Scrambled Eggheads Around the World Quiz

Answer: Warwickshire

The three towns in question are Stratford-upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and the county town, Warwick.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a popular destination for tourists due to being the birthplace and burial place of William Shakespeare. It is also home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, whose Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres are situated on the banks of the river Avon.

In the early 18th Century, a small village called Leamington Priors experienced rapid growth due to gaining popularity as a spa resort. People came from far and wide to bathe in the waters of its natural springs, which were reputed to have medicinal properties. It was at the height of this popularity that Queen Victoria visited, and in 1838 granted the town Royal Status, renaming it "Royal Leamington Spa". The craze for spa resorts didn't last long, and nowadays Leamington is just a fairly ordinary town with a grand name.

Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire and home to Warwick Castle, an impressive medieval castle which was developed from a wooden fort erected as part of the Norman conquest in 1068. Most of the medieval town was destroyed in 1694 in the "Great Fire of Warwick", one notable exception being the Lord Leycester Hospital. A picturesque collection half-timbered buildings arranged around a central courtyard, it was established in 1571 as a home for old and injured soldiers and still provides accommodation for ex-servicemen and their families today.

(Question and additional information supplied by emiloony.)

Answer: Sydney

Sydney was settled when the first fleet arrived in Australia in 1788 after the first area they chose (recommended by Sir Joseph Banks on the discovery journey with Captain Cook in 1770) proved to be unsuitable. Sydney Cove, on the beautiful harbour surrounding Port Jackson, was selected instead by the gallant Captain Arthur Phillip with his fleet of soldiers and convicts - and our nation grew from there. Sadly the cost to the existing indigenous people proved to be great, with more than half of them dying from the smallpox that also hitched a ride on the first fleet. From a very rocky beginning where most of the settlers faced the daily prospect of starvation, today Sydney, the capital of the state of New South Wales, is a magnificent multi-cultural city with beautiful parks, universities, hospitals, schools, businesses, shopping centres, glorious views, unique tourist sites - everything you could wish for in one of the loveliest capital cities in the world. Do pay us a visit some time.

(Question and additional information supplied by Creedy.)

Answer: Toulouse

This beautiful French city on the river Garonne in the Occitanie region of South West France is known as 'la Ville Rose' because of the large number of pink terracotta buildings to be found in the old heart of the city. Situated halfway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, its location means that it has always been strategically important. During the Dark Ages after the fall of Rome, it was the capital of the mighty Visigoth empire for over a hundred years before it fell to the Gauls, who, under one name or another, have held it to this day. In more modern times it is more famous for its aerospace industry and was at the heart of the Franco-English project to develop the supersonic jet airliner Concorde, although most French people rightly care much more about its glorious local sausage, the 'Saucisse de Toulouse' and the famous 'cassoulet' bean and meat stew which originated in the area. Mmm mmmmmm, sorry veggies.

(Question and additional information supplied by JacquiDawson.)

Answer: San Francisco

SONIC CAR FANS is simply an anagram of San Francisco, with the anagram indicator being 'out of sorts'.

San Francisco is a major American city and seaport located on the coast of California, lying on a peninsula between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The city is a major commercial and tourist center, with a population well in excess of 850,000. The area is prone to earthquakes, and the city suffered immeasurable damage from one such disaster in 1906. During the California gold rush in 1848, high numbers of prospectors flooded into the area, which led to the early population explosion of San Francisco.

(Question and additional information supplied by moonraker2.)

Answer: California

Badwater Basin, located in Death Valley National Park, is the lowest point in North America. Its depth is 86 meters (282 ft) below sea level. The name "Badwater" comes from the salt accumulation in the surrounding basin making the water undrinkable.

Periodically rainstorms flood and cover the salt pan but standing water doesn't remain too long as the average rainfall of 1.9 inches is rapidly evaporated at a rate of 150 inches annually.

Ironically, Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states is located a mere 84.6 miles northwest!

(Question and additional information supplied by Sally0malley.)

Answer: Indonesia

The word "easier" is inside the word "don" - "In don, easier" - Indonesia.

Indonesia is a very large country - the largest island country and in 2019 the fourth largest in the world in terms of population. Made up of over 17000 different islands, around half the population live on the fourth largest island, Java. Indonesia shares four of its islands with other countries. Borneo is shared with Malaysia and Brunei, Timor is shared with East Timor, New Guinea is shared with Papua New Guinea and Sebatik (off the coast of Borneo) is shared with Malaysia.

(Question and additional information supplied by emiloony.)

Answer: Accra

Accra was named Nkran, meaning 'ants' in the Akan language of the Ga people, who were early residents of Ghana. The name was later corrupted by Danes to Akra, then by later explorers to Accra.

The name specifically refers to soldier ants, with which the Ga related as strong like themselves. The large anthills near Accra were revered as sacred places where the known world and the world of the dead met.

(Question and additional information supplied by CmdrK.)

Answer: Suriname

TomKat's offspring = Suri
moniker = name

TomKat was the nickname of the "supercouple" Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. Their daughter Suri was born in 2006.

Suriname is located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. The name is derived from the earliest inhabitants, the Surinen Indians. In the 1600's Suriname was settled by the Dutch and later the English. Dutch remains the official language. Suriname is noted for its biodiversity and the Amazonian rainforests of the South. There are a number of nature reserves known for their flora and fauna.

(Question and additional information supplied by Sally0malley.)

Answer: 1000

The answer is calculated as follows:
10 lords a-leaping + 40 thieves = 50
50 squared is 2500
A Doctor of Medicine is MD or 1500 in Roman Numerals
2500 - 1500 = 1000

Thousand Oaks, CA is found in the Conejo Valley, and as the name suggests is home to thousands of oak trees (a 2012 estimate was between 50,000 and 60,000). It was originally settled by the Chumash people over 10,000 years ago. Because of its temperate climate and location near Hollywood, it remains a popular filming site and has been seen in such TV series as "True Blood", "Monk", "Criminal Minds" and "Bones" to name a few.

(Question and additional information supplied by Sally0malley.)

Answer: Edinburgh

BEN HID RUG is simply an anagram of Edinburgh, with the anagram indicator being 'criminal'.

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland and seat of the Scottish Parliament with a population in excess of 500,000, is located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth. In the 11th century, the city grew around a castle built by Malcolm III on a rocky ridge that dominates the landscape. Close-by is Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano which is the highest peak in a range of hills within Holyrood Park.
Established in 1947, the City hosts the Edinburgh Fringe Festival each year which takes place throughout the Month of August, the world's largest arts festival. Absolutely anyone may participate, with performances both outside in the streets, and also inside numerous venues within the city. Whilst comedy routines form the majority of the performances, there is also no shortage of cabaret acts, music and other exhibitions. It really is a joyous occasion, and one which I have taken great pleasure in attending on past occasions.

(Question and additional information supplied by moonraker2.)