ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Who was the first cyclist to win an Olympic gold medal and the Tour de France in the same year?

2.

Despite his film appearances, which actor is probably best known for playing David Healy in the TV sitcom Rosanne from 1992 to 1997, and Dr Leonard Hofstadter in the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory since 2007?

3.

Originally called ‘Les Schtroumpfs’, what series of characters was created by the comics’ artist Peyo in 1958?

4.

This industrial process for obtaining sodium carbonate (soda ash) from limestone, ammonia, and brine, is sometimes called the ammonia-soda process.  After the chemist who developed it during the 1860s, by what name is this process more commonly known?

5.

This synthetic plastic was used to make radio and telephone casings, kitchenware, jewellery, pipe stems, children's toys, etc.  Such ‘retro’ products are now very collectible.  Named after the chemist, who developed it in 1907, what is this material called?

6.

Which artist, when asked about one of his paintings, replied that of course it was not a pipe, just try to fill it with tobacco?

7.

She was the daughter of a British banker, Joseph Ruston, and a Dutch baroness, Ella van Heemstra.  She shot to stardom in the lead role of a 1953 film, for which she was the first actress to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for a single performance.  Who was she?

8.

She won seven Grand Slam singles titles: the French Open in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, the US Open in 2003 and 2007 and the Australian Open in 2004.  At Wimbledon, she was the runner-up in 2001 and 2006.  Who is this, now retired, tennis star?

Sp1

In 1928, when his left hand was badly burned in a fire, he taught himself to play the guitar again using only his thumb and two fingers.  In 1934, he formed the Paris-based Quintette du Hot Club de France, with violinist Stéphane Grappelli.  Who is this jazz guitarist and composer?

Sp2

This composer’s fame rests largely on a small number of compositions written between 1879 and his death in 1890, including his Symphony in D minor, the Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra, the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, and the symphonic poems Le Chasseur Maudit and Les Djinns.  Who is he?

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - The Questions, Questions Round

(All answers involve interrogatives. Beware of sound-alikes)

1.

Excavated in 1939, this undisturbed ship-burial in Suffolk, is probably from the early 7th century.  A wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts include a ‘crested’ and masked helmet.  What is this site called?

2.

What line precedes the following three lines?  "Deny thy father and refuse thy name. / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet."?

3.

Now based in Geneva, this organisation was founded in 1844 by George Williams in London.  With the purpose of ‘the improving of the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery, embroidery, and other trades’, what is this organisation called?

4.

This piece of furniture is on display in the V&A Museum.  Covered with intricate carvings of figures and symbols of lust and virility, it was so notorious it was mentioned in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Byron’s Don Juan.  What is it called?

5.

This 2008 book by Kate Summerscale, subtitled The Murder at Road Hill House, was based on the real-life 1860 Constance Kent murder case.  It formed the basis for a series of TV films in 2011.  Who was the suspicious Victorian detective inspector?

6.

He led rebels from Canterbury to London, to oppose a poll tax and to demand economic and social reforms.  Killed by officers of King Richard II during negotiations at Smithfield, London, who was he?

7.

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novel Wyrd Sisters makes numerous references to Shakespeare.  On the first page, "Well, I can do next Tuesday" is the answer to what question?

8.

This Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave was probably built around 2800 BC.  It gives its name to this type of chambered cairn, which is limited to Orkney.  What is its name?

Sp1

This temple complex is the largest religious monument in the world.  It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple, but was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple.  What is this site called?

Sp2

This 1878 painting by William Frederick Yeames is in Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery.  In a fictional event from the English Civil War, a boy finds himself in a moral dilemma: to tell the truth and possibly endanger his father, or lie and maybe save him.  What is the painting called?

Sp3

Which 1951 film epic starred Robert Taylor as Marcus Vinicius, Deborah Kerr as Lygia, and Peter Ustinov as Nero?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - Advertising Slogans

The QM will read out a slogan. All you have to do is name the brand it advertised

1.

From 1978 onwards: ‘Your flexible friend’

2.

From 1993 onwards: ‘It's a bit of an animal’

3.

From 1988 onwards: ‘Just do it’

4.

From 1994 onwards: ‘Taste the Rainbow’

5.

From 1915 onwards: ‘Good to the last drop’

6.

In 1994 as a poster ad: ‘Hello Boys’

7.

From 1981 onwards: ‘Reassuringly expensive’

8.

From 1964 onwards: ‘Put a tiger in your tank’

Sp1

From 2001 onwards: ‘The World on Time’

Sp2

From 1992 onwards : ‘Connecting People’

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - Bingo: Slough Hockey Club

Slough Hockey Club is historically the most successful field hockey club in England with 11 Women's Championships, 6 Men's Championships, 6 Women's National Cup wins, and 4 Men's National Cup wins.  The Ladies 1st XI plays in the Investec Premier Division.

For this round each player needs to pick a question about other towns which have teams in this division.

1.

Beeston, near Nottingham:

This stage, television, radio and cinema actor made his debut in 1952, and last appeared in 2002, the year he died. In 1972 he played two roles, on opposite sides of the law; as the Dutch detective Van der Valk, and as a serial murderer in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.  Who was he?

2.

Bowdon Hightown:

Which guitarist wrote songs for the 1986 album The Queen is Dead in his Bowdon home with bandmate Morrissey?

3.

Buckingham:

Born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch, he was MP for Buckingham from 1964 to 1970.  By what name is he better known?

4.

Canterbury:

Which actor has appeared as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies, Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and Paris in Troy?

5.

Clifton Robinsons, in Clifton, Bristol:

María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox y KirkPatrick was born in Spain in 1826.  In France, she was known as Eugénie de Montijo.  In 1837, this red-head attended a boarding school in Clifton to learn English.  Here she was known as ‘Carrots’.  Who did ‘Carrots’ marry in 1853 to become the last Empress Consort of the French?  Name and regnal number required.

6.

East Grinstead:

During WW2, the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead became world-famous for pioneering treatment of badly burned or crushed RAF and allied aircrew, who required reconstructive plastic surgery.  Who established the Centre for Plastic and Jaw Surgery, and instigated the Guinea Pig Club, which was formed in 1941 as a support network for the aircrew and their family members?

7.

Holcombe HC, in Rochester Kent:

One Bishop of Rochester was executed by King Henry VIII in 1535 for refusing to sanction his divorce from Catherine of Aragon.  Another Bishop of Rochester became Bishop of London, but was burned at the stake by Queen Mary in 1555, for his support of Lady Jane Grey.  Name either one of these martyrs.

8.

Surbiton:

This 1970s BBC sitcom was set in Surbiton, but it was filmed in a pair of houses in north London in Northwood.  The grounds of the houses were returned to their original state after filming each series, and all livestock was removed at the end of each day's filming.  What was the series called?

9.

University of Birmingham:

The Birmingham City Council website refers to four universities in Birmingham.  These are: Birmingham City University, Newman University, the University of Birmingham, and which other?

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Chemical Symbols

At the beginning of each question, the QM will read out an element - the chemical symbol of that element appears somewhere in the answer.

1.

Silver:

Which broadcaster and author is perhaps best known as editor and presenter of ITV’s The South Bank Show from 1978 until 2010?

2.

Gold:

Who performed ‘the art of silence’ for over 60 years, and was famous for his stage persona ‘Bip the Clown’?

3.

Iron:

According to 1066 and All That, which General was told by the elder Pitt to conquer Quebec?  At first, he "complained that he would rather write Gray's Elegy", but on being told that it had been written already (by Gray) he agreed to take Quebec.

4.

Mercury:

This footballer started at Crystal Palace in 1988 and went on to play for England. His managerial career started at Middlesbrough in 2006, and he has moved on to greater things.  Who is he?

5.

Sodium:

Name the Scottish Laird, who discovered logarithms, invented a manually-operated calculating device named after him, and popularised the use of the decimal point.

6.

Lead:

Who inspired George Bernard Shaw to create Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, and, in 1913, first played her on stage?

7.

Antimony:

He was the only senior member of the Labour leadership to retain his seat in the 1931 general election.  As sole candidate, who became Labour Party Leader in 1932, and served until 1935?

8.

Tin:

Who were the father and son team, who presented the BBC TV documentary series 20th Century Battlefields in 2007 and What Britain Earns in 2008?

Sp

Tungsten & Potassium:

Robert Catesby was shot dead on 9th November 1605 while resisting arrest.  Who was his most famous henchman?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - The Numbers Round

All answers involve a number

1.

What links Chelsea FC, BHS, Homebase, Reader’s Digest, City Link, and Barings Bank, but not a 1987 property sale by Westminster City Council?

2.

How many do you get if you add the number of people in The Crazy Gang (ignoring occasional participant ‘Monsewer’ Eddie Gray) to the number of Marx Brothers who appeared in their five feature films from 1929 to 1933?

3.

Entitled simply, A History of Didsbury, this book was published by Didsbury Civic Society and E J Morten in 1969.  It is probably still the definitive local history of Didsbury. Who wrote i t?

4.

Joe Root is currently captain of the England Test team.  What double-digit shirt number does he wear for One Day Internationals?

5.

What is the next number in this sport-related sequence: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 18?

6.

Two new 50p designs have been released this month to celebrate Paddington Bear’s birthday.  How old is he?

7.

How many stars are there on the EU Flag?

8.

Since 1549, Salisbury Cathedral has had the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom.  According to Wikipedia and a couple of Russians, how tall is it?

Sp1

How many books did Douglas Adams write in his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series?

Sp2

How many times does the number seven appear in the numbers between 1 and 100?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Run-Ons

(with a literary first half to each question pair)

1.

The town of Slough and its cemetery appear in which well-known dystopian novel, published in 1932?

Since 1903, which annual championship is a best-of-seven playoff, with the winning team being awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy?

2.

Willy Wonka is a fictional character in which 1964 children’s novel?

This company’s first office was at the flat of co-founder Alan Erasmus at 86 Palatine Road in West Didsbury.  What was this music company called?

3.

Published in 1932, what is the title of Ernest Hemingway’s non-fiction book about bullfighting?

In London, it costs a person from £42.00, at Harrods, £54.00, at the Ritz, and £60.00 at the Savoy.  In the Radisson Blu Edwardian in Manchester, you can get it for ‘only’ £22.50.  What is it?

4.

This comedy was first performed in 1895.  Which play’s most famous line is "A handbag?"?

Which New Zealand-born physicist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1908?

5.

What is the name of Thomas Keneally’s 1982 Booker Prize-winning novel, which was later adapted into a film that won 7 Oscars in 1994?

Which monument stands at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly the Place de l'Étoile?

6.

What is the title of the fourth book in the Hitch-Hiker ‘trilogy’ by Douglas Adams?

This dish first appeared in the 1860s, and combined an element brought to England by Western Sephardic Jews, with an element imported from Belgium or France.  What is this early example of fusion cuisine called?

7.

This American’s novels include Something Happened, Good as Gold, God Knows and Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man, but he is still best known for his 1961 debut book.  What is it called?

What was the name of the BBC2 cooking programme of the 1990’s starring Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson?

8.

A collection of short stories by Dylan Thomas was published in 1940. It has a similar title to James Joyce’s first novel from 1916.  What was the Dylan Thomas book called?

It cost 7/6d when it was introduced in 1867.  It was reduced to 37p, when the halfpenny was withdrawn in 1984, and was finally abolished in 1987.  What is it?

Sp

Which 1973 novel, narrated by Isadora Zelda White Stollerman Wing, was famously controversial for its portrayal of female sexuality?

Designated LNER Class A3 4472, what is the name of the Pacific type steam locomotive, built in 1923?

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - A Hidden Theme inspired by a 50p piece

1.

He described Lord Lane as a "dinosaur living in the wrong age" and Lord Hailsham as "an arrogant, pompous, toffee-nosed Old Etonian".  He once asked "Who are the Beatles?" and said of the Spice Girls "They arrived on the scene breasts first, but I don't know their names".  Transport minister Steven Norris was "the fornicating ferret" and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was "a scrubber".  Name this judge, who died in 2010.

2.

Which fictional character first appeared in the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls?  His shop was at 152 Fleet Street in London, next to St. Dunstan’s church.

3.

4.

5.

In the Bible, if Reuben is the first of the 12 sons, and Joseph is the 11th, who is the last son?

6.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2016, she continued to present Radio 5 Live, and started the BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C.  In early 2018, she participated in an unsuccessful clinical trial of experimental treatment at Christies, and she died on September 5th, aged 40.  Who was she?

7.

Her father was an MEP for the ‘Majorité pour l'autre Europe’ party in France from 1994 to 1997, and founded the ‘Referendum Party’ in the UK.  In 1995, she married a politically minded ex-cricketer in a two-minute ceremony conducted in Urdu in Paris.  They divorced in 2004.  Who is she?

(first name is required for the theme)

8.

There is a principle in management that ‘In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence’.  What is this principle called?

Sp1

From 2008 until 2018, he presented a programme airing viewers’ opinions, which he took over from Terry Wogan. Over the same period, he presented a quiz show, which he took over from Dermot Murnaghan.  He now presents a chat show, which replaced The Wright Stuff.  Who is he?

(first name is required for the theme)

Sp2

Which novel starts with the main protagonist setting sail from Kingston upon Hull in August 1651, and concludes with him and his comrade having fought famished wolves while crossing the Pyrenees?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Who was the first cyclist to win an Olympic gold medal and the Tour de France in the same year?

2.

Despite his film appearances, which actor is probably best known for playing David Healy in the TV sitcom Rosanne from 1992 to 1997, and Dr Leonard Hofstadter in the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory since 2007?

John Galecki

3.

Originally called ‘Les Schtroumpfs’, what series of characters was created by the comics’ artist Peyo in 1958?

Smurfs

(Peyo, born Pierre Culliford)

4.

This industrial process for obtaining sodium carbonate (soda ash) from limestone, ammonia, and brine, is sometimes called the ammonia-soda process.  After the chemist who developed it during the 1860s, by what name is this process more commonly known?

The Solvay process

(after Ernest Solvay)

5.

This synthetic plastic was used to make radio and telephone casings, kitchenware, jewellery, pipe stems, children's toys, etc.  Such ‘retro’ products are now very collectible.  Named after the chemist, who developed it in 1907, what is this material called?

Bakelite

(after Leo Baekeland)

6.

Which artist, when asked about one of his paintings, replied that of course it was not a pipe, just try to fill it with tobacco?

René Magritte

(speaking about The Treachery of Images which shows a pipe and below it the words "‘Ceci n'est pas une pipe" - "This is not a pipe")

7.

She was the daughter of a British banker, Joseph Ruston, and a Dutch baroness, Ella van Heemstra.  She shot to stardom in the lead role of a 1953 film, for which she was the first actress to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for a single performance.  Who was she?

Audrey Hepburn

(in the film Roman Holiday)

8.

She won seven Grand Slam singles titles: the French Open in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, the US Open in 2003 and 2007 and the Australian Open in 2004.  At Wimbledon, she was the runner-up in 2001 and 2006.  Who is this, now retired, tennis star?

Justine Henin or Justine Hénin-Hardenne

Sp1

In 1928, when his left hand was badly burned in a fire, he taught himself to play the guitar again using only his thumb and two fingers.  In 1934, he formed the Paris-based Quintette du Hot Club de France, with violinist Stéphane Grappelli.  Who is this jazz guitarist and composer?

‘Django’ Reinhardt

Sp2

This composer’s fame rests largely on a small number of compositions written between 1879 and his death in 1890, including his Symphony in D minor, the Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra, the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, and the symphonic poems Le Chasseur Maudit and Les Djinns.  Who is he?

César Franck

Theme: People born in Belgium

BW Ghent 1980; JG Bree 1975; PC Brussels 1928; ES Rebecq 1838; LB Sint-Martens-Latem, near Ghent 1863; RM Lessines 1898; AH Ixelles Brussels 1929; JH Liège 1982; DR Liberchies 1910; CF Liège 1822

ROUND 2 - The Questions, Questions Round

(All answers involve interrogatives. Beware of sound-alikes)

1.

Excavated in 1939, this undisturbed ship-burial in Suffolk, is probably from the early 7th century.  A wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts include a ‘crested’ and masked helmet.  What is this site called?

Sutton Hoo

2.

What line precedes the following three lines?  "Deny thy father and refuse thy name. / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet."?

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

3.

Now based in Geneva, this organisation was founded in 1844 by George Williams in London.  With the purpose of ‘the improving of the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery, embroidery, and other trades’, what is this organisation called?

The 'Y' or The YMCA

(accept Young Men's Christian Association, but point out it does not fit the theme)

4.

This piece of furniture is on display in the V&A Museum.  Covered with intricate carvings of figures and symbols of lust and virility, it was so notorious it was mentioned in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Byron’s Don Juan.  What is it called?

The Great Bed of Ware

5.

This 2008 book by Kate Summerscale, subtitled The Murder at Road Hill House, was based on the real-life 1860 Constance Kent murder case.  It formed the basis for a series of TV films in 2011.  Who was the suspicious Victorian detective inspector?

Mr Whicher

(from the book The Suspicions of Mr Whicher)

6.

He led rebels from Canterbury to London, to oppose a poll tax and to demand economic and social reforms.  Killed by officers of King Richard II during negotiations at Smithfield, London, who was he?

Wat Tyler

7.

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novel Wyrd Sisters makes numerous references to Shakespeare.  On the first page, "Well, I can do next Tuesday" is the answer to what question?

"When shall we three meet again?"

8.

This Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave was probably built around 2800 BC.  It gives its name to this type of chambered cairn, which is limited to Orkney.  What is its name?

Maeshowe

(or Maes Howe)

Sp1

This temple complex is the largest religious monument in the world.  It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple, but was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple.  What is this site called?

Angkor Wat

Sp2

This 1878 painting by William Frederick Yeames is in Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery.  In a fictional event from the English Civil War, a boy finds himself in a moral dilemma: to tell the truth and possibly endanger his father, or lie and maybe save him.  What is the painting called?

And When Did You Last See Your Father?

Sp3

Which 1951 film epic starred Robert Taylor as Marcus Vinicius, Deborah Kerr as Lygia, and Peter Ustinov as Nero?

Quo Vadis

(Latin for ‘Where are you going?’)

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - Advertising Slogans

The QM will read out a slogan. All you have to do is name the brand it advertised

1.

From 1978 onwards: ‘Your flexible friend’

Access

(credit card)

2.

From 1993 onwards: ‘It's a bit of an animal’

Peperami

3.

From 1988 onwards: ‘Just do it’

Nike

4.

From 1994 onwards: ‘Taste the Rainbow’

Skittles

5.

From 1915 onwards: ‘Good to the last drop’

Maxwell House

6.

In 1994 as a poster ad: ‘Hello Boys’

Wonderbra

(with Eva Herzigová)

7.

From 1981 onwards: ‘Reassuringly expensive’

Stella Artois

8.

From 1964 onwards: ‘Put a tiger in your tank’

Esso

Sp1

From 2001 onwards: ‘The World on Time’

FedEx

Sp2

From 1992 onwards : ‘Connecting People’

Nokia

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - Bingo: Slough Hockey Club

Slough Hockey Club is historically the most successful field hockey club in England with 11 Women's Championships, 6 Men's Championships, 6 Women's National Cup wins, and 4 Men's National Cup wins.  The Ladies 1st XI plays in the Investec Premier Division.

For this round each player needs to pick a question about other towns which have teams in this division.

1.

Beeston, near Nottingham:

This stage, television, radio and cinema actor made his debut in 1952, and last appeared in 2002, the year he died. In 1972 he played two roles, on opposite sides of the law; as the Dutch detective Van der Valk, and as a serial murderer in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.  Who was he?

Barry Foster

(born in Beeston 21 August 1927)

2.

Bowdon Hightown:

Which guitarist wrote songs for the 1986 album The Queen is Dead in his Bowdon home with bandmate Morrissey?

Johnny Marr

3.

Buckingham:

Born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch, he was MP for Buckingham from 1964 to 1970.  By what name is he better known?

Robert Maxwell

(the disgraced media proprietor, who died at sea in 1991)

4.

Canterbury:

Which actor has appeared as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogies, Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and Paris in Troy?

Orlando Bloom

(born 13 January 1977 in Canterbury)

5.

Clifton Robinsons, in Clifton, Bristol:

María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox y KirkPatrick was born in Spain in 1826.  In France, she was known as Eugénie de Montijo.  In 1837, this red-head attended a boarding school in Clifton to learn English.  Here she was known as ‘Carrots’.  Who did ‘Carrots’ marry in 1853 to become the last Empress Consort of the French?  Name and regnal number required.

Napoleon III

(Carrots died in Madrid in 1920, but was buried in Farnborough)

6.

East Grinstead:

During WW2, the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead became world-famous for pioneering treatment of badly burned or crushed RAF and allied aircrew, who required reconstructive plastic surgery.  Who established the Centre for Plastic and Jaw Surgery, and instigated the Guinea Pig Club, which was formed in 1941 as a support network for the aircrew and their family members?

Sir Archibald McIndoe

7.

Holcombe HC, in Rochester Kent:

One Bishop of Rochester was executed by King Henry VIII in 1535 for refusing to sanction his divorce from Catherine of Aragon.  Another Bishop of Rochester became Bishop of London, but was burned at the stake by Queen Mary in 1555, for his support of Lady Jane Grey.  Name either one of these martyrs.

John Fisher or Nicolas Ridley

8.

Surbiton:

This 1970s BBC sitcom was set in Surbiton, but it was filmed in a pair of houses in north London in Northwood.  The grounds of the houses were returned to their original state after filming each series, and all livestock was removed at the end of each day's filming.  What was the series called?

The Good Life

9.

University of Birmingham:

The Birmingham City Council website refers to four universities in Birmingham.  These are: Birmingham City University, Newman University, the University of Birmingham, and which other?

Aston University

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - Chemical Symbols

At the beginning of each question, the QM will read out an element - the chemical symbol of that element appears somewhere in the answer.

1.

Silver:

Which broadcaster and author is perhaps best known as editor and presenter of ITV’s The South Bank Show from 1978 until 2010?

Melvyn Bragg

2.

Gold:

Who performed ‘the art of silence’ for over 60 years, and was famous for his stage persona ‘Bip the Clown’?

Marcel Marceau

3.

Iron:

According to 1066 and All That, which General was told by the elder Pitt to conquer Quebec?  At first, he "complained that he would rather write Gray's Elegy", but on being told that it had been written already (by Gray) he agreed to take Quebec.

James Wolfe

4.

Mercury:

This footballer started at Crystal Palace in 1988 and went on to play for England. His managerial career started at Middlesbrough in 2006, and he has moved on to greater things.  Who is he?

Gareth Southgate

5.

Sodium:

Name the Scottish Laird, who discovered logarithms, invented a manually-operated calculating device named after him, and popularised the use of the decimal point.

John Napier

6.

Lead:

Who inspired George Bernard Shaw to create Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, and, in 1913, first played her on stage?

Mrs Patrick Campbell

7.

Antimony:

He was the only senior member of the Labour leadership to retain his seat in the 1931 general election.  As sole candidate, who became Labour Party Leader in 1932, and served until 1935?

George Lansbury

8.

Tin:

Who were the father and son team, who presented the BBC TV documentary series 20th Century Battlefields in 2007 and What Britain Earns in 2008?

Peter and Dan Snow

Sp

Tungsten & Potassium:

Robert Catesby was shot dead on 9th November 1605 while resisting arrest.  Who was his most famous henchman?

Guy Fawkes

(accept also Guido Fawkes)

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - The Numbers Round

All answers involve a number

1.

What links Chelsea FC, BHS, Homebase, Reader’s Digest, City Link, and Barings Bank, but not a 1987 property sale by Westminster City Council?

All have been sold for £1

(In 1987, Westminster City Council, under Dame Shirley Porter, sold three cemeteries, three lodges, one flat, a crematorium, and 12 acres of prime development land, but not for £1 - instead they were sold for 85p)

2.

How many do you get if you add the number of people in The Crazy Gang (ignoring occasional participant ‘Monsewer’ Eddie Gray) to the number of Marx Brothers who appeared in their five feature films from 1929 to 1933?

10

(Flanagan and Allen, Nervo and Knox, Naughton and Gold, plus Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Zeppo)

3.

Entitled simply, A History of Didsbury, this book was published by Didsbury Civic Society and E J Morten in 1969.  It is probably still the definitive local history of Didsbury. Who wrote i t?

Ivor Million

4.

Joe Root is currently captain of the England Test team.  What double-digit shirt number does he wear for One Day Internationals?

66

(as in: "Get Your Kicks on Route 66")

5.

What is the next number in this sport-related sequence: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 18?

25

(number of points given to an F1 Grand Prix race winner)

6.

Two new 50p designs have been released this month to celebrate Paddington Bear’s birthday.  How old is he?

60

(he first appeared in A Bear Called Paddington on 13 October 1958)

7.

How many stars are there on the EU Flag?

12

(In 1955, the Council of Europe described the flag as follows: "Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars represent the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity. Their number shall be invariably set at twelve, the symbol of completeness and perfection.")

8.

Since 1549, Salisbury Cathedral has had the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom.  According to Wikipedia and a couple of Russians, how tall is it?

123 metres

(404 feet)

Sp1

How many books did Douglas Adams write in his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series?

5

(it is often described as "a trilogy in five parts".  A 6th book was written by Eoin Colfer after Douglas Adams’ death)

Sp2

How many times does the number seven appear in the numbers between 1 and 100?

20

(there are 19 numbers, 7, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 87, 97, but 77 has two 7’s, so the total is 20)

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Run-Ons

(with a literary first half to each question pair)

1.

The town of Slough and its cemetery appear in which well-known dystopian novel, published in 1932?

Since 1903, which annual championship is a best-of-seven playoff, with the winning team being awarded the Commissioner’s Trophy?

Brave New World Series

2.

Willy Wonka is a fictional character in which 1964 children’s novel?

This company’s first office was at the flat of co-founder Alan Erasmus at 86 Palatine Road in West Didsbury.  What was this music company called?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Records

3.

Published in 1932, what is the title of Ernest Hemingway’s non-fiction book about bullfighting?

In London, it costs a person from £42.00, at Harrods, £54.00, at the Ritz, and £60.00 at the Savoy.  In the Radisson Blu Edwardian in Manchester, you can get it for ‘only’ £22.50.  What is it?

Death in the Afternoon Tea

4.

This comedy was first performed in 1895.  Which play’s most famous line is "A handbag?"?

Which New Zealand-born physicist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1908?

The Importance of Being Earnest Rutherford

5.

What is the name of Thomas Keneally’s 1982 Booker Prize-winning novel, which was later adapted into a film that won 7 Oscars in 1994?

Which monument stands at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly the Place de l'Étoile?

Schindler's Ark/Arc de Triomphe

6.

What is the title of the fourth book in the Hitch-Hiker ‘trilogy’ by Douglas Adams?

This dish first appeared in the 1860s, and combined an element brought to England by Western Sephardic Jews, with an element imported from Belgium or France.  What is this early example of fusion cuisine called?

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish and Chips

7.

This American’s novels include Something Happened, Good as Gold, God Knows and Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man, but he is still best known for his 1961 debut book.  What is it called?

What was the name of the BBC2 cooking programme of the 1990’s starring Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson?

Catch-22 Fat Ladies

8.

A collection of short stories by Dylan Thomas was published in 1940. It has a similar title to James Joyce’s first novel from 1916.  What was the Dylan Thomas book called?

It cost 7/6d when it was introduced in 1867.  It was reduced to 37p, when the halfpenny was withdrawn in 1984, and was finally abolished in 1987.  What is it?

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog Licence

Sp

Which 1973 novel, narrated by Isadora Zelda White Stollerman Wing, was famously controversial for its portrayal of female sexuality?

Designated LNER Class A3 4472, what is the name of the Pacific type steam locomotive, built in 1923?

Fear of Flying Scotsman

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - A Hidden Theme inspired by a 50p piece

1.

He described Lord Lane as a "dinosaur living in the wrong age" and Lord Hailsham as "an arrogant, pompous, toffee-nosed Old Etonian".  He once asked "Who are the Beatles?" and said of the Spice Girls "They arrived on the scene breasts first, but I don't know their names".  Transport minister Steven Norris was "the fornicating ferret" and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was "a scrubber".  Name this judge, who died in 2010.

2.

Which fictional character first appeared in the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls?  His shop was at 152 Fleet Street in London, next to St. Dunstan’s church.

Sweeney Todd

3.

(or more properly "Heeere’s Johnny!")

4.

(the biplane was the Gladiator, and the E28/29 was followed by the Meteor, the only Allied jet fighter to serve in WW2)

5.

In the Bible, if Reuben is the first of the 12 sons, and Joseph is the 11th, who is the last son?

Benjamin

6.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2016, she continued to present Radio 5 Live, and started the BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C.  In early 2018, she participated in an unsuccessful clinical trial of experimental treatment at Christies, and she died on September 5th, aged 40.  Who was she?

7.

Her father was an MEP for the ‘Majorité pour l'autre Europe’ party in France from 1994 to 1997, and founded the ‘Referendum Party’ in the UK.  In 1995, she married a politically minded ex-cricketer in a two-minute ceremony conducted in Urdu in Paris.  They divorced in 2004.  Who is she?

(first name is required for the theme)

8.

There is a principle in management that ‘In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence’.  What is this principle called?

The Peter Principle

(after the researcher Laurence J Peter.  A corollary says that: ‘In time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties.’)

Sp1

From 2008 until 2018, he presented a programme airing viewers’ opinions, which he took over from Terry Wogan. Over the same period, he presented a quiz show, which he took over from Dermot Murnaghan.  He now presents a chat show, which replaced The Wright Stuff.  Who is he?

(first name is required for the theme)

(the shows are Points of View, Eggheads and Jeremy Vine)

Sp2

Which novel starts with the main protagonist setting sail from Kingston upon Hull in August 1651, and concludes with him and his comrade having fought famished wolves while crossing the Pyrenees?

Theme: Each answer contains a reference to the name of a Beatrix Potter character

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers