ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

The words "Lest we forget", which appear on the Cenotaph, are taken from which poem?

2.

Most of the tombstones of unidentified soldiers in First World War cemeteries bear at their top the inscription "A Soldier of the Great War".  What three words, chosen by Rudyard Kipling, appear at the bottom?

3.

What is the common name for horripilation?

4.

What is the common name for borborygmi?

5.

What is the only musical instrument which is not touched while being played?

6.

Which long running popular TV series uses the theremin in its theme music?

7.

Which operetta contains a song lampooning the career of W H Smith, the founder of the stationery chain?

8.

Which opera is largely set in Catfish Row?

1.

Which Brian was the London Mayoral candidate for the Lib Dems in 2008 and 2012?

2.

Which Brian won series 2 of Big Brother in 2001?

3.

Which Brian found fame as a member of Westlife?

4.

Which Brian has been the lead singer of AC/DC since 1980?

5.

Which Brian was the presenter of Radio 4’s Today Programme from 1975-1993?

6.

Which Brian has been art critic for the Evening Standard since 1984?

7.

Which Brian narrated the children’s classic TV programme Trumpton?

8.

In 2013 which Brian became the first Irish man to captain the British and Irish Lions since Ciaran Fitzgerald in 1983?

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

In 1902 James Maybrick was allegedly murdered by his wife. In 1992 a book by Michael Barrett made a very serious accusation about him.  What was the accusation?

2.

In 1980 the father of which Cheers actor confessed to the murder of John F Kennedy Junior.  What is the name of the actor?

3.

Which 1998 computer games features the theoretical physicist Dr Gordon Freeman?

4.

John 117 is the protagonist of which best selling computer game franchise?

5.

Name the three chemical elements whose symbols spell the word BACK.

6.

Name the three chemical elements whose symbols spell the word WIRE.

7.

What hobby/pursuit links Bez of the Happy Mondays and Sherlock Holmes?

8.

Apart from their liking for 'queening around’, what hobby/pursuit links Queen Elizabeth II with the late Freddy Mercury?

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

In 1977 which actor became the third person to be nominated for both acting and writing in the same film?

2.

Which actor played Legolas Greenleaf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy?

3.

What is the capital of Oregon?

4.

What is the name of the short leather strap that is fastened around each leg of a hawk, usually having a ring to which a leash may be attached?

5.

What is the first name of the character played by Jack Lemon in The Odd Couple?

6.

Voted single of the year 1981, which song spent four weeks at No. 2, being denied the No. 1 spot by John Lennon’s Woman and Joe Dolce’s Shadap You Face?

7.

Which British born actor is the latest to play Spider Man in The Amazing Spider Man and The Amazing Spider Man 2?

8.

Deborah Mitford who died recently, was known by what title for most of her adult life?

ROUND 5 - Announced theme - 'An owlish round'

1.

Which English professional football club is known as The Owls?

2.

Which fictional character was known as 'The fat owl of the Remove'?

3.

In which Shakespeare play does the following line appear: "It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman."?

4.

In Edward Lear’s poem, who performed the marriage ceremony for the owl and the pussycat?

5.

In Greek mythology the owl is associated with the goddess Athena but with whom is the owl associated in Roman mythology?

6.

Which children’s novelist wrote The Owl Service?

7.

What part does the owl play in the demise of Cock Robin?

8.

Which League One football club has an owl on its badge?

ROUND 6 - Pairs

1.

What is the only country in Central America without a Caribbean coastline?

2.

What is the only state in New England without a coastline?

3.

Which prolific author was one of the pioneers of British surfing, learning to surf prone in South Africa then to surf standing up in Hawaii in the 1920s?

4.

In 1931 which prolific author designed a glider which could be towed over long distances and 1984 was awarded the Bishop Wright air industry award for this contribution to aviation?

5.

Which US comedy drama attracted the highest ever audience figure of 105.9 million for its 1983 finale?

6.

An episode of which sitcom became the most watched non news or sport programme ever in the UK at the time of its broadcast in 1979?  The episode in question was the series one finale and remains the second most watched sitcom episode ever.

7.

What is unique in the UK about Savoy Court, a small street which leads from the Strand to the Savoy Hotel?

8.

Vehicles used by which profession make up the vast majority of right-hand drive vehicles on US roads?

ROUND 7 - 'Seconds'

1.

After Greenland, what is the world’s next largest island (continents such as Australia excluded)?

2.

After the Thames what is the next longest river in England?

3.

What is the second event in the Decathlon?

4.

After Algeria, what is the second biggest country in Africa by area?

5.

What is the second opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle?

6.

Which song was the second song played Radio 1 after Flowers in the Rain by The Move?  The song is the name of the place which no member of the band had been to at the time it was written.

7.

What is the second largest of the moons of Jupiter after Ganymede?

8.

What was the second James Bond film after Doctor No?

ROUND 8 - Pot pourri

1.

'Hoisted with one’s own petard' is a common expression but what was a petard originally?

2.

What name is given to a perfect card shuffle in which single cards from left and right half decks alternate?

3.

What is a bird’s equivalent of the larynx?

4.

What is the only country in the world whose name includes the same vowel three times in the first five letters?

5.

What do the letters of the acronym LIBOR stand for?

6.

In which film is there a character called Governor William J Lepetomane?

7.

Which Prime Minister wrote of his own career:

"Few thought he was even a starter,
There were many others who thought themselves smarter,
But he ended PM,
CH and OM,
An Earl and a Knight of the Garter"?

8.

What was the name of the group of wits and literary critics of which Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woolcott were leading lights?

Spares

1.

In the Anthony Burgess novel, what is a 'clockwork orange'?

2.

The names of four chemical elements are derived from a village in Sweden.  What is the name of the village?

3.

Why is Sheffield Wednesday football club known as The Owls?

4.

Which children’s TV character lives in Pontypandy?

5.

Which was the first Mr Men book?  It starts with a character making himself breakfast without getting out of bed.

6.

Which British crime writer wrote the novel He Died With His Eyes Open?

ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

The words "Lest we forget", which appear on the Cenotaph, are taken from which poem?

Recessional

(by Rudyard Kipling)

2.

Most of the tombstones of unidentified soldiers in First World War cemeteries bear at their top the inscription "A Soldier of the Great War".  What three words, chosen by Rudyard Kipling, appear at the bottom?

"Known unto God"

3.

What is the common name for horripilation?

Goosebumps

4.

What is the common name for borborygmi?

Tummy rumbles

5.

What is the only musical instrument which is not touched while being played?

Theremin

(or Ondes Martinot)

6.

Which long running popular TV series uses the theremin in its theme music?

Midsomer Murders

7.

Which operetta contains a song lampooning the career of W H Smith, the founder of the stationery chain?

HMS Pinafore

8.

Which opera is largely set in Catfish Row?

Porgy and Bess

1.

Which Brian was the London Mayoral candidate for the Lib Dems in 2008 and 2012?

Brian Paddick

2.

Which Brian won series 2 of Big Brother in 2001?

Brian Dowling

3.

Which Brian found fame as a member of Westlife?

Brian McFadden

4.

Which Brian has been the lead singer of AC/DC since 1980?

Brian Johnson

5.

Which Brian was the presenter of Radio 4’s Today Programme from 1975-1993?

Brian Redhead

6.

Which Brian has been art critic for the Evening Standard since 1984?

Brian Sewell

7.

Which Brian narrated the children’s classic TV programme Trumpton?

Brian Cant

8.

In 2013 which Brian became the first Irish man to captain the British and Irish Lions since Ciaran Fitzgerald in 1983?

Brian O’Driscoll

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

In 1902 James Maybrick was allegedly murdered by his wife. In 1992 a book by Michael Barrett made a very serious accusation about him.  What was the accusation?

That he was Jack the Ripper

2.

In 1980 the father of which Cheers actor confessed to the murder of John F Kennedy Junior.  What is the name of the actor?

Woody Harrelson

(His father was a hitman who, in 1982, received two life sentences for the murder of a federal judge)

3.

Which 1998 computer games features the theoretical physicist Dr Gordon Freeman?

Halflife

4.

John 117 is the protagonist of which best selling computer game franchise?

Halo

5.

Name the three chemical elements whose symbols spell the word BACK.

(either)

Boron (B), Actinium (Ac), Potassium (K)

(or)

Barium (Ba), Carbon (C), Potassium (K)

6.

Name the three chemical elements whose symbols spell the word WIRE.

Tungsten (W), Iodine (I), Rhenium (Re)

7.

What hobby/pursuit links Bez of the Happy Mondays and Sherlock Holmes?

Beekeeping

(alas – no points for freaky dancing, though it would be a more interesting answer!)

8.

Apart from their liking for 'queening around’, what hobby/pursuit links Queen Elizabeth II with the late Freddy Mercury?

Stamp collecting

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

In 1977 which actor became the third person to be nominated for both acting and writing in the same film?

Sylvester Stallone

2.

Which actor played Legolas Greenleaf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Orlando Bloom

3.

What is the capital of Oregon?

Salem

4.

What is the name of the short leather strap that is fastened around each leg of a hawk, usually having a ring to which a leash may be attached?

Jess

5.

What is the first name of the character played by Jack Lemon in The Odd Couple?

Felix (Unger)

6.

Voted single of the year 1981, which song spent four weeks at No. 2, being denied the No. 1 spot by John Lennon’s Woman and Joe Dolce’s Shadap You Face?

Vienna

7.

Which British born actor is the latest to play Spider Man in The Amazing Spider Man and The Amazing Spider Man 2?

Andrew Garfield

8.

Deborah Mitford who died recently, was known by what title for most of her adult life?

(Dowager) Duchess of Devonshire

ROUND 5 - Announced theme - 'An owlish round'

1.

Which English professional football club is known as The Owls?

Sheffield Wednesday

2.

Which fictional character was known as 'The fat owl of the Remove'?

Billy Bunter

3.

In which Shakespeare play does the following line appear: "It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman."?

Macbeth

4.

In Edward Lear’s poem, who performed the marriage ceremony for the owl and the pussycat?

The turkey who lived on the hill

5.

In Greek mythology the owl is associated with the goddess Athena but with whom is the owl associated in Roman mythology?

Minerva

6.

Which children’s novelist wrote The Owl Service?

Alan Garner

7.

What part does the owl play in the demise of Cock Robin?

The gravedigger

("Who’ll dig his grave/I, said the owl/With my little trowel/I’ll dig his grave")

8.

Which League One football club has an owl on its badge?

Oldham Athletic

ROUND 6 - Pairs

1.

What is the only country in Central America without a Caribbean coastline?

El Salvador

2.

What is the only state in New England without a coastline?

Vermont

3.

Which prolific author was one of the pioneers of British surfing, learning to surf prone in South Africa then to surf standing up in Hawaii in the 1920s?

Agatha Christie

4.

In 1931 which prolific author designed a glider which could be towed over long distances and 1984 was awarded the Bishop Wright air industry award for this contribution to aviation?

Barbara Cartland

5.

Which US comedy drama attracted the highest ever audience figure of 105.9 million for its 1983 finale?

M*A*S*H*

6.

An episode of which sitcom became the most watched non news or sport programme ever in the UK at the time of its broadcast in 1979?  The episode in question was the series one finale and remains the second most watched sitcom episode ever.

To The Manor Born

7.

What is unique in the UK about Savoy Court, a small street which leads from the Strand to the Savoy Hotel?

It is the only street in Britain on which traffic is required to drive on the right

8.

Vehicles used by which profession make up the vast majority of right-hand drive vehicles on US roads?

Mailmen

(to allow them to place parcels in roadside mailboxes without getting out of the van)

ROUND 7 - 'Seconds'

1.

After Greenland, what is the world’s next largest island (continents such as Australia excluded)?

New Guinea

2.

After the Thames what is the next longest river in England?

River Trent

3.

What is the second event in the Decathlon?

Long Jump

4.

After Algeria, what is the second biggest country in Africa by area?

Democratic Republic of Congo

5.

What is the second opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle?

The Valkyrie

6.

Which song was the second song played Radio 1 after Flowers in the Rain by The Move?  The song is the name of the place which no member of the band had been to at the time it was written.

Massachusetts

(by the Bee Gees)

7.

What is the second largest of the moons of Jupiter after Ganymede?

Callisto

8.

What was the second James Bond film after Doctor No?

From Russia With Love

ROUND 8 - Pot pourri

1.

'Hoisted with one’s own petard' is a common expression but what was a petard originally?

A siege bomb

2.

What name is given to a perfect card shuffle in which single cards from left and right half decks alternate?

Faro

3.

What is a bird’s equivalent of the larynx?

Syrinx

4.

What is the only country in the world whose name includes the same vowel three times in the first five letters?

Uruguay

5.

What do the letters of the acronym LIBOR stand for?

London Interbank Offered Rate

6.

In which film is there a character called Governor William J Lepetomane?

Blazing Saddles

7.

Which Prime Minister wrote of his own career:

"Few thought he was even a starter,
There were many others who thought themselves smarter,
But he ended PM,
CH and OM,
An Earl and a Knight of the Garter"?

Clement Atlee

8.

What was the name of the group of wits and literary critics of which Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woolcott were leading lights?

The Vicious Circle or The Algonquin Round Table

Spares

1.

 In the Anthony Burgess novel, what is a 'clockwork orange'?

It’s the name of the book being written by one of the people attacked by Alex and his gang

2.

The names of four chemical elements are derived from a village in Sweden.  What is the name of the village?

Ytterby

(Yttria; Erbium; Terbium and Ytterbium)

3.

Why is Sheffield Wednesday football club known as The Owls?

It is located in the district of Owlerton, Sheffield

4.

Which children’s TV character lives in Pontypandy?

Fireman Sam

5.

Which was the first Mr Men book?  It starts with a character making himself breakfast without getting out of bed.

Mr Tickle

6.

Which British crime writer wrote the novel He Died With His Eyes Open?

Derek Raymond