ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Who is the fourth longest serving manager of a current Premiership football team?

2.

Which Football League team plays its home games at Highbury?

3.

The Grade II listed Rylands Building in the heart of the City Centre was completed in 1932 and thus became the largest wholesale textile warehouse in Manchester.  It is clad in Portland stone and is in the modernist classical style.  How do we know it today?

4.

The Watts Building in the heart of the City Centre was completed in 1856 and was constructed in the style of a Venetian palazzo with large Gothic wheel windows.  In the entrance lobby there is an inscribed war memorial to the dead of the Watts Company on one side and an imposing statue of a First World War Tommy on the other.  Badly damaged by German bombing during the World War II the building was converted to its current use in 1982.  How do we know it today?

5.

Which politician, born in 1933, who made big headlines in late October this year,  after something of an absence, said “I am humble enough to recognise that I have made mistakes, but politically astute enough to have forgotten what they are”?

6.

Jon Stewart, writing in 2010, said of which incident, “You actually see the moment when a man’s political career leaves his body”?

7.

On 11th November 1940 the Royal Navy attacked which Italian naval base with the aircraft carrier Illustrious launching a flight of 21 Swordfish torpedo bombers?

8.

On 27th November 1942 the Vichy French Government scuttled its fleet to prevent it falling into German hands.  In which port was it stationed?

1.

Which three words, consecutive in the dictionary, mean:

• obedient or attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner

• recognition of or compliance with a law, custom or practice

• paying close attention to detail?

2.

Which three words, consecutive in the dictionary, mean:

• harshly critical, scornful

• the scientific study of excrement

• to throw about in various directions?

3.

What is the principal ingredient of tapenade?

4.

What is the principal ingredient of baba ghanoush?

5.

In which year did Prohibition come into force in the USA?  (allow one year either way)

6.

Which city is indelibly associated with 30th September 1938?

7.

Put these four people in order by age, youngest first: Errol Brown, Marielle Frostrup, Whoopi Goldberg, Howard Wilkinson.

8.

Put these four people in order by age, youngest first: Art Malik, Booker T Jones, Raymond Blanc, Nadia Comaneci

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

In Woody Allen’s 1989 film Crimes and Misdemeanours name either of the central male actors.

2.

Michael Caine won a Best Supporting Oscar for his performance in which 1986 Woody Allen film, co-starring Mia Farrow?

3.

Which engineering and construction company, headquartered in Knutsford, had an annual turnover of £3.2 billion in the year to December 2010?

4.

Which metals and haulage business, headquartered in Warrington, had an annual turnover of £2.4 billion in the year to December 2010?

5.

Which Cheshire town sits on the River Dane and the Trent and Mersey Canal and is just off junction 18 on the M6?

6.

Which Lancashire town on the A6 sits between junction 8 of the M61 and Charnock Richard services on the M6?

7.

To one decimal place, and within one decimal place either way, how many square kilometres are there in a square mile?

8.

To one decimal place, and within one decimal place either way, how many litres are there in a gallon?

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme with a Media connection

1.

Which make of musical instrument was the lead in all the following pop hit singles of the 1960s: A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procul Harum), Gimme Some Lovin’ (The Spencer Davis Group), Itchycoo Park (Small Faces), Green Onions (Booker T & The MGs)?

2.

Which footballer made over 550 league appearances in the 60s and 70s, beginning his career with Wrexham, before moving on to Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Manchester United, Blackpool, Stockport County and Bangor City?  He played 34 times for Wales.

3.

Which surname links an American statesman and four star General, a sprinter and a drummer?

4.

Which surname is shared by a South African batsman, who with his opening partner, captain Graham Smith, became the only opening pair in Test history to make a 300 partnership on 3 occasions - and the West Indian bowler who was the second player in Test history to take 300 wickets?

5.

Which English tennis player of the 60s and 70s reached three Wimbledon semi-finals, one semi final of the Australian Open and won successive USA Open Men’s doubles titles?

6.

Which Shakespeare character was “a man more sinned against than sinning”?

7.

Which of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales features adulterous fornication between Alison and Nicholas, the kissing of Alison’s backside by Absalom, farting in Absalom’s face by Nicholas, the burning of Nicholas’s backside in retaliation and a chaotic denouement caused by an imagined second great flood?

8.

Which mountain range in the USA is part of the larger Appalachian mountain range and runs between Georgia in the south and Pennsylvania in the north?

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

2.

What medal is awarded to all ranks of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, and Royal Air Force in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land?

3.

Which university has campuses including Wheatley, Harcourt Hill and Ferndale?   

4.

By what name is the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final commonly referred - a 2003 film of the subject has the same name?  

5.

In 1975 a pop group had their second top ten hit.  What was the unique feature of the artist and song title when considered together?   

6.

Which 1979 album's front cover features a photograph of Paul Simonon smashing his Fender Precision Bass against the stage at The Palladium in New York City during the band's fifth US tour?

7.

Cinnabar is the common ore of which metallic element?  

8.

This symbolic gauge of how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction has been depicted, since its inception, on every cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.  What is it?        

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the name of Lancashire County Cricket Club’s 20/20 cricket team?

2.

What line is missing from this Number 1 single of 1968:

“I was born -----------------

And I howled at my ma in the driving rain”?

3.

Which 1990 film directed by Tony Scott was the first of the three films to date to star both Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman?

4.

What plant with the Latin name 'eruca sativa', an annual with green leaves, has become increasingly popular as a salad vegetable in the UK in recent years?

5.

Which symbol was used to represent the Israelites in the Book of Genesis, Jesus in the New Testament and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in Rastafarianism?

6.

What was the name of Jamie Oliver’s first TV series broadcast between 1998 and 1999?

7.

The song Radar Love, covered by numerous artists, was a No.7 hit in the UK in 1973 for which band?

8.

Which novel published in 1844 tells the story of merchant sailor Edmund Dantes?

Sp.

Which war plane produced by Hawker from 1941 to 1945 specialised in low altitude interception after the introduction of the Fokke Wolffe FW 190 by the Luftwaffe in 1942?

ROUND 7 - Pairs

1.

Name the blood vessel connecting the small intestine to the liver.

2.

Name the blood vessel connecting the left atrium of the heart with the lungs.

3.

What modern city is closest to the site of the ancient city of Ephesus?

4.

What modern city is closest to the ancient city of Carthage?

5.

Published in 2012, what is Ian Rankin’s latest Inspector Rebus novel called?

6.

Which book by Hilary Boyd telling the story of a blossoming romance between pensioners, has been No.1 in the Amazon book charts for the last 6 weeks?

7.

What is the highest mountain in England outside of the Lake District National Park?

8.

What is the highest hill in Cheshire?

ROUND 8 - Pairs

1.

Which mythological beast was sent by Artemis to ravage a region in Aetolia because its king failed to honour her?  Its hide was claimed by Atalanta who first wounded it with an arrow.  It was described by Ovid in these words: "His eyes darted fire and his jaws lightening and his breath burned up vines and grass”.

2.

Which Mythological creature had the head of a man, body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion?

3.

What first arrived in Albert Square on 13th October 1894 after its gentle 83 mile non-stop descent?

4.

Daniel Adamson was elected Chairman of what significant new enterprise at a meeting in his home on 27th June 1882?

5.

Julia Davis is responsible for which cult comedy series that ran for two series and was screened in 2004 and 2005.  It featured her, Angus Deayton, Rebecca Front and Ruth Jones?

6.

Which cult comedy series, scripted by Jessica Stephenson and Simon Pegg and featuring both of them and Nick Frost, ran for two series  between 1999 and 2001?

7.

Name the year:

• Highland Wedding wins the Grand National

• Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France

• Two Little Boys by Rolf Harris is the Christmas No. 1

8.

Name the year:

• Lucius wins the Grand National

• Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Eqypt are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

• Mary’s Boy Child by Boney M is the Christmas No. 1

Spares

1.

Which politician, writing of an election in 2000, said “You know the old saying: you win some, you lose some - and then there’s that little known third category.”?

2.

In which month of the year did Ramadan begin in 2012?

3.

In Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill Volume II name either of the central female actresses.

4.

Who is the Minister of State for Universities and Higher Education?

5.

What is the highest hill in Lancashire?

6.

Which British 1939 novel was made into a 1941 John Ford film, winning Best Picture Oscar ahead of Citizen Kane and The Maltese Falcon, a BBC serial in both the 60’s and 70’s, starring Stanley Baxter, and adapted into the 1966 Broadway musical A Time For Singing, starring Ivor Emmanuel?

7.

Which order was founded by Admiral Charles Fitzgerald in 1914 and was named after the item it encouraged women to give to conscription-dodging men ?

ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Who is the fourth longest serving manager of a current Premiership football team?

Tony Pulis

(Stoke City)

2.

Which Football League team plays its home games at Highbury?

Fleetwood Town

3.

The Grade II listed Rylands Building in the heart of the City Centre was completed in 1932 and thus became the largest wholesale textile warehouse in Manchester.  It is clad in Portland stone and is in the modernist classical style.  How do we know it today?

Debenhams

4.

The Watts Building in the heart of the City Centre was completed in 1856 and was constructed in the style of a Venetian palazzo with large Gothic wheel windows.  In the entrance lobby there is an inscribed war memorial to the dead of the Watts Company on one side and an imposing statue of a First World War Tommy on the other.  Badly damaged by German bombing during the World War II the building was converted to its current use in 1982.  How do we know it today?

The Britannia Hotel

5.

Which politician, born in 1933, who made big headlines in late October this year,  after something of an absence, said “I am humble enough to recognise that I have made mistakes, but politically astute enough to have forgotten what they are”?

(Lord) Michael Heseltine

6.

Jon Stewart, writing in 2010, said of which incident, “You actually see the moment when a man’s political career leaves his body”?

Gordon Brown’s ‘Bigotgate’ comment after his meeting with Gillian Duffy

7.

On 11th November 1940 the Royal Navy attacked which Italian naval base with the aircraft carrier Illustrious launching a flight of 21 Swordfish torpedo bombers?

Taranto

8.

On 27th November 1942 the Vichy French Government scuttled its fleet to prevent it falling into German hands.  In which port was it stationed?

Toulon

1.

Which three words, consecutive in the dictionary, mean:

• obedient or attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner

• recognition of or compliance with a law, custom or practice

• paying close attention to detail?

obsequious,

observance,

observant

2.

Which three words, consecutive in the dictionary, mean:

• harshly critical, scornful

• the scientific study of excrement

• to throw about in various directions?

scathing,

scatology,

scatter

3.

What is the principal ingredient of tapenade?

Olives

4.

What is the principal ingredient of baba ghanoush?

Aubergines

5.

In which year did Prohibition come into force in the USA?  (allow one year either way)

1920

6.

Which city is indelibly associated with 30th September 1938?

Munich

7.

Put these four people in order by age, youngest first: Errol Brown, Marielle Frostrup, Whoopi Goldberg, Howard Wilkinson.

Marielle Frostrup (50),

Whoopi Goldberg (57),

Errol Brown (64),

Howard Wilkinson (69)

8.

Put these four people in order by age, youngest first: Art Malik, Booker T Jones, Raymond Blanc, Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci (51),

Art Malik (60),

Raymond Blanc (63),

Booker T Jones (68)

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

In Woody Allen’s 1989 film Crimes and Misdemeanours name either of the central male actors.

(either)

Alan Alda

(or)

Martin Landau

2.

Michael Caine won a Best Supporting Oscar for his performance in which 1986 Woody Allen film, co-starring Mia Farrow?

Hannah and her isters

3.

Which engineering and construction company, headquartered in Knutsford, had an annual turnover of £3.2 billion in the year to December 2010?

Amec

4.

Which metals and haulage business, headquartered in Warrington, had an annual turnover of £2.4 billion in the year to December 2010?

European Metal Recycling

5.

Which Cheshire town sits on the River Dane and the Trent and Mersey Canal and is just off junction 18 on the M6?

Middlewich

6.

Which Lancashire town on the A6 sits between junction 8 of the M61 and Charnock Richard services on the M6?

Chorley

7.

To one decimal place, and within one decimal place either way, how many square kilometres are there in a square mile?

2.6

8.

To one decimal place, and within one decimal place either way, how many litres are there in a gallon?

4.5

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme with a Media connection

1.

Which make of musical instrument was the lead in all the following pop hit singles of the 1960s: A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procul Harum), Gimme Some Lovin’ (The Spencer Davis Group), Itchycoo Park (Small Faces), Green Onions (Booker T & The MGs)?

Hammond organ

2.

Which footballer made over 550 league appearances in the 60s and 70s, beginning his career with Wrexham, before moving on to Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Manchester United, Blackpool, Stockport County and Bangor City?  He played 34 times for Wales.

Wyn Davies

3.

Which surname links an American statesman and four star General, a sprinter and a drummer?

Powell

(Colin, Asafa and Cozy)

4.

Which surname is shared by a South African batsman, who with his opening partner, captain Graham Smith, became the only opening pair in Test history to make a 300 partnership on 3 occasions - and the West Indian bowler who was the second player in Test history to take 300 wickets?

Gibbs

(Herschelle and Lance)

5.

Which English tennis player of the 60s and 70s reached three Wimbledon semi-finals, one semi final of the Australian Open and won successive USA Open Men’s doubles titles?

Roger Taylor

6.

Which Shakespeare character was “a man more sinned against than sinning”?

King Lear

7.

Which of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales features adulterous fornication between Alison and Nicholas, the kissing of Alison’s backside by Absalom, farting in Absalom’s face by Nicholas, the burning of Nicholas’s backside in retaliation and a chaotic denouement caused by an imagined second great flood?

The Miller’s Tale

8.

Which mountain range in the USA is part of the larger Appalachian mountain range and runs between Georgia in the south and Pennsylvania in the north?

The Blue Ridge Mountains

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

Farewell to Arms

2.

What medal is awarded to all ranks of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, and Royal Air Force in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land?

Military Cross

3.

Which university has campuses including Wheatley, Harcourt Hill and Ferndale?   

Oxford Brookes University

4.

By what name is the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final commonly referred - a 2003 film of the subject has the same name?  

The Miracle of Bern

5.

In 1975 a pop group had their second top ten hit.  What was the unique feature of the artist and song title when considered together?   

Both group (Abba) and song title (SOS) are palindromes

6.

Which 1979 album's front cover features a photograph of Paul Simonon smashing his Fender Precision Bass against the stage at The Palladium in New York City during the band's fifth US tour?

London Calling

7.

Cinnabar is the common ore of which metallic element?  

Mercury

8.

This symbolic gauge of how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction has been depicted, since its inception, on every cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.  What is it?        

Domesday Clock    

ROUND 6 - Pot pourri

1.

What is the name of Lancashire County Cricket Club’s 20/20 cricket team?

Lancashire Lightning

2.

What line is missing from this Number 1 single of 1968:

“I was born -----------------

And I howled at my ma in the driving rain”?

"...in a cross-fire hurricane"

3.

Which 1990 film directed by Tony Scott was the first of the three films to date to star both Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman?

Days of Thunder

4.

What plant with the Latin name 'eruca sativa', an annual with green leaves, has become increasingly popular as a salad vegetable in the UK in recent years?

Rocket

5.

Which symbol was used to represent the Israelites in the Book of Genesis, Jesus in the New Testament and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in Rastafarianism?

The Lion of Judah

6.

What was the name of Jamie Oliver’s first TV series broadcast between 1998 and 1999?

The Naked Chef

7.

The song Radar Love, covered by numerous artists, was a No.7 hit in the UK in 1973 for which band?

Golden Earring

8.

Which novel published in 1844 tells the story of merchant sailor Edmund Dantes?

The Count of Monte Cristo

Sp.

Which war plane produced by Hawker from 1941 to 1945 specialised in low altitude interception after the introduction of the Fokke Wolffe FW 190 by the Luftwaffe in 1942?

Typhoon

ROUND 7 - Pairs

1.

Name the blood vessel connecting the small intestine to the liver.

The hepatic portal vein

2.

Name the blood vessel connecting the left atrium of the heart with the lungs.

The pulmonary vein

3.

What modern city is closest to the site of the ancient city of Ephesus?

Izmir

4.

What modern city is closest to the ancient city of Carthage?

Tunis

5.

Published in 2012, what is Ian Rankin’s latest Inspector Rebus novel called?

Standing In Another Man’s Grave

6.

Which book by Hilary Boyd telling the story of a blossoming romance between pensioners, has been No.1 in the Amazon book charts for the last 6 weeks?

Thursday’s In The Park

7.

What is the highest mountain in England outside of the Lake District National Park?

Cross Fell

(in the Cumbrian Pennines)

8.

What is the highest hill in Cheshire?

Shining Tor

ROUND 8 - Pairs

1.

Which mythological beast was sent by Artemis to ravage a region in Aetolia because its king failed to honour her?  Its hide was claimed by Atalanta who first wounded it with an arrow.  It was described by Ovid in these words: "His eyes darted fire and his jaws lightening and his breath burned up vines and grass”.

The Calydonian Boar

2.

Which Mythological creature had the head of a man, body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion?

The Manticore

3.

What first arrived in Albert Square on 13th October 1894 after its gentle 83 mile non-stop descent?

Water

(from the newly opened Thirlmere Reservoir)

4.

Daniel Adamson was elected Chairman of what significant new enterprise at a meeting in his home on 27th June 1882?

The Provisional Committee for the creation of The Manchester Ship Canal

(accept Manchester Ship Canal Company)

5.

Julia Davis is responsible for which cult comedy series that ran for two series and was screened in 2004 and 2005.  It featured her, Angus Deayton, Rebecca Front and Ruth Jones?

Nighty Night

6.

Which cult comedy series, scripted by Jessica Stephenson and Simon Pegg and featuring both of them and Nick Frost, ran for two series  between 1999 and 2001?

Spaced

7.

Name the year:

• Highland Wedding wins the Grand National

• Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France

• Two Little Boys by Rolf Harris is the Christmas No. 1

1969

8.

Name the year:

• Lucius wins the Grand National

• Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Eqypt are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

• Mary’s Boy Child by Boney M is the Christmas No. 1

1978

Spares

1.

Which politician, writing of an election in 2000, said “You know the old saying: you win some, you lose some - and then there’s that little known third category.”?

Al Gore

(after losing the US Presidential Election following the ‘hanging chads’ controversy in Florida)

2.

In which month of the year did Ramadan begin in 2012?

July

3.

In Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill Volume II name either of the central female actresses.

(either)

Uma Thurman

(or)

Darryl Hannah

4.

Who is the Minister of State for Universities and Higher Education?

5.

What is the highest hill in Lancashire?

6.

Which British 1939 novel was made into a 1941 John Ford film, winning Best Picture Oscar ahead of Citizen Kane and The Maltese Falcon, a BBC serial in both the 60’s and 70’s, starring Stanley Baxter, and adapted into the 1966 Broadway musical A Time For Singing, starring Ivor Emmanuel?

7.

Which order was founded by Admiral Charles Fitzgerald in 1914 and was named after the item it encouraged women to give to conscription-dodging men ?

The Order of the White Feather