ROUND 1 – “Scrambled or at least recently poached”

1.

Who, according to the Sunday Times, is the wealthiest person in the UK?

Roman Abramovitch

2.

Which former Blue Peter presenter died of cancer in April, aged 41?

Caron Keating

3.

Prince William has recently represented Scottish Universities, at which sport?

Water Polo

4.

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft is due to reach which planet in July?

Saturn

5.

Who is the director of the film Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King?

Peter Jackson

6.

How many awards did this film receive at the recent Oscars’ ceremony?

Eleven

7.

Who does Gary Oldman play in the film Harry Potter, The Prisoner of Azkaban?

Sirius Black

8.

In the film Finding Nemo, what is the name of Nemo’s dad?

Marlin

ROUND 2 – “Solve these”

1.

What is Colin Dexter’s fictional detective’s full name?

Endeavour Morse

2.

What is the forename of Reginald Hill’s fictional Detective Superintendent?

Andy (Dalziel)

3.

On film, Denzel Washington played a paraplegic detective.  What was his name?

Lincoln Rhyme

4.

Who is the author of the Lincoln Rhyme novels?

Jeffery Deaver

5.

Which area is the setting for Stephen Booth’s detective stories?

The Peak District

6.

Where are Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks stories set?

The Yorkshire Dales

7.

What is the nationality of Nicholas Freeling’s Dutch policeman’s wife?

French (she is Arlette Van der Valk)

8.

Nicholas Freeling has a French detective (Inspector Castaing) in his stories - what nationality is his wife (formerly a gymnast)?

Czech (her name is Vera)

ROUND 3 – “Potpourri”

1.

Name the actor who played Henry Fonda’s main antagonist in the film Twelve Angry Men?

Lee J. Cobb

2.

Similarly, who played Clint Eastwood’s principal antagonist in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

Lee Van Cleef

3.

This book, about an autistic boy, has been recently published with different covers for adults and children.  What is it entitled?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

4.

A leading scientist has recently published a book called Tomorrows’ People. Name the scientist?

Susan Greenfield

5.

Andrea Bocelli has expressed a surprising wish to sing with a pop star. Who is the pop star?

Christina Aguilera

6.

What is the name of the British warship, commanded by the pirate Captain Sir Henry Morgan, sunk in 1669, and recently discovered off Haiti?

HMS Oxford

7.

Whose autobiographies include Blessings in Disguise and Positively Final Appearance?

Alec Guinness

8.

Whose autobiographies include The Time of my Life and My Secret Planet?

Denis Healey

ROUND 4 – “This Sporting Life”

1.

What did Attraction, ridden by Kevin Darley, win last week?

1000 Guineas

2.

What did Tamarillo, ridden by William Fox Pitt, win last week?

Badminton Horse Trials

3.

Name the 2 teams in the play offs for promotion to the Third Division of the Nationwide League?

Aldershot Town and Shrewsbury Town

4.

Who were the losing semi-finalists in this years’ Rugby League Cup?

Warrington Wolves and Huddersfield

5.

Leeds United are now relegated.  Who is their caretaker manager?

Eddie Gray

6.

Name either team relegated from the Nationwide Third Division last week?

York or Carlisle

7.

Who did England play in the last round of the Davies Cup?

Luxembourg

8.

USA, France and Spain are three semi-finalists in the Davis Cup.  Which is the other?

Belarus

ROUND 5 – “Hope this rings a bell”

1.

Who answers the telephone with “Ballater 213”?

Balmoral Castle (i.e. the Queen or one her lackeys)

2.

What was the famous telephone number of New Scotland Yard?

Whitehall 1212

3.

Who were the stars of Butterfield 8?

Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey

4.

Who wrote Pennsylvania 65000?

Glenn Miller

5.

Where was Alexander Graham Bell born?

Edinburgh

6.

Who were the stars of Dial M for Murder?

Grace Kelly and Ray Milland

7.

When did BT come into being?

1981

8.

When was OFTEL inaugurated?

1984

ROUND 6  - “Since May 1^st”

1.

Which of the 10 new members of the EU has the largest population?

Poland

2.

Similarly, which has the smallest population?

Malta

3.

Of which of the 10 is the national dish a meat, onion and bacon pie called Piragi?

Latvia

4.

Which of the 10 has been occupied by Denmark, Sweden, Germany and twice by Russia?

Estonia

5.

Fenek (fried rabbit) is the National dish of which of the 10?

Malta

6.

In which capital city, of the 10, would you find the Dragon Bridge?

Ljubljana (Slovenia)

7.

What was the currency of Slovenia?

The Tolar

8.

What was the currency of Estonia?

The Kroon

ROUND 7 – “Closer to home”

1.

Angers is twinned with which borough in the North West of England?

Wigan

2.

Bolton is twinned with which French town?

Le Mans

3.

Whose motto is “Quocumque Jeceris Stabo” (“Whichever way you throw me I stand”)?

The Isle of Man

4.

Which Lord of Man lived at Lathom House, near Ormskirk?

Lord Derby

5.

Which town in the North West of England was known to the Romans as Luguvalum?

Carlisle

6.

Which settlement did the Romans call Bremenacum Veteranorum?

Ribchester

7.

He was the first winner of a Lonsdale Belt for retaining his title in 1935.  His real name was John Bamford but his professional name was Jock McAvoy.  What was his nickname?

The Rochdale Thunderbolt

8.

What first was achieved by The Pioneer in 1894?

It was the first ship to discharge a cargo at Manchester Docks upon the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal (and, yes, it was owned by the CWS)

ROUND 8 – “Dunnage”

1.

Great Britain has been deprived of 5 Silver Medals won at the 2003 Athletics World Championships.  Why?

Because Dwain Chambers tested positive for banned substances, the 4 x 100m relay team have also been disqualified

2.

Whom did Ronnie O’Sullivan beat 17-4 in the semi-finals of the World Snooker Championship this week?

Stephen Hendry

3.

Who sits on the Chrysanthemum Throne?

The Emperor of Japan

4.

Who sat on the Peacock Throne?

The Shah of Persia (Iran)

5.

Who wore the St. Stephen’s Crown?

The Kings of Hungary (almost always a Hapsburg Emperor of the Austrian/ Holy Roman Empire)

6.

Who wears the St Edward’s Crown once only in their reign?

Kings (or Queens) of England

7.

Who is the 2004 Young Musician of the Year?

Nicola Benedetti

8.

Lorraine Candy has made the news by moving up market from where to where?

From Cosmopolitan to the Editor’s Chair at Elle

SPARES

1.

Once more there are claims that Noah’s Ark has been found, but where is Mount Ararat?

In Eastern Turkey

2.

Margaret Thatcher won the 1979 General Election 25 years ago this week.  Which constituency did she represent?

Finchley

3.

Jim Callaghan lost office in 1979.  What was his constituency?

Cardiff South (and Penarth)

4.

With whom did comedian Peter Kay appear on stage this week in Manchester?

Eric Clapton

5.

Appearing in Manchester this week, whose latest single is called Toxic?

Britney Spears

6.

What was the currency of Hungary?

The Forint

7.

What was the currency of the Czech Republic?

The Koruna

8.

What is the capital of Slovakia?

Bratislava

9.

What is the capital of Latvia?

Riga

10.

Which father has publicly announced his son’s death from AIDS?

(Mangosuthu) Buthelezi (leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party in South Africa)?