Only Two Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jerry Springer

Jerry, the former Cincinnati mayor, whose crazy chat show was recently made into a musical, was born in London, England. Ricki was, of course, born and bred in the state of New York.

Answer: Severe

The symptoms of this still thankfully rare disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome usually start with a fever before breathing problems set in.

Answer: Vertical

Belgium was ruled by France under Napoleon until his 1815 defeat in the Belgian town of Waterloo. The country's flag is based on the vertical French tricoleur that was designed by the Marquis de Lafayette in that period. On Boxing Day 1830, Belgium won its independence from the Netherlands (whose flag has horizontal stripes).

Answer: France

France has over 1 1/5 times the area and 3 times the population of Iraq. However, Iraq is still a large area in which to hide weapons of mass destruction! ;-)

Answer: Vince Clarke

He was in all four but not in that order. Shy synth prodder Vince Clarke formed "Composition of Sound" with Martin Gore and Dave Fletcher in 1980 and soon changed the name to "Depeche Mode" (French for "fast fashion"). After writing "Just Can't Get Enough" he had had enough and left the band to form Yazoo with Alison "Alf" Moyet.

A year after their 1983 hit "Don't Go" he went. This time it was to form "The Assembly" before joining with Andy Bell in 1985 to form the more durable band "Erasure".

Answer: Carl

Carl Palmer left Atomic Rooster and teamed up with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake to be pioneers of 70s prog rock pretention. Sharp-suited popster Robert Palmer who died in 2003 had also been playing since the 70's. He was most famous for the 1986 hit "Addicted to Love" and its bizarre video of miming mini-skirted models.

Answer: Goblet of Fire

It set a sales record of 372,775 on its first day. JK Rowling has been listed as the richest woman in Britain, reputedly earning more than the Queen and at the time of writing there are still two Harry Potter books to come.

Answer: Carol

Susan was the woman for whom Carol dumped her husband. I believe the actress who played her used to appear in Herman's Head with Yeardley "Lisa Simpson" Smith.

Answer: John Bunyan

From this book comes the hymn "He who would valiant be" whose chorus ends "To be a pilgrim". The 17th century writer, John Bunyan, is thought to have written the work during his many spells in Bedford Gaol for preaching without a licence. Chaucer also wrote about travelling pilgrims three centuries before in his famous "Canterbury Tales"

Answer: Blue

Whereas "Black Velvet" was a 1990 UK No 2 hit for Alannah Myles.

Answer: Cats

Cheiropteraphobia would be a fear of bats.

Answer: Tennis

It was the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup.

Answer: Lewis

The full name of the Narnia creator was Clive Staples Lewis whose life is portrayed in the 1993 film "Shadowlands" starring Anthony Hopkins. Lewis died in 1963 on the same day as Aldous Huxley and John F Kennedy. The US born English poet TS Eliot's first names are Thomas Stearns.

Answer: Venus

Big Jupiter spins round in just over nine hours whereas Venus takes over 243 days to spin once. This is longer than it takes to go around the sun (225 days) but then, it is spinning in a different direction to all the other planets.

Answer: moustache

Duchamp was part of a famous group called the Dadaists who attempted to show the triviality of art during and after the First World War. He was also a mean chess player.

Answer: Yo Balls

These were banned after it was discovered that these stretchy gloopy balls, if swung round a child's throat, could tighten and lead to asphyxiation.

Answer: Saturday

Seems a long time ago now doesn't it? The big party night went from Friday into Saturday and the world somehow survived.

Answer: Africa

This long-nosed termite-eater takes its name from the Afrikaans for "earth pig".

Answer: King

I admit to only having read the first book of this readathon which, about five years ago in the UK, was voted the most popular children's book of all time.

Answer: Nectar

They collect pollen unintentionally on their legs and so help to cross-fertilise flowers. They don't need it to make honey although it can affect the taste.