1.

Which English seaside town is home to the Dreamland theme park and the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery?

2.

In the popular Netflix series The Crown, which Stockport-born actress plays the part of Princess and later Queen Elizabeth II?

3.

Which twentieth-century novel took its title from the English translation of a Hebrew phrase which is the origin of the name ‘Beelzebub’?

4.

In Greek mythology, who was married to her brother Zeus and was the goddess of women and marriage?

5.

Currently in the charts with his album More Life, Aubrey Graham is better known by his middle name.  What is it?

6.

Situated in Galway Bay, which is the largest of the Aran Islands, and also the largest island off the Irish coast with no bridge or causeway to the mainland?

7.

Better known as the inventor of an eponymous piece of laboratory equipment, who - working in partnership with Gustav Kirchhoff - discovered the elements caesium and rubidium?

8.

Who was captain of the England cricket team that won the Ashes in 2005?

9.

What was the name of the Puritan minister, author and pamphleteer, born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1663, whose book Bonifacius: Essays to Do Good (1710) was a major influence on Benjamin Franklin?

10.

Which renowned European architect led the planning and design of the Indian city Chandigarh in the 1950s?

11.

Fought in 1862, which major battle of the American Civil War shares its name with Angelina Jolie’s first biological child?

12.

What's the name of the gate in the Tower of London that gives access to and from the River Thames?

13.

In which Shakespeare play does the Dramatis Personae include Gremio and Grumio (respectively a suitor and servant to two of the main characters) and also ‘A Pedant’?

14.

Which earthwork is named after an 8th century king of Mercia?

15.

According to the recently published World Happiness Report, which is the happiest country in the world in 2017?

16.

What distinction is currently held by the German community of Westerngrund, but will soon be passed to the village of Gädheim, some 50 miles to the south east?

17.

Which Anglo-Saxon hero is famous for defending the Isle of Ely against William the Conqueror? 

18.

Which major character in Shakespeare has a servant called Launcelot Gobbo? 

19.

Apart from Nelson Mandela, which other famous South African has a statue in London’s Parliament Square?

20.

What first name is shared by the 12th President of the USA (in office 1849–50) and the elder son of Elton John and David Furnish?

21.

Paris’s Pompidou Centre was jointly designed by Richard Rogers and which Italian architect?

22.

Which American Secretary of State remarked in the 1950s that Britain had "lost her empire and but not yet found a role"?

23.

With 456 in the First Test against India in July 1990, which English cricketer holds the record for the most runs scored in a single Test match? 

24.

Which British scientist discovered hydrogen in 1766, naming it ‘inflammable air’?  His work was later reproduced by Antoine Lavoisier who changed the name to ‘hydrogen’, meaning ‘water-former’. 

25.

Which glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, is famous for a monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin? 

26.

Name the grime artist, real name Michael Omari, whose album Gang Signs & Prayer is currently in the charts.

27.

In Greek mythology, who was the twin sister of Apollo and was the goddess of the hunt and animals?

28.

Which novel by John Steinbeck tells the story of migrant workers George and Lennie? 

29.

In the ITV drama series Victoria screened last year, which Blackpool-born actress plays the part of Queen Victoria? 

30.

Which English city is home to the Grade II-listed Mayflower Theatre and the SeaCity Museum?

Hidden theme

One of the answer words is only linked to the theme by means of a sound-alike

1.

Which American singer and songwriter was born Geetali Shankar in 1979?

2.

Sir Howard Hodgkin, who died last month, became the second-ever recipient of which prestigious award in 1985?

3.

Which earl led the rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263–64 and subsequently became de facto ruler of England, before being killed at the Battle of Evesham?

4.

What name is given to the directly-elected lower branch of the Isle of Man Parliament?

5.

Which 1902 novel by Henry James has as its central character the terminally-ill American heiress Milly Theale?  A 1997 film version earned Helena Bonham-Carter an Oscar nomination.

6.

Which Ivy League university is located in Ithaca, New York?

7.

What name is commonly given to a Scottish mountain over 914 metres (or 3,000 feet in ‘old money’)?

8.

Upon the death of which US President did Dorothy Parker allegedly remark "How can they tell?"?    

9.

Which Beatles song includes the lines: "Tuesday afternoon is never ending, Wednesday morning papers didn’t come"?

10.

In which opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg does the title character end up being murdered by Jack the Ripper?

'Three of a kind'
You will be given two items in a group of three; you need to supply the third

1.

A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More…

2.

Dressage, show-jumping…

3.

Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife…

4.

Steve Martin, Chevy Chase…

5.

Matt Goss, Luke Goss…

6.

7.

Ingleborough, Whernside…

8.

Dreadlock Holiday, I’m Not in Love…

Sp.

Stheno, Euryale…

'Signs of the Zodiac'

Choose a sign to get a question linked to that sign

1.

Aries

Derby County, a.k.a. The Rams, set the record for the lowest points total in a Premier League season in 2007–2008.  How many points did they gain in that season?

2.

Taurus

Described by the NBA as "the greatest basketball player of all time", who wore Number 23 for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993?  He changed to the number 45 shirt when he returned in 1995 after a short-lived retirement.

3.

Pisces

What kind of fish do the Spanish call 'bacalao'?  It is often used in traditional cooking, particularly in the Basque region.

4.

Aquarius

What type of plant tissue carries water and some nutrients from the roots to its shoots and leaves?

5.

Capricorn

Goat Fell is the highest point on which Scottish island?

6.

Sagittarius

Which member of the Archers family has been played since 1987 by Felicity Finch?  

7.

Scorpio

Which children’s author created a scorpion called Sting-a-ling?

8.

Libra

 In music, what name is given to scales with twelve pitches, where every semitone is played?

9.

Virgo

Name either of the islands in the British Virgin Islands group that are privately owned by Sir Richard Branson and operated as exclusive holiday resorts.

10.

Leo

What is the name of the lion who is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, and husband of Nala?

11.

How are twins Gabriela and Monica Irimia better known?

12.

Cancer

Which Nobel laureate wrote the 1966 novel Cancer Ward?

'Initial impressions'

All the answers consist of two words both of which start with the same letter - both words are required for a correct answer

1.

Which film director’s best-known works include 8½ and La Dolce Vita?

2.

Which capital city’s name means ‘new flower’?

3.

Born in Hull in 1759, which English politician and philanthropist was one of the leaders of the movement to abolish the slave trade?

4.

What name is given to the geological fault that bisects the Scottish Highlands into the Grampian Mountains to the southeast and the Northwest Highlands to the northwest?

5.

What was the birth name of Donald Trump’s second wife and mother of his daughter Tiffany?  They divorced in 1999 after six years of marriage.

6.

Somewhat overshadowed by his brother in an extremely successful band, who had a solo UK top ten hit in 1967 with Death of a Clown?

7.

Where is the historically significant Provincetown harbour, where the Mayflower pilgrims first dropped anchor in 1620 before going on to Plymouth, Massachusetts?

8.

Played in the films by Gwyneth Paltrow, who is the love interest of the superhero Iron Man?

Sp.

Which English actress has had film roles that include Elizabeth Swann, Elizabeth Bennet and Anna Karenina?

'Pick a year'
You will be asked to choose a year and will receive a question that relates to an event from that year - additionally, each answer is the name of a person whose first name is an American state capital and you must give both first name and surname for your answer

1.

1607

Which Frenchman, born in 1607, became famous for a note that he left in his copy of a book by third century mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria?  The note in the margin said: "It is impossible to separate a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into two fourth powers, or in general, any power higher than the second, into two like powers.  I have discovered a truly marvellous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain."

2.

1872

Which American entrepreneur, art collector and philanthropist was born in Krakow, Poland, on Christmas Day 1872 and died in New York in April 1965?

3.

1939

Dame Edith Evans’s celebrated interpretation of which character was first seen on the London stage in 1939?

4.

1940

Which American author published her first and most famous novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, in 1940?

5.

1948

Who played Matt Garth, opposite John Wayne as Thomas Dunson, in the 1948 Howard Hawks film Red River?

6.

1956

Which artist died on 11 August 1956 as a result of a car crash near his home in Springs, New York? 

7.

1973

Which Rugby Union player born in 1973 won 51 caps for England between 1997 and 2003 and was nicknamed 'The Leicester Lip'?   

8.

1979

Who was one of only two actors - the other being Sorrell Booke as ‘Boss Hogg’ - to appear in every episode of The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985?

9.

1997

Created by American crime write Jeffery Deaver, what is the name of the quadriplegic detective who first appeared in the 1997 novel The Bone Collector?

10.

2012

Which Australian protester was sentenced to six months in jail after his swim interrupted the 2012 Oxford/Cambridge boat race?

1.

Many of us have used IMAP in our email settings.  What does IMAP stand for?

2.

Give both of the forenames of the author A. A. Milne.

3.

Which sea creature is depicted in the logo of Waterford Crystal?

4.

Albert Park is a Grand Prix circuit in which country?

5.

Which American author’s seven autobiographies include The Heart of a Woman and All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes?

6.

"Better to die than live a coward" is the motto of which fighting force?

7.

Which country has borders with Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Belize?

8.

Which family of birds includes the marabou and the closely-related adjutant bird?

9.

The businessman and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Sir David Clementi was appointed to which post in January 2017?

10.

Which soft drinks brand was developed in Germany during World War Two, because there was a trade embargo on the syrup used to make Coca-Cola?

1.

In the current (13th) edition of the Chambers Dictionary, the last word appears on page 1832.  On which page does the word ‘quiz’ appear?

2.

How many votes did the first round winner Emmanuel Macron receive in last weekend’s French Presidential election?

1.

Which English seaside town is home to the Dreamland theme park and the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery?

Margate

2.

In the popular Netflix series The Crown, which Stockport-born actress plays the part of Princess and later Queen Elizabeth II?

Claire Foy

3.

Which twentieth-century novel took its title from the English translation of a Hebrew phrase which is the origin of the name ‘Beelzebub’?

Lord of the Flies

4.

In Greek mythology, who was married to her brother Zeus and was the goddess of women and marriage?

Hera

5.

Currently in the charts with his album More Life, Aubrey Graham is better known by his middle name.  What is it?

Drake

6.

Situated in Galway Bay, which is the largest of the Aran Islands, and also the largest island off the Irish coast with no bridge or causeway to the mainland?

Inishmore

7.

Better known as the inventor of an eponymous piece of laboratory equipment, who - working in partnership with Gustav Kirchhoff - discovered the elements caesium and rubidium?

Robert Bunsen

8.

Who was captain of the England cricket team that won the Ashes in 2005?

Michael Vaughan

9.

What was the name of the Puritan minister, author and pamphleteer, born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1663, whose book Bonifacius: Essays to Do Good (1710) was a major influence on Benjamin Franklin?

Cotton Mather

10.

Which renowned European architect led the planning and design of the Indian city Chandigarh in the 1950s?

Le Corbusier

(or Charles-Édouard Jeanneret)

11.

Fought in 1862, which major battle of the American Civil War shares its name with Angelina Jolie’s first biological child?

Shiloh

12.

What's the name of the gate in the Tower of London that gives access to and from the River Thames?

Traitors’ Gate

13.

In which Shakespeare play does the Dramatis Personae include Gremio and Grumio (respectively a suitor and servant to two of the main characters) and also ‘A Pedant’?

The Taming of the Shrew

14.

Which earthwork is named after an 8th century king of Mercia?

Offa’s Dyke

15.

According to the recently published World Happiness Report, which is the happiest country in the world in 2017?

Norway

16.

What distinction is currently held by the German community of Westerngrund, but will soon be passed to the village of Gädheim, some 50 miles to the south east?

It’s the geographical centre of the European Union

17.

Which Anglo-Saxon hero is famous for defending the Isle of Ely against William the Conqueror? 

Hereward the Wake

18.

Which major character in Shakespeare has a servant called Launcelot Gobbo? 

Shylock

19.

Apart from Nelson Mandela, which other famous South African has a statue in London’s Parliament Square?

Jan Smuts

20.

What first name is shared by the 12th President of the USA (in office 1849–50) and the elder son of Elton John and David Furnish?

(the President was Zachary Taylor)

21.

Paris’s Pompidou Centre was jointly designed by Richard Rogers and which Italian architect?

Renzo Piano 

22.

Which American Secretary of State remarked in the 1950s that Britain had "lost her empire and but not yet found a role"?

Dean Acheson

23.

With 456 in the First Test against India in July 1990, which English cricketer holds the record for the most runs scored in a single Test match? 

Graham Gooch

24.

Which British scientist discovered hydrogen in 1766, naming it ‘inflammable air’?  His work was later reproduced by Antoine Lavoisier who changed the name to ‘hydrogen’, meaning ‘water-former’. 

Henry Cavendish

25.

Which glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, is famous for a monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin? 

Glendalough

26.

Name the grime artist, real name Michael Omari, whose album Gang Signs & Prayer is currently in the charts.

Stormzy

27.

In Greek mythology, who was the twin sister of Apollo and was the goddess of the hunt and animals?

Artemis

28.

Which novel by John Steinbeck tells the story of migrant workers George and Lennie? 

Of Mice and Men

29.

In the ITV drama series Victoria screened last year, which Blackpool-born actress plays the part of Queen Victoria? 

Jenna Coleman

30.

Which English city is home to the Grade II-listed Mayflower Theatre and the SeaCity Museum?

Southampton

Hidden theme

One of the answer words is only linked to the theme by means of a sound-alike

1.

Which American singer and songwriter was born Geetali Shankar in 1979?

Norah Jones

2.

Sir Howard Hodgkin, who died last month, became the second-ever recipient of which prestigious award in 1985?

The Turner Prize

3.

Which earl led the rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263–64 and subsequently became de facto ruler of England, before being killed at the Battle of Evesham?

Simon de Montfort

(or ‘de Munford’)

4.

What name is given to the directly-elected lower branch of the Isle of Man Parliament?

House of Keys

5.

Which 1902 novel by Henry James has as its central character the terminally-ill American heiress Milly Theale?  A 1997 film version earned Helena Bonham-Carter an Oscar nomination.

The Wings of the Dove

6.

Which Ivy League university is located in Ithaca, New York?

Cornell

7.

What name is commonly given to a Scottish mountain over 914 metres (or 3,000 feet in ‘old money’)?

Munro

8.

Upon the death of which US President did Dorothy Parker allegedly remark "How can they tell?"?    

Calvin Coolidge

9.

Which Beatles song includes the lines: "Tuesday afternoon is never ending, Wednesday morning papers didn’t come"?

Lady Madonna

10.

In which opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg does the title character end up being murdered by Jack the Ripper?

Lulu

Theme: Each answer contains the name of an artist or group who have performed the theme tune to a James Bond film:

Tom Jones (Thunderball), Tina Turner (GoldenEye), Carly Simon (The Spy Who Loved Me), Alicia Keys (Quantum of Solace, with Jack White), Wings (Live and Let Die), Chris Cornell (Casino Royale), Matt Monro (From Russia with Love), Rita Coolidge (Octopussy), Madonna (Die Another Day), Lulu (The Man with the Golden Gun)

'Three of a kind'
You will be given two items in a group of three; you need to supply the third

1.

A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More…

(Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy)

2.

Dressage, show-jumping…

(the disciplines of equestrian eventing)

3.

Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife…

(His Dark Materials trilogy)

4.

Steve Martin, Chevy Chase…

Martin Short

(stars of the 1986 comedy Three Amigos)

5.

Matt Goss, Luke Goss…

(members of ‘80s boy band Bros)

6.

(the Three Graces at Liverpool’s Pier Head)

7.

Ingleborough, Whernside…

(Yorkshire’s Three Peaks)

8.

Dreadlock Holiday, I’m Not in Love…

(10cc’s three UK number one singles)

Sp.

Stheno, Euryale…

(The Gorgons)

1.

Aries

Derby County, a.k.a. The Rams, set the record for the lowest points total in a Premier League season in 2007–2008.  How many points did they gain in that season?

Eleven

2.

Taurus

Described by the NBA as "the greatest basketball player of all time", who wore Number 23 for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993?  He changed to the number 45 shirt when he returned in 1995 after a short-lived retirement.

Michael Jordan

3.

Pisces

What kind of fish do the Spanish call 'bacalao'?  It is often used in traditional cooking, particularly in the Basque region.

4.

Aquarius

What type of plant tissue carries water and some nutrients from the roots to its shoots and leaves?

Xylem

5.

Capricorn

Goat Fell is the highest point on which Scottish island?

Arran

6.

Sagittarius

Which member of the Archers family has been played since 1987 by Felicity Finch?  

Ruth (Archer)

7.

Scorpio

Which children’s author created a scorpion called Sting-a-ling?

8.

Libra

 In music, what name is given to scales with twelve pitches, where every semitone is played?

9.

Virgo

Name either of the islands in the British Virgin Islands group that are privately owned by Sir Richard Branson and operated as exclusive holiday resorts.

Necker Island or Mosquito island 

10.

Leo

What is the name of the lion who is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, and husband of Nala?

11.

How are twins Gabriela and Monica Irimia better known?

The Cheeky Girls

12.

Cancer

Which Nobel laureate wrote the 1966 novel Cancer Ward?

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

1.

Which film director’s best-known works include 8½ and La Dolce Vita?

Federico Fellini

2.

Which capital city’s name means ‘new flower’?

Addis Ababa

3.

Born in Hull in 1759, which English politician and philanthropist was one of the leaders of the movement to abolish the slave trade?

William Wilberforce

4.

What name is given to the geological fault that bisects the Scottish Highlands into the Grampian Mountains to the southeast and the Northwest Highlands to the northwest?

Great Glen

5.

What was the birth name of Donald Trump’s second wife and mother of his daughter Tiffany?  They divorced in 1999 after six years of marriage.

Marla Maples

6.

Somewhat overshadowed by his brother in an extremely successful band, who had a solo UK top ten hit in 1967 with Death of a Clown?

Dave Davies

7.

Where is the historically significant Provincetown harbour, where the Mayflower pilgrims first dropped anchor in 1620 before going on to Plymouth, Massachusetts?

Cape Cod 

8.

Played in the films by Gwyneth Paltrow, who is the love interest of the superhero Iron Man?

Pepper Potts

Sp.

Which English actress has had film roles that include Elizabeth Swann, Elizabeth Bennet and Anna Karenina?

Keira Knightley

'Pick a year'
You will be asked to choose a year and will receive a question that relates to an event from that year - additionally, each answer is the name of a person whose first name is an American state capital and you must give both first name and surname for your answer

1.

1607

Which Frenchman, born in 1607, became famous for a note that he left in his copy of a book by third century mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria?  The note in the margin said: "It is impossible to separate a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into two fourth powers, or in general, any power higher than the second, into two like powers.  I have discovered a truly marvellous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain."

Pierre de Fermat

(the ‘de’ isn’t essential)

2.

1872

Which American entrepreneur, art collector and philanthropist was born in Krakow, Poland, on Christmas Day 1872 and died in New York in April 1965?

Helena Rubinstein

3.

1939

Dame Edith Evans’s celebrated interpretation of which character was first seen on the London stage in 1939?

Lady (Augusta) Bracknell

4.

1940

Which American author published her first and most famous novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, in 1940?

Carson McCullers

5.

1948

Who played Matt Garth, opposite John Wayne as Thomas Dunson, in the 1948 Howard Hawks film Red River?

Montgomery Clift

6.

1956

Which artist died on 11 August 1956 as a result of a car crash near his home in Springs, New York? 

Jackson Pollock

7.

1973

Which Rugby Union player born in 1973 won 51 caps for England between 1997 and 2003 and was nicknamed 'The Leicester Lip'?   

Austin Healey

8.

1979

Who was one of only two actors - the other being Sorrell Booke as ‘Boss Hogg’ - to appear in every episode of The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985?

(Uncle Jesse Duke)

9.

1997

Created by American crime write Jeffery Deaver, what is the name of the quadriplegic detective who first appeared in the 1997 novel The Bone Collector?

Lincoln Rhyme

10.

2012

Which Australian protester was sentenced to six months in jail after his swim interrupted the 2012 Oxford/Cambridge boat race?

Trenton Oldfield

1.

Many of us have used IMAP in our email settings.  What does IMAP stand for?

Internet Message Access Protocol

2.

Give both of the forenames of the author A. A. Milne.

Alan Alexander

3.

Which sea creature is depicted in the logo of Waterford Crystal?

Sea horse

4.

Albert Park is a Grand Prix circuit in which country?

Australia

5.

Which American author’s seven autobiographies include The Heart of a Woman and All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes?

Maya Angelou 

6.

"Better to die than live a coward" is the motto of which fighting force?

(accept just ‘Gurkhas’)

7.

Which country has borders with Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Belize?

Guatemala

8.

Which family of birds includes the marabou and the closely-related adjutant bird?

Storks (or Ciconiidae)

9.

The businessman and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Sir David Clementi was appointed to which post in January 2017?

Chairman of the BBC

10.

Which soft drinks brand was developed in Germany during World War Two, because there was a trade embargo on the syrup used to make Coca-Cola?

Fanta

1.

In the current (13th) edition of the Chambers Dictionary, the last word appears on page 1832.  On which page does the word ‘quiz’ appear?

1281

2.

How many votes did the first round winner Emmanuel Macron receive in last weekend’s French Presidential election?

8,528,248