ROUND 1 - 'A Manchester Meander'

During this round, we are going for a walk around Manchester City Centre

1.

In which city centre building can you walk from the ‘Historic Reading Room’, down the main staircase to the ‘Historic Toilets’?

2.

Strolling west and south, we find ourselves opposite the Radisson Edwardian hotel.  What is the three word inscription that tops its façade?

3.

Our eyes drift to the left and we see a building that pre-dates the Free Trade Hall by 9 years.  Whose statue is above the door of what now houses the M Two nightclub?

4.

Ambling round the corner, we come to Albert Square.  Apart from Prince Albert, name any one of the other statues in the square.

5.

Instead of entering Albert Square, we cut down Library Walk between the Central Reference Library and the Town Hall extension.  As we do so, we spot two massive inscriptions commemorating the opening of the Town Hall extension.  Who opened it?

6.

Passing though the Peace Garden, we see plaques commemorating John Dalton, Ann Frank and the British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association.  The fourth plaque has the Queen’s name on it, and is dated 17 July 1992.   What does it commemorate?

7.

You probably guessed that we’d end up in Piccadilly Gardens.  You may even have discussed whose statues are in the gardens.  Which of them was born in Ramsbottom?

8.

According to the red plaque on the Abbey National on the north east corner of Piccadilly Gardens, what sporting institution “was founded on 17th April 1888 at the Royal Hotel which stood on this site”?

ROUND 2 - Paired with Round 6

1.

The name of what island country in the Persian Gulf literally means ‘two seas’ in Arabic?

2.

Which Frenchman, author of Le Procès-Verbal (The Interrogation) and Désert, was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for literature?

3.

Most 5-star generals were appointed during World War 2.  Appointed in 1950 and known as the last of the 5-star generals who was played by Karl Malden in the film Patton, Lust for Glory?

4.

Which caped hero, created in 1919, the subject of many films and a 1950’s TV series, rode the horse Tornado?

5.

If a marine creature is described as demersal, where can it be found?

6.

What name links Portmeirion in Wales, a park in Blackley, a castle in County Down and Brighton & Hove Albion FC?

7.

Only one East German football team won a European trophy. This happened in 1974 when they beat AC Milan 2-0 in the finals of European Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam.  What is the name of the team?

8.

Malcolm Morley, Howard Hodgkin, Gilbert & George, Richard Deacon and Tony Cragg were the first five winners of what?

ROUND 3 - 'Do I detect an answer?'

In this round, the names of various fictional detectives are contained in all, or part of, each answer (one is a sound-alike)

1.

According to 1066 and All That, “which famous poetic general, under the elder Pitt (Clapham), wanted to write Gray’s Elegy”?

2.

According to the online AA Route Planner, which village is 13 miles from Macclesfield, 12 miles from Crewe and 11 miles from Northwich?

3.

Sōtō, Rinzai and Obaku are the three Japanese schools of which religion?

4.

By what name is the plant ‘Silene Dioica’ better known?

5.

After the death of Ethelred the Unready, which king ruled from April to November 1016?

6.

Which organisation was founded about 1119, was endorsed by the Catholic church in 1129, had many of its members arrested, tortured and executed in 1307, and was disbanded by the Pope in 1312?

7.

According to the online AA Route Planner, which village is 4 miles from Stockport, 7 miles from Glossop and 4 miles from New Mills?

8.

Which footballer played for Celtic and Liverpool and, between 1971 and 1986, gained 102 caps for Scotland?

ROUND 4 - Paired with Round 8

1.

By what name is the drug fluoxetine hydrochloride better known?

2.

What piece of sports equipment conforms to these dimensions: uprights 5/8 inch diameter, gap between uprights 3 ¾ - 4 inches wide, height of crown above ground 12 inches?

3.

What is the name of the Controller of Radio 2 who resigned over the recent Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand scandal?

4.

On a Monopoly board, there are 8 squares which do not have prices attached to them.  Two of them are two Chance squares and two Community Chest squares. Name the four other such squares.

5.

In the 2008 Olympics, there were 5 multiple medal winners.  Chris Hoy and Tina Cook were two of them.  Name two of the other 3.

6.

What was the name of the Roman province, which stretched from Mauretania Caesariensis to Cyrenaica.  It covered the area of modern day Tunisia plus parts of Algeria and Libya?

7.

What is the name of the plant that grows in rocky salt-sprayed regions of Northern Europe (including Britain)?  Sometimes called sea fennel it’s named after Saint Peter - the patron saint of fishermen.

8.

Which African country was suspended from the African Union in August 2008 following a coup d'état?

ROUND 5 - 'North of the Border'

All the questions in this round are about Scotland

1.

In which city would you find St Machar’s Cathedral?

2.

In which city is there a cathedral dedicated to St. Mungo?

3.

Which long distance footpath runs 95 miles from Milngavie [Mill-guy] to Fort William?

4.

Which long distance footpath runs 212 miles from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath?

5.

When James IV of Scotland invaded England, resulting in his death at the battle of Flodden in 1513, what relation was he to the English king?

6.

James IV is one of several Scottish kings to marry English princesses, but only one English king was married to a Scottish princess.   Which king of England married Matilda (or Edith) daughter of Malcolm III?

7.

In which town is Scottish First Division club St Johnstone based?

8.

Which SPL club is based in Paisley?

ROUND 6 - Paired with Round 2

1.

The name of which country in Africa literally means ‘blacks’ in Arabic?

2.

Which former President of Finland was awarded the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize?

3.

Only five men have held the rank of 5-star general in the US army.  Which of these was the subject of a 1977 film starring Gregory Peck?

4.

Created in 1933 but better known from a 1950’s TV series, who rode the horse Scout?

5.

Creatures that live on or near the sea bed inhabit the benthic zone.  Which zone, whose name derives from a Greek word meanng ‘open sea’, consists of all sea waters that are not close to the bottom?

6.

What name links an artist (1430-1516), a composer of bel canto opera (1801-1835), the captain of the Brazilian World Cup winners in 1958, and a cocktail of sparkling wine and peach purée?

7.

Three English clubs have won the UEFA Cup.  Two of them are in the current Premiership.  Which is the third club?

8.

P H Newby, Bernice Reubens, V S Naipaul, John Berger and J G Farrell were the first five winners of what?

ROUND 7 - 'What a wonderful round!'

Each answer contains a word commonly associated with the number seven

1.

From which part of Britain was the bluestone used to build the inner circle of stones at Stonehenge believed to have been taken?

2.

What’s the name of the centre for musical education, performance and conferences, located in Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne?

3.

Which 19060s US group had members called Frankie, Bob, Tommy and Nick?

4.

What was formed following a meeting at The George Hotel in Huddersfield on August 29th 1895?

5.

In a garden where would you typically find a gnomon?

6.

What is the capital of the US State of California?

7.

What is the name of the actress who is best known for playing the part of a personal assistant in a series of films, where her chief purpose is to flirt with the main character (who happens to have the same surname as she does)?

8.

Who are Olga, Maria and Irina?

ROUND 8 - Paired with Round 4

1.

By what name is the drug sildenafil citrate better known?

2.

What piece of sports equipment conforms to these dimensions: overall length 10.95cm, length of barrel 5.40cm, longer spigot 3.49cm, shorter spigot 2.06cm?

3.

What is the name of the 23 year old granddaughter of actor Andrew Sachs involved in the recent Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand scandal?

4.

In the game Cluedo, who is the victim?

5.

In the 2008 Olympics, Britain won a single medal in three separate sports.  Name two of them.

6.

Which modern day country occupies most of the area covered by the Roman province of Thrace?

7.

Which long, tapering root vegetable of the daisy family is eaten raw or cooked, and is sometimes called the oyster plant, or vegetable oyster, because of its taste?

8.

In which capital city are the Headquarters of the African Union?

Spares

1.

(Round 1 - 'A Manchester Meander' spare question)

Wandering along Moseley Street, on our right hand side, we pass two buildings with Ionic Greek facades. The first is the Manchester Art Gallery. Name either of the occupants of the second.

2.

If you enter 1 into an empty cell that has been formatted as a date in Microsoft Excel what date appears in the field?

3.

How many different motor engine manufacturers provided engines in the 2008 Formula 1 season?

4.

What is the word invented by Norman Mailer for a piece of information that, while entirely untrue, has been circulated so widely and is believed by so many that it might as well be true?

5.

(Round 5 - 'North of the Border' spare question)

The writer Iain Banks publishes his science fiction stories as Iain M Banks.  What does the ‘M’ stand for?

6.

What connects Scouts, Herpes, Lepers, Syphilis, the Netherlands and England?

7.

Which Premier League club is officially permitted to have a crest on their corner flags due to their considerable success during the 1890s?

8.

Which mainline railway terminus is the busiest in London?

ROUND 1 - 'A Manchester Meander'

 During this round, we are going for a walk around Manchester City Centre

1.

In which city centre building can you walk from the ‘Historic Reading Room’, down the main staircase to the ‘Historic Toilets’?

John Rylands Library on Deansgate

2.

Strolling west and south, we find ourselves opposite the Radisson Edwardian hotel.  What is the three word inscription that tops its façade?

'Free Trade Hall'

3.

Our eyes drift to the left and we see a building that pre-dates the Free Trade Hall by 9 years.  Whose statue is above the door of what now houses the M Two nightclub?

Above the door of what was the old Theatre Royal is a statue of Shakespeare

4.

Ambling round the corner, we come to Albert Square.  Apart from Prince Albert, name any one of the other statues in the square.

(one of)

James Fraser, John Bright, Oliver Heywood or William Ewart Gladstone

5.

Instead of entering Albert Square, we cut down Library Walk between the Central Reference Library and the Town Hall extension.  As we do so, we spot two massive inscriptions commemorating the opening of the Town Hall extension.  Who opened it?

King George VI in 1938

6.

Passing though the Peace Garden, we see plaques commemorating John Dalton, Ann Frank and the British Nuclear Tests Veterans Association.  The fourth plaque has the Queen’s name on it, and is dated 17 July 1992.   What does it commemorate?

The official opening of the Metrolink

7.

You probably guessed that we’d end up in Piccadilly Gardens.  You may even have discussed whose statues are in the gardens.  Which of them was born in Ramsbottom?

Robert Peel

(the others are: the Duke of Wellington who was born in Dublin; Queen Victoria who was born in London and James Watt who was born in Greenock)

8.

According to the red plaque on the Abbey National on the north east corner of Piccadilly Gardens, what sporting institution “was founded on 17th April 1888 at the Royal Hotel which stood on this site”?

The Football League

(do not accept the Football Association which was actually set up in 1863 to formalise the rules)

ROUND 2 - Paired with Round 6

1.

The name of what island country in the Persian Gulf literally means ‘two seas’ in Arabic?

Bahrain

2.

Which Frenchman, author of Le Procès-Verbal (The Interrogation) and Désert, was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for literature?

Jean-Marie Gustav le Cleziot

3.

Most 5-star generals were appointed during World War 2.  Appointed in 1950 and known as the last of the 5-star generals who was played by Karl Malden in the film Patton, Lust for Glory?

Omar Nelson Bradley

4.

Which caped hero, created in 1919, the subject of many films and a 1950’s TV series, rode the horse Tornado?

Zorro

5.

If a marine creature is described as demersal, where can it be found?

On or near the bottom of the sea

6.

What name links Portmeirion in Wales, a park in Blackley, a castle in County Down and Brighton & Hove Albion FC?

Clough

(Clough Williams-Ellis, the architect; Boggart Hole Clough; Clough Castle and Brian Clough, football manager)

7.

Only one East German football team won a European trophy. This happened in 1974 when they beat AC Milan 2-0 in the finals of European Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam.  What is the name of the team?

FC Magdeberg

8.

Malcolm Morley, Howard Hodgkin, Gilbert & George, Richard Deacon and Tony Cragg were the first five winners of what?

Turner Prize

ROUND 3 - 'Do I detect an answer?'

In this round, the names of various fictional detectives are contained in all, or part of, each answer (one is a sound-alike)

1.

According to 1066 and All That, “which famous poetic general, under the elder Pitt (Clapham), wanted to write Gray’s Elegy”?

General James Wolfe, or Wolfe of Quebec

(Nero Wolfe)

2.

According to the online AA Route Planner, which village is 13 miles from Macclesfield, 12 miles from Crewe and 11 miles from Northwich?

Holmes Chapel

(Sherlock Holmes)

3.

Sōtō, Rinzai and Obaku are the three Japanese schools of which religion?

Zen Buddhism

(Aurelio Zen)

4.

By what name is the plant ‘Silene Dioica’ better known?

Red Campion

(accept just Campion)

(Albert Campion)

5.

After the death of Ethelred the Unready, which king ruled from April to November 1016?

Edmund II Ironside

(accept Edmund Ironside)

(Robert Ironside)

6.

Which organisation was founded about 1119, was endorsed by the Catholic church in 1129, had many of its members arrested, tortured and executed in 1307, and was disbanded by the Pope in 1312?

The Knights’ Templar

(Simon Templar a.k.a. The Saint)

7.

According to the online AA Route Planner, which village is 4 miles from Stockport, 7 miles from Glossop and 4 miles from New Mills?

Marple

(Miss Jane Marple)

8.

Which footballer played for Celtic and Liverpool and, between 1971 and 1986, gained 102 caps for Scotland?

Kenny Dalglish

(Adam Dalgleish)

ROUND 4 - Paired with Round 8

1.

By what name is the drug fluoxetine hydrochloride better known?

Prozac

2.

What piece of sports equipment conforms to these dimensions: uprights 5/8 inch diameter, gap between uprights 3 ¾ - 4 inches wide, height of crown above ground 12 inches?

A croquet hoop

3.

What is the name of the Controller of Radio 2 who resigned over the recent Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand scandal?

Lesley Douglas

4.

On a Monopoly board, there are 8 squares which do not have prices attached to them.  Two of them are two Chance squares and two Community Chest squares. Name the four other such squares.

Go, Go to Jail, Jail, and Free Parking

5.

In the 2008 Olympics, there were 5 multiple medal winners.  Chris Hoy and Tina Cook were two of them.  Name two of the other 3.

(2 from)

Rebecca Adlington,

Bradley Wiggins,

Tim Brabants

6.

What was the name of the Roman province, which stretched from Mauretania Caesariensis to Cyrenaica.  It covered the area of modern day Tunisia plus parts of Algeria and Libya?

Africa

7.

What is the name of the plant that grows in rocky salt-sprayed regions of Northern Europe (including Britain)?  Sometimes called sea fennel it’s named after Saint Peter - the patron saint of fishermen.

Samphire

8.

Which African country was suspended from the African Union in August 2008 following a coup d'état?

Mauritania

ROUND 5 - 'North of the Border'

All the questions in this round are about Scotland

1

In which city would you find St Machar’s Cathedral?

Aberdeen

2.

In which city is there a cathedral dedicated to St. Mungo?

Glasgow

3.

Which long distance footpath runs 95 miles from Milngavie [Mill-guy] to Fort William?

The West Highland Way

4.

Which long distance footpath runs 212 miles from Portpatrick to Cockburnspath?

The Southern Upland Way

5.

When James IV of Scotland invaded England, resulting in his death at the battle of Flodden in 1513, what relation was he to the English king?

Brother-in-Law

(he was married to Margaret the sister of Henry VIII)

6.

James IV is one of several Scottish kings to marry English princesses, but only one English king was married to a Scottish princess.   Which king of England married Matilda (or Edith) daughter of Malcolm III?

Henry I

7.

In which town is Scottish First Division club St Johnstone based?

Perth

8.

Which SPL club is based in Paisley?

St Mirren

ROUND 6 - Paired with Round 2

1

The name of which country in Africa literally means ‘blacks’ in Arabic?

Sudan

(from Bilad as-Sudan “land of the blacks”)

2.

Which former President of Finland was awarded the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize?

Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari

3.

Only five men have held the rank of 5-star general in the US army.  Which of these was the subject of a 1977 film starring Gregory Peck?

Douglas MacArthur

4.

Created in 1933 but better known from a 1950’s TV series, who rode the horse Scout?

Tonto

(the Lone Ranger’s sidekick)

5.

Creatures that live on or near the sea bed inhabit the benthic zone.  Which zone, whose name derives from a Greek word meanng ‘open sea’, consists of all sea waters that are not close to the bottom?

Pelagic

6.

What name links an artist (1430-1516), a composer of bel canto opera (1801-1835), the captain of the Brazilian World Cup winners in 1958, and a cocktail of sparkling wine and peach purée?

Bellini

7.

Three English clubs have won the UEFA Cup.  Two of them are in the current Premiership.  Which is the third club?

Ipswich Town

8.

P H Newby, Bernice Reubens, V S Naipaul, John Berger and J G Farrell were the first five winners of what?

Booker Prize

ROUND 7 - 'What a wonderful round!'

Each answer contains a word commonly associated with the number seven

1.

From which part of Britain was the bluestone used to build the inner circle of stones at Stonehenge believed to have been taken?

Preseli Hills in Pembrokedhire

(Seven Hills of Rome)

2.

What’s the name of the centre for musical education, performance and conferences, located in Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne?

The Sage

(Seven Sages of Greece)

3.

Which 19060s US group had members called Frankie, Bob, Tommy and Nick?

The Four Seasons

(Seven Seas)

4.

What was formed following a meeting at The George Hotel in Huddersfield on August 29th 1895?

Northern Rugby Football Union

(accept Rugby League)

(Rugby Sevens)

5.

In a garden where would you typically find a gnomon?

Sundial

(it’s the name for the pin at the centre)

(Seven Dials)

6.

What is the capital of the US State of California?

Sacramento

(Seven Sacraments)

7.

What is the name of the actress who is best known for playing the part of a personal assistant in a series of films, where her chief purpose is to flirt with the main character (who happens to have the same surname as she does)?

Samantha Bond

(as Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond films)

(007)

8.

Who are Olga, Maria and Irina?

The sisters in Chekhov’s The Three Sisters

(Seven Sisters, Sussex cliffs)

ROUND 8 - Paired with Round 4

1.

By what name is the drug sildenafil citrate better known?

Viagra

2.

What piece of sports equipment conforms to these dimensions: overall length 10.95cm, length of barrel 5.40cm, longer spigot 3.49cm, shorter spigot 2.06cm?

A cricket bail

(i.e. what sits on top of the stumps) 

3.

What is the name of the 23 year old granddaughter of actor Andrew Sachs involved in the recent Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand scandal?

Georgina Baillie

4.

In the game Cluedo, who is the victim?

Dr. Black

5.

In the 2008 Olympics, Britain won a single medal in three separate sports.  Name two of them.

(2 from)

Gymnastics,

Modern Pentathlon,

Taekwondo

6.

Which modern day country occupies most of the area covered by the Roman province of Thrace?

Bulgaria

7.

Which long, tapering root vegetable of the daisy family is eaten raw or cooked, and is sometimes called the oyster plant, or vegetable oyster, because of its taste?

Salsify

(Scorzonera or Goatsbeard would also be acceptable answers)

8.

In which capital city are the Headquarters of the African Union?

Addis Ababa

1.

(Round 1 - 'A Manchester Meander' spare question)

Wandering along Moseley Street, on our right hand side, we pass two buildings with Ionic Greek facades. The first is the Manchester Art Gallery. Name either of the occupants of the second.

(either)

The Portico Library

(who have occupied the building since 1806)

(or)

The Bank

(a public house, named after the Bank of Athens, who tenanted the buildings in the 1920’s)

2.

If you enter 1 into an empty cell that has been formatted as a date in Microsoft Excel what date appears in the field?

January 1st 1900

(the actual format could be 01/01/1900 or various other formats but all return the same date)

3.

How many different motor engine manufacturers provided engines in the 2008 Formula 1 season?

6

(Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, Mercedes, BMW and Honda)

4.

What is the word invented by Norman Mailer for a piece of information that, while entirely untrue, has been circulated so widely and is believed by so many that it might as well be true?

Factoid

(a good example being the right of football clubs to have triangular corner flags only if they have won the FA Cup)

5.

(Round 5 - 'North of the Border' spare question)

The writer Iain Banks publishes his science fiction stories as Iain M Banks.  What does the ‘M’ stand for?

Menzies

6.

What connects Scouts, Herpes, Lepers, Syphilis, the Netherlands and England?

All have St George as their Patron Saint

7.

Which Premier League club is officially permitted to have a crest on their corner flags due to their considerable success during the 1890s?

Blackburn Rovers

(granted after they won the title 3 times in the decade)

8.

Which mainline railway terminus is the busiest in London?

Waterloo

Go back to Spare questions without answers