1.

Which porcelain factory started using three wavy lines atop of each other representing three local waterways as a trademark to distinguish its wares in 1775?

2.

Which porcelain factory started using a pair of capital letters 'L', one of them inverted, to distinguish its wares in 1751 only to replace that mark with the letters 'RF' in 1793 following a change in ownership?

3.

Which 2010 Tony winning play examines the life and work of American artist Mark Rothko?

4.

Which highly acclaimed Alan Bennett play premiered in 2010 features a rehearsal for a fictional play Caliban’s Tale examining the working and personal relationship between Benjamin Britten and W H Auden?

5.

On the 12^th of November 1944 thirty Lancaster bombers from both 617 and 9 Squadrons took off from Lossiemouth and successfully destroyed which target lying off Tromso?

6.

On 3^rd of April 1945 seven B24 liberator bombers of the USAF 436 Squadron took off from Madagange in India and successfully destroyed which target over Thailand?

7.

According to Jonners what was Neil Harvey waiting for in the Headingley test of 1961 while “standing at leg slip with his legs wide apart”?

8.

According to Jonners what had Ray Illingworth just done at the Pavilion End when the audience arrived at “an appropriate time at Grace Road”?

1.

Which beer is “named after an ancient Kentish signpost found on the Pilgrims Way pointing to Canterbury and the Shrine of Thomas a Becket”?

2.

Which building, officially opened in May 1951, became the first post-war building to become a Grade one listed building when it was listed in 1988?

3.

Which country shares borders with The Ivory Coast, Burkino Faso and Togo?

4.

Americans call it the Rio Grande - how do Mexicans refer to the river that marks the border with the USA?

5.

The uninhabited Bikini Atoll, centre of the US nuclear testing programme, is now part of which republic?

6.

Who was proclaimed emperor by the troops under his father’s command in July 306 while stationed at Eboracum, now known as York, and duly accepted as a Caesar by the senior co-emperor Galerius?

7.

Which UK number 2 single of 1984 has the opening lyrics:

“Where have all the good men gone and where are all the Gods

 Where are the street wise Hercules to fight the rising odds”?

8.

Who is missing from this list of the four original doctors of the Church named in 1298; St Gregory, St Augustine, St Jerome and…?

Sp.

Who is the only jockey currently licensed to ride who has ridden the winner of all four Nationals: Grand, Irish, Scottish and Welsh?

1.

In which mountain range would you find Mulhacen, at 3482m the highest point in Continental Spain?

2.

In which mountain range would you find Rysy, at 2499m the highest point in Poland?

3.

What is the SI unit of magnetic inductance?

4.

What is the SI unit of pressure defined as 1 Newton per square metre?

5.

Which US state, the second smallest by area, was the first to ratify the Constitution and so became the first state?

6.

Which US state, the second smallest by population, was the first not to have been one of the original thirteen colonies and so became the fourteenth state?

7.

What is the name of the breed of draught horse that takes its name from an area in France to the south and east of Normandy?

8.

What is the name of the breed of beef cattle that takes its name from a district within Burgundy?

1.

The book The Induction of Psychoneuroses by Conditional Reflex under Stress plays a prominent role in which novel by Len Deighton?

2.

What two heraldic terms are used to describe the attitude of the three lions on the FA crest?

3.

The River Elbe flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven north of Hamburg but in which country is its source?

4.

Name the horse that raced 22 times, won 14 of those starts, finished second in 7, but collapsed and died in his last race at Exeter in November 2005.

5.

At which venue did the unbeaten Mohammed Ali fight the also unbeaten Joe Frazier for the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship of the World on 8th of March 1971?

6.

What was the title of the literary sequel to The Godfather written by Mario Puzo and published by Random House in November 1984?

7.

Who made his debut in Marvel Comics Uncanny X-men in 1990 and was depicted in the film X-men Origins: Wolverine by Taylor Kitsch.

8.

Which hip-hop artist was born Joseph Saddler in 1958 and had a long-term collaboration with Melle Mel?

Sp.

Which Samuel Beckett play features two trashcans on stage that are home to legless husband and wife characters Nagg and Nell?

1.

Which city now with a population of 80,000 was named in 1871 in honour of the last British Prime Minister to die while in office?

2.

Which city now with a population of 700,000 was named in 1768 in honour of the German wife of George III of Britain?

3.

Which genteel BBC competition hosted by Mel and Sue saw its inaugural final being screened in September from Fulham Palace?

4.

Which genteel BBC competition hosted by Sandi Toksvig saw its inaugural final being screened in September from Towneley Hall, Burnley?

5.

What disease is named after the Greek for coal on account of one of the symptoms being blackened skin lesions?

6.

What disease is named after the Latin for sausage on account of the close association of the disease with the foodstuff in eighteenth century Germany?

7.

Which football team in the Blue Square Conference Premier play their home games at the New Lawn Ground in Nailsworth near Stroud?

8.

Which football team in the Blue Square Conference Premier play their home games at the Bridge Road Ground in the village of Impington near Cambridge?

1.

Who released in 1968 an album on the Stax label called Soul Limbo, the title track of which is now better known as the theme music to Test Match Special?

2.

Which 1976 motion picture directed by Martin Scorcese had four Oscar nominations, including one for best picture, one for best actor, Robert de Niro, and one for best supporting actress, Jodie Foster, but won none?

3.

What was the title of the autobiography by Nick Hornby that followed the progress of Arsenal to the First Division championship of the1988-89 season?

4.

Which piece of music written by Kenneth Alford in 1914 provided the inspiration for Malcolm Arnold to win an Oscar for Best Musical Score in 1957?

5.

Who holds the record for the most appearances, 624, for Partick Thistle during a career that spanned from 1969 to 1982?

6.

Who, or what, was followed by Intrepid, Antares, Falcon, Orion and finally in December 1972 by Challenger?

7.

Which team from the state of Wisconsin were the winners of the inaugural Superbowl in 1966?

8.

Following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord what battle, fought on the 17th of June 1775, and involving more than 5000 combatants was the first major engagement in the American War of Independence?

Sp.

Which Conference held in July 1944 to plan for the restoration of economic stability in the aftermath of the war and led to the establishment of both the GATT and the IMF?

1.

From which twentieth century novel is the following dialogue taken “You could slooshy the zvook of like somebody being tolchocked. Real horrorshow.”?

2.

From which twentieth century novel is the following dialogue taken “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!”?

3.

During which geological period were the rocks that make up most of the South Downs National Park laid down?

4.

During which geological period were the rocks that make up most of the Peak District National Park laid down? 

5.

Which Greek letter is used in maths and physics to indicate wavelength?

6.

Which Greek letter is used in statistics to denote the standard deviation of a population?

7.

You are back at that hip hostelry in Hulme.  You order a starter of Crème Du Barry and your waiter brings you a bowl of soup. What vegetable is its chief ingredient?

8.

You visit that laid-back lounge diner in Ladybarn where you order a main course of Chicken Veronique.  What fruit forms the garnish to the meat?

1.

Whose third marriage took place at Chateau de Cande in France on the 3rd of June 1937?

2.

Who had their only UK number one single with Go Now in 1964?

3.

Which volcano erupted spectacularly on 18th May 1980 killing 57 people?

4.

Who was the only fictional entrant in Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the Twentieth Century?

5.

Heading northwards on the M1 what is the next service station after passing Watford Gap?

6.

What euphemism for the devil had its first recorded usage in The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare?

7.

The Mersey Ferry currently operates between three piers. Pier Head, Liverpool and Woodside pier in Birkenhead are two, but what is the name of the third?

8.

Whose epitaph is a verse taken from his own work?

“And alien tears will fill for him

Pity’s long broken urn

For his mourners will be outcast men

And outcasts always mourn”

Sp.

What is the title of the long running Radio 4 production that is currently presented alternately by Sue MacGregor and author Kate Mosse?

Which city is at the centre of Hereford Cathedral’s Mappa Mundi?

1.

Which porcelain factory started using three wavy lines atop of each other representing three local waterways as a trademark to distinguish its wares in 1775?

Royal Copenhagen

(the waterways being the Great Belt, the Little Belt and the Oresund)

2.

Which porcelain factory started using a pair of capital letters 'L', one of them inverted, to distinguish its wares in 1751 only to replace that mark with the letters 'RF' in 1793 following a change in ownership?

Sevres

(the 'L' was for Louis, the 'RF' for Republique Francaise)

3.

Which 2010 Tony winning play examines the life and work of American artist Mark Rothko?

Red

4.

Which highly acclaimed Alan Bennett play premiered in 2010 features a rehearsal for a fictional play Caliban’s Tale examining the working and personal relationship between Benjamin Britten and W H Auden?

The Habit of Art

5.

On the 12^th of November 1944 thirty Lancaster bombers from both 617 and 9 Squadrons took off from Lossiemouth and successfully destroyed which target lying off Tromso?

Tirpitz

6.

On 3^rd of April 1945 seven B24 liberator bombers of the USAF 436 Squadron took off from Madagange in India and successfully destroyed which target over Thailand?

The Bridge over the River Kwai

(it had absolutely nothing to do with Alec Guinness!)

7.

According to Jonners what was Neil Harvey waiting for in the Headingley test of 1961 while “standing at leg slip with his legs wide apart”?

"a tickle"

(the full quote being “and there’s Neil Harvey, standing at leg slip with his legs wide apart waiting for a tickle”)

8.

According to Jonners what had Ray Illingworth just done at the Pavilion End when the audience arrived at “an appropriate time at Grace Road”?

"relieved himself"

(the full quote being “and you arrive at an appropriate time at Grace Road, Ray Illingworth has just relieved himself at the Pavilion End”)

1.

Which beer is “named after an ancient Kentish signpost found on the Pilgrims Way pointing to Canterbury and the Shrine of Thomas a Becket”?

Bishops Finger

(that’s what is claimed on the back of the bottle.)

2.

Which building, officially opened in May 1951, became the first post-war building to become a Grade one listed building when it was listed in 1988?

Royal Festival Hall

(I’ll leave it to QM’s discretion as to whether to accept the looser 'South Bank centre' but if you do accept it please point out that RFH supports the theme)

3.

Which country shares borders with The Ivory Coast, Burkino Faso and Togo?

Ghana

4.

Americans call it the Rio Grande - how do Mexicans refer to the river that marks the border with the USA?

Rio Bravo

(del Norte)

5.

The uninhabited Bikini Atoll, centre of the US nuclear testing programme, is now part of which republic?

Republic of the Marshall Islands

6.

Who was proclaimed emperor by the troops under his father’s command in July 306 while stationed at Eboracum, now known as York, and duly accepted as a Caesar by the senior co-emperor Galerius?

Constantine

(the First or the Great)

7.

Which UK number 2 single of 1984 has the opening lyrics:

“Where have all the good men gone and where are all the Gods

 Where are the street wise Hercules to fight the rising odds”?

Holding Out For A Hero

8.

Who is missing from this list of the four original doctors of the Church named in 1298; St Gregory, St Augustine, St Jerome and…?

St Ambrose

Sp.

Who is the only jockey currently licensed to ride who has ridden the winner of all four Nationals: Grand, Irish, Scottish and Welsh?

Ruby Walsh

(on Papillion and Hedgehunter, Silver Birch, Take Control and Numbersixvalverde respectively; McCoy has only won the 2010 Grand National)

1.

In which mountain range would you find Mulhacen, at 3482m the highest point in Continental Spain?

The Sierra Nevada

2.

In which mountain range would you find Rysy, at 2499m the highest point in Poland?

The Tatras

3.

What is the SI unit of magnetic inductance?

Henry

4.

What is the SI unit of pressure defined as 1 Newton per square metre?

Pascal

5.

Which US state, the second smallest by area, was the first to ratify the Constitution and so became the first state?

Delaware

6.

Which US state, the second smallest by population, was the first not to have been one of the original thirteen colonies and so became the fourteenth state?

Vermont

7.

What is the name of the breed of draught horse that takes its name from an area in France to the south and east of Normandy?

Percheron

(Perche vallee)

8.

What is the name of the breed of beef cattle that takes its name from a district within Burgundy?

Charolais

1.

The book The Induction of Psychoneuroses by Conditional Reflex under Stress plays a prominent role in which novel by Len Deighton?

The Ipcress File

2.

What two heraldic terms are used to describe the attitude of the three lions on the FA crest?

Regardant Passant

3.

The River Elbe flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven north of Hamburg but in which country is its source?

Czech Republic

4.

Name the horse that raced 22 times, won 14 of those starts, finished second in 7, but collapsed and died in his last race at Exeter in November 2005.

Best Mate

5.

At which venue did the unbeaten Mohammed Ali fight the also unbeaten Joe Frazier for the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship of the World on 8th of March 1971?

Madison Square Garden

6.

What was the title of the literary sequel to The Godfather written by Mario Puzo and published by Random House in November 1984?

The Sicilian

7.

Who made his debut in Marvel Comics Uncanny X-men in 1990 and was depicted in the film X-men Origins: Wolverine by Taylor Kitsch.

Gambit

8.

Which hip-hop artist was born Joseph Saddler in 1958 and had a long-term collaboration with Melle Mel?

Grandmaster Flash

Sp.

Which Samuel Beckett play features two trashcans on stage that are home to legless husband and wife characters Nagg and Nell?

Endgame

1.

Which city now with a population of 80,000 was named in 1871 in honour of the last British Prime Minister to die while in office?

Palmerston

(North Island, New Zealand)

2.

Which city now with a population of 700,000 was named in 1768 in honour of the German wife of George III of Britain?

Charlotte

(in North Carolina, then still a colony)

3.

Which genteel BBC competition hosted by Mel and Sue saw its inaugural final being screened in September from Fulham Palace?

The Great British Bake Off 

4.

Which genteel BBC competition hosted by Sandi Toksvig saw its inaugural final being screened in September from Towneley Hall, Burnley?

Antiques Master

5.

What disease is named after the Greek for coal on account of one of the symptoms being blackened skin lesions?

Anthrax

6.

What disease is named after the Latin for sausage on account of the close association of the disease with the foodstuff in eighteenth century Germany?

Botulism

7.

Which football team in the Blue Square Conference Premier play their home games at the New Lawn Ground in Nailsworth near Stroud?

Forest Green Rangers

8.

Which football team in the Blue Square Conference Premier play their home games at the Bridge Road Ground in the village of Impington near Cambridge?

Histon

1.

Who released in 1968 an album on the Stax label called Soul Limbo, the title track of which is now better known as the theme music to Test Match Special?

Booker T and the MGs

2.

Which 1976 motion picture directed by Martin Scorcese had four Oscar nominations, including one for best picture, one for best actor, Robert de Niro, and one for best supporting actress, Jodie Foster, but won none?

Taxi Driver

3.

What was the title of the autobiography by Nick Hornby that followed the progress of Arsenal to the First Division championship of the1988-89 season?

Fever Pitch

4.

Which piece of music written by Kenneth Alford in 1914 provided the inspiration for Malcolm Arnold to win an Oscar for Best Musical Score in 1957?

Colonel Bogey’s March

5.

Who holds the record for the most appearances, 624, for Partick Thistle during a career that spanned from 1969 to 1982?

Alan Rough

6.

Who, or what, was followed by Intrepid, Antares, Falcon, Orion and finally in December 1972 by Challenger?

Eagle

(they being the call signs of the 6 lunar modules to land on the moon – allegedly)

7.

Which team from the state of Wisconsin were the winners of the inaugural Superbowl in 1966?

Green Bay Packers

8.

Following the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord what battle, fought on the 17th of June 1775, and involving more than 5000 combatants was the first major engagement in the American War of Independence?

Bunker Hill

Sp.

Which Conference held in July 1944 to plan for the restoration of economic stability in the aftermath of the war and led to the establishment of both the GATT and the IMF?

Bretton Woods

1.

From which twentieth century novel is the following dialogue taken “You could slooshy the zvook of like somebody being tolchocked. Real horrorshow.”?

Clockwork Orange

2.

From which twentieth century novel is the following dialogue taken “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!”?

The Lord of the Flies

3.

During which geological period were the rocks that make up most of the South Downs National Park laid down?

Cretaceous

4.

During which geological period were the rocks that make up most of the Peak District National Park laid down? 

Carboniferous

5.

Which Greek letter is used in maths and physics to indicate wavelength?

6.

Which Greek letter is used in statistics to denote the standard deviation of a population?

Sigma

7.

You are back at that hip hostelry in Hulme.  You order a starter of Crème Du Barry and your waiter brings you a bowl of soup. What vegetable is its chief ingredient?

Cauliflower

8.

You visit that laid-back lounge diner in Ladybarn where you order a main course of Chicken Veronique.  What fruit forms the garnish to the meat?

Grapes

(white)

1.

Whose third marriage took place at Chateau de Cande in France on the 3rd of June 1937?

Wallis Simpson

2.

Who had their only UK number one single with Go Now in 1964?

Moody Blues

3.

Which volcano erupted spectacularly on 18th May 1980 killing 57 people?

Mount St Helens

4.

Who was the only fictional entrant in Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the Twentieth Century?

Bart Simpson

5.

Heading northwards on the M1 what is the next service station after passing Watford Gap?

Leicester Forest East

6.

What euphemism for the devil had its first recorded usage in The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare?

Dickens

(as in “What the Dickens”)

7.

The Mersey Ferry currently operates between three piers. Pier Head, Liverpool and Woodside pier in Birkenhead are two, but what is the name of the third?

Seacombe

8.

Whose epitaph is a verse taken from his own work?

“And alien tears will fill for him

Pity’s long broken urn

For his mourners will be outcast men

And outcasts always mourn”

Oscar Wilde

Sp.

What is the title of the long running Radio 4 production that is currently presented alternately by Sue MacGregor and author Kate Mosse?

A Good Read

Which city is at the centre of Hereford Cathedral’s Mappa Mundi?

Jerusalem