Buzzer Questions #1

 

Prior to Xmas, I set a few Buzzer style quizzes for the Quiz team I am part of and thought it might be a good idea to share them here. Please excuse any typos etc as this was only ever intended to be read out for the quiz team as a one off - 

 

1	This iconic British location was built in the 17th century and named after a solider who served under Olivier Cromwell and King Charles II. This location was built on the site of a mansion that was known as Hampden House. Christopher Wren was hired to design the living accommodation in this location. The famous diarist James Boswell wrote in his diaries of the rather expensive price of £22 a year to live in this location, and also mentions his troubles dealing with prostitutes in a park adjacent to this location.  This location is 200m long and barriers were installed here in 1920 to control crowds upon the unveiling of the Cenotaph, and these barriers have remained in some form ever since. In 1973, Harold Wilson rejected a proposal that would have allowed tourists to take pictures at this location by walking down an adjoining path. In September 2012, the incident known Plebgate, involving Conservative Whip Andrew Mitchell, took place at these barriers. In May 2023, a car carrying the Prime Minister of the UK crashed into the gates at this location. Larry, the chief mouser, can often be seen patrolling this location where you will soon be able to see the noted Xmas tree which was a tradition started by then resident Margaret Thatcher. For ten points, name this street in Westminster in London that houses the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?	Downing Street
	Bonus – Official Residences
Bonus 1	Located within Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, what is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland?	Bute House
Bonus 2	Which location has served as the official residence of the President of France since 1873?	Elysee Palace
Bonus 3	The Palace of Laeken is the official palace of the King and Queen of which European nation?	Belgium

 

 

 

 

2	In January 2021, this singers debut single broke the Spotify record twice for the most number of daily streams for a non-Christmas single and became the first song to reach 80 million streams in 7 days. When her follow up single also went into the US Billboard chart, she became the first artist to debut her first two singles inside the top 10. Her debut album contains a cover in which the album title is spelled out on her tongue using stickers and opens with the track ‘Brutal’. The Disney + documentary “Driving Home 2 U” is about this singer and her making of that debut album. She released ‘Cant Catch Me Now’ from the upcoming Hunger Games soundtrack shortly after her second album was released in September this year.  It was at this time that she became the youngest artist to have achieved 1 billion streams in the United Kingdom.  This singer and actress rose to fame on ‘Bizaardvark’ before taking up her most famous TV role in a series based on a series of musicals. Some of her 7 top ten hits include ‘Bad Idea Right’, ‘Get Him Back’ ‘Traitor’ and ‘Good For U’. For ten points, name this singer who appeared as Nini Salazaar Roberts in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and released her debut album ‘Sour’ in 2012 that included the hit single ‘Drivers Licence’?	Olivia Rodrigo
	Bonus – Disney Pop Stars
Bonus 1	In 1992, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera were all cast, alongside actor Ryan Gosling, on which Disney variety TV show named after one of the companies most famous characters?	Mickey Mouse Club
Bonus 2	Who rose to fame originally on Barney and Friends in 2002 but more notably in the Camp Rock series of films playing Mitchie Torres?  Her first top ten hit in the UK was 2011’s ‘Skyscraper’	Demi Lovato
Bonus 3	Who began her career playing Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel show ‘Shake It Up’?  Although better known as an actress, her only top 20 hit in the UK came in 2018 when she duetted with a fellow actor on a single from one of the biggest selling soundtracks of all time	Zendaya

 

3	This nation hosts an annual Formula One Grand Prix, which has taken place this year with the only home driver in the race finishing 12th in the race. The men’s International Rugby team from this nation lost to England in the pool stage at the 2023 Rugby Union World Cup.  The only Gold medal won by this nation at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was in the women’s Javelin. In football, Liverpool signed a player from this country in 2023 who is now the captain of the national team. In the 2023 Fifa Womens World Cup, despite being eliminated in the quarter finals, a player from this nation won the Golden Boot Award.  For ten points, name this nation that is the birth place of the F1 Driver Yuki Tsunoda, ‘The Cherry Blossoms’ rugby team,  footballer Wataru Endo and the female footballer Hinata Miyazawa?	Japan
	Bonus – 2023 Sport
Bonus 1	Who is the only female Tennis player to have appeared in two Grand Slam Singles Finals in 2023? Before losing to Coco Gauff at the US Open, this Belarussian Tennis player had won her first grand slam title at the Australian Open.	Aryan Sabalenka
Bonus 2	Along with top ten finishes in the PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championships in 2023, whilst missing the cut from the Masters, which golfer was Team Europe’s Top Scorer at the 2023 Ryder Cup? His only Ryder Cup loss in 5 games was when he teamed up with Matt Fitzpatrick for a second time after an earlier victory.	Rory McIlroy
Bonus 3	Although her fall on the final stretch of the 10.000m race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships may be how her year is remembered, which long distance runner won both 1500m Bronze and 5000m silver at the event as well as recording victories in the London and Chicago Marathons? In Olympic terms, she is  the only athlete in Olympic history to win medals across a middle-distance event and  a long-distance races in a single Games	Sifan Hassan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4	This TV show originally aired in 2006 and ran for 11 series.  Prior to finding fame on X Factor, Olly Murrs appeared on this show and won £10.  A special edition of this show for Comic Relief featured Catherine Tate’s most famous creation making an appearance. In 2015, Richard Osman proved that, Glenn Hugill, a producer on the show, played the part of a never seen but crucial aspect of the show. Nine people have won the top prize on this show which was originally £250,000 but rose to £500,000 in 2014 and the game is played over 6 rounds. Originally hosted by Noel Edmonds, for ten points, can you name this game show that will return to TV screens this month fronted by Stephen Mulhern, in which contestants must chose and eliminate cash boxes before being asked the titular question by the banker?	Deal or No Deal
	Bonus – Recent TV
Bonus 1	Best known for a long-running comedy character, which Englishman played Jimmy Saville in the recent BBC series ‘The Reckoning’?	Steve Coogan
Bonus 2	The 2023 ITV Drama ‘The Long Shadow’ is based on the five year man hunt for which British serial killer?	Peter Sutcliffe/Yorkshire Ripper
Bonus 3	Can you name either of the hosts of the 2023 series of Big Brother?	Will Best or AJ Odudu

 

5	Across works by this author, he foresaw the advent of many things including aircraft, space travel, nuclear weapons, satellite Tv and the Internet.  One work by this author is about a man who sleeps for 203 years and awakens to find out he is the richest man in the world and in another the main character decides to spend the night in an allegedly haunted room in Lorraine Castle. A Shipwreck leading to an encounter with a mad doctor is the premise of another work by this man whilst another work involves Griffin arriving at an Inn owned by the Hall family in West Sussex. Described by author Brian Aldiss as the “Shakespeare of Science Fiction”,  this man was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 4 times without success. This mans most famous works include an unnamed narrator in Victorian times exploring what he describes as the fourth dimension and an alien invasion novel which has been both the subject of a fear-inducing Orson Welles radio play and  several movie versions including one starring Tom Cruise.  For Ten points, can you name this English author born in 1946 who wrote the novels ‘The Island of Doctor Mourea’ ‘The Time Machine’ and ‘The War of the Worlds’?	HG Wells
	Bonus – 2010s Sci Fi Adaptations
Bonus 1	In 2013, Harrison Ford starred alongside Asa Butterfield, who played the title role, in an adaptation of which 1985 Sci Fi Novel by Orson Scott Card?	Enders Game
Bonus 2	In 2018, Stepehen Spielberg directed a cinematic adaptation of which Sci Fi novel by Ernest Cline? The film is set in 2045 and centres on the OASIS	Ready Player One
Bonus 3	In which 20013 movie does Brad Pitt star as Gerry Lane, a former UN investigator searching for a cure for a Zombie Pandemic? The movie is adapted from a novel by Max Brooks	World War Z