ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Peter Viggers was MP for Gosport between 1974 and 2010, but what was he best known for?

2.

Which former Cabinet Minister tried to claim to have his moat cleaned as a parliamentary expense?

3.

Who was recently ordained as the first female Anglican bishop?

4.

Who was the Scottish nurse who is, thankfully, now recovering from the Ebola infection she contacted whilst working in Sierra Leone?

5.

On which river does Newport in South Wales stand?

6.

Three rivers run through Cardiff.  Name two of them.

7.

Which author created DS Jessica Daniels of Longsight CID?

8.

Which author created Tom Caton of Manchester Major Incident Team?

Sp1

Natalie Bennett is the leader of which political party?

Sp2

Leanne Wood is the leader of which political party?

1.

Which 1991 film starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves was a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV?

2.

Which multinational company threatened to sue a small pub in 2009 for advertising a 'Family Feast'?

3.

What dish was created in 1867 at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City?

4.

Which British tennis player won the Australian Open in 1972?

(This question has been corrected from the original version appearing in the paper distributed on the night)

5.

Who plays Anastasia Steele in the upcoming film version of the book Fifty Shade of Grey?

6.

Which syrupy 2002 romcom involved Reese Witherspoon returning to her old town to divorce her redneck husband?

7.

Which band is fronted by half Scottish, half Italian, Sharleen Spiteri?

8.

Which vehicle in Wacky Races was driven by Luke and Blubber Bear?

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

Which New York street famously forms the southern border of Harlem?

2.

Bleecker St and MacDougal St are the main streets crossing which New York neighbourhood?

3.

Napoleon Bonaparte served as President of which country from 1802 to 1805?

4.

Which of Napoleon’s Marshals became king of Sweden?

5.

Obninsk, 110 km from Moscow, boasted the world’s first what?

6.

Staying in Russia, Druzhba and Yaroslavl-Kirishi are examples of what?

7.

Who played Captain Keen in Carry on Up the Khyber?

8.

Who played Professor Vrooshka in Carry on Behind?

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which London Underground station is found between Embankment and Blackfriars on the Circle and District lines?

2.

Which 1978 number one single was satirised by the Barron Knights with reference to a Midlands-based health professional?

3.

Who was knocked out in round 6 by Michael Watson in May 1989?

4.

Which writer, born 1939, is most famous for books about Provence?

5.

Football club St Mirren are based in which Scottish town?

6.

Which 1992 Iain Banks novel was adapted for television by the BBC in 1996?

7.

Which guitarist, born in Chiswick in 1945, was voted 3rd greatest of all time in a recent poll?

(This question has been corrected from the original version appearing in the paper distributed on the night)

8.

Who retired from test cricket in 2005 having been dropped from the England side to make room for Kevin Peterson?

ROUND 5 - Pairs

1.

Which former radio & TV personality recently released a calypso song in support of UKIP which was subsequently withdrawn after numerous complaints?

2.

What is the name of the political party founded by Robert Kilroy-Silk after he left UKIP in 2005?

3.

Among the list of the top ten most populous cities in Europe, which is the only one which is not a capital city?

4.

In Europe, Germany has the largest number of borders with other countries (nine).  Which country has the second largest number with eight?

(This question has proved to have more correct answers than just the one given)

5.

Robert Downey Jr was nominated for an Oscar in 1993 for his portrayal of which previous Oscar nominee?

6.

Kenneth Branagh was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for his portrayal of which previous Oscar nominee?

7.

What is the name given to the method of kicking a football which involves wrapping one leg around the back of the other to strike the ball?  Eric Lamella of Spurs recently scored a much-publicised ‘wonder goal’ in this way.

8.

What is the name of the (allegedly) anti-Semitic gesture, initially brought to public attention by French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, for which Nicholas Anelka incurred the wrath of the Football Association?

Sp.

Which singer successfully sued the BNP in 2009 for using one of her songs in an advertising campaign?

ROUND 6 - Pot pourri

1.

Other than in the novels of Anthony Trollope, which less highbrow tales are also set in the fictional county of Barsetshire?

2.

In what situation would certain people be grateful to hear the Birkenhead Drill?

3.

What was Charles Darwin’s official post on HMS Beagle?

4.

Which author recently collaborated on an album with folk-rock luminaries Steeleye Span?  It is entitled Wintersmith like the author’s source novel.

5.

Why was Franz Maria Herzog Von Bayern, a German aristocrat born in 1933, discussed several times during the Scottish referendum campaign?

6.

What was the motto of 17th century financier Sir Thomas Bond who gave his name to Bond Street?  It was adopted for a later namesake in a 1963 novel.

7.

Which National Team holds the record for the most appearances in football’s World Cup final stages without progressing into the knockout rounds?

8.

The Reverend William Cowherd, who ministered in Salford in the early 19th century, was a major figure in the development of which movement?

Sp.

In the biopic Sylvia starring Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Sylvia Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes?

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

Which American Film Director’s work includes several collaborations with Clint Eastwood, including Dirty Harry, Coogan’s Bluff and Escape From Alcatraz, plus the classic 1956 version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and The Shootist?

2.

Which Scottish administrative area (Unitary Authority), the second largest, includes the islands of Iona, Islay and Jura?

3.

Which district of Manchester is mentioned in the Domesday Book, formed part of the ancient Hundred of Bucklow, and is the location where Bonnie Prince Charlie constructed a bridge?

4.

What is the name of the daughter of Gomez and Morticia in the Addams Family?

5.

Which famous person of the Victorian era was born John Rowlands in Denbigh, North Wales, in 1841?

6.

Which revolutionary was born Jose Doroteo Arango Arambula in North-West Mexico in 1878?

7.

Which singer won the X-Factor in 2008 and subsequently had the Christmas number one with her version of Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah?

8.

Which actor stars as the police inspector in the current hit film Taken 3 alongside Liam Neeson but received his greatest acclaim – including an Oscar – for playing a historical character in a 2006 film?

Sp.

Which building, designed by Johnson and Meeson, opened in 1873 with a horseracing course in its grounds and was allegedly given its well-known nickname by Gracie Fields?

ROUND 8 - Pot pourri

1.

Which work of literature is entitled The Prostrate Years?

2.

In literature what took place on one day in Dublin in June 1904?

3.

CBBC presenter Hacker T Dog hails from where?

4.

5.

What is a wisent?

6.

What was the profession of Hastings Banda, the first President of Malawi (formerly Nyasaland)?

7.

What play centres around an art class in Ashington, Northumberland?

8.

What is a zucchetto?

Sp1

Members of which club reportedly burned a £50 note under a beggar’s nose?

Sp2

In 1797, John Hetherington, a haberdasher of the Strand, was arraigned before the Lord Mayor for: ”Wearing a structure having a shining lustre and calculated to frighten timid people” whereby he was guilty of a breach of the peace and inciting a riot.  What sort of structure was it?

ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Peter Viggers was MP for Gosport between 1974 and 2010, but what was he best known for?

Claiming for a duck house as a parliamentary expense

(accept any answer about duck houses)

2.

Which former Cabinet Minister tried to claim to have his moat cleaned as a parliamentary expense?

Douglas Hogg

3.

Who was recently ordained as the first female Anglican bishop?

Libby Lane

(the new Suffragan Bishop of Stockport)

4.

Who was the Scottish nurse who is, thankfully, now recovering from the Ebola infection she contacted whilst working in Sierra Leone?

Pauline Cafferkey

5.

On which river does Newport in South Wales stand?

The Usk

6.

Three rivers run through Cardiff.  Name two of them.

(two from)

Taff,

Ely,

Rhymney

7.

Which author created DS Jessica Daniels of Longsight CID?

Kerry Wilkinson

8.

Which author created Tom Caton of Manchester Major Incident Team?

Bill Rodgers

Sp1

Natalie Bennett is the leader of which political party?

The Greens

Sp2

Leanne Wood is the leader of which political party?

Plaid Cymru

1.

Which 1991 film starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves was a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV?

My Own Private Idaho

2.

Which multinational company threatened to sue a small pub in 2009 for advertising a 'Family Feast'?

Kentucky Fried Chicken

3.

What dish was created in 1867 at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City?

Baked Alaska

4.

Which British tennis player won the Australian Open in 1972?

(This question has been corrected from the original version appearing in the paper distributed on the night)

Virginia Wade

5.

Who plays Anastasia Steele in the upcoming film version of the book Fifty Shade of Grey?

Dakota Johnson

6.

Which syrupy 2002 romcom involved Reese Witherspoon returning to her old town to divorce her redneck husband?

Sweet Home Alabama

7.

Which band is fronted by half Scottish, half Italian, Sharleen Spiteri?

Texas

8.

Which vehicle in Wacky Races was driven by Luke and Blubber Bear?

The Arkansas Chuggabug

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

Which New York street famously forms the southern border of Harlem?

110th Street

2.

Bleecker St and MacDougal St are the main streets crossing which New York neighbourhood?

Greenwich Village

3.

Napoleon Bonaparte served as President of which country from 1802 to 1805?

Italy

4.

Which of Napoleon’s Marshals became king of Sweden?

Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte

5.

Obninsk, 110 km from Moscow, boasted the world’s first what?

Nuclear power station

6.

Staying in Russia, Druzhba and Yaroslavl-Kirishi are examples of what?

Oil pipelines

7.

Who played Captain Keen in Carry on Up the Khyber?

Roy Castle

8.

Who played Professor Vrooshka in Carry on Behind?

Elke Sommer

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which London Underground station is found between Embankment and Blackfriars on the Circle and District lines?

Temple

2.

Which 1978 number one single was satirised by the Barron Knights with reference to a Midlands-based health professional?

Rivers of Babylon

3.

Who was knocked out in round 6 by Michael Watson in May 1989?

Nigel Benn

4.

Which writer, born 1939, is most famous for books about Provence?

Peter Mayle

5.

Football club St Mirren are based in which Scottish town?

Paisley

6.

Which 1992 Iain Banks novel was adapted for television by the BBC in 1996?

The Crow Road

7.

Which guitarist, born in Chiswick in 1945, was voted 3rd greatest of all time in a recent poll?

(This question has been corrected from the original version appearing in the paper distributed on the night)

Pete Townsend

8.

Who retired from test cricket in 2005 having been dropped from the England side to make room for Kevin Peterson?

Graham Thorpe

ROUND 5 - Pairs

1.

Which former radio & TV personality recently released a calypso song in support of UKIP which was subsequently withdrawn after numerous complaints?

Mike Read

2.

What is the name of the political party founded by Robert Kilroy-Silk after he left UKIP in 2005?

Veritas

3.

Among the list of the top ten most populous cities in Europe, which is the only one which is not a capital city?

Hamburg

4.

In Europe, Germany has the largest number of borders with other countries (nine).  Which country has the second largest number with eight?

(This question has proved to have more correct answers than just the one given)

Serbia

5.

Robert Downey Jr was nominated for an Oscar in 1993 for his portrayal of which previous Oscar nominee?

Charlie Chaplin

(in the biopic Chaplin)

6.

Kenneth Branagh was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for his portrayal of which previous Oscar nominee?

Laurence Olivier

(in the film My Life With Marilyn)

7.

What is the name given to the method of kicking a football which involves wrapping one leg around the back of the other to strike the ball?  Eric Lamella of Spurs recently scored a much-publicised ‘wonder goal’ in this way.

Rabona

8.

What is the name of the (allegedly) anti-Semitic gesture, initially brought to public attention by French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, for which Nicholas Anelka incurred the wrath of the Football Association?

Quenelle

Sp.

Which singer successfully sued the BNP in 2009 for using one of her songs in an advertising campaign?

Vera Lynn

ROUND 6 - Pot pourri

1.

Other than in the novels of Anthony Trollope, which less highbrow tales are also set in the fictional county of Barsetshire?

St Trinian’s

2.

In what situation would certain people be grateful to hear the Birkenhead Drill?

On a sinking ship

(it is 'Women & Children First' - named after an incident involving HMS Birkenhead in 1845)

3.

What was Charles Darwin’s official post on HMS Beagle?

Geologist

4.

Which author recently collaborated on an album with folk-rock luminaries Steeleye Span?  It is entitled Wintersmith like the author’s source novel.

Terry Pratchett

5.

Why was Franz Maria Herzog Von Bayern, a German aristocrat born in 1933, discussed several times during the Scottish referendum campaign?

He is claimed by many to be the rightful king of Scotland (and England for that matter) due to his descent from the deposed King James II and also Bonnie Prince Charlie

6.

What was the motto of 17th century financier Sir Thomas Bond who gave his name to Bond Street?  It was adopted for a later namesake in a 1963 novel.

'The World Is Not Enough'

7.

Which National Team holds the record for the most appearances in football’s World Cup final stages without progressing into the knockout rounds?

Scotland

8.

The Reverend William Cowherd, who ministered in Salford in the early 19th century, was a major figure in the development of which movement?

Vegetarianism

Sp.

In the biopic Sylvia starring Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Sylvia Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes?

Daniel Craig

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

Which American Film Director’s work includes several collaborations with Clint Eastwood, including Dirty Harry, Coogan’s Bluff and Escape From Alcatraz, plus the classic 1956 version of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, and The Shootist?

Don Siegel

2.

Which Scottish administrative area (Unitary Authority), the second largest, includes the islands of Iona, Islay and Jura?

Argyll and Bute

(both parts of the answer required)

3.

Which district of Manchester is mentioned in the Domesday Book, formed part of the ancient Hundred of Bucklow, and is the location where Bonnie Prince Charlie constructed a bridge?

Northenden

4.

What is the name of the daughter of Gomez and Morticia in the Addams Family?

Wednesday

5.

Which famous person of the Victorian era was born John Rowlands in Denbigh, North Wales, in 1841?

Henry Morton Stanley

6.

Which revolutionary was born Jose Doroteo Arango Arambula in North-West Mexico in 1878?

Pancho Villa

7.

Which singer won the X-Factor in 2008 and subsequently had the Christmas number one with her version of Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah?

Alexandra Burke

8.

Which actor stars as the police inspector in the current hit film Taken 3 alongside Liam Neeson but received his greatest acclaim – including an Oscar – for playing a historical character in a 2006 film?

Forest Whitaker

Sp.

Which building, designed by Johnson and Meeson, opened in 1873 with a horseracing course in its grounds and was allegedly given its well-known nickname by Gracie Fields?

Alexandra Palace

ROUND 8 - Pot pourri

1.

Which work of literature is entitled The Prostrate Years?

The last in in the Adrian Mole series

2.

In literature what took place on one day in Dublin in June 1904?

Ulysses

(by James Joyce)

3.

CBBC presenter Hacker T Dog hails from where?

Wigan

4.

Joan Bakewell

5.

What is a wisent?

The European Bison

6.

What was the profession of Hastings Banda, the first President of Malawi (formerly Nyasaland)?

A dentist

7.

What play centres around an art class in Ashington, Northumberland?

The Pitman Painters

8.

What is a zucchetto?

A skull cap worn by Roman Clerics

Sp1.

Members of which club reportedly burned a £50 note under a beggar’s nose?

The Bullingham Club

Sp2.

In 1797, John Hetherington, a haberdasher of the Strand, was arraigned before the Lord Mayor for: ”Wearing a structure having a shining lustre and calculated to frighten timid people” whereby he was guilty of a breach of the peace and inciting a riot.  What sort of structure was it?

A top hat

(he called it a 'silk hat')