General Knowledge Quiz

[GusB]

Scotland is a renowned maker of whisky. Ireland also makes a very similar drink.
What is the difference between the two?

The letter "e"

 

[Marton]

Irish whiskEy is triple distilled

 

[Strat-tastic]

The letter "e"

Is correct!

Your ethanol still

 

[GusB]

Sorry, missed your reply. Open floor, please.

 

[DaleCooper]

Next question:

Back in the 60s a group called Hedgehoppers Anonymous had a hit with "Good News Week". How did they get their name?

 

[fowler9]

Next question:

Back in the 60s a group called Hedgehoppers Anonymous had a hit with "Good News Week". How did they get their name?

Were they also helicopter pilots?

 

[DaleCooper]

Were they also helicopter pilots?

Bad news - No they weren't.
Good news - You're getting warm, sort of.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Harrier pilots?

 

[DaleCooper]

Harrier pilots?

Even warmer but don't forget this was the early/mid sixties, before the Harrier was in service.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Even warmer but don't forget this was the early/mid sixties, before the Harrier was in service.

What about the prototype Harrier, the P1127 then?

 

[DaleCooper]

What about the prototype Harrier, the P1127 then?

Nothing to do with the P1127/Kestrel/Harrier although there is a geographical connection.

 

[Marton]

Low flying in Lincolnshire (before the hedges were all grubbed out?

 

[DaleCooper]

Low flying in Lincolnshire (before the hedges were all grubbed out?

It's more specific than that and If things had gone badly the hedges would have been much further east.

 

[DaleCooper]

I'm going to give you half the answer, see if you can fill in the rest.

Three of the four members of Hedgehoppers Anonymous were in the RAF, stationed at RAF Wittering. If you know what RAF Wittering's function was in the mid sixties you should be able to tell whence came the name.

 

[MotCO]

Was it an early warning radar type base?

 

[DaleCooper]

Was it an early warning radar type base?

No it wasn't. You are allowed to use whatever resources are available to discover the function of RAF Wittering in the 60s.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Well, I've already done this, but it's left me a little confused, because I'm not sure what you want!

RAF Wittering was the base of the V-Bomber Force in the 1950s and 1960s, when the squadrons who were based there flew the Vickers Valiant, the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan. I always thought that they were high-level bombers, which they were at the beginning, but then they became very low-level bombers - and a "Hedgehopper" is the RAF nickname for very low level flying.

In addition, the first verse of the song contains the lines
"It's good news week
Someone's dropped a bomb somewhere
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky"
which is reference to nuclear weapons, which were carried by the V-bombers.

I suppose, therefore, that this rather long winded piece (sorry!) is a way of saying that the group took the "Hedgehoppers" part of their name (Jonathan King added the "Anonymous" apparently) from their day job … how am I doing?

 

[DaleCooper]

"Hedgehopper" is the RAF nickname for very low level flying. … how am I doing?

You have done perfectly, your turn...

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thank you.

What were installed where (a clue - it's in London) and why on this day in 1868?

 

[krus_aragon]

Thank you.

What were installed where (a clue - it's in London) and why on this day in 1868?

Electric lights?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Electric lights?

You're very close, but can you be a bit more specific about the type of lights, please?

 

[krus_aragon]

You're very close, but can you be a bit more specific about the type of lights, please?

It was a stab in the dark (no pun intended), but on later reflection I dimly* recall that it was a streetlight installation.


*still no pun intended

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I think that you're in the right street ^ … it was traffic lights, and they were installed in Westminster to help MPs get to the Palace of Westminster!

Your seat of government, sir!

^ two can play at that game!

 

[krus_aragon]

I've not had any inspiration question-wise, so I'll declare an open floor.

 

[Marton]

OK. Here goes

Which was the only British Dominion to give up self rule in favour of becoming a Colony?

What happened next?

 

[DaleCooper]

OK. Here goes

Which was the only British Dominion to give up self rule in favour of becoming a Colony?

What happened next?

I wasn't sure of the definition of dominion so I looked it up and what I believe is the answer sort of fell in my lap. I'll keep quiet.

 

[DerekC]

Was it Newfoundland? If so what happened next would be becoming part of Canada.

 

[Marton]

Was it Newfoundland? If so what happened next would be becoming part of Canada.

Yes. Newfoundland became part of Canada on 31 March 1949.

In the first referendum it first rejected an option for economic union with the USA but there was no absolute majority between the other options.

A second referendum gave the options again of a Dominion of the UK or Confederation with Canada. Canadian confederation won 51:49.

Your floor

 

[DerekC]

What, and where, are or were G2LO-1, G5XX-2 and G2ZY?

 

[Marton]

London
Daventry
Belfast

radio stations