ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Which 20th-century American president was born Leslie Lynch King Jr?

2.

Which 20th-century American president made a small fortune in mining and was the first to give his presidential salary to charity?

3.

Who is this cartoon strip character who appeared in the comic Deadline in 1989 and who has been described as a cross between Madonna and Mad Max?

4.

Who is this cartoon strip character who appears in 2000 A.D. and other comics?  First appearing in comics in 1980 as a supporting character she became so popular that from 1988 she had her own series. Living in a dystopic world she has psychic powers.

5.

Which symbol, normally seen in flag form, was derived by Gilbert Baker in 1978 in San Francisco with segments representing sunlight, serenity, life, healing, spirit and nature?

6.

Which car manufacturer's logo represents the merging of the 4 oldest native car manufacturers? The car manufacturer was founded in 1910 and the merger took place in 1932.

7.

All road distances from New York are measured from an intersection between 8th Avenue, Broadway, Central Park West and Central Park South which contains a statue of a mariner at its centre.  What is this intersection called?

8.

All road distances from Paris are measured from a landmark in the 4th arrondissement which in 1793 was changed from its original use by being dedicated to the Cult of Reason before being rededicated in 1801 and given back to its previous owners by Napoleon.  What is this landmark?

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - Pairs

1.

What is the sum of the infinite series 1 + 1/3 + 1/9 + 1/27 + 1/81 ...etc?

2.

This year's Booker Prize was shared, contrary to the rules of the competition, between Margaret Attwood and which book by Bernadine Evaristo?

3.

The Body: A guide for Occupants is which popular writer's latest book?

4.

Major Boothroyd appears as a character in a number of a long series of films.  How is he better known?

5.

Who played Boon in the 1990s TV series of the same name?

6.

Which 19th-20th century poet wrote in 1892 the poem When You Are Old which starts "When you are old and gray and full of sleep" and is based on a French sonnet?

7.

Which 16th century poet and soldier wrote the poem From The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia?

8.

3 identical yellow balls are placed in 5 boxes.  Only one ball is allowed in any box.  In how many ways can this be done?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

Two unrelated South African born sportsmen called Labuschagne (albeit one with an é acute (“La Boo Shag Nay”) and one without (“La Boo Shane”) achieved feats in two different sports for two other different countries this year.  What sports, and what countries?

2.

Last week, Liverpool won 4-1 away in the Champions League against a Belgian team whilst we were all quizzing. Two Scouse fans spent £440 travelling to another Belgian town 80 miles away, whose name (in Flemish) differs by only one letter, and ended up watching the match in a bar.  What are the two towns?

3.

Which actor who died last year allegedly turned down the roles of Han Solo, James Bond and Edward Lewis (the male lead in Pretty Woman)?

4.

Whilst promoting the latest Terminator film, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he has some of James Cameron’s original paintings of the character.  His image is painted over the face of the original choice to play the role – however, that actor was dropped because he apparently didn’t look like a killer.  History remains equivocal on that issue; who was the original choice?

5.

What is the name of the American woman who whilst driving on the wrong side of the road accidentally ran over and killed a young man called Harry Dunn, before fleeing back to the US under the cloak of Diplomatic Immunity?

6.

What is the name of the American woman who accompanied Boris Johnson on several overseas trips as mayor, and who gave him ‘private technology’ lessons during lunchtimes at her London flat?

7.

Which London tube station on the Victoria line would you alight from to access the Tate Britain art gallery.  It is the only station on the Victoria line that does not connect with any other rail or underground line.

8.

Which London tube station on the Northern and Central Line is the best choice for accessing the British Museum?

Sp1

In a fundraising exercise, which artwork went on tour and was displayed in a Ford car dealership on the corner of Victoria Street and Cateaton Street in Manchester, during February 1939?

Sp2

Who’s painting Soft Construction with Boiled Beans, a depiction of a distorted body tearing itself apart, also represents the Spanish Civil War?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which British brand was formed in 1921 by the merger of two companies established in 1859 and 1887, each of which had a plant that processed the same product in Silvertown on the north bank of the Thames?

2.

One of the sponsors of the 'Loo of the Year' Awards, which British brand was formed in 1969 from the merger of two companies founded in 1817 and 1878? The first half of its name is the Staffordshire village where one of the original companies was founded.

3.

Proposals for which invention have become so common that the US Patents Office has a policy of refusing to grant patents without a working model?  Historical examples include Robert Fludd's 17th-century Water Screw, Cox's Timepiece, and the Brownian Ratchet.

4.

Which medal has been awarded annually since 1902 by the Royal Society in recognition of 'An original discovery in the physical sciences, particularly electricity and magnetism or their applications'?  Notable recipients include J J Thompson, Alexander Graham Bell and Stephen Hawking.

5.

Which actor is the son of actress Jill Balcon, the grandson of Michael Balcon, the brother of a TV chef and food critic, and is married to Arthur Miller's daughter?

6.

Which 1992 novella by Robert James Waller, which was made into a film in 1995, tells the story of a married but lonely war bride living on farm in Iowa who has an affair with a National Geographic employee who is photographing the area's distinctive features?

7.

Who is the principal guest conductor of the Royal Ballet?  He served as their Music Director from 1990 to 1995 and from 2006 to 2015.  From 1989 to 2006, he was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra.

8.

Which singer had the best-selling album in the UK in 2008?  Its title refers to an area of Birkenhead where her grandmother lives.

Sp1

What is the name of the character played by Helen Mirren in the TV series Prime Suspect?

Sp2

Which is the second-most populous state capital of the USA and was originally named Waterloo?  It is home to Lady Bird Lake and has been twinned with the London Borough of Hackney since 2014.

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Albums of the Century

The answer to each question contains the name, or significant part of the name, of an act featured in the list of the UK's best selling 40 albums of the century so far, as broadcast on Radio 2 on 12th October 2019, courtesy of The Official Charts Company.

1.

(You buy one, you get one free!)

In the film Men in Black, who played the parts of Agents J and K?

2.

Which Tim Burton film, released in 1990, featured the three Tom Jones songs It's Not Unusual, Delilah and With These Hands?

3.

Which Henry Purcell opera is based on a work by Virgil?

4.

Which song released in 1984 used footage from the 1927 silent science fiction film Metropolis in its music video?

5.

Which spy was portrayed as Maurice in Andrew Boyle's book Climate of Treason in 1979 and was the subject of Alan Bennett's play A Question of Attribution?

6.

Whose portrait by Gustav Klimt is also known as The Lady in Gold?

7.

Of what are the following items types: Trinidad moruga scorpion, Naga viper, Medusa, and Black Hungarian?

8.

Which is the only duo to complete tennis's Career Golden Slam in single-sex doubles twice? The Career Golden Slam in this case is all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal during their career. Surnames will suffice.

Sp1

Which 1994 film directed by Luc Besson marked the film debut of Natalie Portman who forms a bond with a professional killer?

Sp2

Who was the first Scottish and openly gay Poet Laureate of the UK?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme

1.

Who in 2000 was the 1st European woman to win the Olympic heptathlon?

2.

Which author wrote the novel Le Rouge et le Noir?

3.

Which line precedes "You're bringin' me down, You stood and you watched as My baby left town" in the New Vaudeville band hit in 1966?

4.

Give the full name of the author after which Nizhny Novgorod was called before 1990.

5.

Which former Formula One racing car driver narrated the introduction and ending of the cartoon series Roary The Racing Car shown on Channel 5 between 2007 and 2010?

6.

Which TV show running from 1982 to 1987 involved the character of Laura Holt who sets up a private investigation company in London?

7.

Which new wave band was formed in London in 1979 and whose debut single was To Cut a Long Story Short?

8.

In which 1951 film did Michael Redgrave play a schoolmaster at a boarding school who has to retire on ill-health grounds and receives an unexpected gift from a pupil?  Redgrave received the best actor award at the Cannes film Festival for his role.

Sp1

Who identified the causative agents of tuberculosis, anthrax and cholera and received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1905? 

Sp2

Which is the most northerly of London boroughs?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Pairs

1.

What form of novel style is used in the writing of Pamela and Clarissa by Samuel Richardson and Fanny Hill by John Cleland?

2.

What kind of novel are Joseph Andrews and the History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, both by Fielding and Vanity Fair by Thackeray?

3.

Laos has borders with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and which 2 other countries?

4.

Georgia has borders with Turkey and Russia and which 2 other countries?

5.

Which biblical prophet was called the "weeping prophet" and correctly prophesied Jerusalem's destruction?

6.

Which book of the King James's Bible contains no law, history or wisdom but celebrates sexual love, giving "the voices of two lovers, praising each other".

7.

How is the jazz pianist and bandleader of the Red Hot Peppers Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, 1890-1941, better-known?

8.

Which jazz trumpeter whose Christian name was  derived from the surname of a German politician died at the age of 28 in 1931? In his short life he achieved a great reputation for his tone and improvisation.

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the name of the actor who created and stars in Citizen Khan?

2.

What is the name of the Booker Prize winning author of The God of Small Things?

3.

What was the name of the airbase to the northwest of Warrington that was a US airbase during WWII (the largest airbase in Europe at the time, with almost 18000 servicemen).  As a large piece of flat land, its fate has resulted in an Ikea, an M&S, and hundreds of acres of new housing.  Various local pubs have names such as The Memphis Belle, but only the nearby M62 Services preserve the name.

4.

Which vegetable is known as ‘betterave’ in French and ‘barbabietola rossa’ in Italian?

5.

Which current league football team was formed in 1863 when a group of old boys from Charterhouse School (in Surrey 180 miles away), were working as apprentices in the town?  1863 features prominently on the team logo.

6.

What was the name of the Starship captain played by Scott Bakula in the series Star Trek: Enterprise?

7.

Which actor, who has won an Academy award for Best Supporting Actor, and been nominated for Oscars 4 other times, has played characters which include Eddie Dupris, God, Lucius Fox, 'Red', Azeem, and Hoke Colburn?

8.

Which job title derives from the Old French for ‘officer in charge of the king’s wine bottles'?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

Spares

1.

Who played Django in Django Unchained?

2.

A Reuben sandwich is made using what kind of bread?

3.

In 1830 who published the book Principles of Geology?

4.

Which actress who died recently played the part of Zoe Tate in Emmerdale?

5.

What was the 1st broom that Harry Potter owned?

Go to Spare questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Pairs

1.

Which 20th-century American president was born Leslie Lynch King Jr?

Gerald Ford

2.

Which 20th-century American president made a small fortune in mining and was the first to give his presidential salary to charity?

Herbert Hoover

3.

Who is this cartoon strip character who appeared in the comic Deadline in 1989 and who has been described as a cross between Madonna and Mad Max?

Tank Girl

4.

Who is this cartoon strip character who appears in 2000 A.D. and other comics?  First appearing in comics in 1980 as a supporting character she became so popular that from 1988 she had her own series. Living in a dystopic world she has psychic powers.

Judge Anderson

5.

Which symbol, normally seen in flag form, was derived by Gilbert Baker in 1978 in San Francisco with segments representing sunlight, serenity, life, healing, spirit and nature?

The gay pride / rainbow flag

6.

Which car manufacturer's logo represents the merging of the 4 oldest native car manufacturers? The car manufacturer was founded in 1910 and the merger took place in 1932.

Audi

7.

All road distances from New York are measured from an intersection between 8th Avenue, Broadway, Central Park West and Central Park South which contains a statue of a mariner at its centre.  What is this intersection called?

Columbus Circle

8.

All road distances from Paris are measured from a landmark in the 4th arrondissement which in 1793 was changed from its original use by being dedicated to the Cult of Reason before being rededicated in 1801 and given back to its previous owners by Napoleon.  What is this landmark?

Notre Dame Cathedral

ROUND 2 - Pairs

1.

What is the sum of the infinite series 1 + 1/3 + 1/9 + 1/27 + 1/81 ...etc?

1.5

(1 ½)

2.

This year's Booker Prize was shared, contrary to the rules of the competition, between Margaret Attwood and which book by Bernadine Evaristo?

Girl, Woman, Other

3.

The Body: A guide for Occupants is which popular writer's latest book?

Bill Bryson

4.

Major Boothroyd appears as a character in a number of a long series of films.  How is he better known?

Q

(in the Bond series)

5.

Who played Boon in the 1990s TV series of the same name?

Michael Elphick

6.

Which 19th-20th century poet wrote in 1892 the poem When You Are Old which starts "When you are old and gray and full of sleep" and is based on a French sonnet?

W B Yeats

7.

Which 16th century poet and soldier wrote the poem From The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia?

Sir Philip Sidney

8.

3 identical yellow balls are placed in 5 boxes.  Only one ball is allowed in any box.  In how many ways can this be done?

10 ways

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - Pairs

1.

Two unrelated South African born sportsmen called Labuschagne (albeit one with an é acute (“La Boo Shag Nay”) and one without (“La Boo Shane”) achieved feats in two different sports for two other different countries this year.  What sports, and what countries?

Cricket, Australia

(Marnus Labuschagne)

Rugby, Japan

(Lappies Labuschagné)

(The name Labuschagne originated in pre-revolutionary France and is not uncommon in white South Africans, but has died out in France)

2.

Last week, Liverpool won 4-1 away in the Champions League against a Belgian team whilst we were all quizzing. Two Scouse fans spent £440 travelling to another Belgian town 80 miles away, whose name (in Flemish) differs by only one letter, and ended up watching the match in a bar.  What are the two towns?

Genk and Gent (Ghent)

(Gent FC subsequently offered them tickets to their next match against Genk)

3.

Which actor who died last year allegedly turned down the roles of Han Solo, James Bond and Edward Lewis (the male lead in Pretty Woman)?

Burt Reynolds

4.

Whilst promoting the latest Terminator film, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he has some of James Cameron’s original paintings of the character.  His image is painted over the face of the original choice to play the role – however, that actor was dropped because he apparently didn’t look like a killer.  History remains equivocal on that issue; who was the original choice?

O J Simpson

5.

What is the name of the American woman who whilst driving on the wrong side of the road accidentally ran over and killed a young man called Harry Dunn, before fleeing back to the US under the cloak of Diplomatic Immunity?

Anna Sacoolas

6.

What is the name of the American woman who accompanied Boris Johnson on several overseas trips as mayor, and who gave him ‘private technology’ lessons during lunchtimes at her London flat?

Jennifer Arcuri

7.

Which London tube station on the Victoria line would you alight from to access the Tate Britain art gallery.  It is the only station on the Victoria line that does not connect with any other rail or underground line.

Pimlico

8.

Which London tube station on the Northern and Central Line is the best choice for accessing the British Museum?

Tottenham Court Road

Sp1

In a fundraising exercise, which artwork went on tour and was displayed in a Ford car dealership on the corner of Victoria Street and Cateaton Street in Manchester, during February 1939?

Guernika

(by Picasso; the dealership was subsequently badly damaged during the Blitz and demolished after the war)

Sp2

Who’s painting Soft Construction with Boiled Beans, a depiction of a distorted body tearing itself apart, also represents the Spanish Civil War?

Salvador Dali

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Which British brand was formed in 1921 by the merger of two companies established in 1859 and 1887, each of which had a plant that processed the same product in Silvertown on the north bank of the Thames?

Tate and Lyle

2.

One of the sponsors of the 'Loo of the Year' Awards, which British brand was formed in 1969 from the merger of two companies founded in 1817 and 1878? The first half of its name is the Staffordshire village where one of the original companies was founded.

Armitage Shanks

3.

Proposals for which invention have become so common that the US Patents Office has a policy of refusing to grant patents without a working model?  Historical examples include Robert Fludd's 17th-century Water Screw, Cox's Timepiece, and the Brownian Ratchet.

Perpetual motion machine

4.

Which medal has been awarded annually since 1902 by the Royal Society in recognition of 'An original discovery in the physical sciences, particularly electricity and magnetism or their applications'?  Notable recipients include J J Thompson, Alexander Graham Bell and Stephen Hawking.

The Hughes Medal

5.

Which actor is the son of actress Jill Balcon, the grandson of Michael Balcon, the brother of a TV chef and food critic, and is married to Arthur Miller's daughter?

Daniel Day-Lewis

6.

Which 1992 novella by Robert James Waller, which was made into a film in 1995, tells the story of a married but lonely war bride living on farm in Iowa who has an affair with a National Geographic employee who is photographing the area's distinctive features?

The Bridges of Madison County

7.

Who is the principal guest conductor of the Royal Ballet?  He served as their Music Director from 1990 to 1995 and from 2006 to 2015.  From 1989 to 2006, he was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Barry Wordsworth

8.

Which singer had the best-selling album in the UK in 2008?  Its title refers to an area of Birkenhead where her grandmother lives.

Duffy

(the album was Rockferry)

Sp1

What is the name of the character played by Helen Mirren in the TV series Prime Suspect?

Jane Tennison

Sp2

Which is the second-most populous state capital of the USA and was originally named Waterloo?  It is home to Lady Bird Lake and has been twinned with the London Borough of Hackney since 2014.

Austin

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a UK Poet Laureate

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - Albums of the Century

The answer to each question contains the name, or significant part of the name, of an act featured in the list of the UK's best selling 40 albums of the century so far, as broadcast on Radio 2 on 12th October 2019, courtesy of The Official Charts Company.

1.

(You buy one, you get one free!)

In the film Men in Black, who played the parts of Agents J and K?

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones

(the acts are Sam Smith and Norah Jones)

2.

Which Tim Burton film, released in 1990, featured the three Tom Jones songs It's Not Unusual, Delilah and With These Hands?

Edward Scissorhands

(the act is Scissor Sisters)

3.

Which Henry Purcell opera is based on a work by Virgil?

Dido and Aeneas

(the act is Dido)

4.

Which song released in 1984 used footage from the 1927 silent science fiction film Metropolis in its music video?

Radio Ga Ga

(the act is Lady Gaga)

5.

Which spy was portrayed as Maurice in Andrew Boyle's book Climate of Treason in 1979 and was the subject of Alan Bennett's play A Question of Attribution?

Anthony Blunt

(the act is James Blunt)

6.

Whose portrait by Gustav Klimt is also known as The Lady in Gold?

Adele Bloch-Bauer

(the act is Adele)

7.

Of what are the following items types: Trinidad moruga scorpion, Naga viper, Medusa, and Black Hungarian?

Chili pepper

(the act is Red Hot Chili Peppers)

8.

Which is the only duo to complete tennis's Career Golden Slam in single-sex doubles twice? The Career Golden Slam in this case is all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal during their career. Surnames will suffice.

The Williams sisters

(Serena & Venus)

(the act is Robbie Williams)

Sp1

Which 1994 film directed by Luc Besson marked the film debut of Natalie Portman who forms a bond with a professional killer?

Leon

(the act is Kings of Leon)

Sp2

Who was the first Scottish and openly gay Poet Laureate of the UK?

Carol Ann Duffy

(the act is Duffy)

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - Hidden theme

1.

Who in 2000 was the 1st European woman to win the Olympic heptathlon?

Denise Lewis

2.

Which author wrote the novel Le Rouge et le Noir?

Stendhal

3.

Which line precedes "You're bringin' me down, You stood and you watched as My baby left town" in the New Vaudeville band hit in 1966?

Winchester Cathedral

4.

Give the full name of the author after which Nizhny Novgorod was called before 1990.

Maxim Gorky

5.

Which former Formula One racing car driver narrated the introduction and ending of the cartoon series Roary The Racing Car shown on Channel 5 between 2007 and 2010?

Stirling Moss

6.

Which TV show running from 1982 to 1987 involved the character of Laura Holt who sets up a private investigation company in London?

Remington Steele

7.

Which new wave band was formed in London in 1979 and whose debut single was To Cut a Long Story Short?

Spandau Ballet

8.

In which 1951 film did Michael Redgrave play a schoolmaster at a boarding school who has to retire on ill-health grounds and receives an unexpected gift from a pupil?  Redgrave received the best actor award at the Cannes film Festival for his role.

The Browning Version

Sp1

Who identified the causative agents of tuberculosis, anthrax and cholera and received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1905? 

(Robert) Koch

Sp2

Which is the most northerly of London boroughs?

Enfield

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a firearm

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Pairs

1.

What form of novel style is used in the writing of Pamela and Clarissa by Samuel Richardson and Fanny Hill by John Cleland?

Epistolary

2.

What kind of novel are Joseph Andrews and the History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, both by Fielding and Vanity Fair by Thackeray?

Picaresque

3.

Laos has borders with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and which 2 other countries?

China and Myanmar

4.

Georgia has borders with Turkey and Russia and which 2 other countries?

Armenia and Azerbaijan

5.

Which biblical prophet was called the "weeping prophet" and correctly prophesied Jerusalem's destruction?

Jeremiah

6.

Which book of the King James's Bible contains no law, history or wisdom but celebrates sexual love, giving "the voices of two lovers, praising each other".

Song of Solomon/Song of songs

7.

How is the jazz pianist and bandleader of the Red Hot Peppers Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, 1890-1941, better-known?

Jelly-Roll Morton

8.

Which jazz trumpeter whose Christian name was  derived from the surname of a German politician died at the age of 28 in 1931? In his short life he achieved a great reputation for his tone and improvisation.

Bix Beiderbecke

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the name of the actor who created and stars in Citizen Khan?

Adil Ray

2.

What is the name of the Booker Prize winning author of The God of Small Things?

Arundhati Roy

3.

What was the name of the airbase to the northwest of Warrington that was a US airbase during WWII (the largest airbase in Europe at the time, with almost 18000 servicemen).  As a large piece of flat land, its fate has resulted in an Ikea, an M&S, and hundreds of acres of new housing.  Various local pubs have names such as The Memphis Belle, but only the nearby M62 Services preserve the name.

Burtonwood

4.

Which vegetable is known as ‘betterave’ in French and ‘barbabietola rossa’ in Italian?

Beetroot

5.

Which current league football team was formed in 1863 when a group of old boys from Charterhouse School (in Surrey 180 miles away), were working as apprentices in the town?  1863 features prominently on the team logo.

Stoke City

6.

What was the name of the Starship captain played by Scott Bakula in the series Star Trek: Enterprise?

(Captain Jonathan) Archer

(just the surname will suffice here)

7.

Which actor, who has won an Academy award for Best Supporting Actor, and been nominated for Oscars 4 other times, has played characters which include Eddie Dupris, God, Lucius Fox, 'Red', Azeem, and Hoke Colburn?

Morgan Freeman

8.

Which job title derives from the Old French for ‘officer in charge of the king’s wine bottles'?

Butler

(from Bouteille, to Botellier, then butelier)

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a member of the England Cricket World Cup winning team from earlier this year, who were, in batting order...

Jason Roy, (Johnny Bairstow), Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler. (Chris Woakes), (Liam Plunkett), Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers

Spares

1.

Who played Django in Django Unchained?

Jamie Foxx

2.

A Reuben sandwich is made using what kind of bread?

Rye

3.

In 1830 who published the book Principles of Geology?

Sir Charles Lyell

4.

Which actress who died recently played the part of Zoe Tate in Emmerdale?

Leah Bracknell

5.

What was the 1st broom that Harry Potter owned?

Nimbus 2000

Go back to Spare questions without answers