1.

14.

2.

15.

3.

16.

4.

17.

5.

18.

6.

19.

7.

20.

8.

21.

9.

22.

10.

23.

11.

24.

12.

25.

13.

26.

1.

Karl Donitz was for 66 years the only head of state to have been convicted by an international tribunal. Which former African head of state was convicted of war crimes in The Hague in 2012?

2.

Which author, (born 1935, died 2000) is best known for his 1975 novel The History Man?

3.

In Tolkien’s The Hobbit, what is the principle achievement of Bard?

4.

What is the literal meaning of the word 'Opsimath'?

5.

6.

Who died on the 139th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s birth, having been born on the 300th anniversary of Galileo’s death?

7.

The Beatles song Piggies is on which Beatles album?

8.

9.

10.

11.

In the news over the past year or so in which country is the city of Cox’s Bazar, which has the longest natural sand beach in the world (75 miles long - shown here)?

12.

With no obvious sense of irony, when discussing UKIP’s current electoral predicament, what unhealthy comparison did general secretary Paul Oakley offer this month regarding the apparent inevitability of future success?

13.

What, according to James Graham’s play Quiz (currently playing in the West End) is the ‘Most British Crime of All Time’?

14.

What was the name of the ennobled but long forgotten British Army officer (1841-1925) who fought in a series of late 19th Century wars in Africa?  His name became inadvertently very well-known again on 14th June 2017.

15.

When asked what he would have been if he hadn’t been a footballer, what humorous reply did Peter Crouch give?

16.

What is the meaning of the word 'veuve' in the context of Veuve Clicquot and other champagne houses?

17.

What is the most densely populated Commonwealth country (i.e. a sovereign nation)?

18.

How many episodes were there in this year’s 47th series of University Challenge?  28 teams entered.  It is exactly the same number as in the 13th series of Only Connect – but they had only 24 teams.

19.

In Mediaeval warfare, what was a brattice (or brettice)?

20.

Which footballer who went to the USA in 2013 has gone on to become one of the the most successful footballers in the history of the MLS, winning the golden boot twice?  He never achieved much in the UK; after many frustrating appearances for Manchester City, with few goals, he was sold to Southampton for £500,000 on 5 July 2006.  Half of the transfer fee was funded by a prize from Coca-Cola won in a competition by a fan.

21.

What was Gulliver’s occupation in the eponymous Travels?

22.

What is the heaviest naturally occurring element

23.

Who took over as the President of Zimbabwe in November 2017?

24.

What happened for the first time at The Village in the grounds of Malahide Castle earlier this month (i.e. May 2018)?

25.

Who is Chris Harris and Rory Reid’s more famous co-presenter?

1.

Which 4 countries of the world have only one single vowel in their name? (No abbreviations, and not countries like Sweden or Greece, with the same vowel more than once)

2.

Since the Norman Conquest, there have been 5 monarchs who were unmarried.  One of them, Edward VIII, did marry after his abdication.  Who were the other 4?

3.

Which 4 sovereign countries in the world lie entirely south of the tropic of Capricorn?

4.

Of the countries in the world beginning with the letter B, after Brazil (208m) which 4 have the next largest populations?

5.

Which teams are the most recent 4 winners of the Football League Championship?

6.

Rafa Nadal has won an incredible 10 French Open Championships.  Dating back to 2004, who are the 4 most recent other winners of the Coupe de Mousquetaires?

1.

2.

Which element is number 45?  It is one of the least reactive metals, and hence used as a coating in jewellery - but 80% of the 3 tonnes mined annually is used in catalytic converters.  It is currently the most expensive precious metal in world markets – twice the price of gold, and three times the price of Platinum.

3.

What wedding anniversary is celebrated after 20 years?

4.

The song Mother, Father, Gentleman was the follow-up to a massive hit from 2012 which, with over 3 billion hits, was for 5 years the most watched YouTube video ever.  Who was the singer?

5.

....and what theme runs through the answers to questions 1 to 4?

6.

Which film of a 2015 (whose promotional poster is shown here) is a ‘space opera’ written, produced and directed by The Wachowskis and stars Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne.  It received mixed reviews

7.

Rami Malek stars as which singer in a long-planned biopic due for release in October 2018?  Sacha Baron Cohen had originally been slated for the role, but it was felt he was too well known and too associated with comedy.

8.

After the Great British Bake off, and Strictly Come Dancing, what was the most watched UK TV programme / series of 2016?  The series is also the highest rated TV Show on IMDb's list of Top Rated TV Shows ever.

9.

Who is the singer of the hit Uptown Funk?

10.

....and what theme runs through the answers to questions 6 to 10?

11.

Which Italian sports company with this logo, provides the kits to the teams listed (amongst many others)

12.

According to the records of a business in Rotherhithe, which American Historic Icon probably ended up as part of a Buckinghamshire Barn and Farmhouse built in 1624?

13.

Which business was founded by Brothers Bruno and Sergio in Lambeth in 1971, originally as part a supply chain to local caterers?  The company was acquired by Whitbread in 1995, although the two companies are planning to demerge by 2020.

14.

Using the alias Masha Gessen, this person served from 1985 to 1990 as a translator in Dresden, East Germany.  How is he now better known?

15.

....and what theme runs through the answers to questions 11 to 14?

16.

What is the name of this character from The Walking Dead?

17.

Which book of 1958 became an international publishing phenomenon and the biggest bestseller in the United States since Gone with the Wind?  The book initiated sympathy for the newly established State of Israel.

18.

What is the name of the award winning Birmingham born dub poet and Rastafarian?  He says that his poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls "street politics".

19.

Which band was formed at Charterhouse School in Godalming in 1967?

20.

21.

For fans of Ancient Egypt, or Only Connect, or perhaps both, which hieroglyph is depicted here?

22.

What is the name of darkly comedic science fiction anthology TV series written by Charlie Brooker?  Episodes are standalone, usually set in an alternative present or the near future, often with a dark and satirical tone. It was originally broadcast on Channel 4 but has since been purchased by Netflix

23.

Which bird is responsible for these incredible mumurations?

24.

What is the name of Harry Styles' debut solo single?

25.

26.

Which film (indeed the first of a series of 8 films) is depicted here?

27.

Of which Question, pertaining to the southern part of the Jutland peninsular, (and the subject of several 19th Century Wars) did Lord Palmerston say: “Only three people have ever really understood this business: the Prince Consort who is dead, a German professor who has gone mad, and I who have forgotten all about it.”?

28.

Which first name links the Canadian actor who played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 2 & 3 – and the American actress (married to Wladimir Klitschko) who starred in Heroes and Nashville? (both pictured here)

29.

Which piece of music (also an opera) written by the German Composer Hindemith in 1934 was intended as a metaphor for his struggles working in a difficult political climate?

30.

....and what theme runs through the answers to questions 26 to 29?

1.

South Sudan

14.

Iberian Ibex

2.

Vestal Virgins

15.

Pete Postlethwaite

3.

Unite (the) Union

16.

Driving (Miss) Daisy

4.

XX

(i.e. 20 in Roman numerals)

17.

(The Man with) No Name

5.

Ku Klux Klan

18.

Quid (pro) Quo

6.

American Airlines

19.

Cape Canaveral

7.

La Liga

20.

Top Trumps

8.

(Moby Dick  - The)

White Whale

21.

Gorgeous George

9.

Humber Hawk

22.

(Dame) Edith Evans

10.

Florence (&) Fred

23.

Joe Johnson

(1986 World Snooker Champion)

11.

Oval Office

24.

Meghan Markle

12.

Rajahstan Royals

25.

Brian Blessed

13.

Zig (and) Zag

26.

Ylang ylang

1.

Karl Donitz was for 66 years the only head of state to have been convicted by an international tribunal. Which former African head of state was convicted of war crimes in The Hague in 2012?

Charles Taylor

(of Liberia)

2.

Which author, (born 1935, died 2000) is best known for his 1975 novel The History Man?

Malcolm Bradbury

3.

In Tolkien’s The Hobbit, what is the principle achievement of Bard?

To slay Smaug the Dragon

4.

What is the literal meaning of the word 'Opsimath'?

Someone who begins to study late in life

5.

Landau

6.

Who died on the 139th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s birth, having been born on the 300th anniversary of Galileo’s death?

Professor Stephen Hawking

7.

The Beatles song Piggies is on which Beatles album?

The White Album

(a.k.a. The Beatles)

8.

The word ‘Shrimp’ is used disparagingly to describe the aliens in which 2009 film by Peter Jackson and Neill Blomkamp (promoted via this poster), where an alien ship gets stuck over Johannesburg?  The film is a metaphor for apartheid.

 District 9

9.

Who carved this sculpture…?

Auguste Rodin

10.

The Prodigal Son

11.

12.

With no obvious sense of irony, when discussing UKIP’s current electoral predicament, what unhealthy comparison did general secretary Paul Oakley offer this month regarding the apparent inevitability of future success?

The Black Death

13.

What, according to James Graham’s play Quiz (currently playing in the West End) is the ‘Most British Crime of All Time’?

Charles Ingram cheating on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?

14.

What was the name of the ennobled but long forgotten British Army officer (1841-1925) who fought in a series of late 19th Century wars in Africa?  His name became inadvertently very well-known again on 14th June 2017.

Baron Grenfell

15.

When asked what he would have been if he hadn’t been a footballer, what humorous reply did Peter Crouch give?

A virgin

16.

What is the meaning of the word 'veuve' in the context of Veuve Clicquot and other champagne houses?

Widow

17.

What is the most densely populated Commonwealth country (i.e. a sovereign nation)?

Singapore

18.

How many episodes were there in this year’s 47th series of University Challenge?  28 teams entered.  It is exactly the same number as in the 13th series of Only Connect – but they had only 24 teams.

37

19.

In Mediaeval warfare, what was a brattice (or brettice)?

A castle's hoarding

 (i.e. a temporary wooden shed-like construction that was placed on the exterior of the ramparts of a castle during a siege to allow the defenders to improve their field of fire)

20.

Which footballer who went to the USA in 2013 has gone on to become one of the the most successful footballers in the history of the MLS, winning the golden boot twice?  He never achieved much in the UK; after many frustrating appearances for Manchester City, with few goals, he was sold to Southampton for £500,000 on 5 July 2006.  Half of the transfer fee was funded by a prize from Coca-Cola won in a competition by a fan.

Bradley Wright-Phillips

(an Opsimath perhaps?)

21.

What was Gulliver’s occupation in the eponymous Travels?

Surgeon

22.

What is the heaviest naturally occurring element

Uranium

23.

Who took over as the President of Zimbabwe in November 2017?

Emmerson Mnangagwa

24.

What happened for the first time at The Village in the grounds of Malahide Castle earlier this month (i.e. May 2018)?

Ireland played a Cricket Test Match

25.

Who is Chris Harris and Rory Reid’s more famous co-presenter?

Matt LeBlanc

(on Top Gear)

1.

Which 4 countries of the world have only one single vowel in their name? (No abbreviations, and not countries like Sweden or Greece, with the same vowel more than once)

Chad, Cyprus, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan

2.

Since the Norman Conquest, there have been 5 monarchs who were unmarried.  One of them, Edward VIII, did marry after his abdication.  Who were the other 4?

William II, Edward V, Edward VI, Elizabeth I

3.

Which 4 sovereign countries in the world lie entirely south of the tropic of Capricorn?

Uruguay, New Zealand, Lesotho, Swaziland

4.

Of the countries in the world beginning with the letter B, after Brazil (208m) which 4 have the next largest populations?

Bangladesh (163m), Burkino Faso (18.5m) Belgium (11.5m) Bolivia, (11.2m)

(Benin 10.8m, Burundi, 10.5, Belarus 9.5, Bulgaria, 7.6 all miss out)

5.

Which teams are the most recent 4 winners of the Football League Championship?

Wolves, Newcastle, Burnley, Bournemouth

6.

Rafa Nadal has won an incredible 10 French Open Championships.  Dating back to 2004, who are the 4 most recent other winners of the Coupe de Mousquetaires?

Gaston Gaudio (2004), Roger Federer (2009), Stan Wawrinka (2015), Novak Djokovic (2016)

ROUND 4 - Quartets themed

1.

Which 1983 film (whose promotional poster is shown here) saw the directorial debut of Mel Smith, and the scriptwriting debut of Richard Curtis?

The Tall Guy

2.

Which element is number 45?  It is one of the least reactive metals, and hence used as a coating in jewellery - but 80% of the 3 tonnes mined annually is used in catalytic converters.  It is currently the most expensive precious metal in world markets – twice the price of gold, and three times the price of Platinum.

Rhodium

3.

What wedding anniversary is celebrated after 20 years?

China

4.

The song Mother, Father, Gentleman was the follow-up to a massive hit from 2012 which, with over 3 billion hits, was for 5 years the most watched YouTube video ever.  Who was the singer?

Psy

5.

....and what theme runs through the answers to questions 1 to 4?

6.

Which film of a 2015 (whose promotional poster is shown here) is a ‘space opera’ written, produced and directed by The Wachowskis and stars Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne.  It received mixed reviews

Jupiter Ascending

7.

Rami Malek stars as which singer in a long-planned biopic due for release in October 2018?  Sacha Baron Cohen had originally been slated for the role, but it was felt he was too well known and too associated with comedy.

Freddie Mercury

8.

After the Great British Bake off, and Strictly Come Dancing, what was the most watched UK TV programme / series of 2016?  The series is also the highest rated TV Show on IMDb's list of Top Rated TV Shows ever.

Planet Earth II

9.

Who is the singer of the hit Uptown Funk?

Bruno Mars

10.

Planets

(Jupiter, Mercury, Earth, Mars)

11.

Which Italian sports company with this logo, provides the kits to the teams listed (amongst many others)

Macron

12.

According to the records of a business in Rotherhithe, which American Historic Icon probably ended up as part of a Buckinghamshire Barn and Farmhouse built in 1624?

The Mayflower

13.

Which business was founded by Brothers Bruno and Sergio in Lambeth in 1971, originally as part a supply chain to local caterers?  The company was acquired by Whitbread in 1995, although the two companies are planning to demerge by 2020.

Costa Coffee

14.

Using the alias Masha Gessen, this person served from 1985 to 1990 as a translator in Dresden, East Germany.  How is he now better known?

Vladimir Putin

15.

World leaders

(Macron, May, Costa, Putin)

16.

What is the name of this character from The Walking Dead?

Ezekiel

17.

Which book of 1958 became an international publishing phenomenon and the biggest bestseller in the United States since Gone with the Wind?  The book initiated sympathy for the newly established State of Israel.

Exodus

(by Leon Uris)

18.

What is the name of the award winning Birmingham born dub poet and Rastafarian?  He says that his poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls "street politics".

Benjamin Zephaniah

19.

Which band was formed at Charterhouse School in Godalming in 1967?

Genesis

20.

Books of the Bible

(Ezekiel, Exodus, Zephenian, Genesis)

21.

For fans of Ancient Egypt, or Only Connect, or perhaps both, which hieroglyph is depicted here?

Eye of Horus

22.

What is the name of darkly comedic science fiction anthology TV series written by Charlie Brooker?  Episodes are standalone, usually set in an alternative present or the near future, often with a dark and satirical tone. It was originally broadcast on Channel 4 but has since been purchased by Netflix

Black Mirror

23.

Which bird is responsible for these incredible mumurations?

Starling

24.

Sign of the Times

25.

Newspapers

(The I, The Mirror, The Star, The Times)

26.

Beethoven

27.

Of which Question, pertaining to the southern part of the Jutland peninsular, (and the subject of several 19th Century Wars) did Lord Palmerston say: “Only three people have ever really understood this business: the Prince Consort who is dead, a German professor who has gone mad, and I who have forgotten all about it.”?

28.

Which first name links the Canadian actor who played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars 2 & 3 – and the American actress (married to Wladimir Klitschko) who starred in Heroes and Nashville? (both pictured here)

Hayden

(Christensen and Panettiere)

29.

Which piece of music (also an opera) written by the German Composer Hindemith in 1934 was intended as a metaphor for his struggles working in a difficult political climate?

Mathis der Maler

30.

Composers

(Beethoven, Holst, Haydn, Mahler)