Popular Music    Set by Mel Kinsey

1/ Which band was formed by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl in 1994 after the death of Kurt Cobain? It derives its name from UFOs and various phenomena reported by Allied aircraft pilots during WWII.   Foo Fighters 

2/ At the 2011 royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the couple shared their first dance to Ellie Goulding’s ‘Your Song’. Which artiste had composed and released the original version of this song more than 40 years ago, in 1970?   Elton John

3/  Which ’80s band new-wave band, one of the leaders of the ‘Second British Invasion’ into the US, derived its name from the villain in the 1968 French-Italian science-fiction film `Barbarella’, because they had played gigs at Birmingham’s Barbarella nightclub?  Duran Duran

4/ In 2004, which Sheffield band released ‘Beneath the Boardwalk’ (a collection of their demo recordings) for free? Fronted by Alex Turner, their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ is the fastest-selling debut album by a band in British chart history.  Arctic Monkeys

5/ A 1984 hit single from Madonna, a 1983 song from Cyndi Lauper, and another 1983 single from Billy Joel—all have which common word (in singular or plural) in their titles?    Girl/ Girls (‘Material Girl’/ ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’/ ‘Uptown Girl’)  

6/ Released in 2010 and featuring hit singles such as ‘California Gurls‘, `Firework’ and E.T.’, which artiste’s third studio album ‘Teenage Dream’ is only the second album in history to produce five No.1s on the Billboard Hot 100 from a single album (the first being Michael Jackson’s `Bad’)?   Katy Perry

7/ Consisting of Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, which French electronic music duo have worn ornate helmets and gloves to assume robot personas in most of their performances since 2011? Their album ‘Random Access Memories’ won 5 Grammy Awards in 2014, including Album of the Year.   Daft Punk

8/  The R&B girl band Cleopatra, the soul, funk & pop group DeBarge, the pop duo Hue & Cry and the British pop group Five Star — all share what common characteristic?   They are all made up of siblings  

9/ Premiering on Broadway in 1996, which musical by Jonathan Larsson, loosely based on Puccini’s `La boheme’, tells the story of impoverished artists living in New York City’s East Village during the AIDS crisis of the 1990s? It includes songs like ‘Seasons of Love’, ‘La Vie Boheme’ and ‘Take Me or Leave Me’.  Rent

10/ Which song, nominated by ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine as No.58 in its list of `500 Greatest Songs of All Time’, was apparently inspired by a real life event in which a female fan claimed that the artiste (or one of his brothers) had fathered one of her twins, and even sent him a parcel containing her photograph and a gun?  ‘Billie Jean’ by Michael Jackson  

11/ The bands Heaven 17, Campag Velocet, Moloko and Korova Milk Bar all derive their names from which zoth-century work of literature?  ‘A Clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Burgess  

 12/  (a) ‘Spare a little candle, save some light for me. Figures up ahead, moving in the trees.’   

  (b) ‘I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known. Don’t know where it goes, but it’s home to me and I walk alone.’   

  (c) ‘There is freedom within, there is freedom without. Try to catch a deluge in a paper cup.’   

These three songs (whose opening lines are shown) all share what common word in their titles?  

Dream’ – ‘These Dreams’ by Heart,

‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ by Green Day,

Don’t Dream It’s Over’ by Crowded House  

 13/ Used in movie soundtracks such as Bernard Hermann’s The Day The Earth Stood Still’, which electronic music instrument was developed by and named after the young Russian physicist who invented it in 1920? It consists of two antennae that senses the relative positions of the player’s hands.  Theramin

14/ The hit singles ‘Danger Zone’ by Kenny Loggins and ‘Take My Breath Away’ by Berlin both appear on the movie soundtrack of which film?  ‘Top Gun’

15/  Which British singer-songwriter, born 1991, used mathematical symbols as the title for his first two studio albums : ‘+’ in 2011 and ‘x’ in 2014? The single `Sing’ from his second album became his first UK No.1 , followed by `Thinking Out Loud’ which also reached No.1 in November 2014.   Ed Sheeran  

16/  Which word is shared by the titles of these three songs, of which a portion of the lyrics is shown here?   

(1) ‘But I can see you/ Your brown skin shining in the sun/ You got your hair combed back/ And your sunglasses on, baby’   

(2) Now I’m back to what I knew before you/ Somehow the city doesn’t look the same/ I’d give my life for one more night/ Of having you here to hold me tight’                                                                                                              
(3) And now the times are changin’/ Look at everything that’s come and gone/ Sometimes when I play that old six-string/ I think of you, wonder what went wrong’   

Summer

‘Boys of Summer’ by Don Henley

‘Endless Summer Nights’ by Richard Marx

‘Summer of ‘69’ by Bryan Adams  

17/ Unveiled in December 1982 and located in Stanley Street, Liverpool, this statue was designed and made by the rock and roll star Tommy Steele. Dedicated to ‘all the lonely people’, what is the name of this statue, inspired by a 1966 song?  ‘Eleanor Rigby’  

18/Performed by the Canadian rapping star Drake, the hit single ‘One Dance’ topped the UK singles chart for a total of fifteen weeks from April to July 2016, tying the record set by Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Love Is All Around’. Which 1991 song (a movie theme song) currently holds the record of the most number of consecutive weeks spent at Nunber 1 (sixteen weeks)?                                             ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ by  Bryan Adams  

19/  The name of which band comes from a 1963 paperback published by journalist Michael Leigh that investigated aberrant sexual behavior in consenting adults? The group thought this name was appropriate since one of their songs ‘Venus In Furs’ included themes of sadomasochism and bondage.   The Velvet Underground

20/ The theme from Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ famously featured on the soundtrack of which horror movie?  ‘The Exorcist’ 

21/ Based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Macguire, the musical ‘Wicked : The Untold Stories of the Witches of Oz’, is a 2003 musical with music and lyrics by which composer? He also wrote earlier hits such as `Godspell‘ (1971) and `Pippin’ (1972).  Stephen Schwartz 

22/ `Definitely Maybe’ (1994) and ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory’ (1995) were the first two studio albums of which band from Manchester? All seven of their albums topped the UK albums chart.   Oasis

23/ Formed in 1973 by John Woloschuk and Dee Long, which enigmatic Canadian rock group named themselves after the humanoid extraterrestrial alien from the 1951 sci-fi film ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’?  Klaatu 

24/ Included in her second studio album ‘One of the Boys’, which song became Katy Perry’s first No.’ single when it was released in April 2008? Perry described the lyrics as ‘about the magical beauty of a woman’.   ‘I Kissed A Girl’ 

25/ Written by the group members with Matt Rowe & Richard Stannard and released in July 1996, which debut single by the Spice Girls had topped the pop charts in 37 countries by March the following year? It is also their only song to reach No.1 on the US Billboard chart.  ‘Wannabe’  

                                                                                        Lifestyle     Set by Mel Kinsey

 1. Lauren Weisberger’s book The Devil Wears Prada drew upon her experience as the personal assistant to which British-American fashion editor? She has served as the editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1998  Anna Wintour

2.  Owing to the tetraphobia prevalent in East Asia, which Chinese smartphone manufacture chose to name its models ‘3T’ and ‘5’ following ‘3’, thus avoiding the number 4?  OnePlus

3. Originally created in 1974 by a Hungarian architecture professor to teach 3D geometry, what eponymous product has gone on to become the best-selling toy of all time?  Rubik’s Cube

4. What type of biscuits, made of rolled oats, flour, and desiccated coconut, is named after an Army Corps that was formed in 1914 and served in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I?  Anzac Biscuit

5. What cocktail, made of equal parts crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and cream shaken with ice, gets its name from an insect whose colour it resembles?  Grasshopper Cocktail

 6. Shuck Yee from California invented the machine to produce what food item in 1973, which allowed its prices to drop sufficiently to be served as a courtesy dessert in Chinese restaurants across the US?  Fortune Cookies

7. The ice bucket challenge, which went viral in 2014, was intended to raise awareness about which motor neuron disease which gradually reduces movement in patients?   Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

8. There are over 900 moai- some standing, some lying down, and some submerged- on what island, traditionally accessed through a Waka (Maori sailing vessel) Tapu voyage?  Easter Island

9. Guy de Maupassant and Sully Prudhomme protested the construction of what “useless and monstrous column of bolted metal” which would spread over the city “like a dark ink stain”? It has attracted 250 million tourists since opening in 1889. The Eiffel Tower

10. What alliterative term is used to refer to the tourism phenomenon among fans of The Lord of the Rings fictional universe? Some claim that the 40% increase in tourist influx to New Zealand (where the movies were filmed) in 2000-06 was in large part due to this. Tolkien Tourism

11. What name is given to a loose-fitting silk shirt, usually adorned in a bright and colourful print, after the Xhosa clan name of Nelson Mandela, whose regular use of it during his presidency elevated it to formal use?  Madiba

12. After the Abbasid Revolution, Abd-al Rahman conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula. To recreate Damascus in his new capital Cordoba, he imported the trees of which fruit, which lends its name to a courtyard within the Grand Mosque?   Orange

13. Which dessert gets its name from the French ‘lightning’ as it was traditionally devoured in a flash?  Eclair au Chocolat

14. In June 2020, in response to the George Floyd riots, the Quaker Oats Company announced that it would retire the racially-stereotypical image of what brand of breakfast foods?  Aunt Jemima

15. If the first two sections of the small intestine are the duodenum and the jejunum, what is the third? Its main function is to absorb vitamin B12, bile salts, and whatever products of digestion that were not absorbed by the jejunum.  Ileum

16.  Which national park in Tanzania gained worldwide prominence as a safari spot, with populations of 1.5 million wildebeest, 300,000 gazelles, and 250,000 zebra? Contiguous with Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Serengeti

17. Which place in London gets its name not from the fact that it used to hold a company of performers, but instead from Latin to indicate that it is a round open space at a street junction? Picadilly Circus

18. As it was once known for setting the fashion standards in Europe, what Italian city is related etymologically to another word for the profession of hat-making?   Milan

19. What craft originated as the making of decorative fringes to keep flies off of camels and horses before entering Europe with the Moorish Conquest?  Macrame

20. What balanced-arm lamp design (also called an architect’s lamp or a task lamp) was designed by George Carwardine in 1932? Pixar’s first short-film was based on one called ‘Luxo Jr.’ which has since featured on all their title sequences. Anglepoise Lamp

 21. A standard tarot deck in occult usage comprises the ‘Major Arcana’ (22 cards) and the ‘Minor Arcana’ with how many cards?    56 Cards

22. What global homestay company was ideated by Casey Fenton after he hacked into a University of Iceland database and emailed students asking for lodging in 1999 and received over 50 offers?   Couchsurfing

23.  Which Chinese ophthalmologist and whistleblower, who attempted to warn fellow health workers about (what is now known to be) COVID-19 and was admonished for the same, was exonerated by authorities after he succumbed to it in February 2020?            Li Wenliang

24. Which New Age author announced her bid for the Democratic Party nomination for US President in 2019 and planned to “fix America with love, tough love”? Known as Oprah’s ‘spiritual advisor’, she withdrew her bid in January 2020. Marianne Williamson

25.What Japanese name is given to the male counterpart of the Japanese fashion subculture Lolita? Influenced by Victorian boys’ clothing, it includes ‘prince pants’, knee socks, and top hats.   Ouji (Meaning Prince)

 
 

                                                                                Classical Byways   Set by Maya Davis

1.Julius Caesar always insisted on being portrayed wearing a laurel wreath in statues and other visual images. Why?                          He was a bit sensitive about having started to go bald in his 20s

2.According to Herodotus, whom did Xerxes, the Persian King, refer to as ’the only realman’ among his commanders?          Artemisia of Caria, the female commander of a smalldetachment of warships

3.When Nero’s former cultural adviser Petronius killed himself, why did he smash a large vase?   He knew Nero wanted it

4.‘Its mane and tail resemble those of a horse.’ This is the end of an otherwise correct description by a Greek author of which African creature?   Hippopotamus – in Herodotus Histories Book 2 but probably copied from a work by an earlier author

5.If a Roman was sewn up in a sack with a dog, a cockerel and a viper, then thrown into the river Tiber, of what crime had he been convicted?   Parricide; the animals had done nothing wrong but that never stopped a Roman being nasty to animals

6.Two Greek poets are associated with the island of Lesbos. One is Sappho. Who is the other?  Alcaeus

7.What nickname is usually given by modern historians of Roman history to the year 69AD?    Year of the Four Emperors

8.Whom does Homer describe in the Iliad as ‘Tamer of Horses’? Hector

9.Which type of Roman ghost was more dangerous – a larva or a lemur – and why?                                                                        Larva –it was believed to suck humans dry. A lemur was just an unhappy spirit which haunted a particular location

10.Which Athenian law-code was the first to distinguish between murder and manslaughter?                                                          Draco’s – otherwise known for the severity of the punishments prescribed

11.If an archaeologist describes an artefact from Roman Britain as ‘from the Corinium school’ what sort of artefact is being discussed?  Mosaics – Corinium/Cirencester was famous for training mosaicists

12.What would an Athenian have done with a ‘crater’?  Mixed wine and water in it for a post-banquet drinking session

13.What colour paint, apart from white was used for the monkeys depicted in the frescoes from Thera/Santorini and Knossos? Blue

14.‘Trinacria’ was the alternative Roman name for which Mediterranean island?   Sicily – the name means ’three-cornered’

15.What were stau, sanpi and digamma/vau?   ‘Lost’ letters of the Greek alphabet

6.Which Roman orator has a name allegedly derived from the Latin for ‘chick-pea’ because of a strong cleft in the chin?            Cicero – the Latin for chick-pea’ is ‘cicer’

17.In Aristophanes’ play The Birds, which species of bird is the King of the Birds?   Hoopoe

18.The Hippocratic work On the Sacred Disease is an attempt to demystify which illness, originally believed to be a sign of divine possession?  Epilepsy

19.What name did the Romans give to the volcanic area which includes modern Solfatara?   Phlegraean fields

20.Which group of fossils is named after a feature of the way Alexander the Great was represented on coins after his visit to an Egyptian oracle of Zeus?  Ammonites – coins show Alexander with rams’ horns, a symbol of the oracular god Zeus Ammon)

21.Lucian’s short story The True History describes how he was blown wildly off-course by a series of storms during a sea voyage. He found himself in an unknown land. Where did he discover that he was?   On the Moon

22.Pliny the Younger, in a letter to the Emperor Trajan, says of an investigation ‘I found nothing but a degenerate sort of cult taken to extremes.’ What had he been investigating?  Christianity in Nicomedia

23.The famous Carthaginian general Hannibal lost an eye during his invasion of Italy. How?   Infection after an insect bite

24.Who could be a Crow, Lion, Persian or Messenger of the Sun?                                                                                                                  A follower of Mithras– usually, but not exclusively, a cult followed by members of the Roman army

25.Which Greek hero died after being hit on the head by a falling beam from the rotting remains of his ship?   Jason

 

                                                                                      Foreign Films   Set by Mel Kinsey

                                                                                                      Name the film

1/  A:1993 drama that explores the effect of China’s political turmoil during the mid-20th century on the lives of individuals, families, stars in a Peking opera troupe and the woman who comes between them; remains to date the only Chinese-language film to win the Cannes Palme d’Or.   Farewell My Concubine

2/  Whoever thinks all animation is about ‘cute’ characters needs to see this gut-wrenching 1988 Japanese film that narrates the harrowing tale of two orphaned Japanese children during WWII.   Grave of the Fireflies

3/ / This popular 1952 work of René Clément is set in wartime France and tells the heartbreaking story of two children who spend their time burying dead animals; it probably has the saddest ending in the history of movies.  Forbidden Games

4/  Ozu’s 1953 film tells the story of an aging couple who travel to the titular city to visit their grown children but find their children are too absorbed in their own lives to spend much time with them; another classic of world cinema.    Tokyo Story

5/ Lengthy 1982 film from Ingrid Bergman that follows the lives of a brother and sister in an aristocratic Swedish family.            Fanny and Alexander

6/ This 1938 film by Leni Riefenstahl documenting a certain sporting event is controversial due to its political context; however it is still considered great as it pioneered advanced motion picture techniques that became industry standards.    Olympia

7/ Jean Renoir’s 1937 classic set in a German POW camp that explores relations between 2 French officers and a German commandant.   Grand Illusion

8/ This 1966 war classic of Gillo Pontecorvo has been critically celebrated and is often seen as an important commentary on urban guerilla warfare; set in an African country where France was the occupier.  The Battle of Algiers

9/ The title of this 1985 nine-hour thirty-six minute film by Claude Lanzmann literally means ‘holocaust’ in Hebrew.  Shoah

10/ This 1988 Italian work of Giuseppe Tornatore is a nostalgic evocation of his childhood as well as for the times when going to the movies was a pastime; lovingly shown through the eyes of an endearing child and his bosom adult buddy, this movie is sure to make you cry.  Cinema Paradiso

11/ This 1931 classic from Fritz Lang, often considered his best work, deals with the disturbing subject of child murders and stars Peter Lorre; can’t be too difficult to guess a one-letter title.   M

12/ This 1976 Russian classic by Larisa Shepitko must be one of the most powerful films ever on war; follows two soldiers who are trying to get supplies for their stranded group of partisans in the Russian winter during WWII.  Ascent

13/  This 1922 classic from F. W. Murnau is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel; introduced many vampire myths.   Nosferatu

14/ This 1977 Italian giallo horror film directed by Dario Argento is a cult classic; it follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches.      Suspiria

15/ This 1950 work of Kurosawa made from a story of Ryunosuke Akutagawa depicts a crime from multiple views and makes us question if there is anything such as absolute truth.   Rashomon

16/ Ang Lee’s 2000 classic that is the highest-grossing foreign-language film in American history; one clue – search for a stolen sword called the Green Dragon.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

17/ Kenji Mizoguchi’s 1953 movie -A Japanese romantic fantasy drama, and based on stories in Ueda Akinari’s book of the same name. It is a ghost story and an example of the jidaigeki (period drama) genre.    Ugetsu

18/ :Probably the best work of the great Japanese animator Miyazaki, this 1997 period drama is set in lush forests during the late Muromachi period of Japan with numerous fantastic elements like mythical warriors, beasts and figures of magic.                    Princess Mononoke

19/ This 1991 film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li is often considered one of the greatest films to come out of China; tells the story of a young woman who becomes one of the concubines of a wealthy man during the Warlord Era.                            Raise the Red Lantern

20/ 1988 Spanish black comedy from Pedro Almodóvar; as the title indicates, its about melodrama, hysteria and ladies on the edge.   Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

21/  This 1959 French film by François Truffaut details the life of a troubled adolescent named Antoine Doinel; it title refers to an expression ‘faire les quatre cents coups’ which means ‘to raise hell’ and not to any punishment.   The 400 Blows

22/ This classic 1989 Polish drama from Krzysztof Kieślowski consists of ten one-hour films, each of which represents one of the Ten Commandments, hence the title.   The Decalogue

23/ This Iranian film from Abbas Kiarostami has an intriguing plot about a man who drives through a city suburb looking for someone who can carry out the task to bury him after he commits suicide.    Taste of Cherry

25/ This 1927 film by Fritz Lang is considered the first sci-fi epic; set in an ‘urban’ dystopia, it explores the relations between workers and owners in capitalism.   Metropolis

26/ A 1952 French comedy film directed by Jean Boyer and starring Bourvil and, in her first  film appearance, Brigitte Bardot.    Crazy for Love

 

                                                                                  “Only Connect”    Set by Tony Bell

 

                                The second best quiz show on TV is “Only Connect”. Here are even more Only Connect questions 

Round 1. Connections

Lion.                 Doyle, Hackett, McGuire, Crilly    Characters in “Father Ted”

                          Mrs.Doyle,

                          Father Jack Hackett,

                          Father Dougal McGuire,                   

                          Father Ted Crilly.

Water.               Nh, Ru, Ga, Po.

                         Symbols for chemical elements named after  countries.

                         Nh, Nihonium/Japan.

                         Ru, Ruthenium/Russia.

                         Ga, Gallium/France.

                         Po, Polonium/Poland.

Twisted Flax.   Panama 2, New Zealand 4, Brazil 27, USA 50.

                         Numbers of stars on current national flags                         of these countries.

Eye of Horus.  King Constantine II of Greece,

                         King Felipe VI of Spain,

                         King Harald V of Norway,

                         Prince Albert II of Monaco.

                  European royalty who have competed in the Olympic Games. Constantine. Felipe and Harald competed in Sailing,

                         Albert competed in Bobsleigh.

Two Reeds.      1 Carpenter, 2 Grissom, 3 Shepard, 4 Cooper.   

                         Thunderbirds

                         Thunderbird 1 piloted by Scott Tracy, named after Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter.

                         Thunderbird 2 piloted by Virgil  Tracy named after Mercury astronaut Virgil Grissom.

                         Thunderbird 3 piloted by Alan Tracy named after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard.

                         Thunderbird 4 piloted by Gordon Tracy, named after Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper.

Horned Viper.  Garlick, Aching, Ogg, Weatherwax.

                         Surnames of witches in Terry Pratchett’s   “ Discworld” stories.

Round 2. Sequences

Lion.               Adolf Hitler,

                       Erwin Rommel,

                       Bernard  Montgomery, ….

                       Mentioned in titles of successive volumes of Spike Milligan’s war biography.

                      Volume 1: Adolf Hitler, My Part In His Downfall

                      Volume 2: Rommel, Gunner Who?

                      Volume 3. Monty, His Part In My Victory.

                       Next in sequence is Benito Mussolini. Volume 4  Mussolini, His Part In My Downfall.

Water.      1992 Rowing, 1996 Rowing, 2000 Rowing …                   

                      Sports of British Flag Bearers in successive Olympic Opening Ceremonies.                  

                      1992 Steve Redgrave,

                      1996 Steve Redgrave,

                      2000 Matthew Pinsent.

                      Next in sequence is 2004 Judo, Kate Howey carried the British Flag in 2004.

Twisted Flax.   No, Service, Die, ….

                        Dr. No, first Sean Connery James Bond film.

                        On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, First and  only George Lazenby James Bond film.

                        Live And Let Die, first Roger Moore  James Bond film.

                        Next in sequence is The Living Daylights, first Timothy Dalton James Bond film.

Eye of Horus.  David Earl of Snowdon, Savannah Phillips, Edward Earl of Wessex, ….

                        Earl of Snowdon is 20th in line of succession for the British throne,

                        Savannah Phillips is 15th in line,

                        Earl of Wessex is 10th in line.

                         Next in sequence is Prince Louis  of Cambridge 5th in line of succession.

Two Reeds.     Gonville and Caius, Pembroke, Clare, ….

                        Gonville and Caius (1348) is the 4th oldest college of the University of Cambridge.

                        Pembroke (1347) is the 3rd oldest college of the University of Cambridge.

                        Clare (1326) is the 2nd oldest college of the University of Cambridge.

                         Next in sequence is Peterhouse (128 the oldest college of the University of Cammbridge.

Horned Viper. Alan Williams, Peter Tapsell, Gerald Kaufman,

                         Successive “Fathers of the House” of the British  House of Commons.

                         Next in sequence is Kenneth Clarke, “Father of the House” until the 2019 General Election.

 

                                                                                     Culture    Set by Mel Kinsey

1. What 5-letter name is common to a 30,000 BCE oolite figurine excavated in lower Austria, Sarah Baartman, and paintings by Titian, Giorgione, and Botticello?  Venus

2. Which painting by Hokusai, with optical play wherein foam from the ocean doubles up as snow falling on Mount Fuji, was a break in the ukiyo-e tradition as it changed the subjects from courtesans and actors to quotidian life?  The Great Wave of Kanagawa 

3. Two famous architects sharing the same first name designed two versions of what, inaugurated in 1959 and 1997 in New York City and Bilbao respectively? The Guggenhiem Museums (Frank Lloyd Wright & Frank Gehry)

4. Which Greek god of marriage lends his name to a genre of lyric poetry sung during the procession of the bride to the groom’s house? He shares his name (from a different origin) with a mucous membrane that some cultures dictate a bride should possess before her wedding night.    Hymenaeus (Also known as Hymen) 

5. Which legendary Persian hero, the son of Zal and Rudaba, was said to have killed his son Sohrab in a war between Iran and Turan?  Rostam

6. What 2-word Latin name was given to the ‘instruments of Passion’ (items that wounded or otherwise offended Christ), such as the crown of thorns, spear, and the Cross of Christ?  Arma Christi

7. Which English philosopher wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, considered the first great feminist treatise? She was the mother of Mary Shelley. Mary Wolstoncroft

8. The name of which Mesopotamian artefact, featuring three rows of people and animals, is misleading since archaeologists cannot tell for sure that its use was akin to that of a flag taken into war?   The Standard of Ur

9. Which British artist has created Butterfly Rainbow, featuring butterfly wings, one of his best- known motifs, to show support for the NHS during the COVID-19 crisis?  Damien Hirst

10. If Egyptian kings Khufu and Khafre built two of the three primary ones, who built the third?   Pharaoh Menkaure

11. Where in California was Ai Weiwei’s “@Large”, with Lego representations of 175 political prisoners, installed?   Alcatraz

12. Gary Garrels, the longtime senior curator of painting and sculpture at which museum had to resign in July 2020 owing to his comments on ‘reverse discrimination’ in the wake of the George Floyd protests in the USA?  San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

13. Which primordial couple in Māori mythology, the sky father and earth mother, were joined together in loving embrace until pushed apart by their son Tāne in an effort to see light?   Rangi and Papi

14. Ancient Hindu scriptures are divided into shruti (revealed to seers) and what other category, denoting the man-made? Examples include the epics and that given by Manu.  Smriti

15. Born Maria Antonia Montoya, which 20th-century Native potter from the Puebla in Mexico gained worldwide recognition, striving to improve her community and popularise Native ceramics as fine art?    Maria Martinez

 16. Which poet and philosopher’s writings directly led to the establishment of the Mewlewi Sufi Order, often referred to as the ‘Whirling Dervishes’?    Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi

17. The five Ks donned by Khalsa Sikhs include Kesh (uncut hair) and what wooden comb, symbolising cleanliness?   Kanga

18. In the mythology of which Native American tribe (today, the largest of the 567 federally recognised tribes in the USA) are the first humans Kanáti (the hunter) and Selu, who produced corn and beans from her body?   Cherokee

19. In 2014, the British Museum lent the figure of a river-god, possibly Ilissos, to the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. This was the first instance of the controversial lending of part of which collection?   The Elgin Marbles

20. The Codex Mendoza, containing information about the Aztecs, went to the French and thence to England. It ultimately joined four other Mesoamerican codices in which famous university library? One of the codices is named after the library itself.           Oxford University

21. Nyami Nyami is a creature believed to command all life on which African river? Floods and workers’ deaths during the Kariba Dam Project (1956-1977) were attributed by tribal elders to Nyami Nyami’s displeasure.  Zambezi

22. Renowned as the greatest achievement of Sudano-Sahelian architecture, and one of Africa’s wonders, in which city is the unique Great Mosque situated in Mali?   Djenne

23. What special book is used to tell the story of the Exodus around the seder table each year at Passover?  A Haggadah

24. According to an apocryphal story, when Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar admired her brass bracelet covered in fur, she bought a saucer and a spoon, covered them in gazelle fur, and titled the work Object. Which artist?   Meret Oppenhiem

25. The four elemental tools in modern occultism are the wand, pentacle, cup of chalice, and what ceremonial blade with a black handle?   Athame

 

                                                                   General Knowledge    Set by Mel Kinsey

1. Convallaria majalis is the botanical name for which low-growing perennial plant?     Lily of the Valley or May Lily

2. In 1970, which Canadian-bred, Irish-trained thoroughbred became the first horse for 35 years to win the English Triple Crown of the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Ledger?    Nijinsky 

3. The ports of Tyre and Sidon are located in which country?  Lebanon

4. Harry Hole is the main character in a series of crime novels written by which Scandinavian author?  Jo Nesbo

5. Angel Falls in Venezuela and the Tugela Falls in South Africa are the world’s two highest natural waterfalls. In which country is the Tres Hermanas Falls, the world’s third-tallest waterfall?     Peru- Otishi National Park, Junin Region 

6. So called because it contained four ducal seats, which English county has an area called the Dukeries?   Nottinghamshire

7. Which Emperor of Rome, the founder of the Flavian dynasty, consolidated Roman rule in Germany and Britain and reformed the army and brought prosperity to the empire?    Vespasian (full name: Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus) 

8. According to Greek mythology, which three sisters, the daughters of the sea deities Ceto and Phorcys, had hair made of living, venomous snakes, as well as a horrifying visage that turned those who laid eyes on them to stone?  Gorgons

9. Which was the first Asian country to host the Commonwealth Games?   Malasyia – Kuala Lumpur, 1998 

10. Approximately 6,585 days after an eclipse of the sun or moon, the sun, moon and earth return to the same relative positions in space, and another eclipse occurs. This repeating nature of eclipses was known in ancient times. What name is given to this cyclical repetition of eclipses?   The Saros cycle 

11. ‘April is the cruellest month’ is the opening line of which famous poem, first published in 1922?    The Wasteland by T S Elliot 

12. The title of which 1937 novella by John Steinbeck was taken from a line from a 1785 poem?                                                              Of  Mice and Men – from Robert Burns’ To A Mouse 

13. Former first lady Hillary Clinton, was senator of which US state from 2001 to 2009?   New York 

14. The breakup of which European country in the 1990’s is sometimes referred to as “the velvet divorce”?   Czechoslovakia

15. TheNeiperRiverflows over 1000miles into which sea?   The Black  Sea

16. The Peacock Throne, created in the 17*‘ century, was used by the rulers of which empire?  Mughal

17. In boxing what weight division comes between light heavyweight and heavyweight?   Cruiserweight

18. What is the name of the eponymous Barber of Seville in Rossinis’s comic opera?   Figaro

19. Which former Gloucester and England wicket keeper became a full time artist after he retired in 2004? He has his own gallery in Chipping Sodbury?  Jack Russell

20. Following the Limehouse Deciaration in which year were the S D P formed?    1981

21. The Swedish pop singer Marie Fredrikson died in December 2019. What was the name of the duo she appearedin?  Roxette

22. What wild animal is the early 19th century poet Lord Byron said to have kept whilst studying at Cambridge?  A Bear

23. What common herb is mixed with lemon zest and garlic to make a classic gremolata, a garnish or accompaniment to certain meat and seafood dishes? Parsley

24. Loretta Lyn is the sister of which other country singer?  Crystal Gayle

25. Zachariah Janssen is credited with the invention of which piece of scientific equipment?   Microscope or Optical Telescope

26. The Human League released a song “Don’t you want me baby” and it was used in an advert in 2001 for a TV commercial. What make and model of car was advertised? Fiat Punto

27. I was born in 1946, fourth of twelve children. I have been married to Carl Dean for 53 years. l have had 23 singles  reach the top of the UScharts and have composed over3000songs. I founded a charity library which provides books for pre-school children and as of December 2019 the charity had sent out over 130 million books. l was headline act at Glastonbury in 2014. Who am l?            Dolly Parton

28. I was bom in 1937 and I am an actor, director and film maker. Some of my most known films are Easy Rider, A Few Good Men and As Good As It Gets. l am the most nominated actor in Academy history with 12 awards and I have won 3 Oscars. Who am I?    Jack Nicholson

29. “Somewhere only we know” by Lily Allen released in 2013 and “Your Song” by Ellie Goulding released in 2010 were used in Xmas advertisements for which company?   John Lewis

30. 80% of the world’s production of which metal is used in the production of catalytic converters for cars?  Rhodium 

31.  Late musician Walter Becker was lead guitarist in which American rock band?  Steely Dan

32 Who plays the Union leader Jimmy Hoffa in the 2019 American epic crime film” The Irishman”?   Al Pacino 

33. What name is given to the Nordic dish consisting of salmon cured using salt, sugar and dill? lt is served thinly sliced accompanied with a dill and mustard sauce.   Gravadlax 

34. The Revolutionary Leader Toussaint Louverture was a key figure in establishing the independence of which modern Caribbean nation?   Haiti

35. Which drummer died in October 2019 aged 80? He was hailed as a ground breaking artist and was a member of “BlindFaith” and “Hawkwind ”amongst other bands.   Ginger Baker

36 Who was Prime Minister of the UK  during the abdication crisis of1936?   Stanley Baldwin

37. In English football which player is the Premier League’s all time top foreign goalscorer?  Sergio Aguaro

38. “Nessun Dorma”is an aria from which opera? Turandot

39. Who broke the 100 metres world record at the 1988 Olympics but later disqualified for doping?   Ben Johnson

40. Which 6th century Lidian king, noted for his vast wealth,was defeated by the Persians in 546BC?   Cresus 

41. The Beagle Channel forms part of the border between Argentina and which other country?  Chile 

42. The Orange/Chestnut Revolution of 2004 and 2005 almost brought which country to Civil War?   Ukraine

43. Which actor plays Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran in the epic film of the same name?  Robert di Nero 

44. What is the favourite food of the cartoon cat Garfield?   Lasagne

45. In Greek mythology which personification of aryba whirlpool lurked opposite the sea monster Cilla to drown unwary travellers in the Straits of Messina?    Charybdis

46. This is the opening line to which novel “My father’s family name being Pirrip and my Christian name being Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothingg longer or more explicit than Pip”. Name book and author?                                            Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 

46. Which is the smallest city in England by population?    Wells in Somerset                   

47. Which Rugby Union international player holds the record as the highest ever point scorer in the Six Nations with 557 points?Ronan O’Gara 

48. The UK Post Office was renamed in 2002 in what was generally considered an unsuccessful attempt to rebrand it. The new name was abandoned 16 months later. What was the name?    Consignia

49. First held there in 1927, which New Jersey golf club has hosted a record 9 U.S Open Championships?  the last was in  2016.  Oakmont 

50. What spiral galaxy also known as M31 is about two and a half million light years away from earth? It is the nearest large galaxy to our own.   Andromeda