ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

This 1937 comedy film starring Will Hay playing a hapless station-master, takes its title from a music-hall song.  What is the title of the film?

2.

Which criminal defense lawyer created by Erle Stanley Gardner was played on US television by Raymond Burr from 1957 to 1966?

3.

What is the name of the satirical novel by Mikhail Bulgakov which relates a visit by the devil to Moscow?

4.

What was the pen-name of the short story writer H H Munro (1870-1916)?

5.

Which actress played Guinevere in Excalibur (1981) and the lead role in The Manageress on Channel 4 (1989-1990)?

6.

The French statesman Talleyrand described which family as having "..learned nothing and forgotten nothing" after the French revolution?

7.

Which island, 40 miles off the coast of Venezuala, has the capital Willemstat?

8.

Which lake was created when the Hoover dam was constructed?

Sp.

Which John Irving novel from 1985 was made into a successful 1999 film for which Michael Caine got an Oscar?

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - Rhyming answers

Each question has two parts and the answers will rhyme...

...e.g. 'Notorious 1967 musical & position held in Greater Manchester by Andy Burnham' would give the answer 'Hair & Mayor'

1.

Huge food company which changed its name to Mondelez in 2012,

&

US president who was defeated by Woodrow Wilson when standing for re-election in 1912.

2.

The deputy chief whip who’s resignation brought about the downfall of Boris Johnson,

&

The director of Seven, Fight Club and Gone Girl.

3.

Mountain climber who led the 1975 ascent of the South-West face of Everest,

&

Location of the Monsters of Rock festival from 1980 to 1996.

4.

Oldham-born composer of Belshazzar’s Feast,

&

Cumbrian-born scientist with a Manchester street named after him.

5.

English poet and courtier of the Elizabethan Age who married Francis Walsingham’s daughter,

&

Organ whose dysfunction can be indicated by high creatinine levels in blood.

6.

Area of Salford, titular home to a Rugby League club currently playing home games in Sale,

&

Second US president to be impeached.

7.

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster from 1976 to 1999,

&

Hero of Joyce’s Ulysses.

8.

American double murderer executed in 1977,

&

19th century US president with the forename Millard.

Sp.

Town on the river Goyt served by Rose Hill station,

&

One of the eight bones that form the wrist.

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - Paired questions with a hidden theme

1.

The Donation of Constantine is one of medieval history’s most famous forgeries; who was the beneficiary of the donation (of political control over all Christendom)?

2.

‘Youth is wasted on the young’ is a quote attributed to an Irish playwright and political activist, who died in 1950.  Who?

3.

What was the name of the 1990s real-estate scandal involving both Hilary and Bill Clinton?

4.

What was the name of the 19th century Irish secret society, famously accused of murder and kidnapping in the Pennsylvania coal fields in the 1870s?

5.

Which New Zealand-born athlete won the men’s 1500 m gold at the 1976 Olympics?

6.

Who won the darts world championship twice, first in 1982 and again in 1989?

7.

What is the shared surname of the only person to assassinate a British PM and the actress who appeared in a long-running series of Oxo adverts in the 1980s and 90s?

8.

What is the shared surname of the first black female US Secretary of State and the author of The Vampire Diaries?

Sp.

What was the name of Marilyn Monroe’s character in Some Like it Hot.

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - 'Sort of all about Burns' Night'

1.

Which song by Robert Burns is the party song of the SNP?

2.

The second line of which Burns poem reads:

"That’s newly sprung in June"?

3.

Who was declared Roman Emperor on 25 January, 41AD, the day after the death of his nephew Caligula?

4.

The 1924 Winter Olympics opened on 25 January 1924, in which French town?

5.

Kenny Burns was Footballer of the Year in 1978 while playing for which club?

6.

Major Frank Burns was a character in the early series of which US TV mega-hit?

7.

Demi O’Byrne has bought many champions for Coolmore over the years.  Champion whats?

8.

Irish broadcasting legend Gay Byrne presented which chat show for 37 years from its inception in 1962?

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - Announced theme - 'Diamond Lights'

Each answer contains a word which can precede the word light(s) to make another word or phrase

1.

Which surname is shared by two Chelsea footballers: a stroppy type from the 1980s and a Belgian megastar who left for Real Madrid.

2.

Andy Park, an electrician from Wiltshire, has probably celebrated this more times than anyone else. What?

3.

Which former Labour party leader wrote the books Guilty Men, The Pen and the Sword and biographies of Jonathan Swift and Aneurin Bevan?

4.

Using a page of the bible is unlucky, according to Long John Silver, for the preparation of what accusatory device?

5.

The components of which structure, which opened in 1932, were made in Middlesbrough, almost 11,000 miles from where they were assembled?

6.

How is the alcoholic drink absinthe often known due to its tendency to leech chlorophyll from the herbs steeped in it?

7.

Which daily newspaper was founded by Dow, Jones and Bergstresser in 1889?

8.

Which building society became a bank in 1997 and was taken into public ownership in 2008?

Sp.

Which US soap opera, a spin-off from Dallas, ran from 1979 to 1993 and featured Gary Ewing and his family?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - 'Firsts & Lasts'

1.

The first decisive battle between steel battleship fleets took place in 1905.  Which two countries were involved?

2.

The last major naval battle between oared fleets took place in 1571, between the Ottoman and Holy League fleets.  What name was given to this battle?

3.

Which author’s first published work was A Piece of Cake in 1942, an account of his crash-landing a warplane?

4.

Which author’s last published work, in his lifetime, was The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits, in 1881?

5.

Which director’s last film was A Passage to India in 1984, with long-time collaborator Maurice Jarre composing the score?

6.

Which actor’s last role was playing O’Brien in 1984, released in the same year?

7.

Which US author’s debut novel was Less Than Zero in 1985?

8.

Which US author’s debut novel was Strangers on a Train in 1950?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Minister for Education introduced the national curriculum in 1988?

2.

Which former Zimbabwe cricketer coached the England men’s team from 2009 to 2014?

3.

Which Michael Jackson hit of 1983 featured an iconic guitar solo by Eddy Van Halen?

4.

Who ruled over the Land of Sweets in the ballet The Nutcracker?

5.

Which US author has published three novels to date: The Secret History (1992), The Little Friend (2002), and The Goldfinch (2013)?

6.

Which French word from the 19th century means someone who strolls or wanders without purpose?

7.

Lt. Pinkerton is the main male role in which Puccini opera?

8.

Black Velvet, Rich & Rare and Crown Royal are among the best-selling Canadian brands of what?

Sp.

How was Paulie Gualtieri known in the TV show The Sopranos?

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

Which dish comprises apples, celery, walnuts, grapes and mayonnaise, served on a bed of lettuce?

2.

The US journalist and author Hunter S Thompson pioneered which form of journalism, characterised by highly subjective accounts usually written in the first person?

3.

In A Midsummer’s Night Dream, the character Puck is also referred to as Hobgoblin and which other name?

4.

In the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, what is the unflattering nickname used to refer to one of the main protagonists?

5.

Before managing Jimi Hendrix and Slade (among others), Chas Chandler was the bassist of which British group?

6.

Who is the central character in a long running series of books about a girl in a residential care home, written by Jacqueline Wilson?

7.

What is the name of Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy?

8.

Who defeated Manny Pacquiao in the ‘fight of the century’ at the MGM Grand in 2015, living up to his nickname ‘Money’ by generating over $400 million in PPV?

Sp.

The Oxford literary group the Inklings, which included C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien, were particularly associated with which pub in Oxford?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

Spares

1.

Name either of the chemical elements named after the Latin for a Scandinavian capital city.

2.

Name the only element named after a location in the UK.

3.

Which play is set in the Monkswell Manor Hotel, run by Giles and Mollie Ralston?

4.

The TV series Wire in the Blood which starred Robson Green as psychological profiler Tony Hill was based on the novels by which female author?

Go to Spare questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

This 1937 comedy film starring Will Hay playing a hapless station-master, takes its title from a music-hall song.  What is the title of the film?

Oh Mr Porter!

2.

Which criminal defense lawyer created by Erle Stanley Gardner was played on US television by Raymond Burr from 1957 to 1966?

Perry Mason

3.

What is the name of the satirical novel by Mikhail Bulgakov which relates a visit by the devil to Moscow?

The Master and Margarita

4.

What was the pen-name of the short story writer H H Munro (1870-1916)?

Saki

5.

Which actress played Guinevere in Excalibur (1981) and the lead role in The Manageress on Channel 4 (1989-1990)?

Cherie Lunghi

6.

The French statesman Talleyrand described which family as having "..learned nothing and forgotten nothing" after the French revolution?

The Bourbons

7.

Which island, 40 miles off the coast of Venezuala, has the capital Willemstat?

Curacao

8.

Which lake was created when the Hoover dam was constructed?

Lake Mead

Sp.

Which John Irving novel from 1985 was made into a successful 1999 film for which Michael Caine got an Oscar?

The Cider House Rules

Theme: Each answer contains the name of an alcoholic drink

ROUND 2 - Rhyming answers

Each question has two parts and the answers will rhyme...

...e.g. 'Notorious 1967 musical & position held in Greater Manchester by Andy Burnham' would give the answer 'Hair & Mayor'

1.

Huge food company which changed its name to Mondelez in 2012,

&

US president who was defeated by Woodrow Wilson when standing for re-election in 1912.

Kraft

&

Taft

2.

The deputy chief whip who’s resignation brought about the downfall of Boris Johnson,

&

The director of Seven, Fight Club and Gone Girl.

Pincher

&

Fincher

3.

Mountain climber who led the 1975 ascent of the South-West face of Everest,

&

Location of the Monsters of Rock festival from 1980 to 1996.

Bonnington

&

Donnington

4.

Oldham-born composer of Belshazzar’s Feast,

&

Cumbrian-born scientist with a Manchester street named after him.

Walton

&

Dalton

5.

English poet and courtier of the Elizabethan Age who married Francis Walsingham’s daughter,

&

Organ whose dysfunction can be indicated by high creatinine levels in blood.

Sidney

&

Kidney

6.

Area of Salford, titular home to a Rugby League club currently playing home games in Sale,

&

Second US president to be impeached.

Swinton

&

Clinton

7.

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster from 1976 to 1999,

&

Hero of Joyce’s Ulysses.

Hume

&

Bloom

8.

American double murderer executed in 1977,

&

19th century US president with the forename Millard.

Gilmore

&

Filmore

Sp.

Town on the river Goyt served by Rose Hill station,

&

One of the eight bones that form the wrist.

Marple

&

Carpal

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - Paired questions with a hidden theme

1.

The Donation of Constantine is one of medieval history’s most famous forgeries; who was the beneficiary of the donation (of political control over all Christendom)?

The Pope

2.

‘Youth is wasted on the young’ is a quote attributed to an Irish playwright and political activist, who died in 1950.  Who?

Shaw

3.

What was the name of the 1990s real-estate scandal involving both Hilary and Bill Clinton?

Whitewater

(anything containing this is fine)

4.

What was the name of the 19th century Irish secret society, famously accused of murder and kidnapping in the Pennsylvania coal fields in the 1870s?

The Molly Maguires

5.

Which New Zealand-born athlete won the men’s 1500 m gold at the 1976 Olympics?

John Walker

6.

Who won the darts world championship twice, first in 1982 and again in 1989?

Jocky Wilson

7.

What is the shared surname of the only person to assassinate a British PM and the actress who appeared in a long-running series of Oxo adverts in the 1980s and 90s?

Bellingham

8.

What is the shared surname of the first black female US Secretary of State and the author of The Vampire Diaries?

Rice

Sp.

What was the name of Marilyn Monroe’s character in Some Like it Hot.

Sugar Kane

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a member of the 2022 England World Cup squad

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - 'Sort of all about Burns' Night'

1.

Which song by Robert Burns is the party song of the SNP?

Scots Wha Hae

2.

The second line of which Burns poem reads:

"That’s newly sprung in June"?

A Red, Red Rose

(My love is like a… is also acceptable)

3.

Who was declared Roman Emperor on 25 January, 41AD, the day after the death of his nephew Caligula?

Claudius

4.

The 1924 Winter Olympics opened on 25 January 1924, in which French town?

Chamonix

5.

Kenny Burns was Footballer of the Year in 1978 while playing for which club?

Nottingham Forest

6.

Major Frank Burns was a character in the early series of which US TV mega-hit?

M.A.S.H.

7.

Demi O’Byrne has bought many champions for Coolmore over the years.  Champion whats?

Racehorses

8.

Irish broadcasting legend Gay Byrne presented which chat show for 37 years from its inception in 1962?

The Late, Late Show

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - Announced theme - 'Diamond Lights'

Each answer contains a word which can precede the word light(s) to make another word or phrase

1.

Which surname is shared by two Chelsea footballers: a stroppy type from the 1980s and a Belgian megastar who left for Real Madrid.

Hazard

2.

Andy Park, an electrician from Wiltshire, has probably celebrated this more times than anyone else. What?

Christmas

3.

Which former Labour party leader wrote the books Guilty Men, The Pen and the Sword and biographies of Jonathan Swift and Aneurin Bevan?

Michael Foot

4.

Using a page of the bible is unlucky, according to Long John Silver, for the preparation of what accusatory device?

The Black Spot

5.

The components of which structure, which opened in 1932, were made in Middlesbrough, almost 11,000 miles from where they were assembled?

Sydney Harbour Bridge

6.

How is the alcoholic drink absinthe often known due to its tendency to leech chlorophyll from the herbs steeped in it?

The Green Fairy

7.

Which daily newspaper was founded by Dow, Jones and Bergstresser in 1889?

The Wall Street Journal

8.

Which building society became a bank in 1997 and was taken into public ownership in 2008?

Northern Rock

Sp.

Which US soap opera, a spin-off from Dallas, ran from 1979 to 1993 and featured Gary Ewing and his family?

Knots Landing

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - 'Firsts & Lasts'

1.

The first decisive battle between steel battleship fleets took place in 1905.  Which two countries were involved?

Russia and Japan

2.

The last major naval battle between oared fleets took place in 1571, between the Ottoman and Holy League fleets.  What name was given to this battle?

Lepanto

3.

Which author’s first published work was A Piece of Cake in 1942, an account of his crash-landing a warplane?

Roald Dahl

4.

Which author’s last published work, in his lifetime, was The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits, in 1881?

Charles Darwin

5.

Which director’s last film was A Passage to India in 1984, with long-time collaborator Maurice Jarre composing the score?

David Lean

6.

Which actor’s last role was playing O’Brien in 1984, released in the same year?

Richard Burton

7.

Which US author’s debut novel was Less Than Zero in 1985?

Bret Easton Ellis

8.

Which US author’s debut novel was Strangers on a Train in 1950?

Patricia Highsmith

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Minister for Education introduced the national curriculum in 1988?

Kenneth Baker

2.

Which former Zimbabwe cricketer coached the England men’s team from 2009 to 2014?

Andy Flower

3.

Which Michael Jackson hit of 1983 featured an iconic guitar solo by Eddy Van Halen?

Beat It

4.

Who ruled over the Land of Sweets in the ballet The Nutcracker?

The Sugar Plum Fairy

5.

Which US author has published three novels to date: The Secret History (1992), The Little Friend (2002), and The Goldfinch (2013)?

Donna Tartt

6.

Which French word from the 19th century means someone who strolls or wanders without purpose?

Flaneur

7.

Lt. Pinkerton is the main male role in which Puccini opera?

Madame Butterfly

8.

Black Velvet, Rich & Rare and Crown Royal are among the best-selling Canadian brands of what?

Whisky

Sp.

How was Paulie Gualtieri known in the TV show The Sopranos?

Paulie Walnuts

Theme: Each answer contains a term associated with baking

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - Hidden theme

1.

Which dish comprises apples, celery, walnuts, grapes and mayonnaise, served on a bed of lettuce?

2.

The US journalist and author Hunter S Thompson pioneered which form of journalism, characterised by highly subjective accounts usually written in the first person?

Gonzo

3.

In A Midsummer’s Night Dream, the character Puck is also referred to as Hobgoblin and which other name?

Robin Goodfellow

4.

In the 1954 novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, what is the unflattering nickname used to refer to one of the main protagonists?

Piggy

5.

Before managing Jimi Hendrix and Slade (among others), Chas Chandler was the bassist of which British group?

The Animals

6.

Who is the central character in a long running series of books about a girl in a residential care home, written by Jacqueline Wilson?

Tracy Beaker

7.

What is the name of Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy?

(Ratso) Rizzo

8.

Who defeated Manny Pacquiao in the ‘fight of the century’ at the MGM Grand in 2015, living up to his nickname ‘Money’ by generating over $400 million in PPV?

Floyd Mayweather

Sp.

The Oxford literary group the Inklings, which included C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien, were particularly associated with which pub in Oxford?

The Eagle and Child

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a Muppet:

Waldorf, Gonzo, Robin, Miss Piggy, Animal, Beaker, Rizzo, Floyd and Sam Eagle

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers

Spares

1.

Name either of the chemical elements named after the Latin for a Scandinavian capital city.

Hafnium or Holmium

2.

Name the only element named after a location in the UK.

Strontium

3.

Which play is set in the Monkswell Manor Hotel, run by Giles and Mollie Ralston?

The Mousetrap

4.

The TV series Wire in the Blood which starred Robson Green as psychological profiler Tony Hill was based on the novels by which female author?

Val McDermid

Go back to Spare questions without answers