Hello everyone,

First off, thank you so much to everyone who took part in this year’s Christmas quiz. I know some of the questions were a little tricky—sorry about that! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into it. Some of you gave no feedback at all, which tells me just how busy everyone is these days.

As for me, I’ve had quite a year. I’ve been recovering from cancer, and recently, I was made redundant. But I’m excited to share that I’ll be starting new employment in 2025. That said, things may get a little busy, so I may have to scale back or even drop the blog if life gets too hectic.

But before that, I just want to take a moment to thank those of you who have subscribed and stayed with me through all of it. Your support means the world to me. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And just to end this year’s quiz with a little reflection: my poem and the link at the end of the blog share my thoughts on how things are going in the UK, especially regarding the current government, and in my opinion, it’s not looking too great. I’ll let you take a look and make your own judgments.

Finally, here’s a little Zen proverb one of my old friends sent me yesterday: "You can’t calm the storm, but you can calm yourself. The storm will pass."

ANSWERS

Places Edinburgh (seasons greetings); Bucharest; Lisbpn, Canterbury (Cathedral)

Scottish Mike Denness is the only native-born Scotsman to have captained England in cricket. He was a prominent cricketer who led the England team in the 1970s.

Mother.

 Which Scottish actor played the violent psychopath Begbie in the 1996 film Trainspotting?
Robert Carlyle.

Almost Scottish - What is the name of Kevin McCallister’s neighbour in “Home Alone”?
Marley (Old Man Marley).

How many Scrabble points for the word ‘Christmas’ plus the word Scottish?
 

  • Christmas: C(3) + H(4) + R(1) + I(1) + S(1) + T(1) + M(3) + A(1) + S(1) = 16 points
  • Scottish: S(1) + C(3) + O(1) + T(1) + T(1) + I(1) + S(1) + H(4) = 13 points
    Total: 16 + 13 = 29 points.

Football Grounds

Chelsea; Arsenal; Manchester United; Manchester City

Three Wise Films

Clue 1:

"Take a trip past Macy’s as Tom Hanks conducts singing while Arnold Schwarzenegger aims to buy his son the toy of the year."

  1. Miracle on 34th Street – Reference to Macy's.
  2. The Polar Express – Tom Hanks conducts singing (he plays multiple roles in this animated film, including the train conductor).
  3. Jingle All the Way – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quest to buy his son the coveted toy, Turbo Man.

Clue 2:

"Take a ride on a sleigh through a Halloween town as Bill Murray learns the true meaning of Christmas while a kid tries to protect his home from burglars with some creative defences."

  1. The Nightmare Before Christmas – The Halloween town and sleigh ride reference.
  2. Scrooged – Bill Murray learns the true meaning of Christmas in this modern retelling of A Christmas Carol.
  3. Home Alone – The classic story of a kid defending his home from burglars.

Clue 3:

"It might take a light year to grow a beard and after shaving it off it just keeps growing back to the same length, but at least Zu Zu will have her petals."

  1. The Santa Clause – Tim Allen's character magically grows a beard that keeps returning as part of becoming Santa.
  2. It’s a Wonderful Life – Zu Zu’s petals reference this classic, where they symbolize George Bailey’s connection to his family and purpose.
  3. Elf – Buddy's journey and childlike wonder, though not directly mentioned, fits the tone of the clue (or possibly linked indirectly to the magical "light year" theme). I would accept Toy Story as it was prominent around Christmas time

Here’s a rundown of the individuals pictured in the Alive or Dead image:

  1. Top Row:
    • First Image (Top Left, white-haired man in black suit):
      This is Dick Van Dyke
      • Status: Amazingly still alive and is 99 years old at the time of this quiz
    • Second Image (Man in straw hat, striped blazer):
      This is Dick Van Dyke, known for roles like Bert in Mary Poppins.
    • Third Image (Young to Older woman with white hair):
      This is Angela Lansbury, famous for Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
      • Status: Passed away (Died October 11, 2022).
    • Ref 4th Image (Animated bed and magical setting):
      A reference to Bedknobs and Broomsticks—this one is fictional.
  1. Bottom Row:
    • First Image (Parrot-head umbrella and hat):
      This references Mary Poppins, fictional items belonging to the character.
    • Second Image (Smiling woman in light blue):
      Third Image (Blonde woman):
      This is Julie Andrews, star of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music.
      • Status: Alive (Born October 1, 1935), now 89 years old
    • Third Image (Man with hat, black and white photo):
      This is the animated bearded character from Arthur Christmas it’s Bill Nighy, who voices Grandsanta, the cheeky and nostalgic grandfather figure in the film.
    • Fourth Image (Animated & older man with beard):
      Santa Claus       from Arthur Christmas
      • Status: Bill is alive aged 75

·  Which of these months marks the official start of spring in the UK, Romania, and the USA?
C) March
In all three countries, spring officially begins in March, aligning with the vernal equinox.

·  In July 2024, which musical artist headlined the closing night of the Glastonbury Festival?
B) Elton John
Elton John headlined the closing night of Glastonbury Festival in 2024, delivering a memorable performance.

·  Which country won the most gold medals at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris?
A) USA
The United States topped the medal table at the Paris 2024 Olympics, securing the highest number of gold medals.

·  Which tennis player won the men’s singles title at the US Open in September 2024?
B) Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz clinched the men's singles title at the US Open in 2024, showcasing exceptional talent.

Real Life TV Questions - As seen recently on IACGMOOH & SCD?

1.      Tulisa Contostavlos (NDUBZ references  North West London, Enn Double You) but actually the "N" in N-Dubz stands for "North", which represents their North London roots. The "Dubz" is a slang term that refers to "W", standing for "Wicked," often used in hip-hop culture to describe something cool or impressive. So, N-Dubz essentially means "North London Wicked").

2.      SINGERS in the cast of Strictly 2024 were:

3.      The Communards is the answer to this picture of the Reverend Richard Coles, he was in a  pop band active during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The group was formed in 1985, fronted by Jimmy Somerville, who was previously part of the band Bronski Beat, and Richard Coles, (pictured from I’m a Celeb) who was a former member of the band The Farm.

Some of their popular hits include:

"Don't Leave Me This Way" (1986) – This was their most successful hit, a cover of the classic soul song originally by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It topped the UK Singles Chart and became a big international hit.

"Never Can Say Goodbye" (1987) – Another hit from the Communards, was the disco classic cover of the Gloria Gaynor song.

4.      The person in the image is G. K. Barry, a social media influencer and YouTube personality. She became known for her lifestyle content and humorous approach to everyday topics. G. K. Barry gained a significant following through her videos and posts, particularly for her witty and relatable personality.

Only Fools Questions

·         A Royal Flush (1986): Rodney learns to play the trumpet to impress Lady Victoria.

·         Heroes and Villains (1996): Del Boy and Rodney wear Superman and Batman costumes, respectively, at the fancy dress party.

·         To Hull and Back (1985): Del, Rodney, and Uncle Albert travel to Hull to smuggle diamonds.

·         Miami Twice (1991): Del Boy and Rodney travel to Miami for a holiday, but they get caught up in a mishap involving the Mafia.

·         Time on Our Hands (1996): By the end of the episode, Del Boy and Rodney finally achieve their dream of becoming millionaires after selling the valuable painting.

·         The Jolly Boys' Outing (1989): the bus explodes because of a dodgy radio that Del Boy had installed.

 Christmas No1’s

1964:

  • "I Feel Fine" was the Christmas number one in 1964 by The Beatles.

1974:

  • "Lonely This Christmas" by Mud was the Christmas number one in 1974. They were often compared to Elvis Presley for their performance style in this song.

1984:

  • "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure as part of the Band Aid project to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

1994:

  • East 17 had the Christmas number one with "Stay Another Day". They were introduced on Top of the Pops by Take Thae. The famous garment in the music video was a white parka jacket.

2004:

  • The 2004 Christmas number one was a re-recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid 20. Two of the artists who contributed to this version were Bono (U2) and Chris Martin (Coldplay).

2014:

  • "Something I Need" was the Christmas number one in 2014, performed by Ben Haenow. The four judges on The X Factor UK that year were Simon Cowell, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Nick Grimshaw, and Mel B (a former Spice Girl).

2024:

  • The classic Christmas hit by Wham! that achieved the Christmas number one in 2023 has not been announced as yet. The Official UK Singles Chart reflects the UK’s biggest songs of the week, based on audio and video streams, downloads, CDs and vinyl, compiled by the Official Charts Company. The UK Top 40 is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and MTV  at this time of writing it is led by Wham’s   "Last Christmas" again!

The Christmas ad music quiz:

John Lewis:

  • 2012: Gabrielle Aplin sang "The Power of Love" (a cover of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood classic).
  • 2013: Lily Allen covered "Somewhere Only We Know" (originally by Keane), which featured the story of a young boy and his pet snowman.

Sainsbury's:

  • 2017: The classic song used in Sainsbury's advert was "The Beatles' All you need is love". It accompanied the story of a boy and his reindeer looking for the perfect Christmas gift.

M&S:

  • 2015: The energetic Christmas advert used "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners.

Boots:

  • 2019: The iconic song featured in Boots' advert was "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston, focusing on family and gift-giving.

 

Here are the answers to the final round of Christmas quiz questions based on lyrics:

1. "Fairytale of New York":

·         The NYPD Choir sings “Galway Bay”

2. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer":

  • Rudolph's red nose helps guide Santa's sleigh during the Christmas Eve journey, allowing Santa to deliver presents safely, especially through foggy weather.

3. LadBaby Christmas Parodies:

  • 2018: They parodied "We Built This City" by Starship, calling their version "We Built This City (On Sausage Rolls)".
  • 2019: LadBaby's second consecutive Christmas Number 1 was a parody of "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett, titled "I Love Sausage Rolls".
  • 2020: They parodied "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen, and named their version "Don't Stop Me Eatin'".

4. Sir Cliff Richard's Christmas Hits:

  • "Saviour's Day": The special day being celebrated is Christmas Day, or the birth of Jesus Christ.
  • 1959: In the song "Living Doll", the specific characteristic Cliff mentions is that the "perfect" girl is "living" (alive, vibrant, real).
  • 1960: The song where Cliff sings about loving someone more than all the apples on a tree is "I Love You".

Poem

This might make No.1

My Parody Poem inspired by this brilliant rendition of Mud's Lonely this Christmas is to the tune to the tune of “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shaking Stevens 1985.

“Freezing Christmas, Everyone”

Snow is falling, all around us,

Bills are climbing, high this year.

Tighten belts now, Labour will astound us,

Freezing Christmas, is here to fear.

 

Labour’s choices leave us shivering,

Pensioners’ voices hardly heard.

“Where’s our heating? Man, it’s really cold now,

Reeves had cut it—it’s just absurd.”

 

🎶 (Chorus) 🎶

We’re gonna have a bloody cold time,

It cuts so deep,

As the cold wind moans around our homes,

We huddle close and wait for the sun to shine.

 

Heating’s gone now, it’s outrageous,

Bundle up tight, the frost has won.

Eat or heating, it’s contagious,

Freezing Christmas, everyone.

 

🎶 (Chorus) 🎶

We’re gonna have a bloody cold time,

It cuts so deep,

As the cold wind moans around our homes,

We huddle close and wait for the sun to shine.

 

🎵

Cuts are biting, every old one,

Who voted Labour for a “change”?

What’s next, Starmer? You screwed the farmer,

Saying “Merry Christmas, everyone!”