Wednesday, March 18, 2015

17th March–The Questions

Quiz questions for March 17th 2015

Set By

The Weaver

Vetted by: British Flag and Church House Bollington

Specialist Rounds are :

History

Spelling Bee

Sport

Science

Mister Men

Geography

General Knowledge (explanation to follow !)

Arts and Entertainment

HISTORY

Q1 Which town, now a city, was bypassed by the U.K.'s first stretch of motorway in 1958?

A1 Preston (as part of the M6)

Q2 The U.S. state of Maryland was named in honour of the wife of which English king ?

A2 Charles I (Henrietta Maria)

Q3 Regent Street in London was named after which future king ?

A3 George IV (when he was Prince Regent during the madness of his father George III)

Q4 "The war of 1812" was a conflict between the U.K. and which other country ?

A4 U.S.A.

Q5 America gets its name from the name of which Italian explorer, navigator and cartographer ?

A5 Amerigo Vespucci

Q6 Who shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize along with Yasser Arafat and Shimon Perez ?

A6 Yitzhak Rabin

Q7 In office 1982-1991, who is the only Secretary General of the United Nations to have come from a southern hemisphere country ?

A7 Javier Perez de Cuellar (from Peru)

Q8 A decisive victory for Napoleon in 1805, by what other name is the Battle of Austerlitz known ?

A8 The Battle of the Three Emperors

Supplementary Questions

Q9 The historical novel Wolf Hall (& TV series) is named after the family home of which family ?

A9 The Seymours (accept Jane Seymour)

Q10 In what year was the Gregorian calendar adopted in Britain ?

A10 1752 (accept 1751 - 1753)

SPELLING BEE

Correctly spell the defined word.

Q1 Repugnant or loathsome - (pronounced Ab-hor-unt)

A1 Abhorrent

Q2 To remove most of the water from (pronounced Des-ick-ate)

A2 Desiccate

Q3 To improve, make better (pronounced Ah-meel-ee-or-ate)

A3 Ameliorate

Q4 The middle class, having conventional attitudes (pronounced Boor-joi-zee)

A4 Bourgeoisie

Q5 Having no balance or symmetry (pronounced Ass-ee-met-rick)

A5 Asymmetric

Q6 Deriving from a Germanic group of languages (pronounced Tew-ton-ic)

A6 Teutonic

Q7 A person knowledgeable about a subject (pronounced Ah-fiss-ee-on-ah-doh)

A7 Aficionado

Q8 A person who sets up a business in the hope of a profit (pronounced On-truh-prun-air)

A8 Entrepreneur

Supplementary Questions

Q9 To take the place of (pronounced Soop-a-seed)

A9 Supersede

Q10 Gruesome or revolting (pronounced Griz-lee)

A10 Grisly

SPORT

Q1 Great Leighs horse racing course closed in 2009 when placed into administration. Under what name has the course recently reopened ?

A1 Chelmsford City (accept Chelmsford)

Q2 Who currently is England's top run scorer in International one day cricket ?

A2 Ian Bell

Q3 In capacity terms, what is the second largest sporting venue in England after Wembley stadium ?

A3 Twickenham (82,000)

Q4 Who is the current PDC world darts champion ?

A4 Gary Anderson

Q5 The international Rugby Union team of which country is nicknamed "The Cherry Blossoms" ?

A5 Japan

Q6 Jockey Tony (A.P.) McCoy has recently announced that he is to retire at the end of the national Hunt season - how many career winners has he had as of 2nd March 2015

A6 4344 (accept 4304 - 4384)

Q7 Who is the current World Snooker champion ?

A7 Mark Selby

Q8 The modern Olympic Games are based on the annual games held in and around which Shropshire village - one of the London games mascots was named after it ?

A8 Much Wenlock (the mascot was Wenlock)

Supplementary Questions

Q9 Which stadium is the largest sporting venue (in capacity terms) in Scotland ?

A9 Murrayfield

Q10 How many points did the winner of the final race of the 2014 F1 season (in Abu Dhabi) receive ?

A10 50 (double points were awarded for this race)

SCIENCE

Q1 Orogeny is the name given to the process of formation of what physical features of the planet ?

A1 Mountains

Q2 The name of what class of creatures is formed from two Greek words meaning "Both kinds of life" ?

A2 Amphibians

Q3 Which mammals belong to the order Chiroptera ?

A3 Bats (Chiroptera - literally "hand wing")

Q4 Caused by excessive twisting movements of the hand, what is the common name for Lateral Epicondylitis ?

A4 Tennis Elbow

Q5 What is the popular name for the theoretical tunnels between two Black Holes or other points in space time ?

A5 Wormholes

Q6 What is the most abundant element in the Universe ?

A6 Hydrogen

Q7 In the list of elements Oxygen is one of the two names to contain the letter X. What is the other ?

A7 Xenon

Q8 Caused by the Chalara Fraxinea fungus, what common name has been given to the disease that is currently affecting millions of trees throughout Europe (including in the U.K.) ?

A8 Ash Dieback Disease (accept Dieback Disease)

Supplementary Questions

Q9 Found in the ear, what is the common name for the bone with the anatomical name Incus ?

A9 Anvil

Q10 The name of what element, atomic number 27, is derived from a German word meaning Goblin ?

A10 Cobalt

MISTER MEN

In this round all the answers are names prefixed by the word Mr/Mister. e.g Rowan Atkinson's comedic alter ego would require the answer Mr. Bean

Q1 Current T.V. series, the eponymous character being played by Jeremy Piven

A1 Mr. Selfridge

Q2 Played by Nicholas Smith, the manager of the menswear and ladieswear departments at Grace Brothers store in T.V. sitcom "Are you being served?"

A2 Mr. Rumbold

Q3 Nickname of Manchester based solicitor Nick Freeman, best known as a celebrity lawyer specialising in traffic and speeding offences

A3 Mr. Loophole

Q4 Professional name of Macclesfield born Paul Oldfield, who, according to his promotional literature, is the "world's only performing professional flatulist", Simon Cowell once describing him as a "disgusting creature" on a T.V. talent show.

A4 Mr. Methane

Q5 The name of the fox in Beatrix Potter's book published in 1912 ?

A5 Mr. Tod

Q6 Robert Donat won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of this schoolteacher/headmaster in 1939

A6 Mr. Chips

Q7 The name of the mastermind character played by Noel Coward in the 1969 film "The Italian Job"

A7 Mr. Bridger

Q8 Bob Dylan song gave The Byrds a U.K. No. 1 hit in 1965

A8 Mr. Tambourine Man

Supplementary Questions

Q9 Name of the racehorse that won the 1990 Aintree Grand National in the record time of 8 minutes 47.8 seconds

A9 Mr. Frisk

Q10 Voiced by American comedian Don Rickles one of the toys in the Toy Story film series - the first ever toy advertised on television (in the U.S. in 1952)

A10 Mr. Potato Head

Q11 Nickname of Derrick Evans, fitness instructor who rose to fame on the breakfast T.V. show GMTV

A11 Mr Motivator

Q12 Children's book and animated T.V. series character, lived at 52 Festive Rd, London

A12 Mr. Benn

GEOGRAPHY

Q1 Gaborone is the capital of which African country ?

A1 Botswana

Q2 In which Irish province does Dublin lie ?

A2 Leinster

Q3 Which country is the world's largest landlocked country ?

A3 Kazakhstan

Q4 There are only two doubly landlocked countries in the world (i.e. surrounded by countries that themselves are landlocked). Uzbekistan is one, what is the other ?

A4 Liechtenstein

Q5 Though variations and dialects are spoken, which country is the only South American country to have English as its official language ?

A5 Guyana

Q6 Which city stands at the head of the Gulf of Finland ?

A6 St. Petersburg

Q7 Which mountain range forms the traditional boundary between Asia and Europe? (extends for some 2500 kms between the Arctic Ocean and the Caspian Sea)

A7 The Urals

Q8 Which federal territory of Canada, whose name means "great river" in the indigenous language, was the scene of a Gold Rush in 1896 ?

A8 Yukon Territory (do not accept Klondike)

Supplementary Questions

Q9 In which country do the rivers Tigris and Euphrates both rise ?

A9 Turkey

Q10 Mount Logan is the highest mountain in which country ?

A10 Canada

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

In this round each answer is a phrase or name beginning with "General" e.g. This year it will take place on 7th May the answer required would be General Election.

Q1 What is the name of the Dukes' car in the T.V. series Dukes of Hazzard ?

A1 General Lee

Q2 Formerly named the USS Phoenix, it met its end when sunk in 1982

A2 General Belgrano

Q3 Daytime soap opera on U.S. T.V. , the world's second longest running TV soap still in production (after Coronation St.)

A3 General Hospital

Q4 Named after an American Civil War soldier and found in the Sequoia National Park in California, it is claimed to be the world's largest single stem tree

A4 General Sherman

Q5 An enemy of Superman, a supervillain from Superman's home planet of Krypton, he first appeared in Adventure Comics in April 1961

A5 General Zod

Q6 Usually the final round in the T.V. panel game "Q.I." it led to a popular trivia book

A6 General Ignorance

Q7 The National Assembly and legislative body of the Church of England

A7 General Synod

Q8 The scientific theory developed by Einstein between 1907 and 1915

A8 General Relativity

Supplementary Questions

Q9 In the U.S. Navy the order that is the equivalent of Battle Stations in the Royal Navy

A9 General Quarters

Q10 Soldier, made his military reputation in China but died at the siege of Khartoum in 1885

A10 General Gordon

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT

Q1 Benjamin Britten's opera "Gloriana" was written to commemorate what event ?

A1 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Q2 "Music for the Royal Fireworks" was written by Handel whilst working for which British monarch ?

A2 George II

Q3 The Cesars are the equivalent of the U.S. Oscars in which country ?

A3 France

Q4 Which U.K. singer/songwriter won four Grammy awards in Los Angeles earlier this year (Feb 8th) ?

A4 Sam Smith

Q5 In which European city is Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" set ?

A5 Vienna

Q6 Perhaps best known as a tourist destination, in which city were both Pablo Picasso and Antonio Banderas born ?

A6 Malaga

Q7 The T.V. sitcom "the Green Green Grass" is a spin off from which other sitcom ?

A7 Only Fools and Horses

Q8 Which BBC1 police drama series starred Richard Griffiths as Henry Crabbe, a policeman and chef in the fictional town of Middleton ?

A8 Pie in the Sky

Supplementary Questions

Q9 Which actor plays the role of Alfred Hitchcock in the 2012 film "Hitchcock"

A9 Sir Anthony Hopkins

Q10 Mrs Lovett's pie shop features in which musical ?

A10 Sweeney Todd

Q11 What name has been given to Anthony Gormley's display of 100 cast iron figures found on Crosby beach, facing out to the sea ?

A11 Another Place

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Q1 What is the first sign of the Zodiac ?

A1 Aries

Q2 We have recently entered the Chinese New Year. It is now the year of which creature ?

A2 Sheep (also accept Ram or Goat - there seems to be some confusion - even amongst the Chinese population)

Q3 Three African countries border Lake Victoria. Uganda and Kenya are two , what is the third ?

A3 Tanzania

Q4 The current U.K. £1 coin is composed of 70% copper, 5,5% nickel, and 24.5% of what other metal ?

A4 Zinc

Q5 Louise Redknapp (nee Nurding) was a member of which group until 1995 ?

A5 Eternal

Q6 Ned Rocknroll is the current husband of which Oscar winning actress ?

A6 Kate Winslett

Q7 In ancient Egypt who was ruler of the underworld and judge of the dead ?

A7 Osiris

Q8 The ritual of Suttee (or Sati) was banned in India some years ago. What form did the ritual take ?

A8 A recently widowed woman committing suicide by fire, typically on her husband's funeral pyre

Q9 The name of what insect is derived from the Spanish for "small fly"

A9 Mosquito

Q10 In which country was cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins born ?

A10 Belgium

Q11 Which film studio's logo features a number of searchlights scanning the sky around the name of the studio ?

A11 20th Century Fox (accept Fox or 21st Century Fox)

Q12 With which "boyband" did Justin Timberlake come to prominence ?

A12 NSYNC

Q13 What colour is the central cross on the flag of Norway ?

A13 Blue

Q14 Which motor vehicle maker is the parent company of Rolls Royce Motors ?

A14 B.M.W.

Q15 Pharology is the study of what type of buildings and their construction ?

A15 Lighthouses (as in the Pharos of Alexandria)

Q16 The word Sauna is derived from the language of which country ?

A16 Finland

Q17 Who wrote the book "Ring of Bright Water", a book about how the author raised an otter ?

A17 Gavin Maxwell

Q18 Who wrote the book "Cujo", a psychological thriller about a rabid dog ?

A18 Stephen King

Q19 In the medical procedure C.P.R. for what does the letter "P" stand ?

A19 Pulmonary (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)

Q20 As in the Government Department DEFRA, for what does the letter "F" stand ?

A20 Food (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)

Q21 What is the oldest equestrian weekly magazine ?

A21 Horse and Hound

Q22 Which financial and political newspaper was first published in 1843 by James Wilson ?

A22 The Economist

Q23 "God and my Right" is the motto of the British monarch. In what language is it written ?

A23 French (Dieu et mon Droit)

Q24 Which Czech athlete, considered by many to be the greatest distance runner of all time, won the 5000 metres, 10000 metres and the marathon at the 1952 Olympic games in Helsinki (just for good measure his wife won the ladies javelin event at the same games)?

A24 Emil Zatopek

Q25 In which city does the European Central bank have its H.Q. ?

A25 Frankfurt

Q26 The cathedral of which city has the tallest church spire in the U.K. ?

A26 Salisbury

Q27 What colour is the Northern Line on the London Underground map ?

A27 Black

Q28 Which line on the London Underground map is coloured green ?

A28 District Line

Q29 Charlotte Edwards is the current captain of the England team in which sport ?

A29 Cricket (Ladies)

Q30 Sean O'Laughlin is the current captain of the England team in which sport ?

A30 Rugby League

Q31 Which group was named as the Best British group at the recent Brit awards ceremony

A31 Royal Blood

Q32 Which group was named as the Best International group at the recent Brit awards ceremony ?

A32 Foo Fighters

Q33 Brian Lara, Trevor McDonald, Nicki Minoj, and Winifred Atwell were all born on which West Indian island ?

A33 Trinidad

Q34 The final resting place of former P.M. Harold Wilson, St Mary's is the main island in which island group ?

A34 Scilly Isles

Q35 Which well known word literally means "Sailor of the stars" ?

A35 Astronaut

Q36 The name of which famous pop group also means "God the Father" in Hebrew ?

A36 ABBA

Q37 What political office was offered to and declined by Albert Einstein in 1952 ?

A37 Presidency of Israel

Q38 The NASA spacecraft Messenger was launched in 2004 to investigate which planet ? It will complete its mission later this year and crash onto the planet.

A38 Mercury

Q39 In which city did the Beatles give their last scheduled public performance ?

A39 San Francisco

Q40 Who was the first sports person to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year twice ?

A40 Henry Cooper

Q41 In what decade was Cardiff proclaimed as capital of Wales ?

A41 1950's (1955)

Q42 Which U.K. city was nicknamed "The Athens of the North" during the 18th century ?

A42 Edinburgh

Q43 Which company is the largest private employer in the U.S.A. ?

A43 Walmart

Q44 Which country is the world's largest producer of sugar ?

A44 Brazil

Q45 Which rock band wrote and performed the music for the cartoon series "South Park" ?

A45 Primus

Q46 "Good Morning U.S.A." is the theme tune to which satirical animated TV show ?

A46 American Dad

Q47 Which novel by Wilkie Collins is generally considered to be the first English language detective novel ?

A47 The Moonstone

Q48 Ernest Hemingway's novel "A Farewell to Arms" is set in which conflict ?

A48 World War One

Q49 Which Manchester art gallery reopened in February after a major refurbishment ?

A49 The Whitworth

Q50 Who is the author of the Inspector Rebus novels, upon which the T.V. series was based ?

A50 Ian Rankin

Q51 Which T.V. presenter is nicknamed "Captain Slow" ?

A51 James May

Q52 The name of which Italian cheese translates to "beautiful country" ?

A52 Bel Paese

Q53 On what river does Hereford lie ?

A53 Wye

Q54 Which motorway links the M6 to Telford and is the only motorway in Shropshire ?

A54 M54

Q55 What type of creature is a Belted Galloway ?

A55 Beef Cattle (accept cow)

Q56 What collective noun is used to describe huge flocks of Starlings that gather prior to going to roost ?

A56 Murmurations

Q57 Beagle 2, the probe thought to have crash landed on Mars 11 years ago has recently been found though not fully deployed. The probe was the brainchild of which British scientist ?

A57 Colin Pillinger

Q58 Oscar nominated in eight categories what is the title of the film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as British computer scientist and mathematician Alan Turing ?

A58 The Imitation Game

Q59 From what part of the cinnamon tree is the spice cinnamon obtained ?

A59 The bark

Q60 In which country is the Great Bear lake ?

A60 Canada

Q61 Philip Tracy is a noted designer of what fashion item ?

A61 Hats

Q62 The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) has its H.Q. in which Swiss city ?

A62 Lausanne

Q63 Who founded the Comic Relief charity along with Lenny Henry ?

A63 Richard Curtis

Q64 Anne Kirkbride who sadly died earlier this year had four different character surnames whilst appearing in Coronation Street - Hunt, Barlow, and Rachid are three, what is the other ?

A64 Langton

Q65 The currency of Algeria is the Algerian ____ what ?

A65 Dinar

Q66 The currency of Afghanistan is the Afghan ____ what ?

A66 Afghani

Q67 The Carnac stones, one of the most extensive Neolithic menhir (standing stone) collections in the world, are located in which country ?

A67 France

Q68 The archaeological site Chichen Itza is in which country ?

A68 Mexico

Q69 What type of creature lives in a form ?

A69 Hare

Q70 Racehorse shoes are normally made from what metal ?

A70 Aluminium

Q71 In the sport of surfing who or what are known as "Men in Grey Suits" ?

A71 Sharks

Q72 Bamako is the capital of which African country ?

A72 Mali

Q73 What links a U.S. state capital, Bill Clinton and William Hague ?

A73 Jefferson (Jefferson City - state capital of Missouri, Jefferson is the middle name of both Clinton and Hague)

Q74 Pollex is the medical name for what part of the body ?

A74 Thumb

Q75 What rank in the British Army is equivalent to the R.A.F.'s air commodore ?

A75 Brigadier

Q76 Which rank in the Royal Navy is equivalent to sergeant in both the army and the Royal Air Force ?

A76 Petty Officer

Q77 By what name are inhabitants of Sydney known ?

A77 Sidneysiders

Q78 By what name are inhabitants of Leeds known ?

A78 Loiners

Q79 Who is the current Prime Minister of Australia ?

A79 Tony Abbott

Q80 Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of what country ?

A80 Denmark

Q81 What number, representing neutral on the P.H. Scale, is the “cut-off” point between acidity and alkalinity ?

A81 Seven (below seven is acid, above seven is alkaline, seven is neutral)

Q82 Who was the last British monarch to be succeeded by a sibling ?

A82 Edward VIII (succeeded by George VI)

Q83 Den Grimme Aeling is the original Danish title of which of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales ?

A83 The Ugly Duckling

Q84 Which actor/comedian had a U.K. top ten hit single with a musical version of The Ugly Duckling in 1975 ?

A84 Mike Reid

Q85 Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the current captain of which country's international football team ?

A85 Sweden

Q86 What nationality is Sunderland manager Gus Poyet ?

A86 Uruguayan

Q87 How many years of marriage does a crystal wedding celebrate ?

A87 15

Q88 How many years of marriage does a coral wedding celebrate ?

A88 35

Q89 Who said "Anyone who sees and paints a sky green and fields blue ought to be sterilised" ?

A89 Adolf Hitler

Q90 To what was 18th century French painter Francois Boucher referring when he said it was "too green and badly lit" (trop verte et mal eclairee) ?

A90 Nature

Q91 In medieval England rents were sometimes paid with the dried berries of which condiment ?

A91 Peppercorns

Q92 In historical military and political terms the word "Conchie" is short for which phrase ?

A92 Conscientious Objector

Q93 Which element, one of the Noble gases, is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere

A93 Argon

Q94 In the list of elements mercury is one of the two elements that have names ending with "Y", what is the other ?

A94 Antimony

Q95 What child's plaything is known as a "Teeter-Totter" in most of the U.S.A. ?

A95 See-Saw

Q96 The first ten amendments to the U.S. constitution are popularly known by what title ?

A96 Bill of Rights

Supplementary Questions

Q1 Name either of the two countries separated by the Gulf of Bothnia ?

A1 Sweden/Finland

Q2 Who is the current presenter of T.V.'s "Points of View" ?

A2 Jeremy Vine

Q3 In which German city does the car maker Porsche have its H.Q. ?

A3 Stuttgart

Q4 In Mary Shelley's novel what is Dr. Frankenstein's first name ?

A4 Victor

Q5 Which newspaper is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper ?

A5 The Observer

Q6 "Wookieepedia" is an online reference site dedicated to followers of what film series ?

A6 Star Wars

Q7 World War Two food rationing in the U.K. finally ended in what year ?

A7 1954 (accept 1953 - 1955)

Q8 What is measured by means of a pluviometer ?

A8 Rainfall

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

10th March–The Questions

 

 

 

All questions set by the Dolphin Dragons,

And vetted by

The Bate Taverners and the Lamb Shanks

(With the exception of round 5, specialist, which was an emergency substitution for the original round on Wales – as we had one of those this last week! The situation was not helped by my being away at the weekend. EH)

The specialist rounds are:

History

Arts & Entertainment

Sports (famous for one thing only)

Science

Quiz Teams

A Fantastic Round

Geography

Fathers and Children


Round 1.History

1.Who was the 1st English Prince of Wales?

Edward II

2. Where in WW2 were we going to hang up our washing?

On the Siegfried Line

3. Who was PM at the time of the Suez crisis?

Anthony Eden

4. What relation were William and Mary, besides husband and wife?

First cousins

5. What was the name of the WW2 project for sending a pipeline under the ocean?

PLUTO

6. Who was Queen Victoria’s first Prime Minister?

Lord Melbourne

7. And her last?

Lord Salisbury

8. What was a mangonel?

A (huge) medieval catapult

Supplementaries

In which part of the British Empire did the Jamison Raid take place in the 1890s?

S. Africa

Sir Francis Drake famously referred to his raid on a Spanish port as ‘Singeing the King of Spain’s Beard.’ Which port?

Cadiz (According to Sellars and Yeatman in 1066 and All That, the said beard was the Spanish Mane)

Round 2. Arts & Entertainment

1. In Hamlet, what is the name of Hamlet’s uncle?

Claudius

2. In Twelfth Night, who is Olivia’s uncle?

Sir Toby Belch

3. In one of Jane Austen’s novels, who does Edmund Bertram marry?

Fanny Price

4. Which ballet is set in a toyshop?

Coppelia

5. What was the name of the BBC drama series of last year about a WWI field hospital?

The Crimson Field

6. Which was Roger Moore’s first Bond film?

Live and let die

7. Which Flemish artist painted The Garden of Earthly Delights?

Hieronymous Bosch

8. For what did Conchita Wurst become briefly famous in 2014?

Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest

Supplementaries

T.S. Eliot wrote a series of poems called the 4 quartets. Name one of them.

Burnt Norton, East Coker, the Dry Salvages, Little Gidding

What was the sub-title of the third (and final) Hobbit film?

The Battle of the Five Armies

Round 3. Sport : (Famous for one thing only)

You will get a name, a year and a clue – all you have to do is name the sport that was or should have been going on. Eg Jean van der Velde; 1999; a Scottish stream – Answer Golf

1. Peter Doohan; 1987; the result was a complete surprise, but the guy he defeated afterwards reflected that ‘nobody died’

Tennis. (He defeated 1985 and 1986 Wimbledon champion Boris Becker)

2. Michael Edwards; 1980; his British record still stands in this Olympic sport

Ski Jumping (He is better known as Eddie the Eagle)

3. Ivan Rovny, Gianluca Brambilla; 2014; a fist fight in Northern Spain

Cycling.( Well, yes, they were also fighting as the they rode the Vuelta de Espana; both were banned)

4. George Storey; 1923; on a white horse in NW London

Soccer. (He cleared the pitch at the ‘White Horse’ FA Cup Final)

5. Trenton Oldfield; 2012; the Thames, London

Rowing. (Should have been; he got in the way of the Boat Race)

6. Paul Lim; 1990; his record, the first of its kind to be televised will absolutely never be beaten

Darts. (he threw a 9 dart finish from 501)

7. Gary Pratt; 2005; he wasn’t even in the team, really,

Cricket. (He was the sub fielder who ran out Ricky Ponting at Trent Bridge in the 4th Ashes Test)

8. Kerri Strug; 1996; in Atlanta, where she could hardly walk

Gymnastics. (The one who did a gold medal winning vault with a dodgy ankle).

Supplementaries

Steven Bradbury; 2002, Salt Lake City

Short Track Speed Skating. (He was the back marker who won gold when the rest fell over)

Erica Roe; 1982; S England.

Rugby Union. (Streaker, observed by Steve Smith to have had Bill Beaumont’s backside on her chest.)

Round 4. Science

1. What is the name for a dangerous bulge in the wall of an artery?

An Aneurysm

2. What is the term for animals sleeping through the summer (as opposed to hibernation)

Estivation

3. Which bird flies from pole to pole in the course of a year?

The Arctic Tern

4. What is the lightest solid element?

Lithium

5. Which Scientific law did Flanders and Swan sum up as “heat cannot move from a cooler to a hotter (it can try it if it likes but it really better notter)”?

The 2nd law of thermodynamics (exact number required)

6. What is the name for the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?

Refraction

7. On which planet is the tallest mountain in the solar system?

Mars (Mons Olympos)

8. Which isotope is commonly used to date decayed organic matter?

Carbon 14 (again, exact number required)

Supplementaries

What did Tim Berners-Lee create?

The world-wide-web

Which planet has moons called Margaret and Belinda (among others)?

Uranus (characters from Much Ado about Nothing and the Rape of the Lock)

Round 5. Quiz Teams (each question relates to the name of a team playing in our leagues)

1. The Dolphin. A group of dolphins may be called a school. What is the more usual name?

A Pod

2 The Lamb. Who wrote the poem “Little Lamb who made thee?”

William Blake

3. The Robin Hood. In some versions of the story, Robin is said to be the Earl of… where?

Locksley

4. The Knot. The Knotty was the affectionate nickname for which railway?

The North Staffordshire

5. The Dolphin Dragons. What is the name of the dragon that Bilbo Baggins meets in The Hobbit?

Smaug

6. The Cock-a-2. On which continent does one find the majority of cockatoos?

Australasia

7. The Weaver. What is the name of the family that founded Quarry Bank Mill, Styal?

The Gregs

8. The Oxfford: the tower of which Oxford college hosts the Mayday ceremony, where the choir sings at the top of said tower?

Magdelene (pronounced Maudlin)

Supplementaries

The Waters Green Rams. Which sign of the zodiac is The Ram?

Aries

The British Flag. Which US state has the Union Flag on its own flag?

Hawaii

Round 6: A Fantastic Round

1. Who directed the trilogy of films based on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings?

Peter Jackson.

2. Which magical creatures did Victorian painter, Richard Dadds, mainly depict?

Fairies.

3. What magical property do the basilisk and Medusa share?

The ability to kill with a glance.

4. Who is the arch-enemy of Superman, who served as US President?

Lex Luther.

5. Which painter and poet depicted the supernatural in illustrations ranging from the Bible to Dante’s Inferno?

William Blake

6. Which fabled creature is a mixture of a lion and an eagle?

A Griffon (spelled various ways eg Gryffyn, but all pronounced roughly the same)

7. Who was Batman’s serving man (his batman)? (First name only is acceptable)

Alfred (Pennyworth)

8. Which series of films (No 3 out this year) is based on the books by Suzanne Collins?

The Hunger Games

Supplementaries

Who complied the Fantasia of Sea songs, so long a staple of the Proms?

Sir Henry Wood

Which fruit did Eric from Acacia Avenue eat to turn him into a superhero?

A Banana

Round 7. Geography

1.What is the capital of Vermont?

Montpelier

2. Which river flows through the beauty spot of Symmonds Yat?

The Wye.

3. Mount Goodwin Austin is more widely known as what?

K2

4. Augusta is the capital of which US state?

Maine

5. On which river does Lancaster stand?

The Lune

6. What, in physical geography, is an erratic?

A boulder which differs from the native rock amidst which it is found (having been brought there by glaciation)

7. And where would you find a fumerole?

On the side of a volcano (It’s a vent hole)

8. Which is the highest mountain in North America?

Mt McKinley (aka Denali, which is acceptable as an answer)

Supplementaries

What physical feature can be described as arcuate, cuspate, or birdsfoot?

A river delta

What is a Bergschrund?

A crevasse in a glacier (separating the moving ice from the fixed ice further up)

Round 8. Fathers and Children

You will be given the forenames of a father and his child, and their sphere of fame. Give the surname (eg. George and Robert, engineering. Stephenson – Mark and Isambard, also engineering, is a bit of a giveaway!)

1. Chris and Stuart, cricket.

Broad.

2. Harry and Matthew, puppetry.

Corbett

3. Gerard and Daphne, writing

Du Maurier

4. Derek and Scott, rugby

Quenell

5.Edward and Emilia, acting

Fox

6. Giles and Jacques, motor racing

Villeneuve

7. John and Julian, singers

Lennon

8. Peiter and Jan (that’s Yan), painting

Breughel

Supplementaries

Keki and Niko, motor racing (again!)

Rosberg

Henry and Jane, film

Fonda

 

1

Q

In nineteenth century America, what alias was the best known one of William Henry Bonney (aka McCarty) ?

A

Billy the Kid

2

Q

Which is the largest country with only one time zone?

A

China (it actually spans 5 but everyone has to use just the one!)

3

Q

Which was the last team to win the old Division 1?

A

Leeds United

4

Q

What was the currency of Lithuania before they adopted the Euro in January of this year?

A

The Litas

5

Q

Which series of books includes such characters as Mr Tumnus and Reepicheep?

A

The Chronicles of Narnia (by CS Lewis)

6

Q

What, in a church, is a squint?

A

An opening through the wall of a church in an oblique direction. (It either allows people sitting in the transepts to see what is going on at the high altar, or, if it’s in an outside wall, it allows those excluded (lepers, hermits, etc) to look in).

7

Q

Who was the only British PM to play first-class cricket?

A

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

8

Q

Who is Juan Carlos’s successor to the throne of Spain?

A

King Felipe

9

Q

Which British rock Group started in 1962 as the Spectres, but changed to the name they are known by in the late sixties?

A

Status Quo

10

Q

Which English King rode a horse called White Surrey?

A

Richard III

11

Q

Grant’s, Grevy’s and Burchell’s are all types of which animal?

A

Zebra

12

Q

Which is the only walled city in North America?

A

Quebec

13

Q

The nine handmaidens of Odin were collectively called?

A

The Valkyries

14

Q

From which musical does the song The Rainbow Tour come?

A

Evita

15

Q

Who encountered the flying island of Laputa?

A

Lemuel Gulliver

16

Q

Seven British "nations", ie. Representative Areas, took part in the Commonwealth Games last summer. Name one apart from England, Wales, Scotland and NI.

A

Jersey, Guernsey, IoM

17

Q

Which country has Podorica (Podgoreecha) as its capital?

A

Montenegro

18

Q

What is the claim to fame of Mia Tindall?

A

She is Zara and Mike Tindall’s daughter ( accept the queen’s great granddaughter)

19

Q

Who is depicted on the US $100 bill?

A

Benjamin Franklin

20

Q

In which film is the spaceship called Nostromo?

A

Alien

21

Q

Which equatorial island is the home of virtually the whole of the world’s population of Birds of Paradise?

A

New Guinea

22

Q

Which Shakespeare play features Beatrice and Benedict?

A

Much Ado about Nothing

23

Q

How many stars in the EU flag?

A

Twelve

24

Q

Which other Welsh sports star was in the same school year (in the same school!) as Gareth Bale?

A

Sam Warburton (personal note: my old school! Liz Horrocks!)

25

Q

In 1954, John Landy was the second man to do what?

A

Run a sub – 4 minute mile

26

Q

Who was the first king of Israel, as recorded in the Bible?

A

Saul

27

Q

In which city was the first performance of Handel’s Messiah?

A

Dublin.

28

Q

Which US President was born with the surname Blythe?

A

Bill Clinton

29

Q

Which river forms the Eastern part of the England /Scotland boundary?

A

The Tweed

30

Q

What was Victoria Beckham’s maiden name?

A

Adams

31

Q

Heartbreak Hotel stands on which thoroughfare?

A

Lonely Street

32

Q

What was a skyscraper, before the word came to be used for a building?

A

A sail, the topmost one on a tall ship

33

Q

What is happening at Guedelon, in Burgundy, as seen in the history/archaeology programme on BBC 2 last December?

A

Building a medieval (c1246) castle using the original methods. (The project started in 1997, and should take 25 yrs)

34

Q

Pete Sampras defeated Goran Ivaninovic twice in the Wimbledon Men’s Single’s final. Name one of the other 5 people he defeated in a Wimbledon final

A

Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Cedric Pioline, Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter

35

Q

Who is the new Greek Prime Minister?

A

Alexis Tsipras

36

Q

Which violinist was banned from skiing races for 4 years for race fixing?

A

Vanessa Mae

37

Q

In the 16th Century, what was a galliard?

A

A dance

38

Q

What does the adjective vulpine mean?

A

Foxlike

39

Q

And ovine?

A

Sheeplike

40

Q

In which classic SF book would you find the Eloi and the Morlocks?

A

The Time Machine (by H.G. Wells)

41

Q

Which book in the Bible comes immediately after Leviticus?

A

Numbers

42

Q

Which musical has Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart as major characters?

A

Chicago

43

Q

To which country does Norfolk Island belong?

A

Australia

44

Q

Which is the densest planet in the solar system?

A

Earth

45

Q

Whose statue is to join those of Churchill, Mandela and Lincoln in Parliament Square?

A

Gandhi

46

Q

What relation was Queen Victoria to her immediate predecessor on the British Throne?

A

Niece

47

Q

Which country took second place in the medal table of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, after England?

A

Australia

48

Q

UNHCR is the United Nations High Commission for what?

A

Refugees

49

Q

What took place in the UK for the first time on March 29th last year?

A

A same sex marriage (as opposed to a Civil Contract)

50

Q

What sort of fiction does Felix Francis write?

A

Thrillers (based around horse racing, as he is carrying on the work of his late father, Dick Francis)

51

Q

Child actress Mary Badham starred in which classic film of the 1960s?

A

To Kill a Mockingbird

52

Q

What do you call a locked case, where you can see the decanters but not use them?

A

A tantalus

53

Q

In which town was the first Butlin’s Holiday camp?

A

Skegness

54

Q

Who was the longest serving British Prime Minister of the twentieth century?

A

Margaret Thatcher

55

Q

In which city would you travel on the DART?

A

Dublin

56

Q

Who is presenting the new version of Stars in their Eyes?

A

Harry Hill

57

Q

What is made of sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate?

A

Gunpowder

58

Q

February 2nd is known as what in the USA?

A

Groundhog Day

59

Q

Who is believed to have written the Acts of the Apostles?

A

St Luke

60

Q

Which author wrote of such characters as Zaphod Beeblebrox and Slartibartfast?

A

Douglas Adams

61

Q

Who composed the symphonic poem, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, made famous by Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse (in Fantasia)?

A

Paul Dukas

62

Q

Rita Ora is the female judge on the current series of the Voice. Name one of the former female judges.

A

Jessie J or Kylie Minogue

63

Q

Why were the people of Guinea forbidden to eat bats toward the end of 2014 recently?

A

Because of the risk of spreading Ebola (this is how the recent outbreak is believed to have originated)

64

Q

Not counting Napoleon III (who was an Emperor, not a King) who was the last king to reign in France?

A

Louis Phillippe (1830 –1848)

65

Q

Which Saint has a flag that has a black background surmounted by a gold cross?

A

St David

66

Q

Which British butterfly shares its name with a punctuation mark?

A

The Comma

67

Q

What is the equivalent in the navy of a Field Marshal?

A

Admiral of the Fleet

68

Q

In which decade were league football matches last played in England on Christmas Day?

A

1950’s (1970's in Scotland)

69

Q

Who announced his engagement to Sophie Hunter after breaking the code in the Imitation Game?

A

Benedict Cumberbatch

70

Q

The recently released film, Paddington, is based on the works of which author?

A

Michael Bond

71

Q

Which is the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt?

A

Ceres

72

Q

Who, in Greek mythology were also known as the Erinyes?

A

The Furies

73

Q

Which Chancellor of the Exchequer was the first to be televised giving his budget speech?

A

John Major

74

Q

And who was the first Speaker of the House of Commons to be broadcast?

A

George Thomas

75

Q

Who captained the submarine Nautilus, according to Jules Verne?

A

Captain Nemo

76

Q

Which three times FI champion died in May last year?

A

Jack Brabham

77

Q

Which is the most northerly cricket ground on which a test match may be played(give town or name of ground)

A

Riverside Ground / Chester-le-Street (accept the home ground of Durham County Cricket)

78

Q

What is made of soda, lime and silica?

A

Glass

79

Q

Which veteran singer had his home searched by police while he was absent abroad?

A

Cliff Richard

80

Q

Who was famous for writing “plantation songs” such as the Old Folks at Home and Camptown Races?

A

Stephen Foster

81

Q

From which language do the words easel and yacht come?

A

Dutch.

82

Q

Gwyneth Paltrow played Lady Violet de Lesseps in which film that won a best film Oscar?

A

Shakespeare in Love

83

Q

Who did lawyer Amal Alamuddin marry last year?

A

George Clooney

84

Q

In the New Testament, who was the brother of Martha and Mary, who was raised from the dead?

A

Lazarus

85

Q

Who is the current Conservative chief whip (appointed July 2014)?

A

Michael Gove

86

Q

Which commonwealth country has Belmopan as its capital?

A

Belize

87

Q

If 1 is Scott, 2 Virgil, and 3 Alan, name either 4 or 5

A

4 is Gordon, 5, John (Thunderbirds)

88

Q

From which material does a house martin mainly build its nest?

A

Mud (and spit)

89

Q

Which Shakespeare play features the sisters Regan and Goneril?

A

King Lear

90

Q

Whose murder is to be solved in a game of Cluedo?

A

Dr Black

91

Q

A secret passage on the Cluedo board goes between the study and which other room?

A

The kitchen

92

Q

Who is the heroine of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio?

A

Leonora

93

Q

Who won best male actor at the Golden Globes in January?

A

Eddie Redmayne

94

Q

Jo Pavey won a gold medal at the 2014 European Games for which event?

A

10,000 metres

95

Q

What, in English church Architecture, is the name usually given to the style that is more usually called Romanesque in Europe?

A

Norman

96

Q

The Great Lakes drain into which river?

A

The St Lawrence

Supplementary Questions:

1

Q

Who was the Roman goddess of the hearth?

A

Vesta

2

Q

Which Sovereign state has a birth rate of zero?

A

Vatican City

3

Q

Two passenger planes were lost in 2014, with great loss of life. Which country were they from?

A

Malaysia

4

Q

Who captained the defeated Indian cricket team which toured England last summer?

A

M.S. Dhoni

5

Q

Who was placed 3rd in last summer’s football world cup?

A

The Netherlands

6

Q

Who was the only US President to have a PhD?

A

Woodrow Wilson