ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Which band saw their debut single climb to number 7 in the UK charts in 1978 despite it having a title that was purloined from a Chinese takeaway restaurant on Chislehurst High Street?

2.

Which order in the English armies of the middle ages signalled that the combatants could commence pillage but was used most famously in a line by Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Act 3 Scene 1?

3.

What was the additional soubriquet adopted by Wakefield Trinity on entering the Rugby League’s Super League in 1998?

4.

In which Ealing Comedy of 1953 does local vicar Sam Weech exclaim to town clerk George Blakeworth: “Yes! Yes she’ll run. She’s as good as she ever was. I’ll stake my living on it!"?

5.

What was the name of the spaceship commandeered by Blake’s Seven?

6.

What symbol features in the logo of Tampa Bay’s Ice Hockey team, the only team from the Sunshine state to win the Stanley Cup?

7.

What is the common name of the insect that is correctly the lactrodectus mactans, the female of which is recognizable by a distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen?

8.

Name the island off the coast of California that was claimed for Spain in 1542 and named after the patron saint of wheelwrights but which was also the scene of the tragic death of Natalie Woods.

Sp1

Which EastEnders’ character, portrayed by Perry Fenwick, made his debut on the 2nd of November 1998 and has appeared in over 1000 episodes since then?

Sp2

Which song, first recorded in 1965, inadvertently includes the name of an astronaut who on June the 18th 1983 became the then youngest American in space?

ROUND 2 - 'The Horror, the Horror!'

The theme's in the questions

1.

Who wrote the classic ghost story, Oh Whistle And  I’ll Come To You, My Lad?

2.

Often described as the best ghost story ever written, what was W W Jacobs' only commercial success?

3.

The first line of which famous publication was first translated into English in 1850 as: 'A frightful hobgoblin stalks throughout Europe'?

4.

If the Romans are Rotten and the Tudors are Terrible, who are described  in  Horrible Histories as 'The Cut-Throats'?

5.

In which novel and film is Room 237 of the Overlook  Hotel a place of fear and madness?

6.

How is Jennet Humfrye referred to in the title of a successful novel, play and film?

7.

Also known as 'Frater Perdurabo' and 'The Great Beast' which bisexual, mystic and occultist was named in a 2002 BBC poll as the 73rd greatest Briton of all time,  55 years after his death?

8.

Name the rectory in Essex that, until it was destroyed by fire in 1939, was often described as being the most haunted house in Britain.

Sp.

What is the literal meaning of the two Gaelic words that have become anglicised as 'banshee'?

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

In which medieval fantasy TV series do the Baratheon, Lannister and Stark families battle for the throne of Westeros?

2.

In which Science-fiction TV series do the characters William Adama, Laura Roslin and Kara Thrace battle humanoid robots while attempting to find Planet Earth?

3.

Who is Mike Nesbitt and why has he been in the news recently?

4.

Who is Leanne Wood and why has she been in the news recently?

5.

Which two ancient empires fought at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC and afterwards concluded the first known international peace treaty? 

6.

Which two empires fought at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260 which resulted in the defeat and eventual disintegration of one of them?

7.

On which planet in the solar system would you find  The Caloris Basin?

8.

On which planet in the solar system would you find the highland regions  Alpha Regio and Beta Regio?

Sp1

Which veteran TV presenter is currently hosting the new BBC2 game show Just A Minute?

Sp2

Which TV actor and comedian currently hosts the ITV quiz show The Chase?

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Whig politician from a long-established Northumbrian family was Prime Minister of Britain from 1830 to 1834?

2.

Which Manchester United player survived the Munich air crash and went on to create a club record by scoring 32 goals in 36 games during the 1959-1960 season?

3.

Which group based the lyrics of their best known song on a real life experience of watching a casino in Montreux go up in flames from their hotel room on the other side of Lake Geneva?

4.

Complete this statement made by Anthony Minghella when collecting a 1997 Oscar for his film The English Patient: "This is a great day for ……………."

5.

Which 1986 David Lynch film shares its title with a song that was a hit for Bobby Vinton in 1963 and centres around the mystery of a human ear found in a field near a hospital?

6.

Give the surname of the man who became head of the American secret service during the Civil War.  His company, founded in 1852, had the motto 'We never Sleep'.

7.

The highest point in Cornwall takes its name from two Cornish words meaning 'the highest hill'. How have the two words been translated  to give it its present name?

8.

In 1974  the BBC made the first venture into what has become known as reality TV when they broadcast The Family.  Fly-on-the-wall cameras followed the day-to-day lives of the Wilkins family who lived in a cramped flat in which English town?

Sp.

Graham Stringer currently holds what is known as the safest Labour seat in Manchester. What is the full name of his constituency?

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

What was initiated by The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists in the autumn of 1899 and didn’t come to a conclusion until the 7th of September 1901?

2.

Which Oscar winning actress was born Virginia Katherine McMath on 16th of July 1911?

3.

Which half of the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year of 1981 was portrayed on screen by the three times BAFTA winner John Hurt?

4.

What is the nickname of Colin Ball, a road sweeper by trade and a regular in The Nag's Head?

5.

Who was the much feared quartermaster aboard the Walrus who later led a mutiny aboard the Hispaniola?      

6.

Who In Roman mythology shot the centaur Nessus with an arrow poisoned with the Hydra’s blood?

7.

Which mathematical notation did William Jones introduce in 1706 in his Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos?

8.

The famous Four Inns fell-race and challenge walk visits the now derelict Isle of Skye Inn, The Snake Inn, The Nag's Head and The Cat and Fiddle during its forty five mile long route; but on which hill does it reach its maximum elevation of 2088 feet?

Sp1

Which film, despite costing less than $1 million to shoot, won the 1976 Oscar for Best Picture and also garnered a host of nominations including one for a one time Penguin as Best Supporting Actor?

Sp2

Which song, released as a single in 1969, includes the following lyrics “In the quiet of the railway station running scared, lying low, seeking out the poorer quarters where only ragged people go”?

ROUND 6 - Pairs

1.

The words of which European country's national anthem somewhat bizarrely proclaim that although the  "scion of a German and ancient line, to the king of Spain I've granted a lifelong loyalty"?  Clue: It is neither Germany nor Spain.

2.

Why was Kazakhstan's shooting gold medalist Maria Dimitrenko left stunned and puzzled when her country's national anthem was recently played at a medal ceremony in Kuwait?

3.

2012 marks the 700th anniversary of the birth at Windsor Castle of which English monarch?

4.

Celebrations are currently underway at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where she once lived, to mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of which of Henry VIII's wives? 

5.

Which Shakespeare play contains the lines:

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts"?

6.

 Which Shakespeare play contains these lines:

"Who is Silvia? what is she,

That all our swains commend her?

Holy, fair, and wise is she;

The heaven such grace did lend her"?

7.

Fill in the missing name from this list:  Selwyn, George, Bernard, -------------, Michael, John.

8.

Fill in the missing name from this list:  Walter, George, Dan, ------------, Dick, Joe.

Sp1

Which religious leader was inspired by a visit from the Angel Gabriel in about 610 AD?

Sp2

Which religious leader was inspired by a visit from an angel called Moroni in about 1823?

ROUNDS 7 & 8 - Pick Your Own

1.

Books

In The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy what was the best drink in existence?

2.

Film

Which recently released film, based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, is about a post-apocalyptic world where a boy and girl are selected annually to take part in a televised  battle?

3.

Books

Which best-selling book by Katherine Stockett, recently made into a film, was described by The Sunday Times as “the other side of Gone With The Wind“ and by the Daily Express as “a direct descendent of To Kill a Mocking Bird”?

4.

TV

Name the series currently on Channel 4 and starring Damian Lewis which is based on the Israeli TV series Halufim (meaning abducted)?

5.

Art

Margaret and Frances Macdonald and Herbert MacNair were three of 'The Four' prominent members of the Glasgow School movement.  Who was the fourth?

6.

Architecture

Which emperor was responsible for the building of the Pantheon in Rome?

7.

Books

Which 2004 book by Deborah Moggach was recently made into a film entitled The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel starring Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Judy Dench and Tom Wilkinson?

8.

Music

Which group from West Kirkby had singles success with Dreaming of You and In the Morning?

9.

TV

Which actor, known for his comedic roles, has just taken the  lead role in the new C.S.I. series ?

10.

Architecture

Who engineered the dome of the Basilico di Santa Maria de Fiore (The Duomo) in Florence?

11.

Music

Which REM single was used for the Haiti disaster appeal in 2010?

12.

Film

Which Kurasawa film is based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth?

13.

Music

Kiss with a Fist and You’ve Got the Love were singles by which current band?

14.

Film

Yojimbo (The Bodyguard)  by Kurasawa was the inspiration for which Sergio Leone film?

15.

Music

Which Lou Reed song was used as the charity song for Children in Need in 1997?

16.

TV

What was the name of the company that owned the spaceship Red Dwarf?

17.

Film

Who plays the part of Captain Nick Fury in both the Iron Man Films and the soon to be released film The Avengers ?

18.

Art

Which English artist was the co-founder of The Yellow Book and did illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s Salome and Thomas Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur?

Spares

1.

Sfax is the second largest city of which country?

2.

Who scripted, directed and appeared in the film The Plank?

3.

As most of you will know, 75% of the Charabancs live a life of idle debauchery courtesy of their immorally high Post Office pensions. To maintain this happy status quo The Post Office will now charge how much for a first class stamp with effect from April 30th?

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Which band saw their debut single climb to number 7 in the UK charts in 1978 despite it having a title that was purloined from a Chinese takeaway restaurant on Chislehurst High Street?

Souixsie and the Banshees

(Hong Kong Garden)

2.

Which order in the English armies of the middle ages signalled that the combatants could commence pillage but was used most famously in a line by Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Act 3 Scene 1?

Havoc

("Cry Havoc and let slip the Dogs of War")

3.

What was the additional soubriquet adopted by Wakefield Trinity on entering the Rugby League’s Super League in 1998?

Wildcats

4.

In which Ealing Comedy of 1953 does local vicar Sam Weech exclaim to town clerk George Blakeworth: “Yes! Yes she’ll run. She’s as good as she ever was. I’ll stake my living on it!"?

The Titfield Thunderbolt

5.

What was the name of the spaceship commandeered by Blake’s Seven?

The Liberator

6.

What symbol features in the logo of Tampa Bay’s Ice Hockey team, the only team from the Sunshine state to win the Stanley Cup?

A lightning bolt/flash

7.

What is the common name of the insect that is correctly the lactrodectus mactans, the female of which is recognizable by a distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen?

The Black Widow

8.

Name the island off the coast of California that was claimed for Spain in 1542 and named after the patron saint of wheelwrights but which was also the scene of the tragic death of Natalie Woods.

Santa Catalina

(being Spanish for Saint Catherine who was martyred on the wheel thereby giving us the Catherine Wheel)

Sp1

Which EastEnders’ character, portrayed by Perry Fenwick, made his debut on the 2nd of November 1998 and has appeared in over 1000 episodes since then?

Billy Mitchell

Sp2

Which song, first recorded in 1965, inadvertently includes the name of an astronaut who on June the 18th 1983 became the then youngest American in space?

Mustang Sally

(Sally Ride)

Theme: Each answer contains the name of an American aircraft of the Second World War

ROUND 2 - 'The Horror, the Horror!'

The theme's in the questions

1.

Who wrote the classic ghost story, Oh Whistle And  I’ll Come To You, My Lad?

M R James

2.

Often described as the best ghost story ever written, what was W W Jacobs' only commercial success?

The Monkey's Paw

3.

The first line of which famous publication was first translated into English in 1850 as: 'A frightful hobgoblin stalks throughout Europe'?

The Communist Manifesto

(Marx)

4.

If the Romans are Rotten and the Tudors are Terrible, who are described  in  Horrible Histories as 'The Cut-Throats'?

The Celts

5.

In which novel and film is Room 237 of the Overlook  Hotel a place of fear and madness?

The Shining

6.

How is Jennet Humfrye referred to in the title of a successful novel, play and film?

The Woman In Black

7.

Also known as 'Frater Perdurabo' and 'The Great Beast' which bisexual, mystic and occultist was named in a 2002 BBC poll as the 73rd greatest Briton of all time,  55 years after his death?

Aleister Crowley

8.

Name the rectory in Essex that, until it was destroyed by fire in 1939, was often described as being the most haunted house in Britain.

Borley Rectory

Sp.

What is the literal meaning of the two Gaelic words that have become anglicised as 'banshee'?

Woman Fairy

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

In which medieval fantasy TV series do the Baratheon, Lannister and Stark families battle for the throne of Westeros?

Game Of Thrones

2.

In which Science-fiction TV series do the characters William Adama, Laura Roslin and Kara Thrace battle humanoid robots while attempting to find Planet Earth?

Battlestar Galactica

3.

Who is Mike Nesbitt and why has he been in the news recently?

He was elected the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party

(on 31st March)

4.

Who is Leanne Wood and why has she been in the news recently?

She was elected the new leader of Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru

(on 15th March)

5.

Which two ancient empires fought at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC and afterwards concluded the first known international peace treaty? 

The Egyptians and the Hittites

6.

Which two empires fought at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260 which resulted in the defeat and eventual disintegration of one of them?

The Egyptians (accept Mamluks) and the Mongols

(The Mongols were the losers)

7.

On which planet in the solar system would you find  The Caloris Basin?

Mercury

8.

On which planet in the solar system would you find the highland regions  Alpha Regio and Beta Regio?

Venus

Sp1

Which veteran TV presenter is currently hosting the new BBC2 game show Just A Minute?

Nicholas Parsons

Sp2

Which TV actor and comedian currently hosts the ITV quiz show The Chase?

Bradley Walsh

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Whig politician from a long-established Northumbrian family was Prime Minister of Britain from 1830 to 1834?

Earl Grey

2.

Which Manchester United player survived the Munich air crash and went on to create a club record by scoring 32 goals in 36 games during the 1959-1960 season?

Denis Violett

3.

Which group based the lyrics of their best known song on a real life experience of watching a casino in Montreux go up in flames from their hotel room on the other side of Lake Geneva?

Deep Purple

(Smoke on the Water)

4.

Complete this statement made by Anthony Minghella when collecting a 1997 Oscar for his film The English Patient: "This is a great day for ……………."

"The Isle Of Wight"

5.

Which 1986 David Lynch film shares its title with a song that was a hit for Bobby Vinton in 1963 and centres around the mystery of a human ear found in a field near a hospital?

Blue Velvet

6.

Give the surname of the man who became head of the American secret service during the Civil War.  His company, founded in 1852, had the motto 'We never Sleep'.

(Allan) Pinkerton

7.

The highest point in Cornwall takes its name from two Cornish words meaning 'the highest hill'. How have the two words been translated  to give it its present name?

Brown Willy

(from the Cornish words Bronn Wennili)

8.

In 1974  the BBC made the first venture into what has become known as reality TV when they broadcast The Family.  Fly-on-the-wall cameras followed the day-to-day lives of the Wilkins family who lived in a cramped flat in which English town?

Reading

Sp.

Graham Stringer currently holds what is known as the safest Labour seat in Manchester. What is the full name of his constituency?

Blackley and Broughton

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a colour, or the sound of a colour

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

What was initiated by The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists in the autumn of 1899 and didn’t come to a conclusion until the 7th of September 1901?

The Boxer Rebellion

(accept Yihetuan Movement but point out the theme needs the given answer)

2.

Which Oscar winning actress was born Virginia Katherine McMath on 16th of July 1911?

Ginger Rogers

3.

Which half of the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year of 1981 was portrayed on screen by the three times BAFTA winner John Hurt?

Bob Champion

(with team mate Aldaniti)

4.

What is the nickname of Colin Ball, a road sweeper by trade and a regular in The Nag's Head?

Trigger

5.

Who was the much feared quartermaster aboard the Walrus who later led a mutiny aboard the Hispaniola?      

Long John Silver

6.

Who In Roman mythology shot the centaur Nessus with an arrow poisoned with the Hydra’s blood?

Hercules

7.

Which mathematical notation did William Jones introduce in 1706 in his Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos?

Pi

8.

The famous Four Inns fell-race and challenge walk visits the now derelict Isle of Skye Inn, The Snake Inn, The Nag's Head and The Cat and Fiddle during its forty five mile long route; but on which hill does it reach its maximum elevation of 2088 feet?

Kinder Scout

Sp1

Which film, despite costing less than $1 million to shoot, won the 1976 Oscar for Best Picture and also garnered a host of nominations including one for a one time Penguin as Best Supporting Actor?

Rocky

(ridden by Tex Tucker in Four Feather Falls)

Sp2

Which song, released as a single in 1969, includes the following lyrics “In the quiet of the railway station running scared, lying low, seeking out the poorer quarters where only ragged people go”?

The Boxer

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a famous horse from the world of entertainment:

Boxer is in Animal Farm, Ginger was Black Beauty’s pal who came to a 'sticky' end, Hercules pulled Steptoe’s cart and Pie was ridden by Velvet Brown to National glory!

ROUND 6 - Pairs

1.

The words of which European country's national anthem somewhat bizarrely proclaim that although the  "scion of a German and ancient line, to the king of Spain I've granted a lifelong loyalty"?  Clue: It is neither Germany nor Spain.

The Netherlands

(called The Wilhelmus)

2.

Why was Kazakhstan's shooting gold medalist Maria Dimitrenko left stunned and puzzled when her country's national anthem was recently played at a medal ceremony in Kuwait?

The organisers mistakenly played the spoof national anthem from the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

(written for the film by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen)

3.

2012 marks the 700th anniversary of the birth at Windsor Castle of which English monarch?

Edward III

4.

Celebrations are currently underway at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where she once lived, to mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of which of Henry VIII's wives? 

Catherine Parr

5.

Which Shakespeare play contains the lines:

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts"?

As You Like It

6.

 Which Shakespeare play contains these lines:

"Who is Silvia? what is she,

That all our swains commend her?

Holy, fair, and wise is she;

The heaven such grace did lend her"?

Two Gentlemen Of Verona

7.

Fill in the missing name from this list:  Selwyn, George, Bernard, -------------, Michael, John.

Betty

(They are the last 6  speakers of the House of Commons: Selwyn Lloyd, George Thomas, Bernard Wetherill, Betty Boothroyd, Michael Martin, John Bercow)

8.

Fill in the missing name from this list:  Walter, George, Dan, ------------, Dick, Joe.

Al

(They are the last 6  vice-presidents of the US:  Walter Mondale, George H W Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney, Joe Biden)

Sp1

Which religious leader was inspired by a visit from the Angel Gabriel in about 610 AD?

Mohammed

(founder of Islam)

Sp2

Which religious leader was inspired by a visit from an angel called Moroni in about 1823?

Joseph Smith

(founder of The Latter Day Saints or Mormons)

ROUNDS 7 & 8 - Pick Your Own

1.

Books

In The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy what was the best drink in existence?

The Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster

2.

Film

Which recently released film, based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, is about a post-apocalyptic world where a boy and girl are selected annually to take part in a televised  battle?

The Hunger Games

3.

Books

Which best-selling book by Katherine Stockett, recently made into a film, was described by The Sunday Times as “the other side of Gone With The Wind“ and by the Daily Express as “a direct descendent of To Kill a Mocking Bird”?

The Help

4.

TV

Name the series currently on Channel 4 and starring Damian Lewis which is based on the Israeli TV series Halufim (meaning abducted)?

Homeland

5.

Art

Margaret and Frances Macdonald and Herbert MacNair were three of 'The Four' prominent members of the Glasgow School movement.  Who was the fourth?

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

6.

Architecture

Which emperor was responsible for the building of the Pantheon in Rome?

Hadrian

7.

Books

Which 2004 book by Deborah Moggach was recently made into a film entitled The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel starring Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Judy Dench and Tom Wilkinson?

These Foolish Things

8.

Music

Which group from West Kirkby had singles success with Dreaming of You and In the Morning?

The Coral

9.

TV

Which actor, known for his comedic roles, has just taken the  lead role in the new C.S.I. series ?

Ted Danson

10.

Architecture

Who engineered the dome of the Basilico di Santa Maria de Fiore (The Duomo) in Florence?

(Filippo) Brunelleschi

11.

Music

Which REM single was used for the Haiti disaster appeal in 2010?

Everybody Hurts

12.

Film

Which Kurasawa film is based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth?

Throne of Blood

13.

Music

Kiss with a Fist and You’ve Got the Love were singles by which current band?

Florence  and the Machine

14.

Film

Yojimbo (The Bodyguard)  by Kurasawa was the inspiration for which Sergio Leone film?

A Fistful of Dollars

15.

Music

Which Lou Reed song was used as the charity song for Children in Need in 1997?

Perfect Day

16.

TV

What was the name of the company that owned the spaceship Red Dwarf?

The Jupiter Mining Co.

17.

Film

Who plays the part of Captain Nick Fury in both the Iron Man Films and the soon to be released film The Avengers ?

Samuel L Jackson

18.

Art

Which English artist was the co-founder of The Yellow Book and did illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s Salome and Thomas Mallory’s Morte D’Arthur?

Aubrey Beardsley

Spares

1.

Sfax is the second largest city of which country?

Tunisia

2.

Who scripted, directed and appeared in the film The Plank?

Eric Sykes

3.

As most of you will know, 75% of the Charabancs live a life of idle debauchery courtesy of their immorally high Post Office pensions. To maintain this happy status quo The Post Office will now charge how much for a first class stamp with effect from April 30th?

60p