ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Dickens novel follows the life of a boy born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, six months after the death of his father?

2.

Which song, originally released as a single by Fleetwood Mac in 1968, found greater fame in a version released by Santana two years later?

3.

Which Thomas Mann novel is set in a sanatorium in the Swiss alps town of Davos, later to become the playground of the global elite?

4.

Which symphonic poem completed in 1897 by Paul Dukas is best known as the musical score for a segment of the 1940 feature film Fantasia?

5.

Originally recorded in 1956 by 'Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, which song has been covered by Annie Lennox, Creedence Clearwater Revival and, most famously, Nina Simone?

6.

Shaquille O’Neill played for which Florida-based NBA team from 1992-1996?

7.

Which 65 year old actor has been nominated for five Best Actor Oscars, and has won twice – for Mystic River in 2004 and Milk in 2009?

8.

What name links a helicopter used by the Royal Navy since 1997; an array of radio telescopes spread across England and run from Jodrell Bank; and a species of falcon?

Sp.

Which Hungarian-American physicist is known as the 'Father of the hydrogen bomb' and is rumoured to be one of the inspirations for Dr Strangelove?  He was also one of the first scientists to raise concerns about climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels.

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - Paired

1.

Which European nation’s people do the Italians call the ‘Tedeschi’?  A name with similar etymology to that nation’s own description of themselves, meaning literally ‘of the people’.

2.

Which European ethnic group call themselves the Euskaldunak (Yoos-kahl–doo-nahk) meaning ‘those who speak their own language’?  This is literally true, as Euskara is the only ‘language isolate’ in Europe; i.e. unrelated to any other languages.

3.

Which Austrian composer sounds as though he could have been one of Australia’s greatest opening batsmen?  Just the surname will do.

4.

Which South African batsman who retired from Test Cricket last year shares his name with an English Composer?  Just the surname will do.

5.

Who is the current regular BBC North West reporter who (with a hint of nominative determinism), once led a report from a petrol station during a fuel crisis?

6.

With a hint of nominative determinism, how was Neil Hopper in the news last month?

7.

Which town stands at the historically recognised lowest bridging point of the Trent, which made it a major crossing on the Great North Road, and a strategic prize during the Civil War?

8.

The lack of a reliable crossing over the Severn in an area of low-lying waterlogged land led the Lancastrians to be hemmed into which town, leading to their decisive defeat during the War of the Roses?

Sp1

Once Britain’s rarest bird of prey, this species was reduced to a single nesting female in the 1970s before recovering through fenland and reed-bed conservation efforts to at least 600 pairs in 2025. What bird is it?

Sp2

Which mammal has recently been reintroduced to Exmoor following successful efforts on Dartmoor, Forest of Dean and in Mid Wales?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme

1.

Sharing its name with the first name of a character in a long running American television series, by what 4-letter acronym is the rapid transit system in San Francisco better known?

2.

Divided into 4 sections named: ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid, which organ of the human body has an average length of 166cm in males and 155cm in females?

3.

Released in 2004, the first after the departure of Bryan McFadden, what was the title of Westlife’s first cover album? The title of the album is itself a pun, with the following double meaning:

a) Please may we be honest and truthful

b) Please may we sing in the style of a famous member of the Rat Pack

4.

Under what name did the actor who starred in the films Boogie Nights, Planet of the Apes, The Fighter and The Departed release his hit singles? The most famous is Good Vibrations (unrelated to the Beach Boys single of the same name).

5.

What was the surname of the title character in the film which won the Oscar for best picture in 1976?  Four of the actors who starred in it were nominated for acting awards, including Burt Young and Buster Merriwether.

6.

Under what name did the woman born Alisa Rosenbaum in St Petersburg in 1905, release her novels?  They include The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

7.

Which famous castle has been besieged at least 8 times over the course of history, most recently in 1746?  It hosted Mary Queen of Scots’ coronation in 1543, and was where her son James VI was baptised.

8.

Theresa Bazar was half of which duo who scored hits in the 70s and 80s including Mirror, Mirror and Give Me Back My Heart?

Sp.

Which single, taken from the album True was released in 1983 and has gone on to be one of the most recognisable pop songs of all time, despite only reaching number two in the charts?  It features the lyric “These are my salad days”, a quote from Anthony and Cleopatra?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - British Prime Ministers

Pick a number from 1 - 10 to get your question and identify the British PM by name or title (where appropriate).

A year in one of their (possibly multiple) terms is given plus a clue.

1.

1775

Nicknamed 'Boreas'.

2.

1767

Known as The Great Commoner, because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.

3.

1855

A member of the Tory, Whig and Liberal parties. The first Liberal PM.

4.

1834

Irish-born Protestant but introduced the Catholic Emancipation Act.

5.

1868.

Oldest person to serve as prime minister.

6.

The phrase "Bob's your uncle" is thought to have derived from his appointment of his nephew, as Minister for Ireland.

7.

1922.

First PM born outside the British Isles.

8.

1906

The first First Lord of the Treasury to be officially called 'Prime Minister'.

Sp1

1852

The longest serving leader of the Conservative Party.

Sp2

1868

Invented the political novel.

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - 'It's a Punny Old World'

A bit of light relief after the drinks break - a set of General Knowledge questions with an extra clue in the form of a pun on the answer

1.

What is the title of the 1975 film starring Warren Beatty as a promiscuous hairdresser?

&
Another name for a fake stool.

2.

What 8-letter word that begins and ends with the same letter, is a sudden blast of wind descending from a mountainous coast to the sea?

&
This could be a euphemism for men fighting about their manhood.

3.

What is the more common name for the Intertropical Convergence Zone?

&
These could be the instruments of choice of, for instance, Barbie or Sindy.

4.

A resort on the south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula at the southern terminus of the A499;

&
This could be the abbreviation for the fan club of a 1970's Eurovision winner.

5.

What is the surname of the composer who attempted suicide by throwing himself from a bridge into the Rhine and then spent the rest of his life in an asylum for the insane?

&
This could describe Christian Louboutin.

6.

What is the surname of the composer whose 5th symphony is nicknamed Reformation?

&
An offspring of the 'Father of genetics'.

7.

What is the title of M People's single that begins "Ain't love, ain't love, ain't love a surprise"?

&
pinkeye_cures.com could be described as this.

8.

Which song performed by Rocky Sharpe and the Replays is referenced in We Go Together, the final song in the musical Grease?

&
This could be a punch-up between a king of Thailand and a buddhist spiritual leader.

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - Run-ons

Usual caveats – if in doubt, ignore indefinite or definite articles

1.

2022 novel by Gabriel Zevin which takes its title from the 2nd line of Macbeth’s most famous soliloquy;

&
1997 spy thriller, the 18th in the James Bond franchise and second with Pierce Brosnan as star.

2.

Arsenal and England defensive midfielder;

&
Misleadingly named Jamaican recipe, typically served as a side dish to meat and seafood.

3.

2001 John Le Carré thriller about corrupt international pharmaceutical firms, set in Kenya and made into a 2005 film starring Ralph Fiennes;

&

Television show which has run on BBC since 1968 with presenters including Percy Thrower, Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don

4.

&
Syrupy 1983 hit single for Cyndi Lauper.

5.

America’s 39th President, the first and only President to live to 100 years old;

&
English indie rock band formed in Lambeth in 1987 whose hits include Sheriff Fatman and The Only Living Boy in New Cross.

6.

1983 musical by Willy Russell examining the question of nature versus nurture;

&
1880 novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky exploring questions of God, free will and morality.

7.

England international cricketer who made his debut in 2018 and was test vice-captain until he lost the role to current holder Harry Brook;

&
Robert Francis Prevost.

8.

UK and US chart topping 1969 single by the Rolling Stones;

&
1988 dark absurdist comedy written and directed by Pedro Almodovar.

Sp.

Labour’s longest serving Prime Minister (to date);

&

1999 low budget 'found footage' horror movie hit, made for less than $1 million which grossed $250 million.

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the most popular cultivar of the European pear worldwide?  It can be used to make an eau de vie of the same name, sometimes with the pear grown inside the bottle.

2.

Which group 1 metallic element sits between Krypton and Strontium in the periodic table?  It was first identified by Bunsen and named for the colour it emitted when it was discovered using flame spectroscopy.

3.

What name, with its origins as a descriptor of a metalworker, is shared by an outspoken LBC radio host; an industrialist sometimes called 'The Drake'; and a French model with the dubious fame of having been 'the woman with the largest breast implants in the world'?

4.

What name, with its origins as a descriptor of the Virgin Mary, is shared by Carmen’s main female companion in the eponymous opera; the daughter of an Austro-Hungarian Industrialist; and the American Actress who won an Academy Award in The Fisher King?

5.

Who is the current manager of the Jamaican national football team?  The Reggae Boyz are at risk of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in many years.

6.

What is the 1915 tone poem by Richard Strauss that was his final work purely for orchestra?  It includes segments called Sunrise and The Ascent, and there is a tumultuous storm sequence.

7.

Just before Doug Ellis handed control to Randy Lerner in 2006, he appointed a manager who would take the club to 6th place in three successive seasons.  Which club and which manager?

8.

Which traditional pub name is thought to refer to the papal decree defied by Henry VIII?

Sp1

What is the German word for ‘clean’?  The origins have the same etymological roots as ‘without intoxication’.

Sp2

What is the most commercially popular cultivar of avocado worldwide?

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - Announced theme - 'Crusties Beware'

All of the following questions feature things that have happened in the last 5 years, so those who were expecting Tristam Shandy, Wagner’s Ring Cycle and the real name of Joan Crawford to feature will have to be on their guard!

1.

Who received her first Oscar nomination this year, an unbelievable 81 years after her mother won the first of her three?

2.

The song Golden reached No.1 in the UK this year, and the animated film it was taken from became Netflix’s most watched title ever.  From which country did the film and fictional band come from?

3.

After a total of 56 episodes, which ITV drama ended on January 2nd of this year?  Running for 14 years, it has featured many actors who would go on to be famous Hollywood stars in minor roles, such as Wunmi Mosaku, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Cush Jumbo?

4.

Who received their second Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year?  They were portraying someone who is still alive, currently aged 84.  The actor's first Oscar nomination in 2018 when they were aged 22 made them the youngest man to be nominated for best Actor since before World War II.

5.

What organic food company was founded in 1991 by Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley?  The answer can be found by taking the names of the opposing sides in the House of the Dragon television series.

6.

After a total of 36 episodes, which critically acclaimed BBC television series concluded on May 2nd 2021, 9 years after it was first broadcast?  The 3 main actors were with it throughout the show’s run, and were from Greenock, Nottingham and County Fermanagh.

7.

Which singer set a new Guinness World record when she spent a total of 21 weeks at number 1 in 2024, with 3 different songs?  She shares her surname with an American duo who were amongst the best-selling artists of all time?

8.

The recipient of the 2024 Booker prize novel was the author Samantha Harvey, for her recent novel, which at 136 pages was one of the shortest ever to win.  It was the first novel in the history of the Booker prizes to be set where?

Sp.

Born in 1954, Laszlo Krasznahorkai is only the second person from which country to win the Nobel prize for Literature, when he did so this year?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

ROUND 1 - Hidden theme

1.

Which Dickens novel follows the life of a boy born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, six months after the death of his father?

David Copperfield

2.

Which song, originally released as a single by Fleetwood Mac in 1968, found greater fame in a version released by Santana two years later?

Black Magic Woman

3.

Which Thomas Mann novel is set in a sanatorium in the Swiss alps town of Davos, later to become the playground of the global elite?

The Magic Mountain

4.

Which symphonic poem completed in 1897 by Paul Dukas is best known as the musical score for a segment of the 1940 feature film Fantasia?

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

5.

Originally recorded in 1956 by 'Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, which song has been covered by Annie Lennox, Creedence Clearwater Revival and, most famously, Nina Simone?

I Put A Spell On You

6.

Shaquille O’Neill played for which Florida-based NBA team from 1992-1996?

Orlando Magic

7.

Which 65 year old actor has been nominated for five Best Actor Oscars, and has won twice – for Mystic River in 2004 and Milk in 2009?

Sean Penn

8.

What name links a helicopter used by the Royal Navy since 1997; an array of radio telescopes spread across England and run from Jodrell Bank; and a species of falcon?

Merlin

Sp.

Which Hungarian-American physicist is known as the 'Father of the hydrogen bomb' and is rumoured to be one of the inspirations for Dr Strangelove?  He was also one of the first scientists to raise concerns about climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels.

Edward Teller

Theme: Magic and magicians

ROUND 2 - Paired

1.

Which European nation’s people do the Italians call the ‘Tedeschi’?  A name with similar etymology to that nation’s own description of themselves, meaning literally ‘of the people’.

The Germans

2.

Which European ethnic group call themselves the Euskaldunak (Yoos-kahl–doo-nahk) meaning ‘those who speak their own language’?  This is literally true, as Euskara is the only ‘language isolate’ in Europe; i.e. unrelated to any other languages.

The Basques

3.

Which Austrian composer sounds as though he could have been one of Australia’s greatest opening batsmen?  Just the surname will do.

Josef Haydn

(Matthew Hayden)

4.

Which South African batsman who retired from Test Cricket last year shares his name with an English Composer?  Just the surname will do.

5.

Who is the current regular BBC North West reporter who (with a hint of nominative determinism), once led a report from a petrol station during a fuel crisis?

Phil McCann

6.

With a hint of nominative determinism, how was Neil Hopper in the news last month?

He is the surgeon who had his own legs amputated as part of insurance fraud

(a complex fetish for which he was found guilty last month - the defence didn’t have a leg to stand on!!)

7.

Which town stands at the historically recognised lowest bridging point of the Trent, which made it a major crossing on the Great North Road, and a strategic prize during the Civil War?

Newark-on-Trent

8.

The lack of a reliable crossing over the Severn in an area of low-lying waterlogged land led the Lancastrians to be hemmed into which town, leading to their decisive defeat during the War of the Roses?

Tewkesbury

Sp1

Once Britain’s rarest bird of prey, this species was reduced to a single nesting female in the 1970s before recovering through fenland and reed-bed conservation efforts to at least 600 pairs in 2025. What bird is it?

Marsh Harrier

Sp2

Which mammal has recently been reintroduced to Exmoor following successful efforts on Dartmoor, Forest of Dean and in Mid Wales?

Pine Marten

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - Hidden theme

1.

Sharing its name with the first name of a character in a long running American television series, by what 4-letter acronym is the rapid transit system in San Francisco better known?

BART

2.

Divided into 4 sections named: ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid, which organ of the human body has an average length of 166cm in males and 155cm in females?

Colon

3.

Released in 2004, the first after the departure of Bryan McFadden, what was the title of Westlife’s first cover album? The title of the album is itself a pun, with the following double meaning:

a) Please may we be honest and truthful

b) Please may we sing in the style of a famous member of the Rat Pack

Allow Us To Be Frank

4.

Under what name did the actor who starred in the films Boogie Nights, Planet of the Apes, The Fighter and The Departed release his hit singles? The most famous is Good Vibrations (unrelated to the Beach Boys single of the same name).

Marky Mark

5.

What was the surname of the title character in the film which won the Oscar for best picture in 1976?  Four of the actors who starred in it were nominated for acting awards, including Burt Young and Buster Merriwether.

Balboa

6.

Under what name did the woman born Alisa Rosenbaum in St Petersburg in 1905, release her novels?  They include The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

Ayn Rand

7.

Which famous castle has been besieged at least 8 times over the course of history, most recently in 1746?  It hosted Mary Queen of Scots’ coronation in 1543, and was where her son James VI was baptised.

Stirling

8.

Theresa Bazar was half of which duo who scored hits in the 70s and 80s including Mirror, Mirror and Give Me Back My Heart?

Dollar

Sp.

Which single, taken from the album True was released in 1983 and has gone on to be one of the most recognisable pop songs of all time, despite only reaching number two in the charts?  It features the lyric “These are my salad days”, a quote from Anthony and Cleopatra?

Gold

Theme: Each answer contains the name, or the sound of the name, of a currency ...

Baht – Thailand; Colon – Costa Rica; Frank – Cameroon, Chad, Congo, etc; Balboa – Panama; Mark – Bosnia Herzegovina, etc;

Rand – South Africa; Stirling – UK; Dollar – Australia etc; Gold - Zimbabwe

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - British Prime Ministers

Pick a number from 1 - 10 to get your question and identify the British PM by name or title (where appropriate).

A year in one of their (possibly multiple) terms is given plus a clue.

1.

1775

Nicknamed 'Boreas'.

Frederick/Lord North

(Boreas = North Wind)

2.

1767

Known as The Great Commoner, because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.

William Pitt the Elder

3.

1855

A member of the Tory, Whig and Liberal parties. The first Liberal PM.

Henry (John) Temple / Viscount Palmerston

4.

1834

Irish-born Protestant but introduced the Catholic Emancipation Act.

Arthur Wellesley / Duke of Wellington

5.

1868.

Oldest person to serve as prime minister.

William Gladstone

6.

The phrase "Bob's your uncle" is thought to have derived from his appointment of his nephew, as Minister for Ireland.

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil / Marquess of Salisbury

(his nephew was Arthur Balfour).

7.

1922.

First PM born outside the British Isles.

(Andrew) Bonar Law

8.

1906

The first First Lord of the Treasury to be officially called 'Prime Minister'.

Henry Campbell-Bannerman

Sp1

1852

The longest serving leader of the Conservative Party.

Edward Smith-Stanley /

Earl of Derby.

Sp2

1868

Invented the political novel.

Benjamin Disraeli

(novels include Sybil, Vivian Grey and Coningsby)

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - 'It's a Punny Old World'

A bit of light relief after the drinks break - a set of General Knowledge questions with an extra clue in the form of a pun on the answer

1.

What is the title of the 1975 film starring Warren Beatty as a promiscuous hairdresser?

&
Another name for a fake stool.

Shampoo

(sham poo)

2.

What 8-letter word that begins and ends with the same letter, is a sudden blast of wind descending from a mountainous coast to the sea?

&
This could be a euphemism for men fighting about their manhood.

Willywaw

(Willy War)

3.

What is the more common name for the Intertropical Convergence Zone?

&
These could be the instruments of choice of, for instance, Barbie or Sindy.

Doldrums

(doll drums)

4.

A resort on the south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula at the southern terminus of the A499;

&
This could be the abbreviation for the fan club of a 1970's Eurovision winner.

Abersoch

(ABBA Soc.)

5.

What is the surname of the composer who attempted suicide by throwing himself from a bridge into the Rhine and then spent the rest of his life in an asylum for the insane?

&
This could describe Christian Louboutin.

Schumann

(shoe man)

6.

What is the surname of the composer whose 5th symphony is nicknamed Reformation?

&
An offspring of the 'Father of genetics'.

(Mendel's son)

7.

What is the title of M People's single that begins "Ain't love, ain't love, ain't love a surprise"?

&
pinkeye_cures.com could be described as this.

Sight for Sore Eyes

(Site for sore eyes)

8.

Which song performed by Rocky Sharpe and the Replays is referenced in We Go Together, the final song in the musical Grease?

&
This could be a punch-up between a king of Thailand and a buddhist spiritual leader.

Rama Lama Ding Dong

(Rama-Lama ding-dong)

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - Run-ons

Usual caveats – if in doubt, ignore indefinite or definite articles

1.

2022 novel by Gabriel Zevin which takes its title from the 2nd line of Macbeth’s most famous soliloquy;

&
1997 spy thriller, the 18th in the James Bond franchise and second with Pierce Brosnan as star.

To-morrow and to-morrow and To-morrow Never Dies

2.

Arsenal and England defensive midfielder;

&
Misleadingly named Jamaican recipe, typically served as a side dish to meat and seafood.

Declan Rice and peas

3.

2001 John Le Carré thriller about corrupt international pharmaceutical firms, set in Kenya and made into a 2005 film starring Ralph Fiennes;

&

Television show which has run on BBC since 1968 with presenters including Percy Thrower, Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don

4.

&
Syrupy 1983 hit single for Cyndi Lauper.

A Brief History of Time After Time

5.

America’s 39th President, the first and only President to live to 100 years old;

&
English indie rock band formed in Lambeth in 1987 whose hits include Sheriff Fatman and The Only Living Boy in New Cross.

Jimmy Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine

(accept James Carter / The USM)

6.

1983 musical by Willy Russell examining the question of nature versus nurture;

&
1880 novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky exploring questions of God, free will and morality.

Blood Brothers Karamazov

7.

England international cricketer who made his debut in 2018 and was test vice-captain until he lost the role to current holder Harry Brook;

&
Robert Francis Prevost.

Olly Pope Leo XIV

8.

UK and US chart topping 1969 single by the Rolling Stones;

&
1988 dark absurdist comedy written and directed by Pedro Almodovar.

Honky Tonk Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Sp.

Labour’s longest serving Prime Minister (to date);

&

1999 low budget 'found footage' horror movie hit, made for less than $1 million which grossed $250 million.

Tony Blair Witch Project

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - Hidden theme

1.

What is the most popular cultivar of the European pear worldwide?  It can be used to make an eau de vie of the same name, sometimes with the pear grown inside the bottle.

Williams

(sometimes known as Williams-Bon-Chretien, or the Bartlett pear)

2.

Which group 1 metallic element sits between Krypton and Strontium in the periodic table?  It was first identified by Bunsen and named for the colour it emitted when it was discovered using flame spectroscopy.

Rubidium (Rb)

QM please then state: for the theme, it is the chemical symbol that is required

3.

What name, with its origins as a descriptor of a metalworker, is shared by an outspoken LBC radio host; an industrialist sometimes called 'The Drake'; and a French model with the dubious fame of having been 'the woman with the largest breast implants in the world'?

Ferrari

(Nick, Enzo and Lolo.  Enzo achieved much with limited resources, as did Drake, hence his nickname; and perhaps Lolo achieved less despite substantial resources)

4.

What name, with its origins as a descriptor of the Virgin Mary, is shared by Carmen’s main female companion in the eponymous opera; the daughter of an Austro-Hungarian Industrialist; and the American Actress who won an Academy Award in The Fisher King?

Mercedes

(Carmen’s friend is just ‘Mercedes’; Mercedes Jellinek, The daughter of Emil Jellinek who patented for Daimler-Benz – she never owned a car; Mercedes Ruehl.)

5.

Who is the current manager of the Jamaican national football team?  The Reggae Boyz are at risk of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in many years.

Steve McLaren

(a most unlikely Reggae Boy – but with reference to the TV interview he did in a pseudo-Dutch accent when manager of FC Twente, who knows what could happen?)

6.

What is the 1915 tone poem by Richard Strauss that was his final work purely for orchestra?  It includes segments called Sunrise and The Ascent, and there is a tumultuous storm sequence.

An Alpine Symphony

(Eine Alpensinfonie)

7.

Just before Doug Ellis handed control to Randy Lerner in 2006, he appointed a manager who would take the club to 6th place in three successive seasons.  Which club and which manager?

Aston Villa; Martin O’Neill

8.

Which traditional pub name is thought to refer to the papal decree defied by Henry VIII?

The Bull

(various colour options including 'Red', so accept ‘The Red Bull’, or basically any old 'Bull')

Sp1

What is the German word for ‘clean’?  The origins have the same etymological roots as ‘without intoxication’.

Sauber

Sp2

What is the most commercially popular cultivar of avocado worldwide?

Hass

Theme: Each answer contains the name of a current Formula 1 team:

Williams, RB, Ferrari, Mercedes, Mclaren, Alpine, Aston Martin, Red Bull (RB - Racing Bulls - is different from Red Bull), Sauber and Haas

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - Announced theme - 'Crusties Beware'

All of the following questions feature things that have happened in the last 5 years, so those who were expecting Tristam Shandy, Wagner’s Ring Cycle and the real name of Joan Crawford to feature will have to be on their guard!

1.

Who received her first Oscar nomination this year, an unbelievable 81 years after her mother won the first of her three?

Isabella Rossellini

(Ingrid Bergman won 3, in 1944, 1956, 1974)

2.

The song Golden reached No.1 in the UK this year, and the animated film it was taken from became Netflix’s most watched title ever.  From which country did the film and fictional band come from?

South Korea

(K Pop Demon Hunters is the film, HUNTR/X is the band)

3.

After a total of 56 episodes, which ITV drama ended on January 2nd of this year?  Running for 14 years, it has featured many actors who would go on to be famous Hollywood stars in minor roles, such as Wunmi Mosaku, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Cush Jumbo?

Vera

4.

Who received their second Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year?  They were portraying someone who is still alive, currently aged 84.  The actor's first Oscar nomination in 2018 when they were aged 22 made them the youngest man to be nominated for best Actor since before World War II.

Timothy Chalamet

5.

What organic food company was founded in 1991 by Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley?  The answer can be found by taking the names of the opposing sides in the House of the Dragon television series.

Green and Blacks

6.

After a total of 36 episodes, which critically acclaimed BBC television series concluded on May 2nd 2021, 9 years after it was first broadcast?  The 3 main actors were with it throughout the show’s run, and were from Greenock, Nottingham and County Fermanagh.

Line of Duty

(rumours of plans for a final season persist)

7.

Which singer set a new Guinness World record when she spent a total of 21 weeks at number 1 in 2024, with 3 different songs?  She shares her surname with an American duo who were amongst the best-selling artists of all time?

Sabrina Carpenter

8.

The recipient of the 2024 Booker prize novel was the author Samantha Harvey, for her recent novel, which at 136 pages was one of the shortest ever to win.  It was the first novel in the history of the Booker prizes to be set where?

In space / On a space station

Sp.

Born in 1954, Laszlo Krasznahorkai is only the second person from which country to win the Nobel prize for Literature, when he did so this year?

Hungary

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers