Busman's Honeymoon Trivia Quiz

Answer: Worth

"Fierce bustle about the wedding dress -Worth's- period gown in stiff gold brocade, long sleeves, square neck, off the face head dress, no jewels..." wrote Honoria, Dowager Duchess of Denver.

Answer: St Cross Church, Oxford

Viscount St George attended Christchurch, Oxford, which is a college with a cathedral. However, this was too much for the couple, who ignored the Duchess's presumption about the "right" place to be married ("...St George's Hannover Square I suppose" - and went on to arrange everything for them, including the date, the parson, the guests and the music.") and were married at St Cross Church, Oxford, which the Duchess described as "an obscure little church in a side street, very gloomy and damp looking".

Answer: Paggleham

Great Pagford was where Harriet had been bought up, close to Paggleham. Broxford was where Noakes had his radio shop. Tweedling Parva was not a location in this book, but the residence of Rev Arthur Boyes, the father of her erstwhile lover, Philip Boyes.

Answer: She thought they were film actors

Mrs Ruddle was totally unimpressed by the size of the car, the polish of the chromium plating, the brilliance of the lamps, or indeed by the occupants... "Film actors - and no better than you should be, I'll be bound".

Answer: Parsnip wine and cake

"My parsnip wine is really extra good this year" said Miss Twitterton triumphantly. Harriet urged Lord Peter to dispose of the second glass in the aspidistra, but he replied that it looked unwell already and his constitution was the better of the two! Sherry, with cheese biscuits, were served at the Vicarage for the newly weds later in the story.

Answer: Rev Simon Goodacre

Mr Puffet had tried, unsuccessfully, to use brushes and rods, but the soot in the narrow replacement pots on top of the chimney was too hard to budge. Rev Goodacre sent for Bert Ruddle's antique firearm to dislodge the soot, but Mr Puffet was most scathing about the chance of success.

Unfortunately, it was too successful, dislodging not only soot, but pieces of evidence which eventually damned Frank Crutchley.

Answer: By Bunter in the cellar

While fetching beer to slake the thirst of the chimney sweeps and Mr MacBride, Bunter discovered the body of Mr Noakes in the cellar.

Answer: Nine hundred pounds

Talboys was mortgaged to the tune of £900 with this firm, and Mr Solomons, of Moss and Isaacs, held a bill of sale on the furniture, for a debt of "thevnty three pounds, thickthteen and thickth." Frank Crutchley had little chance of recouping his forty pound unsecured loan...

Answer: Buff Orpingtons

"You and your Buff Orpingtons!" scoffed Frank Crutchley. "A man that's starting in life wants a wife, see... not a skinny old hen with a brood of Buff Orpingtons..."

Answer: She disturbed the bottles of port

When Mrs Ruddle washes "one of them dirty old bottles you brought along with you...such a state as they're in! All over whitewash" Bunter really has had enough!"Gawdstrewth! Would you believe it? All his lordship's vintage port! You ignorant interfering old bizzom! Who told you to go poking your long nose into my pantry?"

Answer: Police Constable Sellon

Suspiciously, PC Joe Sellon is just outside the house when the body is discovered. Superintendent Kirk, a ready man with a quote, but whose mind "grinds slowly, like the mills of God" was in charge of the investigation.

Answer: Joe Sellon

Mrs Ruddle delighted in getting her own back on Joe Sellon, by revealing in front of Superintendent Kirk, during the investigation "You don't catch me that way, Joe Sellon. I come in nine o'clock from fetching a pail of water and I sees you plain as the nose on my face a-talkin' to him at this very winder. Ah! and I 'eard you too. Usin' language - you did ought to be ashamed of yourself - not fit for a decent woman to listen to."

Answer: His radio was not turned on

Although she did not guess the reason, Mrs Ruddle had not heard Noakes listen to the nine thirty news, as he invariably did. When asked how she could tell this inside her cottage, she admitted that she had been up "a few minutes after the 'arf hour to borrer a drop of parrafin from 'is shed." She was anxious that this should not come to the attention of the coroner...

Answer: Polly Mason

Polly Mason: found waiting for an assignation in Mr Moffat's barn, she gave Superintendent Kirk a lot of sauce when he returned her to her mother, and after his conviction for murder, it was discovered that she was to have Frank's child. She declined to marry him, though.

Answer: Old Gregory

Cousin Matthew was not a ghost, but was working in the library cataloguing the books and compiling a history of the Denver family.
However, it was Old Gregory, who was frequently seen there, whom Harriet encountered. Lady Susan and Uncle Roger were also seen around the place, but not by the Duchess!(too thick skinned!)