I went for the structure of a hard round on news/words/politics followed by an easier one on popular culture, i.e. music/Benedict Cumberbatch/fictional espionage organisations. There were the usual beer/wee/fag breaks after the second and fourth rounds.
I write the questions by cutting and pasting the relevant text containing both the question and answer from a website, mostly wikipedia and the BBC, and highlighting the answer in bold. That's is my clue not to read that bit out when asking the question.
The questions
Here are the questions with the answers replaced by "X"s. The answers are given below.
1. In the News Today
1. The XX, XX and XX governments have vowed to work together to reveal "the full facts" of the Lockerbie bombing 25 years ago.
2. Russian former oil tycoon XX has been reunited with his son after being freed from jail. He spent his first night of freedom in a decade, at a hotel in XX.
3. Four women battled it out for the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy in the show's 11th series . XX, XX, XX and XX
4. A Crowd-funded XX-powered car built of XX, that can reach a top speed of around XXkm/h (XXmph) has hit the roads of Melbourne.
5. Two students wearing T-shirts to promote the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society Students win XX apology over T-shirt ban. Depicting XX and the XX
6. It is "crazy" for XX to personally call hospital bosses who miss A&E targets, XX, has said.
7. Seventy-six people were injured when ornate plasterwork at the XX fell during a production of XX.
8. The annual Halifax quality of life survey said which three places were the most desirable place to live in the UK? XX for the third year in a row. XX was in second place followed by XX which jumped 27 places to third.
9. Former BBC sports broadcaster David Coleman first appeared on air for the BBC in 1954, covering XX Olympic Games and XX football World Cups.
10. Nigella Lawson has said she is "disappointed but unsurprised" that two sisters who worked as her personal assistants have been cleared of fraud. Who were they? XX & XX XX
2. Two music
These were songs with the word "Winter" in the title. I crated a wish-list in iTunes and played the free minute or so that you get for each song. The teams had to name the artists.
3. New Words
1. XX Word of the Year
2. XX: (in the UK) a reduction in the amount of housing benefit paid to a claimant if the property they are renting is judged to have more bedrooms than is necessary for the number of the people in the household.
3. XX: to watch multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.
4. XX: a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank.
5. XX: a small furry mammal found in mountain forests in Colombia and Ecuador, the smallest member of the raccoon family.
6. XX: a form of meat produced synthetically from biological tissue.
7. XX: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website
8. XX: the practice of visiting a shop or shops in order to examine a product before buying it online at a lower price.
9. XX: dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.
10. XX: a picture which is taken, usually by a smartphone or a similar device, of a bookshelf or bookshelves
4. Benedict Cumberbatch
1. Benedict Cumberbatch starred as Christopher Tietjens in XX, a five-part BBC 2 series, which premiered in August 2012. It is an adaptation of the of novels of the same name by Ford Madox Ford and was written by Tom Stoppard..
2. A stage adaptation of a novel of the same name had its world premiere at the Royal National Theatre in February 2011, directed by Danny Boyle. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, alternating the roles of XX and the XX.
3. He played XX, George Smiley's right-hand man, in the 2011 film adaptation of the John le Carré novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
4. He provided the voice and motion-capture for both XX and the XX in The Hobbit (2012).
5. "Love is a Many-Splintered Thing" is an episode of The Simpsons. It is the twelfth episode of the 24th season and the 520th episode overall. It aired on February 10, 2013, as a Valentine's Day themed episode. Benedict Cumberbatch as XX and XX
6. Cumberbatch played XX in the J. J. Abrams-directed Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
7. XX is a 2013 American thriller film about the news-leaking website WikiLeaks starring Benedict Cumberbatch as its founder Julian Assange.
8. Cumberbatch plays Captain Martin Crieff in XX a radio situation comedy series written by John Finnemore. Its first series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008. The show follows the exploits of the oddball crew of the single aeroplane owned by "MJN Air" as they are chartered to take all manner of items, people or animals across the world.
9. What was the name of the last broadcast episode of Sherlock? XX
10. He played The Angel Islington in the 2013 BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Neil Gaiman's XX.
5. Female presidents and prime ministers
1. XX India Prime Minister 24 January 1966 24 April 1977, 11 years, 90 days
2. XX Israel Prime Minister 17 March 1969 3 June 1974, 5 years, 78 days
3. XX Philippines President 25 February 1986 30 June 1992, 6 years, 126 days
4. XX Pakistan Prime Minister 2 December 1988 6 July 1990, 1 year, 216 days
5. XX Ukraine Prime Minister 24 January 2005 6September 2005, 0 years, 225 days
6. Sheikh Hasina XX Prime Minister 6 January 2009, Incumbent 4 years, 349 days
7. Yingluck Shinawatra XX Prime Minister 5 August 2011, Incumbent 2 years, 138 days
8. Helle Thorning-Schmidt XX Prime Minister 3 October 2011, Incumbent 2 years, 79 days
9. Alenka Bratušek XX Prime Minister 20 March 2013 Incumbent, 0 years, 276 days
10. Erna Solberg XX Prime Minister 16 October 2013 Incumbent, 0 years, 66 days
6. Fictional espionage organisations
1. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was broadcast from 1964, to 1968. It followed the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E. What does U.N.C.L.E. stand for? XX
2. The Champions was a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969. The Champions belonged to which fictional department of which real organisation? XX XX
3. In the recent films RED and RED2, what does RED stand for? XX
4. Stingray was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and its 39 half-hour episodes were originally screened in 1964/65. Which orgnisation did Stingray belong to? XX
5. The Professionals is a crime-action television drama series that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983 in 57 episodes. Who did The Professionals work for? XX
6. Department S is a spy-fi adventure series. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970 starring Peter Wyngarde. Department S was a fictional section of which real organisation? XX
7. Which organisation was UNCLE fighting against and what did their name stand for: XX XX
8. S.H.I.E.L.D. is an espionage and law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 (Aug. 1965). What S.H.I.E.L.D. Stand for (3 answers)x?: XX XX XX
9. In Doctor Who, what did U.N.I.T. Stand for (2 answers)? XX XX
10. Danger Man was broadcast between 1960 and 1962. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Which real organisation did Danger Man work for? XX
Picture round
The answers
These are the questions again this time with the "x"s replaced by the answers.
1. In the News Today
1. The UK, US and Libyan governments have vowed to work together to reveal
"the full facts" of the Lockerbie bombing 25 years ago.
2. Russian former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been reunited with his
son after being freed from jail. He spent his first night of freedom in a decade, at
a hotel in the German capital Berlin.
3. Four women battled it out for the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy in the
show's 11th series . Abbey Clancy, Natalie Gumede, Susanna Reid and
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
4. A Crowd-funded air-powered car built of Lego, that can reach a top speed of
around 20km/h (12mph) has hit the roads of Melbourne.
5. Two students wearing T-shirts to promote the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist
Society Students win LSE apology over T-shirt ban. Depicting Jesus and the
Prophet Muhammad
6. It is "crazy" for Health Secretary (Jeremy Hunt) to personally call hospital
bosses who miss A&E targets, the health regulator for England, (David
Prior, chairman) Care Quality Commission, has said.
7. Seventy-six people were injured when ornate plasterwork at the Apollo fell
during a production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.
8. The annual Halifax quality of life survey said which three places were the most
desirable place to live in the UK? Hart in Hampshire for the third year in a row.
Uttlesford in Essex was in second place followed by South
Northamptonshire which jumped 27 places to third.
9. Former BBC sports broadcaster David Coleman first appeared on air for the BBC
in 1954, covering eleven Olympic Games and six football World Cups.
10. Nigella Lawson has said she is "disappointed but unsurprised" that two sisters
who worked as her personal assistants have been cleared of fraud. Who were
they? Elisabetta & Francesca Grillo
3. New Words
1. Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year
2. bedroom tax: (in the UK) a reduction in the amount of housing benefit paid to a
claimant if the property they are renting is judged to have more bedrooms than
is necessary for the number of the people in the household.
3. Binge-watch: to watch multiple episodes of a television programme in rapid
succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.
4. Bitcoin: a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the
need for a central bank.
5. Olinguito: a small furry mammal found in mountain forests in Colombia and
Ecuador, the smallest member of the raccoon family.
6. Schmeat: a form of meat produced synthetically from biological tissue.
7. Selfie: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a
smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website
8. showrooming: the practice of visiting a shop or shops in order to examine a
product before buying it online at a lower price.
9. Twerk: dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving
thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.
10. Shelfie: a picture which is taken, usually by a smartphone or a similar device, of
a bookshelf or bookshelves
4. Benedict Cumberbatch
1. Benedict Cumberbatch starred as Christopher Tietjens in Parade's End is a
five-part BBC 2 series, which premiered in August 2012. It is an adaptation of
the of novels of the same name by Ford Madox Ford and was written by Tom
Stoppard..
2. A stage adaptation of a novel of the same name had its world premiere at the
Royal National Theatre in February 2011, directed by Danny Boyle. Benedict
Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein
and the Creature.
3. He played Peter Guillam, George Smiley's right-hand man, in the 2011 film
adaptation of the John le Carré novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
4. He provided the voice and motion-capture for both Smaug the Dragon and the
Necromancer in The Hobbit (2012).
5. "Love is a Many-Splintered Thing" is an episode of The Simpsons. It is the twelfth
episode of the 24th season and the 520th episode overall. It aired on February
10, 2013, as a Valentine's Day themed episode. Benedict Cumberbatch as
Prime Minister and Severus Snape
6. Cumberbatch also played Khan Noonien Singh in the J. J. Abrams-directed Star
Trek Into Darkness (2013).
7. The Fifth Estate is a 2013 American thriller film about the news-leaking website
WikiLeaks starring Benedict Cumberbatch as its founder Julian Assange.
8. Cumberbatch plays Captain Martin Crieff in Cabin Pressure is a radio situation
comedy series written by John Finnemore. Its first series was broadcast on BBC
Radio 4 in 2008. The show follows the exploits of the oddball crew of the single
aeroplane owned by "MJN Air" as they are chartered to take all manner of items,
people or animals across the world.
9. What was the name of the last broadcast episode of Sherlock? The
Reichenbach Fall
10. He played The Angel Islington in the 2013 BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Neil
Gaiman's Neverwhere.
5. Female presidents and prime ministers
1. Indira Gandhi India Prime Minister 24 January 1966 24 April 1977
11 years, 90 days
2. Golda Meir Israel Prime Minister 17 March 1969 3 June 1974 5
years, 78 days
3. Corazon Aquino Philippines President 25 February 1986 30 June 1992
6 years, 126 days
4. Benazir Bhutto Pakistan Prime Minister 2 December 1988 6 July
1990 1 year, 216 days
5. Yulia Tymoshenko Ukraine Prime Minister 24 January 2005 6
September 2005 0 years, 225 days
6. Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh Prime Minister 6 January 2009
Incumbent 4 years, 349 days
7. Yingluck Shinawatra Thailand Prime Minister 5 August 2011
Incumbent 2 years, 138 days
8. Helle Thorning-Schmidt Denmark Prime Minister 3 October 2011
Incumbent 2 years, 79 days
9. Alenka Bratušek Slovenia Prime Minister 20 March 2013 Incumbent 0
years, 276 days
10. Erna Solberg Norway Prime Minister 16 October 2013 Incumbent
0 years, 66 days
6. Fictional espionage organisations
1. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was broadcast from 1964, to 1968. It followed the
exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who
work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency
called U.N.C.L.E. What does U.N.C.L.E. stand for? United Network Command
for Law and Enforcement
2. The Champions was a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction
adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV
during 1968–1969. The Champions belonged to which fictional department of
which real organisation? United Nations law enforcement organization
called "Nemesis"
3. In the recent films RED and RED2, what does RED stand for? Retired,
Extremely Dangerous
4. Stingray was created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and its 39 half-hour episodes
were originally screened in 1964/65. Which orgnisation did Stingray belong to?
W.A.S.P. (World Aquanaut Security Patrol)
5. The Professionals is a crime-action television drama series that aired on the ITV
network from 1977 to 1983 in 57 episodes. Who did The Professionals work for?:
"CI5" Criminal Intelligence 5
6. Department S is a spy-fi adventure series. The series consists of 28 episodes
which originally aired in 1969–1970 starring Peter Wyngarde. Department S was
a fictional section of which real organisation? Interpol
7. Which organisation was UNCLE fighting against and what did their name stand
for: THRUSH - Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables
and the Subjugation of Humanity
8. S.H.I.E.L.D. is an espionage and law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics
Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 (Aug.
1965). What S.H.I.E.L.D. Stand for?: Supreme Headquarters, International
Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division. Strategic Hazard Intervention
Espionage Logistics Directorate, Strategic Homeland Intervention,
Enforcement and Logistics Division
9. In Doctor Who, what did U.N.I.T. Stand for? United Nations Intelligence
Taskforce, UNified Intelligence Taskforce
10. Danger Man was broadcast between 1960 and 1962. The series featured Patrick
McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Which real organisation did Danger Man
work for? NATO
Pictures
London Landmarks
Buckingham Palace, The Albert Memorial, Royal Opera House, Hampton Court,
Kensington Palace
UK A-Z
Manchester Town Hall, Narrow Water Castle, Old Bailey, Portmeirion, The Queens
College Oxford, Roman Baths, Stirling Castle, Tyne Bridge, Urquhart Castle, Victoria
and Albert Museum, White Cliffs of Dover, Station X Bletchley Park, York Minster, ZSL
London Zoo
British Film Year
Peter Sellers (from photo by Bill Brandt), David Niven (from photo by Cornell Lucas),
Charlie Chaplin (from photo by Lord Snowdon), Vivien Leigh (from photo by Angus
McBean), Alfred Hitchcock (from photo by Howard Coster)
Birth Centenary of Enid Blyton
Famous Five, Secret Seven
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