Most of my quizzes are about music or birds so for this one I've combined the two. I'll give you a song title or a lyric; you identify the act, all acts contain the name of a bird. All are singles which charted in Britain.
Mothers was voted the best live rock venue in the world in the late 'sixties by the American Billboard magazine. Just the mention of its name will have Brummie rock fans of a certain age go all misty-eyed with nostalgia. Oh yes, we all loved our Mothers!
Most of these questions involve completing a movie title. I have tried to find one or two more obscure titles so there is also a word game to help you. The answers to one and nine combine to reveal the final movie title, have fun.
I'll give you two lines of poetry for each question; simply identify the poet: eight are straightforward, plus a couple of 'testers'. All poems were written in the Romantic era (late 18th or early 19th centuries), good luck.
Here are some song titles and artists' names all of which contain the name of a famous river. All chart references are UK based. Jimmy Cliff once wrote that there are "Many Rivers to Cross", well I hope you get mostly ticks for your answers, have fun.
No not misheard lyrics but misunderstood lyrics. Here are some lyrics and songs that may have caused at least some confusion when they first crossed the Atlantic. A mixed bag of questions, name the song, name the artist, spot the definition etc, enjoy.
Ten questions about my team; West Bromwich Albion. Mostly general information, not facts and figures: a doddle for Albion supporters and fairly straightforward for British football fans.
Buff-thighed puffley and racket-tailed coquette are just two of the hundreds of unusual bird names from around the globe. I've picked some of my favourites, see if you can spot the 'real deals' from the fakes. Give it a go, just for a laugh.
There were many great sporting events in Britain during 2007. I'll give you some cryptic clues, see if you can work which sporting occasions I'm referring to? Most but not all are annual events.
I hope my friends from across 'the pond' won't be too upset but I've mangled some of America's best loved twentieth century titles into fractured form.
Ten songs about murder! A mixture of questions, name the act, who wrote it etc. Most were hit singles in the UK plus some famous album tracks. Not sure if 'enjoy' is appropriate. Not for the squeamish.
Chaffinches are finches and blue tits are tits, easy right? Unfortunately not all species' names include the family name. Can you place these ten British birds into their correct families?
Fancy coming along to the pub with me? Ten songs about drinks and drinking; I'll give you the title, you choose the artist. Should be fun but you'll need a taxi home!
You can find all these fractured characters in the animated TV show, "The Simpsons".
"Hey, don't have a cow, man", I promise not to ask you to spell Apu Nahasapeemapetilon!
I love watching all birds but my favourites are raptors, or diurnal birds of prey. A mixed bag of questions about some of these magnificent birds, all of which can be seen in Britain.
My quiz "Ten 'Killer' Songs" had some people calling for more! Unfortunately I can't find many more rock and pop songs about murder, so here are ten grisly tales from British folk songs. I'll give you the story, see if you know the ending.
Throughout history the Welsh have often been a pretty unruly lot. (Don't write in - I'm of Welsh descent). Find out about the nineteenth century Rebecca Riots which took place in west Wales. What sparked the protests and what did they achieve?
Can you find these garden flowers from my cryptic clues? Eg:
Q. Plenty of work for little Elizabeth.
A. Busy lizzie.
Ten common British garden flowers to find, some but not all, are listed in the song "An English Country Garden" have fun.
Here are nine sets of lyrics, can you identify whether they are from The Doors, The Smiths or one of Morrissey's solo efforts? Just to add some spice to the mix I've put one lyric in from Ashley Hutchings' 1972 album, "Morris On"; can you spot it?
Between the five of them, Jane Austen, George Eliot and the Bronte sisters have written some of the best-loved novels in English literature. Here are some of their titles in fractured form.
A quiz which is based on some of my favourite poems about birds. I will ask you to name the poet in the majority of questions and name the bird in a couple. Most, but not all, of the poets are British; have fun.
The Ealing film studios in London started producing movies in 1931 and for almost thirty years produced a string of largely low budget but well-loved British movies. Here are some of the best known, presented in a cryptic style. Have fun.
Can you identify these British birds from well-known nicknames? I have used names that I know to be currently in use and would welcome any feedback from FT players on the use of these and any other bird nicknames in current use.
In many British bird species the male and female are very similar, however in these species there are marked differences between the sexes. I'll give a description of the female bird, see if you can tell which species I'm describing.
All of these singles reached number one in the UK during the 'seventies. Do you know who wrote them? Most are easy but there maybe one or two surprises.
I'll give you a mixture of song titles and lyrics, you supply the missing body parts.
Pretty much a no-brainer for most of them!
All songs have featured in the UK singles chart.
A mixed bag of questions about well-known songs and tunes that contain the name of a musical instrument in their titles.
All chart references etc are UK based.
By the late twentieth century the ruddy duck had become an attractive addition to British avifauna. In 2005 government agencies announced plans to eradicate them from the UK. Find out more about this duck and why this action was deemed necessary.
I guess most people have seen the movie "The Wizard of Oz", but not all realise that it's really a film about UK sport! Oh yes it is. Follow me down "The Yellow Brick Road" to find "Lions and Tigers and Bears", and who knows what else? Have fun.
All of these songs contain the word "man" in their titles. I'll give you the title, you pick the right artist.
All songs have been top-twenty hits in the UK singles charts.
From its source in Mid-Wales to the Severn Estuary, the River Wye flows through some of Britain's most beautiful scenery. Ten questions about the river and the towns and environs along its banks.
I'll give you the initials of the titles of three albums made by an individual or band in the 1960s, you identify which act released them.
Eg "FC", "DG" and "WOF" were all released by Cream ("Fresh Cream" "Disraeli Gears" "Wheels of Fire").
The British band Half Man Half Biscuit have been delighting their fans with their mixture of biting satire and downwright silliness since the mid-eighties.
Ten questions about the band and their songs.
Titles, lyrics and acts etc that feature the name Rosie or Rose. A bunch of ten for you to try and pick the right answers. Any chart references are British, have fun.
I'll deal you 15 questions; name the act, complete the title etc. The answers will be either ace, king, queen or jack. Can you take all 15 tricks for a grand slam? I'll do my best to trump you, any chart references are British, have fun.
A quiz on people, places and things whose names are Stan or Stanley. There are questions on ten different FT categories and there is a strong, but not exclusive, British emphasis.
Skomer is a small island of some 2.92 square kilometres which lies off the Pembrokeshire coast in the south-west of Wales. It is home to some wonderful wildlife including some rare species and a unique mammal. Ten questions about this magical place.
The third decade in my series; once again I have tried to find a mix of the easy and the more obscure. All songs made the top spot in the British charts in the 'eighties.
A quiz about songs with the names of birds in the title or words. A mixed bag of questions; name the song, name the artist, identify the lyrics etc. Most were hit singles in the UK plus some well-known album tracks.
Apparently William Shakespeare wasn't above inventing the odd word or two when it suited him, so I hope he won't mind me mangling up some of his play titles!