The Big North West Quiz

Think you know what happened across the North West in 2016? Our team of reporters put you to the test with some tricky posers ...
Kenny Baker with R2-D2Kenny Baker with R2-D2
Kenny Baker with R2-D2

Preston

1) Which historic building in Preston is due to be turned into a luxury hotel?

a) The town hall

b) St Ignatius Church

c) The post office

2) What is the name of the piece of Preston street furniture that has become a focal point for the debate over city centre shared space?

a) The red phone boxes

b) The Fishergate bollard

c) The bench next to the Harris Museum

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

3) Which park in Preston hosts the 5k free ‘Park run’ every Saturday?

a) Moor Park

b) Avenham and Miller Park

c) Haslam Park

4) Which celebrity from Lancashire has been named Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)?

a) Ranvir Singh

b) Steve Pemberton

c) Nick Park

5) Which Lancashire borough council has been the centre of a probe over adherence to child sexual exploitation rules and taxi licensing?

a) West Lancashire

b) Fylde

c) South Ribble

6) This year we sadly lost Lancashire actor Kenny Baker who was famous for playing which loveable droid in the Star Wars film franchise?

a) C3PO

b) R2D2

c) BB8

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

7) Which member of the Royal family visited Lancashire after it was devastated by floods?

a) Prince Charles

b) The Queen

c) Prince Harry

8) Which Lancashire hospital lost its Accident and Emergency department when it closed suddenly in April?

a) Lancaster

b) Chorley

c) Preston

9) In which area of Preston did a stream turn an alarming shade of green?

a) Ingol

b) Avenham

c) Ashton

10) Which Nolan sister is starring in this year’s pantomime Jack and the beanstalk at Preston Charter Theatre?

a) Maureen

b) Anne

c) Linda

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

11) The statue of Robert Peel in Preston’s Winckley Square needed plastic surgery. Did he have..

a) A bum lift

b) A nose job

c) Liposuction?

12) The Lancashire Evening Post celebrated a birthday this year. How old is it?

a) 70

b) 100

c) 130

13) Which TV reality star interviewed politician Boris Johnson in Preston in a quest for enlightenment - but didn’t get much?

a) Kim Kardashian

b) Kerry Katona

c) Joey Essex

Lancaster and Morecambe

14) In November 2016, an Olympic gold medallist visited delighted pupils at Trumacar Primary School in Heysham. Who was it?

a) Mo Farah

b) Max Whitlock

c) Jessica Ennis-Hill

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

15) Nine male meerkats became a star attraction at Lancaster’s Williamson Park in 2016. Which of these names was given to one of the meerkats?

a) Aleksandr

b) Sergei

c) None - the meerkats haven’t been named

16) On which date did the long-awaited Bay Gateway Heysham to M6 link road officially open?

a) October 31

b) November 1

c) November 5

(Answer A)

17) Volunteers took part in a charity trek in September to raise money for St John’s Hospice in Lancaster. But where?

a) The Alps

b) The Great Wall of China

c) Lands Ends to John O’Groats

18) Which popular Morecambe pub was destroyed by fire in July?

a) The Battery

b) The Ranch House

c) The Park Hotel

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

19) What happened to Morecambe’s new Burger King restaurant in August just hours after it opened?

a) It was burgled

b) It ran out of burgers

c) Ronald McDonald walked in and asked for a Happy Meal

20) In April Morecambe Bay School pupils hit worldwide headlines after they did what with a cuddly dog called Sam?

a) Entered him into Crufts

b) Buried him in a time capsule

c) Blasted him into space

21) A court heard in March how a Heysham carer was caught red-handed by a hidden camera helping herself to money in a disabled pensioner’s bedroom. Where was the camera hidden?

a) In a jewellery box

b) In an air freshener

c) In a teddy bear

22) In June, how did Morecambe band The Thyme Machine delight a dad and his son who were forced to leave their gig because the lad was underage?

a) They sent them a year’s supply of sweets

b) They took them with them to Glastonbury

c) They played a surprise gig at their home

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

23) What did Jon Barry, mayor of Lancaster, forget to take to a function in Abbeystead?

a) His trousers

b) His mayoral chain

c) His teeth

East Lancashire

24) Which two East Lancashire colleges announced merger plans in 2016

a) Blackburn and Nelson

b) Burnley and Accrington

c) Burnley and Nelson

25) Which Ribble Valley village successfully campaigned to save its bus service

a) Fence

b) Whalley

c) Sabden

26) What Festival was held in Burnley for the first time in 2016?

a) Pie Eating Festival

b) Literary Festival

c) Northern Soul Festival

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

27) What anniversary did the Leeds and Liverpool Canal celebrate in 2016?

a)100th

b) 200th

c) 300th

28) Which Pendle singer reached the final of ‘The Voice’ ?

a) Wayne Farrow

b) Sean Ruane

c) Cody Frost

29) A £32m renovation plan was unveiled for which East Lancashire mill?

a) Brierfield

b) Newton

c) Pendle Village

30) What is the name of the brewery that forms part of the Holmes Mill development in Clitheroe

a) Thwaites

c) Moorhouse’s

c) Bowland

31) Which popular High Street retailer announced it was coming to Burnley in 2017

a) Primark

b) Selfridges

c) Debenhams

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

32) What percentage of Burnley voters voted to leave the EU?

a) 48.5%

b) 56.8%

c) 66.6%

33) Which flagship Burnley college closed in 2016?

a) University Medical College

b) University Science College

c) University Technical College

Wigan

34) Which food stuff was recently launched 18.6 miles into space from a Wigan pub carpark?

a) A lemon

b) A pie

c) Chocolate gateau.

35) Who is the Leigh MP vying to be the first mayor of Greater Manchester?

a) Lisa Nandy

b) Yvonne Fovargue

c) Andy Burnham

36) Which football club owner unveiled a statue to himself on his 80th birthday?

a) Dave Whelan

b) Owen Oyston

c) Bill Kenwright

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

37) What was the name of the teenaged singing sensation who reached the judges’ houses stage of this year’s X Factor?

a) Matt Terry

b) Sam Bailey

c) Olivia Garcia

38) Which Orrell-born actress’s return to Coronation Street was announced this year?

a) Carley Stenson

b) Jennifer James

c) Georgia Taylor

39) Which minnow country with a population the same size of Wigan borough (320,000) defeated England at the European Football Championships?

a) Iceland

b) Wales

c) Slovenia

40) Which member of the Royal Family visited Wigan Youth Zone in July?

a) The Duke of Edinburgh

b) Princess Beatrice

c) Prince Harry

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

41) Which legendary film-maker was awarded a golden spade at this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival?

a) Ken Loach

b) Steven Spielberg

c) Nicolas Roeg

42) A comedy impression of which renowned Doctor Who villain by Wigan record store owner Paul Dolman made a big impression on this year’s Britain’s Got Talent?

a) The Master

b) Abzorbaloff

c) Davros

43) From which Wigan food plant did Gregg Wallace present an episode of Inside the Factory on BBC2?

a) Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls

b) Hitchen Foods

c) HJ Heinz

Blackpool & Fylde

44) What was the name of the football web forum run by Paul Crashley which the Oyston family tried to sue over alleged defamatory comments?

a) Back Henry Street

b) enry Back Avenue

c) Back Henry Road

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

45) Which Fylde-born singer released an album with Michael Ball?

a) Jodie Prenger

b) Alfie Boe

c) Aiden Grimshaw

46) Which Canadian artist headlined Lytham Festival?

a) Bryan Adams

b) Nelly Furtado

c) Neil Young

47) Which Strictly star was allegedly attacked in Blackpool after performing at the Tower?

a) Ed Balls

b) Louise Redknapp

c) Gorka Marquez

48) Which football team opened a new stadium at Mill Farm?

a) Fleetwood

b) AFC Fylde

C) Squires Gate

49) Which Blackpool FC legend held his testimonial?

a) Jimmy Armfield

b) Brett Ormerod

c) Keith Southern

50) Which iconic Blackpool hotel was put up for sale?

a) Imperial

b) Hilton

c) Big Blue

51) Cast from which TV show helped renovate a Blackpool carers centre?

a) Changing Rooms

b) DIY SOS

c) 60-minute makeover

52) What is the working title for the new £16m ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach?

a) Construction 2018

b) Big Flipper

c)Pepsi Max smaller one

53) Which actress flicked the famous switch to kick off the Illuminations?

a) Julie Goodyear

b) Barbara Windsor

c) Barbara Knox