UK Alphabeticals

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. A is for ABERTAWE. Abertawe is the Welsh name of second-largest city in Wales. By what name is it known to English speakers? Swansea Wrexham Newport Milford Haven

2. B is for BLENHEIM PALACE, one of the stateliest of all the stately homes of England. Who lives there? The Duke of Bedford The Duke of Marlborough The Duke of Devonshire The Duke of Norfolk

3. C is for CHIPPERFIELD. With which form of popular entertainment is the Chipperfield family associated? Waxworks Circus Morris dancing Punch and Judy shows

4. D is for DEBRETT. What would you expect to find in the principal reference book published by this firm? Recipes Railway timetables Genealogy of the nobility and gentry Cricket scores

5. E is for ENGLAND, which is not the same thing as Great Britain or the United Kingdom. Approximately what fraction of the population of the UK lives in England? Three quarters Nine tenths Five sixths Two thirds

6. F is for FOOTBALL, which in the UK means soccer. Football is probably the most popular spectator sport in the UK and we know little about baseball; but for more than a hundred years one football club played its home games at the Baseball Ground. Which club? Crewe Alexandra Manchester United Derby County Accrington Stanley

7. G is for GLASGOW, the largest city in Scotland. Glasgow is the home of two celebrated football clubs which are known as "the old firm". Which clubs are they? Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Queen's Park and Partick Thistle Celtic and Rangers Celtic and Queen's Park

8. H is for HOLIDAYS. Britain has fewer public holidays than many European countries, and they vary from one part of the UK to another. Which of the following is NOT a public holiday in any part of the UK? Christmas Day (December 25) New Year's Day (January 1) Armistice Day (November 11) Good Friday

9. I is for ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL, one of the UK's greatest engineers. Which of the following was NOT his work? Crystal Palace The Clifton Suspension Bridge at Bristol The steamship "Great Britain" Saltash Bridge

10. J is for "JERUSALEM", a visionary poem set to music by Sir Hubert Parry, and sung enthusiastically by members of Women's Institutes and by the audience at the last night of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts in the Royal Albert Hall. Who wrote the poem? William Blake Percy Bysshe Shelley John Milton John Donne

11. K is for KENT, the closest part of the UK to continental Europe. Where in Kent is the seat of the principal archbishop of the Church of England? Maidstone Canterbury Dover Tonbridge

12. L is for LONDON. Greater London covers more than 600 square miles (1,550 square kilometres), but what is the approximate area of the district properly called the City of London? 1 square mile 5 square miles 3 square miles 10 square miles

13. M is for MONEY. In which year did the UK adopt decimal currency? 1951 1991 1981 1971

14. N is for NEWMARKET, a town in Suffolk on the Cambridgeshire border. With which sport is it particularly associated? Archery Cricket Horse racing Bowls

15. O is for OXFORD UNIVERSITY, the oldest in the UK. Many of our Prime Ministers went to Oxford, but it's possible to get to the top without an Oxford education. Which of the following Prime Ministers was NOT educated at Oxford? John Major Harold Wilson Margaret Thatcher Tony Blair

16. P is for PUB. The commonest pub name in Britain is derived from the royal arms of Scotland. What is it? The Rose and Crown The Red Lion The White Hart The Star and Garter

17. Q is for QUEENSBERRY. In 1867 the 8th Marquess of Queensberry played a part in drawing up the rules for which sport? Cricket Boxing Polo Croquet

18. R is for RUGBY. Both rugby codes (Union and League) are played in the UK. Which one of the following is a Rugby League club? Leicester Tigers Wasps Hull Kingston Rovers Blackheath

19. S is for SCOTLAND. On the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1603, King James of Scotland succeeded to the English throne. What were his regnal numbers? James VII of Scotland and II of England James I of Scotland and VI of England James VIII of Scotland and III of England James VI of Scotland & I of England

20. T is for THAMES, the second longest river in Great Britain and the longest wholly in England. Which one of these towns is NOT on the Thames? Oxford Cirencester Henley Maidenhead

21. U is for ULSTER. This name is often used in the UK as an alternative name for Northern Ireland, but the two are not the same. Which of these counties of Ulster is NOT part of Northern Ireland? Tyrone Donegal Antrim Fermanagh

22. V is for VICTORIA, the longest reigning British monarch, whose name is seen everywhere in the UK. Which of the following will you NOT find in London? Victoria Station Victoria Prison Victoria Embankment Victoria Street

23. W is for WHISKY, one of the many Celtic contributions to human happiness. Which Scottish island produces Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Bowmore and Ardbeg single malt whiskies, among others? Rothesay Jura Islay Skye

24. Y is for YORK, an ancient city packed with history. Which of the following is NOT one of the attractions of York? The National Railway Museum Jorvik Viking Centre The Land of Green Ginger The Shambles

25. Z is the last letter of the alphabet. How is its name pronounced in the UK? zee izzard zay zed