General Knowledge Rag Bag Trivia Quiz

Answer: Drake's Golden Hind

Airfix is known by most people for its model aircraft kits (the Mark 1 Spitfire was probably their best-seller) but it all started off with Drake's ship, the first to circumnavigate the world. If you answered Elle MacPherson - not that sort of model! Interesting tip of the day - if you like to make model aircraft, those little gizmos (like tiny sink plungers) that are sold to remove contact lenses, are ideal for holding a clear aircraft canopy in place while you apply glue - and no messy gluey fingerprints on the canopy!

Answer: One where all their men returned from World War I

Forty one of these parishes have been identified from which all soldiers returned. In stark contrast, other towns raised their own regiments and the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington) East Lancashire Regiment, better known as the 'Accrington Pals', lost 584 men in the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Answer: False

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Dickin medal is the animals' VC. It has been awarded to pigeons, dogs, horses and a cat called Simon. By the way, if by any chance you could win the Dickin, and you're doing this quiz, may I be your agent?

Answer: Ted Bundy

If you haven't read any of Ann Rule's books, I urge you to do so. She writes excellent true crime novels and has written books on all these killers (Diane Downs: Small Sacrifices, Randall Woodfield: The I-5 Killer and Gary Ridgway: Green River, Running Red).

However, Ann knew Ted Bundy as a co-worker long before she wrote 'The Stranger Beside Me', an excellent book about this serial killer

Answer: Mathematics

Awarded every four years, the Fields medal is regarded as the Nobel Prize of Mathematics. In 2006 it generated some media interest when it was declined by Russian recluse Grigory Perelman. Rumour has it that Pereman may even decline the Clay Institute's One Million dollar prize should he be awarded it! Now, that's serious recluse!

Answer: False

In March 1936 writer Dudley Nichols was voted winner of the Best Screenplay Oscar for 'The Informer', but turned it down. George C. Scott did not turn his own Oscar down for 'Patton' until 1971. Another iconic star that declined an Oscar was the late, great Marlon Brando.

Answer: Scotland

I found this while researching to try and find an answer for 'Brain Twist' and it struck me how 'un-Scottish' it looks. It's pronounced 'Eye-than', apparently. It's an important trout and salmon river, but I was totally unable to find out how it came by its name. I have now been told by reestitmutton that the name comes from Pictish meaning gorse, a plant very common in the north of Scotland especially on links land and golf courses. Thanks for that!

Answer: It was never published

Ingrid Bergman wanted to know who she was supposed to be in love with, Rick or Victor, but was never told. This may account for her enigmatic performance. By the way, although Bogart did say 'Here's looking at you, kid' in this film - he never said 'Play it again, Sam'!

Answer: Mrs Warren's Profession

The play deals with prostitution. All of the above have run into trouble. The D H Lawrence novel 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', although published in Italy in 1928, was not published in the UK until 1960, following a much-publicized court case. J M Synge's play 'The Playboy of the Western World', first performed in Dublin in 1907, provoked riots by Irish Catholics protesting about the way it showed rural Irish Catholic morality. Frank Wedekind's 'Spring Awakening' ('Fruhlings Erwachen') was published in 1891 but was not staged for 14 years because of its portrayal of adolescent lusts. Sort of makes you want to see them all, doesn't it?

Answer: Babirusa

Babirusa means, in Malay, 'Pig-deer' and they are fascinating animals. Sadly, all the above are endangered. A bongo is a beautiful African forest antelope, the banteng is an ox and it was the second endangered species to be successfully cloned (As of September 2006 the cloned animal was alive in San Diego zoo). Tapirs are one of my favourite animals and they've walked the earth for 35 million years. Sad to think they might not be around much longer. Hope you enjoyed the quiz and it made you think. Let me know!