UK Newspapers Trivia

1. On which day or days was the "News of the World" published?

From Quiz News of the World

Answer: Sunday

It was the second-largest selling English-language newspaper in the world until 2012, when it was closed down by its owner, News International, following a scandal over phone-hacking by its journalists. After a short hiatus, News International started up a Sunday version of its "Sun" newspaper to fill the void.

From Quiz Private Eye

Answer: They were at school together at Shrewsbury

British "public" (i.e. expensive private) schools like Shrewsbury (founded in 1551) are generally seen as producing conservative-minded guardians of the status quo, but they also turn out a surprising number of highly articulate critics of the establishment. Booker, Foot, Ingrams and Rushton were at the school in the early 1950s, and all were involved at some time in editing the school magazine, "The Salopian".

From Quiz The People's Friend

Answer: DC Thomson & Co.

The "Friend" has been published by DC Thomson since 1869, making it one of the longest running weekly publications in the world.

From Quiz Loaded Magazine - The Early Years

Answer: James Brown

Obviously not the same James Brown of "Living In America" fame, the editor had previously worked at the New Musical Express and went on to found several other top quality magazines, including the short lived but brilliant "Jack", which combined humour, sport, startling imagery of wildlife and natural wonders, and breath-taking photography of glamour models.

From Quiz Newspapers and Magazines (Mainly British)

Answer: Punch

Mark Lemon was the first editor (originally one of a pair of joint editors) in the mid nineteenth century. Alan Coren's tenure as editor was from 1978-1987. The other three magazines were all first published after the death of Mark Lemon.

From Quiz Local Newspaper Deliveries

Answer: the adverts in and with them pay for their production and delivery

Amazingly there are a number of full time local newspapers that can make a living by producing a newspaper and selling advertising space in them and delivering advertising with them. You can possibly avoid them by a note on your door saying "No Free Papers Please", but don't count on it being too effective.

From Quiz UK Newspapers

Answer: The Sun

In January 2009, the Sun was selling 3.1 million copies per day. The Daily Mail was the second-highest selling paper, with 2.2 million, then the Mirror on 1.4 million. The Star was way behind on only 770,000 sales. The Metro had a higher print circulation than any of them, but it was a free paper given away for nothing at railways stations and elsewhere. During the 2020s many UK newspapers stopped publishing their circulation figures, so it stopped being possible to make accurate comparisons, although the Daily Mail is believed to have overtaken the Sun by 2020.

From Quiz Here Comes The Sun

Answer: The British general election

Prior to the 1992 election, it looked as if the Labour Party would win, but "The Sun" campaigned vigorously in favour of the Conservative Party and denounced Labour. It claimed - and no one will ever know how justifiably - that it was its support that brought victory for the Conservatives.

From Quiz News of the World

Answer: 2,904,566

The "News of the World" is considered to be the Sunday sister newspaper of "The Sun."

From Quiz Private Eye

Answer: Lord Gnome

In the magazine's early days, the figure of Lord Gnome was based on old-style press barons like Lord Beaverbrook. Over the years he has developed into a caricature of capitalists in general. Emmanuel Strobes is his lordship's "amanuensis" who writes his editorials for him. Sir Basil Nardly-Stoads and his Seductive Brethren were one of Peter Cook's bizarre creations in the 1960s, while Spiggy Topes serves to satirize pop music.

From Quiz The People's Friend

Answer: The famous story magazine

The "Friend" has a circulation of around 400,000 copies a week worldwide, and the publisher's estimate each copy is read and passed on to others giving a weekly readership approaching 1 million people!

From Quiz Loaded Magazine - The Early Years

Answer: 1994

1994, and what a stir it caused. At first the birth of the "lads mag" was much maligned by the likes of rivals FHM and GQ, but the colossal impact Brown's brainchild made on the world of media forced both to swallow their pride and follow suit!

From Quiz Newspapers and Magazines (Mainly British)

Answer: The Sportsman

The "Racing Post" was first published in April 1986. In 1998 "Sporting Life" (first published 1859) was merged into the "Racing Post". "Racing and Football Outlook" is a weekly publication from the same publisher as the "Racing Post".

From Quiz Local Newspaper Deliveries

Answer: up to about 7pm Thursday or Friday

The newspapers are reliant on advertising for things such as cinemas and other events which need early notice of by residents. Much of the advertising is useless by Saturday, but the papers still seem to arrive late don't they?

From Quiz UK Newspapers

Answer: Belfast News Letter

The News Letter was established in 1737. The more famous Times was first published as the 'Daily Universal Register' in 1785, and was followed by the Observer (the world's oldest Sunday paper) in 1791. The weekly Worcester Journal is the longest-established newspaper in the world, first published as the Worcester Postman in 1690.

From Quiz Private Eye

Answer: Sir Alec Douglas-Home

A Scottish newspaper inadvertently printed a photograph of Home instead of a local dignitary called Baillie Vass. Thereafter Home became Baillie Vass in the pages of the Eye. After the Conservative defeat in the general election of 1964, the party turned against Home. The Eye, faced with the prospect of losing one of its favourite figures of fun, asked its readers to rally in ostensible support of Sir Alec. A good few readers duly turned up outside the party's headquarters in Smith Square, bearing banners with ambiguous slogans like "Conservatives Deserve Alec's Leadership!"

From Quiz Loaded Magazine - The Early Years

Answer: Gary Oldman

The exquisite Oldman was big news at the time, having played major roles in "Dracula", "JFK", "True Romance" and "Leon (The Professional)" over the previous 18 months.

From Quiz Newspapers and Magazines (Mainly British)

Answer: Jaspistos

Japistos has been the pen name of the setter of the weekly competition in the "Spectator" for many years. Ximenes was the crossword setter of the "Observer", succeeded by Azed. Acaucaria is one of the setters of the "Guardian" crossword.

From Quiz UK Newspapers

Answer: The Guardian

The liberal broadsheet was originally the 'Manchester Guardian', which moved down to London in an attempt to increase its circulation. Its Northern edition is still printed in Manchester. The Daily Express was also originally published from Manchester, but the city's most famous paper today is the local 'Manchester Evening News'.

From Quiz Here Comes The Sun

Answer: Page Three

"Page Three" became almost shorthand for any newspaper topless photographs, in much the same way as "Hoover" was tagged onto any vacuum cleaner. Feminists hated the "Page Three" feature; they claimed it exploited women and was only a ploy so that ogling men would buy the paper. That latter part may well have been true, but was undermined by the fact that many women liked and bought "The Sun."

From Quiz News of the World

Answer: 1843

The newspaper was first published on 1st October 1843.

From Quiz Private Eye

Answer: Barry McKenzie

The strip did a lot to bring Barry Humphries to notice in Britain. He wrote the text and Garland drew the pictures. Barry McKenzie was an Australian innocent abroad in the swinging Britain of the 1960s, and the strip introduced readers to a wide range of colourful Australian slang (some of it, I suspect, was invented for the occasion) as well as popularizing Foster's beer. After a long run, editor Richard Ingrams took exception to the increasing sexual explicitness of the strip and publication ceased. The strip has appeared in book form, and also inspired a couple of films.

From Quiz The People's Friend

Answer: Day's work

The 'Love Darg' is where readers knit, sew, or hand-craft clothes and toys and send them in. After the closing date and judging, the entries are donated to the needy via various charitable organisations. The winners in each category receive a small prize in token of their efforts. 'Darg' is an old Scottish word for a day's work.

From Quiz Loaded Magazine - The Early Years

Answer: The Dice Man

Although I'd stopped reading "loaded" by then, I was delighted to see that they'd named MY favourite book of all time as "Novel of the Century"!

From Quiz Newspapers and Magazines (Mainly British)

Answer: Woman's Journal

All four titles were published by IPC Connect Ltd. According to www.magforum.com, "Woman" and "Woman's Own" are general interest; "Woman's Weekly" aims at the 40+ market; and "Woman's Journal" celebrated 'family values'.

From Quiz UK Newspapers

Answer: Fleet Street

Fleet Street has been a centre of publishing since the 16th century. From the 1700s, it grew into the centre of newspaper publishing, and it is still a synonym for the national UK papers.

From Quiz Here Comes The Sun

Answer: Rupert Murdoch

Murdoch was born in Australia, though later took on American citizenship in order to get around newspaper ownership laws. He re-launched 'The Sun" as a tabloid aiming to take on head-to-head "The Daily Mirror", at the time the top selling daily. "The Sun" soon took over that position, with three million copies being sold each day by 2008. That put it ninth in a league table of newspaper circulations. Only one other English language paper sold more; "The Times of India". Murdoch was ultimate boss of News Corp in the USA and News International in the UK. His empire consisted of newspapers and broadcast organisations throughout the world. It was said that political leaders courted his support to win, or stay, in power. That empire was rocked in 2010 and 2011 by revelations that "The News Of The World", a British Sunday newspaper, had hacked into private mobile phone messages.

From Quiz News of the World

Answer: Conservative

The "News of the World" was one of the newspapers to back the Conservative Party, under its leader David Cameron, in the 2010 UK General Election campaign.

From Quiz Private Eye

Answer: the crossword

Driberg was Member of Parliament for Maldon in Essex from 1942 to 1955, and for Barking from 1959 to 1974. He died in 1976, shortly after being elevated to the peerage as Lord Bradwell. His first crossword appeared in the Eye in 1969, and he adopted the pseudonym Tiresias in 1972, when he was beginning to lose his sight (in Greek mythology Tiresias was a seer who was struck blind by Hera or Athena). Today in 2007 the crossword is provided by Eddie James, a professional crossword compiler, who uses the name Cyclops. As in Driberg's day, it is still notable for profanity and sexual innuendo in its clues and answers.

From Quiz The People's Friend

Answer: J Campbell Kerr

J Campbell Kerr's watercolours decorate each week's cover, and prints can be purchased from the publisher. J Campbell Kerr also contributes the "Round Britain" feature each week.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:53 AM

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