October Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to our October ‘Not In The ballroom Quiz” devised by Helen Fellows to educate and entertain us while our monthly socials are suspended. 

The theme this time was British History, marking the Warwick Words History Festival. How many of the 20 questions did you get?

1. Who invaded Britain in 55 BC?  The Romans (Julius Caesar)

2. Name the epic poem written in old English featuring the monster Grendel. Beowulf

3. Under the feudal system, what were people who worked the land called?  Serfs

4. Which king defeated the Vikings at the end of the 9th Century? Alfred the Great.

5. Which collection of 24 short stories was written by Geoffrey Chaucer? The Canterbury Tales

6. What was Richard I of England’s nickname? Richard the Lionheart

7. What killed nearly a third of the population in 1348-1349? The Black Death / Bubonic Plague

8. The English famously used which weapons to great effect against the French at the battle of Agincourt 1415? The longbow

9. Which houses fought in the Wars of the Roses?  Lancaster and York

10. Richard Neville the 16th Earl of Warwick became known as Warwick the ___?  Kingmaker

11. Who was the first Tudor King?  Henry VII

12. Which two of Henry VIII’s wives outlived him?  Anne of Cleves and Katherine Parr

13. Who was the mother of James I the first Stuart King? Mary Queen of Scots

14. Which war lasted nearly nine years, having begun with the battle of Edgehill and ended with the battle of Worcester?  English Civil War

15. Which famous event started at a bakery on Pudding Lane? Great Fire of London

16. Mary Anne Evans wrote seven novels including The Mill on the Floss. What was her pen name?  George Eliot

17. In 1803, cotton became the UK’s biggest export. What was it before that?  Wool

18. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is the opening line of which book by Charles Dickens? A Tale of Two Cities

19. Which German cipher device was cracked by Alan Turing?  Enigma

20. Which UK city was the most bombed during WWII outside of London?  Liverpool

Question 20 (Liverpool) stumped most people. There were very good scores from Trudy, Gillian and Edwina, but this time Rick got 100% right. Look out for the next quiz on 1st November.