Hi John, just because I said I didn't like 'Of mice and men' there was no need to make it so hard 

Anyway here goes

1. Pass

2. I would say 2 (white & blue)

3. True

4. Pass

5. Jacob Marley (But was it a partnership or a Ltd Co?)

6. False (but he did sing it)

7. James

8. Pass

9. I know its Brenda Lee but I prefer watching Kim Wilde do it

10. All I want for Christmas is you

11. 8

12. Pass

13. Deutschland

14. I would say egg because I eat the others on Christmas Day

15. Wales (not far from me)

16. 3 (in Band Aid as well ???)

17. Pass (but very interested to know the answer)

18. Pass

19. if you meant 'Tevez' then its a snood

20. Jacob, past, present and future

VinceH wrote:

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"9.  Who rocked around the Christmas tree?"

Cuthbert.

Is Cuthbert not well this year, he only makes this one appearance

"13. Which country introduced the Christmas trees?"

Dunno, but I'm picturing the scene.

Grub* had retired to the country in question, and found two lonely trees, both a newly evolved species, one male, one female. He arranged for them to meet and, after introducing them, they became friends - really good friends. One thing led to another and they eventually got around to getting jiggy with it (which I bet you didn't know trees actually did) and they had kids, and their kids had kids, and so on (there's a lot of incest amongst trees, let me tell you) - and when there were enough of them WE STARTED MURDERING THEM FOR OUR LIVING ROOMS! BWAHAHAHAHA!

I thought trees were deciduous not incestuous  

"18. Which Monarch broadcast the first Christmas message on TV? Extra point for the year."

I don't know for certain, but there's this old documentary series that charts the various adventures of a man who used to visit a fancy dress shop, put on a costume then walk through a door that turned out to be a space/time portal. I don't specifically recall this particular trip, but I'll bet it was him. Mr Benn, he was called. I expect he dressed up as a king and the portal took him to the sixteenth century or something. Now, obviously, there was no TV then (duh!) but a TV crew always went with him to film his adventures, and they probably took the necessary equipment with them to look at footage while there. If so, then technically it would have been him.

Mr Benn, yes I remember him being quite animated (see what I did there?)

20. Name the four ghosts in the story "A Christmas Carol"?

It's those pesky kids, isn't it? Norville Rogers, Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley**.

Sounds like a shaggy dog story, if I'm honest!

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 Thanks Vince, entertaining answers as usual

Cheshire wrote:

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17) Queen Bo Rhap (anyone seen the film yet?). Not my fave Queen song - like the We Are the Champions' one best - mostly cos it brings back memories of singing it in the Stretford End at ManU!

Happy Christmas boys and girls (if any girls wander in!) - have a fabulous time.

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Hi Joanne

Strangely enough. Bo Rhap is my favourite Queen song.  I'm not really into their music but I had just started to listen to the Top 30 countdown on a Tuesday lunchtime and this was No.1 week after week, and I developed a massive interest in the charts because of it.  It was the first time a single had been 9 weeks at no.1 since 1955.

Have a very happy Christmas and here's to 2019.

Leger wrote:

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Ey up folks, it's time for the annual Christmas Quiz.  There's a trick question in here (some may actually say two), and one of the questions has partly the same answer as another question.

Answers given on the Wednesday 27th December.

 

1.  Before Christmas was introduced, what was the main festival celebrated at this time? Yuletide 

2.  How many hit records have featured a coloured Christmas?  White Christmas and Blue Christmas

3.  Father Christmas is based on St Nicholas, a 4th Century Christian Bishop who was famous for giving gifts to the poor. True or false?

False, it was Santa Claus, an american invention based on St Nick that over the years has become synonymous with Father Christmas. Father Christmas was based on adults celebrating Christmas until the Puritans banned it in the 1600's.  Later it would develop into the man with the white beard we know today.

4.  How many letters in the Christmas alphabet?  25, because there's no L

5.  What was the name of Scrooges business partner? Marley

6.  Aled Jones sang "Walking in the Air" in the film, The Snowman. True or false?

False, he released it as a single but in the film it was sung by Peter Auty. It was planned for him to sing on the record too but his voice broke, so it was sung by Aled Jones instead.

7.  What was the boys name in the same film?   James.

8.  Who wrote the quote  "..always winter but never Christmas" taken from his famous book?  C S Lewis 

9.  Who rocked around the Christmas tree?  Brenda Lee, later by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde.   either answer was acceptable

10. Name the Christmas record made famous by Mariah Carey. (Incidentally this is my favourite Christmas record) All I Want for Christmas is you.

11. How many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh? 8

12. Christmas cards were first made in London weeks in 1853. 4 years later another popular Christmas item was first made (also in London), what was it?

Christmas Crackers. Blame my local radio station, who posed the question last week so I included it.

13. Which country introduced the Christmas trees? Germany.

14. Name the odd one out.  Sprouts, Stuffing, Parsnips, Bacon, Egg. Egg was correct for the reason Doug gave

15  Bethlehem is a tiny village in which UK country? Wales

16. How many Christmas no. 1's has Cliff Richard had? 

2 solo, 1 with Band Aid and 1 with the Shadows.

17. Name the only song that has been Christmas No.1 twice with the same group?  (Band Aid not classed as the same group) 

It was Bohemian Rhapsody, well done Joanne. 9 weeks in 1975 and 6 weeks in 1991. Joint 3rd longest at No.1 in total.

18. Which Monarch broadcast the first Christmas message on TV? Extra point for the year.  Queen Elizabeth II  in 1957

19. What is the name of the skin that hangs from a turkey's neck? It's the Wattle, the snood hangs off it's beak.

20. Name the four ghosts in the story "A Christmas Carol"?

I thought this one might catch you out, so well done Doug. Marley, present past and future it was.

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 Thank you to Doug, Vince and Joanne, who took the time to answer.  A good attempt Doug, well done, and Joanne helped out with some you didn't get.  Did you know the reason why there were only 25 letters in the Christmas alphabet Joanne, I'm guessing you did!  Vince, what can I say, as always you think beyond the logic and make mus laugh with your answers.

"1.  Before Christmas was introduced, what was the main festival celebrated at this time? Yuletide"

I should think the winter solstice would be more correct, because that's fairly close by and would have been significant to ancient man long before that one (which I believe is an import to this country).

"4.  How many letters in the Christmas alphabet?  25, because there's no L"

Wrong. There is an L - it's a lower case one, right there between the lower case A and lower case P. The correct answer is 20 if duplicates are counted for each time they appear, or 12 if you only count each individual letter once.

Note: I almost gave this answer in full, but instead chose to just say 20, but in in binary (base 2).

"14. Name the odd one out.  Sprouts, Stuffing, Parsnips, Bacon, Egg. Egg was correct for the reason Doug gave"

If I took these things seriously, I would be making a formal complaint to 'da management' (who, as we all know, are Hale and Pace) about that answer and reason.

"Vince, what can I say, as always you think beyond the logic and make mus laugh with your answers."

I like to think outside the box. Sometimes, I think so far outside the box the box isn't even visible on the horizon, which sometimes leads to the philosophical question of whether or not there even is a box, and that then leads to Schrodinger's thought experiment becoming even more paradoxical.

Hi Vince

Q1, I disagree on the winter solstice, which refers to the shortest day of the year.  Christmas replaced Yule(tide) as the mid winter celebration when pagans converted, although some pagans still practice it.

Q4, from a literal pov, your answer is correct 

Q14  Da Management humbly apologises.   Used to love Hale and Pace.

Hi Doug.  I was disappointed that more people didn't join in as well.