ROUND 1 - Paired

1.

What lies directly to the east of shipping forecast area North Utsire (ut-zee-ra)?

2.

The Shetlands and the Orkneys are both located in which shipping forecast area?

3.

Which Football League club was relegated to the Fourth Division in 1974 and have remained in the bottom flight of the league for the last thirty five years?

4.

Which team, from being founder members of the Fourth Division in 1958/59 until automatic relegation to the Conference was introduced in 1986/1987, made a record 11 applications for re-election to the league?

5.

A farmer made raddle from ochre, linseed oil and tallow.  Where would he have rubbed it?

6.

If you cut a pletch (or in some parts of the country a plash) in a sapling what would you be going to do with it?

7.

Which was the most northerly station served by the Midland Railway when it was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish?

8.

Which Scottish village with a population of less than 200 is fortuitous to be served by two railway stations; Upper on the line north to Fort William and Lower on the line west to Oban?

ROUND 2 - Themed - 'Let's Meet the Simpsons'

1.

Derek Simpson, union fat cat and Joint General Secretary of Unite - but can you name the other co-holder of the post?

2.

Alan Simpson, scriptwriter and comic genius - but who shared the writing credit on both Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son? (surname will suffice)

3.

Ronnie Simpson, Celtic legend and Lisbon lion - but for which club did he win an FA Cup Winners medal?

4.

Joe Simpson, mountaineer and survivor extraordinary - but what was he touching after he fractured his kneecap on Sinula Grande?

5.

Marge Simpson, long suffering wife and a hairdresser's worst nightmare - but what name did her mother share with an American icon who passed away in 1994?

6.

Tommy Simpson, wearer of the maillot jaune and world cycling champion - but can you name the only British rider to have finished higher in the overall Tour de France classification than the sixth place achieved by Simpson in 1962?

7.

Orenthal James Simpson, running back and convicted felon - but he did help set an athletics world record while still a student in an event that was rarely run except on the imperial tracks of American colleges.  Precisely what was the event?

8.

Wallis Simpson, American divorcee and the ultimate social climber - but which American actress inspired her choice of nickname for the then Princess Elizabeth?

Sp.

Bob Simpson, opening batsman and the scorer of a triple century in a test - but can you name two of the other three Australian batsmen who have made a higher score in a single Test innings?

ROUND 3 - Themed - 'Will Way'

The poet Eliza Cooke wrote a poem entitled Where There's a Will, There's a Way - The Men They Couldn't Hang intend to test the applicability of this proverb to the world of quizzing

All answers contain either the word 'will' or the word 'way', or a word containing either of them

1.

Properly called Phylloscopus Trochilus how is the pictured bird more commonly known?

2.

Name this breed of cattle.

3.

What would you be on if you faced the Bowes Alternative?

4.

The London Borough of Brent was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the Municipal Borough of Wembley and which other Municipal Borough?

5.

According to the UK number 2 hit single of Christmas 1987 what were the boys of the NYPD choir still singing as the bells rang out for Christmas Day?

6.

For which 1997 film did Matt Damon and Ben Affleck win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay?

7.

Complete the postscript that David Copperfield wrote to Peggotty from Yarmouth while waiting for the stagecoach: "PS He says he particularly wants you to know …….."

8.

What phrase, originally from the Book of Joshua, was to become the title of a novel by Samuel Butler?

Sp.

In which 1942 battle was the carrier the USS Yorktown sunk?

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Royal Navy cruiser survived the Battle of the River Plate only to be scuttled, when, after being severely damaged during the Battle of Java Sea, she was intercepted by a Japanese flotilla off Bawean Island?

2.

Which Queen's Counsel was elected a bencher of Grey's Inn in 2007 and has famously represented the Birmingham Six, The Orgreave Miners, and the family of Stephen Lawrence?

3.

Which English cathedral is thought to have been the first structure to exceed the height of the Great Pyramid, and, at an estimated 525 feet, most likely to have been the world's tallest structure from it's completion in 1311 until 1549 when it's central spire collapsed?

4.

Which battle on the 3rd of September 1651 effectively brought the English Civil War to a conclusion?

5.

Which London borough is home to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet club at Wimbledon?

6.

Which Englishman succeeded to the throne of Scotland in 1292 and abdicated in 1296 when the throne remained vacant until 1306 with the accession of Robert the Bruce?

7.

Which aircraft made by the Percival Aicraft company, was used extensively by the RAF as a light transport plane and was named after a small Welsh town which boasts a castle that was the birthplace of the future King Henry VII?

8.

Name the vocalist.

Sp.

Which is the largest habitation on South Island, New Zealand?

ROUND 5 - Paired

1.

With 2500 hectares under cultivation, predominantly producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, Okanagan valley is one of the largest wine producing areas of which country?

2.

With 5259 hectares under cultivation, predominantly producing Chasselas and Pinot Noir grapes, Valais is the largest wine producing area of which country?

3.

Which two geological periods are separated by the KT boundary extinction event?

4.

Which two geological periods are named after ancient Welsh tribes?

5.

Which national charity has its headquarters at The Lodge, Sandy, Beds?

6.

Which national charity has its headquarters at Trevelyan House, Matlock, Derbyshire?

7.

It is a dinner party myth that this future Premiership footballer survived the Munich air disaster as a foetus.  He couldn't have since he was born on the 11th of December 1960.  He did however win Football League First Division winners medals with both Leeds and Arsenal.  Name him.

8.

It is a dinner party myth that this future British Lion won Junior Wimbledon in 1966.  He didn't.  A Russian called Korotkov did; but he did win a junior competition held that year at Wimbledon, defeating David Lloyd in the process.  Name this Welsh rugby legend who played in 63 internationals and famously dropped the goal to win the 1971 Lions series in New Zealand.

 Join The Men they Couldn't Hang as they take a toor roond County Durum (before the 1974 local government reorganisation, naturally)

1.

What, according to the folk song, wrapped its tail ten times round Penshaw Hill?

2.

What landmark is nicknamed ‘the blinking eye’?

3.

It might look Victorian but it isn't.  What or where is it?

4.

It might look like Versailles but it isn't.  What or where is it?

5.

What left from Palmer's Shipyard on Tyneside on the 13th of October 1936?

6.

What event traditionally held on the second Saturday in July often attracted crowds in excess of 250,000 people to the city of Durham?

7.

Name either of the two County Durham teams who contested the FA Amateur Cup Final of 1954.

8.

The River Skerne flowing through the centre of which town provided an image that once adorned the five pound note?

Sp.

Durham Wasps were the Heineken British Premier League Champions in 1991 and 1992 at which sport?

ROUND 7 - Themed - 'The Men They Couldn't Hang do Masterchef'

You have thirty minutes to serve up eight tasty answers.  Whoever wins, it'll change their lives.  All answers contain a culinary reference.

1.

Which 1980 film directed by Sidney Poitier famously has its two leading stars, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, dress up as woodpeckers in one early scene?

2.

Who played the title role in the 1997 film Wilde, a role he claimed to have been born to play?

3.

Which 1971 subversive novel by Luke Rheinhart was reviewed by Time Out as a "brilliant summary of modern nihilism?

4.

Which piece of land was given by the Duke of Buccleuch (a word which I pronounce, rightly or wrongly, as Buk-lu) to the people of Barrow in Furness in 1920?

5.

What innovation was employed by the pictured vessel, enabling it, in 1894, to travel at 34 knots, a speed far faster than anything else could achieve at the time?

6.

Which Coronation Street character made her debut in 1974, was originally played by the late Patricia Cutts for her first two episodes, and has been portrayed by Maggie Jones ever since?

7.

Which bird, correctly known as Pinguinis Impennis, was believed to be extinct in Britain in 1840 after the last bird was killed on St Kilda; and finally extinct worldwide when the last sighting was reported off Newfoundland in 1852?

8.

Which 1968 novel by Michael Crichton poses the question "how do you disinfect the human body, one of the dirtiest things in the known universe, without killing the person at the same time"?

Sp.

Which TV presenter was born Caterina Imperiali di Francavilla in 1926 and was, perhaps, most famous for hosting the Eurovision song contest when it was held in England in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974?

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

What was the nickname given to the serial killer active in California in 1968 and 1969, who was never caught.  He was known to have murdered five people, but claimed in correspondence with the police to have killed 37 when he used a curious cross on circle device as a signature.

2.

Which jazz saxophonist composed the Yardbird Suite?

3.

'Pretty' and 'hardcore' were the words used by which entrant into the 2007 Venice Biennale when asked to describe the key qualities of the submission?

4.

Name the head of the Joint Intelligence Committee and principal author of the September 2003 dodgy dossier on weapons of mass destruction who was promoted to head of the Secret Intelligence Service on the 6th of May 2004.

5.

The ancient Greeks knew it as hydragyros but what is it known as today?

6.

From which Derek Jarman film of 1980, inspired by a play of the same name, is the following still taken?

7.

Name the US Air Force display team based at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas who fly F16 aircraft.

8.

Known always as Gus Grissom what was the real first name of the NASA astronaut who was the second American in space?

Sp.

What was the model name of the Sinclair home computer that was released in the UK in April 1982 and came with a full colour display?

Spares

1.

Who would use a darby?

2.

Which independent state was created by the Lateran Treaty of 1929?

3.

Name the head of state of Puerto Rico.

4.

Who or what was the Bourreau in France?

5.

At which course is the Midlands Grand National run?

6.

What nationality was the philosopher and theologian Kierkegaarde?

Tiebreakers

1.

How many days did the Jarrow Crusade require to reach London?

2.

How long in miles is the River Skerne from its source near Sedgefield to its mouth at the Tees just south of Darlington?

3.

How many times did Bishop Auckland and Crook Town win the FA Amateur Cup Final between them?

4.

Mickle Fell is the highest point in County Durham.  How high is it in feet?

ROUND 1 - Paired

1.

What lies directly to the east of shipping forecast area North Utsire (ut-zee-ra)?

The Norwegian coastline

(accept Norway)

2.

The Shetlands and the Orkneys are both located in which shipping forecast area?

Fair Isle

3.

Which Football League club was relegated to the Fourth Division in 1974 and have remained in the bottom flight of the league for the last thirty five years?

Rochdale

4.

Which team, from being founder members of the Fourth Division in 1958/59 until automatic relegation to the Conference was introduced in 1986/1987, made a record 11 applications for re-election to the league?

Hartlepool United

5.

A farmer made raddle from ochre, linseed oil and tallow.  Where would he have rubbed it?

On the belly (or underside) of a ram

(to check which ewes had been ...er .. serviced)

6.

If you cut a pletch (or in some parts of the country a plash) in a sapling what would you be going to do with it?

Lay it in a hedge

7.

Which was the most northerly station served by the Midland Railway when it was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish?

Carlisle

8.

Which Scottish village with a population of less than 200 is fortuitous to be served by two railway stations; Upper on the line north to Fort William and Lower on the line west to Oban?

Tyndrum

ROUND 2 - Themed - 'Let's Meet the Simpsons'

1.

Derek Simpson, union fat cat and Joint General Secretary of Unite - but can you name the other co-holder of the post?

Tony Woodley

2.

Alan Simpson, scriptwriter and comic genius - but who shared the writing credit on both Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son? (surname will suffice)

(Ray) Galton

3.

Ronnie Simpson, Celtic legend and Lisbon lion - but for which club did he win an FA Cup Winners medal?

Newcastle United

4.

Joe Simpson, mountaineer and survivor extraordinary - but what was he touching after he fractured his kneecap on Sinula Grande?

(Touching) The Void

(and if you read only one more book make it this one)

5.

Marge Simpson, long suffering wife and a hairdresser's worst nightmare - but what name did her mother share with an American icon who passed away in 1994?

Jacqueline Bouvier

6.

Tommy Simpson, wearer of the maillot jaune and world cycling champion - but can you name the only British rider to have finished higher in the overall Tour de France classification than the sixth place achieved by Simpson in 1962?

Robert Millar

(4th in 1984)

7.

Orenthal James Simpson, running back and convicted felon - but he did help set an athletics world record while still a student in an event that was rarely run except on the imperial tracks of American colleges.  Precisely what was the event?

4 times 110 yards relay

8.

Wallis Simpson, American divorcee and the ultimate social climber - but which American actress inspired her choice of nickname for the then Princess Elizabeth?

Shirley Temple

Sp.

Bob Simpson, opening batsman and the scorer of a triple century in a test - but can you name two of the other three Australian batsmen who have made a higher score in a single Test innings?

(two from)

Don Bradman, Mark Taylor and Matthew Hayden

ROUND 3 - Themed - 'Will Way'

The poet Eliza Cooke wrote a poem entitled Where There's a Will, There's a Way - The Men They Couldn't Hang intend to test the applicability of this proverb to the world of quizzing

All answers contain either the word 'will' or the word 'way', or a word containing either of them

1.

Properly called Phylloscopus Trochilus how is the pictured bird more commonly known?

Willow warbler

2.

Name this breed of cattle.

Galloway

3.

What would you be on if you faced the Bowes Alternative?

The Pennine Way

4.

The London Borough of Brent was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the Municipal Borough of Wembley and which other Municipal Borough?

Willesden

5.

According to the UK number 2 hit single of Christmas 1987 what were the boys of the NYPD choir still singing as the bells rang out for Christmas Day?

Galway Bay

6.

For which 1997 film did Matt Damon and Ben Affleck win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay?

Goodwill Hunting

7.

Complete the postscript that David Copperfield wrote to Peggotty from Yarmouth while waiting for the stagecoach: "PS He says he particularly wants you to know …….."

“Barkis is willing”

8.

What phrase, originally from the Book of Joshua, was to become the title of a novel by Samuel Butler?

The Way of All Flesh

Sp.

In which 1942 battle was the carrier the USS Yorktown sunk?

Battle of Midway

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Royal Navy cruiser survived the Battle of the River Plate only to be scuttled, when, after being severely damaged during the Battle of Java Sea, she was intercepted by a Japanese flotilla off Bawean Island?

HMS Exeter

2.

Which Queen's Counsel was elected a bencher of Grey's Inn in 2007 and has famously represented the Birmingham Six, The Orgreave Miners, and the family of Stephen Lawrence?

Michael Mansfield

3.

Which English cathedral is thought to have been the first structure to exceed the height of the Great Pyramid, and, at an estimated 525 feet, most likely to have been the world's tallest structure from it's completion in 1311 until 1549 when it's central spire collapsed?

Lincoln

4.

Which battle on the 3rd of September 1651 effectively brought the English Civil War to a conclusion?

Worcester

5.

Which London borough is home to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet club at Wimbledon?

Merton

6.

Which Englishman succeeded to the throne of Scotland in 1292 and abdicated in 1296 when the throne remained vacant until 1306 with the accession of Robert the Bruce?

John de Balliol

7.

Which aircraft made by the Percival Aicraft company, was used extensively by the RAF as a light transport plane and was named after a small Welsh town which boasts a castle that was the birthplace of the future King Henry VII?

Pembroke

8.

Name the vocalist.

Jimmy Somerville

Sp.

Which is the largest habitation on South Island, New Zealand?

Christchurch

ROUND 5 - Paired

1

With 2500 hectares under cultivation, predominantly producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, Okanagan valley is one of the largest wine producing areas of which country?

Canada

2.

With 5259 hectares under cultivation, predominantly producing Chasselas and Pinot Noir grapes, Valais is the largest wine producing area of which country?

Switzerland

3.

Which two geological periods are separated by the KT boundary extinction event?

Cretaceous and Tertiary

4.

Which two geological periods are named after ancient Welsh tribes?

Ordivician and Silurian

5.

Which national charity has its headquarters at The Lodge, Sandy, Beds?

RSPB

6.

Which national charity has its headquarters at Trevelyan House, Matlock, Derbyshire?

YHA

7.

It is a dinner party myth that this future Premiership footballer survived the Munich air disaster as a foetus.  He couldn't have since he was born on the 11th of December 1960.  He did however win Football League First Division winners medals with both Leeds and Arsenal.  Name him.

John Lukic

(although a Mrs Lukic did survive the crash and was pregnant)

8.

It is a dinner party myth that this future British Lion won Junior Wimbledon in 1966.  He didn't.  A Russian called Korotkov did; but he did win a junior competition held that year at Wimbledon, defeating David Lloyd in the process.  Name this Welsh rugby legend who played in 63 internationals and famously dropped the goal to win the 1971 Lions series in New Zealand.

J P R Williams

(the answer must specify the initials)

 Join The Men they Couldn't Hang as they take a toor roond County Durum (before the 1974 local government reorganisation, naturally)

1

What, according to the folk song, wrapped its tail ten times round Penshaw Hill?

The Lambton Worm

2.

What landmark is nicknamed ‘the blinking eye’?

Gateshead Millenium Bridge

(accept footbridge across the Tyne or similar)

3.

It might look Victorian but it isn't.  What or where is it?

North of England Open Air Museum

(accept Beamish)

4.

It might look like Versailles but it isn't.  What or where is it?

Bowes Museum

(accept Barnard Castle)

5.

What left from Palmer's Shipyard on Tyneside on the 13th of October 1936?

The Jarrow Crusade

(accept Jarrow March/Marchers)

6.

What event traditionally held on the second Saturday in July often attracted crowds in excess of 250,000 people to the city of Durham?

The Durham Miners' Gala

7.

Name either of the two County Durham teams who contested the FA Amateur Cup Final of 1954.

(either)

Bishop Auckland

(or)

Crook Town

8.

The River Skerne flowing through the centre of which town provided an image that once adorned the five pound note?

Darlington

Sp.

Durham Wasps were the Heineken British Premier League Champions in 1991 and 1992 at which sport?

Ice hockey

ROUND 7 - Themed - 'The Men They Couldn't Hang do Masterchef'

You have thirty minutes to serve up eight tasty answers.  Whoever wins, it'll change their lives.  All answers contain a culinary reference.

1.

Which 1980 film directed by Sidney Poitier famously has its two leading stars, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, dress up as woodpeckers in one early scene?

Stir Crazv

2.

Who played the title role in the 1997 film Wilde, a role he claimed to have been born to play?

Stephen Fry

3.

Which 1971 subversive novel by Luke Rheinhart was reviewed by Time Out as a "brilliant summary of modern nihilism?

The Dice Man

4.

Which piece of land was given by the Duke of Buccleuch (a word which I pronounce, rightly or wrongly, as Buk-lu) to the people of Barrow in Furness in 1920?

Piel Island

5.

What innovation was employed by the pictured vessel, enabling it, in 1894, to travel at 34 knots, a speed far faster than anything else could achieve at the time?

The Steam Turbine

6.

Which Coronation Street character made her debut in 1974, was originally played by the late Patricia Cutts for her first two episodes, and has been portrayed by Maggie Jones ever since?

Blanche Hunt

(appearances were erratic between 1976 and 1998)

7.

Which bird, correctly known as Pinguinis Impennis, was believed to be extinct in Britain in 1840 after the last bird was killed on St Kilda; and finally extinct worldwide when the last sighting was reported off Newfoundland in 1852?

The Great Auk

8.

Which 1968 novel by Michael Crichton poses the question "how do you disinfect the human body, one of the dirtiest things in the known universe, without killing the person at the same time"?

The Andromeda Strain

Sp.

Which TV presenter was born Caterina Imperiali di Francavilla in 1926 and was, perhaps, most famous for hosting the Eurovision song contest when it was held in England in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974?

Katie Boyle

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

What was the nickname given to the serial killer active in California in 1968 and 1969, who was never caught.  He was known to have murdered five people, but claimed in correspondence with the police to have killed 37 when he used a curious cross on circle device as a signature.

The Zodiac Killer

2.

Which jazz saxophonist composed the Yardbird Suite?

Charlie Parker

3.

'Pretty' and 'hardcore' were the words used by which entrant into the 2007 Venice Biennale when asked to describe the key qualities of the submission?

Tracey Emin

4.

Name the head of the Joint Intelligence Committee and principal author of the September 2003 dodgy dossier on weapons of mass destruction who was promoted to head of the Secret Intelligence Service on the 6th of May 2004.

(Sir) John Scarlett

5.

The ancient Greeks knew it as hydragyros but what is it known as today?

Mercury

(the metal with the symbol Hg)

6.

From which Derek Jarman film of 1980, inspired by a play of the same name, is the following still taken?

The Tempest

7.

Name the US Air Force display team based at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas who fly F16 aircraft.

The Thunderbirds

8.

Known always as Gus Grissom what was the real first name of the NASA astronaut who was the second American in space?

Virgil

(interesting anecdote for those whose knowledge of Thunderbirds ephemera is sadly lacking: the thunderbird crew members were named after five of the first six Americans in space. The one who missed out was Wally Schirra on the basis that you couldn't have a heavylift supersonic VTOL aircraft being flown by a Wally.  I'd have sued!)

Sp.

What was the model name of the Sinclair home computer that was released in the UK in April 1982 and came with a full colour display?

ZX Spectrum

1.

Who would use a darby?

A plasterer

2.

Which independent state was created by the Lateran Treaty of 1929?

Vatican City

3.

Name the head of state of Puerto Rico.

Barak Obama

(yes the same one!  Puerto Rico's status is as a self-governing unincorporated territory of the USA whose head of state is the US president)

4.

Who or what was the Bourreau in France?

The state executioner

5.

At which course is the Midlands Grand National run?

Uttoxeter

6.

What nationality was the philosopher and theologian Kierkegaarde?

Danish

Go back to Spare questions without answers

1.

How many days did the Jarrow Crusade require to reach London?

22

2.

How long in miles is the River Skerne from its source near Sedgefield to its mouth at the Tees just south of Darlington?

25

3.

How many times did Bishop Auckland and Crook Town win the FA Amateur Cup Final between them?

15

4.

Mickle Fell is the highest point in County Durham.  How high is it in feet?

2585

Go back to Tiebreaker questions without answers