Gym Slips and Jolly Hockey Sticks Quiz

Answer: Cartoonist

Searle was born in Cambridge, England in 1920. He started drawing at a young age and attended Cambridge College of Arts and Technology. He published the first St Trinian's cartoon in the magazine 'Lilliput'. He enlisted in the Royal Engineers but spent most of World War II in a Japanese prison. At the end of the war, he returned to England and published several drawings of life as a prisoner of war.

Answer: St Trinnean's School for Girls, Edinburgh

Edinburgh University was the home of St Trinnean's School for Girls until 1941. It was first established in 1922 by Miss Catherine Fraser Lee where she practised a revolutionary type of education. The emphasis was on self imposed discipline which led to some of the pupils doing exactly what they liked. The school eventually moved to Galashiels and stayed open until the retirement of Miss Fraser Lee in 1946.

Answer: The Belles of St Trinian's

The first film saw the girls gambling on an Arab sheiks's racehorse. The fourth formers wanted the horse to win, however, the sixth formers wanted it to lose. A battle ensued which involved the girls fighting each other as well as their teachers, local police and the Ministry of Education, with hilarious consequences.

Answer: Dark blue and silver

The younger girls (fourth formers) were very scruffy with hair in pigtails and socks down to their ankles. The older girls (sixth formers) were more aware and wore tight white blouses, short skirts and dark stockings with the tops showing at thigh level.

Answer: Bible

The original cartoon sometimes showed murdered girls with a pitchfork stuck out of their bodies, but the film version veered more towards slapstick comedy. This included pillow fights, stink bombs and custard pies. Hockey sticks were used ferociously in the sports field against rival schools.

Answer: Spiv

Flash Harry was the one person at the school whom the girls really trusted. He helped them bottle and sell gin on the black market. He opened up a betting shop on the school grounds and he even set the older girls up with rich husbands through his matrimonial agency. Another well known fictional 'spiv' is Del Boy from the TV series 'Only Fools and Horses'.

Answer: Margaret Rutherford

Alastair Sim brought life to the role of Miss Fritton in 'The Belles of St Trinian's' (1954). He dressed in drag and portrayed an old spinster who always turned a blind eye to the girls' activities. Dora Bryan played Amber Spottiswood, the alcohol swigging headmistress in 'The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery' (1966). Rupert Everett reprised the role of the eccentric Miss Fritton in 'St Trinian's' (2007).

Answer: Girl With a Pearl Earring

Girl with a Pearl Earring featured in the film 'St Trinian's' (2007). It was painted by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer around 1665. British actor, Colin Firth, acted in both 'St Trinian's' (2007) and as painter Vermeer in 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' (2003).

Answer: Ministry of Education

Civil servants, or their daughters, were often sent to spy on the school. Unluckily for them, the girls seemed to have an inner radar system that would alert them to the infiltrator. There would follow a period of slapstick revenge that left the civil servant with a nervous breakdown, vowing never to return to the school.

In the films, the department was later renamed to the 'Ministry of Schools'.

Answer: Will never die

The St Trinian's school song was composed by Sidney Gilliat.

"Maidens of St Trinian's, gird your armour on.
Grab the nearest weapon; never mind which one.

The battle's to the strongest; might is always right.
Trample on the weakest; glory in their plight.

St Trinian's! St Trinian's! Our battle cry.
St Trinian's! St Trinian's! Will never die.

Stride towards your fortune boldly on your way,
Never once forgetting there's one born every day.

Let our motto be broadcast: "get your blow in first!"
She who draws the sword last always comes off worst. "