General Knowledge Quiz

[DerekC]

Majestic was originally called the Bismark & was given as a war reparation when the name was changed for obvious reasons

Spot on. Your dry dock.

 

[theageofthetra]

Sorry forgot about this, open floor

 

[NoMorePacers]

Ok then... what links King George VI and Bashar Al-Assad?

 

[Marton]

They were both unexpected successors as the elder son was no longer available.

 

[NoMorePacers]

They were both unexpected successors as the elder son was no longer available.

Correct. King George and Assad both had older brothers who were meant to rule their respective nations, but an abdication for the former and a car accident for the latter meant that things were not to be.

 

[fowler9]

I thought was going to be named of airports. Haha.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Can I have this as no question has been posed, please?

What do John Snagge, Audrey Russell, Raymond Baxter, Tom Fleming, Wynford Vaughan Thomas and Rex Alston have in common?

Clue: "They were all commentators" isn't enough!

 

[DerekC]

Were they all BBC war correspondents?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

No, I'm afraid not; even if it were correct, it's not actually specific enough.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Okay, I'll put you out of your misery - all the people named were radio commentators for the Coronation in 1953.

I'll also declare an open studio!

 

[Calthrop]

There is a large collection of poems / ballads, on the general spectrum between comic and melodramatic, written by an English clergyman; the collection going by a different name, than that of the reverend gent. Three such, out of many -- their respective central figures being: a member of the crow family; an evil spectre haunting a Public School; and a Bluebeard-type serial murderer of ladies near the Welsh border.

Please give the name of the author; and the name which he gave to the collectuin.

 

[Calthrop]

Hint: the poem / ballad featuring the corvid, is generally reckoned the best-known one of the collection. Its theme is largely: fairly gentle mickey-taking of a variety of the Christian faith, which variety the author did not espouse.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Is it Edward Lear?

Open floor if I'm correct, as I don't have anything to offer.

 

[Calthrop]

Is it Edward Lear?

Not Lear; our chap's dates are a little earlier (and so far as I know, Edward wasn't a religious-type bod of any kind).

Further hint: the "corvid" tale-in-verse, is set in a renowned French cathedral city.

 

[DerekC]

Well, it has to be the Jackdaw of Rheims, but I confess to not knowing the author without looking it up - maybe someone else does.

 

[Marton]

Barnham
I think it was Richard

 

[Calthrop]

Our guy was the Rev. Richard Harris Barham (1788 -- 1845) -- Marton, that's close enough. He wrote under the pseudonym of Thomas Ingoldsby: called his largely-comic verse offerings, the "Ingoldsby Legends" -- The Jackdaw of Rheims, the best-known thereof.

Marton, please entertain us with the next doggerel-verse tale...

 

[Marton]

Maybe not verse though.

What does propolis mean, who makes it and what do its makers use it for?

 

[martinsh]

I remember this quesation being asked before ! [ In a different form]

Propolis is made by bees. They use it for sealing the hive. I can't remember the meaning of the name

 

[Marton]

Apologies that was me. I completely forgot.

I think you should have the floor

 

[martinsh]

Open floor

 

[Strat-tastic]

Open floor

Thanks.

What question should I ask?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks. What question should I ask?

If you don't have one, I do … can I have the floor, please?

 

[Strat-tastic]

Correct! Your surreal floor

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thank you - here goes!

What do the following rugby players have in common (they are listed in the order of their "achievement")?

Alexandre Albouy (France)
Clive Shell (Wales)
Sean McCahill (Ireland)
Mathieu Dourthe (France)
Lee Jarvis (Wales)
Mark Bartholomeusz (Australia)

 

[A Challenge]

Thanks.

What question should I ask?

This reminds me of when my declaration of an open floor was taken as a clue on the Cryptic Stations game. I've head of none of those people by the way!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I've head of none of those people by the way!

I suppose that it is a bit obscure, so here's two clues:
a. Think length of time
b. I'll add a few more names -
John Fogarty (Ireland)
Matt Cairns (England)
Paul Hodgson (England)

Best of luck!

 

[Marton]

A guess.

They have only played one international. The list being the date order

 

[EbbwJunction1]

A guess. They have only played one international. The list being the date order

This is partly right, but the list isn't in date order.

There's one more name to add, that of Gordon Macdonald of Scotland, dating from 1969.

If I give you the following, will it help? 90 seconds, 2 minutes 33 seconds and five minutes.

 

[Marton]

Shortest international appearances