Monday 21st February 2022

Wirral Set Eight - Correct as at April 2020

Round 1
1a Which river divides “Kentish Men” to its west from” Men of Kent” to its east? Medway
1b Which character says the line “Kiss me Kate” in the Shakespeare play ‘Taming of the Shrew’? Petruchio
2a Who was David Cameron’s immediate predecessor as Leader of the Conservative Party? Michael Howard
2b Which wind instrument is pitched an octave above a flute? Piccolo
3a Who was on the English throne at the time of the Battle of Bannockburn? Edward II (2nd)
3b Which is the only Italian football club to have played continuously in Serie A, the top tier of Italian football? Inter Milan (accept Internazionale)
4a What whisky was named after a 19th century Kilmarnock grocer? Johnny Walker
4b Haribo, the sweet manufacturer, was founded and has its headquarters in which country? Germany

Round 2
1a In what modern US state did the Mayflower first land in 1620? Massachusetts
1b The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge both attended which university? St Andrews
2a In what type of institution is Beethoven’s opera Fidelio set? A prison
2b Which statesman and explorer appears as a boy in a famous 1871 painting by John Everett Millais? Walter Raleigh (Boyhood of Raleigh)
3a In the book and film A Clockwork Orange, who is gang leader Alex’s favourite composer? Beethoven
3b According to Perrrault’s version of the fairy tale of that name, for how long does Sleeping Beauty sleep? 100 years
4a Who in 1985 famously said “Don’t go to the pub tonight-please stay in and give us your money”? Bob Geldof
4b Who is the patron saint of the Scottish town of Paisley? St Mirren (accept St Mirin, Merinus, Merryn-hence the name of the football team)

Round 3
1a What is the most spoken language in the southern hemisphere? Portuguese
1b In which team sport do players attempt to tag or capture an opponent whilst chanting the name of the sport? Kabbadi
2a Which is the most populated landlocked country in the world? Ethiopia
2b Which of Henry VIII’s wives was Anne Boleyn’s cousin? Catherine Howard
3a Which singer appears on the obverse side of a new Australian 100 dollar banknote? Nellie Melba
3b What was the name of the character played by Wendy Richard in the TV series ‘Are you being served’? Miss (Shirley) Brahms
4a Which Welsh singer, real name Michael Barratt, was one of the UK’s biggest selling singles artist of the 1980s? Shakin’ Stevens
4b The cast of which 1969 film featured both Noel Coward and Benny Hill? The Italian Job

Round 4
1a Which 1966 Carry On film is a parody of the Hammer Horror film genre? Carry On Screaming
1b There were five members of the group The Traveling Wilburys – Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne were four – who was the fifth? Tom Petty
2a In among the mass of Cabinet reshuffles in recent years, who briefly in 2016 became our first female Lord Chancellor? Liz Truss
2b Canada’s longest bridge, the Confederation Bridge, links the mainland to which island? Prince Edward Island
3a Who does Juliet’s father intend her to marry in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Paris
3b Which English city has suburbs called Kemptown, Rottingdean and Whitehawk? Brighton
4a Which eponymous TV character allegedly saved the life of Field Marshal Haig at Umboto Gorge in 1892? Blackadder
4b Name the year:- The first Dreadnought battleship is launched: An earthquake destroys 80% of the city of San Francisco: Liverpool Football Club are First Division league champions for the second time. 1906

Round 5
1a What gas constitutes the majority of the atmosphere of Venus? Carbon Dioxide
1b The lyrics of the Wham song ‘Wake me up before you go-go’ mention which singer/actress who died in 2019? Doris Day (‘You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day’)
2a Leisler’s, Brandt’s and Alcathoe are UK species of which mammal? Bat
2b There have been six King Georges on the British throne since the start of the 18th century. But which of them had the shortest reign? George IV (10 years149 days)
3a Which of the Scilly Isles is the largest in area and population? St Marys
3b Which is the only London Underground station to have the word ‘Farm’ in its name? Chalk Farm
4a Which politician- in 2018- was issued with a cease and desist letter by the Beano ordering him to stop copying the comic’s character Walter the Softy!? Jacob Rees Mogg
4b In an eponymous novel of 1880 by Johanna Spyri, who was sent away to live in the Alps with her grandfather? Heidi

Round 6
1a Who was on the English throne at the time of the Battle of Crecy? Edward III
1b Which Leonardo da Vinci work was sold at Auction in 2017 for 400 million dollars – a record for a painting sold at public auction? Salvator Mundi
2a If you addressed a letter to the postcode XMA 5HQ, to whom is it being sent? Father Christmas
2b The so-called Big Five animals to be spotted on an African Safari are Buffalo, lion, elephant, rhinoceros and which other? Leopard
3a In which 1982 film did Julie Andrews play a woman impersonating a man impersonating a woman? Victor Victoria
3b Of what type of stone is the London monument Cleopatra’s Needle made? (Red) Granite
4a Which 1951 Benjamin Britten opera is set on board HMS Indomitable? Billy Budd
4b Which Spanish La Liga team has a bat(animal) on the team logo/crest? Valencia

Round 7
1a The student Andy Davis is a major character in which film franchise? Toy Story
1b Name an Italian football team who play their home matches at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma or Lazio
2a Donald Trump’s mother was born on which Scottish island? Lewis
2b The daughter of which English soap star won the 2018 series of Love Island? Danny Dyer
3a Which former Prime Minister was Foreign Secretary in Edward Heath’s government? Alec Douglas-Home
3b Which comedian in 2010 performed “The tour that doesn’t tour tour now on tour”? Peter Kay
4a Which is the only London Underground station with the word “Avenue” in its name? Warwick Avenue
4b Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. But what is the nearest capital city to Bratislava, just 40 miles away? Vienna

Round 8
1a The English Bridge and the Welsh Bridge both cross the River Severn in which English town? Shrewsbury
1b Which piece of classical music by Rimsky Korsakov has to be played when determining who holds the Guinness World Record for fastest guitar player? Flight of the Bumble Bee
2a In among the mass of Cabinet reshuffles in recent years, who briefly in 2019 became our first female Secretary of State for Defence? Penny Mordaunt
2b In the 1975 film Tommy, who plays The Pinball Wizard whom Tommy defeats? Elton John
3a The Victims is the name of which current rock band’s official fan club? The Killers
3b To get a perfect score of 300 points in a game of Ten Pin Bowling, how many balls would you bowl? Twelve
4a Which Charles Dickens’ character is mentioned in the first sentence of JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye? David Copperfield
4b Name the year. Prohibition ends in the USA, Reichstag building set on fire; players for the first time have numbers on their shirts in the FA Cup Final which was won by Everton? 1933

Spare Questions
1 What type of wireless technology derives its name from the nickname of the 10th century Danish monarch King Harald? Bluetooth
2 In the United States justice system, the term Felony refers to a crime where the punishment would be one year or more in jail. What term is used for an offence where one year in jail would be the maximum sentence? Misdemeanour
3 Boney M has a double A side hit in 1978. Brown Girl in the Ring was on one side. What was on the other side? Rivers of Babylon
4 Which TV personality was famously arrested for drug smuggling in 1993 at New York airport, only for it to be discovered that the plastic bags being carried were filled with sugar and flour? Mary Berry