No Fun Here Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Smiths

The Smiths' vocalist was Steven Morrissy, although he used only his surname, with Johnny Marr on guitar. 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' reached number ten on the UK Singles charts, although the band had only minor success in the USA. Other uplifting offerings from The Smiths include 'Girlfriend in a Coma' from 1987 and 'How Soon is Now?' from 1985.

The other bands listed were all around in the 1980s.

Answer: Ivan Lendl

The Czech born Lendl became a citizen of the United States in 1992. His dour demeanour on court was part of his character. During his playing career, he reached the finals in the major championships on nineteen occasions, winning the Australian Open twice and the French and US Opens three times each.

He reached the Wimbledon final twice, but lost in both 1986 and 1987. Lendl became Andy Murray's coach in December 2011 and is credited with the improvement in Murray's temperament, leading to his first major title in 2012. Lendl remained poker faced throughout Murray's matches, and gave away nothing of his emotions while his protégé was playing.

Answer: Tolstoy

If you're looking for light and frothy, you'd best steer clear of anything by a Russian author. 'Anna Karenina' was published in 1877 and relates the downfall of the heroine. The story has been filmed on numerous occasions, with the first adaptation coming out in 1914 (a Russian film), with the first American version in 1915. Tolstoy also gave us 'War and Peace', while Solzhenitsyn wrote 'The Gulag Archipelago'. Dostoevsky produced 'Crime and Punishment' and 'The Idiot', while 'Dr. Zhivago' was one of Pasternak's works.

Answer: Buster Keaton

Keaton's real name was Joseph and he claimed that his nickname of 'Buster' was given to him by Harry Houdini. Keaton began his career in vaudeville before being recruited for the new film making industry by Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle. Keaton made many films throughout his career, with his expressionless face being part of his film persona. Chaplin, Lloyd and Valentino are also well known names from the era of silent films.

Answer: Victoria

There doesn't seem to be any evidence that Queen Victoria actually said the words which have become inextricably linked with her name. One story is that it was her response to a risque joke, and that she was responding on behalf of herself and her ladies in waiting, rather than using the Royal 'we'.

Another option is that she saw someone impersonating her and was less than impressed. In fact, in her younger days Victoria was quite lively, but the loss of her beloved husband, Albert, in 1861, led to her becoming reclusive.

Answer: Far From the Madding Crowd

By the end of their respective books, Jude, Tess and Michael Henchard (the mayor) are all dead. By contrast, 'Far From the Madding Crowd' does end with the promise of happiness, and a wedding, for Bathsheba, the heroine, and Gabriel, the hero. That doesn't mean that there isn't some 'doom and gloom' and several deaths on the way, but compared to the other Hardy works this is almost a comedy.

Answer: Tell Laura I Love Her

The Ray Peterson version reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, but the record company Decca decided not to release it in the UK, due to its depressing nature. EMI cashed in by arranging for the Welsh singer Ricky Valance (real name David Spencer) to record it and were rewarded with a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart. All the songs listed were about death in one way or another - 'Teen Angel' was by Mark Dinning, and was a 1959 hit and The Shangri-Las brought us 'Leader of the Pack' in 1964. 'Running Bear' was recorded by Johnny Preston and was a 1959 hit. I'm just off for a quick sob before the next question.

Answer: Cambodia

The film told the story of the repressive Khmer Rouge regime of Cambodia, and was released in 1984. It was directed by Roland Joffé and based on the true story of a journalist, portrayed by Sam Waterston, and his Cambodian assistant. The latter role was played by Haing S. Ngor, who had himself suffered during the bloody years of Pol Pot's tyrrany.

The film has many gruelling scenes of the inhumanity of the regime, and is not for the faint of heart, or stomach.

Answer: Angela's

Frank McCourt was actually born in New York, but his book tells the tale of his tough upbringing in Limerick, in the Republic of Ireland, after his Irish born parents return there. His father is described as a hopeless alcoholic, unable to provide for his family, while his mother struggles to keep the children alive.

They endure extreme poverty, illness, death and near starvation. McCourt's story was just one of a number of 'misery memoirs' which were popular in the late twentieth century. 'Angela's Ashes' came out in 1996 with a sequel, called ''Tis', published in 1999.

Answer: Oliver Cromwell

Cromwell has been blamed for this proclamation, although it was actually the parliamentary party which put paid to the Christmas celebrations and those of other saints and holy days, rather than a personal decree. The Puritans disliked the extravagance and general over indulgence of the Christmas period, which rather has echoes of our own times, and insisted that religious observance should be kept for Sundays.

They believed that remembering the birth of Jesus should be a time of fasting and reflection on the sacrifice on the cross, and was not an occasion for jollity.