ROUND 1

1.

The composer of the New World Symphony died in 1904. Who was he?

Antonin Dvorak

2.

The first battle between the British and the Germans in World War I took place on August 23^rd 1914.  What is it known as?

The Battle of Mons

3.

What other role did the Foreign Secretary have from January to November 1924?

Prime Minister (Ramsay MacDonald combined both roles!)

4.

Three famous English Composers died in 1934.  Name two of them.

Gustav Holst, Sir Edward Elgar, and Frederick Delius

5.

Germany began a counter attack against the Allies on December 19th 1944.  What is it known as?

Battle of the Bulge or Ardennes Offensive

6.

What sporting first took place in Oxford on May 6th 1954?

First Four Minute Mile run by Roger Bannister

7.

What sporting achievement did Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia pull off at the Tokyo games in 1964?

He became the first man to win the Marathon twice

8.

Who became Home Secretary after the 1974 election?

Roy Jenkins

ROUND 2

1.

Sir Thomas Gresham founded what London institution in 1568?

The Royal Exchange

2.

The Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre opened in which year?

1976

3.

“Mais ou sont les neiges d’antan?” (“Where are the snows of yesteryear?”) - said who?

Francois Villon

4.

The translation in the last question was by an English artist who named himself after an Italian poet. Who was he?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

5.

In botany angiosperms are divided into dicotelydons and monocotelydons.  What is the essential difference between them?

Dicotelydons put up two leaves from their seeds whereas monocotelydons put up only one

6.

In botany what is the difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms?

The ovule in a gymnosperm is not encased in an ovary whereas in an angiosperm it is

7.

“It looks as if St Paul’s went down to the sea and pupped!”  What building was the Reverend Sydney Smith describing?

The Brighton Pavilion

8.

To whom is attributed the following line: “The Duke returned from the wars today and did pleasure me in his top-boots”?

The Duchess of Marlborough

ROUND 3

1.

Which rugby union team plays its home games at Welford Road?

Leicester

2.

Which rugby union team plays its home games at Kingsholm?

Gloucester

3.

Youth and Young Manhood was a 2003 album for which Southern American band?

Kings of Leon

4.

Magic and Mountain was a 2003 album for which Liverpool band?

The Coral

5.

Give the first five terms in the Fibonacci sequence?

1, 1, 2, 3, 5

6.

What is the Highest Common Factor of 48 and 120?

24

7.

Which actor played the lead role in the film All that Jazz?

Roy Scheider

8.

In which film did Roy Scheider play Police Chief Martin Brody?

Jaws

ROUND 4

1.

Captain Hastings was an associate of which literary character?

Hercule Poirot

2.

Who was the author of the novel L.A. Confidential?

James Ellroy

3.

Brondby is a football team in which country?

Denmark

4.

Flamengo is a football team in which country?

Brazil

5.

Which film was advertised with the line: “In space, no-one can hear you scream”?

Alien

6.

Which film was advertised with the line: “Fear can hold you prisoner.  Hope can set you free”?

The Shawshank Redemption

7.

Which Benjamin Britten opera based on a story by Herman Melville is set on the        ship The  Indomitable?

Billy Budd

8.

Which Benjamin Britten opera was based on the life of Elizabeth I and was        composed to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II ?

Gloriana

ROUND 5 – “At the Seaside”

For each photograph identify the seaside town

ROUND 6 

1.

Which horse is bidding for a third successive Cheltenham Gold Cup win this season?

Best Mate

2.

Which horse won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham three years running from 1998 – 2000?

Istabraq

3.

In World War II, what linked Operations Sealion, Hercules and Olympic?

All were planned invasions never carried out (Britain, Malta and Japan respectively)

4.

What was the first cruise missile to be used in action?

The V1 (flying bomb)

5.

In which city did Manchester City win their only European trophy in 1970?

Vienna

6.

In which city did Celtic become the first British European Cup winners in 1967?

Lisbon

7.

Name four out of the five male contestants in the new series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Peter Andre, Mike Read, John Lydon (Rotten), Neil Ruddock, Lord Brocket

8.

Name four out of the five female contestants in the new series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Jordan, Kerry McFadden, Jennie Bond, Alex Best, Diana Modahl

ROUND 7

1.

Of which animal is this a description: Genus choloepus; Order edenta; Length between 21 and 29 inches; Weight 9 to 19 pounds; Colour greyish brown?

Sloth

2.

What is the Dutch equivalent of the U.K. company suffix ‘plc’?

N.V.

3.

Which 1939 novel depicts a family’s journey from the Oklahoma of the Great Depression to the promised land of California?

The Grapes of Wrath

4.

What is the opening music to the film Trainspotting?

Lust for Life by Iggy Pop (song title only required)

5.

Which proverb in common usage is based on the biblical Book of Proverbs Ch18 v12?

Pride goeth before a fall

6.

According to John Milton what: “Ne’er looks to heav’n amidst his gorgeous feast/ But with besotted base ingratitude/ Crams and blasphemes his feeder”?

Swinish Gluttony (accept gluttony)

7.

What was Gordon Gekko’s moral for the 1980’s?

Greed is good

8.

Which film is this:  Made in 1995;  Director: David Fincher;  Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow?

Se7en

ROUND 8

1.

From which country does the cheese manchego originate?

Spain

2.

From which country does the wine Dão originate?

Portugal

3.

Who was the chief architect in the creation of New Delhi by the British, commencing in 1911?

Sir Edwin Lutyens

4.

In which year did Henry Stanley greet David Livingstone on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika with the words: “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”?

1871

5.

Who is the manager of Derby County FC?

George Burley

6.

Who is the manager of West Ham United FC?

Alan Pardew

7.

What name connects: a former West Indian opening batsman, one of Peter Sellers’ wives and an African Olympic sprint medallist?

Fredericks (Roy, Lynn and Frankie of Namibia)

8.

What name connects: a former West Indian opening batsman, a former Prime Ministerial Press Secretary and a former Fulham footballer?

Haynes (or Haines) (Desmond, Joe and Johnny)

SPARES

1.

How high, in feet, is the highest peak in the Caucasus mountain range?

18,500 ft (allow anything from 18,000 to 19,000)

2.

Which TV show became famous for the Bucket of Water Song and Spit the Dog?

Tiswas

3.

Which country has the world’s largest sheep population?

Australia

4.

Which US State is the furthest south?

Hawaii

5.

Which famous sportsman has described himself as ‘Cablinasian’?

Tiger Woods

6.

What word comes from the Swahili word for a journey?

Safari

7.

What is the Latin name for the group of garden plants known as spurges?

Euphorbia

8.

In the Christmas song, how many individual gifts does my true love give to me, in total?

364