ROUND 1 - 'Childhood entertainment of past decades'

1.

Which adventure series of 39 episodes made for ITV in 1958, and with appropriate classical music as its theme tune, starred Conrad Phillips in the lead role?

2.

From 1949-1957, and with inappropriate classical music as its theme tune, The Lone Ranger ran for 221 episodes.  Which Mohawk actor played Tonto in 217 of them?

3.

Which Franco-German-made adventure series, starring Austrian actor Robert Hoffman in his film debut role, was first shown in the UK in 1965 as a 13-part series?  The theme music by Robert Mellin and Gian-Piero Reverberi remains evocative.

4.

Which East German film of 1957, based on the Grimm’s Brothers fairy tale Hurleburlebutz, was repackaged as a three-part children’s drama on BBC in 1964?  It has been claimed it was “one of the most frightening things ever shown on children’s television” and “indelibly carved on the psyches” of the viewers.

5.

Although only 13 episodes were ever made the 1974 children’s series Bagpuss remains well loved.  What four words ended every episode?

6.

Although only 14 episodes were ever made, this 1971 children’s series also remains well loved. Every episode included the line: “As if by magic the shopkeeper appeared”.  Name this programme.

7.

No teen movie of the 1980s was complete without an appearance of one or the other, and occasionally both, of the actors known as 'the two Coreys'.  What were their surnames?

8.

No teen movie of the 1980s was complete without the appearance of the red-haired Molly or the dark-haired Ally.  They both appeared in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club.  What were their surnames?

Go to Round 1 questions with answers

ROUND 2 - Announced theme - 'Golden British Winter Olympians'

Each answer contains the surname of a British Winter Olympics gold medal winner

1.

Which town in Somerset is known for its helicopter museum, and as the birthplace of John Cleese?

2.

Which singer was born Dino Paul Crocetti in 1917?  He was the father-in-law to the Beach Boy’s Carl Wilson, and actress Olivia Hussey.

3.

In which 1964 Elvis Presley film does he play the double role of Josh Morgan and Jodie Tatum?

4.

Which actor played Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show at the musical's 1973 London launch?

5.

Which footballer was born in Manchester in 1964 to a Manchester City goalkeeper?  However, he played most of his football down south and is now a regular pundit.

6.

Who is the author of the following couplet:

“The cow is of the bovine ilk
One end is moo, and the other milk”

7.

Which country singer, who died on New Year’s Day 1953 aged 29, had last recordings including Take These Chains From My Heart and Your Cheatin’ Heart?

8.

Which animated sitcom was launched in 1996 and featured a fourth grader with a football-shaped head who lives with his grandparents, Phil and Gertrude?

Sp.

Which North Lanarkshire town has a name translated as 'head of the moor'?

Go to Round 2 questions with answers

ROUND 3 - Geography from around the world - near and far, some wet and some dry

1.

Which Japanese city provided the only link to the outside world from 1639 to 1834?  The port retains a strong Dutch presence in its colonial buildings and gardens.

2.

The world's SECOND deepest sea trench reaches 10,820m at Horizon Deep.  It is named after which group of Pacific Islands which became independent in 1970?  The adjoining tectonic plate also has the same name.

3.

At 1043 feet high Great Hangman is the tallest sea cliff in England.  In which county can it be found?

4.

Church Flatts Farm is the farthest point from the sea in the UK at 70 miles.  In which county can it be found?

5.

At 34 miles, as the crow flies, which American state capital is the closest to the LAND border with Canada (therefore lakes, sea inlets, rivers are not included)?  It had been a capital of its territory even in pre-state days.

6.

Which American state capital has been a capital under three different flags before coming under the Stars and Stripes?  It is also the highest state capital above sea level at 7,199 ft.

7.

The web domain extension '.io' is often used for websites with a technical affiliation as a nod to the phrase 'input/output'.  As with all extensions it originally had a geographical link.  To where was it originally assigned?

8.

Which group of islands forms a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal and the sea to the east which shares the name of these islands?  They are currently an overseas territory of an Asian country.  They include some of the last tribes who are hostile to outside contact.

Sp.

Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is 20,549 feet high.  Which distinction does this unassuming volcano hold?

Go to Round 3 questions with answers

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Sarah Burton was the creative director of which fashion house from 2010-2023?

2.

Which property was looted and burned on August 24th, 1814?  Only three of many stolen artefacts were ever recovered.

3.

Which Grade II listed building houses the largest 'theatre in the round' in the world?

4.

Played by Gareth Hunt what was the character name of John Steed’s colleague in ITV’s The New Avengers 1976-77?  (surname sufficient)

5.

The 'Babes in the Wood' double child killer was sensationally cleared at his trial in 1987 but was convicted at re-trial in 2018 following the overturning of the 800-year-old double jeopardy law. Who was he?  (surname sufficient)

6.

Which double child killer was the first in the UK to be convicted in 1988 with DNA evidence following mass screening?  Paroled in 2021 after 37 years he was returned to prison after only four weeks.  (surname sufficient)

7.

What name connects:

a) a 1957 play by Samuel Beckett

b) the 2019 fourth instalment of the Avengers film series?

8.

What name connects:

a) a ballet by Ninette de Valois and Arthur Bliss,

b) the fourth novel in the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman?

Go to Round 4 questions with answers

ROUND 5 - 'February 14th'

Do quizzers get lots of Valentine Cards? Thought not. Here are eight loosely related questions on love, Valentines and other mythic beings instead

1.

St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of love.  In which month do Welsh speakers celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day as a time for romance?  (answer in English or Welsh)

2.

Valentine’s Brook is one of the 16 fences on the Grand National course of which 14 are jumped twice.  What is the number of the fence when jumped on the first circuit?

3.

The great Donna Summer had three top ten hits in 1977 with 'love' in the title including that summer’s mega No 1 hit.  Name any ONE of these.

4.

Two members of the 1960s band Aphrodite’s Child went on to have solo top 10 hits in the UK singles and albums charts in the 1970s.  Name ONE of them.

5.

In which Shakespeare play are Valentine and his friend Proteus the lead characters?

6.

The 1989 film Shirley Valentine based on the play by Willie Russell starred Pauline Collins in the title role.  Which late great actor played her husband Joe?

7.

Which presenter, who unfortunately shared his name with a serial killer, hosted Sunday Love Songs until 2024?

8.

The world’s first aluminium statue, often mistakenly known as 'The Statue of Eros', was cast as a memorial to which eminent Victorian?

Go to Round 5 questions with answers

ROUND 6 - 'Happy Chinese New Year!'

Each answer contains the name of one of the animals that appears in the Chinese New Year list

1.

Which was the most recent horse to win the Grand National in consecutive years?

2.

What was the name of the lawman played by John Wayne in the 1969 film True Grit?  It was his only Oscar win for Best Actor.  A sequel to True Grit starring Wayne and Katherine Hepburn in 1975 bears the name of this character.  (full name required for the points)

3.

Which 1960s American rock band derived its name from the practice of how (allegedly) Australian Aboriginals (First Peoples) stayed warm on very, very cold nights?

4.

Which band formed in 2002 includes Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley, and Matt Helders in its current line-up?

5.

What is the popular name of 'Aesculus hippocastanum' a large deciduous tree in the maple family commonly seen in parks in Great Britain and Ireland?

6.

What is the popular name for the Antirrhinum genus of plants?

7.

Give either the name, or the nickname of the real-life pub in Edinburgh frequented by Ian Rankin’s fictional Inspector Rebus.

8.

Which 2019 black comedy by Taika Waititi, nominated for Best Film Oscar, ends with the title character dancing to the song Heroes sung by David Bowie in German as the title credits roll?

Sp1

What is the title of Sony Pictures Animation sports comedy film released this week?  It features anthropomorphic animals playing a basketball like sport called roarball.

Sp2

In November 2021 PM Boris Johnson spoke to the CBI conference.  When losing his place in his speech he extemporised and praised a character he described as looking like a hairdryer, “or a Picasso-like hairdryer”.  Who was this character?

Go to Round 6 questions with answers

ROUND 7 - 'Winter Olympics - past and present'

Are you watching the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games?  A round on Winter Olympics past and present as they only happen every four years   

1.

Which TWO events make up the Nordic combined event at the Olympics?

2.

The sport of Snowboarding at this Olympics consists of FIVE different events.  They include Parallel Giant Slalom, Snowboard Cross, and Slopestyle.  Name EITHER of the other two remaining events.

3.

Which country has hosted the Winter Olympic Games on most occasions 1924-2026?

4.

Which country has won most medals in total in Winter Olympics 1924-2022?

5.

What is the most Southerly city to have ever hosted the Winter Olympics?

6.

Lucas Braathen became the first gold medallist in Winter Olympic history from South America when he won the men's Giant Slalom on 14th February.  Which country does he represent?

7.

The closing ceremony of the 2030 Winter Olympics is going to be held on the Mediterranean beach front.  In which city is this planned to take place?

8.

Can you name the two brown and white stoats that are the current Winter Olympic mascots for Milan and Cortina?  Claire Balding has been particularly fond of them.

Sp1

What word connects a current Winter Olympics sport with conquering groups of people mostly with Indian, Persian, or Turkish origin?

Sp2

What piece of sporting equipment used at the Winter Olympics costs about £600, weighs 20kg and is manufactured in only two factories in the world?

Sp3

Team GB had won 12 gold medals prior to this Winter Olympics.  Three had been in the Skeleton, four in Figure Skating and three in Curling.  Name the two other sports that historically we have won gold medals in prior to this Olympics?

Go to Round 7 questions with answers

ROUND 8 - Reverse pairs

1.

Only two US state capitals are located directly on the banks of the 2340-mile Mississippi River. Name EITHER.

2.

Which cosy crime Channel 4 drama series is a remake of a Franco-Belgian drama series called Astrid and Raphaelle but with the action relocated from Paris to York?

3.

Who was the first UK Prime Minister to have held office in the 20th Century to have also been born in the 20th Century?

4.

According to the Old Testament which priest played an important role in Israelite royal politics and, in alliance with Nathan the Prophet, anointed King Solomon?

5.

According to the Old Testament Eli the Priest was the first to recognise that God spoke directly to the boy he mentored in the temple.  That boy, the son of Hannah, became which great prophet?

6.

Who was the first US Vice President to have held office in the 20th Century to have also been born in the 20th Century?

7.

Which cosy crime ITV drama series is a remake of a Belgian drama series with the same name but with the action relocated from Antwerp to Cambridge?

8.

Only two current Asian capital cities are directly on the banks of the 3050-mile Mekong River.  Name EITHER.

Sp1

Which Asian city stands on the River Han?

Sp2

Which is the main town on the island of Mull?

Sp3

Give any year in the Eighty Years’ War.

Sp4

Who is the Tory MP for Central Devon hanging on with a 61 majority?

Sp5

In statistics what Greek symbol is used for standard deviation?

Go to Round 8 questions with answers

ROUND 1 - 'Childhood entertainment of past decades'

1.

Which adventure series of 39 episodes made for ITV in 1958, and with appropriate classical music as its theme tune, starred Conrad Phillips in the lead role?

(The Adventures of)

William Tell

2.

From 1949-1957, and with inappropriate classical music as its theme tune, The Lone Ranger ran for 221 episodes.  Which Mohawk actor played Tonto in 217 of them?

Jay Silverheels

3.

Which Franco-German-made adventure series, starring Austrian actor Robert Hoffman in his film debut role, was first shown in the UK in 1965 as a 13-part series?  The theme music by Robert Mellin and Gian-Piero Reverberi remains evocative.

(The Adventures of)

Robinson Crusoe

4.

Which East German film of 1957, based on the Grimm’s Brothers fairy tale Hurleburlebutz, was repackaged as a three-part children’s drama on BBC in 1964?  It has been claimed it was “one of the most frightening things ever shown on children’s television” and “indelibly carved on the psyches” of the viewers.

The Singing Ringing Tree

5.

Although only 13 episodes were ever made the 1974 children’s series Bagpuss remains well loved.  What four words ended every episode?

"But Emily loved him"

6.

Although only 14 episodes were ever made, this 1971 children’s series also remains well loved. Every episode included the line: “As if by magic the shopkeeper appeared”.  Name this programme.

Mr Benn

7.

No teen movie of the 1980s was complete without an appearance of one or the other, and occasionally both, of the actors known as 'the two Coreys'.  What were their surnames?

(Corey) Feldman &

(Corey) Haim

8.

No teen movie of the 1980s was complete without the appearance of the red-haired Molly or the dark-haired Ally.  They both appeared in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club.  What were their surnames?

(Molly) Ringwald &

(Ally) Sheedy

ROUND 2 - 'Golden British Winter Olympians'

Each answer contains the surname of a British Winter Olympics gold medal winner

1.

Which town in Somerset is known for its helicopter museum, and as the birthplace of John Cleese?

Weston-super-Mare

(Matt Weston)

2.

Which singer was born Dino Paul Crocetti in 1917?  He was the father-in-law to the Beach Boy’s Carl Wilson, and actress Olivia Hussey.

Dean Martin

(Christopher Dean)

3.

In which 1964 Elvis Presley film does he play the double role of Josh Morgan and Jodie Tatum?

Kissin' Cousins

(Robin Cousins)

4.

Tim Curry

(John Curry)

5.

Which footballer was born in Manchester in 1964 to a Manchester City goalkeeper?  However, he played most of his football down south and is now a regular pundit.

Lee Dixon

(Robin Dixon)

6.

Who is the author of the following couplet:

“The cow is of the bovine ilk
One end is moo, and the other milk”

Ogden Nash

(Tony Nash)

7.

Which country singer, who died on New Year’s Day 1953 aged 29, had last recordings including Take These Chains From My Heart and Your Cheatin’ Heart?

Hank Williams

(Amy Williams)

8.

Which animated sitcom was launched in 1996 and featured a fourth grader with a football-shaped head who lives with his grandparents, Phil and Gertrude?

Hey Arnold!

(Lizzie Yarnold)

Sp.

Which North Lanarkshire town has a name translated as 'head of the moor'?

Muirhead

(Eve Muirhead)

Go back to Round 2 questions without answers

ROUND 3 - Geography from around the world - near and far, some wet and some dry

1.

Which Japanese city provided the only link to the outside world from 1639 to 1834?  The port retains a strong Dutch presence in its colonial buildings and gardens.

2.

The world's SECOND deepest sea trench reaches 10,820m at Horizon Deep.  It is named after which group of Pacific Islands which became independent in 1970?  The adjoining tectonic plate also has the same name.

3.

At 1043 feet high Great Hangman is the tallest sea cliff in England.  In which county can it be found?

4.

Church Flatts Farm is the farthest point from the sea in the UK at 70 miles.  In which county can it be found?

5.

At 34 miles, as the crow flies, which American state capital is the closest to the LAND border with Canada (therefore lakes, sea inlets, rivers are not included)?  It had been a capital of its territory even in pre-state days.

6.

Which American state capital has been a capital under three different flags before coming under the Stars and Stripes?  It is also the highest state capital above sea level at 7,199 ft.

Santa Fe

(in New Mexico, and previously under the Spanish, Mexican and, for a brief period, the Confederate flag)

7.

The web domain extension '.io' is often used for websites with a technical affiliation as a nod to the phrase 'input/output'.  As with all extensions it originally had a geographical link.  To where was it originally assigned?

British Indian Ocean Territory

8.

Which group of islands forms a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal and the sea to the east which shares the name of these islands?  They are currently an overseas territory of an Asian country.  They include some of the last tribes who are hostile to outside contact.

Sp.

Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is 20,549 feet high.  Which distinction does this unassuming volcano hold?

It's the point of the earth's surface that's furthest from the centre of the earth

(due to our planet being an oblate sphere wider at the equator)

Go back to Round 3 questions without answers

ROUND 4 - Hidden theme

1.

Sarah Burton was the creative director of which fashion house from 2010-2023?

Alexander McQueen

2.

Which property was looted and burned on August 24th, 1814?  Only three of many stolen artefacts were ever recovered.

The White House

3.

Which Grade II listed building houses the largest 'theatre in the round' in the world?

Manchester Royal Exchange

4.

Played by Gareth Hunt what was the character name of John Steed’s colleague in ITV’s The New Avengers 1976-77?  (surname sufficient)

(Mike) Gambit

5.

The 'Babes in the Wood' double child killer was sensationally cleared at his trial in 1987 but was convicted at re-trial in 2018 following the overturning of the 800-year-old double jeopardy law. Who was he?  (surname sufficient)

(Russell) Bishop

6.

Which double child killer was the first in the UK to be convicted in 1988 with DNA evidence following mass screening?  Paroled in 2021 after 37 years he was returned to prison after only four weeks.  (surname sufficient)

(Colin) Pitchfork

7.

What name connects:

a) a 1957 play by Samuel Beckett

b) the 2019 fourth instalment of the Avengers film series?

Endgame

8.

What name connects:

a) a ballet by Ninette de Valois and Arthur Bliss,

b) the fourth novel in the Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman?

Checkmate

Theme: Each answer contains a chess term ...

Queen, White, Exchange, Gambit, Bishop, Fork, Endgame, Checkmate

Go back to Round 4 questions without answers

ROUND 5 - 'February 14th'

Do quizzers get lots of Valentine Cards? Thought not. Here are eight loosely related questions on love, Valentines and other mythic beings instead

1.

St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of love.  In which month do Welsh speakers celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day as a time for romance?  (answer in English or Welsh)

January or Ionawr

(it is on the 25th)

2.

Valentine’s Brook is one of the 16 fences on the Grand National course of which 14 are jumped twice.  What is the number of the fence when jumped on the first circuit?

Fence Nine

3.

The great Donna Summer had three top ten hits in 1977 with 'love' in the title including that summer’s mega No 1 hit.  Name any ONE of these.

4.

Two members of the 1960s band Aphrodite’s Child went on to have solo top 10 hits in the UK singles and albums charts in the 1970s.  Name ONE of them.

Vangelis or

Demis Roussos

5.

In which Shakespeare play are Valentine and his friend Proteus the lead characters?

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

6.

The 1989 film Shirley Valentine based on the play by Willie Russell starred Pauline Collins in the title role.  Which late great actor played her husband Joe?

Bernard Hill

7.

Which presenter, who unfortunately shared his name with a serial killer, hosted Sunday Love Songs until 2024?

Steve Wright

8.

The world’s first aluminium statue, often mistakenly known as 'The Statue of Eros', was cast as a memorial to which eminent Victorian?

Lord Shaftesbury

(or Earl of… or Anthony Ashley-Cooper)

Go back to Round 5 questions without answers

ROUND 6 - 'Happy Chinese New Year!'

Each answer contains the name of one of the animals that appears in the Chinese New Year list

1.

Which was the most recent horse to win the Grand National in consecutive years?

Tiger Roll

2.

What was the name of the lawman played by John Wayne in the 1969 film True Grit?  It was his only Oscar win for Best Actor.  A sequel to True Grit starring Wayne and Katherine Hepburn in 1975 bears the name of this character.  (full name required for the points)

Rooster Cogburn

3.

Which 1960s American rock band derived its name from the practice of how (allegedly) Australian Aboriginals (First Peoples) stayed warm on very, very cold nights?

Three Dog Night

4.

Which band formed in 2002 includes Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley, and Matt Helders in its current line-up?

Arctic Monkeys

5.

What is the popular name of 'Aesculus hippocastanum' a large deciduous tree in the maple family commonly seen in parks in Great Britain and Ireland?

Horse Chestnut

6.

What is the popular name for the Antirrhinum genus of plants?

Snap Dragon

(also accept Dog flower)

7.

Give either the name, or the nickname of the real-life pub in Edinburgh frequented by Ian Rankin’s fictional Inspector Rebus.

The Oxford Bar

(or 'The Ox')

8.

Which 2019 black comedy by Taika Waititi, nominated for Best Film Oscar, ends with the title character dancing to the song Heroes sung by David Bowie in German as the title credits roll?

Jojo Rabbit

Sp1

What is the title of Sony Pictures Animation sports comedy film released this week?  It features anthropomorphic animals playing a basketball like sport called roarball.

Goat

Sp2

In November 2021 PM Boris Johnson spoke to the CBI conference.  When losing his place in his speech he extemporised and praised a character he described as looking like a hairdryer, “or a Picasso-like hairdryer”.  Who was this character?

Peppa Pig

Go back to Round 6 questions without answers

ROUND 7 - 'Winter Olympics - past and present'

Are you watching the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games?  A round on Winter Olympics past and present as they only happen every four years   

1.

Which TWO events make up the Nordic combined event at the Olympics?

Ski-jumping and Cross-country skiing

2.

The sport of Snowboarding at this Olympics consists of FIVE different events.  They include Parallel Giant Slalom, Snowboard Cross, and Slopestyle.  Name EITHER of the other two remaining events.

Halfpipe or Big Air

3.

Which country has hosted the Winter Olympic Games on most occasions 1924-2026?

USA

(four times)

4.

Which country has won most medals in total in Winter Olympics 1924-2022?

Norway

(405, of which 148 were gold)

5.

What is the most Southerly city to have ever hosted the Winter Olympics?

Nagano

(at 36.6 N in Japan)

6.

Lucas Braathen became the first gold medallist in Winter Olympic history from South America when he won the men's Giant Slalom on 14th February.  Which country does he represent?

Brazil

(though he has Norwegian connections)

7.

The closing ceremony of the 2030 Winter Olympics is going to be held on the Mediterranean beach front.  In which city is this planned to take place?

8.

Can you name the two brown and white stoats that are the current Winter Olympic mascots for Milan and Cortina?  Claire Balding has been particularly fond of them.

Milo and Tina

Sp1

What word connects a current Winter Olympics sport with conquering groups of people mostly with Indian, Persian, or Turkish origin?

Moguls

Sp2

What piece of sporting equipment used at the Winter Olympics costs about £600, weighs 20kg and is manufactured in only two factories in the world?

Curling stone

Sp3

Team GB had won 12 gold medals prior to this Winter Olympics.  Three had been in the Skeleton, four in Figure Skating and three in Curling.  Name the two other sports that historically we have won gold medals in prior to this Olympics?

Ice Hockey and Bobsleigh

(1936 and 1964 respectively)

Go back to Round 7 questions without answers

ROUND 8 - Reverse pairs

1.

Only two US state capitals are located directly on the banks of the 2340-mile Mississippi River. Name EITHER.

St Paul (Minnesota) or

Baton Rouge (Louisiana)

2.

Which cosy crime Channel 4 drama series is a remake of a Franco-Belgian drama series called Astrid and Raphaelle but with the action relocated from Paris to York?

Patience

3.

Who was the first UK Prime Minister to have held office in the 20th Century to have also been born in the 20th Century?

Alec Douglas Home

4.

According to the Old Testament which priest played an important role in Israelite royal politics and, in alliance with Nathan the Prophet, anointed King Solomon?

Zadok the Priest

5.

According to the Old Testament Eli the Priest was the first to recognise that God spoke directly to the boy he mentored in the temple.  That boy, the son of Hannah, became which great prophet?

Samuel

6.

Who was the first US Vice President to have held office in the 20th Century to have also been born in the 20th Century?

Richard Nixon

7.

Which cosy crime ITV drama series is a remake of a Belgian drama series with the same name but with the action relocated from Antwerp to Cambridge?

Professor T

8.

Only two current Asian capital cities are directly on the banks of the 3050-mile Mekong River.  Name EITHER.

Vientiane (Laos) or

Phnom Penh (Cambodia)

Sp1

Which Asian city stands on the River Han?

Seoul

Sp2

Which is the main town on the island of Mull?

Tobermory

Sp3

Give any year in the Eighty Years’ War.

1566-1648

(yes, we know 82)

Sp4

Who is the Tory MP for Central Devon hanging on with a 61 majority?

Mel Stride

Sp5

In statistics what Greek symbol is used for standard deviation?

Lower case sigma

Go back to Round 8 questions without answers