ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Which US state counts among its bordering states Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota?

2.

What do the initials 'HW' stand for in 'George H W Bush'?

3.

Who wrote these lines, and in what play:

“Was this the face that launched a thousand ships
And burned the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss”?

4.

Who was the British Major-General who commanded the British First Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden and was later portrayed by Sean Connery in the film A Bridge Too Far?

5.

Two-time world heavyweight champion, he defeated Evander Holyfield to become undisputed champion in 1992, losing the title to Holyfield in 1993 in a fight sensationally interrupted by a parachutist.  Who is he?

6.

Which singing voice comes in the varieties: Coloratura, Soubrette, Lyric, Spinto, and Dramatic?

7.

This commune in the Cote d’Or region of eastern France contains several Premier Cru vineyards but no Grand Cru, and shares its name with an Edinburgh indie band fronted by Neil Pennycook.  Can you name it?

8.

Which fictional character has the birthday January 7th 2092 and had a rather eventful career with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation?

Sp.

1.

Marseilles, AC Milan. Ajax, Juventus....?

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not, Favourite Worst Nightmares, Humbug, Suck It And See….?

7.

Randall Davidson, Cosmo Lang, William Temple, Geoffrey Fisher....?

8.

The Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rigoberta Menchu….?

Sp.

Phosphorous, Sulphur, Chlorine, Argon....?

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the world's longest highway at approximately 48,000km in length (apart from the 100km rainforest break known as the Darken Gap)?

2.

Who was the fictional private investigator in the late seventies/early eighties TV series Vegas?

3.

There are only two sleeper train services operated in the UK. One is the 'Night Riviera' which runs between London and Cornwall.  What is the other?

4.

Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain was the star of which Basketball Team?  It formerly played its home games in Minneapolis and took its name from the Minnesota State nickname before it moved to its present home.

5.

What was the name of the character played by Kate Jackson in the 1970s TV series Charlie's Angels?

6.

Dan Dare the British science fiction hero featured in which 1950s comic?

7.

Where did Charles Stewart Rolls first meet Frederick Henry Royce leading to the formation of Rolls Royce Ltd in 1904?

8.

The Leigh born singer Pete Shelley fronted which punk band of the late seventies?

Sp.

What was the name of the CIA secretly owned passenger and cargo airline set up in 1950 and operated until 1976?  It was used for covert operations during the Vietnam War.

ROUND 4 - Pairs

1.

Which famous, or rather infamous, American was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 8th June 1968?

2.

Until an unlikely combination of Bill Kenwright and Tommy Steele added an alleged day in London, which airport could claim to be the only place where Elvis Presley had set foot on British soil?

3.

Which king allegedly had a maze constructed at Woodstock in order to conceal his mistress Rosamond Clifford ('the Fair Rosamond')?

4.

Which mistress of Edward III allegedly served as the inspiration for Chaucer’s Wife of Bath?

5.

Which city of Eastern Europe, lying on the river Kalmius, was formerly known as Yuzovka and, for a time, Stalino?

6.

By what name was the Eastern European city of Nizhniy Novgorod formerly known?

7.

Which British architect designed the Eden Project and Waterloo Station?

8.

Which is Italian architect Renzo Piano' s best known construction in Britain?

Sp.

Who is David Cameron’s aide recently arrested over child porn allegations?

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

Who was the friendly antique dealer in the Paddington Bear stories?

2.

Who was the 'Flying Housewife' who won 4 gold medals at the 1948 Olympics?

3.

Which famous Belgian painted The Empire of Light and The Pilgrim?

4.

Which Nobel Prize winning author wrote The Age of Innocence?

5.

What was the first name of Professor Hufflepuff one of the founders of Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter books?

6.

Who was the French general who led the Free French forces in the liberation of Paris in 1944?

7.

Who wrote All Quiet on the Western Front?

8.

Sp1

Which French author lived in a windmill at Fontvieille in the Camargue and is the author of Lettres de Mon Moulin, Tartarin de Tarascon and Sappho?

Sp2

What was the name of Kevin the Teenager’s best friend in Harry Enfield’s sketches?

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme

1.

For which 2010 film did Britons Tom Hooper and David Seidler win Oscars for Best Director and Best Screenplay respectively?

2.

In which 2002 film, a remake of the earlier Manhunter, did Anthony Hopkins reprise his role of Hannibal Lecter?

3.

Who said: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”?

4.

Who said: “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”?

5.

Which TV personality, born in the Gorbals in 1959, has presented the documentary series Children’s Hospital and narrated the pre-school programme Raa Raa the Noisy Lion in addition to the role for which she is most famous?

6.

Which TV personality, with a well-known father and husband, presented the TV programme Balderdash & Piffle and currently presents the Radio 4 comedy talk show Heresy?

7.

Which football club is most closely associated with Buckfast Tonic Wine?

8.

Which product’s advertising slogans have included 'let your lighter side out', 'no ordinary chocolate', and 'the lighter way to enjoy chocolate'?

Sp.

Which 2002 film, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, was Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay and was briefly the highest-grossing romcom of all time?

ROUND 7 - Paired with Round 8

1.

Friday is named after the goddess Frigg or Frigga but in some parts of Europe Friday is named after a Roman goddess.  Who is this Goddess?

2.

Which German Philosopher (1724-1804) wrote A Critique of Pure Reason?

3.

What are High Spy, Barf, Knott Rigg and Lord's Seat?

4.

When Chris Balderstone played an evening kick off for Doncaster Rovers in 1975, he had already made 51 not out in the County Championship that day - but for which county did he play?

5.

Name any of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor.

6.

What dispute was the cause of a long running war between the nations of Lilliput and Blefuscu in Gulliver's Travels?

7.

“It happened every year, was almost a ritual.  And this was his eighty second birthday.” is the opening line of which best-selling crime novel of 2005?

8.

On which play was the film Cabaret based?

Sp.

Which singer wrote the hit songs My Way for Frank Sinatra and She's A Lady for Tom Jones?

ROUND 8 - Paired with Round 7

1.

Mark Hughes played two matches in one day in November 1987. The afternoon kick-off was for Wales but for which club did he play in the evening?

2.

Name two of the four fairies attending Oberon and Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream.

3.

According to Kenneth Graham (in Wind in the Willows) there is "nothing - absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as ..." what?

4.

“On November 21st, the day of her 47th birthday, and three weeks and two days before she was murdered, Rhoda Gradwyn went to Harley Street to keep a first appointment with her plastic surgeon.” is the opening line of which best-selling crime novel of 2008?

5.

 The operetta The Chocolate Soldier by Oscar Strauss was based on which play?

6.

Wednesday is named after the god Woden but in some parts of Europe it is named after which Roman god?

7.

8.

The Lake District mountain Great Gable is connected by the pass Windy Gap to which other peak?

Sp.

How is Dihydrogen Monoxide better known?

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Which US state counts among its bordering states Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota?

Montana

2.

What do the initials 'HW' stand for in 'George H W Bush'?

Herbert Walker

(in the actual paper used for the matches this answer was given incorrectly as 'Hubert Walker')

3.

Who wrote these lines, and in what play:

“Was this the face that launched a thousand ships
And burned the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss”?

Christopher Marlowe in Dr Faustus

4.

Who was the British Major-General who commanded the British First Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden and was later portrayed by Sean Connery in the film A Bridge Too Far?

Robert 'Roy' Urquhart

5.

Two-time world heavyweight champion, he defeated Evander Holyfield to become undisputed champion in 1992, losing the title to Holyfield in 1993 in a fight sensationally interrupted by a parachutist.  Who is he?

Riddick Bowe

6.

Which singing voice comes in the varieties: Coloratura, Soubrette, Lyric, Spinto, and Dramatic?

Soprano

7.

This commune in the Cote d’Or region of eastern France contains several Premier Cru vineyards but no Grand Cru, and shares its name with an Edinburgh indie band fronted by Neil Pennycook.  Can you name it?

Meursault

8.

Which fictional character has the birthday January 7th 2092 and had a rather eventful career with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation?

Ellen Ripley

(in Alien the franchise)

Sp.

Kenneth Widmerpool

(in Dance to the Music of Time)

1.

Marseilles, AC Milan. Ajax, Juventus....?

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not, Favourite Worst Nightmares, Humbug, Suck It And See….?

A.M.

(Arctic Monkeys’ number one albums)

7.

Randall Davidson, Cosmo Lang, William Temple, Geoffrey Fisher....?

Michael Ramsey

(Archbishops of Canterbury)

8.

The Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rigoberta Menchu….?

Nelson Mandela & FW De Klerk

(Nobel Peace Prize winners)

Sp.

Phosphorous, Sulphur, Chlorine, Argon....?

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the world's longest highway at approximately 48,000km in length (apart from the 100km rainforest break known as the Darken Gap)?

The Pan-American Highway

2.

Who was the fictional private investigator in the late seventies/early eighties TV series Vegas?

Dan Tanner

3.

There are only two sleeper train services operated in the UK. One is the 'Night Riviera' which runs between London and Cornwall.  What is the other?

The Caledonian Sleeper

4.

Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain was the star of which Basketball Team?  It formerly played its home games in Minneapolis and took its name from the Minnesota State nickname before it moved to its present home.

LA Lakers

5.

What was the name of the character played by Kate Jackson in the 1970s TV series Charlie's Angels?

Sabrina

6.

Dan Dare the British science fiction hero featured in which 1950s comic?

The Eagle

7.

Where did Charles Stewart Rolls first meet Frederick Henry Royce leading to the formation of Rolls Royce Ltd in 1904?

The Midland Hotel Manchester

8.

The Leigh born singer Pete Shelley fronted which punk band of the late seventies?

The Buzzcocks

Sp.

What was the name of the CIA secretly owned passenger and cargo airline set up in 1950 and operated until 1976?  It was used for covert operations during the Vietnam War.

Air America

ROUND 4 - Pairs

1.

Which famous, or rather infamous, American was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 8th June 1968?

James Earl Ray

2.

Until an unlikely combination of Bill Kenwright and Tommy Steele added an alleged day in London, which airport could claim to be the only place where Elvis Presley had set foot on British soil?

Prestwick

3.

Which king allegedly had a maze constructed at Woodstock in order to conceal his mistress Rosamond Clifford ('the Fair Rosamond')?

Henry II

4.

Which mistress of Edward III allegedly served as the inspiration for Chaucer’s Wife of Bath?

Alice Perrers

5.

Which city of Eastern Europe, lying on the river Kalmius, was formerly known as Yuzovka and, for a time, Stalino?

Donetsk

(in Eastern Ukraine)

6.

By what name was the Eastern European city of Nizhniy Novgorod formerly known?

Gorky

7.

Which British architect designed the Eden Project and Waterloo Station?

Nicholas Grimshaw

8.

Which is Italian architect Renzo Piano' s best known construction in Britain?

The Shard

Sp.

Who is David Cameron’s aide recently arrested over child porn allegations?

Patrick Rock

ROUND 5 - Hidden theme

1.

Who was the friendly antique dealer in the Paddington Bear stories?

Mr Gruber

2.

Who was the 'Flying Housewife' who won 4 gold medals at the 1948 Olympics?

Fanny Blankers-Koen

3.

Which famous Belgian painted The Empire of Light and The Pilgrim?

Rene Magritte

4.

Which Nobel Prize winning author wrote The Age of Innocence?

Edith Wharton

5.

What was the first name of Professor Hufflepuff one of the founders of Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter books?

Helga

6.

Who was the French general who led the Free French forces in the liberation of Paris in 1944?

General Phillipe Leclerc

7.

Who wrote All Quiet on the Western Front?

Erich Maria Remarque

8.

Flick

Sp1

Which French author lived in a windmill at Fontvieille in the Camargue and is the author of Lettres de Mon Moulin, Tartarin de Tarascon and Sappho?

Alphonse Daudet

Sp2

What was the name of Kevin the Teenager’s best friend in Harry Enfield’s sketches?

Perry

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme

1.

For which 2010 film did Britons Tom Hooper and David Seidler win Oscars for Best Director and Best Screenplay respectively?

The King’s Speech

2.

In which 2002 film, a remake of the earlier Manhunter, did Anthony Hopkins reprise his role of Hannibal Lecter?

Red Dragon

3.

Who said: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”?

George Bernard Shaw

4.

Who said: “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”?

Eleanor Roosevelt

5.

Which TV personality, born in the Gorbals in 1959, has presented the documentary series Children’s Hospital and narrated the pre-school programme Raa Raa the Noisy Lion in addition to the role for which she is most famous?

Lorraine Kelly

6.

Which TV personality, with a well-known father and husband, presented the TV programme Balderdash & Piffle and currently presents the Radio 4 comedy talk show Heresy?

Victoria Coren (Mitchell)

7.

Which football club is most closely associated with Buckfast Tonic Wine?

Celtic

8.

Which product’s advertising slogans have included 'let your lighter side out', 'no ordinary chocolate', and 'the lighter way to enjoy chocolate'?

Maltesers

Sp.

Which 2002 film, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, was Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay and was briefly the highest-grossing romcom of all time?

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

ROUND 7 - Paired with Round 8

1.

Friday is named after the goddess Frigg or Frigga but in some parts of Europe Friday is named after a Roman goddess.  Who is this Goddess?

Venus

(as in Vendredi)

2.

Which German Philosopher (1724-1804) wrote A Critique of Pure Reason?

Immanuel Kant

3.

What are High Spy, Barf, Knott Rigg and Lord's Seat?

Lake District Fells

4.

When Chris Balderstone played an evening kick off for Doncaster Rovers in 1975, he had already made 51 not out in the County Championship that day - but for which county did he play?

Leicestershire

5.

Name any of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor.

(one of)

Mistresses Quickly, Ford or Page

6.

What dispute was the cause of a long running war between the nations of Lilliput and Blefuscu in Gulliver's Travels?

Which end to open a boiled egg

7.

“It happened every year, was almost a ritual.  And this was his eighty second birthday.” is the opening line of which best-selling crime novel of 2005?

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

(by Stieg Larsson)

8.

On which play was the film Cabaret based?

I am a Camera

(by John van Druten; do not accept Goodbye to Berlin - the play was based on Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories and in particular Goodbye to Berlin)

Sp.

Which singer wrote the hit songs My Way for Frank Sinatra and She's A Lady for Tom Jones?

Paul Anka

ROUND 8 - Paired with Round 7

1.

Mark Hughes played two matches in one day in November 1987. The afternoon kick-off was for Wales but for which club did he play in the evening?

Bayern Munich

2.

Name two of the four fairies attending Oberon and Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream.

(two of)

Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peasblossom or Moth

3.

According to Kenneth Graham (in Wind in the Willows) there is "nothing - absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as ..." what?

“(simply) messing about in boats”

4.

“On November 21st, the day of her 47th birthday, and three weeks and two days before she was murdered, Rhoda Gradwyn went to Harley Street to keep a first appointment with her plastic surgeon.” is the opening line of which best-selling crime novel of 2008?

The Private Patient

(by P D James)

5.

 The operetta The Chocolate Soldier by Oscar Strauss was based on which play?

Arms and the Man

(by George Bernard Shaw)

6.

Wednesday is named after the god Woden but in some parts of Europe it is named after which Roman god?

Mercury

(as in Mercredi)

7.

Arthur Schopenhauer

8.

The Lake District mountain Great Gable is connected by the pass Windy Gap to which other peak?

Green Gable

Sp.

How is Dihydrogen Monoxide better known?

Water

(H₂O)