Round 1
1a The Easter Rising against British rule in Ireland took place in which year?
1916
1b Leofric of Mercia was the husband of which famous woman?
Lady Godiva
2a Easter Island is a territory of its nearest mainland neighbour, which country is that?
Chile
2b Absolut vodka is a product of which country?
Sweden
3a Which famous ex-sportsman provides the voice for the children's TV programme 'Underground Ernie'?
Gary Linker
3b Hever Castle in Kent was the childhood home of which English Queen?
Anne Boleyn
4a Standing for words meaning "The Senate and people of Rome", which 4 letters appeared on standards carried by Roman soldiers?
SPQR
4b What was the name of the first communications satellite, launched in 1962?
Telstar

Round 2
1a Which pop group took their name from the German word meaning 'Power Plant'?
Kraftwerk
1b The Battle of Culloden took place in which year?
1746
2a At the 2008 European Football Championships Otto Rehhagel was coach of which country's team?
Greece
2b The nickname of which British Prime Minister was 'the unknown Prime Minister'?
Andrew Bonar-L aw
3a In medicine an emetic is administered to induce what?
Vomiting
3b The last line of which blockbuster film was "I used to hate the water, I can't imagine why"?
Jaws
4a Which TV series features the characters 'Stanley Marsh' and 'Kyle Broflovski'?
South Park
4b Which fish is used to make an Arbroath Smokie?
Haddock

Round 3
1a Which sport is played at the top level by Mardy Fish?
Tennis
1b Which English writer, best known for his science fiction, published 'Outline of History' in the 1920s?
HG Wells
2a What type of weapon is a 'Katana'?
(long, single edged) Sword
2b The island of Trinidad lies seven miles off the coast of which South American country?
Venezuela
3a Which US President was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize after his term in office?
Jimmy Carter
3b An excess of what in the bloodstream causes jaundice?
Bile
4a What was the name of the first nuclear submarine, launched in 1954?
Nautilus
4b Standing for words meaning "which is what was to be proved", which 3 letters appear at the end of a mathematical theorem?
QED

Round 4
1a Dawley New Town changed its name in 1968, how is it now known?
Telford
1b Mujibur Rahman was the first president of which country?
Bangladesh
2a Bundaberg rum is produced in which country?
Australia
2b The Hindu and Urdu word for a foreign or distant land was corrupted by British soldiers in the early 20th century to become which familiar slang term referring to Britain?
Blighty (from Bilyati or Bilayat)
3a The last line of which blockbuster film was "Good, for a moment there I thought we were in trouble"?
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
3b Which famous ex-sportsman provides the voice for the children's TV programme 'Roary the Racing Car'?
Stirling Moss
4a Which shellfish is sometimes called a queenie?
Scallop
4b Which TV series featured the characters 'Richie Rich' and 'Eddie Hitler'?
Bottom

Round 5
1a Which pop group took their name from the Gaelic word for family?
Clannad
1b Prasutagus was the husband of which famous woman?
Boudicca (Boadicea)
2a At the 2008 European Football Championships Leo Beenhakker was coach of which country's team?
Poland
2b Which tenor created the title roles in Benjamin Britten's operas 'Peter Grimes' and 'Albert Herring'?
Peter Pears
3a Theodore Roosevelt was the first US President to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, who was the second?
Woodrow Wilson
3b Which Yorkshire headland is defended by the ancient Dane's Dyke?
Flamborough Head
4a In which city is the book 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon set?
Barcelona
4b Who succeeded John Prescott as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 2007?
Harriet Harman

Round 6
1a Which ancient Greek playwright is reputed to have died when an eagle dropped a live tortoise on him, mistaking his bald head for a stone?
Aeschylus
1b Which English writer, best known for his detective fiction, published a fantasy novel entitled 'The Man Who Was Thursday' in 1908?
GK Chesterton
2a Which Australian state capital was named after the man who was Governor of New South Wales 1821-25?
Brisbane
2b The nickname of which British Prime Minister was 'the Sledgehammer'?
Herbert Asquith
3a In which month of 1805 was the Battle of Trafalgar fought?
October
3b In which castle was Mary Queen of Scots executed?
Fotheringay
4a Which singer was shot dead by his father in 1984?
Marvin Gaye
4b Which Shakespearean character said "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war"?
Mark Antony

Round 7
1a Which sport is played at the top level by Topsy Ojo?
Rugby Union
1b Hamid Karzai became the first elected president of which country in 2004?
Afghanistan
2a Which famous soprano is married to the conductor Richard Bonynge?
Joan Sutherland
2b Which 14th century slang term for going insane is derived from the name of an army camp near Mumbai?
Doolally (from Deolali)
3a Who wrote the 1798 treatise 'An Essay on the Principle of Population'?
Thomas Malthus
3b In which month of 1815 was the Battle of Waterloo fought?
June
4a Who was appointed deputy to Ian Paisley at the Northern Ireland assembly at Stormont in May 2007?
Martin McGuiness
4b Liesel Meminger is the name of the eponymous character in which recent best-selling novel?
The Book Thief

Round 8
1a Which South Wales town was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of Aberavon and Margam?
Port Talbot
1b Which Roman Genera is reputed to have been executed by having molten gold poured down his throat by his Parthian captors?
(Marcus Licinius) Crassus
2a What type of weapon is a 'twibill'?
(double-bladed) Axe
2b Which Australian state capital is close to the River Torrens?
Adelaide
3a What is the name of the RSPB reserve just to the north of Flamborough, famous for its nesting seabirds?
Bempton Cliffs
3b Which economist wrote 'The Great Crash, 1929'?
JK Galbraith
4a Which Shakespearean character was the daughter of Brabantio?
Desdemona
4b Which singer, who had four no.1 hits in the UK, was shot dead by a Los Angeles hotel manageress in 1964?
Sam Cooke

Spare Questions
1 In which mid west state is the first Primary of the US Presidential election traditionally held?
Iowa
2 Which children's author created Tracey Beaker?
Jacqueline Wilson
3 Opened in 1637, in which city was the first public opera house?
Venice