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Trease Geoffrey Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
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Geoffrey Trease Trivia

Geoffrey Trease Trivia Quizzes

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As well as the meticulously-researched historical novels for children that earned him his reputation, Geoffrey Trease wrote contemporary school stories, including the Black Banner series.
3 Geoffrey Trease quizzes and 40 Geoffrey Trease trivia questions.
1.
  "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Treason,spies,acting,mountains,lakes and more than one death-defying chase - "Cue for Treason" is a most exciting story from Queen Elizabeth's reign. Can you take the pace of these questions?
Average, 15 Qns, Philian, Sep 18 03
Average
Philian
391 plays
2.
  "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
The first adventure in the famous "Bannermere" series shows what happens to the Melbury family when they head north to the Lake District to live. Follow them with these questions.
Average, 15 Qns, Philian, Sep 18 03
Average
Philian
151 plays
3.
  Bannermere Cryptic    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a who's who quiz about Geoffrey Trease's "Bannermere" series of books. All but one of the cryptic clues refers to a person.
Average, 10 Qns, Sallyo, Nov 14 10
Average
Sallyo
108 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What was the ring that Penny found near to the skeleton?

From Quiz ""No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease"





Geoffrey Trease Trivia Questions
1. What was the snag for the Melbury family about inheriting Cousin Fay's cottage in the Lake District?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: They had to live there full time for at least five years.

Cousin Fay had disliked "week-enders" so much she was determined that the cottage should be occupied all year round. This meant that Mrs. Melbury, Bill and Susan would have to give up their present furnished rooms and their current schools and move north on a permanent basis.

2. The story starts amongst the hills of Cumberland which are in which part of Britain?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: The English Lake District

The first mountain to be mentioned is Blencathra not so far from Keswick. A large part of the story is set around that town but the action also moves to London and back again.

3. What did Mrs.Melbury warn her children to look out for when they moved north?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: That she didn't let her standards of dress or behaviour decline.

As Mrs.Melbury puts it - there would be sometimes nobody to see her but the sheep. That, she thought, might tempt her to let herself go and she lists what they need to watch - "hair, clothes, hands, anything...."

4. A dark mountain over Bannerdale, or else a night-hued flag?

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Black Banner

Black Banner. Black is night hued, a flag is a banner. Black Banner is the name of the mountain.

5. In the first chapter Peter Brownrigg, his brother and father are committing an act of rebellion against a local landowner. What do they actually do?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: They knock down a wall enclosing some meadow land.

The enclosure of common land by noblemen has been resented throughout English history. The noblemen had control of most lawyers and thus of the law and behaved as no better than thieves.

6. Which scene in Shakespeare was Bill reminded of when he staggered along the road in the pouring rain on the first night and considered turning back without getting any milk?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: Lancelot Gobbo's debate between conscience and temptation.

Bill describes his journey as a debate between his desire to go back to the cottage and the wish to get out of the rain and the dark. In the end he drops the milk jug and finds his way back to the cottage having been unsuccessful in his quest to reach the nearest neighbours.

7. She was a royal weaver, not widowed, and the place of apples gains a mid-alphabet head to name a very good friend of Bill and Susan.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Penelope Morchard

Penelope was Queen of Ithaca, who wove a tapestry while her husband was missing on a voyage. Apples grow in an orchard, and the mid-alphabet letter is M. Penelope M-orchard = Penelope Morchard.

8. Which article of clothing gets Peter into trouble with Sir Philip Morton?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: his hat

The hat or cap is actually shot off his head just after he has thrown a rock at the horsemen who are coming to try to arrest the farmers knocking down the enclosure wall. Peter doesn't have time to try and recover it.

9. Why did Bill decide to let his sister have the bigger bedroom in the cottage?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: The smaller room he wanted was over the warm kitchen.

Susan claims that she needs a bigger room so that she can invite friends in and try clothes on. Bill is pretty sure that during the Lakeland winters the room over the heat of the kitchen will be the best one to be in at night.

10. Twitchy-nosed Samantha's man loses an eye and gains an alternative vowel to give Tim's last name.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Darren

Samantha with the twitchy nose was the main character in the 1960s TV show "Bewitched". Her husband was "Darrin". Replace the "i" with "e" and you get "Darren".

11. Where does Peter hide when Sir Philip spots him at the theatre in Penrith?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: in a chest that normally contains actors' clothing

The chest turns out to be playing the part of a coffin in the performance of "Richard III" that is being put on by the actors. Peter finds himself carried on stage.

12. Apart from not wanting people looking at his back lawns what reason did Sir Alfred Askew give for keeping Bill and Susan off the island?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: The island was a bird sanctuary.

When an investigation is made it is clear that Sir Alfred Askew has only just come up with the idea of the island being a bird sanctuary. It does also prove to be a site of archeological interest but that is not something any of them know when he claims it is a bird sanctuary.

13. Nurse Nightingale's first syllable joins the first syllable of a famed French fox to name and avoid Sue and Penny's teacher.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Miss Florey

Avoid = Miss. Nurse Nightingale = Florence. First syllable = Flor. Famed French fox is Reynard. First syllable = Rey. Join them - Florey. Miss Florey.

14. Who or what is "the Monstrosity"?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: A vividly-striped canvas umbrella that fits over a garden-table.

The "Monstrosity" proves to have an important influence on the course of the story. Miss Florey mistakes their cottage for a place which sells teas because she assumes the table has been put out especially for customers. Later the Melbury family decide it would be a good idea to actually "do" teas and make a small profit.

15. The monarch owns a shallow river crossing to name Bill's headmaster.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Kingsford

The monarch = King. S for ownership. Shallow river crossing = ford. Kingsford. Mr Kingsford is the old, rather misogynistic headmaster of the grammer school, determined to save "his" boys from the influence of Miss Florey's girls!

16. After Peter and Kit have both joined Mr. Desmond's acting company they get a chance to write a letter home. To whom does Kit Kirkstone write?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: Sir Philip Morton

The identity of Kit is one of the main plotlines of the first half of the book. Most readers notice what is going on long before Peter realises just who and what his companion is.

17. Why does Bill get into trouble with Mr. Kingsford, the headmaster, on his first day at his new school?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: For being seen with the high school girls during the lunch hour.

The two girls that Bill met were his sister Susan and her new friend, the very attractive Penny Morchard. Mr. Kingsford refuses to allow his boys to have anything to do with girls. He regards it as unhealthy and accuses Bill of "paying his attentions" to them.

18. Put the head of Australian Victoria's capital city in a grave and first send an account to find the hero of the Bannermere books.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Bill Melbury

Victoria's capital city is Melbourne. The head = Mel. Put it in a grave = bury. Melbury. First send an account = bill. Bill Melbury.

19. In what way does Penny participate in the Garden Fete at the High School?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: She plays Gitana the Gypsy and tells fortunes.

Penny's talent for acting allows her to use the occasion to try to prove that Sir Alfred Askew has a guilty secret. She mentions the word "elephants" to him to suggest his Indian background. She then says the name "Matson" which was the one that Bill had overheard on the telephone. He responds in the way they had all hoped.

20. Find a half-blind admiral at Trafalgar and name Sue's intended.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Nelson & Johnny Nelson

Nelson was the half blind admiral who fought Napoleon at the battle of Trafalgar. Johnny Nelson married Sue Melbury in the last of the Bannermere books.

21. What accident happened to Mr.Desmond that changed all their plans?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: He got thrown from his horse into a river and broke his leg.

It is Peter and Kit who drag Mr.Desmond safely from the river. However, his injury means he can't take them to London and promote their skills at acting with the various managers.

22. How did Bill draw attention to himself when they were chased through the woods on Sir Alfred's estate?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: He lets out a long blood-curdling yell.

Bill knows that if they are chased it will be Penny with her limp who will be the most vulnerable. So he gives a yell to draw Sir Alfred and Matson after him. He makes the sound vibrate (like Tarzan perhaps) by moving his hand backwards and forwards across his mouth.

23. Find male duck and make plural to name two old thespians helped by Bill.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Drakes & the Drakes & drakes & the drakes

Mr and Mrs Drake were retired actors whom Bill and the others met in "Black Banner Players". Mr Drake appeared again in "The Gates of Bannerdale". A male duck is a drake. Make that plural to get "drakes".

24. When he auditions for Burbage which part in "Romeo and Juliet" does Peter attempt?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: Juliet's nurse

Kit wins the part of Juliet and Peter has to be satisfied with a walk on part as Lady Montague.

25. What was the ring that Penny found near to the skeleton?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: A piece of Viking chain mail

The chain mail links with the stories of the Vikings or Northmen coming to the Lakeland villages and raiding local monasteries and churches. It starts the four children off on their hunt for treasure.

26. Fifi advances her consonants by one letter to name French girl Bill admires.

From Quiz Bannermere Cryptic

Answer: Gigi

Gigi is a French girl Bill meets in "Black Banner Abroad". Fifi advances her consonants (f and f) by one letter to g and g to become Gigi.

27. How does Peter manage to get from the boat on the River Thames to the window of the house high above?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: He builds a ladder of daggers embedded in the wooden beams.

When Peter escapes from the room he has to pull the daggers out one by one again for it is essential that no one knows they have been overheard. Using his acting skills he pretends to be a pair of lovers hiding amongst the shadows in a boat on the river.

28. How did Sir Alfred manage to trace who had been in his woods at the weekend?

From Quiz "No Boats on Bannermere" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: Tim had lost his cap with his name in it.

When called to the Headmaster's office Bill is tricked into owning up that he had been in Bannermere Woods by Kingsford's direct question. In the argument with Sir Alfred that follows Kingsford is very strongly on the side of his two pupils.

29. In what sort of building do the plotters meet in Cumberland?

From Quiz "Cue for Treason" by Geoffrey Trease

Answer: a peel-tower

The clue to this is found in the sonnet that Peter and Kit find in the house in London. Sir Francis Walsingham is responsible cracking the code in the poem but only Peter can tell him what it means.

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