ROUND 1 - Paired with Round 2

1.

What was Charlotte Brew the first to start and Geraldine Rees the first to finish?

2.

Which composer, whose works include nine symphonies and many tonal poems, died aged 51 in Vienna in 1911 of the complications of bacterial endocarditis (infection of the heart valves)?

3.

Which chemical element atomic number 76 was discovered in 1804 and has a name derived from the Greek word for smell?

4.

Born James Newell Osterberg Junior in 1947, by what name is this rock musician better known?

5.

Which US President born in 1822 was an expert horseman and while in the military broke the equestrian high jump, which he held for 15 years?  He was also reputedly issued a speeding ticket once while on horseback.

6.

Now the third Lord Glentoran, as the Honourable Robin Dixon he won a gold medal for the United Kingdom alongside partner Malcolm Nash in the 1964 Olympics.  In which event was this?

7.

Who was deputy leader of the Labour Party for ten years under Clement Attlee but was beaten by Hugh Gaitskell in the 1955 leadership election?

8.

In which Carry On film does Kenneth Williams utter the lines “Infamy, Infamy, they all have it in for me”?

1.

In which Carry On film does Kenneth Williams play a character called W C Boggs?

2.

Which deputy leader of the Labour Party under Hugh Gaitskell did Harold Wilson beat in the 1963 leadership election that followed Gaitskell’s untimely death?

3.

Later the sixth Marquess of Exeter, as Lord Burghley he won a gold medal for the United Kingdom in which track and field event of the 1928 Olympics?

4.

Which US President born in 1857 is the only president to have been Chief Justice and was the heaviest ever president peaking at 340 lb?  He reputedly once got stuck in the bath in the White House.

5.

Born Vincent Damon Furnier in 1948, by what name is this rock musician better known?

6.

Which chemical element atomic number 35 was discovered in 1825 and has a name derived from the Greek word for stench?

7.

Which composer, a holder of the Order of Merit and whose works include 13 operas, died in 1976 aged 63 of heart failure after previous heart valve surgery?

8.

Who said in 1839 that he had not realised how filthy water tasted without the benefit of whisky?

ROUND 3 - Lucky dip

Pick a month of the year for your question.  The question will have some connection to the month (but not necessarily the answer)

1.

January

Now aged 84 in which professional sport was American Don January a successful participant?

2.

February

On which date in February is Groundhog Day celebrated?  Though held in several venues the one in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the most notable.

3.

March

The charity 'The March of Dimes' was launched in 1938 to raise money for combating which disease though its activities have now diversified to other health issues as well?

4.

April

In which cult TV series of the 1960s did Stephanie Powers play a character called April Dancer?

5.

May

What is the name of the pop musical based on Nicholas Nickleby co-written by Simon May in 1973 and still a popular production for amateur musical theatre?

6.

June

June Whitfield is currently playing the character Joan in which BBC One comedy drama?  The original title was Grey Mates.

7.

July

On which racecourse is the Group One six furlong horse race the July Cup run?

8.

August

In which city was playwright and artist August Strindberg born?

9.

September

In Usenet slang 'Eternal September' refers to the date when America Online (AOL) offered Usenet access to its customers which then saw the rapid expansion of the Internet.  In which year of the 1990s was 'Eternal September'?

10.

October

Which actor played the role of Jack Ryan in the 1990 film version of Tom Clancy’s novel The Hunt For Red October?

11.

November

Who wrote the poem November which includes the lines:

“No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds- November!”

12.

December

Set in London during a week in December 2007 who wrote the 2009 literary novel A Week In December?

ROUND 4 - Picture Round

1.

Purchased by the Qatari royal family for $259 million this is the most expensive painting ever sold?  What is the title and who is the artist?

2.

Sold for $104.3 million this is the most expensive sculpture ever sold.  What is the title of the piece and who is the sculptor?

3.

Who is this European Ryder Cup Golfer?

4.

Who is this appropriately named European Ryder Cup golfer?

5.

These lads came third in Britain’s Got Talent 2014. Their (mostly girl) fans are called 'bambinos' after an acronym for the band.  What’s the band’s full name?

6.

This glamorous girl band has had 12 Top 10 singles and one No 1 since 2008. Who are they?

7.

Who is this Conservative MP who was promoted to the Cabinet in the July 2014 reshuffle?

8.

Who is this Conservative MP who was also promoted to the Cabinet in the July 2014 reshuffle?

ROUND 5 - Announced theme

Since 1979 there have been 15 men and women who have held the office of Secretary of State for Education (almost as thankless as the Health portfolio we covered last time).  Each answer contains the surname of one of these. Five are Tories and three are Labour - all randomly scattered

1.

Which city is at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril and had a population of 75,306 at the last census?

2.

What was the subject of the Hutton Enquiry of 2003?

3.

Which musical features the songs One More Angel in Heaven and Any Dream Will Do?

4.

The metrical version of which religious work is traditionally sung to the hymn tune Crimond?

5.

What was the family name of the industrialist and philanthropist the first (and last) Viscount Nuffield?

6.

Who was the first US president to be impeached, though like Clinton, the necessary majority for removal from office was not reached?

7.

What was the name of the gardener from whom Peter Rabbit has a lucky escape in the Beatrix Potter tale?

8.

What was the name of the gang of street boys led by an adolescent lad called Wiggins that Sherlock Holmes paid one shilling daily for services rendered?

ROUND 6 - 'Whilst we were away'

1.

Why was William Pooley in the news in August?

2.

Why was Brett King in the news in August?

3.

Serena Williams won her 18th Grand Slam tennis singles in September.  Only three women have won more times than this.  Name one of them.

4.

Which UK woman became the oldest woman to win a European Athletics championship Gold medal at the age of forty when she triumphed in the 10 000m in Zurich?

5.

Two Tory MPs have defected to UKIP and triggered by-elections.  Name either of these men

6.

In the Scottish referendum only four districts out of 32 voted yes to independence.  Name two of them.

7.

What nationality is James Rodriguez who won the Golden Boot Award at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals in July having scored six goals?

8.

Which England bowler had a very good Test summer with bat and ball and is now only 3 wickets short of Ian Botham’s record 383 Test wickets?

ROUNDS 7 & 8 - Pick Your Own Subject

1.

Assault

Who composed the orchestral work The Assault on Beautiful Gorky for the 1951 film The Unforgettable Year 1919?

2.

Battery

In 1748 which polymath was the first to use the term battery though his electrical device consisted of a series of Leyden jars rather than a voltaic pile?

3.

Current pop

Which singer will be releasing her 5th studio album later this month. It is called 1989 which is also the year of her birth.

4.

Autobiography

What is the title of Stephen Fry’s third volume of memoirs in which he details his 15 year cocaine habit?

5.

FIFA World Cup

Who scored the only goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina?

6.

Darts

Since becoming an annual event in 1978 there have been three Welsh world darts champions in either of the two versions of the championships.  Name one.

7.

Ex-Formula 1

Which Formula 1 champion of the 1970s is now an organic farmer in Hampshire. He has been featured in Countryfile and Escape to the Country in this role.

8.

Portugal

What is the administrative capital of the Portuguese region the Algarve?

9.

Gas

Responsible for most UK mining disasters which inflammable gas is the principal component of firedamp?

10.

School Motto

Which local school has the Latin motto 'Ad lucem' meaning 'towards the light'?              

11.

Colosseum

The Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome was dubbed the Colosseum much later on in its history. This was believed to be in honour of a colossal 100 foot statue of which former emperor that was located nearby?

12.

Vitamin

Deficiency of which vitamin can lead to pernicious anaemia?

13.

Euro

With an area of 32,000 square miles and 3700 miles from mainland Europe which overseas territory is part of the Eurozone and therefore uses the Euro as its official currency?

14.

Eurovision

The shortest distance between two consecutive hosting cities of the Eurovision Song Contest (held in different countries) is only 18 miles.  The years were 2013 and 2014 but can you name the two cities?

15.

OPEC

Name any 2 of the countries in OPEC but not in The Arab League.

16.

G13

Name any three of the five countries in G13 but not in the G8 (currently known as the G12 and G7 while Russia is suspended!).

17.

Mars

Mars Food UK Limited is based in which town? The first factories opened there in 1932

18.

Saturn

What word connects a moon of Saturn, a 5 foot tall American actress born 1948, and a South American bird?

19.

Uranus

What word connects a moon of Uranus, a British actress born in 1958, and an American warning given by police officers to suspects?

20.

The Planets

In a performance of Holst’s Planet Suite which planet inspired the opening movement?

ROUND 1 - Paired with Round 2

1.

What was Charlotte Brew the first to start and Geraldine Rees the first to finish?

The Grand National

(as lady jockeys)

2.

Which composer, whose works include nine symphonies and many tonal poems, died aged 51 in Vienna in 1911 of the complications of bacterial endocarditis (infection of the heart valves)?

Gustav Mahler

3.

Which chemical element atomic number 76 was discovered in 1804 and has a name derived from the Greek word for smell?

Osmium

4.

Born James Newell Osterberg Junior in 1947, by what name is this rock musician better known?

Iggy Pop

5.

Which US President born in 1822 was an expert horseman and while in the military broke the equestrian high jump, which he held for 15 years?  He was also reputedly issued a speeding ticket once while on horseback.

Ulysses S Grant

6.

Now the third Lord Glentoran, as the Honourable Robin Dixon he won a gold medal for the United Kingdom alongside partner Malcolm Nash in the 1964 Olympics.  In which event was this?

Two man bobsleigh

7.

Who was deputy leader of the Labour Party for ten years under Clement Attlee but was beaten by Hugh Gaitskell in the 1955 leadership election?

Herbert Morrison

8.

In which Carry On film does Kenneth Williams utter the lines “Infamy, Infamy, they all have it in for me”?

Carry On Cleo

1.

In which Carry On film does Kenneth Williams play a character called W C Boggs?

Carry On At Your Convenience

2.

Which deputy leader of the Labour Party under Hugh Gaitskell did Harold Wilson beat in the 1963 leadership election that followed Gaitskell’s untimely death?

George Brown

3.

Later the sixth Marquess of Exeter, as Lord Burghley he won a gold medal for the United Kingdom in which track and field event of the 1928 Olympics?

400m hurdles

4.

Which US President born in 1857 is the only president to have been Chief Justice and was the heaviest ever president peaking at 340 lb?  He reputedly once got stuck in the bath in the White House.

William Howard Taft

5.

Born Vincent Damon Furnier in 1948, by what name is this rock musician better known?

Alice Cooper

6.

Which chemical element atomic number 35 was discovered in 1825 and has a name derived from the Greek word for stench?

Bromine

7.

Which composer, a holder of the Order of Merit and whose works include 13 operas, died in 1976 aged 63 of heart failure after previous heart valve surgery?

Benjamin Britten

8.

Who said in 1839 that he had not realised how filthy water tasted without the benefit of whisky?

Captain (Martin) Becher

(of Becher’s Brook fame)

ROUND 3 - Lucky dip

Pick a month of the year for your question.  The question will have some connection to the month (but not necessarily the answer)

1.

January

Now aged 84 in which professional sport was American Don January a successful participant?

Golf

2.

February

On which date in February is Groundhog Day celebrated?  Though held in several venues the one in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the most notable.

2nd February

3.

March

The charity 'The March of Dimes' was launched in 1938 to raise money for combating which disease though its activities have now diversified to other health issues as well?

Polio

4.

April

In which cult TV series of the 1960s did Stephanie Powers play a character called April Dancer?

The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.

5.

May

What is the name of the pop musical based on Nicholas Nickleby co-written by Simon May in 1973 and still a popular production for amateur musical theatre?

Smike

6.

June

June Whitfield is currently playing the character Joan in which BBC One comedy drama?  The original title was Grey Mates.

Boomers

7.

July

On which racecourse is the Group One six furlong horse race the July Cup run?

Newmarket

8.

August

In which city was playwright and artist August Strindberg born?

Stockholm

9.

September

In Usenet slang 'Eternal September' refers to the date when America Online (AOL) offered Usenet access to its customers which then saw the rapid expansion of the Internet.  In which year of the 1990s was 'Eternal September'?

1993

10.

October

Which actor played the role of Jack Ryan in the 1990 film version of Tom Clancy’s novel The Hunt For Red October?

Alec Baldwin

11.

November

Who wrote the poem November which includes the lines:

“No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds- November!”

Thomas Hood

12.

December

Set in London during a week in December 2007 who wrote the 2009 literary novel A Week In December?

Sebastian Faulks

ROUND 4 - Picture Round

1.

Purchased by the Qatari royal family for $259 million this is the most expensive painting ever sold?  What is the title and who is the artist?

The Card Players by Paul Cezanne

2.

Sold for $104.3 million this is the most expensive sculpture ever sold.  What is the title of the piece and who is the sculptor?

L’Homme Qui Marche by Alberto Giacometti
(accept The Walking Man or similar)

3.

Who is this European Ryder Cup Golfer?

Thomas Bjorn

4.

Who is this appropriately named European Ryder Cup golfer?

Victor Dubuisson

5.

These lads came third in Britain’s Got Talent 2014. Their (mostly girl) fans are called 'bambinos' after an acronym for the band.  What’s the band’s full name?

Bars and Melody

(B.A.M.)

6.

This glamorous girl band has had 12 Top 10 singles and one No 1 since 2008. Who are they?

The Saturdays

7.

Who is this Conservative MP who was promoted to the Cabinet in the July 2014 reshuffle?

Elizabeth (Liz) Truss

8.

Who is this Conservative MP who was also promoted to the Cabinet in the July 2014 reshuffle?

Nicola (Nicky) Morgan

ROUND 5 - Announced theme

Since 1979 there have been 15 men and women who have held the office of Secretary of State for Education (almost as thankless as the Health portfolio we covered last time).  Each answer contains the surname of one of these. Five are Tories and three are Labour - all randomly scattered.

1.

Which city is at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril and had a population of 75,306 at the last census?

Carlisle

(Mark Carlisle C 1979-81)

2.

What was the subject of the Hutton Enquiry of 2003?

The death of David Kelly

(Ruth Kelly L 2004-2006)

3.

Which musical features the songs One More Angel in Heaven and Any Dream Will Do?

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat

(Keith Joseph C 1981-86)

4.

The metrical version of which religious work is traditionally sung to the hymn tune Crimond?

The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm23)

(Gillian Shephard C 1994-97)

5.

What was the family name of the industrialist and philanthropist the first (and last) Viscount Nuffield?

Morris

(Estelle Morris L 2001-02)

6.

Who was the first US president to be impeached, though like Clinton, the necessary majority for removal from office was not reached?

Andrew Johnson

(Alan Johnson L 2006-07)

7.

What was the name of the gardener from whom Peter Rabbit has a lucky escape in the Beatrix Potter tale?

Mr McGregor

(John McGregor C 1989-90)

8.

What was the name of the gang of street boys led by an adolescent lad called Wiggins that Sherlock Holmes paid one shilling daily for services rendered?

Baker Street Irregulars

(Kenneth Baker C 1986-8)

ROUND 6 - 'Whilst we were away'

1.

Why was William Pooley in the news in August?

He was the UK’s first ever Ebola case (and survivor)

2.

Why was Brett King in the news in August?

For allegedly 'abducting' his sick child for overseas treatment

3.

Serena Williams won her 18th Grand Slam tennis singles in September.  Only three women have won more times than this.  Name one of them.

(one of)

Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Helen Wills Moody

4.

Which UK woman became the oldest woman to win a European Athletics championship Gold medal at the age of forty when she triumphed in the 10 000m in Zurich?

Joanne Pavey

5.

Two Tory MPs have defected to UKIP and triggered by-elections.  Name either of these men

(either)

Mark Reckless

(or)

Douglas Carswell

6.

In the Scottish referendum only four districts out of 32 voted yes to independence.  Name two of them.

(two of)

Glasgow, Dundee, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire

7.

What nationality is James Rodriguez who won the Golden Boot Award at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals in July having scored six goals?

Colombia

8.

Which England bowler had a very good Test summer with bat and ball and is now only 3 wickets short of Ian Botham’s record 383 Test wickets?

James Anderson

ROUNDS 7 & 8 - Pick Your Own Subject

1.

Assault

Who composed the orchestral work The Assault on Beautiful Gorky for the 1951 film The Unforgettable Year 1919?

Dimitri Shostakovich

2.

Battery

In 1748 which polymath was the first to use the term battery though his electrical device consisted of a series of Leyden jars rather than a voltaic pile?

Benjamin Franklin

3.

Current pop

Which singer will be releasing her 5th studio album later this month. It is called 1989 which is also the year of her birth.

4.

Autobiography

What is the title of Stephen Fry’s third volume of memoirs in which he details his 15 year cocaine habit?

5.

FIFA World Cup

Who scored the only goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina?

6.

Darts

Since becoming an annual event in 1978 there have been three Welsh world darts champions in either of the two versions of the championships.  Name one.

7.

Ex-Formula 1

Which Formula 1 champion of the 1970s is now an organic farmer in Hampshire. He has been featured in Countryfile and Escape to the Country in this role.

Jody Scheckter

8.

Portugal

What is the administrative capital of the Portuguese region the Algarve?

Faro

9.

Gas

Responsible for most UK mining disasters which inflammable gas is the principal component of firedamp?

Methane

10.

School Motto

Which local school has the Latin motto 'Ad lucem' meaning 'towards the light'?              

11.

Colosseum

The Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome was dubbed the Colosseum much later on in its history. This was believed to be in honour of a colossal 100 foot statue of which former emperor that was located nearby?

Nero

(the statue was Colossus Neronis)

12.

Vitamin

Deficiency of which vitamin can lead to pernicious anaemia?

B12

13.

Euro

With an area of 32,000 square miles and 3700 miles from mainland Europe which overseas territory is part of the Eurozone and therefore uses the Euro as its official currency?

14.

Eurovision

The shortest distance between two consecutive hosting cities of the Eurovision Song Contest (held in different countries) is only 18 miles.  The years were 2013 and 2014 but can you name the two cities?

15.

OPEC

Name any 2 of the countries in OPEC but not in The Arab League.

16.

G13

Name any three of the five countries in G13 but not in the G8 (currently known as the G12 and G7 while Russia is suspended!).

(three of)

Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa

17.

Mars

Mars Food UK Limited is based in which town? The first factories opened there in 1932

18.

Saturn

What word connects a moon of Saturn, a 5 foot tall American actress born 1948, and a South American bird?

Rhea

(Rhea Perlman)

19.

Uranus

What word connects a moon of Uranus, a British actress born in 1958, and an American warning given by police officers to suspects?

Miranda

(Miranda Richardson, Miranda Rights)

20.

The Planets

In a performance of Holst’s Planet Suite which planet inspired the opening movement?

Mars