Tonight, Tonight

Wow!

I think I’m getting hopeful about the King Harold quizzes future … !

I took the fact that Martin the Manager’s re-hired Jax, pictured at the bottom of the photographic pile, and the first person or member of staff I met at the Harold, as a good sign. I don’t usually hold to too many superstitions – apart from believing it’s bad luck to put fizzing bits of dynamite down the front of my pants – but seeing Jax’ familiar face was re-assuring.

So tonight’s turnout of five teams was better than I was hoping, given the recent quiet patch we’ve had, with a total of £17 available as the main prizes, along with a ton of mars bars and the inevitable t-shirt, as booby’s.

Which was won by Catherine and Billy, calling themselves the ‘Funky Monkeys’, at the top, who came in last with twenty-six points. Which isn’t bad, for a pair of first timers at one of my gig’s.

But what put a smile on my face, the fact they were newcomers, who’d seen the signs … !

The next shot is of the collective might of the ‘We Sh*t & we know it’, and ‘Norfolk and Good’ – silly how these names crop up, again and again – who were loud, fun, and committed to the memory of Freddie Eastwood.

Long story, there, remind me to post about it, one day, but “Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag” always puts a smile on my face.

They came in third and fourth, respectively, with forty-two, and forty-seven, points.

Next in order, is ‘Tom & Jerry’ –John and Roger, of course– who came in second, tonight, with fifty-three points. Which is low for them, but we did have a sport round, tonight, and that’s something John usually admits isn’t their strongest suit.

And finally, I think we’re can have a big round of applause for the ‘Patrox’ team, who came in first, tonight, with sixty-four points! And happily admitted they’d found me online, through one of the quiz sites I’m listed on. Which, along with the ‘Funky Monkeys’, our other first-timers, tonight, made my evening!

So, a big ‘Thank You’ to all concerned, for tonight, but to them in particular.

Anyway, just to update people, tonight’s bonus question got to be worth £35•00p. And it was comparatively simple. “Four countries tied for first place, in the 1969 Eurovision song Contest; – Name all of them, and the points they got.” Which, in theory, was easy; – Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, and France, all with eighteen points.

Obviously, when I say it was easy, I had the answer in front of me …

Nobody else did, which means, as you’d’ve worked out, by now, the King Harold’s bonus pot will be worth at least £35, next week. Could well be worth going for, by then …

Oh, and here’s the table round answers to the questions I’ll be changing.

Q7 Until 1939, the First World War was known as … what?

A7 The Great War.

Q8 Which new weapon was introduced in battle in 1916?

A8 The Tank.

Q9 In the 1915 song where did you 'Pack up your troubles'?

A9 In your old kit bag.

Q10 Edith Cavell who was shot by the Germans on a spying charge; – what was her job?

A10 Nurse

And, finally, tonight’s question set; number sixty-four, in a series of sixty-seven, to date.

ROUND ONE: – GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q1) In which African country is the city of Durban?

A1) South Africa

Q2) What musical note is written in the space above the bottom line of the Treble clef?

Q2) F

Q3) In which country of the UK was Tony Blair when the 7/7 attacks took place?

A3) Scotland. (At the G8 conference, in Gleneagles)

Q4) What is East Pakistan now known as?

A4) Bangladesh.

Q5) Packham’s Triumph & Conference are types of what?

A5) Pears.

Q6) According to various newspaper reports about his diary, Prince Charles considers himself to be a political what; – conservative, dissident, or radical?

A6) Dissident.

Q7) What’s the name of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne’s eldest daughter?

A7) Aimee

Q8) In heraldry, what colour is Gules?

A8) Red.

Q9) The Dunmow Flitch is awarded to the UK’s happiest Newlyweds. What is a Flitch?

A9) A side of bacon.

Q10) Which modern brass instrument was developed from the sackbut, the trombone, the trumpet, or the saxophone?

A10) The trombone.

ROUND TWO: – SENSE’S WORKING OVERTIME.

Q11) Which part of the eye contains light-sensitive cells?

A11) The retina

Q12) Which part of the eye gives it it’s colour?

A12) The iris

Q13) Which German composer wrote much of his finest music when he was deaf?

A13) Ludwig van Beethoven

Q14) Which sense does the Venus Flytrap use to capture it’s prey?

A14) Touch

Q15) And which part of the eye gets smaller when the lights go on?

A15) Pupil

Q16) Are the semi-circular canals in the eye, the nose, or the ear?

A16) The ear

Q17) Olfactory nerves are responsible for which of the senses?

A17) Smell

Q18) How many basic tastes can the human tongue distinguish; — two, three, or four?

A18) Four

Q19) What is the medical term for not being able to smell?

A19) Anosmia

Q20) Which nerve carries information from the eye to the brain?

A20) The optic nerve.

ROUND THREE: – MUSIC AND LIGHTS.

Q21) Which boy band had a 2003 No 1 with “Mandy”?

A21) Westlife

Q22) What musical instrument was patented by Anthony Faas of Philadelphia in 1854; – The accordion, the saxophone, or the Moog organ?

A22) The accordion.

Q23) Buddy Holly classic, “Peggy Sue”, was named after the girlfriend of which member of the Crickets; – Buddy Holly, himself, the bass player, or the drummer?

A23) The drummer

Q24) The word gamelan refers to a type of music from where; – Indonesia, Africa, or South America?

A24) Indonesia

Q25) Which Beatles song was the first to be seen and heard around the world on satellite TV?

A25) “All You Need Is Love”.

Q26) What was the Spice Girls’ debut single?

A26) “Wannabe”.

Q27) Which guitarist has the nickname Slowhand?

A27) Eric Clapton

Q28) Earl Simmons is better known as which rapper?

A28) DMX

Q29) Which bird gave Fleetwood Mac a No 1 instrumental?

A29) “Albatross”.

Q30) Which very French dance comes from “Orpheus in the Underworld”?

A30) The Can-can.

ROUND FOUR: – SPORTING CHANCES.

Q31) Who was the 1st female competitor excused a sex test at the 1976 Olympics?

A31) Princess Anne.

Q32) Who was skipper of Middlesbrough’s 1997 FA Cup Final team.

A32) Nigel Pearson.

Q33) What was the 1st Grand Slam title won by Kim Clijsters? (Pronounced CLOY– sters)

A33) The US Open.

Q34) Which Italian said he couldn’t “understand a word Dennis Wise is saying?”

A34) Gianfranco Zola.

Q35) In which city did football legend George Best die?

A35) London.

Q36) Gabriela Sabatini comes from which country?

A36) Argentina.

Q37) The Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded in which sport?

A37) American Football.

Q38) Eric Cantona joined Manchester United from which club?

A38) Leeds.

Q39) In which Spanish city were the 1992 Olympics held?

A39) Barcelona.

Q40) How many attempts at the target do you get per game of Curling?

A40) Two.

ROUND FIVE: – IN THE GARDEN.

Q41) French, runner, or broad. What kind of vegetable are we talking about?

A41) Beans.

Q42) Hybrid tea, Floribunda and American Beauty are all types of which flower?

A42) Rose.

Q43) Cox’s Orange Pippin, Bramley, & Granny Smith, are types of what fruit?

A43) Apples.

Q44) If you grew a box, in your garden, what have you just grown?

A44) A hedge.

Q45) Which heap provides fertiliser, for the garden?

A45) The compost heap.

Q46) What are tulip’s grown from?

A46) Bulbs

Q47) Culinary herbs are usually grown for what?

A47) Cooking/eating.

Q48) What do secateurs do?

A48) Cut.

Q49) What piece of garden equipment can be rotary, or hover?

A49) The lawn mower.

Q50) What is a plant’s foliage?

A50) Its leaves.

ROUND SIX: – GENERAL IGNORANCE.

Q51) Who is the longest serving member of the Privy Council?

A51) The Duke of Edinburgh (appointed in 1951)

Q52) What is the meaning of the word Hypocaust; – Annihilation of a town by flood, mass inoculation, or underfloor heating.

A52) Underfloor heating.

Q53) What is the collective name for the 9 handmaidens of Odin?

A53) Valkyries

Q54) Which North African seaport’s name is Spanish for white house?

A54) Casablanca

Q55) Which is the only vowel on a standard keyboard that is not on the top line of letters?

A55) A

Q56) What's the worlds most popular Non Alcoholic Drink?

A56) Coffee

Q57) Which castle is on the island of Anglesey?

A57) Beaumaris

Q58) In the USA, what film is celebrated on the 2nd of February?

A58) Groundhog Day

Q59) Westminster Abbey is dedicated to which saint?

A59) Saint Peter. (It’s formally called the Abbey Church of Saint Peter, Westminster.)

Q60) The Bigbellied Seahorse has been found to be the most promiscuous species of seahorse. But it lives off the coast of which country?

A60) Australia.

Here’s hoping that makes for interesting reading.