Which artist said, ‘if only these Venetians could draw’? Michelangio
Who fled the French Revolution and became a successful portrait painter in Russia before moving to Rome? Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun
Who was questioned by the Inquisition over a ‘Last Supper’? Veronese
Who died on a beach of malaria whilst returning to Rome to seek pardon for a murder committed some years earlier?   Caravaggio
Who fled from a new regime in Spain and died in Bordeaux? Goya
Who was the sister-in-law of Manet? Berthe Morisot
Whose friendship with Joshua Reynolds led to her being elected as a founder member of the Royal Academy? Angela Kauffman
Who painted many of the Genoese aristocracy on a visit in the 1620s?    Van Dyke
Which Dutch landscape painter was a mute?

Hendrick Havercamp
Who made his home in Vence, where he decorated the local chapel?      Matisse
Who in 1772 sailed with Captain Cook to Antarctica as a draughtsman?    William Hodges
Who was raped in her father’s studio by a fellow artist?

Artemesia Gentileschia
Who painted George Washington over 120 times? Gilbert Stuart
Who burned all his nude studies fater hearing Savanarola preach?      Fra Bartolommeo
Whose set of 12 apostles are to be found a long way from home, in the church of San Francisco, Lima?    Zurburan
Who in 1958, designed a tiled wall for the Unesco building in Paris?      Joan Miro
Who voted for the execution of Louis XVI? Jacques-Louis David
Who was the brother-in-law of Andrea Mantegna?

Giovanni Belini
Which Dutch genre painter was unusually (on both counts) Catholic innkeeper?     Jan Steen
Who was a schoolfellow of Zola       Paul Cezsnne
Each of The Three Fates made the decisions about when and how a human was destined to die. Each of the Fates had her own role; what was the role of Lachesis?  Deciding the length of the thread of life being spun by Clotho.
What was unusual about Jason’s’ tutor Chiron?
He was a Centaur – half man and half horse.
Heracles’ father was the god Zeus. Who, according to the ancient Greeks, was his mother?    Alcmene. No, not Hera – that’s just the Disney version! Hera was his sworn enemy.
When Odysseus first returned to Ithaca in disguise after the Trojan War, he was immediately recognised by Argus. Why didn’t Argus give him away?   He died of joy on recognising Odysseus – but he couldn’t have told anyone other than by barking excitedly and wagging his tail – he was a dog; and, rather implausibly, he must have been 20 years old.
What three creatures made up the Chimaera?

Lion, goat and snake.
Which Greek god has a name which also translates into English as ‘Unseen’?   Hades
What question was the soothsayer Teiresias able to answer diplomatically when asked by both Zeus and Hera?
Both were satisfied with his answer and rewarded him. Whether the man or the woman got more pleasure from sex.
And why was he the ideal person for them to ask?
He’d been changed into a woman and then back into a man. Long story, involving sacred snakes.
What generic name is given to nymphs whom the Greeks believed lived in the mountains?     Oreads.
What ‘reward’ was given to King Midas for judging a musical contest involving the god Apollo?
Ass’s ears. He awarded the prize for best musician to Apollo’s opponent, who was the satyr Marsyas – or, in some versions of the story, Pan.
Whom did Theseus and his friend, the Lapith king Peirithous, unsuccessfully attempt to kidnap from the Underworld? Persephone.
 Who was the Greek goddess of the hearth? Hestia
Whose death was Achilles avenging when he killed Hector in the Trojan War?    Patroclus
Who built the Labyrinth in which the Minotaur was kept? Daedalus
Which constellation is supposed to represent Callisto, a mortal attendant of Artemis who became pregnant by Zeus?
Ursa Major/Great Bear; she was turned into a bear as a punishment.
Callisto is also the name of one of the four ‘Galilean’ moons of Jupiter named after mortals seduced or abducted by Zeus. To abduct which one did Zeus disguise himself as an eagle? Ganymede
Who was the Greek goddess of victory?     Nike
Where was the stone known as the Omphalos, which marked what the Greeks believed was the centre of the known world? Delphi
What did Rhea give Cronos to swallow instead of her last-born child?     A stone wrapped in swaddling clothes.
In Athenian coinage, what was the cost of crossing the river Styx?   One obol – the smallest denomination of Athenian coinage.

International actors quiz. Which male actor from one country played a character from another country on TV or in movies?
German playing a Spaniard – Sitcom 1975,1979
Andrew Sachs as Manuel – Fawlty Towers
Canadian playing an American – Science Fiction TV series and movies 1966-1994
William Shatner as Captain James T Kirk in Star Treck
Englishman playing a Frenchman – Science Fiction TV series and movies 1987-2002  Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard – Star Trek The Next Generation
Australian playing a Scotsman – Spy movie 1969
George Lazenby as James Bond – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Australian playing a Scotsman – Historical drama movie 1995
Mel Gibson as William Wallace – Braveheart
Egyptian playing a Russian – Historical drama movie 1965
Omar Sharif as Dr.Zhivago
Russian playing a Thai – Musical movie 1956
Yul Brynner as The King – The King And I
New Zealander playing a Russian – Spy TV series 1983
Sam Neill as Sydney Reilly – Reilly Ace of Spies
Englishman playing a Belgian – Detective movie 1978
Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot – Death on the Nile
Englishman playing an Indian – Historical movie 1982
Ben Kingsley as Ghandi

                                   Canada Quiz
Canada was formally declared a Confederation on the 1st July 1867, whichfour provinces made up the new confederation?
Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia & New Brunswick
Who became the first Prime Minister of Canada?

John A McDonald
Who founded Quebec City on 1608 ?     Samuel de Champlaine
Both the commanding Generals at the Battle of Quebec on 13th September 1759 were killed during the battle, name them

 James Wolfe & Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Wayne “The Great” Gretzky, born in Branford, Ontario is the only professional Ice Hockey player to have his number retired by the NHL. What number did he wear throughout his career?  99
Located in The Yukon Territory at a height of 19,551ft which is the highest mountain in Canada?      Mt.Logan
The name Canada comes from the Iroquoian word Kanata what does this mean?    Village or Settlement
 Montreal International Airport is named after which Canadian Prime Minister?      Pierre Elliot Trudeau
In 1969 which Canadian club became the first Major League Baseball franchise outside the United States? they re-located to Washington DC in 2005.    The Montreal Expo’s
Fought between 9th and 12th April 1917, which battle between four divisions of Canadian Corps and three divisions of the German Sixth Army, resulted in 10,602 Canadian casualties?   Vimy Ridge
The Stanley Cup, the major trophy of Professional Ice Hockey is named after Lord Stanley of Preston, Governor General of Canada. In which Canadian City is Stanley Park?       Vancouver
 Which Canadian won the US Masters golf in 2003? Mike Wier
Which Canadian author won the 2000 Booker Prize for The Blind Assassin?     Margaret Attwood
Which sport was invented by Canadian James A Naismith in 1891? Basketball
 Which Canadian Jazz singer is married to Elvis Costello?

Diana Krall
Which is the newest, largest, northernmost, and least populous territory of Canada ? It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999      Nunavut
At 2635 miles, which is the longest river in Canada?

The McKenzie
Born July 24, 1982, in Winnipeg, Who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1993 for her debut role in The Piano.?

Anna Paquin
The Canadian Football League’s major trophy first played for in 1910 is named after which Governor General in office between 1904-1911?       The Earl Grey (The Grey Cup)
Whose image is on the Canadian $20 note?
HM Queen Elizabeth II

                British athletes at the Olympic Games 1896-2012

Athens 1896. Launceston Elliott won the first British Olympic gold medal in which sport?    Weightlifting
Paris 1900. Great Britain defeated which country to win the only Olympic gold medal in cricket?!      France
St. Louis 1904. British born Thomas Hicks won which event for the USA?        Marathon
London 1908. Wyndham Halswelle beat how many other runners in the final of the 400m?

None (All his American rivals withdrew in protest)
Stockholm 1912. Edith Hannam won two gold medals in which sport?     Tennis
Antwerp 1920. Which rower won the first of his five medals at five consecutive Olympics?     Jack Beresford
Paris 1924. Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell were immortalised in “Chariots of Fire”. How many medals did they win in 1924?   Four (Abrahams gold in the 100m and silver in the 4x100m relay, Liddell gold in the 400m and bronze in the 200m).
Amsterdam 1928. Ellen King won two silver medals in which sport?      Swimming
Los Angeles 1932. Which father of a famous actress won the first of his two Olympic medals? Godfrey Rampling (father of Charlotte)
Berlin 1936. Which son of a famous explorer won a bronze medal in sailing?     Peter Scott (Son of Scott of the Antactic)
London 1948. Which father of a famous actor won a gold medal in rowing?     Ran Laurie (Father of Hugh)
Helsinki 1952. Who represented Britain at light-heavyweight boxing?    Henry Cooper
Melbourne 1956. Which British gold medallist was reinstated after disqualification?     Chris Brasher in the 3000m Steeplchase
Rome 1960. Allan Jay won two silver medals in which sport? Fencing
Tokyo 1964. Which British athlete won gold, silver and bronze medals. Mary Rand (Gold in the Long Jump silver in the Pentathlon and bronze in the 4x 100m relay)
Mexico City 1968. When David Hemery won the 400m hurdles gold medal David Coleman infamously commentated “Who cares who’s third”. Which British athlete finish third?   John Sherwood

Munich 1972. Which Italian born Judoka won a bronze medal for Britain and would later go on to win gold and silver medals for France? Angelo Parisi
Montréal 1976. How many medals were won for Britain by females? None
Moscow 1980. Which of the 5 British gold medallists only won one medal in 1980.   Daley Thompson
Los Angeles 1984. Which married couple won athletics medals?      Gary & Kathy Cook
Seoul 1988. Which British medallist originally won a bronze medal before being upgraded to silver?

Linford Christie after Ben Johnson was disqualified

Barcelona 1992. Which pair of brothers beat another pair of brothers to win a gold medal?  Greg & Johnny Searle beat the Italian Abbagnalle brothers

Atlanta 1996. Who partnered Neil Broad to win silver medals in the men’s doubles tennis?  Tim Henman

Sydney 2000. Who was the only British athlete to win two medals?   Jason Queally -Gold in the 1km Time Trial and Silver in the Team Sprint

Athens 2004. Which British equestrian won his gold medal on his return to the UK?  Leslie Law – after Bettina Hoy of Germany had 12 penalty points added for crossing the start line twice.

Beijing 2008. Who won a gold medal in cycling 4 years after winning a silver medal in rowing?  Rebecca Romero

London 2012. Who finally won a gold medal after silver medals in the three previous Olympics?  Katherine Grainger

             The Remarkable (but still sometimes Rotten) Romans

Whom, according to legend, did the shepherd Faustulus take home and bring up? Romulus and Remus

What relation was Augustus Caesar (= The Emperor Augustus) to Julius Caesar?   Great-nephew

For what crime were convicted criminals executed by being sewn up in a sack with a dog, a cockerel and a viper and thrown into the Tiber?  Parricide

How did a tortoise feature in the Roman army? The word for tortoise = testudo was the technical term for a defensive formation consisting of a 3–sided wall and roof made by soldiers using their shields.

Who wrote two letters describing the eruption of Vesuvius?

Pliny the Younger

Apart from Pompeii and Herculaneum, which other settlements were buried in the eruption?  Stabiae and Oplontis

For which younger contemporary – later a well-known Roman author himself – did Pliny the Younger later write a reference?  Gaius Suetonius –biographer of Julius Caesar and the first eleven Emperors, and the source of most of the scandalous stories about them.

What important symbol of Rome’s permanence was guarded by the Vestal Virgins?  The everlasting flame in the temple of Vesta.

The terms Caecuban and Falernian were used by the Romans as names of the best examples of what consumable substance?  Wine

Where did the Emperor Claudius order the construction of a lighthouse?  Ostia.

What sort of criminal would normally be executed by being thrown off the top of the Tarpeian Rock?   Traitors

Of what was Pomona the goddess?  Orchards

Which Emperor had a nickname derived from an item in the soldier’s outfit he was given as a child?  Gaius = Caligula; a ‘caliga’ was a soldier’s hob-nailed boot

Which Emperor was so upset at the death of his young lover Antinous that he made him into a demigod?  Hadrian

To a Roman soldier, what were ‘lilies’? A  defensive trench containing sharply-pointed spikes set vertically; there are some well-preserved ones along the Antonine Wall near Edinburgh

What was manumission? The formal freeing of a slave

Who wrote the comedy on which Shakespeare’s ‘A Comedy of Errors’ is based?  And, for a bonus point, what was it called?  Plautus; Menaechmi or, in the Penguin translation, The Brothers Menaechmus

Which famous Roman author and lawyer had a surname derived from the Latin word for ‘chick-pea’?     Marcus Tullius Cicero

The town now known as Cirencester (Roman Corinium) was the main training centre in Britain for what kind of artist?

Mosaic makers

What type of everyday objects included items called dupondius, dodrans and as?     Coins

                                    American Presidents

George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States on 30th April 1789. What words did he add to the oath of office, to those specified?   “So help me god” (These words have been used in every inauguration since)
John Adams defended British soldiers accused of taking part in which historic event?     The Boston Massacre
Thomas Jefferson in 1801 successfully asked Congress for a declaration of war against who? It was the first foreign war fought by the United States?    The Barbary States of North Africa
James Madison is known as “The Father of the Constitution” after promoting and drafting what?   Tne first 10 amendments to the constitution, also known as The Bill of Rights

James Monroe was wounded in which battle of the War of Independence?f    The Battle of Trenton on 2nd January 1777
John Quincey Adams wife Louisa Catherine Johnson was the only First Lady born outside the United States, in which city was she born in 1775?  London (Her father was an American merchant and her mother, English)
Andrew Jackson presided over the Indian removal act of 1830, which led to the removal of Native Americans from their traditional lands to lands west of the Mississippi. What name has this been given to this exodus?    “The Trail of Tears”
Martin Van Buren’s nickname gave the world which expression?
“OK” (Van Buren lived in Kinderhook, New York. During the election of 1840, his supporters showed their support by saying they were “OK” (Old Kinderhook) the expression stuck)
William Henry Harrison led his troops to victory over which Indian chief in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811?

Tecumseh chief of the Shawnee
John Tyler,was the first Vice President to ascend to the Presidency, following the death of W.H.Harrison after just 31 days in office, is the only President not to have his death officialy recognised by Washington, why?   Tyler was a Virginian and died there in 1862, during the civil war.
James Knox Polk won the 1844 Presidential election, defeating which 3 time beaten Whig candidate, a strong proponent of the “American System”? Henry Clay
Zachary Taylor was elected President in 1848, largely due to his victory in which battle of the Mexican War? Bunea Vista in February 1847
Millard Fillmore, a Whig, was the candidate of which party in the 1856 Presidential election? The American or Know Nothing Party (He won just one state, Maryland)
Franklin Pierce is the only President to date to be a native of which state?    New Hampshire
James Buchanan was the only President who never married. What was the name of his niece who acted as the White House hostess?

Harriet Lane
 

Who won a Best Actor Oscar in 1936 for the title role in The Story of Louis Pasteur? Paul Muni
What small extra-nuclear loops of DNA can be used by bacteria to transfer genes for antibiotic resistance?    Plasmids
What live virus did Edward Jenner use to vaccinate against smallpox?    Cowpox or Vaccinia virus
Which infectious intestinal disease is divided into three main types dependent on the causative organism: – bacterial, amoebic and balantidal?     Dysentery
What is the more common name for Schistosomiasis, a disease sometimes caught after swimming in infested rivers and lakes in Africa?                Bilharzia
What name is given to a device used to sterilise material using steam at high pressure and temperature in a sealed chamber?   An autoclave

Which epidemic louse-borne disease is caused by the intracellular bacterium Rickettsia prowazeki and is sometimes called “gaol fever”?       Typhus

The causative organism of which respiratory disease was, in the past, sometimes known as Koch’s bacillus, after it’s discoverer, Robert Koch? Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

And which disease is caused by the organism sometimes known as )’s bacillus, after it’s discoverer in 1873?

Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae.

Epstein-Barr virus is the cause of infectious mononucleosis, more commonly known as what?    Glandular fever

MRSA, the multiple antibiotic resistant organism, stands for ……….. Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.  What is the missing word?              Methicillin

Which genus of curved or spiral bacteria, particularly associated with chickens, was only isolated in the 1970’s but is now recognised as one of the principal causes of food poisoning in the UK?                Campylobacter

Most living things can be divided into two groups.  The higher organisms, such as animals, plants, fungi and protozoa are called eukaryotes.  What name is given to the group containing blue-green algae and bacteria?    Prokaryotes

Which spongiform encephalopathy, similar to B.S.E.(“mad cow disease”) in cattle and Creutzfeld-Jacob disease in humans, primarily affects sheep?     Scrapie

And which similar disease is found in tribes of cannibals in New Guinea, presumed to be from eating the brains of the dead?  Kuru

Which viral haemorrhagic fever was first isolated in 1969 from the Nigerian village of the same name?     Lassa fever

Which microbiologist is credited with developing the first vaccines for anthrax and rabies?       Louis Pasteur

18) Alexander Fleming is generally credited with the discovery of penicillin, but with which two other scientists did he share the 1945 Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine, for their role in developing the drug for clinical use?         Howard Florey and Ernst Chain

Fascioliasis, caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, has been particularly linked in the past with eating which (unwashed) salad vegetable.           Water cress

 An outbreak of typhoid fever in Aberdeen in 1964 was linked to tins of which imported foodstuff?       Corned beef      

Undulant fever, also known amongst other pseudonyms as Malta fever, is an alternative name for which disease caught by drinking unpasteurised milk?    Brucellosis, although usually from Brucella melitensis, from goats, rather than Brucella abortus, from cattle.

What often fatal form of food poisoning is particularly associated with a toxin found in inadequately prepared home-canned foodstuffs and which has found uses in other fields?    Botulism, caused by Clostridium botulinum from which we get Botulinum toxin (Botox)

What is the name of the glass or now, almost invariably, plastic receptacle used for agar plates to culture bacteria?   Petrie dish

Weil’s disease, sometimes occurring in sewage workers and associated with rat’s urine, is a common pseudonym for which disease?          Leptospirosis

The last recorded case of smallpox in the UK (and also the world?) occurred in 1978 when Mrs. Janet Parker, a medical photographer, died from what is believed to have been a laboratory acquired infection.  At which UK university did this occur?         Birmingham

            Sporting Politicians – Identify the following sportsmen

                              who have all held political office

Olympic Finalist 4x100m 1964

Menzies (Ming) Campbell – Leader of the Liberal Democrats

World record holder and Olympic Silver Medallist 1500m 1968

Jim Ryan – US Representative from Kansas

Olympic Silver Medallist Rowing 1980

Colin Moynihan – Conservative MP and Sports Minister

Olympic Champion 1500m 1980 and 1984 

Seb Coe Conservative MP

Olympic Champion 4x100m 1936 

Ralph Metcalfe US Representative for Illinois

Olympic Champion Decathlon 1948 and 1952

Bob Mathias US Represesntative from California

Cricket World Cup winner 1992

Imran Khan Member of the Pakistan National Assembly

West Indies fast bowler 1960

Wes Hall Barbados Minister of Tourism

World record holder and Olympic Finalist 5000m 1952

Chris Chataway Conservative MP

World Heavyweight Boxing Champion 2012

Vitaly Klitchschko  Mayor of Kiev, Ukraine

Olympic Gold Medallist Basketball 1964

Bill Bradley US Senator from New Jersey

Olympic Bronze Medallist 1500m 1956

John Landy  Governor of Victoria, Australia

                                      Presidents of the USA

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on the 14th April 1865, while watching which play at Fords theatre in Washington?

Our American Cousin

Andrew Johnson is the only President to hold which position after his presidency?  Senator (He returned to the Senate shortly before his death)

Ulysses S Grant In July 1863, after a series of coordinated battles, defeated Confederate armies and seized which city giving the Union control of the Mississippi River?   Vicksburg

Rutherford Hayes and his wife were both supporters of the Temperance Movement and banned alcohol from the White House as a result what nickname was given to Mrs. Hayes by Washington society? 

“Lemonade Lucy”

James Garfield was shot at the Sixth Street Station of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad on the 2nd of July by who?

Charles Guiteau

Chester Arthur performed the opening ceremony on 24th May 1883 of which American landmark?  Brooklyn Bridge

Grover Cleveland on the 2nd of June 1886 became the first US President to do what?  Marry in the White House

Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President was what relation to William Henry Harrison, the 9th President?  Grandson

William McKinley was the last President to wear “The Bloody Shirt”. To what did this refer?  An electoral ploy of the Republican Party to promote presidental candidates who had fought in the Civil War

Theodore Roosevelt ran as a third party candidate in the 1912 Presidential election. The party became known as the “Bull Moose” party, but what was its official name? The Progressive Party

William Howard Taft is the only former President to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Which President appointed him in to the post?  Warren G Harding

Woodrow Wilson who won the 1912 Presidential election, did not hold public office until becoming Governor of which state in 1910?   New Jersey

Warren G Harding had died in office before the great scandal of his administration came to light. This involved his Secretary of the Interior, selling naval oil reserves to private oil companies. What name, based on the Wyoming location of the reserve is given to the scandal?   

Teapot Dome

Calvin Coolidge, succeeded to the Presidency on the death of Harding in 1923. Who administered the oath of office as Coolidge was sworn in as president?  His Father who was a Notary Public

Herbert Hoover served as head of the U.S. Food Administration during World War I, and became internationally known for humanitarian relief in which war torn country?  Belguim

Franklin Roosevelt was the only President to win 4 Presidential elections in 1932,1936, 1940 and 1944. Name his 4 opponents in those elections. 

Herbert Hoover, Alfred Landon, Wendle Wilkie & Thomas E Dewey

In what year was the first LASER built?   1960

A mutiny on which ship was integral to the Russian revolution of 1905?    Potemkin

The molecular structure of DNA was identified in 1953 by which two people?   James Watson & Francis Crick

Mark Rylance won the 2016 BAFTA for Best Leading Actor for his role in which TV drama?  Wolf Hall

In the film Frozen, who played the voice of Anna? Kristen Bell

Which actress and in which film, said “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!” ?  Bette Davis in All About Eve

Who played the character Janice Battersby in Coronation Street ? 

Vicky Entwhistle

In the Thomas the Tank Engine series, The Fat Controller is the head of the railway, what is his name? Sir Toppham Hat

Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister between 2010 and 2013 was born in which country?   Wales

What is the largest lake wholly in Canada? Great Bear Lake

Which British architect designed the striking Reichstag glass dome in Berlin ?   Sir Norman Foster

What is the name of the Indian sport where a player from one side has to touch an opponent and escape back to his own half?

Kabbadi

Known as ‘the father of genetics’ this Austrian monk discovered the basic principles of hereditary. What was his name?

Gregor Mendal

Which Iranian born physician composed both the Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine, among some of the most famous books in the history of medicine?  Ibn Sina

Thom Yorke is the lead singer of which English band that formed in Oxfordshire in 1985?  Radiohead

                  Sportspeople who voluntarily changed nationality

  (does not include German reunification, dissolution of USSR etc),

                                      Identify from initials

RF. Chess Player – USA to Iceland.      Robert “Bobby” Fischer

BL. Middle Distance runner – Kenya to USA.  Bernard Lagat

FM. Long jumper – Great Britain to Italy.  Fiona May

LR. Cricketer – Australia to New Zealand.  Luke Ronchi

VM. Marathon runner – France to Great Britain. Veronique Marot

AB. Distance runner – Mexico to USA.  Arturo Barrios

KW. Cricketer – South Africa to Australia. Kepler Wessells

MG. Alpine Skier – Austria to Luxembourg.  Marc Girdelli

CF. Cycling – Kenya to Great Britain.   Chris Froome

VA. Short Track Speed Skater – Korea to Russia.shcer   Victor Ahn

GR. Tennis Player – Canada to Great Britain. Greg Rusedski

LL. Boxer – Canada to Great Britain.   Lenox Lewis

MN. Tennis Player – Czechoslovakia to USA. Martina Navratilova

AP. Judoka – Great Britain to France.  Angelo Parisi

KK. Marathon runner – Morocco  to USA   Khalid Khannouchi

                                      Derbyshire Quiz

What product is the town of Buxton famous for?

Spa (or mineral water)

What is the name of the highest point in Derbyshire? Kinder Scout

Who or what is Blue John?

A mineral rich rock patterns or purple and yellow

Most Derbyshire villages celebrate what custom annually?

Well Dressing

What is the name of the Derbyshire Parish Church that is noted for its crooked spire? Church of St Marys and All Saints at Chesterfield

What connection has Ladybower reservoir with World War Two ?

It was used as a practice ground by the 617 squadron for the Dambusters Raid

Which Derbyshire Village has a connection with the Nursery Rhyme Ring a ring a roses?  Eyam the Plague Village
What connection has Chatsworth House with the Mitford Sisters?  ? Deborah Mitford  married Lord Andrew Cavendish younger son of 10th Duke of Duke of Devonshire in 1941

n Hathersage which grave can be found said to be associated with Robin Hood?   Little John

How did Cromford influence the future of the textile industry ?

Arkwright water powered textile machinery

In Derbyshire what route does the Tissington Trail follow?

The former Buxton to Ashbourne railway line

What particular building in Buxton reminds you of Bath?

The Crescent

Where in Derbyshire does the world`s oldest Club Sheffield FC founded in 1857 currently play?   Dronfield

What connection does Derby Football Club with the historical Industry of the area?  

Its’nickname the Rams is associated with the woollen industry

Reputed to be the oldest hotel in England which historical royal was put under house arrest in the Od Hall Hotel in Buxton 1576-1578?  Mary Queen of Scots

On the TV sitcom The Munsters, what was Lily Munster’s maiden name? Dracula
What foreign government contributed the greatest amount of money for the relief of victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?      Japan
Which is the only U.S. state to produce coffee? Hawaii
What famous actress once said, “The less I behave like Whistler’s mother the night before, the more I look like her the morning after”?     Tallulah Bankhead
The name of what American state capital means “sheltered harbor”?      Honolulu
When the bald eagle was first named, what was the meaning of the word “bald’?
It came from ‘Piebald’ reffering to the birds white tail feathers in contrast to its darker body
What two cities were linked by the Orient Express?

Paris & Istanbul
What’s a “bap”?     A large breadcake
How many sides are there to a snow crystal? Six
What capital is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world?      Damascus
What French city was home to Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, the famous gastronome?     Belley
What is philematology?     The study of kissing
What is a “tittle”?      The dot over the letters i & j
What fruit did early Greek Olympians eat for their health and sometimes even wear as medals?      Figs
What was the name of the daughter Lady Emma Hamilton bore Admiral Horatio Nelson?      Horatia
What does Yoko Ono’s first name mean when translated from Japanese?    Ocean Child
What was used to erase lead pencil marks before rubber came into use?    Moist Bread
What childhood name was shared by General George A. Custer and Chief Crazy Horse, the Oglala Sioux leader he faced at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?    Curley
Where were Panama hats- woven from jipijapa leaves- first made?    Equador
20. The name of what South American capital city means “I see a hill”?      Montevideo

An area of which river is called Tail of the Bank?  The Clyde
What is the second highest mountain in Scotland? Ben MacDui
Dunkeld stands on which river?  The Tay
There have been two Battles Of Falkirk, name either year.

1298 & 1746
Outside which castle is there a statue of Flora MacDonald? Inverness
Which mountain, near Oban, contains a power station?

Ben Cruachan
Near which Scottish town was there a Butlin’s holiday camp located?    Ayr
Which Scots swimmer won silver at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics? Bobby McGregor
Craigiehall is the Scottish headquarters for which organisation? The Army
Which Scots born actress was nominated for an Oscar 6 times but never won?   Deborah Kerr
Kilrymont was an early name for which Scottish town? St.Andrews
Which iconic memorial is located near Spean Bridge?

The Commando Memorial
Where in Scotland did Pope John Paul II celebrate a mass in June 1982?     Bellhouston Park
Which Scots born rebel leader was executed in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising?         James Connolly
Red Clydesider John MacLean was appointed to which role in February 1918?     Bolshevik Consul in Scotland

What was John Wayne’s final film? The Shootist
How many roles did Peter Sellers play in “Dr. Strangelove”?
3 (Group Captain Mandrake. President Muffley and Dr.Strangelove)
Who played Neil Diamond’s father in the 1980 remake of “The Jazz Singer”?    Sir Laurence Olivier
In which fictional town did “It’s a Wonderful Life” take place? Bedford Falls
Who was the female lead actor in “Groundhog Day”?

Andie McDowell
Which future Oscar winner appeared in the musical “Bugsy Malone”?    Jodie Foster
Who appeared as his own father in a movie based his war memoirs? Spike Milligan in “Adolf Hitler- My Part in His Downfall”
Which Englishman played a Russian in “2001: A Space Odyssey”?   Leonard Rossiter
How many times has Meryl Streep been nominated for an Oscar?    19 (She won only 3)
Which star of Hammer Horror films appeared in “Star Wars: A New Hope”?    Peter Cushing
“Duel” was the first film directed by a famous director in 1971? Steven Spielberg

                                    Questions on Kent

Rochester Castle has three square towers and one round tower, what event led to this unusual feature? During the seige in 1215 King John tried to capture the castle from the rebel barons he built a mine and destroyed one of the towers in order to get it back. He did get it back in the end and by this time engineers had realized that round towers had more strength then square ones because an old medieval tactic was to dig out the four corners of a square tower and it would collapse but with a circular tower there where no corners to dig out.
Kent’s motto is ‘Invicta’, who bestowed this title on the county when he was unable to reach his Coronation by troops at Swanscombe? William I
Which British military leader died in Walmer Castle in September 1852?    The Duke of Wellington
In which year did Kent last win the cricket county championship? 1978
And who was the leading wicket taker with 110 wickets?

Derek Underwood
What is the county flower of Kent? The Hop
Which scientist lived in Down House, in Kent until his death in 1882?    Charles Darwin
In Rochester Cathedral there is a plaque to Colonel John R. M. Chard, of the Royal Engineers, for his participation in which battle was he awarded the Victoria Cross?    Rorkes Drift
Which town is the county town of Kent? Maidstone
In which year was HMS Victory launched following her building at Chatham Dockyard? 1765
 In which Kentish town is the Turner Contemporary Gallery which opened in 2011?   Margate
What distinguishes a Man of Kent from a Kentish Man?
A Man of Kent is East of the River Medway, Kentish Man is West of the river
Which female athlete was born in Pembury on 19th April 1970? Kelly Holmes
What is the name of the golf club in Sandwich, which last hosted The Open in 2011?   Royal St. Georges
Which cabinet minister is the MP for Sevenoaks?

Michael Fallon MP

                        Metamorphosis quiz – all change

In Roman mythology, what was the original name and identity of the god Quirinus? Romulus, one of the twin founders of Rome
For what solo instrument did Benjamin Britten write his Six Metamorphoses after Ovid? Oboe
In Greek/Roman mythology, what specific change do the seer Teiresias and a woman called Caenis have in common? Changed into the opposite gender; Caenis into a man called Caeneus and Teiresias into a woman and then back into a man
In what famous literary work is a weaver partially changed into an animal? Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Nick Bottom the weaver is given an ass’s head
What is the name of the central character who is changed into a cockroach in Kafka’s novel Metamorphosis? Gregor Samsa
To what did the poet and composer Philip Heseltine change his name? Peter Warlock
When Dionysus offered Midas a reward for looking after the drunken Silenus, for what did Midas ask?  That everything he touched should be turned to gold
What was being celebrated when Jesus turned water into wine because the host’s wine had run out? A wedding/marriage feast
What is the current name of the London Underground station originally called Aldersgate Street? Barbican

In Greek/Roman mythology, what form did Zeus/Jupiter adopt in order to seduce Alcmena?

That of her husband Amphitryon/Amphitruo
What name is given in Scots folklore to the beings which change from humans to seals? Selkies
The Mexican Salamander changes into its fully adult form only if the pond in which it is living dries up. It can live and reproduce for a long time in its immature form. What name is given to the immature form of this amphibian? Axolotl
If a piece of music modulates (changes key) from C major to its Relative Minor, into what key has the music modulated? A minor
The scientific name of the grey partridge – perdix perdix – refers to the story of the young Athenian turned into a partridge by the gods when his jealous uncle kicked him off the top of the Acropolis. What was the uncle’s name? Daedalus
In 1980, which island group’s name was changed to the Republic of Vanuatu?   New Hebrides
 Which fictional character changed into a black dog on landing at Whitby in a storm? Dracula
Who changed into a laurel tree in order to escape the unwanted attentions of the god Apollo? Daphne
Who wrote a work called Metamorphosen for 23 solo string instruments?   Richard Strauss
What is the last ‘change’ story contained in the Metamorphoses by Ovid?    Julius Caesar into a star
Which member of the Bloomsbury Group wrote a novel in which a young married woman gradually turns into a fox?
David Garnett. The book is Lady into Fox

        Identify these sports people from their initials, they  have             competed at high level in at least two different sports.
MC – Soccer and Horse Racing Mick Channon – England soccer international and horse racing trainer.
MS – Cricket and Rugby Union  Mike (MJK) Smith – England cricket captain and Rugby Union international.
RR – Rowing and Cyclin Rebecca Romero – Olympic silver medalist 2004 in rowing. Olympic gold medalist 2008 in cycling.
DA – Fencing and Cricket David Acfield – Olympic fencer and Essex county cricketer.
EH – Speed Skating and Cycling  Eric Heiden – USA Olympic speed skating gold medallist and Tour de France cyclist.
RC – Hockey and Cricket  Rick Charlesworth – Australian Olympic Hockey Player and Western Australia first class cricketer.
RH – Athletics and American Football  Robert “Bob” Hayes – USA 1964 Olympic 100m champion and Super Bowl winner American Football player.
LB – Cricket, Rugby Union and Rugby League   Liam Botham – County Cricketer, England Under 21 Rugby Union and professional Rugby League player.
FP – Table tennis and Tennis  Fred Perry – World table tennis champion and Wimbledon tennis champion.
EE – Boxing and Bobsleigh   Eddie Eagan – USA Olympic Boxing and Bobsleigh gold medallist.
JS – Shooting and Motor Racing  Jackie Stewart – Shooting international and Formula 1 World Champion.
AG – Athletics and Orienteering Anders Garderud – Swedish Olympic champion 3000m steeplechase and national orienteering champion.
                                      Classical music quiz
What is the function of the right pedal on a normal upright piano?   Sustaining the notes played
Borodin, Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov are three of the Russian composers known collectively as the ‘Mighty Handful’. Name either of the other two. Balakirev, Mussorgsky
Which actor wrote and starred in a play called Beethoven’s Tenth in which the recently dead Beethoven arrives in Heaven and discovers he’s regained his hearing?    Peter Ustinov
What type of musical instrument is a ‘Father Willis’?
Church/cathedral organ – Henry Willis was a famous 19th century organ builder and restorer
Which piece of 20th-century orchestral music is sometimes referred to as ‘Crescendo for orchestra’?     Ravel’s Bolero
The overture to Rossini’s opera La Gazza Ladra is a popular opening work in classical concerts, possibly based on the source of a poem in R.H. Barham’s Ingoldsby Legends. What is the English translation of the opera’s title?     The Thieving Magpie
Apart from the National Anthem, for which piece of music has it become customary for a British concert audience to stand, following the (alleged) mistake of an English monarch?

Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah
To what note is the lowest string on a viola normally tuned?
C the octave below Middle C
What was the original title given by Beethoven to his only opera?
Leonora – now called Fidelio
The tune to Hark, the Herald Angels Sing is adapted from a choral work by which composer?      Mendelssohn
Which popular 7-movement orchestral work by Gustav Holst ends with a wordless female-voice chorus gradually fading away?

The Planets suite
Tom Lehrer wrote a song about a female composer associated with a number of prominent men, including the architect Walter Gropius, whom she married after the death of her first husband. Who was she and what was the name of that first husband?
Alma – née Schindler – who married the composer Gustav Mahler and, after Gropius, Franz Werfel
What are known collectively as ‘The 48’?
J. S. Bach’s two sets of keyboard preludes and fugues, also called The Well-Tempered Clavier
Who composed the music used for the cartoon ballet featuring crocodiles, hippos and other animals in Disney’s Fantasia? Ponchielli
Which 20th century British composer, associated later in life with religious music, wrote a cantata called The Whale?
John Tavener – NB spelling is important – John Taverner was an Elizabethan composer
The French composer Erik Satie wrote a piece intended to be played over 24 hours by a relay of pianists. What is its title? Vexations
Samuel Barber’s Adagio for strings also exists in a choral version. What is the choral version called? Agnus Dei
Which work by Brahms is based on the tunes of medieval student songs, including Gaudeamus igitur as its final theme?

Academic Festival overture
Who founded the West-East Divan Orchestra? Daniel Barenboim

Which river passes through Madrid?   Manzanares

On which exact date was the Lusitania sunk?  7th May 1915

Who fouled Bobby Moore in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final leading to the award of the free kick which set up Hurst’s first goal? 

Wolfgang Overath

Who first coined the phrase “ignorance is bliss”? Thomas Gray

In ten pin bowling what are three strikes in a row called? A Turkey

Which New Testament Gospel book is not considered synoptic?  John

Who in 1955 became the last woman to be hanged in the UK?

Ruth Ellis

The games at which Shropshire village were studied by De Coubertin and partially inspired the modern Olympics?

Much Wenlock

Mr Tulkinghorn appears in which Dickens’ novel? Bleak House

In which month of 1939 did the Spanish Civil War end?  April

In the epic 2010 Wimbledon match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, how many games were played in total?  

183 (6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6 70-68)

Who wrote Death in Venice?  Thomas Mann

Whose death was caused by falling off the Lady Ghislaine and drowning in 1991?  Robert Maxwell

What is the state capital of North Dakota?   Bismark

Which is the largest lizard on earth?  Komodo Dragon

With a population of c 325000 which city is Lithuania’s second largest?  Kaunas

Who is Shirley Williams’ famous mother?  Vera Brittain

In which bar of the Rover’s Return, Coronation St did Ena Sharples, Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst regularly drink?

The Snug

Fictionally, in 1963, who was Susan Foreman’s grandfather?

Dr Who

What is measured on the Torino scale? Near Earth objects

Which opera by Monteverdi is based on works by the Roman historian Tacitus and the biographer Suetonius?

L’incoronazione di Poppea

What name is given to the disorder whose sufferers believe that they are dead? Cotard Delusion or Walking Dead Syndrome

Which item of stationery is known in French as un trombone?

Paper Clip

How did Ravenscar in North Yorkshire feature in the manufacture of textiles until 1871? Major producer of Alum a fixatine for dyes

Which disease is caused by the organism sometimes known as Hansen’s bacillus?  Leprosy

What opera connects Alexander Graham Bell and the French composer Poulenc?  La Voix Humaine, which consists of one side of a telephone conversation

The tree salix alba var ‘caerulea’ is traditionally used to manufacture what sporting items?  Cricket Bats, its the Willow

Where would you find Mordor Macula? 

On Charon, Pluto’s largest moon

Which painter was the grand-daughter of Fragonard and the sister-in-law of Manet?  Berthe  Morisot