ROUND 1

1.

By what oxymoronic name is woody nightshade also known?

Bittersweet

2.

Who said: “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate”?

John F Kennedy (in his Inaugural address, 20.01.1961)

3.

The yield of an oil well is measured in barrels.  How many imperial gallons are there in a barrel?

35 (42 US gallons)

4.

The opera, The Fairy Queen, was first performed in 1692.  Which Englishman composed it?

Henry Purcell

5.

Oxford University was founded in the reign of Henry II, when English students were barred from attending the university in Paris.  In which year was it founded?

1167 (allow +/- 25 years leeway – i.e. 1142 to 1192)

6.

What name is given to the painting medium which uses yolks of eggs?

Tempera

7.

Only three British mammals truly hibernate.  Name one.

(One from) Bat, Dormouse, Hedgehog

8.

What name was given to a tenth part of a Roman legion, comprising about 600 infantrymen?

Cohort

ROUND 2 – Themed

Each answer contains a theme word, or the sound of a theme word

1.

Who wrote The History of Western Philosophy?

Bertrand Russell

2.

What is the capital of the state of Victoria in Australia?

Melbourne

3.

Who was the US President during the First World War?

Woodrow Wilson

4.

Which American horror story tells of the tortures carried out by the Spanish Inquisition in Toledo?

The Pit and the Pendulum

5.

Which Steinbeck novel was made into a film starring James Dean and directed by Elia Kazan?

East of Eden

6.

Which 1998 film (which deliberately set out to resemble an amateur video) concerned three students who disappeared mysteriously whilst investigating a local legend?

The Blair Witch Project

7.

Which folksong begins: “Now fare thee well, my own true love, when I return united we will be”?

The Leaving of Liverpool

8.

Which disc jockey shared his name with the hero of a song by John Woodcock Graves?

John Peel

Each answer contains the name of a British Prime Minister

ROUND 3

1.

Which team won the last FA Cup Final to be played at Wembley?

Chelsea

2.

Which BBC TV series’ signature tune is based on Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre?

Jonathan Creek

3.

“The course of true love never did run smooth” is taken from which Shakespeare play?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

4.

The dahlia is the national flower of which country?

Mexico

5.

Which town is the birthplace of William Wordsworth?

Cockermouth

6.

In Islam, what is the Adhan?

The call to prayer

7.

Who directed the film Gladiator?

Ridley Scott

8.

Who hosts Radio 4’s music quiz programme Counterpoint?

Ned Sherrin

ROUND 4 – Themed

Each answer contains a theme word, or the sound of a theme word

1.

What, according to tradition, were Admiral Nelson’s last words?

“Kiss me, Hardy”

2.

Which man of mystery is portrayed by Mike Myers?

Austin Powers

3.

In which English spa town is there a street called The Pantiles?

Tunbridge Wells

4.

Which comedienne made the phrase: “George, don't do that!” famous?

Joyce Grenfell

5.

On which river does Quebec stand?

St Lawrence

6.

Who was the oldest and meanest of the TV Gladiators?

Wolf

7.

Which Australian miler won the 1500m in the 1960 Rome Olympics, setting a new world record in the process?

Herb Elliott

8.

Who is the pilot of Thunderbird 1?

Scott Tracy

Each answer contains the name of a British author

ROUND 5

1.

Which pop singer played the part of Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer in 1960?

Tommy Steele

2.

Who was the originator of the penny post?

Roland Hill

3.

Who was the mother of John the Baptist?

Elizabeth

4.

What was the principal wood used by Thomas Chippendale during the 18th century?

Mahogany

5.

Who described his experiences in the Spanish Civil War in a book entitled Homage to Catalonia?

George Orwell

6.

Which present-day US state was officially known in the 19th century as ‘Indian territory’?

Oklahoma

7.

In what year was poison gas used for the first time on the open battlefield?

1915

8.

What is the Japanese word for goodbye?

Sayonara

ROUND 6– Themed

Each answer contains a theme word, or the sound of a theme word

1.

Which device which contributes to road safety was invented by Percy Shaw?

Cat’s eyes

2.

Who starred in 42nd Street and was married to Al Jolson?

Ruby Keeler

3.

Which female minx-like cartoon character first appeared in the Topper then transferred to the Beezer when these comics amalgamated, and finally appeared in the Dandy?

Beryl the Peril

4.

What was the name of the actress who played Mrs Pike in Dad’s Army?

Pearl Hackney

5.

Which literary critic, raconteur and wit wrote for the Sunday Times and Daily Express between the wars?

James Agate

6.

Which car manufacturing company in Germany is owned by General Motors and produces cars similar to the Vauxhalls?

Opel

7.

Which British TV character is the equivalent of the American Archie Bunker?

Alf Garnett

8.

Which British naval ship was portrayed in the film The Yangtze Incident which recounted its endeavours in escaping from the Chinese communists in 1949?

HMS Amethyst

Each answer contains the name of a precious/semi-precious stone

ROUND 7

1.

When was the last time that the FA Cup Final was decided on a replay?

1993

2.

Sibelius’s music for Pelleas and Mellisande is the signature tune for which BBC TV programme?

The Sky at Night

3.

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”, comes from which Shakespeare play?

Hamlet

4.

The lotus flower is the national flower of which country?

India

5.

In which city was J. B. Priestley born?

Bradford

6.

In Islam, what is a khutba?

A sermon

7.

Jarhead is which British director’s third and latest film?

Sam Mendes

8.

Who presents the BBC TV programme, This Week?

Andrew Neil

ROUND 8

1.

What bird was associated with the goddess Athena?

The owl

2.

Which chemical element, in the same series as chlorine, has the atomic number 53 and is used in antisepsis?

Iodine

3.

Which English king was born at Caernarfon Castle in 1284 and ended his life in Berkeley Castle?

Edward II

4.

Which Gilbert and Sullivan operetta has the alternative title The Peer and the Peri?

Iolanthe

5.

Who was known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale’?

Jenny Lind

6.

Over which organs of the body do the adrenal glands lie?

The kidneys

7.

A famous monument was blown up in O’Connell Street, Dublin in March 1966. To whom was this monument dedicated?

Admiral Nelson

8.

Where would you find the piece of ordnance known as Mons Meg?

Edinburgh Castle

SPARES

1.

In Shakespeare, which character describes England as: “This precious stone set in the silver sea”?

John of Gaunt (Richard II, Act 2 scene 1)

2.

What stuffed toy did Margarete Steiff create in 1880?

Teddy Bear

3.

John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, was born in which country?

Uganda

4.

Who won his last major golf trophy at the 1986 US Masters?

Jack Nicklaus

5.

Jo Frost is better known by what epithet on a Channel 4 show?

Supernanny

6.

What food shares its name with unsolicited email?

Spam

7.

Haydn’s symphony numbers 82 to 87 are collectively known as what?

Paris Symphonies

8.

The head of which government organisation has the codename “C”?

MI6