ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

2.

3.

Name the Dewsbury born brothers who won gold and bronze medals in this year's Olympics. (full names required)

4.

In this year's Olympics which 'beast' won silver in the Men’s 100m  and 200m events? (full name required)

5.

Which actor had parts in the films  Closer, Wilde and Road to Perdition?

6.

Which actress had parts in the films  V for Vendetta, Thor and The Other Boleyn Girl?

7.

What is the name of the sequel to Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which is up for this year’s Booker prize?

8.

What is the name of J K Rowlings’ new book,  a non-Harry Potter novel of small town life?

ROUND 2 - 'The Great American Dream'

Each answer is the name of a US State

This round is a throwback to the way things were in the 1980s – when Reagan was still alive (though we didn’t know it at the time) and no Withquiz round was complete without at least one reference to a USA State

1.

Of all the USA states that have ocean access this one has the shortest coastline – just 18 miles. The state is much better known for its majestic White Mountain range hence its nickname of The Granite State.

2.

Despite its macho image this was the first US state to grant women the vote. It did so in 1869 – a good half century before the rest of the country - largely as a way to attract much needed settlers.  It proudly boasts of being The Equality State.

3.

This state has as many cows as people. Small wonder that this self-proclaimed 'Dairyland of the USA'  has a higher proportion of overweight people than any other state. Its third largest city  is the smallest city in the USA to hold a major professional sports franchise.

4.

Most tourists come to this state (sometimes called The Old Colony state) for its wealth of historical and literary associations.  But many also come to visit its small industrial city of Springfield (not the state capital) which gave the world a rifle, Dr Seuss and above all the game of basketball.   

5.

This is the only state in the USA that has never had its claim to statehood officially ratified by the Supreme Court. Even now its neighbour to the East does not officially recognise its legality.  Known for its poverty and rural isolation it is often called The Mountain State.      

6.

This state is the middle one of three neighbouring states that begin with the same letter. Abraham Lincoln practiced law and was laid to rest in the state capital. Officially it is known as The Prairie State.

7.

Garrison Keillor’s fictional stories of life in the backwater town of Lake Wobegon (“where all the women are strong and all the men are beautiful”) are set in this state.  It is the 12th largest state in the USA and is often called The Land of 10,000 Lakes.

8.

Despite only becoming a state in 1912 traces of long-term settlement are more obvious here than in any other state.  Its ancient cave dwellings impressed D H Lawrence so much that he came to live here for two years - unlike Billy The Kid who came to die here. It is known as The Land of Enchantment.

Sp.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the USA.  It stretches for about 70 miles along the border between Tennessee (the Volunteer State) and this state (which is enigmatically known as The Tar Heel State).

1.

Politics 1

Name the Scottish MP who is  currently Foreign Secretary in the Shadow Cabinet.

2.

Olympics 1

In which African country was double gold-medallist runner, Mo Farah born?

3.

Literary Observation 1

Who, upon hearing of the death of Little Nell in the latest installment of  Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop observed: “You would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh!”?

4.

Film 1

Name the missing film from this sequence and explain the connection between them:

Morning Glory, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, ---------------- and On Golden Pond.

5.

Music 1

From which 1986 song do these lines come: 

"Your heart sweats, your body shakes

Another kiss is what it takes"?

6.

Crown Matrimonial 1

Since 1066, only 3 adult English kings never married during the course of their reigns. Name them.

7.

Watery Facts 1

Into which body of water does the Volga, Europe's longest river, discharge?

8.

Name The Year 1

Steve Biko dies in custody in South Africa, Virginia Wade becomes the last British woman to win Wimbledon, Charlie Chaplin dies.

9.

Art 1

Which Italian Renaissance painter had the surname Sanzio?

10.

Off-World 1

Which moon of Saturn has been found to have cryo-volcanoes at its South Pole that regularly shoot large jets of water ice particles into space which are thought to have formed Saturn’s outermost ring?

11.

Politics 2

Name the somewhat class-conscious Tory cabinet minister and Chief Whip currently under fire for swearing at the 'Boys in Blue' and referring to them as 'Plebs'.

12.

Olympics 2

In what country was Olympic gold-medalist and Tour de France cycling champion, Bradley Wiggins born?

13.

Literary Observations 2

Who once commented that: "From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it"?

14.

Film 2

Name the missing film from this sequence and explain the connection between them: 

The Informer, The Grapes Of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and -------------.

15.

Music 2

From which 1995 song does these lines come?

"Now just like in a song from days of yore

Here you come a knockin', knockin' at my door."?

16.

Crown Matrimonial 2

Since 1066, seven English kings married more than once during the course of their lives: Henry I, John, Edward I and Henry VIII are four of them. Name the other three.

17.

Watery Facts 2

Which body of water is considered to be the largest lake in Central Europe?

18.

Name The Year 2

Tony Blair becomes Labour Party leader, the Channel Tunnel opens and Martina Navratilova plays her last Wimbledon final, losing to Conchita Martinez.

19.

Art 2

Which Italian Renaissance painter had the surname Vecelli?

20.

Off-World 2

Loki Patera is the highest volcano on which body of the Solar System?

ROUND 5 - Pairs

1.

My Animals and Other Family is the recently published autobiography of which TV and radio presenter?

2.

Which self-styled 'political survivor' has just published his memoirs under the title Last Man Standing?

3.

Connect W C Fields, Charlie Chaplin, the Ceaucescus and Dean Martin.

4.

Loosely connect the ownership of Manchester City, the Berlin Philharmonic and a newly installed Dyson on the one hand, with Bill Haley and the Comets on the other hand.

5.

Which colour is named after a battle in Italy 1859?

6.

Which colour is named after the French for flea?

7.

What is the name of Prince’s backing group?

8.

What is the name of Neil Young’s backing group?

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme

1.

What English word, still in common currency, is derived from the name given by the English to an early Norman coin, a  penny with a small star engraved on it?

2.

How is Baron Bannside (born 6th April 1926) better known?

3.

Name the piece of classical music famously used in a long-running campaign to advertise Hamlet Cigars on TV.

4.

Who started his broadcasting career in 1973 presenting a Saturday morning show on Radio Manchester, helped launch Piccadilly Radio in 1974 and famously conducted the last British media interview with John Lennon?

5.

Which historic estate in the Georgetown area of Washington DC was  the venue for a conference in 1944 at which international leaders formulated and negotiated plans to set up the United Nations?

6.

What is the unit of currency of the Sultanate of Brunei?

7.

Which diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist, volcanologist and  cuckold  (1731-1803) served as  British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800?

8.

What is being referred to in the following lines from Byron’s poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage?

         “Dull is the eye that will not weep to see

         Thy walls defaced, thy mouldering shrines removed.”

Sp.

What traditional foodstuff is cooked on a griddle from the following ingredients?

• 500g of mashed potato

• 100g of plain flour

• 50g of butter

• pinch of salt

ROUNDS 7 & 8 - Bingo Blockbuster

Pick a question based on the initial letter(s) of the answer

1.

A

The earliest documented use of this word was made in 1267 by Roger Bacon who defined it as “a set of tables detailing the movement of the Heavenly Bodies including the moon”.

2.

EH

British  intellectual and Marxist historian who has called the 19th century the longest century in history, claiming that it started in 1789 and ended in 1914.

3.

TH

He designed the original Blue Peter ship logo for BBC TV.

4.

EB

British author and playwright best known for a story she wrote in 1935 which was turned into a very successful film 9 years later. Samantha Cameron is her great-granddaughter.

5.

TFOA

Irish folk ballad about a transportation during the Great Famine and very well known on both sides of the Irish Sea. Its first line is:

"By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling."

6.

ED

Lib Dem MP who was appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change following the resignation of Chris Huhne in February 2012.

7.

CT

The principal ingredient of the flavoursome American dish called Rocky Mountain  Oysters.

8.

P

The low chemical reactivity of this substance is reflected in its name which derives from the Latin for 'little affinity'.

9.

AOG

Full name of the teddy bear that was John Betjeman’s lifelong companion and muse. Betjeman died cradling him in his arms.

10.

GBPP

Full name under which Dublin brewer Arthur Guinness originally marketed his most successful product.

11.

RE

Only player to have scored a hat trick in all 4 English football leagues as well as in the League Cup, the FA Cup and for his country in a senior international match.

12.

CTLSC

The five regions of the spine.

13.

MC

She currently holds the record for being the most borrowed author from UK prison libraries.

14.

GOM

Welsh cleric and chronicler whose 12th century History of the Kings of Britain was based more on myth than history but was nevertheless widely read and was responsible for the enduring popularity of the tales of King Arthur.

15.

PPP

The three English ports from which you can sail to France and Spain using a  Brittany Ferries booking.

16.

AM

She is the wife of quantum chemist Joachim Sauer.

17.

PSOTYA

In 2003 Stephen Fry became the last recipient of this dubious accolade.

18.

GD

Greek neo-Nazi political party founded in 1980 but which has recently come to the fore, picking up 7% of the vote in the last General Election held in that country.

19.

HK

Campaigner for Socialism and Women’s Rights who once said:

“I have visited sweatshops, factories and crowded slums. I could not see the squalor but I could smell it”

20.

RC

Term coined by Tom Wolfe in 1970 in an essay in which he satirized composer Leonard Bernstein and his penthouse-dwelling  friends for the absurdity of them hosting a fundraising party for the Black Panthers.

ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

1995

2.

2000

3.

Name the Dewsbury born brothers who won gold and bronze medals in this year's Olympics. (full names required)

Alistair and Jonathon Brownlee

4.

In this year's Olympics which 'beast' won silver in the Men’s 100m  and 200m events? (full name required)

Yohan Blake

5.

Which actor had parts in the films  Closer, Wilde and Road to Perdition?

Jude Law

6.

Which actress had parts in the films  V for Vendetta, Thor and The Other Boleyn Girl?

Natalie Portman

7.

What is the name of the sequel to Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which is up for this year’s Booker prize?

Bring up the Bodies

8.

What is the name of J K Rowlings’ new book,  a non-Harry Potter novel of small town life?

The Casual Vacancy

ROUND 2 - 'The Great American Dream'

Each answer is the name of a US State

This round is a throwback to the way things were in the 1980s – when Reagan was still alive (though we didn’t know it at the time) and no Withquiz round was complete without at least one reference to a USA State

1.

Of all the USA states that have ocean access this one has the shortest coastline – just 18 miles. The state is much better known for its majestic White Mountain range hence its nickname of The Granite State.

New Hampshire

2.

Despite its macho image this was the first US state to grant women the vote. It did so in 1869 – a good half century before the rest of the country - largely as a way to attract much needed settlers.  It proudly boasts of being The Equality State.

Wyoming

3.

This state has as many cows as people. Small wonder that this self-proclaimed 'Dairyland of the USA'  has a higher proportion of overweight people than any other state. Its third largest city  is the smallest city in the USA to hold a major professional sports franchise.

Wisconsin

(the city is Green Bay)

4.

Most tourists come to this state (sometimes called The Old Colony state) for its wealth of historical and literary associations.  But many also come to visit its small industrial city of Springfield (not the state capital) which gave the world a rifle, Dr Seuss and above all the game of basketball.   

Massachusetts

5.

This is the only state in the USA that has never had its claim to statehood officially ratified by the Supreme Court. Even now its neighbour to the East does not officially recognise its legality.  Known for its poverty and rural isolation it is often called The Mountain State.      

West Virginia

6.

This state is the middle one of three neighbouring states that begin with the same letter. Abraham Lincoln practiced law and was laid to rest in the state capital. Officially it is known as The Prairie State.

Illinois

7.

Garrison Keillor’s fictional stories of life in the backwater town of Lake Wobegon (“where all the women are strong and all the men are beautiful”) are set in this state.  It is the 12th largest state in the USA and is often called The Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Minnesota

8.

Despite only becoming a state in 1912 traces of long-term settlement are more obvious here than in any other state.  Its ancient cave dwellings impressed D H Lawrence so much that he came to live here for two years - unlike Billy The Kid who came to die here. It is known as The Land of Enchantment.

New Mexico

Sp.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the USA.  It stretches for about 70 miles along the border between Tennessee (the Volunteer State) and this state (which is enigmatically known as The Tar Heel State).

North Carolina

1.

Politics 1

Name the Scottish MP who is  currently Foreign Secretary in the Shadow Cabinet.

Douglas Alexander

2.

Olympics 1

In which African country was double gold-medallist runner, Mo Farah born?

Somalia

3.

Literary Observation 1

Who, upon hearing of the death of Little Nell in the latest installment of  Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop observed: “You would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh!”?

Oscar Wilde

4.

Film 1

Name the missing film from this sequence and explain the connection between them:

Morning Glory, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, ---------------- and On Golden Pond.

The Lion In Winter - they are the four films in which Katherine Hepburn won her record four Best Actress Oscars

5.

Music 1

From which 1986 song do these lines come: 

"Your heart sweats, your body shakes

Another kiss is what it takes"?

Addicted To Love

(by Robert Palmer)

6.

Crown Matrimonial 1

Since 1066, only 3 adult English kings never married during the course of their reigns. Name them.

William II

(seems to have preferred the company of men)

George I

(divorced before he came to the throne and never re-married)

 Edward VIII

(didn't marry until after he abdicated)

7.

Watery Facts 1

Into which body of water does the Volga, Europe's longest river, discharge?

The Caspian Sea

8.

Name The Year 1

Steve Biko dies in custody in South Africa, Virginia Wade becomes the last British woman to win Wimbledon, Charlie Chaplin dies.

1977

9.

Art 1

Which Italian Renaissance painter had the surname Sanzio?

Raphael

10.

Off-World 1

Which moon of Saturn has been found to have cryo-volcanoes at its South Pole that regularly shoot large jets of water ice particles into space which are thought to have formed Saturn’s outermost ring?

Enceladus

11.

Politics 2

Name the somewhat class-conscious Tory cabinet minister and Chief Whip currently under fire for swearing at the 'Boys in Blue' and referring to them as 'Plebs'.

Andrew Mitchell

12.

Olympics 2

In what country was Olympic gold-medalist and Tour de France cycling champion, Bradley Wiggins born?

Belgium

13.

Literary Observations 2

Who once commented that: "From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it"?

Groucho Marx

14.

Film 2

Name the missing film from this sequence and explain the connection between them: 

The Informer, The Grapes Of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and -------------.

The Quiet Man

(they are the four films in which John Ford won his record four Best Director Oscars)

15.

Music 2

From which 1995 song does these lines come?

"Now just like in a song from days of yore

Here you come a knockin', knockin' at my door."?

A Girl Like You

(by Edwyn Collins)

16.

Crown Matrimonial 2

Since 1066, seven English kings married more than once during the course of their lives: Henry I, John, Edward I and Henry VIII are four of them. Name the other three.

Richard II,

Henry IV,

James II

17.

Watery Facts 2

Which body of water is considered to be the largest lake in Central Europe?

Lake Balaton

(in Hungary)

18.

Name The Year 2

Tony Blair becomes Labour Party leader, the Channel Tunnel opens and Martina Navratilova plays her last Wimbledon final, losing to Conchita Martinez.

1994

19.

Art 2

Which Italian Renaissance painter had the surname Vecelli?

Titian

20.

Off-World 2

Loki Patera is the highest volcano on which body of the Solar System?

Io

(the innermost large moon of Jupiter)

ROUND 5 - Pairs

1.

My Animals and Other Family is the recently published autobiography of which TV and radio presenter?

Clare Balding

2.

Which self-styled 'political survivor' has just published his memoirs under the title Last Man Standing?

Jack Straw

3.

Connect W C Fields, Charlie Chaplin, the Ceaucescus and Dean Martin.

All died on Christmas Day

4.

Loosely connect the ownership of Manchester City, the Berlin Philharmonic and a newly installed Dyson on the one hand, with Bill Haley and the Comets on the other hand.

Shake (Sheikh), Rattle and Roll

(Lord Dyson is the newly appointed Master of the Rolls)

5.

Which colour is named after a battle in Italy 1859?

Magenta

6.

Which colour is named after the French for flea?

Puce

7.

What is the name of Prince’s backing group?

The Revolution

8.

What is the name of Neil Young’s backing group?

Crazy Horse

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme popularity of their stylish 1959 TV advert)

1.

What English word, still in common currency, is derived from the name given by the English to an early Norman coin, a  penny with a small star engraved on it?

Sterling

(steorling = small star)

2.

How is Baron Bannside (born 6th April 1926) better known?

Ian Paisley

3.

Name the piece of classical music famously used in a long-running campaign to advertise Hamlet Cigars on TV.

Air on a G String

(J S Bach)

4.

Who started his broadcasting career in 1973 presenting a Saturday morning show on Radio Manchester, helped launch Piccadilly Radio in 1974 and famously conducted the last British media interview with John Lennon?

Andy Peebles

5.

Which historic estate in the Georgetown area of Washington DC was  the venue for a conference in 1944 at which international leaders formulated and negotiated plans to set up the United Nations?

Dumbarton Oaks

6.

What is the unit of currency of the Sultanate of Brunei?

The Dollar

7.

Which diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist, volcanologist and  cuckold  (1731-1803) served as  British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800?

(Sir William) Hamilton

8.

What is being referred to in the following lines from Byron’s poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage?

         “Dull is the eye that will not weep to see

         Thy walls defaced, thy mouldering shrines removed.”

The removal of the Elgin Marbles

(from the Parthenon to the British Museum)

Sp.

What traditional foodstuff is cooked on a griddle from the following ingredients?

• 500g of mashed potato

• 100g of plain flour

• 50g of butter

• pinch of salt

Potato Scones

(or tatty scones)

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a Scottish town

ROUNDS 7 & 8 - Bingo Blockbuster

Pick a question based on the initial letter(s) of the answer

1.

A

The earliest documented use of this word was made in 1267 by Roger Bacon who defined it as “a set of tables detailing the movement of the Heavenly Bodies including the moon”.

Almanac

2.

EH

British  intellectual and Marxist historian who has called the 19th century the longest century in history, claiming that it started in 1789 and ended in 1914.

Eric Hobsbawm

3.

TH

He designed the original Blue Peter ship logo for BBC TV.

Tony Hart

4.

EB

British author and playwright best known for a story she wrote in 1935 which was turned into a very successful film 9 years later. Samantha Cameron is her great-granddaughter.

Enid Bagnold

(author of National Velvet)

5.

TFOA

Irish folk ballad about a transportation during the Great Famine and very well known on both sides of the Irish Sea. Its first line is:

"By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling."

The Fields of Athenry

6.

ED

Lib Dem MP who was appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change following the resignation of Chris Huhne in February 2012.

Ed Davey

7.

CT

The principal ingredient of the flavoursome American dish called Rocky Mountain  Oysters.

Calf Testicles

8.

P

The low chemical reactivity of this substance is reflected in its name which derives from the Latin for 'little affinity'.

Paraffin

(parum affinis)

9.

AOG

Full name of the teddy bear that was John Betjeman’s lifelong companion and muse. Betjeman died cradling him in his arms.

Archibald Ormsby -Gore

10.

GBPP

Full name under which Dublin brewer Arthur Guinness originally marketed his most successful product.

Guinness Black Protestant Porter

(he wasn’t a big fan of the United Irishmen)

11.

RE

Only player to have scored a hat trick in all 4 English football leagues as well as in the League Cup, the FA Cup and for his country in a senior international match.

Robert Earnshaw

12.

CTLSC

The five regions of the spine.

Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacral (or sacrum) and  Coccyx

13.

MC

She currently holds the record for being the most borrowed author from UK prison libraries.

Martina Cole

14.

GOM

Welsh cleric and chronicler whose 12th century History of the Kings of Britain was based more on myth than history but was nevertheless widely read and was responsible for the enduring popularity of the tales of King Arthur.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

15.

PPP

The three English ports from which you can sail to France and Spain using a  Brittany Ferries booking.

Plymouth,

Portsmouth,

Poole

16.

AM

She is the wife of quantum chemist Joachim Sauer.

Angela Merkel

17.

PSOTYA

In 2003 Stephen Fry became the last recipient of this dubious accolade.

Pipe Smoker of the Year Award

18.

GD

Greek neo-Nazi political party founded in 1980 but which has recently come to the fore, picking up 7% of the vote in the last General Election held in that country.

Golden Dawn

19.

HK

Campaigner for Socialism and Women’s Rights who once said:

“I have visited sweatshops, factories and crowded slums. I could not see the squalor but I could smell it”

Helen Keller

20.

RC

Term coined by Tom Wolfe in 1970 in an essay in which he satirized composer Leonard Bernstein and his penthouse-dwelling  friends for the absurdity of them hosting a fundraising party for the Black Panthers.

Radical Chic