoff

2.

In 1982 which British player became the youngest ever player in the World Cup (final stages)?

Norman Whiteside

3.

In which city are the headquarters of the Yorkshire Building Society, the UK’s third largest?

Bradford

4.

In which Staffordshire town are the headquarters of the Britannia Building Society, the UK’s second largest?

Leek

5.

Which opera by Benjamin Britten is set during the French Revolutionary Wars in 1797 and features Captain Vere?

Billy Budd

6.

Which Verdi opera is set in the 16th century in Mantua, Italy, and features Gilda, the daughter of the eponymous character?

Rigoletto

7.

In which city was the 1973 film Don’t Look Now set?

Venice

8.

The 1971 film The French Connection was set in two cities; New York was one, what was the other?

Marseilles

ROUND 7

1.

Which year saw the publication of Catcher in the Rye, Winston Churchill leading the Tories into a general election, An American in Paris winning Best Picture Oscar and Tottenham Hotspur winning the Charity Shield?

1951

2.

Which year saw the publication of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, a Roosevelt starting a term of office as US president, Grand Hotel winning best picture Oscar and Everton winning the Charity Shield?

1932

3.

Which branch of geometry deals with the properties of a figure that remains unchanged even when the figure is bent or stretched etc?

topology

4.

Which branch of mathematics is most explicitly concerned with the limit of a sequence or function?

analysis

5.

Which Dickens’ novel features the villain Daniel Quilp?

The Old Curiosity Shop

6.

Which Dickens’ novel features the detective Inspector Bucket?

Bleak House

7.

Who did Ted Danson play in Cheers? (forename and surname)

Sam Malone

8.

In which city was Frasier set?   

Seattle

ROUND 8

1.

What links Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Kate Eddowes and Mary Kelly?

all victims of Jack the Ripper

2.

Who, having given evidence three years earlier at a murder trial, was executed at Pentonville on July 15 1953 for the murder of his wife?

(John Reginald) Christie

3.

Which 1981 crime novel, written by Martin Cruz Smith and set in the Soviet Union, was made into a 1983 film starring William Hurt and Lee Marvin?

Gorky Park

4.

Which 1984 novel, written by Milan Kundera and set mainly in Czechoslovakia in the wake of the Prague Spring and the subsequent invasion by the USSR, was made into a 1988 film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Juliette Binoche?

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

5.

Which freshwater fish is the principal ingredient of quenelles de brochet?

pike

6.

Which freshwater fish is usually the main ingredient of Gefilte fish?

carp

7.

Which cricketer appeared in a record 153 consecutive test matches for his country between 1979 and 1994?

Allan Border

8.

Which test bowler twice took over 40 English wickets in test series of 1981 and 1989?

Terry Alderman

1.

What is the largest island in the Philippines?

Luzon

2.

Which countries comprise the G7?

USA, Canada. UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan

3.

In the equation E=mc2  what does the symbol c denote?

speed of light

(in a vacuum)

4.

Who was the last British king to be crowned in Scotland?

Charles II

(in 1651)

5.

Who is the current manager of Bradford City FC?   

Stuart McCall

6.

Which band has Jack White formed as a side project to the White Stripes?

The Raconteurs

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