The Great British Odd One Out Quiz, Part 1

Answer: Eric Clapton

McCartney, Harrison, and Starr were all members of The Beatles, along with John Lennon. Although they hit their heyday in the 1960s, their reputation and music lives on. In September 2020, "Business Insider" magazine listed The Beatles as top of 'the 50 best-selling music artists of all time by album sales', with 183 million sold.

As a solo artist and with previous bands, Eric Clapton - "slow hand" to his may fans - was at number 37 with 40 million sales. Clapton did collaborate with The Beatles but was not formally a member of the group and played on individual projects.

Answer: Northern Ireland

England, Scotland, and Wales collectively make up Great Britain. The nation as a whole is formally "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".

The name Britain comes from "Britannia", which was applied by the Romans. It was not until the 10th Century that there was a unified England and in 1536 England and Wales were unified in law. Scotland was a separate country until 1707 when it united with England under a common monarch.

In the 12th Century, meanwhile, Ireland was separate, until a local king invited Norman lords over to help with an internecine squabble. To borrow from a famous advertising campaign, the Normans liked Ireland so much they took over the entire island.

The kingdom of Great Briana and Ireland came about in 1881, but in 1922 the name changed to Great Britain and Northern Ireland when 26 counties of Ireland gained independence.

Answer: Arlesey

Arlesey is a town in Bedfordshire. The other three are London Boroughs.

Although it is a small place, Arlesey was noted as a centre of the brick-making industry.

Answer: Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown was a member of the Labour Party. The other three were members of the Conservative Party. He was also the cuckoo in the nest in that he was born in Scotland, while the others were born in England.

Gordon Brown was Prime Minister at the height of the financial downturn in 2007 and 2008 and spearheaded the bailout of the financial sector.

Answer: Queen Of The South

All four are football (soccer) clubs that hail from Scotland. Queen Of The South have their home in Dumfries in the Scottish Borders, the other three are based in Edinburgh.

In another sense, Spartans are odd ones out in that they play in the Scottish Lowland League while the other three play in the Scottish Professional Football League.

Heart of Midlothian - aka Hearts - are the oldest and most successful of the foursome.

Answer: Coventry

Coventry in the English Midlands is the most central city in England, while the other three are on the coast. If someone from Coventry wanted to paddle in the the sea, the closest beach is at Hunstanton in Norfolk, 118 miles away.

Coventry is an ancient city that has been settled since Roman times. It is famous for its story of Lady Godiva, an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who rode naked through the town in the 10th Century to protest at her husband's taxes on his people. Legend also has it that it was the birthplace of St. George, patron saint of England.

The city was also the birthplace of Britain's automobile industry, with the first manufacturer setting up in 1896.

Answer: Catterick

Catterick is Britain's biggest army garrison. The other three are naval bases.

Located in North Yorkshire, the Catterick garrison covers an area of 2,400 acres. It is the place that all of the British Army's infantry soldiers receive their initial training. Young Nepalese soldiers also train there for the Gurkha Regiment.

For most soldiers, the training lasts 28 weeks, although the Parachute Regiment training is two weeks longer and the Gurkha training is 37 weeks.

Answer: J P R Williams

Charlie Faulkner, Graham Price and Bobby Windsor were the most famous incarnation of the 'the Pontypool Front Row'. In the game of Rugby Union football, some phases of play are contested between the 'packs' of each team. Each pack consists of six key players in a triangle formation: the front row of three, second row of two and third row of one.

Playing for Pontypool RFC, Faulkner, Price, and Windsor were probably the most effective unit of their time. So fearsome was their reputation they were nicknamed "the Viet Gwent". (Pontypool is a town in Gwent).

John Peter Rhys Williams was a contemporary who played for a number of top teams and was regarded as one of the finest rugby players of his generation. At that time Rugby Union was an amateur sport. The players all had their own weekday occupations. "JPR", as he was affectionately known, was a physician

Answer: Jenna Coleman

Jenna Coleman was an English actor, the others were primarily known as singers.

Jenna Coleman got her first screen experience in the TV soap opera "Emmerdale" between 2005 and 2009. Since that time she had a 38-episode role in "Doctor Who" and also stared as Queen Victoria in the series "Victoria" between 2016 and 2019.

Answer: The Guardian

The "Guardian" was initially "The Manchester Guardian", a daily newspaper for the north west of England. It later established a national presence in London. The other three were always national newspapers based in London.

In political terms, "The Guardian" is seen as having a left-wing viewpoint, while the others are very much right of centre. "The Times" and "Daily Telegraph" are regarded as 'quality' newspapers, both with a high proportion of readers from among the top classifications of society.