Episode 26 Mastermind

First in the spotlight tonight is Chris Kilbride,

a teacher from Cornwall.

He'll be answering questions on Vincent Van Gogh.

Tim Allison is a director of public health from Beverley.

His specialist subject, the Black Death.

Brian Chesney, a retired librarian from Malvern.

He'll be answering questions on the Musketeer novels of Alexandre Dumas.

Andrew Craig is an editor from London and he'll answer questions

on the Second World War commander Field Marshal Slim.

And Emma Laslett, a student from Milton Keynes.

Her subject, the Eurovision song contest.

APPLAUSE

Hello and welcome to Mastermind with me, John Humphrys.

Tonight, five contenders, not the usual four,

and that's because this is a semifinal

so one of them will go through to the grand final

and will have a crack at the title - the nation's Mastermind.

Otherwise the usual rules apply -

90 seconds of questions on their specialist subject

and then two minutes on general knowledge.

So let's have our first contender, please.

-And your name is?

-Chris Kilbride.

-Your occupation?

-Teacher.

In the first round, your subject was Paul Robeson.

-Tonight, it is?

-The life and works of Vincent Van Gogh.

Vincent Van Gogh in 90 seconds. Here we go.

During his lifetime, Van Gogh's believed to have sold

just one of his paintings to the artist Anna Boch

for 400 francs in 1890.

-What was its title?

-The Red Vineyard.

Yes.

Van Gogh was financially dependent on his brother for much of his adult life.

-What was his name?

-Theo.

-Yes.

At which art dealers in the Hague did Van Gogh begin working in 1869,

later he was transferred to the London branch and after that to Paris?

-Goupil and Cie.

-Yes.

What English title did Van Gogh give to the 1882 drawing

of his regular model seen naked with her head buried in her arms?

-Tiredness.

-Sorrow.

After Van Gogh was transferred to Goupil's Paris office in 1875,

he became friends with a British colleague.

What was his name?

-Alexander Reid.

-No. Harry Gladwell.

His friendship with Anthon van Rappard ended in 1885

when Van Rappard criticised a major composition by Van Gogh

of which he was very proud.

-What was its title?

-Pass.

During his brief stay in Arles with Van Gogh in 1888,

Paul Gauguin made a work entitled Van Gogh painting what?

-Chair.

-Sunflowers.

In 1883, Van Gogh ended his relationship with Sien

and left the Hague for which province of Holland?

-Drenthe.

-Yes.

What was the name of the asylum near Saint-Remy de Provence.

that Van Gogh was admitted to voluntarily in May 1889?

The painting Starry Night is a view from the asylum.

-Saint-Paul-de-Mausole.

-Yes.

What was the occupation of Joseph Roulin

who was painted wearing his uniform by Van Gogh in Arles?

-Postman.

-Yes.

What was the surname of the family

who ran the inn in Auvers-sur-Oise where Van Gogh died,

after shooting himself in the fields on the outskirts of the village?

-BEEPING

-Remy.

-Ravoux.

Got the first letter right.

And your one pass, that composition of which he was so proud

and Van Rappard criticised was the Potato Eaters.

Oh.

Chris, you have scored six points.

APPLAUSE

And our next contender, please.

-And your name is?

-Tim Allison.

-Your occupation?

-Director of public health.

Last time around, you took the fiction of C.S. Lewis

as your chosen subject.

-Tonight, it is?

-The Black Death.

The Black Death in 90 seconds. Here we go.

The plague known as the Black Death peaked in Europe between 1348 and 50

and killed many millions of people.

The three principle varieties of plague

are septicaemic, pneumonic and which other?

-Bubonic.

-Yes.

The Black Death is widely believed

to have been the result of infection by which bacterium?

-Yersinia pestis.

-Correct.

What was the name of Edward III's daughter

who died of the plague in Bordeaux in 1348

on her way to marry the son of the King of Castile?

-Joan.

-Yes.

In which county is Melcombe traditionally regarded as the place

where the Black Death first affected people on English soil?

-Dorset.

-Yes.

Who was the 14th century historian and poet born in Valenciennes

who wrote in his chronicles that a third of the world's population

died in the pandemic - an estimate still held to be fairly accurate?

-Jean de Venette.

-No. Jean Francois.

Bishop Bateman founded a Cambridge college in 1350, partly in response

to the great losses of clergy during the Black Death.

-Which college?

-Trinity Hall.

-Yes.

Anti-Semitism was rekindled in parts of Europe

as some people blamed Jews for the Black Death.

In which modern day French city were several hundred Jews

reportedly murdered on the 14th of February, 1349?

-Chillon.

-Strasbourg.

What was the diocese of Bishop William Edington,

who issued a warning of impending plague

to his clergy in October 1348?

-Winchester.

-Correct.

The chronicler Agnolo di Tura was describing the Black Death

in which Italian city when he wrote,

"I buried my five children with my own hands"?

-Siena.

-Yes.

An Arab philosopher and physician based in Granada believed

that astrological events, the weather and bad air

were major causes of the Black Death.

He advised people to sleep in a room open to the north wind.

-What was his name?

-Ibn Khatima.

-Yes.

What was the name of the papal physician at Avignon

who advised Pope Clement VI on dealing with the plague?

-Guy de Chauliac.

-Is correct.

No passes, Tim. Nine points.

APPLAUSE

And our next contender, please.

-And your name is?

-Brian Chesney.

-Your occupation?

-Retired librarian.

Last time around, you took Catherine the Great as your subject.

-Tonight you are taking?

-The Musketeer novels of Alexandre Dumas.

The Musketeer novels in a minute and a half, starting now.

What is the motto of Athos, Porthos and Aramis,

the Three Musketeers in Dumas's 1844 novel of the same name?

-All for one and one for all.

-Yes.

Which celebrated French author is D'Artagnan surprised to encounter

working at the establishment of the tailor Percerin in the Man in the Iron Mask?

-Moliere.

-Yes.

On their arrival in London in Twenty Years After, the Musketeers change

their clothes and do what else in order to disguise themselves

as Puritans, so as not to be insulted by the populace?

-Have their hair cut.

-Yep.

D'Artagnan discovers a symbol on the shoulder of Milady de Winter

identifying her as the treacherous former wife of Athos,

long presumed dead.

-What's the symbol?

-Fleur-de-lis.

-Yeah.

In the Vicomte de Bragelonne, Mary de Mancini is informed

that there is on the road a horseman who awaits you.

-Who is he?

-The king. Louis XIV.

-Yes.

In Twenty Years After, what honour does King Charles I bestow

on Lord de Winter shortly before his betrayal and capture at Newcastle?

-The Garter.

-No. The Order of the Holy Ghost.

Of which religious order does Aramis become the general

following the dramatic death of the incumbent

in the chapter, The State's Secret?

-The Jesuits.

-Yes.

In Twenty Years After, the tools required

for the Duc de Beaufort to escape are brought to him

by Grimaud concealed in what?

-A giant pie.

-Yes.

In the Vicomte de Bragelonne, when D'Artagnan arrives in Calais,

he meets the band of ten desperados he has recruited

for his daredevil mission to England in which tavern?

-The Mighty Monarch.

-Yes.

In The Man in the Iron Mask, King Louis XIV's twin brother

is imprisoned on the king's order in Ile Sainte-Marguerite and made to wear an iron visor.

-What's his name?

-Philippe.

-Yes.

What's the name of the ship loaded with explosives on which Mordaunt,

acting in collaboration with Oliver Cromwell,

tries to kill the Musketeers in Twenty Years After?

-The Lightning.

-Yes.

BEEPING What character, a goddess of fruit trees and gardens

and the wife of Spring, is danced by Madame Henrietta

in the ballet of the seasons?

-Pomona.

-Is correct.

No passes. Brian, you have 11 points.

-APPLAUSE

-Thank you.

And our next contender, please.

-And your name is?

-Andrew Craig.

-Your occupation?

-Editor.

Last time around, you took military aircraft of the First World War as your subject.

-Tonight?

-Field Marshal William Slim.

Field Marshal Slim in 90 seconds. Here we go.

William Slim commanded the 14th Army in Burma in the Second World War.

Which Roman Catholic grammar school in Birmingham did he attend

before he went on to King Edward's school?

-St Philip's.

-Yes.

In which regiment was Slim commissioned as a second lieutenant in August, 1914?

-Royal Warwickshire.

-Yes.

Slim was wounded for the first time in the First World War when he was

shot during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915

in the attempt to capture which ridge?

-Sari Bair.

-Yes.

Under what pen-name did Slim write articles, essays and short stories

for many newspapers and magazines in the '30s

to help supplement his income?

-Anthony Mills.

-Yes.

One of Slim's first actions in higher command in the Second World War

was to capture the Fort of Gallabat in Sudan.

Who was the Secretary of State for War at the time

-who wished Slim good luck?

-Anthony Eden.

-Yes.

After visiting a town in April, 1942, during the Allied retreat of Burma,

Slim ordered the demolition of its oil field and refinery

to keep them from enemy hands.

He later described the explosions as a fantastic and horrible sight.

-What was the name of the town?

-Yenangyaung.

-Yes.

Who was the commander of IV Corps and later of the Eastern Army

with whom Slim had a number of disputes?

-Stopford.

-No. Irwin.

The leader of the Burma National Army met Slim at his headquarters in '45

to discuss the BNA changing its allegiance

from the Japanese to the Allies.

-What was his name?

-Aung Sun.

-Yes.

Operation Extended Capital, the later phase of the reconquest of Burma

in which Slim recaptured Mandalay and advanced on Rangoon in '45,

was nicknamed Operation SOB.

What did the letters SOB stand for?

-Sea Or Bust.

-Yes.

In November, '48, Slim returned to military service

when he was appointed to which post based at the war office?

-BEEPING

-Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

-Yes.

And we're out of time. No passes. Andrew, you have nine points.

APPLAUD

And our final contender, please.

-And your name is?

-Emma Laslett.

-Your occupation?

-Student.

Last time around, you took the plays of Samuel Beckett.

-Tonight?

-The Eurovision Song Contest, 1981 to present.

The Eurovision Song Contest in a minute and a half. Here we go.

The '81 Eurovision Song Contest was won

by the UK entry Making Your Mind Up.

What was the name of the group that performed the song?

-Bucks Fizz.

-Yep.

Linda Martin came second in '84 with Terminal 3

and won the competition in '92 with the song Why Me?

Which previous Eurovision winning performer wrote both songs?

-Johnny Logan.

-Yes.

With which song did the French-Canadian singer Celine Dion

win the '88 contest for Switzerland?

-Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.

-Yes.

How old was the Belgian representative Sandra Kim

when she became the youngest winner of the contest in '86?

-13.

-Yes.

The 1991 contest was presented by the reigning champion Toto Cutugno

and which other previous Italian winner?

-Gigliola Cinquetti.

-Correct.

Which German act came second in both '85 and '87?

The only performers to be runners-up twice in the modern competition?

-Wind.

-Yes.

What nationality by birth is the UK's entrant in 1996, Gina G?

-Australian.

-Yes.

Before the '93 event held at Millstreet in County Cork, there was

a qualifying event for the last three Eurovision Song Contest places.

In which country was this held?

-Slovenia.

-Yes.

Which dancer came to prominence after his performance in River Dance,

the interval entertainment, during the '94 contest in Dublin?

-Michael Flatley.

-Yes.

Which of the founding seven nations became the only country

to have been represented in every contest

when Switzerland were relegated from the competition

and a reduction in participants took place in 1995?

-The United Kingdom.

-Germany.

From 2008 until 2012, the Turkish jury

awarded the full 12 points to which country?

-Cyprus.

-Azerbaijan.

BEEPING What name was shared by the singers of the Dutch and German entries

in the 2001 contest?

-Joan.

-Michelle.

No passes, Emma. You have nine points.

APPLAUSE

So that's the end of the first round. Let's have a look at all the scores.

In fifth place, six points, Chris Kilbride.

Joint second place, nine points apiece,

Tim Allison, Andrew Craig, and Emma Laslett.

In the lead with 11 points, Brian Chesney.

APPLAUSE

So it's to the general knowledge round now

and if there's a tie at the end of it, then the number of passes

is taken into account and the person with the fewer passes is the winner.

And if they're tied on passes as well,

there will have to be a tie break.

So let's get on with it and ask Chris to join us again, please.

And you scored six points with your knowledge of Van Gogh.

Let's see how you do with your general knowledge.

And this time, Chris, it is of course two minutes. Here we go.

What name of French origin is given to a patch of false hair

or a small wig used to cover a bald patch?

-Toupee.

-Yep.

Which nomadic pastoral people

who live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania

have a fearsome reputation as warriors?

-Masai.

-Yeah.

What was the surname of father and son George and William who were

respectively Britain's Prime Minister from 1763-65 and 1806-07?

-Peel?

-Grenville.

Which satirical sitcom

that starred Rik Mayall as an unscrupulous Conservative MP

used Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition as its theme music?

Pass.

Frank Owen Gehry has won international renown

in which field of the arts?

-Sculpture.

-Architecture.

Who wrote The History Of King Richard The Third

in the early 16th century?

It persuaded historians and Shakespeare

that the king was a cruel tyrant.

-Marlowe?

-Thomas More.

In a 1966 song,

Simon & Garfunkel blended a recording of the seven o'clock news

with their version of a Christmas carol.

What was the carol?

-We Three Kings.

-Silent Night.

Which river in southern Africa is the fourth-longest on the continent

and has a name meaning "great river"

in the language of the Tonga people who live by its middle reaches?

-Zambezi.

-Yes.

In the Mel Brooks film The Producers,

what's the title of the tasteless musical

that's intended to be a box office disaster?

-Springtime For Hitler.

-Yes.

Which soft, mild blue-vein cheese takes its name

from the Italian for "sweet milk"?

-Dolcelatte.

-Yeah.

Which England striker, who came to prominence

with a goal against Argentina in the '98 World Cup,

retired at the end of the season in 2013?

-Michael Owen.

-Yes.

In ancient Rome, what name was given to the corps that originally acted

as bodyguards for generals and later for emperors?

It was disbanded by Constantine I in 312 AD.

-Praetorian.

-Yes.

In 1996,

part of the Tower of London's collection of arms and armour

was moved to the Royal Armouries Museum

in which northern English city?

-Leeds.

-Yes.

What is the title of Frank Baum's most famous story?

Part of the title is said to be taken from the label

on one of the drawers in his filing cabinet.

-The Wizard Of Oz.

-Yes.

Which naturally occurring alloy,

primarily consisting of gold and silver,

was used in Asia Minor... BEEPING

..to make coinage as early as about the 6th century BC?

-Electrum.

-Is correct.

Er, just one pass.

That satirical sitcom starring Rik Mayall was The New Statesman.

But you did well in that round. You've a total now of 16 points.

APPLAUSE

And now Tim Allison again, please.

And, er, you have nine points from your knowledge of the Black Death.

Let's see how you do with your general knowledge.

Two minutes, starting now.

Which toxic gas produced in car exhausts

has the chemical formula CO?

-Carbon monoxide.

-Yes.

In 1983, who returned as James Bond in Never Say Never Again

12 years after he had previously played the role?

-Roger Moore.

-Sean Connery.

In which English cathedral are there two rose windows

known as the Dean's Eye and the Bishop's Eye

that were restored early this century?

-York.

-Lincoln.

Which American black revolutionary party

was founded in Oakland, California in 1966

by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale?

Its original aim

was to protect the residents of ghettos from police brutality.

-Black Panthers.

-Yes.

What phrase meaning no choice at all

comes from the name of the 17th-century liveryman who insisted

that the customer hired whichever horse was nearest the door?

-Hobson's choice.

-Yes.

Which American singer-songwriter duetted with Barbra Streisand

on the 1978 hit You Don't Bring Me Flowers?

Pass.

Brodick is the main town and ferry port on which Scottish island?

-Arran.

-Yes.

The males of a large African mammal participate

in physical confrontations known as clubbing or necking.

-What's the animal's name?

-Giraffes.

-Yeah.

Which darts commentator,

known for his strong north-eastern accent and quirky turns of phrase,

created the 1980s children's comedy series Jossy's Giants?

-Sid Waddell?

-Yes.

Which opera company was founded by amateurs in Cardiff in 1943,

and performed Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci

for its first full production, in '46?

-Welsh National Opera.

-Yep.

Hakarl, the buried and fermented flesh of the Greenland shark,

is considered a delicacy in which European country?

-Iceland.

-Yes.

Leslie Ames, Godfrey Evans and Alan Knott

all had distinguished cricketing careers for Kent and England

-playing in what position?

-Wicketkeeper.

-Yep.

Hemingway's Chair, published in '95, was the first novel

by a broadcaster, actor and member of the Monty Python team.

-What's his name?

-Michael Palin.

-Yes.

In Greek myth, the god Zeus adopted the form of a water bird

in order to seduce Leda, the daughter of King Thestius.

Which bird?

-Swan.

-Yes.

What name of Dutch origin is given to a piece of low-lying land

that has been reclaimed from water, especially the sea,

and is protected by dykes?

-Polder.

-Yes.

Who was the high king of Ireland from 1002 until 1014...

BEEPING

..when he was killed at the Battle of Clontarf?

-Brian Boru.

-Yes, it was.

Er, one pass.

The singer who duetted with Barbra Streisand

on You Don't Bring Me Flowers - it was Neil Diamond.

You have scored a total now, though, of 22 points.

APPLAUSE

And now Andrew again, please.

And, er, you start out this round with nine points,

with your knowledge of Field Marshal Slim.

Two minutes of general knowledge, and the score to beat is 22.

Here we go.

A chemical compound described as ferric or ferrous

-contains which metal?

-Iron.

-Yes.

What name is given to the period of time between the end

of one sitting of Parliament and the beginning of the next?

-Recession.

-No, recess.

Which county, famous for its tweeds,

is the most northerly in the Republic of Ireland?

-Donegal.

-Yes.

In which '53 Ealing comedy do volunteers take over

the running of their local passenger train service,

which is scheduled for closure?

-The Bluebell Line.

-The Titfield Thunderbolt.

By what name were the crime-fighting brothers Frank and Joe known

in a series of American children's books, written by several authors,

and published from 1927 under the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon?

-The Hardy Boys.

-Yes.

What nut-bearing tree, originally from Persia, is traditionally

supposed to be more fruitful after being vigorously beaten?

Erm...

-Pistachio.

-The walnut.

Which word for a large, luxurious car is derived from the French word

for a type of hooded cloak, because the original model had a hood

-to protect the driver from the weather?

-Limousine.

-Yes.

The Olmecs established

the first elaborate civilisation in Central America

between about 1200 BC and 400 BC.

In which country did they live?

-Mexico.

-Yes.

In showjumping, how many faults are incurred if the rider falls?

-Three.

-Eight.

Which Irish comedian, who died in 2005,

usually closed his act with the words, "May your God go with you"?

Erm...

-Dave Allen.

-Yes.

Whose dirge to autumn, published posthumously in 1824, begins,

"The warm sun is failing, the bleak wind is wailing"?

-Byron.

-Shelley.

What name is usually given to the stories with a moral purpose

told by Jesus in the New Testament,

such as those of the talents and of the mustard seed?

-Parable.

-Yep.

Rod Evans, David Coverdale and Ian Gillan have all been the lead singer

for a heavy metal band formed in the late '60s.

-What's it called?

-Deep Purple.

-Yes.

Which mountain, the highest in Australia,

was named by the Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki in 1848

in honour of a Polish patriot?

-Kosciuszko.

-Yes.

What is the name of the rough French brandy

created from the skins, pips and stalks left over from winemaking?

-Grappa.

-No, marc.

Which king united the houses of York and Lancaster

by marrying Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV, in 1486?

-Henry VII...

-Yes.

-..V!

JOHN GROANS

BEEPING

It actually IS Henry VII,

not Henry V, as you corrected yourself.

But the rules of the game say I have to take the first answer offered,

so you get the point.

APPLAUSE

Andrew, you have a total - still not enough, I'm afraid - 19 points.

APPLAUSE

And now Emma again, please.

And you also start with nine points,

with your knowledge of the Eurovision Song Contest.

22 still the score to beat.

So let's see if you can do it.

Here we go - two minutes of general knowledge.

In which London street

did the Hospital for Sick Children open in February 1852 in a house

that had belonged to Richard Mead, Queen Anne's physician?

-Great Ormond Street.

-Yes.

The dish goulash originated in which European country?

-Hungary.

-Yes.

The film Meet Joe Black is about a media mogul

who acts as a guide to death. Who plays the title role?

-Er, Brad Pitt.

-Yep.

In Greek myth, which fierce huntress refused to marry

unless a suitor could beat her in a footrace?

Those whom she overtook, she speared to death.

-Atlanta.

-Yes.

Which television action series starring Richard Dean Anderson

is the favourite show of the Bouvier sisters, Patty and Selma,

in The Simpsons?

-Quantum Leap?

-No, MacGyver.

What word is used for a collection of pieces of writing,

especially poems, by various authors?

-Anthology.

-Yes.

The inhabitants of which South American capital city

are known as "Portenos", probably because

so many of them originally arrived from Europe by boat?

-Buenos Aires.

-Yes.

Which rapper had a hit in 1998 with the track Hard Knock Life

that includes parts of a song from the Broadway musical Annie?

-50 Cent?

-Jay Z.

The philosopher and statesman Viscount St Albans,

who was the lord chancellor to James I,

is better known by what name?

Pass.

Which sporting competition was first held

in the French resort of Chamonix in 1924,

although it was called International Winter Sports Week at the time?

-The Winter Olympics.

-Yes.

Which town in North Wales

is spelled with C-S rather than X in the Welsh form of its name,

because the letter X doesn't exist in the Welsh language?

Pass.

Number One Observatory Circle Washington, DC

is the official residence of the holder of what post?

Er, the chief of staff?

The vice president.

Which French novelist, poet and playwright's works

Hernani and Le Roi S'amuse

were adopted by Verdi for his operas Ernani and Rigoletto?

-Corneille.

-Victor Hugo.

What is the name of the channel

between southern Spain and north-west Africa

that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean?

-The, erm, Strait of Gibraltar.

-Yep.

Which turkey-like grouse,

the male of which is notable for its elaborate courtship display,

is thought to take its name from the Gaelic for "horse of the woods"?

-Pheasant?

-Capercaillie.

Which queen of England was the wife of Henry II

and the mother of Richard I and King John?

BEEPING

-Er, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

-Is correct.

You had, er, two passes, Emma.

Wrexham is the name of that North Wales town spelt with an X, of course.

And Viscount St Albans, Lord Chancellor,

otherwise known as - better known as - Francis Bacon.

You've scored a total, Emma, of 18 points.

APPLAUSE

And, finally, Brian again, please.

And, er, you scored 11 points,

with your knowledge of the Musketeer novels.

Let's see how you do with your general knowledge.

And 22 is still the score to beat.

Two minutes, starting now.

What term for the change of the UK from a rural economy

to one dominated by factory-based manufacturing

was popularised by the historian Arnold Toynbee?

-Industrial Revolution.

-Yes.

In which city are Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian

-the main football teams?

-Edinburgh.

-Yeah.

Whose reforms as first secretary

of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

led to the Soviet invasion and occupation of his country in 1968?

-Dubcek.

-Yes.

In which comedy by JM Barrie does the butler in Lord Loam's household

prove to be a resourceful leader

when the family are shipwrecked on a desert island?

-The Admirable Crichton.

-Yes.

Who stars as George Webber, a middle-aged songwriter

who lusts after the newlywed Jenny, played by Bo Derek,

in the 1979 film 10?

-Erm, Dudley Moore?

-Yeah.

Which German band leader

had 31 top 40 albums in the UK between 1967 and '86,

including 10 Years Non Stop Jubilee?

-James Last.

-Yes.

In which town at the southern edge of Greater London were the two

airfields that merged to become the airport of London in 1920?

-Croydon.

-Yes.

What prefix of Anglo-Norman origin was often used in the surnames

of the illegitimate children of kings and princes?

-Fitz.

-Yes.

In a famous interview shortly before his death from cancer in 1994,

which television dramatist said that

"The nowness of everything is absolutely wondrous"?

-Dennis Potter.

-Yes.

Which armour-plated mammal was known as a "Hoover hog"

because it was eaten

in the impoverished southern states of America

during the presidency of Herbert Hoover?

-Armadillo?

-Yes.

What took place in October 4004 BC, according to the calculations

of James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh in the 17th century?

-The creation of the world.

-Yes.

Which upper-case Greek letter is conventionally used in mathematics

to indicate the sum of a series of numbers or terms?

-X?

-Sigma.

Which artist spent most of his life in the village of Cookham

on the Thames, where he set many of his best-known paintings?

-Stanley Spencer.

-Yes.

An adventurer set out on his epic 3,500-mile journey in May 1927

with sandwiches and two canteens of water.

-Who was he?

-Pass.

Which orchestral work by George Gershwin

combines elements of both jazz and classical music,

and opens with a long glissando played on the clarinet?

-Slaughter On Tenth Avenue?

-Rhapsody In Blue.

What is Australia's principal river?

Its main tributaries include the Darling and the Murrumbidgee.

-BEEPING

-The Murray.

-The Murray is correct.

Er, just the one pass.

It was Charles Lindbergh who rather optimistically set out on that mammoth journey

with a few packets of sandwiches and a couple of canteens of water.

Amazing, but he did it.

Er, however, Brian, you've done enough - your score is 24.

Right.

APPLAUSE

Well, it was close, but a clear winner.

Let's have a look at the scores.

In fifth place, with 16 points, Chris Kilbride.

Fourth place, 18 points, Emma Laslett.

Third place, 19 points, Andrew Craig.

Second place, 22 points, Tim Allison.

First place, 24 points, Brian Chesney.

APPLAUSE

Which means that Brian is tonight's winner

and he goes through to the grand final.

So congratulations to him.

And, if you would like to be a contender in the next series,

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Thanks for watching. Good night.